Liel staggered to a stop at the bottom of the cliff. He dashed to Naomi's unconscious form and winced a little when he stepped on a sharp pebble. He really should get a pair of shoes.
"Naomi!" he kneeled beside her, gently shaking her shoulder. She didn't react.
Liel brushed her wavy strands back, revealing her beautiful face now with some smears from her fall. Caressing her cheek, Liel was sucked into his own memory.
Several weeks shouldn't feel this long, but having the most important person in his life suddenly being taken away wasn't easy. It was torturous.
Most of the days, he was shrouded by anger. By searing rage that consumed every fiber of his being, and all that he wanted was to make her murderer have the same fate as her.
Then, on rare days, he felt as if being trapped inside a bubble of cold water. It scared him. Suffocated him. He couldn't do anything except think of revenge.
A desire to make Naomi's murderer feel the same way as him.
Then, seeing her like this, Liel could once again gaze warmly at his girlfriend's counterpart. He could kiss her.
Hovering above her, Liel traced his eyes to her plump lips. If he just leaned down, closer to her, he could kiss her.
He wanted to.
Needed to–
[Congratulations!]
[Quest no. 2 completed!]
[Please choose your reward.]
The floating purple screen appeared, showing two white boxes that interrupted his train of thoughts.
Liel sighed in defeat and then ignored it for the sake of getting Naomi to wake up. She was more important than this ridiculous System.
[The System is not ridiculous.]
[Do you want the reward or not?]
Clicking his tongue in irritation, Liel motioned for the left white box.
[Congratulations!]
[You receive a power-up item – 1 Fallen War Boots.]
[Status Update]
[Movement Speed: 250 (240 + 10)]
A glitch appeared around his feet. A moment later, his previously bare feet were covered by a pair of worn, dark brown ankle boots.
"You should give me that before I step on a freaking stone," he muttered.
[That was a pebble. Not stone.]
Ignoring the System again, Liel went to slap Naomi's cheek gently. "Hey, wake up!"
He repeated that for a couple more. Then, as he shook her shoulder again, her eyelids fluttered.
Naomi opened her sky blue eyes and gasped.
"Easy, there," Liel raised both hands unthreateningly when the ginger-haired girl scooted away and pressed her back against the dirty cliff wall.
"What happened?" Naomi groggily asked, grimacing.
"You crashed against a tree and fell down the cliff. Are you hurt anywhere else?"
She shook her head, though she still rubbed her elbow quite a lot. "What about the beast?"
"I rushed here after you were thrown away."
Naomi blinked in surprise. Furrowing her eyebrows. "You did?"
He frowned back, looking at her elbow, which she kept stroking. "You sure you're okay?"
Her blue eyes flicked to her own elbow, flustering. "I'm fine, it's nothing."
Liel wasn't convinced. Without permission, he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him.
"Hey!"
Ignoring her, Liel scrutinized her elbow. Much to his displeasure, he found a bruise started to bloom on her fair white skin. "We should get you treated quickly."
"I said it's fine. We should get back up and get the beast before it gets stolen."
"Who would steal that giant corpse of a dog?"
Naomi stared at her, deadpanned. "I don't know where you came from, but you owe me a thousand drams if some poachers took it."
Liel's lips quirked up. This universe's Naomi acted just like how his girlfriend was. Always stick to her goal and a little bit impatient. She really was Naomi's counterpart – by appearance and attitude.
He just wanted to kiss her all over again.
"Come on!"
Liel blinked, spotting Naomi already up on her feet and looking up at the cliff's edge. She expected him to follow.
With another glance at her bruising elbow, Liel followed suit. He promised to himself to recheck her after this canis picoon debacle.
They found a fairly narrow path leading up the cliff. Liel walked behind Naomi, keeping a close eye in case she slipped and fell again.
[Please do not stare at her butt.]
'Shut up!' Liel huffed.
Climbing up, they found the giant canine laid a couple of meters away from the last spot. Bleeding out, but otherwise remained still.
Naomi stepped closer, but Liel stopped her by gently grabbing her uninjured hand. "Get behind me."
She raised an eyebrow but humored him anyway. "For the record, I spotted this canis picoon first, so I should get the most valuable parts."
Liel shrugged, "You can get all of its parts. I have no use for it."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Why not?"
"Are you really, really sure?"
He nodded, "What will you do with it?"
"Sell it."
"How?"
"I have a regular buyer in town."
"I'll help you bring it there, then." Liel felt her stare at the back of his head. He turned around to her puzzled face. "What?"
"Why are you so kind?"
'Because you are the most important person in my life,' he wanted to say but couldn't. So, he made an excuse. "What's wrong with helping each other?"
"No one helps strangers."
"Not strangers," Liel slipped up. At her suspicious look, he added, "We know each other's names."
"Still…"
"Whatever. I'll help anyway."
Naomi snorted, appearing a bit amused. "Don't tell me that we knew each other in our previous life."
Liel couldn't stop the small smile that pulled the corner of his lips. "Perhaps we were lovers, then?"
"Ugh, please…"
"What, you're beautiful."
"And you're a short stick figure."
"Geez. Thanks for pointing out the obvious."
Naomi laughed. Her soft voice rang nicely in his ears—a sound he missed so much.
"How do we drag this giant beast to town?" Liel asked before he lost his self-control and kissed her there.
She paused to give him another perplexed look. "You're serious?"
"Yeah."
Naomi shook her head, making her wavy red hair sway accordingly. "We don't drag this to town."
Raising an eyebrow, he stared as his girlfriend's counterpart rummaged around the pouch strapped to her right thigh. She fished a small, leather-bound book and opened a random page there.
Naomi then flicked her little finger to the small knife hanging from her hip. She drew a drop of blood and let it fall on the opened book. "I call upon you, Reinard Blackridge."
Liel felt a warm breeze caressing his uncovered skin. It grew stronger, swaying the bushes and the tree, blowing leaves that circled lazily around them. A moment later, a mini-tornado manifested, gyrating with green leaves and dirt around.
Cautiously, Liel positioned himself between the mini-tornado and Naomi. Then, the tornado dissipated, and an unfamiliar man appeared in front of them.
"Reinard," Naomi said in the form of greeting, "I got you this bad boy here, feathers perfectly unharmed."
Reinard Blackridge was a tall man, only mere centimeters shorter than Liel's actual height. Olive skin and well-groomed eyebrows balanced his butt chin. His straight, long black hair was dyed red at the front and ponytail.
It suited him somehow, even when he looked a little older than both of them.
The man with a butt chin strode and held out a hand for him. "I suppose we never met before," he smiled charmingly, "Reinard Blackridge. I mean no harm. Don't be so tense with me."
He gingerly shook hands with him, "Liel Leinster."
[1 System user found.]
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