Chapter 138: Extremely Talented Beauties!

Damian had expected to spend the next several hours teaching four women how to perform a single complete circulation of the Five Elements Harmonization Art.

After all, Kellan had needed considerable guidance before he properly understood the technique, and even Damian himself had struggled with certain aspects when he first encountered Shengyuan’s cultivation system.

Unfortunately, he had forgotten one rather important detail about the four beauties sitting before him.

They were experienced Journeymen!

Unlike Kellan, who had not awakened his Fighter Class when Damian began teaching him, these women possessed years of experience manipulating supernatural energy through their respective Classes.

Their control over mana was already well developed, and the moment Damian explained the underlying principles, they began adapting their existing knowledge to the unfamiliar circulation method.

Paulina was the first to complete an entire cycle, though her movements were somewhat forceful, and Damian repeatedly reminded her that cultivation was not a competition to see who could strangle mana into submission.

Janet quickly followed, displaying the remarkable energy control expected of an experienced Rogue, while Eunice approached the exercise with the patience and precision of someone accustomed to maintaining divine blessings during combat.

Even Julia, who had initially expressed serious reservations about cultivation, found herself becoming increasingly engrossed in the process.

Once she experienced the sensation of mana nourishing her flesh, strengthening her meridians and flowing through the five elemental pathways, her curiosity as a Ranger gradually overwhelmed her ideological discomfort.

Damian watched them with growing amusement.

’Well, I’ll be damned. They’re actually pretty good!’

The difference in their circumstances was also enormous compared to his own first attempt.

When Damian began cultivating, he had possessed nothing resembling a Shengyuan cultivation Feat, and his supposed ’Low Grade Five Elements Spirit Root’ had merely been the result of his Novice <Arcane Knowledge> translating into cultivation compatibility.

He had also performed that first breakthrough inside Shengyuan itself, where Spiritual Energy was considerably more difficult to manipulate than Valoria’s obedient mana.

Even with his advantages, reaching Body Tempering Level 1 had required six hours.

These women possessed much stronger foundations than Damian had back then, and Valoria’s environment provided a universal threefold cultivation speed advantage because of how readily mana responded to their control.

Combined with their existing Class experience, that meant the time required for their first breakthrough would be a fraction of his original attempt.

Of course, talent still mattered.

Julia completed her first breakthrough after thirty minutes.

The Elf’s exceptional elemental sensitivity and precise control allowed her to overcome the technique’s awkward compatibility requirements with astonishing efficiency.

As the final circulation completed, a gentle wave of mana spread through her body, and Julia’s eyes snapped open in disbelief.

"Damian, I... I actually did it!" she exclaimed, staring down at her hands as the changes settled into her muscles and bones.

Damian chuckled. "Congratulations, sweetheart. Now stop there and let the others catch up."

Julia blushed at the affectionate address but obediently stopped cultivating, though her fingers continued flexing as she examined the unfamiliar sensation of physical improvement.

Despite her earlier objections, the excitement in her eyes was unmistakable.

Janet followed twenty minutes later, completing her breakthrough at the fifty-minute mark.

The little Demoness immediately sprang upright and began examining herself with an expression of tremendous satisfaction. "Hehehe! Five tenths in every physical Attribute, just like you said! Holy shit, Damian, this is practically cheating!"

"Welcome to the club, my little demoness. Membership benefits include unreasonable growth, increasingly questionable Character Sheets and occasional existential crises," Damian replied smugly.

Paulina completed her breakthrough shortly after the first hour.

Her powerful Metal affinity had allowed her to temper her bones and tendons particularly efficiently, though balancing the remaining elements required more concentration than she preferred.

When she finally opened her eyes, she immediately clenched her fists and grinned like someone who had just discovered an entirely new way to beat people up.

"Excellent! I can already feel the difference! Damian!! When can we begin the second level?!" Paulina demanded enthusiastically, her tail wagging behind her.

"When everyone finishes the first. Don’t make our lovely Priestess feel rushed," Damian answered, pointing toward Eunice.

Eunice was the last to complete her breakthrough, taking just under two hours.

