Chapter 71: The First Kiss

Chapter 71: Chapter 71: The First Kiss

[Aeon’s POV]

It had been almost a week since Sophia called me that night, and ever since, she had been completely absent-minded. She rarely spoke, kept her gaze cast down, and at times, it felt as though she was actively avoiding my presence altogether.

Sophia and I had known each other since we were children. Although we grew up living in different states, our families maintained a close bond and visited each other frequently.

Back then, she was always incredibly shy around me, her voice trembling slightly whenever she spoke. It was endearing, and I had always thoroughly enjoyed teasing her just to see her flush.

However, we hadn’t communicated or seen each other for the past five years. Well, for her it was five years, but for me, because of my Omniverse Dimension time delaition, it had been a staggering 1,825 years. In that span of time, she had matured from that timid little girl into a remarkably fine, breathtaking young dragoness.

Reflecting on it now, I found myself questioning my own actions. Why did I do that to her? Why did I grant her access to the Harem System? I knew without a doubt that she harbored deep feelings for me, and I would be lying to myself if I claimed that I didn’t return some of that affection.

Plus, Seraphina had made it abundantly clear during their recent clash that Sophia was also my wife in the future—a truth I inadvertently intercepted through Seraphina’s thoughts while they were fighting.

I genuinely did not want to drag her into a toxic, resentful relationship, especially when I knew for a fact that I would never be tied down to a single woman.

But that brought me to the question; Do I really love Sophia?

If I answered with a definitive yes right now, I would be lying. I certainly liked her, but a persistent part of me recognized that it was just a natural attraction toward a beautiful girl.

Realizing that made me feel a sudden wave of disgust with myself.

Why should I force her to endure the slow, painful heartbreak of sharing me when I knew I didn’t truly love her with the exact same singular intensity that she loved me?

The version of her I knew best was her childhood self—the sweet, ten-year-old girl from my memories.

I barely knew anything about this newly matured version of her. It would be entirely unnatural to just fall completely in love at first sight, even if I was highly captivated by her current physical beauty.

Ultimately, I decided the best course of action was to give her some time. Perhaps one day we would truly get to know each other on a deeper level, and maybe I would grow to love her eternally in the future.

For now, I chose to grant her the personal space she required to orient her turbulent feelings and come to terms with reality.

To ensure her privacy, I had even gone so far as to craft a specialized mental seal. This array temporarily suppressed the passive effects of my telepathy, preventing me from accidentally overhearing her inner thoughts.

It was a boundary meant for her comfort, as well as my own, since I had no desire to inadvertently listen to disheartening, sorrowful reflections.

───

Another full week passed in a flash after that incident. Life at the Academy proved to be highly engaging, offering an endless array of fascinating subjects to explore.

During our very first week, I eagerly signed up for the crafting faculties, choosing to diversify my skills by joining not just Blacksmithing, but also Runesmithing and various other specialized auxiliary clubs.

The academic courses themselves were structured perfectly. In our main lectures, we delved deep into galactic history, analyzing the complex socio-political foundation of the Galactic Order, the unpredictable nature of the spatial gates, and the origins of the terrifying Voidborns.

The physical training classes followed a similar, rigorous pattern. We spent hours in simulation chambers fighting against virtual representations of Voidborns to hone our combat instincts.

Although the instructors explicitly stated that we wouldn’t be permitted to face real, live monsters until next month, I found myself growing deeply impatient for a genuine battlefield experience.

The general curriculum offered an amazing yet balanced variety of choices, including introductory courses on magic designed for the average student to ensure everyone possessed at least a fundamental overview of Arcane concepts.

Naturally, I stopped attending those introductory magic lectures after the very first day. I already possessed far more knowledge than any of those instructors—ancient, primordial knowledge that no one in this current universe could ever dream of grasping.

Sitting through those basic explanations made me feel an impulsive, irritable urge to scoff at the flawed teachings of those who were significantly less intelligent and knowledgeable than me.

In fact, it took a great deal of self-control to restrain myself whenever the professor utilized inefficient or fundamentally flawed magic formul.

