Chapter 68 - Luveeda
"A cup of hot tea?"
"Sure." Elysia nodded confusedly at Evelyn who was brewing tea in the kitchen.
Just a moment ago Evelyn asked to return to the dorm room immediately but after arriving there, she offered her a cup of tea instead of anything important.
Evelyn immediately came out of the kitchen area then passed the dining table and came into the living room carrying two cups of tea to sit beside Elysia who was in the living room.
"This is your tea, it's warm." Evelyn handed the teacup directly to Elysia rather than on the table.
"Um, thanks." Elysia took it and turned the cup to get the right holding position and then sipped the tea.
Evelyn saw Elysia sipping tea slowly and putting the cup on the table, she immediately took a sip of her tea and put the cup on the table as well before taking Elysia's hand and holding it.
"Ely, can you tell me... Why were your hands so cold this afternoon?" Evelyn held Elysia's palms in both her hands while looking straight into Elysia's purplish-blue eyes as if she was searching for the truth.
"My hands are warm now. Maybe it's the weather." Elysia also looked into Evelyn's greenish eyes, she knew the girl who was holding her hand right now was just worried.
"Don't be like that to me... It's not yet Fall season... I've realized it, every time a question comes to you that requires an answer about yourself, you always give confusing and unexpected answers. I don't mind, really. This afternoon your hands suddenly became so cold, who scared you? Serena? The student council president?"
Evelyn spoke softly, slowly, and carefully. She knows very well she doesn't know anything about Elysia's background, she doesn't care because she expects a real friend and Elysia to come as her best friend, her first friend too. She mistook the coldness of Elysia's hands this afternoon because she was terrified of something, and only two suspects came to mind.
On the other sofa, there is a white cat who is still full, rolling around lazily and stretching her body while watching her master's interaction with her dormmate.
'Lil Ely, just tell her a little bit of truth if you don't want to answer with a real and straightforward answer. Look at this girl, she really cares for you. She deserves to be added to your still empty friends list.' Elena's advice resounded in Elysia's mind as the latter quickly made her decision.
"You noticed? Hehe... You know, sometimes my hands get cold when I'm feeling stressed or nervous. Nothing scares me, really... Thank you for your concern." Elysia raised her free hand a little then looked at her palm.
"Is that so? Uh, maybe I think too much. My mom once told me, if a girl suddenly has cold hands in normal weather, then she is scared. Because of that, I'm worried. Your hands are always warm every time I am holding it." Evelyn played Elysia's dainty hand for a moment before giving her hand freedom.
"Hehe... Oh yeah, Eve. Want to try Luveeda? Teacher Ruth said this device can make someone level up faster." Elysia immediately took out a semi-transparent prism from her [Space Bag] to change the subject.
"Oh, Luveeda. This device is quite rare and expensive, you should be careful using it."
"You know this device? Tell me, pretty please?" Elysia pleaded with sparkling eyes.
Even though she had been staying in the Holy Library for three days and read a lot of books, it didn't mean that Elysia knew everything, she only prioritized important and crucial information while researching some magic.
"With pleasure. Luveeda is a device that will assist the body's cultivation to boost energy absorption by 10% faster by simply leaving this tool at a distance of no more than one meter. When using the core, this device will help to purify it. No need to bother with impurities anymore or incompatible energy."
"Interesting. So this Luveeda is so valuable, isn't it?" Elysia got a little excited.
"Yes, even in my family there are only a few but they never lend it to me." Evelyn shrugged her shoulders.
"Ah, how rare is that? If I sell this, how many gold coins will I get?"
"I'm not suggesting it. I thought this Luveeda was Teacher Ruth's personal property. She is already at the Master level, so she doesn't need it anymore because this device can only help someone up to level 100, Luveeda can't help someone above level 100." Evelyn patted her chin while counting for a moment.
"But if it's sold you might get a hundred to a thousand gold coins, maybe."
"It's expensive! The second-hand product I got as a reward turned out to be a treasure."
