Amelia felt a wave of warmth at their thoughtfulness and smiled. "Thanks, guys. Tomorrow would be perfect!"
As she spoke, a small, nearly imperceptible trace of disappointment flickered across the girls' faces. Hearing about the 'fantastical' nature of the Akashic Records made them eager to explore it, but they had to wait.
Noticing the subtle disappointment, Mikael added, "Actually, I'll need to enter the Records once before taking you with me. There's a special system upgrade I need to buy if I want to bring you along, and I can only get it inside the Records. If you want, I could go in now, and you can watch how it works. Consider it a little preview before the real thing tomorrow. What do you think?"
Lyra's expression immediately brightened with interest. Her gaze locked onto him, and she focused intently, as though determined not to miss a single detail of what would happen next.
Amelia, on the other hand, looked hesitant. "You said that you'd need to buy a 'system upgrade' to allow us to visit the Records. How much is it? Because if it's too expensive, you really don't need to buy it…"
Her words caught Lyra's attention, momentarily breaking her intense focus on Mikael. She nodded in agreement. "True, even if it would be sad not to see the marvel and wonder of the Records…" she said dreamily before coughing and adding, "But it's not a big deal!" she exclaimed, seemingly trying to convince herself.
A small smile appeared on Mikael's face at their reactions. "You misunderstood my words. The system upgrade I'm going to buy isn't just something that will allow you to visit the Records. No, it'll allow you to leave Dirarnia and come with me to explore other worlds in the future, so the price is totally worth it."
"Explore other worlds?" Amelia asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Yeah. You remember the 'story' I just told you, about how I jumped from world to world? While I've been staying in Dirarnia for a while and plan to stay here for some time, one day, it's inevitable that I'll leave."
At his words, the girls' expressions turned uneasy. Noticing this, Mikael quickly reassured them, "Don't worry about it. When the time comes, you can come with me. If you prefer to stay here, I won't be upset. It's just that visiting you will be more complicated, and we'll see each other less often."
The women exchanged thoughtful looks as they considered what he'd just said, but Mikael cut their deliberation short. "There's no need to think too much about it right now. I plan to stay in this world for quite some time, so we don't need to delve into it yet. For now, I have a system upgrade to buy, and I should hurry since Amelia has her exam soon."
Amelia and Lyra snapped out of their thoughts at his words, their curiosity shifting to how he would enter the Records and what it would look like.
"Records, I want to leave this world!" Mikael declared aloud this time.
[Extraction will begin in 5 minutes.]
Hearing him speak, the girls watched him eagerly, their eyes fixed on him with excitement. But as the seconds ticked by with no visible change, Amelia's expression turned disgruntled. She began to wonder if he might be lying. "Huh? Why isn't anything happening?" she asked.
Mikael chuckled, amused by the 'little prank' he'd played. "The process takes five minutes. That's why."
True to his word, after five minutes, Mikael was suddenly enveloped in light. When it faded, he was gone, leaving nothing behind.
"Whoa…" Amelia exclaimed, more out of relief than true awe, as the teleportation process wasn't particularly impressive. Her earlier worry that Mikael might have lied to her had been gnawing at her, and she was glad to see it wasn't the case.
"So… is it some kind of space travel? Or teleportation? Or maybe…" Lyra murmured, staring thoughtfully at the spot where Mikael had vanished.
***
On the other side, Mikael appeared in the bustling Hub of the Akashic Records. Without wasting time, he opened the system upgrades store and searched for the one he needed. It didn't take long to find it.
[People Extraction System. Requirement: None.
Allows the extraction of people from unique worlds at a price in LP. Note: The extracted individuals must be willing, and the price will vary based on their power levels. Price: 2K LP.]
Without hesitation, Mikael purchased the upgrade, bringing his LP total down to just over 20K. With the transaction complete, he immediately initiated his return to the Dirarnia world. He knew there was no time to waste, as Amelia's exam was approaching quickly, and he wanted to make sure he was back before she left.
With a flash of light, he reappeared in the exact same position he had been in not long ago. The familiar sight of his mansion greeted him. He glanced around and immediately spotted Amelia and Lyra, who both looked up at him with curious eyes.
"So, how was it?" Lyra asked, her curiosity evident.
"Surprise. You'll see tomorrow," he replied with a mysterious smile.
Lyra pouted cutely at his response, but before she could say anything, Amelia glanced at the bracelet on her wrist and interrupted. "I need to leave soon for my exam. It's already later than I thought." She paused briefly before adding, "Oh, I almost forgot. After my exam, I'll stop by the Archery Club, so you won't see me for a couple of hours."
As she finished speaking, she approached Mikael, who was sitting nearby. Leaning towards him, she quickly planted a soft peck on his lips before straightening up, her cheeks redder than usual.
"This is a good luck kiss?" he teased with a smirk.
"Hmm," she hummed in agreement, her face still flushed. Without another word, she hurriedly exited the mansion like a startled rabbit.
