Chapter 68: Practical Dungeon Exam (I)
[———✵ Status Panel ✵———]
Name: Gray Vireux D’Aurélion [2]
Titles: Vessel of Beauty & Destruction, Exiled Noble
Race: Human (?)
Class: [✧ Clown (Elementary) ✧]
Rank: Early Intermediate Realm
Unique Skill: [✧Swap✧]
Active Skills: Puppet Strings (Class)
Passive Skills: Blessing of Beauty, Laughing Veil (Class)
——+——+——+——
"...Ugh, what the fuck happened?"
Gray muttered under his breath as the glowing panel hovered before his eyes. His rank had somehow jumped to the Early Intermediate Realm, something that should’ve been impossible that fast.
And then his eyes caught something strange on his status panel.
"...[2]? What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" His eyebrow furrowed in confusion.
[Don’t ask me.]
Jasmine’s voice answered, groggy and irritated.
[I remember you standing inside the temple... Cassandra was there, and then... everything went black.]
"...Same here." Gray closed the window with a grimace.
His head still felt heavy, as though fragments of another dream clung to it.
He rubbed his temple, finally noticing where he was: an ordinary inn room, sunlight leaking faintly through the shutters.
The sheets were tangled around his legs, and on the nightstand rested a small folded letter, sealed with plain wax.
"...Huh?"
He picked it up, broke the seal, and unfolded the paper. His eyes narrowed as he began to read.
<Gray, I don’t know if you remember anything. If you don’t, then I’ll explain a few things.>
"Remember...?" Gray frowned.
"Did something happen...?"
<First of all, the reason a [2] appears in your Status Panel is because you’re the secondary soul of this body.>
"What the fu—!"
<And before you scream, yes, I—the true Gray—am still alive inside this body. You didn’t absorb me. You only took fragments of my memories.>
His grip on the paper tightened, crumpling the edges.
A sharp curse slipped out between his teeth.
<So yeah... here’s everything that happened during the last three weeks. Everything you need to know.>
Gray continued reading the letter, and his eyes widened at the number of things that ’Gray’ had accomplished in just two weeks.
The letter also included instructions on how to act towards Selele, Lyra... But for Cassandra, there was simply one warning.
<Don’t mess with her.>
"Hah?" Gray scoffed, laughing like a lunatic.
"The hell is that supposed to mean?"
[...Don’t deny his words. He’s much smarter than you.]
"Huh?!" Gray’s voice cracked in disbelief.
[Anyway, now that you finally understand you’ve got two dantians instead of one, you should start using that brain of yours to focus on cultivation.]
"...Two dantians, huh." Gray clicked his tongue, rubbing his chin.
[Right. And once you reach the Peak of the Advanced Stage, like he said, you two can attempt to fuse. If you succeed, you’ll wield far more strength than a normal cultivator.]
"...Yeah, yeah." He waved dismissively.
[Then what are you waiting for? Try connecting with your spirit. Claim the skills he mentioned.]
"Sure, sure," Gray muttered, rolling his eyes.
Still, he sat cross-legged, shut his eyes, and forced his thoughts inward, sinking toward the core of his being.
A chime echoed in his mind.
[Ding! You’ve received the skill: Dimensional Storage.]
[Ding! You’ve received the movement technique: Nine Illusionary Dream Steps.]
"...That was easier than I thought," Gray admitted, blinking at the messages.
[If anything, you should be asking how that other Gray managed to leave his skills inside the body’s spirit.]
Gray tilted his head.
"...Hold on. What’s the difference between the soul and the spirit anyway?"
[....]
For a moment, there was silence.
Then Jasmine groaned.
[Old me, how unlucky am I? Why couldn’t the other Gray be my partner instead of you?]
A vein throbbed on Gray’s forehead.
"You want me to smack you again?!"
[Try it.]
Jasmine’s reply was flat, as if daring him.
"Bitch!" he snapped, clicking his tongue.
[Whatever. Since your dumbass clearly doesn’t know, let me spell it out.]
Her tone sharpened, almost like a teacher forced to explain something for the hundredth time.
[The soul is your true self, your consciousness, your will, the thing that makes you you. The spirit is different. It’s the vessel, the container that links your soul to your body and cultivation. Without a spirit, your soul would drift powerless. Without a soul, your spirit would be an empty husk.]
Gray blinked, processing her words quickly.
"...So basically, the soul is the king, the spirit is the throne, and the body is the castle?"
[Wow. You actually managed a decent analogy. I’m shocked.
]"Tsk," Gray smirked.
"...Guess I’m smarter than you thought, huh?"
[Don’t push your luck.]
But then Jasmine suddenly added curiously:
[Nine Illusionary Dream Steps...? How the hell did he get that technique?]
