[Milk Saint Level 26!]
[All-Healing Milk (Weak) Obtained!]
Ver was surprised to see the level-up notification when he woke up.
After only a second, he immediately figured out what was going on.
(Your dad’s healed?)
“Ver! You’re awake!”
Norm was smiling from ear to ear, but after a second, it disappeared.
“Ahh, how did you figure it out? I was so excited to share the good news.”
(The level-up notification.)
“Well, I did also manage to figure it out because of that, but I thought...”
Seeing Norm’s expression, Victor sat beside him and started giving him a noogie.
“Why do you look sad? Ver can finally get out of this room. Focus on that, you idiot.”
“Ahh! Stop it, you jerk.”
When Victor released him, Norm looked embarrassed.
Ever since getting [Greatly Increased Intelligence], Norm had been a bit smug.
However, Ver wouldn’t call Norm arrogant, and he kinda preferred it over Norm having a low self-esteem.
“Well, now that you mentioned it, you’re right. I can finally introduce Ver to these cute kids. They’re so adorable. Also, you have to see me run with the goats. I’m really fast now—”
“Before that. Ver, can I request something from you?”
Ver almost said no immediately.
He could finally explore the world; he really didn’t want to stay in this room any longer than necessary.
(I could at least hear you out, but don’t expect me to agree if it’s too bothersome.)
Victor couldn’t hear him, so Norm repeated what Ver said word for word.
“Can you also make a contract with me?”
(What?)
Ver didn’t expect that at all. He thought Victor would ask him to create a new type of milk.
From all the stories he’d read, spirits only ever made a contract with one person. So, it didn’t even cross his mind that he could make a contract with more than one person.
In fantasy stories, someone could make a contract with multiple spirits. They never showed that spirits could do the same, but that’s probably because most of the stories I read didn’t focus too much on the spirit.
(Is that possible?)
“There is a good chance it will work.”
It was an enticing offer.
If it succeeded, the points he gained would be twice as much.
On the other hand, he was afraid of falling asleep for weeks again.
But, in my perception, it would only be a second.
The benefit he would gain heavily outweighs the drawback. Not to mention that Victor was a smart guy. Having him as a contractor would be really useful.
(Sure, I could try.)
“Awesome. Thanks Ver.”
His mana increased by maybe ten percent since he arrived in this world, so there was a good chance that he wouldn’t fall asleep after making the contract.
I could also use the trick of asking the surrounding mana to help me, but making the contract only took a few seconds the first time, so I don’t know how useful that would be. Wait—
It was kinda stupid of him not to realize it sooner. Couldn’t he just ask the mana for help before trying to make a contract?
Why didn’t I think of this sooner? I could’ve healed Norm’s dad faster.
Not wasting any more time, Ver tried to make a contract with Victor.
MANA HELP ME!
Ver waited for all the mana willing to help to gather around him. They seemed confused, but eager.
However, Ver didn’t think his idea of asking the mana for help beforehand helped at all. There was definitely more mana willing to help than before, but he didn’t think the order mattered much.
Unless he forced them, none of the ones who refused changed their minds, no matter how long he waited.
They also arrived in less than a second. That was more than enough time to complete anything he desired.
I WANT TO MAKE A CONTRACT WITH VICTOR!
The mana inside him started draining, but it suddenly… stopped.
It didn’t even take ten percent of his mana to make the contract.
[Contract accepted!]
[Name: Victor]
[Race: Human]
[Age: 18 years old]
[Class:]
[Ever-Adapting Survivor Level 23]
[Improved Memory]
[Steady Breathing]
[Improved Muscle Memory]
[Better Rest]
[Increase Weight]
[Flexible Body]
[Training Boost]
[Increase Strength (Gradual)]
[Increased Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence]
[Enhanced Senses]
[Trauma Resistance]
[Lesser Agility]
[Pain Resistance]
[Payback]
[Consistent Progress]
[Self-Diagnosis]
[Fury Strike]
[Lesser Dexterity]
[Lesser Reflex]
[Gradual Perfection]
[Lesser Regeneration]
[Flow State]
[Thought Acceleration]
[Store Weapon]
[Harmony of Body and Mind]
[Durable Body]
[Lesser Poison Resistance]
[Error Prevention]
[Adaptive Reflexes]
[Gradual Resistance (Temporary)]
[Unyielding Bones]
[Relentless]
[Benefit Amplified (Milk)]
[Spirit Contractor Level 1]
[Verus Albus: Share Emotion]
I’m glad that it worked, but I’m so confused by what just happened. Isn’t the second time supposed to be harder than the first time? Does that mean the third time would be much easier? And why does Victor have so many Skills?
That sounded really broken to him.
Even if there was a risk that one of his contractors would die and he would die as a result, it would still be worth it.
