If any other beast had heard the battle, Silas didn’t have the time to care about that. After resting for five minutes, they continued on their way while he checked his gains.

’Did you scam me again?’

[...I’m still calculating your gains. Geez!]

’You’d better not scam me!’

[...]

[Calculations Completed!]

[You Gained +10,000 CP]

[You Gained +300 EXP]

[You Gained +21 Mantis Limbs]

[You Gained +1 B-Rank Core]

[You Gained the Skill: Dagger Arts]

[You Gained the Skill: Martial Arts]

[You Unlocked the Cupid Trait: Battle]

[You Unlocked Cupid Skill: Fate Echo]

[You Gained: Queen Mantis Echo]

"What the fuck!" Silas unconsciously exclaimed in shock.

"What is wrong?!" Chloe asked, her eyes narrowing in vigilance.

"Did something happen?" Gromda looked at him, a bit shaken by his outburst.

"Uh... sorry. Hehe! Nothing happened..."

[You really are stupid.]

’For once, I might agree with you. We are both stupid.’

[You...]

’Now, now. Don’t cry. I thought you didn’t have emotions.’

[...]

Silas and the girls finally left the snowy region after an hour. Now they had about three kilometers to cross to reach the camp, but they were a bit tired after that battle, especially Silas. They found a place to rest for the night, ate some food Chloe prepared, and slept. Well, the two girls. Silas stayed up to check his progress. He also had the plan to purchase some things for the girls.

<Status Report!>

<User: Silas Cupid Ashard>

<Title(s): Orc Chieftain>

<Age: 18>

<Level: 9>

<EXP: 300 / 900>

<Core Functions: Active!>

<Strength: 34+5=39>

<Speed: 34+5=39>

<Stamina: 48+2=50>

<Agility: 32+5=37>

<Intelligence: 43>

<Endurance: 33>

<Cupid Points: 300+10,000= 10,300>

<Ability & Related Skills:>

<Ability: Thread Manipulation (Stage 1)>

<Cupid’s Traits:> 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

- Lust (Unranked)

- Mischief (Unranked)

- Battle (Unranked)*

<Skills:>

- Smooth Talker (Lvl 2)

- Sex Machine (Lvl 3)

- Prowess (Lvl 4)

- Dagger Arts (Lvl 1)*

- Martial Arts (Lvl 2)*

- Fated Echo (1)*

<Marked Partners:>

- Anna Miles

- Gromda Ashard

- Chloe Montreal*

<Cupid Abilities:>

-Desire Manipulation>

-Charm Reflex>

-Targeted Obsession>

-Fated Connection>

<Cupid Weapon Set (New!):>

-Cupid Arrow Sets:>

- Piercing Arrows (Unlocked!)

<System Perks:>

- Shop

- Storage

***

’Hmm... What does the Fate Echo?’

[The fated echo is just a title for the ability. The ability itself works in a way to bind a target’s soul to your essence after you kill it. It is an active skill, but because it is the first time, the system bound the Queen Mantis’s soul to your essence, effectively making it yours.

Echos are like summons. You can summon it for a period of time to do certain things, like fighting, hunting, or as a mount, etc. That is the core of the echo. In a way, it is similar to your Orc Chieftain title ability, where you can summon the dead orc chieftain to fight for you. Still, they are vastly different, in the sense that the former is a skill related to binding and summoning, essentially taming, and the latter is part of a bigger thing.]

’What of Dagger Arts and Martial Arts? And their levels, why is Martial Arts higher leveled if I just got it?’

[Dagger Arts was gained because you used the dagger, and despite your lack of training in it, the way you used them from memory of reading webtoons and stuff was recorded as experience. And, the way you used the daggers was... say, okay. So it counts.

The Martial Arts is also the same, but unlike the Dagger Arts, you actually know some martial arts. That is why it is at level 2.]

’That makes sense... Oh, and before I forget, what is the meaning of the Battle trait under the Cupid Traits?’

With that, Silas opened the shop and exchanged the 20 mantis limbs for an additional 5000 CP. He could tell that the system was scamming him, but he didn’t mention it. He was exhausted and wanted to sleep. With the CP, he bought a C-Rank Gauntlet for Gromda and a mana storage necklace for Chloe, since he didn’t know what weapon she preferred. He then went to sleep.

***

The next day, they had a quick breakfast, packed up, and continued their journey. If the rest of the participants were to see them, they would question how fairness worked in the world. Silas was here eating three meals a day, while they were getting a meal a day. Despite more people awakening, it was difficult to hunt in this rift. You could become the hunted in a second. It was a blue rift. This further showed how broken S-Ranks were, and Silas wasn’t going to hide it. He was awesome, and people will feel it.

As they moved, now out of their jackets, he had the urge to summon his echo and use it as a mount, but the thing was a fifteen-foot-tall predator. It would be seen from miles away. Not like any of the students could pose a threat to it, but he wasn’t so sure about the teachers with them, especially Mr. Fatars. Despite everything the man did to him, he respected him in a way because the man was strong. The kind of strength that would be a threat to a newly awakened S-Rank like him. He didn’t want to clash with him yet. He wasn’t taking any stupid chances.

With the pace they were moving, they soon crossed a kilometer in about thirty to forty-five minutes. They reached a rocky area with a bit of trees, though dried. There, they heard the sound of battle and the roars of monsters. Silas’s eyes glowed, and he saw it immediately.

"We found them."

Chloe’s eyes glinted with relief, but there was a hint of coldness hidden within them. They rushed forward because they could feel that the battle wasn’t ending anytime soon. Whatever they were fighting was either more powerful or more experienced. Daggers appeared in Silas’s hands, gauntlets on Gromda’s hands, while the necklace on Chloe’s neck glowed faintly.

They rushed, crossing the distance in seconds. They came upon a team of six, and Silas immediately recognized one of the members.

"Alicia Hart."

They were fighting goblins. Silas’s smile widened, and he shot forward, crossing the distance with a loud bang that blew trees back.

IT WAS AURA FARMING TIME!