Fifteen minutes later, Loki lay sprawled on her bed, a dark bruise forming under one eye, letting out a faint, miserable groan.
"Too cruel... really too cruel..."
Her pitiful voice echoed weakly through the room.
The one responsible, however, showed not a hint of regret. Ais simply stared at Loki, who was still sprawled on the floor, with an expression that could only be described as looking down on an insect.
"It's all Loki's fault."
Ais's eyes were steady, her tone heavy with reproach.
"Hah! How could it possibly be my fault? I was just performing the Status Update exactly as Ais-tan asked. What did I do wrong?"
"Loki, you were thinking bad things just now."
Loki's earlier creepy, gleeful laugh still lingered unpleasantly in Ais's memory, making her skin crawl. The goosebumps along her arms hadn't even gone down yet, a vivid reminder of just how dangerous Loki had seemed moments before.
"When your fingers touched me, my whole body felt uncomfortable."
"Uh..."
Still facing away from Loki, Ais rubbed her arms in discomfort. The goosebumps stubbornly remained.
Watching this, Loki could only sigh, completely deflated.
'Does Ais really have some sixth sense about these things? No... if I think like that, it just makes me sound pathetic in her eyes.'
"Loki, be serious."
"Alright, alright."
After rubbing her arms, Ais turned back, her gaze sharp and watchful.
Realizing she had no chance of taking advantage like in the old days, Loki dropped any such thoughts—though, if Ais's resistance were even a little lower, that might have been another matter entirely.
Taking the needle in hand again, Loki returned to Ais's back. She pricked her fingertip, let a drop of divine blood well up, and spread it across Ais's skin. The Status Update ritual began.
"Oooh~"
"What is it?"
The strange noise coming from behind made Ais glance over her shoulder.
But Loki's attention was fixed entirely on the data forming before her eyes.
[Name: Ais Wallenstein
Lv.6 → Lv.7
Development Abilities:
· Hunter: G
· Abnormal Resistance: G
· Swordsman: H
· Spirit Healing: I
Attributes:
· Strength: I23 → H154
· Endurance: I35 → H186
· Dexterity: I55 → G245
· Agility: I41 → H178
· Magic: I71 → F341
Magic:
"Ariel"
· Additional Effect: Wind Attribute
· Chant: "Tempest"
Skills:
"Avenger"
· Activates at will
· Greatly increases attack power against monster-type enemies
· Drastically increases attack power against Dragon-type enemies
· Power scales with hatred level]
"Her stats increased way too fast."
Loki frowned, worry creeping into her voice.
Neither her skills nor her abilities had changed in form, but her growth this time was far beyond any normal rate. It wasn't quite on Bell's level of absurdity, but compared to Ais's past progress, this was like being launched from a catapult.
'It's only been half a month since the last update. How could Ais improve this much in such a short time?'
'There must be an external factor involved.'
Loki already had a theory forming in her mind—but she'd need to confirm it before she could be sure.
"Ais, I won't be showing you your ability growth this time."
"Huh?"
Loki's sudden declaration caught Ais completely off guard. She had been waiting eagerly to see her updated stats.
Almost the instant she heard those words, Ais asked, "Why?"
"Why... well, that's a bit complicated. I need to ask someone about what's happened to you before I can give you a proper answer. As for your data—you'll see it once I get a clear explanation from that person."
Ais wanted to press further, but she noticed that Loki wasn't smiling or joking around as usual when she said that. Seeing her serious expression, Ais swallowed her questions and quietly nodded.
"Mm, Ais-tan is such a good girl."
That half-hearted compliment only made Ais puff out her cheeks. With a small huff, she turned away, deciding she wouldn't speak to Loki again until she saw her stats.
Loki could tell Ais was throwing a little tantrum, but instead of getting annoyed, she smiled softly. There was even a faint warmth in her expression—like a parent watching their child grow up.
'This kid… her emotions are richer than she lets on.'
'Is this Riveria's influence? Or Lefiya's?'
A familiar image flashed through Loki's mind, and her fond smile turned into one of irritation.
'Tch! If it's you, then I swear I'm going to leave a bite mark on your neck when I get back.'
Her teeth itched at the thought, and she found herself wanting to return as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, Ais had already finished dressing. Still sulking over not being shown her data, she puffed out her cheeks again and marched toward the door without saying goodbye.
Just before leaving, she let out a sharp little huff.
"Hmph!"
She was genuinely upset—but she had no idea how adorable she looked when she was angry.
Especially in Loki's eyes.
"Ah~ Ais-tan really has grown up beautifully," Loki murmured with a grin.
That awkward attempt to stay angry only made her look even more innocent and cute. She failed completely at looking intimidating, but she succeeded perfectly at being endearing.
"Yeah, she definitely picked that up from Lefiya. Riveria always keeps that stone-cold face—no matter how cute she is, she's never once shown a hint of girlish charm."
If Riveria could ever act like a bashful girl, Loki was sure she wouldn't be able to resist for even a single round. But that woman's stern demeanor made it clear that "acting cute" wasn't in her vocabulary.
What a waste.
Loki sighed inwardly at the thought.
Then, setting those musings aside, she focused her mind and stepped through the spatial gate leading to her second home.
...
She emerged into her room, pushed open the door, and walked straight out into the hallway. Before she'd left earlier, there had been a drinking party going on downstairs, and she was certain they hadn't finished yet. Perfect—she could grab another drink while waiting for Bell to come back.
"I'm home."
Her voice echoed through the house before she even reached the bottom of the stairs.
Downstairs, four goddesses sat around a table, the aroma of grilled meat filling the air. Each had a faint flush on her cheeks, clear evidence of how much they'd already drunk.
"Bell's still not back yet?"
Loki's question instantly froze the lighthearted mood in the room.
"What do you think?"
"Bell's been down in the Dungeon training your child—you think he's going to come back before she does?"
Hestia rolled her eyes and gave Loki a withering look.
As Loki descended the stairs, she rested a hand on the railing and shrugged.
"I just ran into my Ais-tan, so I hurried back to check if Bell was home yet."
...