This was one of the reasons why she felt flicted about her feelings for Mikael. She had a much higher status than him, but knowing him she knew he wouldn’t let go of Kiara for her. That left her torn.

  Mikael, sensione, smiled wryly. “I am going to see her, but that’s not the main reason I’m leaving.”

  “Okay,” she said relutly, accepting it. ‘We’re not in a retionship. Who am I to hold him back?’ she thought, giving herself a self-depreg smile.

  Hearing her reluce, Mikael had ao cheer her up. In a pyful tone, he said, “Thanks for uanding, my lovely Amelia. Love you! Bye.” And with those words, he abruptly ehe call.

  Amelia, oher side, was stunned by the abrupt end to the call, but she didn’t dwell on it. ‘Love you’ echoed in her mind as she turned beet red, her usual calm demeanor repced by a flush that made her even more captivating—though, sadly, or maybe happily, no one was there to see it.

  She felt butterflies iomach as she repeated his words in her head, theuro her training, but her steps had ara bounce.

  Meanwhile, oher side, Mikael ehe call with a small smile on his face. He then asked the Records to ehat while he was outside the Dirarnia world, no one would be able to track his bracelet or use anything simir to locate him when he wasn’t in this world anymore. The request cost him 100 LP, but it was worth it. Refog himself, he stepped out of the dormitory and was greeted by the twilight—the sun had begun to set, casting warm hues across the sky, though it wasn’t pletely dark yet.

  He began a tranquil walk toward the outskirts of the Academy. Around him, occasional students were scattered here and there. trary to what one might expect, the Academy grounds even at 8 PM were crowded. Groups of students loitered or moved about, but Mikael ighem, tinuing his solitary path without interruption.

  He soon passed uhe majestic marble gateway, marking the Academy’s exit, and tinued walking until he arrived in a dark alley.

  “Records, begira from this world,” he anded in his mind.

  A few moments passed, and five mier, he disappeared in a sudden fsh of light.

  When he reappeared, Mikael found himself in the bustling hub, which remained lively even at this te hour. For once, he took a moment to take in his surroundings.

  He gnced around at the vast expanse of the ‘ic library’ encirg him. Though its grandeur never failed to impress, he had seen it enough times to move past it quickly. What caught his attention was the sheer number of people. Despite the rge crowd, the spaehow didn’t feel cramped or chaotic.

  Most of the activity came from the steady flow of people materializing all around him. These individuals quickly made their way toward the stairs, where they climbed and were subsequently teleported. While this group was the most promi, it wasn’t the only one. Smaller clusters of people were scattered throughout, engaged in lively versations.

  “I just reached Tier 1, level 38!”

  “No way! Weren’t you Tier 1, level 27 just yesterday?”

  A proud smirk spread across one man’s face. “I found a world where it’s possible to kill monsters easily, so leveling up is incredibly fast.”

  “You’re lucky! What’s the name of the world?”

  “It’s…”

  Simir versations filled the air, creating a vibrant hum of chatter. While iing, Mikael’s attention was drawn elsewhere— to the variety of clothes people wore. Some were dressed in modern sportswear or business suits, while others wore more exotic outfits. He spotted medieval tunics, mage robes, and even futuristic attire.

  uzzled him, however, was the number of people wearing medieval armor, often carrying ons openly. ‘Wouldn’t it be more practical to just use the iory system?’ he wohough he quickly dismissed the thought.

  What intrigued him even more were the people holding signs. The messages on the signs varied, but most of them followed a simir pattern:

  Blue Water Guild Recruiting!Minimum Requirement: Tier 1, Level 20.

  Mikael whistled inwardly. ‘Damn, in just two short months sihe Records appeared oh, things have ged enough fuilds to emerge!’ The thought lingered briefly before he shrugged it off. ‘I wonder how much Earth has ged iwo months? …Eh, not my problem!’

  Satisfied with his reasoning, he paid no further attention to his surroundings. With a single-minded focus, he climbed the stairs. Moments ter, he was teleported to the training room where he knew Kiara would be.

  There she was, throwing precise pu the pung bag with practiced ease. Wheiced Mikael entering, her face lit up with happiness. The two of them started versing, and after a long versation, the atmosphere between them grew heated. They eventually retreated to her room, where her soft moans and his low grunts filled the air.

  Some time ter, Mikael woke up, though he kept his eyes closed, sav the moment. The bed was soft and warm, and Kiara’s body, curled up beside him, radiated a f heat. Feeling her presence so close, his thoughts began to wander, refleg on just how much his life had ged sihe arrival of the Records.

  He lingered ihoughts for a while before carefully sitting up, making sure not to disturb her. To his left, Kiara y sleeping peacefully, her fwless back exposed while the rest of her form remained hidden uhe b, leaving the details to his imagination.

  For a moment, he simply stared at her, appreciating the serenity of the se. Then, with a gentle hand, he began to caress her baot with lust, but with tenderness. As he did, his thoughts drifted. ‘I spent more time with Kiara than I inally pnned. We talked for hours, and it felt so easy, so natural. Time flew by before I even realized it. And then… we ended up sleeping together. So, yeah, I guess I got sidetracked and kinda wasted time.’

