Chương 478: Strategy or Instinct

Charlie was bathing outdoors. With Angie's help, she had tied pieces of cloth between trees and wooden stakes, forming a makeshift enclosure so no one could see from a distance. Bathing was something she genuinely enjoyed. Almost a hobby. It made her feel alive. She scooped water from a barrel with a bucket and poured it over herself, feeling it run across her skin. As a vampire, her sense of touch had returned. It was nothing like when she had been a skeleton, and that difference mattered to her.

It mattered a lot. She also liked hot water, so she would dip her fist into the barrel with [Flame Fist] active, heating it until it steamed, then bathe like that. Even eating had become a hobby. As a vampire, she had learned how to activate and deactivate her internal organs at will. If she wanted, she could exist without ever eating, without her heart beating at all. But she chose not to. She kept them active because she wanted to feel normal. She liked breathing. Liked feeling air fill her lungs.

Liked feeling alive. Beside her, Angie was bathing as well, washing the gray stone of her body clean. Charlie still wasn't sure how to feel when she was alone with her. Angie could be very closed off at times, though never out of malice. Still, she had become a kind of companion. Someone who helped Charlie learn how to act like a woman. About cleanliness, personal hygiene, things Charlie had never learned before.

"Artemis was upset she couldn't come with us," Charlie said casually.

"Yes," Angie replied while scrubbing dirt from her arm.

"Every time I go to bathe, she insists she needs to come along. Either to ensure my safety or to make sure I'm bathing properly."

"She tried that trick on me a few times too." As she poured another bucket of water over herself, Charlie glanced at Angie's bare stone body.

"You don't have a sense of touch, do you?"

"That's correct. I don't feel pain. I don't feel hunger, thirst, or even the need to breathe," Angie said, continuing to clean herself.

"That must be hard," Charlie said softly.

"Not being able to experience those things. I'm sorry. If you ever want to talk about it, you can talk to me."

"About not being able to do those things?"

"Yes."

"I don't mind," Angie answered flatly, still washing.

"You… don't mind?"

"No. I don't mind not being able to eat, breathe, or feel hunger. In fact, it's more practical when serving my master. He doesn't need to worry about me in those ways." Charlie paused mid-motion.

"But… you see Luke only as your master, right?" she asked carefully.

"Nothing… more than that?"

"I see him as my savior. The only one to whom I owe my devotion. I will serve him until the end of my days, even if he does not wish it. That is how I feel." Her voice was steady, emotionless as always. Charlie wasn't sure how she felt about that. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

"But don't worry," Angie continued.

"Even as a statue, I do possess emotions. I understand joy, happiness, and sadness. That allows me to make better decisions, especially in a world ruled by emotional people. All for Master Luke's benefit." Charlie understood then. What Angie felt wasn't romantic. It was admiration mixed with devotion. Nothing more.

"Even if you don't care about those things," Charlie said, smiling faintly, "I still think you're very beautiful, Angie."

"Thank you," Angie replied, her tone unchanged.

"Artemis once said something about us," Charlie went on.

"That we're 'two super sexy monster girls.' So even if you're a stone statue, I hope someday you'll get to feel how good a hot bath is. Or how nice it is to eat."

"Having an attractive appearance is considered a positive trait in this society," Angie said calmly.

"By human standards, you would be classified as a very beautiful woman, Charlie."

"You… think so?" Charlie could not really trust Artemis when she said things like that. Whenever Charlie asked, Artemis always replied with something along the lines of, "Of course, girl, you're gorgeous. Now feed me," or, "Yes, you're beautiful. But the only way I can be sure is if you let me come with you when you take a bath." Hardly a reliable source. And Charlie wanted certainty. She wanted that one special person to be the one who said it.

Sitting on the ground, Luke stared at his system interface. He could have eliminated all the criminals quietly, one by one, but using Shadow Ball had one clear advantage. It fed experience straight into his second class.

"That gave me exactly what I needed to level up, and a new skill on top of it." He opened the options. Five skills appeared, and as he read through them… You've got to be kidding me. Telepathy. [Weak Levitation (Uncommon)]: Allows the Witch to levitate up to three meters above the ground, moving with lightness and stability while suspended in the air. This magic breaks the limits of gravity, granting smooth and controlled movement.

[Voice Amplification (Common)]: The Witch can amplify her voice, making it resonate with intensity. Useful for communicating with large groups or projecting authority. Highly effective for ritual pronunciations and curses. [Weak Telepathy (Uncommon)]: The Witch learns to communicate using the mind. By focusing on an individual, she can transmit her thoughts directly to them. Range and number of affected individuals depend on the Witch's mastery and the skill's limits. An important step in the psychic arts.

[Weak Telekinesis (Uncommon)]: The Witch gains telekinetic powers that allow her to move objects within a certain range using mana. The number of objects and precision depend on the Witch's mastery and the skill's limits. The weight and resistance of objects vary based on mana expenditure. Objects bound to the Witch are easier to move; objects bound to other entities cannot be moved. An important step toward controlling the world with the mind.

[Moonlit Curse (Uncommon)]: Under moonlight, the Witch's curses grow stronger. Cursed energies respond to the lunar glow as if bound by an ancient pact, amplifying their effects and making each spell more cruel and persistent. Every single one of them was incredible.

"Levitation, telepathy, and telekinesis. Why did all three show up at once? If I could, I'd take all of them." Even the remaining two were strong in their own ways. But those three stood out so much that Luke found himself staring at them, unable to decide. From what he understood, a Witch in a party filled a support role. Since this was his second class, it was not what defined the flow of a fight. His kukris were more than enough. He did not need to rely heavily on this class for offense.

Still, part of him wondered whether, in the future, he might unlock devastating skills, perhaps advanced versions of Shadow Ball. But because this was his secondary class, he had the freedom to choose more creatively. That freedom was exactly what made the choice difficult. Should he pick something strategic like telepathy, something absurdly useful? Or should he ignore efficiency entirely and choose whatever felt the coolest? I'm not a hypocrite.

I won't pretend that every decision I make is calculated ten steps ahead. Sometimes I go with what feels cool. But… some of these are clearly doors leading to incredible class evolutions. Moonlight Curse, as simple as it looked, was a legacy coin on the Path of Curses. And with everything he had learned so far, he knew one thing for certain: specialization was the key to unlocking truly interesting powers. Strategy? Power? Or… fun? Luke made his choice. [You have acquired the Class Skill: …]