The More They Love Me, the Stronger I Get

Chapter 003

The atmosphere in Class 2-Spirit shifted palpably as May Lewis let out a long, controlled exhale. The frosty edge in her expression didn't vanish entirely, but it certainly softened, like a winter morning giving way to the first hints of a pale sun. She looked at Leo Shaw, her eyes lingering on his face for a second longer than professionally necessary, searching for any hint of the sluggishness he had displayed just moments before.

“Fine,” she said, her voice dropping the sharp, authoritative bark she used for the rest of the class. “Go back to your seat. But don’t let me catch you drifting off again. This isn't a nursery; it's the Spirit Martial Academy. If you can’t keep your eyes open here, you won’t survive a single night in the Skyfield Forest.”

Leo offered a lazy, half-lidded smirk that didn't quite reach his eyes but carried a heavy, unspoken subtext. “Thank you, Professor... May.”

He had elongated the name just enough to be noticeable, a subtle play on her first name that sounded dangerously close to the way he addressed her when they were alone—the way a man speaks to a woman he knows intimately, rather than a student to a teacher. To any other student, it might have sounded like a slight stumble in his speech, perhaps a vocal tic from having just woken up.

But to May Lewis, the intent was as clear as a thunderclap. A faint, rose-colored flush crept up her neck, disappearing beneath the sharp collar of her blazer. Her obsidian eyes narrowed, shooting a silent warning back at him, but there was no real malice in it. It was the look of a woman who was simultaneously annoyed and hopelessly charmed. She quickly turned back to the holographic display, her fingers tapping the console with perhaps a bit more force than required.

Leo sauntered back to his desk, his movements fluid and relaxed, possessing a grace that seemed entirely at odds with the "slacker" persona he projected. As he slid into his chair, a soft rustle of fabric caught his attention.

In the row directly in front of him, Yuna Lynch—the girl who was whispered about in every dormitory as the most beautiful "Fairy" of the academy—slowly turned her head. She didn't say a word, but she didn't need to. Her face, a masterpiece of porcelain skin and soft, youthful features, broke into a smile that was so radiant it felt like it could light up the entire Grand Dominion. It was a smile reserved solely for him, full of relief and a quiet, shimmering adoration.

Leo didn't just smile back; he leaned forward, his eyes fixed on the long, silky ponytail that swayed slightly against the back of her chair. Without a hint of hesitation or concern for the thirty other pairs of eyes in the room, he reached out. His fingers brushed against the dark, fragrant strands of her hair, catching the light like spun ink. He took the ends of her hair and brought them closer to his face, breathing in the faint, ethereal scent of jasmine and something uniquely Yuna.

It was a bold, almost possessive gesture. In the rigid, disciplined environment of the Spirit Martial Academy, such public displays of intimacy were practically unheard of.

Yuna Lynch stiffened for a fraction of a second, a deep crimson bloom spreading across her cheeks, but she didn't pull away. On the contrary, she leaned back almost imperceptibly, tilting her head to make it easier for him to play with her hair. She was like a high-tier Spirit Beast that had been completely tamed, surrendering her dignity for the sake of his touch.

The rest of the male students in the room felt as if they were being collectively choked by a wave of pure, unadulterated envy. To them, Yuna Lynch was an untouchable goddess, a figure of purity and martial talent that they could only admire from a distance. And yet, here she was, acting like a smitten schoolgirl for a guy who had just spent the first half of the lesson drooling on his desk.

The girls in the room weren't much better. They looked at Yuna not with scorn, but with a fierce, burning jealousy. Because in their eyes, Leo Shaw was the ultimate prize.

The social hierarchy of Clearspring Academy was complex, but Leo sat at the absolute apex of it. A year ago, the name "Leo Shaw" had been a punchline. He had been the "fainting master," a boy whose family wealth was his only redeeming quality. Back then, he was pale, gaunt, and looked like a stiff breeze might knock him into a coma. He was the classic Spoiled Scion, the kind of boy who had everything handed to him on a silver platter but lacked the physical constitution to hold the spoon.