Fortunately, I was able to direct that excess energy into enjoying my time within the Crafting Faculties instead.

The most significant development, however, involved Sophia. Over the course of the week, the unfocused, vacant look in her eyes had completely vanished, replaced by a sudden spark of renewed confidence.

She walked with an air of vitality and determination, looking remarkably alive, as if she had finally reached a decision regarding her future.

My curiosity was piqued to the point where I could barely contain myself, nearly tempting me to dissolve the temporary telepathic seal just to see what she had concluded.

Ultimately, I restrained my hand and decided to wait for her to approach me on her own terms. As it turned out, I didn’t have to wait very long at all.

Ding~ Ding~

The loud resonance of the academy bell echoed through the corridors, signaling the official end of today’s lecture blocks.

My group and I stood up from our seats, gathered our belongings, and walked out into the open plaza outside the lecture building.

"Hey, I’m heading straight back to my quarters to cultivate and increase my rank. I’ve been left in the dust ever since I found out Sophia already reached C- rank. I’m stuck at D- rank for god’s sake! Damn these divine brats and their ridiculous talents," Alex complained loudly, cursing his perceived injustice in a harmless, dramatic manner.

His sudden outburst caused the entire group to burst into cheerful laughter, instantly breaking the post-class fatigue.

As we began walking down the grand steps of the plaza, Sophia suddenly came to a halt, keeping her head lowered as she stared silently at the stone steps beneath her feet.

Sensing her sudden pause, the rest of us stopped a few steps below, turning around to look at her in confusion.

For a long, tense moment, she stood completely motionless. Then, without warning, she clenched her fists so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

Lifting her head with sudden resolve, she locked her piercing gaze directly onto my eyes, stepped forward, and closed the distance between us until she stood directly in front of me.

Since I towered over her significantly, she had to crane her neck back to maintain direct eye contact.

Her eyes shone with a brilliant mix of absolute determination and unshakable resilience, looking like someone who had just finalized a life-changing decision in a high-stakes scenario.

And indeed, she had. Sophia gazed deeply into my eyes, her lips parting as her beautifully clear voice cut through the ambient noise of the plaza. "Hey, Aeon. Remember that night two weeks ago when you told me about your vision of the future, and how you wish to have multiple partners in your life?"

I looked down at her composed face and nodded slowly, having anticipated that a serious conversation like this would happen eventually. "Yes. I remember every word."

For a few brief seconds, she simply stared at me in silence before speaking again, her tone ringing with certainty.

"I have made up my mind. It doesn’t matter to me if you end up having two, three, or even more women by your side. I just know, without a single doubt, that I will make you love me forever and ever."

Before my mind could even fully process the sheer weight of her declaration, her hand shot forward, gripping my collar firmly. With immense strength, she yanked my head down toward hers, and in the next fraction of a second, she pressed her soft lips against mine.

For a brief moment, I was completely taken aback, my eyes widening in sheer shock at her boldness. However, as I looked at her tightly closed eyes and felt the gentle, trembling warmth of her lips pressed against my own, my defenses crumbled. My eyelids fluttered shut, and I leaned into the sensation.

For a couple of breathless seconds, we remained suspended in that exact position, neither of us moving an inch as the rest of the world seemed to fade into the background.

Then, Sophia slowly and reluctantly pulled back, gently breaking the contact.

We stared at each other up close, both of us breathing noticeably faster than normal as our hearts hammered against our ribs.

Her cheeks were flushed a brilliant, radiant red, enhancing her inherent beauty tenfold. Still caught up in the intense heat of the moment, I cast aside my lingering hesitation and took initiative.

Reaching out, I gently cupped the back of her neck with my hand, pulling her back toward me as our lips reconnected in a second, deliberate kiss.

This time, I guided the motion, leaning into it with a soft, natural rhythm that allowed our emotions to flow freely before we eventually parted ways once more.

As the second kiss ended, Sophia buried her burning face directly against my chest, looking thoroughly embarrassed by her own sudden burst of courage while her fingers tightly clutched the fabric of my suit jacket. We stayed locked in that quiet embrace for a few serene seconds before I tried to soothe her.