There had to be a limit.
“It actually worked.”
“Why do you sound so surprised? It was your idea in the first place.”
“I had a feeling it would work, but I’ve never heard of a spirit contracting with two people at the same time—”
Victor and Norm suddenly went quiet.
They were both staring into space, seemingly reading something.
“Level 51. I guess my theory was right. Got a new Skill, too, [Shared Benefit (Milk)].”
Victor nodded to himself, grabbed a notebook, and started writing in it.
(Level 51? What do you mean? I didn’t see anything.)
Norm looked at Ver, confused.
“I thought you could see whenever I level up.”
(Yeah, and I don’t see anything.)
“Really? My [Soulmate] Class just leveled up seven times.”
Ver was even more confused.
He hadn’t known Norm had a [Soulmate] Class, and why did it seem like both of them shared the Class?
I mean sharing a Class isn’t that confusing, considering all my Classes are literally a shared Class. I just kinda thought that only spirit has that peculiarity. But I guess not.
It also stung a little that Norm had never told him about what was clearly his highest-level Class. He’d thought Norm trusted him.
(I didn’t know you had a [Soulmate] Class.)
“What? I already told you.”
(Huh?)
As the conversation went on, Ver became more and more confused. Based on Norm’s expression, he clearly was, too.
So, both of them looked at Victor. Well, in Ver’s case, he just focused on him.
“For some reason, people can’t hear when we say [Soulmate] or even give a hint that we have it. Norm, you aren’t exactly quiet when you talk. Your parents would already know by now if it was a normal situation. Considering Ver now can hear it, I’d say it has something to do with the soul.”
“You knew about this? Why didn’t you tell me? I was trying so hard to not let my parents know.”
“You told Ver.”
“Well, Ver was different. You also told me that it was okay if he knew.”
Victor stayed silent, and he was playing with his shirt while looking everywhere but where Norm was.
“Victor. What did you hide from me?”
Norm moved so he was in Victor's line of sight, but Victor simply moved his face in the other direction.
After around a minute of Norm trying to make Victor look at him, Victor finally gave in.
“Okay, okay. It’s probably my fault. Class responds to desire, and I want the Class to only be known to the two of us.”
“Why did you want that?”
The puzzle finally clicked in place in Ver’s head.
The fewer people who know about it, the more special it becomes.
Ver understood what Victor was feeling. He’d experienced something similar himself, once.
When his mother told a secret that she only ever told him, Ver felt happy. He felt special.
It was like she trusted and loved him more than anyone else.
Of course. Ver knew that wasn’t true. But in the moment, he believed it.
(Ahh, I see. Sorry for ruining it.)
“Ver?! Ruined what? What did you understand?”
Victor chuckled and ruffled Norm’s head.
“Judging by what you are saying, I take it Ver understands my feeling? If so, Ver, please don’t explain it to him. This idiot needs to understand it himself.”
(Sure.)
“Don’t agree with him. Can you both just tell me what it is?”
“Nope. Figure it out yourself. Also, can you bring a clay pot full of milk here? Ver is slowly losing his mana every second.”
Norm wanted to say something, but he stopped and got out of the room, mumbling something under his breath.
Victor had found out a while ago that Ver’s mana leaked less if he was covered in milk. If a fire spirit lost less mana while inside a flame, then the same logic probably applied to Ver.
It was a simple deduction, but since Ver didn’t know much about his own species, he had failed to figure it out.
When Norm closed the door, Victor's atmosphere suddenly changed.
Gone was his smile and relaxed posture. It was as if he suddenly changed into a different person.
“Ver, you’re a smart guy. When you get out of this house, you will notice something strange about the people living in this village. When you do, don’t tell Norm anything.”
That came out of nowhere.
Ver was hesitant to agree with Victor's request. He didn’t know anything, so it would be foolish if he agreed willy-nilly.
So, he sent in his hesitation.
“It’s for Norm’s safety. If he realized it, I don’t think he’d be able to act to save his life. At least don’t tell him anything until I can explain everything to you. Don’t worry, I will tell you everything before the day is over. Can you do that?”
That was a more reasonable request.
So, Ver didn’t hesitate to move up and down.
“Thanks, Ver. And you don’t have to feel bad about knowing Norm and I have the [Soulmate] Class. I know you will always be with us, so keeping a secret from you is just too much of a hassle. That’s why I allowed Norm to tell you, though it didn’t quite work out.”
It was obvious to Ver that the two of them didn’t quite trust each other.
I don’t think trust is the right word. It’s more that we don’t love each other the way he loved Norm, or the way I loved my family. I think the same could be said with Norm.
That wasn’t to say that Ver didn’t like or care about them. It was just that they’d only just met.
