Endless Leveling Done Right!

Chapter 622: The Right Guy

"Hey... did you finally take the steps to adulthood?" Chuck asked Alex as they walked to their Bestiary class, taught by Diona.

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Alex blinked.

"You seem... different." Chuck frowned. "It’s like... it’s like Charles after he went out on a date with Nessia. When he got back, he was grinning from ear to e—acckk!"

"Oh, sorry. You were blocking the way." Nessia had unceremoniously kicked Chuck from behind, making the troublemaker collapse on the floor.

"Oh no! I slipped!" Mary’s heel ’accidentally’ stomped on Chuck’s backside, making the latter scream like a pig being slaughtered.

Alex and Charles felt a little pity and thought of helping Chuck, but the two girls glared daggers at them.

"U-Um, we’ll go ahead." Alex coughed lightly, leaving his roommate to his fate.

"Go on, Charles," Nessia said with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. "I’ll catch up to you soon."

"O-Okay, Nessia," Charles replied. He hurriedly followed Alex and abandoned his friend without another thought.

"Don’t leave meeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

The wail of the pitiful young man echoed in the hallway, but Alex and Charles understood they mustn’t look back if they valued their lives and sanity.

As long as the weather was good, Bestiary classes were at the outskirts of the Mistral Weave Forest. When Alex and Charles arrived, they saw Professor Diona chatting with the two Dryads, Layla and Sylphy.

Both of them were in their Dryad forms because Diona had asked them to help her in today’s lesson.

"You’re finally here." Lavinia waved at Alex and Charles, who moved to sit right next to her. "By the way, where’s Chuck?"

"He might be in heaven right now," Alex replied.

"Or hell, depending on your definition," Charles added.

Lavinia blinked. She had no idea what the two were talking about. Chuck seemed too young and healthy to cross over to either side.

The two young men exchanged a glance and chose to no longer comment on the matter. They both understood that Lavinia didn’t need to know what was happening to Chuck at the moment.

A few minutes later, a refreshed looking Nessia and Mary dragged Chuck by his feet to the front of the class and casually dumped him. Everyone instantly knew they were making an example of the troublemaker.

Diona blinked once, then twice, and wondered why the young man looked so disheveled so early in the morning.

However, there was one thing the students noticed when they gazed at Chuck’s face. There was a trace of lipstick there—the mark of him getting kissed.

They then glanced at Nessia and Mary. Nessia wasn’t wearing any lipstick while Mary was casually wiping her lips.

A brief moment of silence passed before everyone agreed that they should pretend they didn’t see the unconscious troublemaker on the ground.

Professor Diona then cleared her throat, signaling the start of the class. Since Layla and Sylphy were now acquainted with Chuck, they decided to use vines to lift the young man and put him to the side so he wouldn’t disturb the class.

Sylphy was even kind enough to use some healing magic on the young man, helping him regain his consciousness sooner.

"Well then, as you can see, we have two special guests today," Professor Diona said. "They are the Dryads from the Shadow Forest, located at the border of the Solara and Faelarun Kingdoms. They have kindly agreed to help out in today’s class. Please give them a round of applause."

The students clapped their hands and the two Dryads waved at them with smiles on their faces.

"My name is Layla."

"My name is Sylphy."

""I hope we all get along in today’s class!""

Since the two dryads would be staying in the academy, Diona thought this was a good way to introduce them to everyone.

"While all dryads are bound to nature, they are bound in the same way," Professor Diona explained. "In fact, there are also dryads who are more curious about human societies. They often visit villages and towns near forests to observe humans and learn about our lifestyles.

"However, just like humans, there are also good and bad dryads. Some protect travelers who wander too deep into the forest... while others lure them in and never let them leave."

Some of the students suddenly looked anxious as they gazed at the two beautiful dryads that were right in front of them.

"She’s right, you know?" Layla nodded. "Some of us live solitary lives, so we crave the company of others. In fact, as long as we can communicate with that person, the chances of us keeping them is very high."

