NOVEL WEB Chapter 10: Was it a level up system
Katherine jumped down from the horse.
She didn't want to wait for anyone to have them make more fun of her than they already did. Though she knew it was all related to Delilah, there was a limit to what she could bear too.
If it had been the previous Katherine, she would have already sliced the tongue that talked sh*t about her.
But now she was powerless. She has no control over her body whatsoever.
'You know you can't do that, right?' The demonic system reminded her, and Katherine rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, yeah, I know I have to act young and dumb," Katherine whispered angrily.
"Why would you act young and dumb?" Someone asked her suddenly, and she turned around to look at the man whom she had tried to help earlier before going inside the forest.
"Oh, it's you," Katherine said.
"Yes, me. I am sure I never introduced myself to you, Miss Delilah. I am Draco," The man bowed to her, and Katherine's eyes shone slightly.
This was probably the first time someone was bowing to Delilah, no?
"What brings you here? Your group of friends won't fancy you seeing them here. Don't get into trouble because of me. I already have a messed up reputation and -"
"Why did you help me?" Draco interrupted her speech, and Katherine paused, looking at him.
Why did she help him? She honestly didn't know. She wanted to tell herself that she did it because she wanted to make a few friends in the soldiers' group who would help her when she wanted to start training, but she knew that wasn't the reason.
The reason she helped him was because the leader inside her couldn't take the strain in the man's eyes or how the other leaders who should've corrected his form long ago were too ignorant.
Because for a moment, she saw a hint of her old subordinate Nick inside him.
"Just because. No particular reason. Don't worry. I am not going to demand any favors in return if that's what you are worried about," Katherine said with a smile before turning around to leave when Draco stepped ahead and held her hand.
Katherine paused and looked at him with quirked brows.
"Miss Delilah, I... I didn't mean to cross my line. Just, take this with you. Here," Draco quickly left her hand before he took a pouch out from his left pocket and gave it to her.
"Sorry for being so straightforward. It will help you with healing. I heard you can't change into your wolf form so your healing would be slower than others," Draco kept his gaze down and bowed as soon as he heard the sound of others coming back and leaving.
Katherine kept standing there, looking at the pouch in her hands with a confused expression before a smile appeared on her face.
Wasn't he just being cute? Just like…
Huh...why was she reminded of her team again and again? Christian would've had so much fun with a man like this, just like he did with Nick.
"Delilah, why don't you go and change first?" Tianna rushed to her as soon as she saw her standing near the entrance.
Katherine lifted her gaze to her cousin before humming.
She didn't look at anyone else or wait to greet them anymore and just left. There was no explanation for what happened in the forest and apart from more humiliation, they won't have anything to offer her either way.
"Congratulations. You unlocked the new friend task by creating an acquaintance. Reward- #healing +10 points," the demonic system announced, and Katherine sighed.
"What other things can help me gain points quickly apart from seducing the king?" Katherine asked as she went to take a quick shower.
The demonic system appeared in front of her, sitting on the stool before meticulously opening what looked like a document in its hand.
"There are many things. Face-slapping the people who bullied Delilah will increase your points in charm, charisma, and beauty. Then there is this training session where you have to complete a set target of things daily, and you will increase your points in strength, resistivity, speed, resilience, and bearing powers. Then comes -"
"This is a level-up system," Katherine said out of the blue, catching the Demonic system off-guard.
"What do you mean?" The system cleared its throat as if caught off-guard, and Katherine narrowed her brows before turning off the shower head.
She wrapped the towel around her body before siding the curtain and walking out.
Katherine looked straight into the system's eyes, her eyes suspicious.
"The more tasks I complete, the higher level I will climb, and if I taint Delilah's image more, you will deduct points, going as far as sending me back, means killing me, if I am not doing things right and going to the negative points. Am I right?" Katherine asked.
The demonic system looked at Katherine and smiled.
It was obviously not the truth. However, since the higher-ups had decided to make things work, Katherine was the sharpest candidate so far and even a single mistake would reveal the entire truth of what was going on, the demonic system nodded at her.
"That's true," the system said.
"If that's the truth then there must be some tasks that if I keep doing consistently or become better at it, I will still gain points, right?" Katherine asked before she paused.
"Wait. Why didn't you say anything about training earlier? That's something I will be able to do the quickest," Katherine said confidently, and the system was about to answer when someone knocked on the door.
Katherine furrowed her brows.
She quickly got dressed in a satin dress and walked to the door before opening it, her brows rising when she saw who it was.
"Hmm?" She looked at the same mysterious man who had intrigued her the most in the entire royal Kingdom.
The man didn't say anything and just kept looking at her.
His gaze didn't move from her eyes, but for some reason, she felt like he was seeing her naked, and Katherine couldn't help but blush, her cheeks turning slightly red.
'What the heck?! Get a grip, Katherine! He is hot, but you are hotter!' Katherine told herself to get her act together before clearing her throat.
"Aren't you going to say anything?" Katherine asked before she remembered the man couldn't speak.
"Right. Leave it. What are you doing here? Are you here to call me or something -"
The man extended his hand before opening his fist in front of hers.
Katherine looked at the earring in his hand, and a smile appeared on her face.
"My earring? Thank you for bringing it here," Katherine raised her hand to get it, but the man closed his fist again, looking at her sternly, confusing Katherine with his sudden stubbornness.
He walked inside the room, his gaze falling on the thing on the bed, and he cleared his throat before placing the earring on the table.
Katherine looked in the direction where the man looked before becoming awkward and her ears turned red.
"Well, I... I wasn't expecting any guests," Katherine quickly rushed to the bed and stuffed her bralette under the pillow with an awkward smile, making the man look away.
He looked at her before nodding and leaving.
Katherine sighed.
She closed the door, placing her hand over her fast-beating heart. She looked at the earring on the table, her gaze annoyed.
Why was he treating her like that? She understood that he didn't want to touch her when she was dirty, and that was why he didn't get on the same horse as her, but when she was about to grab that earring, he acted as if she was passing her germs to him.
If he was going to be so insecure and insincere, he could've just thrown it away. Katherine rolled her eyes, her gaze falling on the pouch.
She looked at her wounds which were healing quite faster after getting those points.
'There is no harm in taking some precautions,' Katherine thought before taking some herbs.
Meanwhile, at the hidden palace, the man walked in the middle of his hall, his jaws clenched.
"Sir," Jacob stepped ahead.
The man looked at him, an indication for the subordinate to continue speaking.
"Why did you help her?" Jacob was straightforward with his questions, and the man sighed, dropping his guard in front of one of the people he trusted.
"There is something wrong with her. I am trying to get a grip on that thing. But it's mysterious and vague. I need to verify the facts myself, but every time she is in front of me, I am reminded of the night I saved her," The man paused.
"There is a weird presence around her. She doesn't feel humane. And if she isn't human, she has no place here, irrespective of whether she is someone's sister or lover," The man answered before he walked to his room, leaving his subordinate even more confused than before.