At first, Elysia thought Teacher Ruth was a cheapskate by giving an unused item as a challenge reward because Evelyn said it like that. Now, she saw a semi-transparent prism in her hand as if it was shining, indicating she got a rare class item in the first stage and at the newbie level.
"Then how do I use the core with Luveeda? Energy Core?" Elysia immediately looked at the smiling Evelyn, she seemed to be happy when Elysia was happy too.
"You just have to consume it while holding Luveeda?"
After knowing how to use it, Elysia pretended to take something from her [Space Bag] when in fact she was taking something from her [Space Storage]. She took out a small level 2 Energy Core, one of the looted items she got when she was just stranded in this world.
Elysia held Luveeda in her left hand and a piece of Energy Core in her right, she innocently bit into the piece of Energy Core like it was candy.
"Aw... My teeth ache..." Elysia immediately covered her mouth with her hand while hissing painfully.
"Wh. What? What are you doing Ely? Hehehe... What I mean to 'consume' is not to eat but to absorb the energy contained in the core. You're so innocent hehe... Let me see your teeth, are your teeth okay?"
Evelyn saw her best friend's behavior as if in disbelief and surprise then felt amused as if she wanted to laugh but she endured it because it was not a good thing to laugh at the suffering of others.
"I~ A~" Elysia showed her healthy teeth without any damage, she already healed her aches with her magic.
"Thank goodness your teeth are fine. The energy core comes from the crystallized living creature's magical energy, it is hard like a real crystal but will melt slowly when you absorb it." Evelyn breathed a sigh of relief.
After that, Elysia tried the right way and absorbed the energy from the core well until the level 2 core was gone but nothing had changed from Elysia's level which was still stuck at level 21.
<| Lv. 21 | Durability: 100% |>
"My level didn't go up." Elysia shook her head slightly.
"The core level was so low, perhaps? You can't rush up your level, Ely. Talent will burn if you rush to level up, and you'll reach your limit quickly with no way out to go up again."
"Um, I will keep it in mind. Eve, you try to use this Luveeda to see your level."
"Sure." Evelyn accepted the given Luveeda and then channeled a little energy towards the dark upper side.
<| Lv. 21 | Durability: 100% |>
"Hum, we're on the same level." Evelyn nodded happily.
<| Lv. 21 | Apprentice Mage | Evelyn Mitchell | Female (16) | HP: 3,500 / 3,500 | EP: 1,500 / 1,500 |>
Elysia used her ability to see Evelyn's status and they were on the same level but with different stats.
The two of them chatted lightly to discuss magic and some useful devices until bedtime had arrived.
"Ely, it's time for us to sleep... We have a knight class tomorrow morning." Evelyn gently stroked her tired eyes.
"Want to sleep together again? Maybe with the help of this device and sleeping all night we can go up to level 22 faster or maybe we will wake up and have leveled up." Elysia doesn't feel good if she has to level up alone later.
"Huhu... You're so generous, I'm glad you offered to me but I feel like I'm taking advantage of you." Evelyn pretended to rub her eyes as if she was moved.
"No, you said I was your best friend. I offered it to you instead of you taking advantage of me." Elysia looked at Evelyn as if she didn't take no as an answer.
"Ah, umm... Well, if you insist. But are you okay? I'm always sleeping hugging something, maybe I'll hug you tightly without realizing it."
Elysia remembered a girl who always liked to hug her tightly, she was fast asleep while hugging her spirit form in the Soul Realm. Then she remembered that yesterday Evelyn fell asleep hugging her like she was a cuddle pillow.
"Well, I'm fine." She finally accepted her fate to become a cuddle pillow either in the Soul Realm or in the real world. Elysia has offered, it is impossible for her to take back what she said.
"Okay, this time we sleep in my room! I'll take a shower first! I'll wait in my room!"
"Yes, I also need to get ready." Elysia nodded when she realized she was still wearing her uniform too.
The two of them returned to their respective rooms to get ready for bed, but Evelyn immediately came out of her bedroom to take a shower.