After Amelia left, Mikael and Lyra chatted idly about everything and nothing. At some point, Mikael shifted the topic. "I feel like trying out the pool. Want to join me?"
Lyra hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Sure."
They separated to go to their respective rooms and change into swimwear. In his room, Mikael took off his clothes and slipped into a pair of swim trunks. He grabbed a large towel, draped it over his shoulder, and made his way to the courtyard where the pool was located.
Once beside the large pool, he set the towel down and slowly stepped into the water. "Ahh," he sighed softly as he felt the coolness. The water was just chilly enough to be refreshing but not uncomfortably cold.
In truth, the water temperature should be of little effect on Mikael, given his physical strength. However, he consciously lowered his body's natural defenses to experience the sensation of swimming like a regular person. Otherwise, his enhanced body would make the experience feel dull. For the same reason, he had brought a towel instead of simply relying on a spell to dry off after exiting the pool.
He gradually descended into the water, letting it envelop him until it reached his neck. Then, he allowed himself to float on the surface, gazing up at the clear blue sky. The peaceful moment didn't last long, as the sound of a splash broke the silence.
Mikael looked up and was momentarily stunned by the sight before him. Standing on the steps leading into the pool was Lyra. She hadn't jumped in but was easing her way into the water. She wore a one-piece blue swimsuit that wasn't revealing or provocative. It covered most of her body, starting just below her thighs and extending up to her shoulders, where it was secured by two simple straps. The modest design resembled a camisole more than anything else, yet Lyra's beauty radiated effortlessly.
Her long purple hair, streaked with pink, cascaded down her back in gentle waves. Her violet eyes sparkled with a hint of anticipation as she looked at Mikael. A faint blush dusted her cheeks, evidence of her shyness at being in a swimsuit in front of someone she had feelings for. She was utterly mesmerizing.
"Wow, you look stunning," Mikael blurted out instinctively, captivated by her beauty.
Lyra felt a fluttering sensation in her stomach at his compliment. She lowered her gaze shyly before replying, "Thanks… but I could say the same about you." Her eyes drifted to his toned chest, which was exposed above the water.
After the initial moment of admiration, the two relaxed and enjoyed the pool together. They swam side by side, chatted as they floated, and even played games like volleyball. The atmosphere between them was lighthearted yet charged with an unspoken tension. Their interactions bordered on playful flirtation—subtle glances, fleeting touches—but there was nothing overtly sexual. It was simply two 'friends' sharing a fun and memorable moment in the pool.
Or at least that was the case until Lyra and Mikael found themselves standing in the shallow part of the pool, gazing at each other. Lyra became captivated by Mikael's piercing green eyes, and almost imperceptibly, she began to lean closer toward him.
Caught in the moment, Mikael instinctively mirrored her movement, their faces drawing nearer until their lips finally met in a kiss. What began as a chaste and tentative kiss, born of the heat of the moment, quickly deepened as Mikael introduced his tongue into Lyra's mouth.
Lyra tried to match him, her tongue battling against his, but she quickly found herself at a disadvantage against his greater experience. She could only surrender, her defenses overwhelmed, as the kiss grew more passionate.
As if driven by instinct, Lyra wrapped her arms around Mikael's neck, pulling him closer. Mikael's hands, initially resting on her small waist, slid lower until they landed on her soft, petite buttocks.
She froze for a moment, startled by the boldness of his touch, before regaining her composure. Fueled by a mix of emotions, she responded by intensifying the battle of their tongues. At the same time, her hands moved lower, exploring the breadth of his wide and firm back.
Needing air, Lyra finally pulled her head back, gasping softly as she tried to catch her breath from the prolonged kiss. Her cheeks were flushed, her mind hazy, but Mikael used her brief distraction to gently fondle her supple rear.
"Ahh!" she let out a surprised moan, only for it to be silenced as Mikael leaned forward and captured her lips once more.
As they were engrossed in the moment of passion, they moved in the water, splashing it around, but neither of them cared. They were completely consumed by the moment.
This passionate exchange continued for several minutes, their deep kisses interrupted only by brief pauses when Lyra needed to catch her breath before resuming.
Lyra eventually pulled her head back to take another breath, but this time, she didn't dive back in to continue. Instead, she shyly looked down and rested her head on Mikael's chest.
Mikael, noticing her action, immediately understood that she wanted to end this impromptu moment—or at least take a break. Respecting her, he removed his hand from her buttocks, but not without giving her a playful squeeze before resting it on her soft waist.
Seeing how embarrassed she looked, with her head bowed and even the tips of her ears turning red, Mikael couldn't resist teasing her. He leaned in, his lips brushing against her ear, and murmured in a seductive tone, "Want to take a pause~?"
Lyra shivered at the sound of his voice and gave a small nod, unable to look at him. They stayed in this position for a short while before she pulled back and stammered, "I-I'm gonna g-go read! Bye!"
Author Note:
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