Endless Leveling Done Right! - Chapter 371

Chapter 371: I Wish All My Dreams Were Like That [Part 2]
Wanting to spend time with Latifa as well, Alex decided to team up with the Fox Lady, leaving Lumi and Noelle to form the other pair.

Before the match even started, Lumi was already trash-talking Alex. She was determined to make him bite the dust, and she informed him of her intention in increasingly creative ways.

“I won’t hold back, so you better prepare to lose, Alex!” Lumi declared. “I hope you have already notarized your last will and testament.”

“We’ll see if you can back your talk,” Alex sneered. “During high school, people called me Mr. Quick Shot!”

“Alex… I am not sure that’s something you should be proud of,” Noelle commented with a beet-red face.

That short intermission ended, and an epic battle of volleyball finally started.

Among Latifa’s Alters, Lumi was the one with the most competitive spirit, refusing to lose to anyone.

At the start, Lumi and Noelle worked effortlessly to score some points, targeting Alex’s and Latifa’s weak spots.

The young man also thought that he would lose this game because Latifa wasn’t really athletic. Also, she couldn’t even return the balls to their opponent’s court with her hands.

To Alex’s surprise, his teammate thought of something else.

Since she couldn’t use her hands the way she wanted to, how about her tails?

The moment Latifa started using her three tails, her team finally managed to counterattack.

Her graceful movements made her look as if she was dancing while playing the game.

She played her role in defense well. She seamlessly supported Alex, allowing him to spike the ball over to their opponent’s court.

Even Latifa didn’t expect that she would enjoy playing volleyball so much. Her lovely giggles filled the air as she beat Lumi and Noelle. Clearly, she was quite pleased with herself, but not so pleased that she would gloat.

“You also have a tail. Why don’t you use it like she does?” Noelle asked, feeling helpless as they struggled to keep up with Latifa’s perfect defense and offense.

“I prefer using my hands,” Lumi replied. “Latifa is used to it because she’s lazy. I’m not lazy, so I can’t do the same!”

“Is that bitterness I hear?” Latifa asked, feeling a little smug. “You need to do better than that, Lumi.”

Amused, Alex decided to add fuel to the fire.

“Of all the flavors out there, you chose to be salty,” Alex pointed out before laughing in contempt. “Didn’t you tell me that you’re going to beat me earlier? What’s wrong? Fox got your tongue?”

Lumi glared hatefully at Alex, wishing that she could bite him until he cried for forgiveness.

Why?

It was because Latifa was also trash-talking her! However, she couldn’t retort convincingly since it was true they had already lost three games in a row.

“Next time, I’ll win!” Lumi swore. “You just got lucky this time, Latifa.”

“Sure~ I’ll accept your challenge anytime!” Latifa placed her hands on her waist, confident that she would still emerge victorious next time.

Alex joined the banter and ridiculed Lumi for being a bitter opponent. To the surprise of no one, the young lady spiked the ball toward him as revenge.

However, Latifa’s tail caught the ball midair, protecting Alex from getting hurt.

“Nice try, Lumi.” Alex hid behind Latifa and cackled evilly, grating on the fox lady’s nerves.

Just as Lumi was about to throw hands, the world around them suddenly lost its color and started to crack everywhere.

The next moment, Alex found himself staring at Dim Dim, who was only an inch away from poking his nose.

Dim Dim blinked and hurriedly hid its hand behind its back before smiling at Alex innocently.

“Dim!”

“Hahaha. Nice try, Dim Dim.”

A glance at his window told him that it was already morning.

On the bed beside his own, Chuck snored softly and peacefully.

Alex sat up slowly and did a light stretch while reminiscing about the dream he just had.

“… What a dream,” Alex muttered, recalling the laughter, the competition, and even the petty arguments that somehow made the whole thing feel more alive.

Suddenly recalling the image of Noelle tugging his hand toward the sea, followed by the secret kiss they shared underwater, Alex’s cheeks immediately burned.

But he soon calmed down as his mind replayed the scene of Latifa’s tails swishing proudly after every successful block and Lumi’s frustrated glare after another loss, making him smile faintly.

“I wish all my dreams were like that,” Alex whispered as he lightly patted Dim Dim, who had settled down on his lap. The little bun purred in satisfaction as it the soft pats on its head.

He still didn’t know why he kept having dreams with Noelle and Latifa at the same time, but he certainly had no complaints.

The young man simply couldn’t help but feel wistful. If only he could’ve been more forward about his feelings for Noelle back when they had still been on Earth!

He had enjoyed their time together, thinking it was a miracle that someone like her even paid attention to him.

Alex didn’t want to forget her, so seeing her in his dreams kept his heart in place and his feet firmly planted on the ground.

But he knew dreams were bound to come to an end.

Sooner or later, he’d have no choice but to let go of Noelle and accept that their paths would no longer cross.

She was on Earth, and Alex was in Arcana.

They were separated by millions… even billions of light-years apart.

Just like how kids stopped believing in Santa Claus and set their toys aside, Alex knew he must let go and move on to the next phase of his life.

“Dim?” Dim Dim raised its head and asked Alex if he was alright, having sensed the other’s sadness.

“I’m fine, Dim Dim,” Alex replied. “Now, can you tell me what happened yesterday after I lost consciousness?”

Dim Dim nodded. “Dim!”

The little bun told him that after he’d lost consciousness, Charles had carried him out to receive medical help.

Fortunately, Lin and Rin had been stationed nearby, acting as reserve medics in case of any emergencies.

They’d confirmed that Alex wasn’t in any danger and simply lost consciousness from mental instability.

Just to be on the safe side, they’d injected him with their homebrewed potion and asked Charles to let him rest in his room in the Ironheart Dormitory.

When Dim Dim finished its story, Alex sighed, guilty about making everyone worry again.

But there were still questions that needed answers.

‘Is the memory that I saw last night real or not?’ Alex thought.

He couldn’t possibly have memories of Alex Stratos’ childhood since it was just not possible.

Knowing Evangeline’s background, he didn’t want to make contact with her. At the same time, he also felt it would be best if they talked again to understand why she seemed to know him.

Evangeline wouldn’t have said those words without reason.

If she truly knew something about his past—specifically Alex Stratos’ past—ignoring it would only lead to bigger problems down the road.

He didn’t want to have any unexpected variables, so facing her was his only option.

‘Maybe I should have made this character’s lore simpler,’ Alex thought. ‘The last thing I want to happen is to be thrown into a political storm and fight for succession rights with the Princes and Princesses of the Empire.’

The young man sighed for the umpteenth time as he steeled himself to look for Evangeline after a day or two.