Chapter 35

After waiting there for several dozen seconds, Shuna awkwardly turned her face toward me with a creak.

"Zeros... did I really do this...?"

"Yeah. The Heaven's Judgment Burst—a technique that can only be used by mages who can bestow dark and holy attributes, and it's the strongest ultimate move."

I simply explained the mechanism and effects of the Heaven's Judgment Burst to Shuna. Even after hearing everything, she still seemed to not fully understand.

"I don't really get it, but I understand that it's a really powerful technique..."

"Well, for now, that's enough. There's just one thing to be careful about: the timing for activating Heaven's Judgment Burst is quite critical. In some cases, you might get caught in it, so I don't want you to use it unless I'm around for a while."

"Got it. Thanks for everything, Zeros."

Shuna smiled softly and thanked me.

After that, we received renewed gratitude from the adventurer party, who had come back to their senses, and decided to return to town after a simple treatment. We boarded the carriage that had arrived and moved for about an hour. During that time, nothing particular happened, and we returned to the capital.

After parting ways with the adventurer party, Shuna and I were alone. Shuna stretched her arms up to loosen her stiff body.

"Phew, we're finally back! It feels like it's been a long day, even though it hasn't been half a day yet."

"Yeah."

Starting from our first meeting, forming a temporary party, the carriage ride, the conquest of the [Necropolis of the Underworld], the battle with the Dark Sorcerer who had a hidden status change, and finally the defeat of the Ironclad Bear. There were too many events to experience in half a day, and I was also quite tired.

Then, Shuna started a conversation with a slightly puzzled look.

"Anyway, a lot happened, but the biggest shock for me might be the level...?"

"Level?"

"Yeah, just look."

With that, Shuna showed me her status.

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Shuna Trimmel

Gender: Female

Age: 15

Emblem: [Emblem of Magic]

Level: 39

HP: 312/312 MP: 218/273

Strength: 42

Endurance: 42

Speed: 53

Intelligence: 72

Luck: 52

Status Points: 10

Skills: [Magic Missile] Lv.1, [Sacred Enchant] Lv.1, [Dark Enchant] Lv.1

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Thanks to earning more than 90% of the damage against the Ironclad Bear, her level had risen from 34 to 39. This meant she was now at the same level as me again.

"Surprised, right? I was only level 20 this morning before I met you, Zeros. And in just half a day, it doubled... I don't even know what to think anymore."

"I agree with you, but it's a bit disappointing."

"Disappointing?"

"The [Emblem of Magic] holder learns the next growth skill at level 40. You were just one level away..."

"Isn't that a bit greedy...?"

Shuna looked a bit confused, and I could even sense a hint of hesitation from her. Why?

As we were having this conversation, the time to part arrived. Shuna expressed her gratitude again, as she had done several times today.

"Once again, thank you, Zeros. I learned a lot thanks to you."

"If you say so, I feel relieved too."

I thought about apologizing again for putting her in danger during the Dark Sorcerer battle, but decided against it. I already knew from spending time with Shuna that she didn't want that.

As I thought about this, Shuna said her final words while waving.

"See you tomorrow, Zeros!"

"Yeah, see you tomorrow, Shuna."

With those words, Shuna left. As I watched her go, I tilted my head in confusion.

"Huh? Come to think of it, I invited Shuna as a temporary party member, but we never discussed what would happen next..."

Yet, Shuna had said, "See you tomorrow," and I had responded in kind, as if it were natural...

"Is that how it is, then?"

I would need to confirm this with her tomorrow. But the thought of adventuring with Shuna again did make me feel excited.

"Well, it'll work out."

After muttering this, I turned and started walking back to the mansion. Thus, the long, long day finally came to an end.

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Zeros Sylphied

Gender: Male

Age: 15

Emblem: [Emblem of Nothingness]

Level: 39

HP: 390/390 MP: 171/195

Strength: 69

Endurance: 53

Speed: 65

Intelligence: 39

Luck: 39

Status Points: 6

Skills: [Parry] Lv.2, [Slash] Lv.2, [Magic Arrow] Lv.1, [Dark Enchant] Lv.1, [Scout] Lv.1

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