Sure, maybe more than a month had passed since he met Norm, but almost all of it was just Ver sleeping.
He didn’t resent Norm for it. Ver didn’t even think he’d sacrificed anything for him.
Sleeping for a long time couldn’t be called a sacrifice when you didn’t know anyone in this world.
“I don’t think I’ve said this, but thank you for picking Norm. I hope we can get along, and if our personalities don't match, let’s just agree to keep our distance and not hate each other.”
Victor was smiling when he said it, but his tone of voice told Ver that he was serious.
Compatibility mattered in friendship. Whether someone was kind or not was important, but that was just the bare minimum.
It was normal for people to not get along.
That didn’t mean one of them sucked or anything. Sometimes people’s personalities just clash.
Knowing this, Ver sent in his satisfaction.
It’s a bit of a relief that Victor is an adult. If we fight in the future, I just hope he doesn’t start acting childish.
That wasn’t to say Ver was hoping they would fight. But it was wishful thinking to hope to never get into a fight with someone who’d probably be right beside you for quite a long time.
“Good, good. I just hope the Skill that made you able to talk to me would come sooner rather than later. It’s really hard to know what a glowing white ball of light is thinking.”
Ver sent in his happiness.
He had a feeling that both of them would get along.
As Norm got out of his room, he saw his parents flirting in the dining room.
When he walked past them, he covered his ears and started making noises.
“Wawawawawawawawawawawa.”
When he saw his mother's annoyed face, he couldn’t stop the grin that appeared on his face.
However, when he saw his mother running at him, Norm immediately ran out of the house and towards the barn.
It didn’t take long, but he still wondered if placing the milk at the barn was just a waste of time.
His new Skill, [All-Healing Milk (Weak)], made any milk he produced be able to heal anything. But it would become really stale within a day no matter what.
Victor told him to not tell anyone about the name of the Skill and its main effect of healing anything, even to his parents.
Norm still didn’t know why, but that was because he kinda forgot to ask Victor about it.
The milk was kept in the barn because there was some kinda enhancement that made it take way longer to go stale. But that enhancement was now useless.
When Norm asked his parents about what to do with the spoiled milk, they told him that it couldn’t even be turned into cheese. So, Norm just dumped the milk that his mother couldn’t sell into the area where it all turned white.
I really should name that area. Milk Area? The Land of the Milk? Milk Land? I should discuss it with Ver first before deciding.
The milk helps the area grow more quickly, so at least Norm had a use for his milk when it grew stale.
Coming back to his house, he found Victor already cooking, talking to Ver.
“Adding milk to the meat made it richer, milder, and more tender. It also made the meat have more nutrients. With normal milk, it wouldn’t add much. However, what I’m using right now isn’t normal milk, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it contained way more nutrients and had some kinda special property.”
When Norm entered the room, Victor immediately turned toward him.
“Can you put the pot there? Ver wants to learn more about cooking with milk.”
Norm put the clay pot on the table.
Just as he was about to leave, he had a genius idea that would let him spend time with two of his favorite people.
“Can I help you cook?”
Victor laughed, and patted Norm’s head.
However, when he saw Norm was serious, Victor stopped laughing. With the flattest voice and expression Norm had ever seen from him, he pointed to the door and basically shooed him away.
“No. Get out.”
“But—”
“I’ll teach you how to cook if you want to, but I don’t need your help when I’m cooking.”
When Norm tried to argue, Victor picked him up and placed him on the chair at the dining table.
He then went back to the kitchen as if nothing had happened.
Norm frowned and crossed his arms.
“Victor is being mean.”
His parents looked at each other, then his father looked away while his mother gave Norm an annoyed look.
“Have you ever learned to cook?”
“No… but I—”
“Then don’t try to help when you don’t know what you’re doing. That reminds me, I should start preparing breakfast.”
Then his mom went into the kitchen without saying anything else or looking at him.
“What did I do wrong?”
“Son, did you want Victor to hate you?”
“No?”
“Then don’t try to help him before you learn how to cook.”
Norm was at a loss for words. He thought his parents would validate his feelings, not pile on him.
When breakfast came, it was hard to keep frowning. The meal was just that delicious.
However, Victor noticed Norm's effort to look angry. But rather than try to comfort him, he just rolled his eyes and flicked his forehead.
“Ow.”
“I know you didn’t feel anything, Norm. Don't be dramatic. Also, if you want to help, I can start teaching you how to cook.”
“Okay, whatever.”
Victor didn’t comment further on Norm’s ‘anger.’
After cleaning up all the dishes, both of them prepared to go to the barn.
Without any communication between them, Victor picked Norm up and placed him on his shoulder, then grabbed the clay pot Ver resided in.
It had already become a habit for Norm to go somewhere by having Victor walk for him.
I guess there is an advantage in being short.