Her extraordinarily powerful Light affinity did not provide the same direct advantage when cultivating the five foundational elements, and although her spiritual foundation was exceptional, the technique demanded a different kind of compatibility.

Nevertheless, her patience and disciplined control eventually overcame the difficulty, and a soft breath escaped her lips as the final circulation completed.

"How wonderful... I can feel the difference throughout my entire body, even though I have barely moved," Eunice whispered, opening her eyes with an expression of genuine amazement.

Damian smiled approvingly. "Congratulations, ladies! All four of you are officially Body Tempering Level 1 cultivators, which means you’ve successfully taken your first step onto Shengyuan’s cultivation path."

Naturally, everyone wanted to continue immediately, especially Paulina and Janet, who were already discussing how many levels they could reasonably complete before dinner.

Damian quickly put an end to that nonsense, explaining that they could practice the technique during their free time and gradually develop their foundations without rushing.

For now, he had something else to show them.

"Alright, cultivation lessons are over for today. Now comes the second part of the explanation, and this one is probably going to shock you even more," Damian announced, retrieving several jade bottles from his Storage Ring.

Janet narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Why do I feel like you’re about to reveal another ridiculous cheat?"

Damian grinned. "Well, well, well, you’re actually learning!"

He arranged several bottles upon the table and began explaining their effects, starting with the Qi Nourishing Pill and Qi Acceleration Pill.

The former directly granted Experience Points to eligible lower-level Valorians, while the latter doubled qualifying Experience acquisition for twelve hours, although both suffered limitations based on level and repeated consumption.

Paulina’s expression gradually became strange.

"Wait... Experience Points?"

"Yup."

"Actual Experience Points that count toward our Classes?"

"Exactly!"

Julia stared at the bottles in disbelief, while Eunice slowly covered her mouth as the implications became apparent.

Damian continued cheerfully, introducing the Body Tempering Pill and several other medicines before retrieving the two pills that had once traumatized Janet.

The Essence Surge Pill and Condensing Essence Pill.

"These are the ones I used on our little Demoness back in Moonveil Forest," Damian explained, lifting one bottle in each hand.

"Essence Surge doubles eligible Experience acquisition for twelve hours, while Condensing Essence grants ten Experience Points directly to individuals within the appropriate Journeyman level range."

Janet’s expression became haunted.

"Please don’t remind me..."

Damian ignored her suffering.

"And because the Condensing Essence Pill’s Experience reward qualifies for the doubling effect, each eligible dose can initially provide twenty Experience Points while Essence Surge is active!" he explained proudly.

"Of course, diminishing returns eventually apply, and neither pill works indefinitely or beyond its level bracket."

Paulina’s jaw slowly dropped, Julia went completely still, while Eunice stared at Janet, finally understanding how the little Rogue had crossed into the Adept stage so suddenly.

Janet herself merely hugged her knees.

"He fed me fifteen of those damn things. I told him to stop, but he kept stuffing them into my mouth until I became an Adept," she muttered with the exhausted expression of a war veteran recalling an especially terrible battlefield.

Damian folded his arms proudly.

"You’re welcome!"

"Tyrant!" Janet cursed, making Damian laugh.

Unfortunately, the other three women were no longer paying attention to their argument.

They were thinking.

And the more they thought, the more terrifying the implications became.

Damian’s growth was no longer the important issue.

The important issue was that Damian could empower practically anyone he wanted!

With sufficient resources and suitable medicines, he could take an impoverished clan, raise its members through the lower stages of advancement and eventually build an organization capable of producing powerhouses that ordinary kingdoms could only dream of possessing.

If he continued obtaining higher-grade resources as his own strength increased, then even creating a Legend-level behemoth no longer sounded completely impossible!

Why stop at Humans, Elves or Beastfolk?

Given suitable compatibility and enough resources, even a collection of miserable Slimes or a hovel of ordinary Green Goblins might eventually become monsters capable of devastating entire continents!

The ability to determine who became powerful and how quickly they advanced was practically authority over the balance of civilization itself!

And Damian possessed this power.

Eunice slowly looked toward the smiling young man, her heart trembling as she considered what someone like Winona Montoya might have accomplished with even a fraction of his advantages.