His family, the Shaw Clan, was legendary. They were the undisputed kings of the Forest City economy. While other families struggled to pay for a single Spirit Stone to help their children cultivate, Leo’s father, Sam Shaw, treated them like pocket change. Leo lived in a mansion that occupied more acreage than some city parks, was chauffeured in armored luxury vehicles that cost more than most people earned in a lifetime, and wore clothes woven from the silk of rare Mutated Flora.

But wealth, in a world ruled by Spirit Power, only gets you so far if you’re a weakling. And a year ago, Leo was the definition of a weakling. He was the favorite target for every bully with a chip on their shoulder and a desire to see a "rich kid" suffer.

Then, everything changed.

The transition had been so sudden that some students whispered about possession or forbidden Secret Techniques. Within a matter of months, the sickly, timid Leo Shaw had vanished. In his place was a man who seemed to have been forged in a different fire. His frame filled out with lean, functional muscle; his eyes, once clouded with insecurity, became sharp and predatory. He stopped running from confrontations. In fact, he started ending them—usually with a single, devastatingly efficient strike.

His academic performance followed suit. He went from the bottom of the rankings to a "Top Scholar" status that made the instructors question their own grading rubrics. He was rich, he was brilliant, and now, he was undeniably handsome in a way that commanded the room. He was no longer just a Rich Kid; he was a powerhouse who happened to have a billion dollars in his bank account.

However, not everyone was a fan of the "New Leo."

Three rows away, tucked into a corner where the shadows seemed a bit darker, sat Jack Lewis. He wasn't related to the Professor, despite the shared name; his family was at the opposite end of the social spectrum. Jack’s parents were "grinders"—low-tier workers who spent fourteen hours a day in the spirit-ore refineries, breathing in toxic dust for a handful of dollars a week.

Jack lived in a cramped, two-room apartment in the industrial slums, surviving on instant noodles and the bitter dregs of his own resentment. To him, someone like Leo Shaw was an affront to the natural order. Every time Leo laughed, every time he casually spent more on a lunch than Jack’s father made in a month, a fresh layer of charcoal was added to the fire in Jack’s heart.

Why him? Jack thought, his knuckles turning white as he gripped his pen. Why does a piece of trash like that get the money, the brains, and the girl? It’s not fair. This world is broken.

Jack’s hatred wasn't new. In the "Old Leo" days, Jack had been the one to lead the charge. He took a sick, twisted pleasure in tormenting the boy who had everything. There was a primal, intoxicating rush in seeing a billionaire's son cower in a bathroom stall, pleading for mercy from a kid who didn't have two nickels to rub together. It was the only time Jack felt powerful, the only time he felt like he was "winning."

But then came the day of the basketball game—the day the lamb turned into a wolf.

Jack remembered it with vivid, agonizing clarity. He had been "playing" with Leo, which really meant using the basketball as a weapon to see how many times he could hit Leo in the head before he cried. He had landed a particularly hard shot right against Leo’s temple, expecting the usual pathetic whimpering.

Instead, Leo had just stopped. He stood there for a second, the ball bouncing away into the grass. When he turned around, the look in his eyes wasn't fear. it was a cold, clinical boredom.

Before Jack could even register the change, Leo was on him. It wasn't a schoolyard scuffle; it was a demolition. Leo didn't swing wildly. He moved like a professional, his fists finding the softest parts of Jack’s face with terrifying precision. Jack remembered the sound of his own nose snapping, the metallic tang of blood filling his mouth, and the way the world seemed to tilt as Leo pinned him to the asphalt.

Leo didn't scream. He didn't even look angry. He just kept hitting him, rhythmic and steady, until Jack’s vision went black.

The only reason Jack was still alive was because Yuna Lynch had intervened. She had run across the court, her face pale with shock, and caught Leo’s fist mid-air. It was the first time anyone had seen the two of them interact with such intensity. Leo had looked up at her, the blood-lust in his eyes vanishing instantly, replaced by a strange, amused curiosity. He had let go of Jack’s throat, stood up, and wiped his hands on his designer shorts as if he’d just finished a tedious chore.

