Villain's Second Heart: Trapped in A Fantasy Novel (BL)-Chapter 66: Rav’s Guide To Leveling

When Ezra awoke, Oberyn was still wrapped in his arms. They'd spent the entire night together, locked in a sweet embrace.

He stayed for a while, but it was clear to him the Nephilim was still in deep sleep. He wiggled his arms free and laid in the bed beside Oberyn.

'Guess I can check a few things out while I'm here,' Ezra thought to himself. He opened his System and looked over everything.

[Name: Alcor Star (Ezra)

HP: 444/500

MP: 2650/500

Race: Human (Irregular)

Level: 16

Class: Mana Thief]

Plenty of mana, still. Since Oberyn hadn't been using any magic, his curse mark was stable for now. Still, Oberyn would need a 'top-off' soon.

He switched to another window to check out his stats.

[Level 16

Strength - 17

Vitality - 14

Agility - 17

Spirit - 16

Charisma - 13

Luck 10]

The numbers meant something - of course. A number of '10' indicated the ability of a typical human man at the age of 21, and every point after that represented a 10% increase.

'So, I'm 70% stronger than the average human man,' Ezra thought. 'Not bad at all.'

And as he reviewed the other numbers, it was hard for him not to feel emboldened. He was stronger and faster than most. Even though he didn't know any magic, his 'Spirit' was high, too. It might come in handy, he figured.

He was 30% more attractive and persuasive than the average man too, according to his Charisma. He disagreed with that, though - from what he saw of himself in the mirror, he'd have put his Charisma at 30.

Then there was the luck, which only felt fitting. Someone who sold their soul for a second chance at life couldn't be considered 'lucky' by any stretch of the imagination.

He turned slightly to Oberyn, nosy.

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.

"Activate," he whispered as quietly as he could over Oberyn. Deek had shown him this once before - it was a way to see the stats of others.

[Name: Oberyn Omekia

HP: 400/400

MP: 35/50

Race: Nephilim

Level: 15

Class: Custom - 'Magician of Explosions']

'35 out of 50 mana. It's not as bad as I thought,' Ezra noted. He moved to the next window.

[Level 15

Strength - 12

Vitality - 11

Agility - 17

Spirit - 20

Charisma - 15

Luck 14]

Oberyn wasn't as physically strong or durable as Ezra, that much was obvious just by looking at the two men's statures. But he was just as quick on his feet, and brimming with Spirit, Charisma, and Luck. They complimented each other well - where one was relatively lacking, the other was brimming with potential.

He disagreed on Oberyn's Charisma stat, too. He'd have put the beautiful sleeping Nephilim at a perfect '99'. To Ezra, Oberyn was flawless - except for one anatomical bit.

'Man...Rav is level 81. I wonder what his stats are like.'

He gently ruffled his sleeping boy's hair and kissed him on the forehead before rising from the bed. He still wore the lightweight, cloud-patterned robe he'd donned after the onsen last night. He'd change soon - but first, he wanted to check in and see if Rav was around.

To no surprise at all, the Ferin was wide awake and lounging in the outdoor seating area of the pagoda - one of his favorite places. As a human who was half-cat, he was habitual in his laying habits, taking some time to rotate around the many picturesque corners of the pagoda. In the morning, when the sun was high, Rav loved to catch the sunny rays that spilled in from the open top of the pagoda tower.

"Morning, Rav."

"Good morning, my minion. Did you sleep well?"

Ezra ignored the 'minion' comment - if he bit on every one of Rav's little jokes, the two would be locked in a never-ending conversation.

"Wonderfully!"

Rav smiled, both eyes closed and his sparkling teeth visible. "If I'd known you two would be permanent bed-buddies, I'd have been happy to let you take one of the larger rooms more suited for two."

"I don't mind," Ezra said, sitting down on the couch next to Rav. "That one's cozy. Perfect for us."

Rav put his feet up on the table in front of them, and looked curiously to Ezra.

"What?" Rav asked, suspicious.

Ezra chuckled. "I...was wondering if I could see your stats?"

Rav raised an eyebrow. "That's what you have that stupid look for? Didn't I show you, already?"

"You showed me your level. I was curious about the...you know. The numbers. Strength, Agility, all that."

Rav flicked his hand dismissively, opening up the first window.

[Name: Ravager Hale

HP: 999/999

MP: 999/999

Race: Ferin (Cat-Anima)

Level: 81

Class: Custom - Magician of Clouds]

Even though Ezra had seen it before, it still impressed him. He figured '999' must be the limit, or else Rav would have gone even higher.

Rav switched to the next window, fidgeting with his fan while Ezra nerded out.

[Level 81

Strength - 44

Vitality - 36

Agility - 50

Spirit - 97

Charisma - 31

Luck 24]

"Holy-"

"Yes, yes, I know," Rav purred. "Interesting to note, for one as high level as myself, my numbers are quite low - except for my Spirit, of course. They don't call me a Sage for nothing."

"These are superhuman levels, Rav. I had no idea you were so strong."

Rav giggled. "I told you once about leveling - it's easy to do until about 20 or so. After that, normal monsters stop being a reliable source. Are you interested to learn more?"

"Of course, Rav!"

"From 20 to 40, the way to go is by 'bossing' - killing elite monsters, like that Tyrannodon you fought - but even stronger ones. And from 40 to 80..."

Rav pondered. "Well, to be honest, I skipped most of 40 to 80. You'd be surprised what killing a 'God of Storms' will do for your leveling. But that's exactly what one must do - hunt one-of-a-kind prey who've gathered significant power. In a battle between two level 40 Magicians, the winner might end up at 50, while the loser...well..."

Ezra nodded. He understood well the implication.

Ezra leaned forward, a chill creeping up his spine. "So... what happens after 80?"

Rav exhaled slowly, ears twitching. He flicked his fan open, obscuring his darkening expression. "The only way past level 80?"

His cerulean eyes flickered, sharp and despondent.

"You kill another level 80."