That terrifying Otherworlder had already demonstrated what happened when overwhelming personal power was combined with a willingness to impose one’s desires upon the world.

If Winona possessed Damian’s resources, Eunice genuinely feared she might have razed entire kingdoms into ash!

Yet Damian was sitting before them, joking about traumatizing Janet and casually offering them the means to become stronger.

He had spent days fighting Fey, rescuing villagers and dealing with Dark Goblins when his resources could potentially uproot entire kingdoms!

How was he still so... good?

Damian noticed their expressions and gradually became uncomfortable.

"...What?"

Nobody answered immediately.

"Seriously, why are you all looking at me like that? Did I accidentally reveal that one of the pills turns people into frogs or something? Don’t be scared, I’ll still love you if you transform!" Damian demanded, glancing between them with growing suspicion.

Eunice finally spoke, her expression unusually solemn. "Damian, do you understand what kind of power you possess? You could become a king, an emperor or something even greater, and entire nations might be unable to resist you."

Julia nodded slowly. "You could monopolize advancement itself and make every powerful faction dependent upon you, yet you’ve been spending your time helping people who cannot possibly repay you."

Paulina folded her arms, looking genuinely puzzled. "Someone with your power could conquer territory, establish a mighty clan and demand tribute from everyone beneath them. Why haven’t you?"

Janet looked up from her knees. "Forget conquering territory! With enough time, you could turn a bunch of random idiots into an army that could conquer territory for you!"

"So why the hell are you still acting like a normal person?!" she exclaimed.

Damian stared at them in surprise, then began laughing.

"Hahahaha! So that’s what you’re worried about?"

He leaned back and rubbed his chin, finding their concerns surprisingly familiar.

After all, he had asked himself practically the same question more than once, first when he discovered the absurd economics of cross-realm Experience Pills and later when he encountered the miserable battlefield at Willowbank Front.

"Believe me, ladies, I’ve considered several different paths," Damian admitted with a thoughtful smile.

"I could become Wicked and plunder everything, become a Saint and distribute my resources freely, remain Neutral and concern myself only with fair transactions, or walk something resembling the Hero’s path."

The women listened attentively.

"Each choice has advantages and disadvantages, and none is as simple as it sounds," Damian continued.

"But eventually, I found myself leaning toward the last option, although I’m certainly not planning to become some self-sacrificing idiot who gives away everything he owns."

Eunice frowned slightly. "Then why did you choose that path?"

Damian gave her a strange look.

"Because of you all."

Four women blinked simultaneously.

"...Us?" Julia repeated.

"Of course!" Damian replied, looking almost offended that they needed to ask.

"Think about it. I arrived in an entirely unfamiliar world after dying miserably, and the first people I encountered were four beautiful women who healed me, sheltered me, guided me around town and treated me kindly when I had absolutely nothing."

Paulina’s ears slowly rose.

"Why do you think all four of you became so strongly imprinted upon my heart?" Damian asked with a smile.

"You were the first good things that happened to me after losing everything, and that matters a hell of a lot more than you probably realize."

Julia’s cheeks reddened immediately, while Paulina’s tail began wagging despite her attempts to remain composed.

Janet looked away with an unusually shy expression, and Eunice lowered her head as a warm blush spread across her face.

Damian chuckled at their reactions before pointing toward Eunice.

"And you, especially, are one of the reasons I couldn’t simply let you go, just as I couldn’t bear losing any of the others."

Eunice looked up in surprise.

"Remember that first day when I woke up and started panicking?" Damian asked gently.

"You placed your hand against my forehead and used your Divine Spell, <Purification>, to clear my mind."

Eunice nodded slowly as she remembered.

"You probably thought you were simply helping a confused Otherworlder calm down, but you have no idea how important that moment actually was," Damian continued.

"Without it, my panic and desperation over my mother would have continued consuming me, and I might have become a considerably darker and more malicious person."

His expression became serious.

"If I’d remained trapped in that state of mind, I would have prioritized plundering both worlds as quickly as possible to acquire whatever power could restore my parents. I wouldn’t have cared much about merchants, villagers, Adventurers or anyone else standing between me and that goal."