The aftermath had been even more humiliating. Jack’s parents had come to the school, ready to sue the Shaw family into oblivion. But when they found out their son was the instigator—and more importantly, when they realized they were up against the man who owned the very refinery they worked in—they had turned tail and fled. Jack hadn't received an apology; he had received a second beating from his own father for being "stupid enough to pick a fight with the boss’s son."

Since that day, Jack had lived in a state of quiet, simmering terror. He avoided Leo like a plague, ducking into side hallways whenever he saw the taller boy approaching. But the fear had only deepened the resentment.

Just you wait, Jack thought, his eyes burning as he watched Leo whisper something into Yuna’s ear that made her giggle. The Awakening Ceremony is only weeks away. Wealth doesn't matter in the Mystic Zone. Grades don't matter when you're facing a Mountain-Tyrant Ape.

In Jack’s mind, the Awakening Ceremony was the ultimate equalizer. He believed—he needed to believe—that his years of suffering and poverty had forged a "spirit" that was superior to Leo’s pampered existence. He imagined himself awakening a Supreme-tier talent, something destructive and grand like the Heaven-Burning Flame or the Power of the Water God.

In his fantasies, he saw himself standing on a mountain of monster corpses, while Leo Shaw stood trembling in the background, a "Low-Tier" failure with nothing but useless paper money to protect him. He would take Yuna for himself, not out of love, but as a trophy—a final insult to the man who had broken his nose and his pride.

He was so lost in his vengeful daydream that he didn't notice the pen in his hand had snapped, leaking dark blue ink all over his desk.

Leo, however, noticed.

Without even turning his head, Leo felt the weight of Jack’s gaze. It was like a cold draft on the back of his neck. With the Spirit-Forged Body now active, his senses were heightened to an almost supernatural degree. He could hear the frantic drumming of Jack’s heart, the ragged edge of his breathing, and the smell of cheap ink.

Leo didn't care. To a lion, the frantic buzzing of a fly is barely worth a flick of the tail. He had much bigger concerns.

System, Leo called out, his eyes still fixed on the back of Yuna’s neck. Tell me about those Goddess Affection Points. How close is May Lewis to the next reward tier? And what about the Gacha results?

The Loli Voice responded instantly, its tone bouncy and eager.

[Checking Target Status! May Lewis currently has a "Hidden Affection" of 100%, but her "Social Affection" is only at 65% because of her professional boundaries. If you can break those boundaries, Host, the rewards will be legendary!]

[And the Gacha results are in! You have hit the jackpot!]

[You have obtained the following:]

1. Nine Forms of Judgment (Partial Fragment): An ancient Secret Technique used by the founders of The Grand Dominion. Even a fragment allows for unparalleled combat efficiency!

2. Dragon-Phoenix Ring: A Divine Artifact (Low-Level). It provides a small Spirit Shield and possesses a 500-cubic-foot Inventory that can store living organisms for a short duration!

3. Sorrow of Thunder (Passive Aura): Enemies within ten yards of you will experience a 5% reduction in their Spirit Power stability. It’s like a permanent debuff for anyone who dares to get close!

Leo felt a cold shiver of delight. A ring that can store living things? And a combat technique from the old world?

He glanced at the clock on the wall. The Awakening Ceremony couldn't come soon enough. For everyone else, it was a day of nervous anticipation and fear of the unknown. For Leo, it was going to be the day he officially stepped onto the stage of the world as a king.

He reached out again, twining Yuna’s hair around his finger, his gaze drifting toward the front of the room where May Lewis was still lecturing. He caught her eye for a split second, and this time, he didn't smirk. He just looked at her with an intensity that made her pause mid-sentence.

The game was no longer about simple high school drama. It was about building an empire, one heart and one Divine Artifact at a time.