“Wait. Can I go with you? I won’t work, I promise. I just miss being there.”
His mother looked hesitant for a moment, then she sighed and nodded her head.
“Fine, but I am going with you.”
Victor suddenly stiffened, but Norm didn’t see the look on Victor's face because he was too excited that all his favorite people were coming with him.
“Yes! I can show all of you Jeb and the cute little kids, and I can show you how fast I can run now! This is going to be so fun!”
Norm squirmed from side to side on Victor's shoulder in his excitement.
Even Victor shared his excitement because he was talking way more than usual on their way there.
Ver was out of the pot and was moving around, seemingly looking at everything.
He didn’t talk a single time even when Norm talked to him, but Norm let it be.
Stuck in one room for around two months must have sucked.
It was normal to look around everywhere when you were in the same room for months. So, he didn’t think too much of it.
“Hey Norm, can I borrow your shovel?”
“Yeah, sure.”
Seeing the looks on his parents’ faces made Norm a bit smug.
They were looking at the kids running around in the field with obvious affection.
If Got the buck didn’t look at them with suspicion, they would already be playing with the kids.
As for Jeb the bull, they didn’t really care all that much.
He was a magical beast, but so what?
It wasn’t like Jeb was adorable or something, so the kids immediately stole the spotlight while Jeb was forgotten.
“It’s a bad idea for me to approach the kids as soon as I get here. I have to show them I’m safe before trying to do anything.”
Norm couldn’t agree more. He’d learned everything about animals from his dad, so he wasn’t worried that his dad couldn’t get all the animals to like him.
When his dad walked to the cows, he started to inspect them one by one.
After checking all of them, he nodded and looked at Jeb.
“All of them are pregnant. With me using [Reduce Pregnancy Time (Cow)], I would say that we have less than six months before all of them give birth to a calf.”
“Dear, what did I tell you about working?”
“Ehh, don't do it?”
His mother was nodding, smiling all the while.
“And what are you doing now?”
Before it could turn ugly, Norm ran out of there and headed toward the kids.
However, when he saw Jeb lying down on the grass, an idea started to sprout in his head.
Wait, could I ride Jeb now, while he was going full speed? [Herd Blessing (Goat)] did greatly improve my balance and coordination.
“Victor! Come here for a sec!”
Just as always, Victor appeared immediately when Norm called out to him.
“I want to try riding Jeb again, if anything happens, catch me, okay?”
“Sure.”
Victor gave him a thumbs up, his ever-present smile growing wider.
Jeb was already getting up, sensing the commotion.
When Norm started climbing him, Jeb didn’t resist or move around, so it was easy to sit on top of him.
“Jeb! Run!”
At first, Jeb started ‘running’ like every other time Norm was on top of him, but at Norm's insistence, Jeb kept getting faster and faster until he was moving at his top speed—no, he was moving even faster!
The wind didn’t buffet them, which achieved two things: one, it made riding Jeb much easier, and two, it let Jeb run so much faster.
“Hahahaahahah, this is so awesome!”
In his excitement, Norm went further than he probably should have, but thankfully Victor was still faster than Jeb, so he told them to stop before they got lost.
“I’m going to hang out with Ver in the forest. Jeb, Norm, don’t you dare go that far ever again, or I’ll be genuinely angry. Do you understand?”
Both of them nodded. Then Victor led them back to the barn.
“Stay safe, okay? I’ll be going out with Ver for a bit.”
“Okay, bye.”
Since his dad was here, he could focus on watching over the goats who liked to wander around while his dad watched over the cows.
After two hours, his mom left to sell the milk they got.
The day was fun, but Norm was worried because Victor hadn’t come back yet.
Victor is strong, he will be fine.
However, as more time passed and Victor still hadn’t come back, his worry grew.
So when the sun started to set and he saw Victor in the distance covered in blood, Norm ran toward him, heart thumping in his chest.
“VICTOR—”
Before he could finish his sentence, Victor appeared in front of him, and patted his head.
“I’m fine, Norm. This is not my blood. I tried to wash it in the river, but it just won’t come off.”
“Oh. I thought you were injured or something.”
“No, I’m not, don’t worry.”
Norm punched Victor in the stomach.
“What took you so long? I was worried, you jerk.”
“Sorry, sorry. I’ll tell you later.”
(Wasn’t it a bit mean to leave me back there? You know I can’t go as fast as you.)
“Sorry. I just didn’t want Norm alerting everyone in the village.”
Ver moved up and down.
Norm didn’t know what they were doing together, and he wanted to question them further. But he forgot about it almost immediately.
His dad was petting one of the kids, which immediately stole all of Norm’s attention.
“I told you, he wouldn’t suspect anything.”
Ver looked at Norm and wondered if that was a good thing or not.