A chill passed through the room.

Damian smiled faintly.

"You think becoming an Adept in a week was crazy? I promise you, the version of Damian Baines who survived without meeting you four would probably have become a Divine Spirit in three days, but both realms would have been in a terrible state afterward!"

Nobody laughed, because the four women could imagine it far too easily.

Someone possessing Damian’s intelligence, ambition, desperation and resources, completely unconcerned with the consequences of his actions, might have become a catastrophe that neither Valoria nor Shengyuan was prepared to handle.

And Eunice...

Eunice stared at him with trembling eyes, suddenly understanding that a simple act of kindness had influenced far more than the life of one wounded Otherworlder.

Damian noticed the mood becoming unbearably solemn and immediately clapped his hands.

"Alright, enough depressing alternate timelines! Show me your Character Sheets, because I want to see exactly what kind of ridiculous women I’ve gotten myself involved with!"

The sudden change caught everyone off guard.

Janet recovered first.

"Heh! Prepare to be impressed, you arrogant bastard!"

......

Eunice went first, granting Damian permission to inspect her Character Sheet.

[Name: Eunice Rastia.]

[Race: Human.]

[Overall Level: 7.]

[Main Class: Cleric — Level 7.]

[Subclass: None.]

[Class Stage: Standard (Journeyman).]

[Attributes: STR: 5.5, DEX: 6.5, AGI: 6.5, CON: 5.5, INT: 7.0, WIS: 11.0, SPI: 18.0.]

[Feats: Divine Attunement (Origin), Lucky (General), War Caster (Class).]

[Skills: Purification (Divine Skill), Guidance (Cantrip), Resistance (Cantrip), Light (Cantrip), Bless (Level 1), Healing Word (Level 1), Cure Wounds (Level 1), Protection from Evil and Good (Level 1), Prayer of Healing (Level 2), Aid (Level 2), Warding Bond (Level 2), Mass Healing Word (Level 3), Beacon of Hope (Level 3), Freedom of Movement (Level 4).]

[Specializations: Medicine (Adept), Insight (Journeyman), Religion (Journeyman).]

[Titles: Princess Rastia, Light Saintess Candidate.]

Damian’s eyebrows rose.

"Good heavens, Eunice! Your Spirit is almost as high as mine! No wonder your divine magic is so reliable, although your other Attributes are normal for a Cleric at your level," he exclaimed, studying the number with genuine appreciation.

Eunice smiled modestly. "I usually focused on investing in my Wisdom in order to support my companions rather than pursue direct combat."

She then touched the mark on her forehead. "Also, the spike in my Spirit is because of this. Last I checked, I had only 8 points, which means Divine Lord Orpheus’ blessing granted me 10 points."

Well, well, it turned out that the aura-farming performative male final boss Orpheus was not entirely useless after all!

Damian also noticed that her spell selections differed considerably from his own Cleric preparations, emphasizing group support and protection rather than his more versatile collection of offensive, defensive and emergency options.

Paulina eagerly presented her sheet next.

[Name: Paulina Lupin.]

[Race: Beastfolk (Wolf).]

[Overall Level: 8.]

[Main Class: Fighter — Level 8.]

[Subclass: None.]

[Class Stage: Standard (Journeyman).]

[Attributes: STR: 19.5, DEX: 13.5, AGI: 16.5, CON: 18.0, INT: 4.0, WIS: 4.0, SPI: 7.5.]

[Feats: Double Strike (Origin), Athlete (General), Martial Adept (Class), Beast Blood (Racial).]

[Skills: Rending Claw, Pounce, Lunging Strike, War Howl.]

[Specializations: Unarmed Combat (Adept), Greatsword Mastery (Journeyman), Athletics (Adept), Tracking (Adept).]

[Titles: Daughter of Fenrir.]

Damian whistled.

"Now that’s a Fighter build! Your physical Attributes are roughly fifty percent higher than I’d expect from a comparable Human Fighter, although your mental Attributes are... well, let’s just say you’re definitely built for hitting things."

Paulina proudly puffed out her chest.

"Of course! A warrior needs a powerful body!"