"Yes." Sylphy smiled. "We wanted to keep Finn back in the Shadow Forest, but since we couldn’t, we decided to just follow him here instead."

Sylphy’s words weren’t loud enough for anyone to hear, and that was probably for the best.

————

Somewhere in the academy, Finn shuddered as a chill ran down his spine. But thinking that he might just be exhausted the night before, he decided to shrug off the sudden feeling of anxiety that had seemingly struck without reason.

————

"Well then, here is a question!" Professor Diona eyed her class. "If you ever encounter a Dryad in the forest, what must you tell them to prevent them from harming you?"

Chuck suddenly chose that moment to regain consciousness. The young man propped his head up from the vines and answered.

"Dryads are very beautiful, so the first thing I’ll ask is if they have a boyfriend," Chuck replied. "If they say no, I will ask them to marry m—arghh!"

A flying shoe chose that moment to collide with the young man’s forehead. He then once again fell unconscious on the vines, prompting Sylphy to use healing magic on him once again.

"Whose shoe does this belong to?" Layla asked in amusement.

No one answered. However, Alex and Charles stole a glance at Mary. The young lady was casually putting a spare shoe on her right foot as if changing a shoe in the middle of class was the most normal thing in the world.

"Anyone else who wants to answer the question?" Professor Diona asked once more after the commotion had passed.

Several students raised their hands and gave their answers.

"How about offering them a gift for safe passage?" one student proposed. "Like fruits or mana crystals?"

"Be respectful and avoid eye contact," another suggested.

"Run away immediately!" a third shouted, earning a few snickers from the class.

Diona nodded at each answer, neither confirming nor denying them.

"Not entirely wrong," Professor Diona said after hearing all the answers. "But also not entirely correct."

She then turned to Layla and Sylphy.

"Would either of you like to give the proper answer?"

The two Dryads exchanged a glance before Layla stepped forward.

"If you encounter a Dryad," Layla said, smiling sweetly, "the most important thing is sincerity."

Sylphy nodded. "We can feel emotions. Intentions. Even the subtle fluctuations in your mana."

Layla then raised a finger and slowly wagged it left and right. "If you lie, we will know. And if your intentions are impure then... it is better for you to pray. Because we can be cruel as well. Far more cruel than any human that you will meet in your life."

A few students visibly gulped.

"Therefore," Sylphy continued. "The safest approach is simple. State your purpose clearly. Do not attempt deception. And most importantly... do not make promises you cannot keep."

Alex’s eyes narrowed slightly.

’Promises...’

For some reason, those words felt heavier than they should.

"Dryads value bonds," Layla said. "If you form a bond with us... we do not forget it."

Sylphy crossed her arms over her chest. "Ever."

A brief silence followed.

Then... the recovered Chuck rose up once more.

"What if... I sincerely want to marry them?" Chuck asked.

Before anyone could react something flew towards the young man. This time, he was able to dodge it by moving his face to his left.

"Hahaha! Not this time!" Chuck gloated before winking at Mary, who was glaring murderously at him.

"Wow..." Sylphy looked at Chuck in surprise. "Layla... this kid."

"Indeed." Layla nodded. "He meant what he said."

The two Dryads then approached the handsome young man with bright smiles and twinkling eyes.

"You know, I can introduce you to a few of our sisters back in the forest," Layla offered.

"How many wives do you wish to have?" Sylphy asked. "Can you care for them all?"

But before Chuck could even answer, Mary appeared behind him, gave him a karate chop, and knocked him unconscious.

"Sorry, but Chuck is unwell," Mary said before carrying the unconscious guy in her arms. "I’ll be taking him to the infirmary."

The young lady didn’t even wait for anyone to respond before walking away.

It was then that Alex remembered that Mary wasn’t a student of their class.

But seeing that it was too late to point out this fact, he—like almost everyone else present—could only look at the unconscious troublemaker with silent regret.

Although Layla and Sylphy made no move to stop Mary, they thought it was a shame. So many of their sisters in the Shadow Forest were looking for love, and Chuck might just be the right guy that they were looking for!