CHAPTER 897

“I win again!” Abel cheered as she threw down her cards, getting the final pair she needed. “You’re so bad at this!”

“Yeah yeah, but at least I try,” Ben told her. “But for now, I need to get dinner started since the others should start getting home soon and-”

The sounds of the front door opening came as he was getting up, the footsteps he heard telling him it was Thera and Mora before either rounded the corner to the living room.

“Oh, hey Abel. I take it you need another day for Foast’s stuff then, Ben?”

“Nope, I’m done.”

“I’m just staying to hang out for a bit.”

“Oh, okay. How long is a bit?” Thera asked, getting a shrug in return.

“Until someone bothers me about going to hunt something down.”

The answer brought a small smile to Thera’s lips as she moved to Ben’s side, lightly kissing his cheek now that she was back and whispering in his ear as she did.

“Adoption.”

“That’s not what this is,” He told her back. “You know she’s a third tier, I’m sure she’ll have more work to do in a day or two so it’s not the end of the world if she stays a little longer.”

“Ha, we’ll see.”

“I guarantee it. Anyway, anyone want to give me a hand with dinner?”

“I’ll do it,” His girlfriend told him before looking at the child who was genuinely in their care. “Mora, do you think you could keep Abel entertained while we cook?”

“Alright,” The boy nodded, looking thoughtful briefly before he went on. “But if we’re playing games, am I allowed to beat her?”

“Ha, go for it, sweetheart.”

“Hey, just try it, pipsqueak,” Abel shot back, seeing the comment as less of a genuine question than an attempt to raise her competitive spirit which she was happy to oblige. “I just had troubles yesterday because it was my first time playing all of this and even then, I didn’t do that bad! I beat Ben every time.”

“That’s not really an accomplishment.”

“Mora, even if you’re right, you still shouldn’t say that in front of Ben,” Thera told the child, making him look guilty as he turned to Ben.

“Sorry, I didn’t… I mean, you’re not… Um, you try your best and that’s what matters,” The soul spirit finally landed on, not having it in himself to lie and say that Ben really wasn’t that bad or that he didn’t mean what he’d said, ending up with something far more hurtful derived from that earnest innocence that Ben for his part still waved off.

“Don’t worry about it, kiddo. Just have fun. Both of you. And if either of you need anything, we’ll just be in the kitchen.”

“Okay.”

“Got it!”

With the two instantly getting into a new game, it gave Ben and Thera the leeway to start cooking, as well as giving them just a bit of time alone.

“Good day?” He asked her as she pressed against his side, making use of none of the space the kitchen had to offer in preference of being close as she answered.

“Good day. Nothing crazy happened at least and casualty rates are still slowly falling. Although things could get even easier if my super-powerful, future-god boyfriend came out to train some healers again with his new and improved brain.”

“Ha, very subtle.”

“Subtlety is dead which I’m trying very hard not to be. Even if things have been getting easier, I’d still like to get to a point where I can take a day off without feeling guilty.”

“Well, lucky for you, my current agreement with the gods has me knowledging up everyone who gets in my range when I go out. I’ve already started today.”

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With no instantly obvious effect. Unlike in the past, the new depths at which he could transfer information to another mind could be incredibly subtle, used to incorporate information at an even greater level of detail than before instantly, while leaving it as something the recipients might not even notice until it came time to use it. Doing it in such a way ensured that anyone unfortunate enough to enter the range of his soul wouldn’t be instantly overwhelmed but it also meant that until they started training or thinking about their skills, they likely wouldn’t notice.

But everyone on this stupid planet should be training their skills constantly so if anyone manages to go even a week without getting their levels then they clearly aren’t going to people who’ll get much use out of them anyway.

“Well, if you make a teeny tiny stop tomorrow at, oh, I don’t know, every single hospital on the gate network, you’d have my endless appreciation.”

“Ha, I guess I can make the time. I’m sure Delair would get a kick out of the trip and Abel… Well, I suppose I’ll need to see if she actually still wants to work with me while she’s here or if she wants to go off and explore town a bit until we’re all done for the day.”

