The More They Love Me, the Stronger I Get

Chapter 002

The translucent blue interface of the Goddess Affection System shimmered within Leo Shaw’s retinas, glowing with a soft, ethereal light that only he could see. A rapid-fire succession of notifications pinged against his consciousness, each one accompanied by a playful, synthesized chime that sounded like silver bells.

[Target Goddess: Yuna Lynch detected! System has automatically initiated the soul-binding sequence. Current Goddess Affection Points: 100%!]

[Ding! Congratulations, Host! Yuna Lynch’s affection for you has reached the Absolute Threshold. You have been awarded one Random Mysterious Gift Box. Would you like to claim it?]

[Alert: Host has achieved a dual-max affection milestone with Goddesses Sonya Sutton and Yuna Lynch! Awarding 200 System Points!]

[Special Achievement Unlocked: "Legendary Charmer." You have managed to maximize the affection of two high-tier Goddesses before the system even finished its boot-up sequence! Awarding two bonus spins on the Supreme Gacha Wheel!]

Leo stood at the back of the classroom, his expression carefully neutral, but his mind was a chaotic storm of exhilaration. The sheer volume of information was staggering. He blinked, trying to navigate the floating windows that displayed his stats, his Inventory, and the "Goddess Database."

After a few seconds of mental navigation, a broad, triumphant grin threatened to split his face. This wasn't just a "Golden Finger"; it was a god-tier shortcut. The mechanics were elegantly simple—no convoluted death-matches or impossible quests. All he had to do was be himself—or rather, the most charming, irresistible version of himself—and win the favor of the world’s most exceptional women.

The system’s criteria for a "Goddess" were surprisingly rigorous. It wasn't merely about physical aesthetics, though a high beauty score was a prerequisite. The system’s autonomous judgment engine accounted for temperament, talent, social standing, and "karmic purity." A woman could be the most beautiful model in The Grand Dominion, but if her soul was rotten or her character lacked substance, she wouldn't even register as a target.

This system really knows my taste, Leo thought, his inner monologue dripping with self-satisfaction. I take back what I said earlier about the forced nap. This... this is perfection.

He turned his internal gaze toward the rewards. He was sitting on a mountain of potential power: a Newbie Gift Pack, two Mysterious Gift Boxes, and three total Gacha spins. In the stories of the old world he remembered, most protagonists had to crawl through glass for a tenth of this hoard. But Leo had a massive head start because of the relationships he’d cultivated over the past year.

The first 100% affection rating belonged to Yuna Lynch, the girl who had just handed him his books. In the hierarchy of Clearspring Academy, she was a legend—one of the "Four Fairies of Forest City." She was the image of pure, untouched elegance, a quiet student with a hidden fire for martial arts. Leo had spent months in the library with her, not just studying, but talking about the world, the stars, and the terrifying beauty of the Metahuman World. He had won her heart through genuine connection, never realizing it would one day be his greatest tactical advantage.

The second, of course, was Sonya Sutton—or May Lewis, as she was known here at the Spirit Martial Academy. To the rest of the world, she was a cold, untouchable high-ranking officer and a strict educator. But to Leo, she was the woman who had shared quiet dinners with him, the woman who had watched over his transition into this world with a fierce, protective warmth.

System, let’s get down to business, Leo commanded. Open the Newbie Gift Pack first.

The Loli Voice responded with an upbeat trill. [Opening Newbie Gift Pack! Please hold your breath!]

[Congratulations! You have obtained a C-tier Evolving Ability: Spirit-Forged Body. (Note: Already integrated due to host’s high base compatibility!)]

[Congratulations! You have obtained a C-tier Evolving Artifact: The Sturdy Brick. Description: A weapon of absolute pragmatism. Guaranteed to ignore 10% of enemy physical defense upon impact. It grows as you grow!]

[Congratulations! You have obtained a Cultivation Booster (Low-Tier). Effect: Doubles your Spirit Power absorption rate for 72 hours!]

[Congratulations! You have unlocked a 350-cubic-foot Inventory space!]

Leo’s excitement dampened slightly. A brick? Are you serious? I’m supposed to be a legendary High Ascendant, and you give me a piece of masonry? And C-tier?

[Don't be ungrateful, Host!] the system chirped back. [The "Evolving" tag is incredibly rare! Most people are stuck with static abilities their whole lives. Now, do you want the good stuff? Open the Mysterious Gift Boxes!]

Leo took a deep breath. Open them. Both of them. All at once.

A blinding flash of violet light erupted in his mind’s eye, far more intense than the previous golden glow. The air in the back of the classroom seemed to hum with static electricity, causing the fine hairs on Leo’s arms to stand on end.

[Ding! Phenomenal Luck detected! Opening 2x Mysterious Gift Boxes...]

[Congratulations! You have obtained an SSS-tier Divine Ability: Nihility Divine Thunder! As the pinnacle of lightning-elemental power, this ability allows the Host to manifest primordial bolts that erase matter on a molecular level. Will automatically activate upon your Awakening Ceremony!]

[Congratulations! You have obtained a Super Cultivation Booster (Supreme-Tier). Effect: Increases Spirit Air absorption and refinement speed by 1000%. Duration: Permanent!]

[System Note: O-M-G! Host, you are amazing! I’ve never seen anyone pull an SSS-tier reward on their first day! I think I’m falling for you too, tee-hee!]

Leo was momentarily stunned into silence. He felt a sudden, heavy pressure in his solar plexus—a seed of pure, destructive potential that sat waiting for the moment he would officially awaken his Spirit Power. SSS-tier. In the history of The Grand Dominion, such talents were recorded only in myths, held by the founders of empires and the legendary Guardian Deities who fought during The Great Collapse.

