Halfway through breakfast, Yua then explained how a party could be formed between adventurers. She also explained how each of the party members is responsible for mapping the area, making it more efficient than a one-man team.
"And don't worry about your rewards getting divided. This here is an Exclusive Quest. Exclusive Quests vary from person to person and I've never heard anyone having their rewards halved because of their party." Yua continued.
"But are you sure you want to assist me with this? This is where you almost lost your life, you know. Had it not been for everyone in the Sacred Stones, you would've gone missing forever."
"When it comes to Evil Spirits, only Aarkra can overpower me. The rest of the Evil Spirits can't hold a candle to me. So you don't have to worry, Yuuta. I can take care of myself." She reassured him as she stood up, implying that they should better move along.
"Whatever you say."
A panel appeared in front of Yuuta, showing him the status of his party. The panel was a normal party panel. Yuuta's name and his level, as well as his remaining hp and mana, were shown there. Currently, there weren't any party members listed on the panel since Yuuta had never partied with any adventurer. Even Miki, who's always wanted to party with him, never got the chance to ask. That's why there aren't any names listed on it. It was as clean as a new pin.
"Allow. So you're a princess, huh," Yuuta mumbled to himself before realizing that it was his Clairvoyance Skill that made him see additional information on his new party member.
"H-how did you know?!"
"Ah... don't mind it, it's just one of my useless skills." Yuuta quickly brushed her off but in his mind, he was already panicking. Pointing his thumb upwards, Yuuta continued speaking, diverting the topic into something else. "So with that, you can help me with my mapping quest?"
With a slight nod, Yua reassured Yuuta as she raised her hands in an enthusiastic salute. "Yes, I'll promise to be of great assistance to you, Yuuta!"
After dusting himself, Yuuta wore a clear smile on his face. It has been so long since he 'partied' up with someone in the game and it brought tears to his eyes. Filled with nostalgia, he remembered the good old times wherein he would play video games with his friends. And now, no matter how much they desired to play together, he knew it was physically impossible. But now, even though an NPC joined his party, Yuuta wasn't able to properly contain his emotions as Yua reminded him of his friends. "T-then, we'll meet on this spot again after three hours. If you ever need anything, just give me a call via the System."
"The System?"
"Well, it's some sort of a special skill for Dreamers. Just think of me and then talk and you'll be able to speak to me no matter how far you are. Of course, you have to be in my party for the skill to work." Yuuta quickly explained, relaying verbatim what Miki told her regarding the basics of a party. If only he paid enough attention to Miki back then when she was explaining everything to her, he wouldn't have had to listen to Yua's explanation.
"Wow, that's very convenient!" Yua continued. "Then keep me in your party forever!"
"Forever? Why?"
"Just because. That way I'll be able to talk to you any time I want and vice versa." Yua confidently told him before heading out to the opposite direction where he was headed.
When Yuuta first met Yua, he thought that the girl was as gentle as a breeze on a clear windy day. But who would've thought that she was as free-spirited as an albatross? But what Yuuta didn't know was that faeries have a certain common trait— that is, they become little balls of energy after a mealtime.
A pleasant grin plastered on Yuuta's face as he saw the percentage of the quest go up at an accelerated speed. When Yua said she would be of great assistance to Yuuta, she wasn't joking in the least bit. At that moment when Yuuta was wondering how Yua was covering great distances in a short time, Yua was flying through the forest, like a streak of light that dodged every obstacle in front of her. It's been so long since she acted like her usual self, making her slightly overjoyed. Previously, she wouldn't even show her wings nor use them when needed. But now, because of her chance encounter with Yuuta, she realized that there was no point in abstaining from living her identity. She was finally free of the obstacles, of the norm that people put on top of the faeries. Obviously, she still had to pretend to be a human in the city but while she's staying here in the Spirit Jungle or the Revalia Forest, she didn't have to hide from the people.
Yuuta accepted her for what she is, that alone is more than enough for her. She wasn't obligated to reveal her identity to anyone else other than Yuuta.
.....
It was like a bee sting on the neck.
Yuuta immediately clasped his neck as he detected a sharp killing intent directed at him. The killing intent was so strong that he winced in pain. It's as if his whole body was warning him of the impending doom that would befall him if he stayed on his spot any longer. Without further ado, he jumped out of the way and turned around to see where the bloodthirsty was coming from.
Swish!
Swish!
Three daggers suddenly stabbed the ground where he was standing a split second ago!
"Who are you!" A shaky scream came out of Yuuta's mouth, his nerves getting the better of him.
"Oh, you managed to dodge that, huh. As expected of the number one underground fighter, huh." A man emerged from the bushes, tipping his hat to cover his eyes while emphasizing the snake-like grin on his face.