SSS Ranked Awakening: All My Skills Are at Level 100

Seraphine could see that instead of platinum bars, the chest was filled with circular-shaped objects in different colors. From their size, she could tell they were not from lower-ranked monsters but at least started from level 7 and went as far as level 10, of which she could see only one at the top.

A bed of mana cores glimmered with shifting hues, blue and violet lights refracting off their polished surfaces. A cool breath of air seemed to waft from the chest.

They weren't just one or two—but hundreds of them. The whole chest was full of mana stones.

Leon noticed how Seraphine wasn't even looking at him when he told her what she had to do. He felt she was really asking for punishment, but when he followed her gaze, a look of surprise appeared on his face.

There they were—the mana stones.

He had been wondering why he hadn't found a single mana stone inside any treasure vault.

It was because after entering the royal palace and being caught by the mysterious lady in a hurry, he had just opened one of the golden chests to see what was inside. As they all looked the same, he had found it was full of platinum bars.

Which made him assume all the similar-looking chests also had platinum bars inside, so whenever he picked these chests, he never checked what was inside.

With a thought, he took out all the similar-looking chests from his inventory. The royal palace had around 7, and as for the seven dukes—most had 2, but some had 3, and only one of them had four.

A total of 24 chests, including the one they had just opened.

"Let's see what we have here. You should open some, too, Seraphine," Leon said, knowing the feeling of opening a treasure chest is thrilling in its own way.

She gave a few cute nods in return to his words, and both of them started picking and opening them. It was exciting to find out if they got mana cores or regular platinum bars.

Each lid opened with a hollow clunk, the stones inside clicking against one another like scattered marbles. The mana cores felt smooth and unnaturally cold in Leon's palm, sending a tingling sensation up his arm.

After they were done, Seraphine and Leon were staring at each other. Both of them had unreadable expressions—not once did they look at the treasure around them, only at each other's eyes.

As if both of them were judging their opponent.

Leon was the first to break the silence. This little fun had now become a competition of luck.

Leon asked. "How many?"

Seraphine raised an eyebrow and replied, her voice sharp yet playful. "You tell me first."

Seraphine's lips twitched in a barely concealed smile, a faint breath of laughter escaping her as she watched him squirm. Leon felt his own heartbeat throb faster, not from nerves, but from the thrill of their unspoken challenge.

Leon wasn't having it. He smirked and replied, "Aren't you, as my master, supposed to lead your disciple by example?"

Her voice, still playful, she leaned in teasingly and replied.

"I could say the same. You are my disciple; you should reveal it first as an honor to your lovely master."

He wasn't the one to back down.

"If we're talking age, shouldn't you be the one?"

"I don't believe so, my dear Leon. We are the same age if I count everything. So your cards won't work against me. I suggest we reveal at the same time."

"Fine."

Seraphine's hand made a countdown symbol from three to one, and only then did both of them say at the same time:

"4."

"3."

Leon grumbled slightly as he saw the smug look on her face when she heard him.

Today was really a rough day for him. First, the Holy Energy, which was supposed to be a good thing, had become an impending problem. Then he got scolded by Seraphine for buying her the spatial pouch—and now this.

He had even lost a simple game of luck. Then he remembered something.

His voice was calm as if it were the most normal thing to say. "We'll call it a tie then."

"How so?" Her eyebrows knitted as she didn't like how he was trying to call it a tie when she clearly won.

Leon's expression was calm as he replied to her, "If you count the first chest I opened in front of you, that would make it four—a tie between us."

"But it didn't start at that time."

"So, you tell me—when did we start?"

She went silent, as they had made no rules or talked beforehand about when to start their competition. So technically, his first chest could be counted toward the total.

But she couldn't help but say a few words to him while rolling her eyes and a mocking sigh.

"I never imagined my disciple would stoop to loopholes just to match his feeble master."

Leon couldn't help but grin. She was clearly pushing his buttons—and she knew it. He couldn't do much in retaliation, but he could at least deliver a parting gift.

His presence was suddenly at her back—a blur of movement so swift that she felt a rush of air and the faint brush of his clothes before she could even turn. She barely caught a glimpse of him before he was close enough to feel his body heat against her.

Using one hand, he grabbed both of hers. When he took hold of them, she didn't resist even a bit and asked him instead, her voice laced with lust.

"What are you trying to do, disciple?"

"Hmm, nothing. I just think my lovely Master needs a little punishment before I leave."

Hearing the word punishment, something else played inside her mind. She was completely in the mood.

Her soft behind intentionally pressed against his crotch.

But Leon, after a couple of seconds of letting her have her fun, moved to the side, lowering her hands with one of his and making her bend.

Her defined, soft bottom was begging for his attention.

He grabbed one of her cheeks, his fingers pressing firmly into the soft flesh, relishing the warmth and the subtle give beneath his hand as he squeezed it to his liking.

Seraphine could sense he was doing something different, but the feel of his hand on her made it impossible to care—she simply let herself enjoy the warmth and pressure, low and soft moans slipping from her lips.

Ahhn~

But then his hand shifted. She braced for the same gentle squeeze on her other cheek—yet, instead, a sharp prickling sensation bloomed across her skin as his palm landed with sudden firmness on her soft bottom.

Slap.

Ahhnn~

Besides the shameful moan that escaped her lips, humiliation washed over her in a hot wave. From the tingling heat on her neck to the burning flush across her cheeks, her entire face turned red.

As she couldn't believe she had just been spanked by her disciple.

This was too humiliating for her.

The sting lingered long after his hand withdrew, her pride smoldering along with the heat in her skin—I can't believe he just did that…