Julia quietly muttered something about the usefulness of having a functioning brain, but Paulina ignored her completely.

Next came the Elf.

[Name: Júlíavelythraenqelitharion.]

[Race: Elf.]

[Overall Level: 8.]

[Main Class: Ranger — Level 8.]

[Subclass: None.]

[Class Stage: Standard (Journeyman).]

[Attributes: STR: 9.5, DEX: 23.5, AGI: 24.5, CON: 9.5, INT: 8.0, WIS: 6.5, SPI: 10.0.]

[Feats: Keen Eye (Origin), Mobile (General), Sharpshooter (Class), Elven Archery (Racial).]

[Skills: Wind Arrow, Lightning Arrow, Wind and Lightning Arrow, Rapid Shot, Piercing Shot.]

[Specializations: Archery (Adept), Tracking (Journeyman), Acrobatics (Journeyman), Perception (Journeyman), Survival (Journeyman).]

[Titles: Litharion’s Chosen, Princess Julia.]

Damian stared at the Dexterity and Agility values with shock.

"Holy shit, Julia! Your Dexterity and Agility are practically twice what I’d expect from a Human Ranger at your level! Your Intelligence, Wisdom and Spirit are also pretty respectable for someone who isn’t primarily a spellcaster," he exclaimed, glancing at the blushing Elf with considerable appreciation.

Julia folded her arms, attempting to appear indifferent. "Hmph! Naturally, I’ve trained diligently for years!"

Damian grinned, glancing at her wide hips. "And apparently inherited some extremely good genes from your mother."

Julia’s ears turned redder.

Finally, Janet presented her Character Sheet with the exaggerated confidence of someone unveiling a masterpiece.

[Name: Janet.]

[Race: Demon (Succubus).]

[Overall Level: 11.]

[Main Class: Rogue — Level 10.]

[Subclass: Ranger — Level 1.]

[Class Stage: Standard (Adept).]

[Attributes: STR: 12.5, DEX: 24.5, AGI: 25.5, CON: 20.5, INT: 11.0, WIS: 10.5, SPI: 16.5.]

[Feats: Skilled (Origin), Keen Eye (Origin), Mobile (General), Slayer (Class), Alert (General), Infernal Constitution (Racial).]

[Skills: Sneak Attack, Backstab, Shadowmeld, Explosive Trap, Disarm Trap, Charm, Drain Essence, Invigorate Libido.]

[Specializations: Stealth (Adept), Sleight of Hand (Adept), Traps (Adept), Acrobatics (Journeyman), Deception (Adept), Performance (Adept), Dagger Mastery (Journeyman), Survival (Novice).]

[Titles: Princess Evil.]

Damian’s expression gradually became strange.

"Janet... what the hell is that Constitution?"

Janet grinned wickedly. "Hehehe! Impressed?"

"Very! Your Dexterity and Agility are around seventy percent above what I’d expect from a Human Rogue of your level, but your Constitution is almost double, and your Intelligence and Wisdom are also unusually high!"

Damian continued examining the sheet, noting that Janet’s Spirit was second only to Eunice among the four women.

Her heritage as a direct bloodline relation to a Divine Spirit within three generations and unusual combination of Rogue as well as Ranger progression had produced an extremely versatile build, while her recent advancement to Adept only made the whole thing more impressive.

He slowly lowered the Character Sheets, then looked at all four women with a broad smile.

"Well, well, well! It seems my lovely Valkyries are considerably more talented than I gave them credit for!"

The four women exchanged pleased looks, though each reacted differently to the praise.

Paulina looked ready to challenge something immediately, Julia tried and failed to hide her satisfaction, Eunice smiled warmly, and Janet began laughing with the unbearable smugness of someone who had just won an argument nobody else knew was happening.

Damian chuckled.

With these foundations, their newly awakened cultivation and the resources he could provide, the Four Valkyries possessed enormous potential for future growth.

And now that he understood their individual strengths properly, he could begin planning exactly how to develop that potential without wasting their natural advantages.

After all, what kind of man would Damian Baines be if he possessed the ability to make his women powerful and didn’t use it?

Heh!

That would simply be irresponsible!