Starting With SSS-rank: I Get A New Skill Every Livestream-Chapter 59: We can be friends

[Stats:

Strength: 8 -> 10

Speed: 7 -> 11

Endurance: 9 -> 15

Intelligence: 9

Affinity: 5%]

[Skills: God’s Eye (Lvl 1)]

[Items: Aquilla of Archilles

Red Elixir: 1]

[Soul Points: 1861]

Kyle was in his room, doing push-ups.

After sleeping for over a day, he finally felt refreshed. He did not want to break his streak. The daily quest required him to complete a set of tasks, including push-ups and other workouts. In return, it rewarded him with a recovery potion and, at times, greater rewards. For instance, if he maintained his streak for two more days, he would receive a vanishing potion.

As he finished his last push-up and got to his feet, his gaze fell on his stats.

He was not surprised by the increase. He had trained for over thirty hours in that chamber while being constantly sustained by Genesis.

What did surprise him was something else.

"My soul points... why haven’t they changed?"

[Because, host, you absorb soul points when you hunt a Knull resident. But in that space, everything was born from Aleda’s consciousness.]

"..."

That reminded him. If only his consciousness had been there, then why did his body feel so exhausted?

Shaking his head, he moved on. "What about this affinity?"

[It represents the host’s ability to manipulate Genesis. At the current level, the host can consciously use Genesis for reinforcement.]

Kyle exhaled slowly, resting his hands on his waist. Could he really do that?

He was not sure. But he definitely was not going to test it here. Surveillance around his house was still tight.

"Speaking of surveillance..."

He pulled out his phone and texted Veronica.

{Free to chat?}

He waited for a minute, wondering if he should take a bath before his brother and possible sister-in-law arrived.

Then suddenly,

Rnng

She called.

He sat down on the chair and picked up the call. "Veronica."

{Where were you? Why haven’t you been replying to my texts?}

Her voice was restrained, but he could still sense the concern beneath it.

"I am sorry," he replied. "I was exhausted, so I fell into a deep sleep."

{Exhausted for that long?}

Well... how was he supposed to explain that?

"Did something happen?"

{Yes. Actually, after hearing Amanda’s report, which she naturally adjusted to make you appear as harmless as possible, we had to change the plan.}

Kyle almost chuckled, imagining Amanda trying to fabricate a story. She was not good at lying, but when things turned serious, she could pull it off like a decent actress.

But the last part caught his attention.

"What plan?" he asked, curiosity creeping into his voice.

{You know there is a raid planned during your trip, right?}

Kyle leaned back. "I have heard about it from you, but I am not sure what it is about. Have you located a rift and expect Ethan and his group to clear it?" It sounded reckless, especially with other students involved.

Was PSC taking such a huge risk?

{No, it isn’t a rift. Umm... do you know what a bridge is? Or maybe a stake?}

Kyle tilted his head, when suddenly, the system explained,

[A bridge is the pinpoint that connects the human world with Knull. If they didn’t exist, rifts wouldn’t be able to appear on the mortal plane.]

Oh... now he remembered. The system had mentioned it before. There were specific pinpoints that allowed Knull residents to enter this world. But they could not be destroyed, as powerful sentinels were always guarding them.

"Yes, I do. What about it?" he asked.

{For the past month, that Bridge has been acting abnormally. The Absence it radiates has triggered a massive increase in rift activity in that area. We have evacuated the nearby regions, but we couldn’t clear the entire city.}

{We already used our connections to delay the trip by two weeks, but we can’t push it any further. The university head believes the touring sites are far enough from the Bridge, so it should be safe. However, we believe there is a high chance a rift might appear nearby.}

Kyle rubbed his brows. "What exactly goes through that damn baldy’s head to be so insistent on this trip?"

{Our authority can’t force them to change their decision unless the headquarters intervenes. Since they haven’t, the students will be dangerously close to the red zone.}

Kyle shook his head in disappointment before asking, "So? What does that have to do with me? And by the way, don’t worry, I won’t be interfering in this one."

{Yes, that’s exactly why I called you. It has been suspected that the rogue Nightwalker studies in the same university as Ethan and the others. That is why an officer, the same one you met that night, will be accompanying the team during the trip.}

{Kyle, she is going on that trip specifically to catch you.}

Layena... huh? It seemed he had really pissed off the thorny princess that night.

Shaking his head, Kyle reassured her, "Don’t worry. As I said, I am only going on this trip to clear things up with Amanda. And you can rest assured, I will be discreet about it."

A brief silence followed from the other end, prompting Kyle to check if she was still on the call.

"Hello, Vero-"

{Kyle... should I stop texting you now?}

He blinked in surprise. "Why is that?"

{I mean... you are painfully aware of my feelings, and now you are going to reunite with Amanda... so shouldn’t we put some distance between us?}

Kyle sighed and got up from the chair. This might have been the first time he had heard her sound so nervous and hesitant.

Leaning against the closet, he said, "I thought we were friends. And if you suddenly back out, who is going to clean up all the mess I cause around the world?"

Veronica let out a faint chuckle from the other side, easing the tension in his shoulders.

"Don’t overthink it, Veronica. Things between us will remain as they are. Whatever happens with Amanda has nothing to do with what you have done for me or how grateful I am to you."

Veronica sighed before asking,

{So... are we sharing a secret relationship now? Sounds kind of exciting.}

Kyle chuckled. "Don’t go down that path, girl. We are just accomplices in illegal activities."

Veronica giggled softly before muttering,

{Well, as long as you don’t stop needing me.}

He was about to respond when suddenly,

Ding Dong