As I've reached Level 1, the Potion was also done. It was a special potion that, as I've explained earlier, could revitalize the body, and help at the control of demonic energy. It would be the ideal potion for the transplant of a new Demonic Limb into my human body. Nonetheless, aside from Leveling I had acquired 10 more Stat Points and Skill Points, which means that I can grow slightly stronger.
Obviously speaking, spending all 10 stat points in MP would be for the best, but this time I will enhance my Strength stat once more, as I want to increase my physical capabilities while I am preparing to transplant a powered-up and modified demonic arm into my body.
[You have exchanged 10 Stat Points]
[You gained +10 Strength]
And as for the Skill Points, which are 20 right now, I will save them for the next Level, where I will finally have enough Skill Points to acquire the Summon Synthesis Skill. And with this done, I should quickly go back home to have dinner and then look up for the last test subject and his progress.
"Thanks for letting me use the cauldron, Erika. How's your father doing?"
Erika who was reading a book about the structure of dolls quickly looked at me.
"Ah, my daddy's sleeping right now. He said he had been feeling slightly tired lately…"
"I see… I will go help him a bit."
Erika followed me upstairs as I found her father sleeping. Without waking up the old man, I touched his shoulders and sensed his Ki. It seemed that his body was growing weaker, his natural Ki was becoming dimmer. Although his Mana was vast and helped his body remain alive, he was already beginning to die out of old age.
Erika's father spent dozens of years trying to device a way to bring her back, and even then, it was merely half done, as she was still put into the body of a doll. The obsession this man had with seeing his daughter alive once more was strong enough to drive him to continue such a job without stopping for years.
What an incredible level of dedication.
"Is daddy okay?" Erika asked while looking at her father concerned.
"Yeah, he's just tired of teaching you so much." I said.
I had already finished infusing a large quantity of Ki into the old man's body, with this, he should be kept revitalized for the next weeks. I had also been brewing him a vitality potion of high quality which he drinks a bit each day. With this, he can keep up on going for perhaps… a bit over a year.
Erika's father might die next year for all I know. There's only a limit of how far I can go. Reversing age is not something I can do at my level. The only thing I could think that would be the quickest is using the Tier 5 Death Attribute Magic Spell "Reverse Aging" which can make a person younger.
However, for that, I will need hundreds of thousands of Mana, and a Tier 5 Magic Circle at the very least… It is not something I can do, sadly. Not now, and not tomorrow, perhaps in some more years. Maybe in ten, or twelve… Even at the speed I am growing, it is not enough.
"Will you continue helping dad?" She wondered, her eyes filled with a bit of sorrow and fear. Erika wasn't really dumb; she knew very well what was happening to her father.
"Of course." I said to her. "He had been helping me do alchemy for all this time, there's no way I won't help him. I will do everything I can to assist him. He's doing alright now, don't worry."
"Okay… Thank you." Erika sighed, she seemed so small and weak for some reason. Despite always being so bright and strong and brave.
I couldn't help but give her a hug like the ones she always gave to me.
"It's alright, Erika. You're a good and hardworking girl. I am sure your father is very proud of you. Keep working hard and learning everything he tries to teach you, alright? You have to make him proud."
"Yeah… I-I know… Why the hug out of nowhere?"
"What? You always give me hugs out of nowhere, have I complained about them?"
"If you don't want me to give you a hug, then I won't."
I quickly pulled back as I decided to walk downstairs. However, I quickly felt Erika hugging me from behind.
"T-That's not it… I want to hug you more… I just… I've stopped doing it because… I… Well, you know…"
"Because of your body?"
Erika nodded timidly.
"I don't mind it, honestly, I haven't minded it since the beginning of our friendship, Erika."
"Don't worry, and be a bit more confident about yourself, like you always are. Your body has nothing to do with our relationship, neither with the friendship you share with our friends."
"But I am… cold… and hard…"
"Every time I touch your hand, you're warm to me, Erika."
"E-Eh? …I-Is that so?"
Maybe because I never felt warmth in my previous life, even the slightly cold hands of her feel warm to me. Thousands of years without experiencing the warmth of being alive did that to me.
Erika suddenly blushed a bit, covering her face embarrassedly. I had never seen her before. She was always bold and said her feelings to me outright.
"Thank you… Y-You're really important to me…"
"…Really? What about your father though?"
"A-After my father of course…!"
I petted Erika's head with a mild smile.
"I am going out now. Take care, Erika. I'll come see you tomorrow."
As I walked towards the door, Erika stopped me again.
Erika suddenly kissed my cheek and hugged me again.
She smiled back at me with eyes that shone brighter than the stars.
"Don't get into any trouble, okay?"
"I can't really say I won't, but I will be careful."