It would mean he’d be helping everyone he’d be passing along the way too, something he was sure would manage to keep the gods satisfied and continue to prove his worth for when the inevitable reveal of his sacrilege level came out and all of the more reactionary ones decided to start screaming for his blood.

But I really, really need at least one more level before then, just to be safe. He thought to himself as he glanced at the band on his arm that held the crystal containing a god’s soul against his flesh that even then he was connected to to train with. The fact that I haven’t gotten another level yet… It’s been the equivalent of twenty thousand years for that part of myself since my last level. Quox is barely even functional anymore. At what point am I going to get it?

The fact that the experience acquisition for his best way of training that skill was so bad was a nightmare but one he couldn’t work around. He’d just need to keep doing what he was doing and if it kept taking longer than expected, well, then he’d just have to see about improving the process.

“You look like you’re thinking something evil,” Thera said as she finished chopping vegetables and glanced his way.

“Literally only a fraction of a fraction of myself is thinking anything remotely evil; the majority of me has other priorities.”

“And yet, it’s the evil bit that comes to your eyes,” She laughed. “Wanna talk about it?”

“Mmh, no, it’s nothing important and it doesn’t put me in danger so don’t worry, I’ve just got a billion little things rattling around in my head.”

“It really is just so worrying hearing you talk about how you think.”

“It’s just pure efficiency.”

“Until you finally go insane.”

“Hey now, I’ve gone insane twice already and gotten better both times, it’s really not so bad.”

“Worrying,” She sang out before shaking her head, knowing there was no undoing the changes in his own. “So what about you then? Good day?”

“I’d say so. Not to brag but I made Foast a great set of armour so once more I’ve done my little part for the world by keeping one of its third tiers safer and I sparred with Abel before I realized she wasn’t going home and didn’t lose. I mean, I didn’t exactly win either and I gave up when it became clear it was going to be a stalemate but still, it felt good and gave me plenty to reflect on.”

“Ha, recovered from your last humiliating defeat then?”

“I mean, I’m not sure I’d call my first fight with her humiliation.”

“But you definitely lost.”

“I was only at the second tier for everything then,” He said in his defense. “Plus, her attributes made mine look like nothing in comparison. Now that we’ve leveled the playing field a bit, of course I’d do better.”

“Ha, whatever you say,” She teased. “Still, maybe I should see if she’d spar with me, too. It’s not often an opportunity like that pops up; it would be interesting to see how I could hold out against a third tier.”

“Just be aware, she might try to sneak a taste. Although I am curious about what sort of attributes you’d raise for her. Like, obviously mana would be a big one, but-”

She flicked his nose, cutting him off. “No being curious about other people eating your girlfriend.”

“Yeah, fair, sorry.”

“Ha, it’s fine, it’s more important that Abel isn’t too curious about it either. At least she hasn’t asked yet. Luckily, I’ve got you to block that little bit of attention.”

“I am, unfortunately, both delicious and nutritious. I can already imagine how things are going to turn out if I ever run into another hungry vampire again.”

“Mom should be keeping their entire race fed, it’s probably fine.”

“Fine-ish. I’ve definitely gotten a hungry look or two walking through Anailia’s streets since they moved in.”

“And you’re stronger than any of them, if you don’t want to be eaten then you won’t be. Considering how free you are with Abel though and the way you let Mercy snack on you in the past, my bigger worry is that someone will ask nicely and you’ll just immediately fold.”

“I mean, hey, you’ve gotta reward good manners.”

“Mmh, is that your current philosophy for raising Abel?”

“I’m not raising her. But yes.”

“Sure,” She laughed. “And pray tell, how does your approach to both her and Delair differ from how you very openly and plainly help with raising Mora?”

“Not the trap you think it is, I just happen to be a great influence on any and all children I’m looking after, no matter what extent it might be to.”

“And yet, it’s still so fun to tease you about.”