And the permanent ten-fold booster? That was the real game-changer. It meant that while his peers were struggling to refine a single drop of Spirit Energy, he would be a literal vacuum, devouring the energy of the world. One day of his effort would equal ten days for a genius, and perhaps a hundred days for a commoner.

He was so deeply immersed in his internal monologue that he didn't realize the entire classroom had gone silent. The holographic display on the screen had frozen on a new image: a massive, shaggy beast that looked like a mountain of muscle and dark fur.

"Leo Shaw!"

The voice of May Lewis sliced through his thoughts like a cold blade. He snapped his head up, finding the beautiful professor staring at him with her arms crossed over her chest. Her foot was tapping the floor with an impatient rhythm that suggested his time was running out.

"Since you’re so comfortable standing back there, why don't you enlighten the class?" she said, her voice laced with a dangerous sarcasm. "Tell us, what are the primary weaknesses of the Earth Demon Bear? Or perhaps you were too busy counting the dust motes in the air to notice we’ve moved on?"

A few of the boys in the front row, led by Jack Lewis, snickered. Jack was a typical Rich Kid, the kind who wore a five-thousand-dollar designer watch to a martial arts class and looked down on anyone who didn't come from a "Legacy Family." He leaned back in his chair, whispering loud enough for the neighboring girls to hear, "He's probably wondering if the bear likes to nap as much as he does."

Leo didn't even glance at Jack. His eyes were fixed on the projection of the Earth Demon Bear. Information flooded his mind—not from the system, but from the vast library of knowledge he had obsessively consumed over the last year.

"The Earth Demon Bear," Leo began, his voice calm and steady, carrying a strange new resonance that made the room go quiet again. "It’s a Tier 2 Mutant Beast. It stands roughly nine feet tall and weighs upwards of 1,800 pounds. It’s notorious for its ability to tap into Earth Power, allowing it to harden its fur into a layer of organic stone, effectively creating a natural Spirit Shield."

He paused, a confident smirk touching his lips as he saw May Lewis’s eyebrows rise in surprise.

"Its weaknesses are twofold," Leo continued. "First, its ocular structure is underdeveloped. Like the ancient bears of the old world, it is functionally myopic. It relies almost entirely on its sense of smell and its ability to feel ground vibrations through its paws. In the trade, we call them 'Blind Bears' for a reason. If you can mask your scent and stay light on your feet, you’re practically invisible to them."

He stepped forward slightly, his presence filling the back of the room. "The second weakness is its sheer mass. While it has incredible explosive power in a straight line, its rotational inertia is abysmal. It takes a Earth Demon Bear nearly three seconds to complete a full 180-degree turn. A nimble fighter can stay in its 'blind zone' indefinitely. Furthermore, there is a soft spot—a patch of unhardened skin—just behind the left shoulder blade where the Earth Power flow is weakest. One well-placed strike there will bypass its defense matrix entirely."

The silence in the room was now absolute. Even May Lewis looked momentarily stunned. Leo’s answer wasn't just correct; it was professional-grade. It was the kind of tactical analysis usually reserved for active-duty scouts in the West Martial Military District.

The students around him exchanged bewildered glances. This was the Leo Shaw they had come to know—and resent—over the past year.

When Leo first arrived at the Spirit Martial Academy, he had been a joke. He was the classic "bottom-feeder," failing every theory test and struggling with basic physical conditioning. But then, almost overnight, something had shifted. He had transformed from a Spoiled Scion with no future into an academic titan. He started acing every exam, solving complex energy-dynamic equations that even the seniors struggled with.

What drove his classmates crazy was that he never seemed to work for it. While they spent their nights in the meditation halls or the library, Leo was often seen strolling through the academy gardens, chatting with girls, or simply napping under a willow tree. Yet, when the test papers were handed back, his name was always at the top of the Nirvana Ranking for theory.

He was the living embodiment of the "slacker genius" trope, and it infuriated them. To them, his existence suggested that all their hard work was meaningless in the face of raw, innate talent.

May Lewis cleared her throat, her expression softening just a fraction, though she quickly masked it with her usual professional mask. "An... acceptable answer, Mr. Shaw. Though I suggest you focus more on the lecture and less on your 'inner reflections' for the remainder of the hour."

She turned back to the screen, but Leo noticed the way her fingers brushed against her chin—a subtle tell that she was impressed.

In the front row, Yuna Lynch cast a quick, admiring glance over her shoulder at Leo. Her eyes sparkled with a mixture of relief and pride. She had always believed in him, even when the rest of the class treated him like a pariah.

Leo leaned back against the wall, feeling a sense of profound calm. The world felt different now. The air felt "sharper," the colors of the classroom more vivid. He could feel the Spirit Air circulating in the room, drawn toward him in a slow, invisible whirlpool thanks to his new permanent booster.

System, Leo thought, how about those Gacha spins? I’m feeling lucky.

[Understood, Host! Initiating three spins on the Supreme Gacha Wheel! Wishing you the best of luck!]

As the virtual wheel began to spin in a blur of rainbow colors and divine symbols, Leo looked out the window. Beyond the academy walls, the skyscrapers of Forest City rose like jagged teeth against the horizon, and further still, the dark, looming canopy of the Skyfield Forest beckoned.

For the first time since his reincarnation, Leo Shaw didn't just feel like a survivor in this strange, dangerous world. He felt like its future master. Whether it was the monsters in the forest or the complex hearts of the women around him, he was ready to conquer them all.

The wheel slowed down, clicking past legendary weapons and ancient scrolls, finally landing on a glowing purple icon.

[Ding! Congratulations! You have obtained...]