"Sophi..."

But before I could even finish saying her name, she suddenly pushed off my chest with force. Releasing her majestic dragon wings with a sharp snap, she launched herself into the air and flew away into the horizon.

Whoosh!

Watching her retreating figure cut through the clouds, a soft, amused smile spread across my face. ’She really is breathtakingly beautiful, and I genuinely want to get to know every single side of her,’ I thought to myself, unconsciously running a finger over my lower lip.

Turning back around, I found Alex and the rest of the group standing on the stairs, their jaws practically dropping to the floor in complete, utter dumbfoundedness.

Seraphina, however, was an entirely different story. She was visibly furious, her face contorted in a mix of jealousy and anger, and the chaotic, roaring mental complaints echoing from her mind served as undeniable proof of her irritation.

’Damn, you Sophia. I wanted to take his first kiss.’

I smiled subtly and shook my head to clear my thoughts. ’Today was definitely the best day ever,’ I mused, the residual warmth of Sophia’s lips still lingering in my mind.

I looked over at the frozen, bewildered group and casually waved goodbye. "Hey, guys. I’m heading over to the forge workshop now. See you all tomorrow."

Without waiting for them to recover from their shock, I walked past them down the stairs. Once I reached a secluded corridor where I was entirely out of sight, I used teleportation, disappearing from the area in a silent flash and instantly teleporting directly outside the metal gates of the crafting facility.

This specific sector was widely considered the best area on campus to forge high-grade weapons, housing the main workshop of the Blacksmithing Club I had joined.

For the past two weeks, I had spent the majority of my free hours within these walls, creating a wide variety of items.

I stepped toward the massive, reinforced metal doors and slid open automatically. The moment I crossed the threshold, a heavy wave of intense heat brushed against my face, though it felt nothing against me.

For a standard blacksmithing workshop, the ambient temperatures always remained exceptionally high due to the constant manipulation of flames to refine raw ores.

I navigated through the familiar, echoing stone hallways, eventually arriving at the heavy iron door that led down to the subterranean basement.

Grasping the scorched handle, I pulled it open. An even more oppressive, searing blast of thermal energy immediately washed over my skin.

It was far more intense than the upper levels, as this subterranean depth was where the true heavy-duty forging took place.

Stepping through the doorway, the sheer, sprawling scale of the primary forging arena unfolded before my eyes.

Although it was called a basement, the underground cavern was actually massive, boasting an interior layout far larger than a standard medieval village.

The entire cavern hummed with vibrant, chaotic energy, packed to the brim with crowds of loud talking, echoing songs, and the rhythmic, synchronized thumping of countless heavy hammers striking hot metal anvil surfaces.

As I made my way down the stone stairs toward my designated personal workshop station, several senior blacksmiths caught sight of me and immediately called out in greeting.

"Oh, look, it’s Aeon! Good to see you back here so soon, kid," one of them shouted over the noise. He was an older dwarf possessing a long, braided brown beard and a gleaming, bald head that reflected the orange glow of the furnaces.

Another senior artisan chimed in from an adjacent station, a wide grin breaking across his rugged face. "Aeon, how are things? Are you here to grace us by crafting yet another masterpiece today?"

As I continued walking down the central path, more and more members of the club began calling out, offering their regards or tossing questions my way.

I maintained my usual calm demeanor, providing short, polite replies and giving respectful nods as I focused on reaching my private workshop.

Over the course of the past two weeks, my reputation had skyrocketed, making me incredibly famous within the ranks of the Crafting Professions.

This sudden fame was entirely due to the fact that I had openly demonstrated the ability to consistently forge High-grade Rare-rank items.

Of course, with my knowledge and skills, I was fully capable of easily crafting items of a significantly higher grade than that.

But for an outwardly ordinary fifteen-year old To create a perfect Rare-grade item was something Nexus Earth had never seen before.

Of course, such an achievement was worthy of recognition, and I received a reward from the Akashic Records. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ

After reaching my designated area, I snapped my fingers, and my uniform changed into simple work clothes. I then began my work, though my thoughts kept drifting back to Sophia’s lips.

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