Gray raised an eyebrow.
"...Mhm, no clue. The letter doesn’t say anything about it."
He scanned the parchment again, then noticed a faint arrow drawn near the corner.
Flipping it over, his eyes widened slightly.
[Divika, huh? No wonder... this was her own movement technique that made her very annoying to fight against.]
"You’ve fought against her before?" Gray blinked in surprise.
[Yep. Won in the end, of course. But her movement technique was simply too hard to counter and read.]
<Tell Jasmine to help you with the technique.>
"Ah, this bastard really thought about everything?" Gray sneered.
[Aren’t you technically calling yourself a bastard by saying that?]
"...Whatever." He rolled his eyes.
Jasmine hummed.
[Still, for him to switch places with you right when the Practical Dungeon Exam was happening... I wonder if that was intentional or not.]
"It was," Gray answered flatly.
[Oh? And why’s that?]
"Because he doesn’t have your authority. Your soul only bonds with me. Without that, he can’t use Beauty’s authority to stage the perfect little drama where he swoops in and conquers hearts..."
Jasmine paused, then muttered.
[...A hero saving the beauty?]
"Exactly." Gray’s lips curled into that same devilish smile.
"No wonder narcissists fall in love with themselves first."
Jasmine went silent for a long moment.
[...]
[Also, now you’re an Elementary-level Clown.]
Jasmine suddenly said, but when she thought of her own words, she couldn’t help but add:
[Fuck... I really want to bond with the other Gray. Get stronger so both of you can fuse as quickly as possible, please.]
"...I’ll fucking smack the shit out of you when you materialize," Gray practically growled through his teeth.
[Sure. I’ll let you try.]
Clicking his tongue, Gray stuffed the letter away and pushed open the inn door. He was met with the grand reveal of... a corridor.
"Woah. Shocking suspense."
He walked out into the sunlit street and headed toward the academy, where plenty of students could be seen chatting... and occasionally murdering each other.
A really peaceful atmosphere, indeed.
"...Careful around Cassandra. Avoid Selene when I can. Stick with Jes... why not? And stay the hell away from Cecilia, that council president witch..." Gray muttered under his breath, ticking off points with his fingers.
"...Quite the schedule you have."
A voice muttered behind him.
[...You dumb fuck.]
"...Fuck," Gray froze.
He tried to keep walking, but a hand wrapped around his wrist, stopping him dead.
"Why avoid me, though?" Selene’s voice was soft, but her eyes shone dangerously as she stared at him.
Gray’s eyes flicked down to her hand on his wrist, then back up to her face.
For a second, he considered brushing her off... but a sly grin tugged at his lips instead.
"...Avoid you?" He leaned in closer, his voice dropping just enough for only her to hear.
"Who said I was avoiding you? I... was just waiting for the right moment."
Her ears twitched, the faintest blush creeping onto her pale cheeks, but her grip tightened rather than loosened.
"Come on, Selene. You don’t really think I’d run away from someone as beautiful as you, do you?" Gray tilted his head with a faint smile.
"You think flattery is going to save you?" Selene narrowed her eyes, suspicion flashing beneath her flushed cheeks.
"...Well," Gray took a look around before turning to her, and then lifting her chin with his index finger.
"I was simply afraid... Selene," his thumb brushed against her lips, causing her cheeks to turn even redder than before.
Her pupils softened, almost dreamy, yet her teeth sank lightly into her lower lip, right where his thumb pressed.
Somehow, even that small rebellion only made her look more vulnerable.
"A-afraid of what?" she managed, her voice cracking into a stammer.
"Afraid..."
He leaned even closer, so near she could feel the warmth of his breath against her lips.
"That I wouldn’t be able to resist you..."
Thud!
Selene jerked back as if burned, her entire face igniting with color. She spun half away from him, fanning her cheeks furiously with her hands.
"Y-you...!" she sputtered, unable to finish the thought, while her ears twitched madly.
"Selene... are you really this easy to fluster?" Gray couldn’t help but tease her again, seeing her hiding her face behind her hands.
Her ears twitched harder, and she shot him a glare from between her fingers.
"Sh-shut up!"
He chuckled, slipping his hands into his pockets as if nothing had happened.
Then, leaning just slightly toward her again, his voice dropped to a husky murmur only she could catch:
"Careful... if you keep looking at me like that, people might think you’ve already fallen for me... your boyfriend would be really sad~, y’know?"
Selene froze, her breath caught in her throat.
Gray pulled back with a lazy smirk, turned on his heel, and started strolling toward the academy’s main building.
"...Well..."
[You really are a scumbag.]
"Blame Gray, not me."
[You are Gray though...]
Gray stretched his arms above his head as he heard Jasmine’s words.
"I guess..."