Chapter 170: Camaraderie

Chapter 170: Camaraderie

Yeah, Sparkledouche is bonkers. Gone, not that well. He said adios to his sanity and jumped over the cliff. He locked it and threw the key away. No matter how much he tries to cling to what I guess is life from before the Decay, he is not normal.

I don't know if it's caused by the Decay or by thousands of years of life, and to be honest, I do not care that much. He is someone that we will need to deal with.

I spent an hour running around the inner city. I practice my poor man's version of flying, but I also try to look for any signs of life. There are none. I also didn't find any burial grounds, no skeletons, no corpses. I try to check the tower as well, but the moment I reach out towards it with my mana, I get attacked by something that felt like a slap for sticking my nose where I should not.

So my current suspicion is that only the king, Saint, and three warriors remain, and they were like this for god knows how long.

The last people from the old order clinging to life in their beautiful yet so sickeningly fake city.

It leaves a bad taste in my mouth. But it doesn't matter. The objective of the Floor quest is clear: Put the saint to final rest, and I will do just that. It doesn't matter if it will finish this place, destroying the barrier that keeps them safe against Decay.

There is also the option of staying in this place for the remaining 5 years and then getting summoned back to Earth. It's something that I already refused.

I need to push ahead, get stronger, and not be held back by some pity for the shadows of the people who are most likely already dead for thousands of years.

Now then, back to theorizing. I was once again thinking about my trait. A trait is something I got on the first floor, and humans can have only 3 traits with the possibility of strengthening each of these traits. I already strengthened mine once.

Mana Circuit (Passive) This integrates a network of mana channels throughout the user's body, optimizing the distribution of mana and amplifying the power of their mana-based abilities without additional mana consumption. This enhancement allows the user to draw upon their mana more efficiently, resulting in more potent spells and abilities while reducing overall mana expenditure. and effect of strengthening: Increased Mana Density:The Mana Circuit can now hold a greater density of mana, effectively increasing the user's mana capacity and the power of their mana-based abilities.

I'm still quite happy with it as I've noticed plenty of times the difference between my handling of mana and the handling of mana of others. Of course, [Mana Manipulation] helps a lot, but the trait is also important.

Currently, I'm looking at the trait as some sort of strong passive that is possible to upgrade. Up until now, I didn't see any way of upgrading passive skills other than the upgrade token which seems to be super rare, and I wouldn't be surprised if I don't see that upgrade token ever again.

So, the trait is a passive that is possible to upgrade, but right now, It feels weak. I mean, you can have only 3 of them, so they better get stronger in the future. But to be honest, even the current Mana Circuit trait feels stronger than the rare-graded passive, Mana Flow, that I got some time ago. So maybe they are not that bad?

Another theory is that traits are changing the body while passives are just using possibilities that already exist inside the body. More observation is needed.

I return back to reality and start listening to the others inside the living room, which all of us occupy late at night. The room is lit by a few dim lamps only, and there is plenty of food, seats, and drinks on the table. Even the mood seems decently nice.

I'm sitting in the corner in a massive armchair that I declared mine, and Biscuit is here as well, for which I'm rewarded with a few glances from Isabella. I also think that she used her fire skill to pull some warmth from the air around me in a similar way I do with my skill.

Instead of disrupting her attack, I just turn some kinetic energy of my kinetic mana heart into thermal and send it through my body, feeling a nice, comfortable warmth spread through. Biscuit seems to like it as well and snuggles closer, his eyes still closed.

I reach out and flop his ears a few times and pet his head, to which he breathes out gently and continues to sleep.

Mine.

At that moment, Tess reveals a bit of her sometimes cheeky side and pokes at the younger girl, "Maybe I'm more interested in someone else, Lily." As Tess says so, her eyes change a bit, and her smile becomes... dangerous.

Tess is tall; her hair is a beautiful shade of blond, and her contours are sharp. And as she stares down at Lily, I can say without hesitation that Tess is pretty. It's not a traditional beauty, but she is.

Maybe it is the alcohol we are drinking that makes all of us a bit more open and in control of ourselves, but I'm starting to enjoy it. The stuff we drink must be special to cause this to us even though our strengthened bodies.

"Tess?" Lily seems almost scared as Tess reaches out and caresses her chin.

Tess then laughs shortly and stops, "Sorry, Lily, I had to tease you a little bit. I hope you don't mind." Her eyes seem to be smiling even as she says so.

"What do you even see in Nathaniel, Lily?" Maya joins the conversation. She is the oldest one among us and probably the most experienced when it comes to relationships.

"He is handsome," Lily says shortly.

What?

"And the look in his eyes when he gets serious. It's like he is looking down at the entire world and challenging it. It's hot."

What, what, what?

Unknowing what I'm doing, I straighten up my posture and listen carefully. Is the girl I thought fell for Nathaniel because he saved her from being thrown at Cinderbear just going after his looks? Sure, he is somewhat handsome, especially now when he is wearing these clothes that fit him so well, and his face becomes somewhat softer when he is in a good mood.

But really? That guy is a maniac.

"Lily, stop joking and do not tease Sophie that much," Tess giggles and turns to me. Maya joins as well, and Lily looks at me, her eyes shining deviously.

What?

"You have to be careful, Sophie. Innocent little Lily might not look like it, but she can be quite cheeky at times. You will get used to it." Tess says.

Lily is sitting here, smiling slightly, but I remember the look in her eyes when she talked about Nathaniel and the way she looks at him. Are you really sure she was joking, Tess?

Then the conversation continues, and I notice how carefully Tess manipulates it. She is friendly but not too nosy, and she leads the conversation to things that are easy to share or smile at while avoiding dangerous topics.

It's not like distrust between us has disappeared or as if we became best friends, not even friends. They still seem distant because of what I did before and because my skill that makes them nervous, but the atmosphere between us feels slightly lightened, just a bit.

I notice myself joining more and more in Tess's carefully controlled conversations.

After another thirty minutes I catch myself smiling and only then do I realize how much I missed pointless conversations like this.