  He frowned slightly, shaking his head. ‘No, saying I “wasted” time is wrong. I didn’t waste anything. I spent it with someoruly care about.’ His hand moved to his chest, resting over his heart. ‘It’s love… isn’t it? Or at least, I think it is. It has to be. This is the closest I’ve ever felt to anyone.’

  He hesitated, the uainty gnawing at him. ‘I’ve never felt this way before, so I’m not even sure if this is what love is supposed to feel like. But I know ohing for sure: I enjoy being with her. I care about her deeply, so… does that mean I love her?’

  His thoughts circled endlessly, and for the first time in his life, Mikael found himself lost, uo define or categorize what he was feeling. Realizing he was getting nowhere, he decided to let the matter rest. ‘It doesn’t matter what I call it. What’s important is what I feel. And right now, I feel like she’s someone I don’t want to lose.’

  Clearing his mind, he refocused on the reason he had left Dirarnia in the first pce. Whatever awaited him , Mikael knew he had to be ready and not unfocused like now.

  Mikael tio tenderly caress Kiara’s soft, bare back as he thought to himself, “Records, you expin iail what the military missions are? I remember you mentioning them before, but not iail.”

  [Military missions are assigs issued directly by the Records. By uaking these missions, you essentially work for the Records. Here is a typical process: you choose to participate in a military mission, and the Records provide you with the missioails. At this point, you either accept or dee. If you accept, you will be transported to the mission world, where you must plete the task before leaving. If you dee, you will o wait 24 hours before being eligible to seleother mission.]

  [Once you accept, you are transported to the mission world. The missioails, including its difficulty ah, will vary. However, the difficulty will always align with the strength of the individual taking the mission. You will typically be apanied by others from the same in world, although this is not always the case.]

  [During these missions, there are ris. All as are permitted, including the elimination of other partits from the Records. The only rule is the rule of the stro. Upon pletion, whether you worked solo or with a team, your performance will be evaluated, and you will receive a pletion grade based on your results.]

  [Depending on the mission's difficulty and your pletion grade, you will earn military points. These points serve various purposes but are primarily used to advanilitary rank. Higher ranks grant several bes, starting with LP redus on all purchases through the Records and followed by increasingly signifit advantages as your rank rises. Additionally, military points be exged for LP at a ratio of 100:1; however, this is generally not reended, as military points hold greater value.]

  [Would you like to uake a military mission? Yes/No?]

  As Mikael read the final prompt, he smirked inwardly. ‘Nice sales pitch! But I’m not doing one just yet,’ he thought, gng at Kiara’s peaceful, sleeping form beside him. Deg to savor the moment, he shifted his focus back to her and pulled her close for a little more time together before w about missions.

  He y bad gently ed his arms around her. Kiara instinctively snuggled closer, her head resting on his bare chest while her soft, medium-sized breasts pressed zily against him. The warmth of her body and the rhythmic rise and fall of her breathing had a calming effe him.

  Still sound asleep, Kiara moved slightly, ing her arms around him and iwining her legs with his. Her soft, delicate movements caused her body to brush against his in ways that tested his resolve, but Mikael trolled himself, choosing io simply hold her and enjoy the fort of her embrace.

  Minutes passed in this tranquil state before Kiara began to stir. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open, and she looked up at him with a drowsy but tent smile. She shifted slightly and leaned closer, prompting Mikael to meet her halfway as their lips gently touched in a tender, chaste kiss—a quiet, wordless good m.

  “Good m,” Mikael said softly.

  “G-good m,” she replied, her voice still tinged with sleepiness. She let out a cute yawn, rubbing her eyes before settling bato his arms, sav the warmth of the moment.

  He wao relish the moment, but knowing he o leave, he lightly tapped her back before saying, “You know I o ght?”

  “Hmm,” she responded, still resting her head on his chest. Seeing that she had no iion of moving, he was caught between irritation and ughter. He moved his hand toward her plump butt and gave it a gentle pinch.

  “Yelp!” She jumped slightly, surprised, then g him with a pyful, wronged expression.

  He chuckled at her look, and after a moment, Kiara, having uood his message, slowly got up—without fetting to give him a view of her naked body.

  As she stood up from the bed, she bent down to pick up her underwear, with her juicy ass fag him. She slowly dressed, sav every moment of her dispy.

  ‘This minx is trying to seduce me to keep me from leaving, but my mind isn’t weak enough to fall for it!’ Mikael thought, though he couldn’t deny that he was still captivated by her naked form, slowly being covered by her clothes. But he resisted.

  Soon, she was fully clothed and turoward him with a disappointed look, inwardly hoping that while she dressed, he would grab her and pull her bato bed.

  He ignored her and got up from the bed, ging into modern sports clothes. Meanwhile, Kiara couldn't help but admire his athletiuscur yet lean, with visible abs. His physique was toned but not overly bulky, resembling that of a swimmer rather than a bodybuilder.