Zell and Tessa chatted whilst walking home as he helped carry her shopping and refrigerate them; Tessa followed him to his home, which was less than two minutes away, feeling shocked, having never met before.
"I never realised we were so close, haha!" Tessa said after finding out how close they were living together. She giggled, then waited for him to open his door.
"I'm also very surprised. I never noticed the pretty girl living so close."
Tessa knew she looked good, although she was introverted and quiet. She wasn't stupid. Thus, his compliment made her smile lightly, blushing. Her eyes fluttered before she returned to her stoic face.
"Mmm, I know! It's crazy this hunky guy hides so close to me. Fufu!"
'I never knew she was so vibrant in reality. I must prevent her bitter end.'
Suddenly, his key turned right, clicking momentarily as the door creaked open.
Now slightly ajar, the thudding sound of paws hitting the wood sounded; Infra dashed towards the door and sat on his indoor welcome mat. Her fat tail slapped down on the wood with loud bangs.
Infra listened with her large, floppy ears; she could hear the jingle of his keys as her body moved to the door, hoping to greet him. She was about to let out a cute meow before shuddering at seeing a familiar woman beside her darling.
'What!? Why is that woman here? She kept me prisoner in her home! Bribed me with tasty cat food. I was finally free!'
Although she was a goddess before the merging, her powers were that of a normal cat.
She chose this cute form as her original form, and life was a Lynx-type monster; Tessa was a strict owner who made her exercise after meals and didn't give treats!
"Nyao!" (Quick, Zell run away! She is the future sword saint! This goddess will flee first!)
Sadly, inside this world, he couldn't yet understand animal speech; the cat spoke directly into his mind. But because she panicked, these were catcalls and snarls, so Zell watched in shock as the well-behaved little fat cat dashed away.
"Infra! Stay!"
A stern voice rang out from Tessa's mouth as she stepped into Zell's house like it was nothing. Her long legs, wearing short denim jeans and a white t-shirt, wafted from her quick movements. He could see the tight abs under her shirt and muscular thighs as she grasped onto Infra with the tightest grip.
'This goddess is not your slave! She will not exercise! My darling feeds me all the nice snacks and spoils me! Nooo! Nyaaaao!'
Suddenly, he watched as Tessa just entered his house, carrying the poor cat.
He shook his head and entered himself, taking off his leather jacket. Then he hung it up, picking up Tessa's thin camisole as he walked inside.
She seemed too defenceless and caused him to worry.
"Hah. This girl, I know a brutal fate awaits her even outside the game. A rich bastard will ruin her and her short-stack friend… Wounded for life."
He wasn't a white knight or simp. But she entered his life. Would he just let a potential party member get destroyed in reality for no reason? He might get a nice reward from the cute dwarven priestess with massive tits.
'I will prevent it since we met. Let me save you from that horrible fate.'
Zell gave a long sigh, checking his watch; thanks to the advice of Infra and Veronica, he realised, unlike normal humans. He could enter the world again whenever he liked, and now he bought a month's worth of dried foods and water for brief breaks.
"I will enter that world for a while. Let's hope it's fun."
A few minutes later, he entered the kitchen wearing black jeans and a blue shirt. Sitting in his nerdy clothes with Tessa around, he felt strange but noticed her T-shirt was an anime character, which lowered his stress levels.
However, the scene he walked into was bizarre. Tessa held a dried treat over the nose and teased Infra, who reached for it as her sharp claws moved to snatch it.
Tessa dodged with agile movements beyond a new player in the game; the sound of wind blasted out as the two fought like alphabet warriors for several minutes. Strange, but he ignored it for a moment.
Tessa tapped the nose of Infra, then spanked her little ass before lifting the snack onto a top shelf.
She clapped twice as if possessed; Infra shook her butt and lowered her body before she leapt into the air, hopping from Zell's bookshelf to his tv cabinet and then onto the top shelf near the mirror.
"Myaao!" (This Queen is invincible!)
Infra quickly snatched the snack into her mouth, crunching it down her little paws that protected her face, like Tessa would come to steal it. Zell could swear he heard someone click their tongue.
"Well, good girl, now, if you want the special food we bought. You need to do the usual, okay?" Tessa said with a strained smile and a single cat scratch on her glossy lip.
Zell walked into the room, his steps silent to avoid disturbing this comedy duo, and sat on the smaller couch. He turned on the tv and watched the news. Comments about Astral online and other events. His eyes focused on the mention of a rich young businessman named Lyle.
'This man needs to die. He is the one who causes Tessa and her friend to fall into the abyss, becoming a fallen hero.'
"Ugh, I cannot stand that guy. He's so annoying, always asking girls out on dates at college. His nasty breath makes me want to hurl."
Tessa spoke like she was at home. Her words were rough and tone, blunt and much better than Zell thought. His image of this girl was a sweet flower. Now he realised this was wrong. She was a wild rose with sharp thorns all over.
"Ah. Do you want to stay for dinner? I would love to have you join me. Its too quiet when alone, and Infra seems hungry, too."
His voice was stern, deep, and different from his usual softer voice.
He honestly missed eating with another human.
Even if she were a guy, he would ask because, in the end, times, sometimes a simple meal could erupt into a battle of death. Humans were wonderful sometimes but also the most cunning and sinister during others.
"Is it alright? Nobody is home; honestly, I don't want to cook tonight. The game was so amazing that I could not wait to return inside. You played it, too, right? Your bracelet gives you away. Hehe!"
Tessa seemed more adorable when she started to geek out; he found her voice became vibrant and lively as she told him where she had spawned. Strangely, her location was close to his and near the Bloodpine forest.
She continued to speak while he prepared dinner. Tonight, he felt like eating a stir-fry like Tessa. Zell was dying to play the game again.
However, she could only play tomorrow morning and thus spent a frustrating few hours. When he asked her race, she told him it was a type of spirit that only females could become and was lucky to find a strange seed inside a chest when she killed a few wolves.
'So the gods helped others. Not just one person. Each seemed to have a slight chance, as they hoped they could band together and resist the demon hordes. A Fairy Fencer… What a cute class for a lovely woman.'
'Ah! Zell shares with me, that looks so good… Why eat this shitty canned tuna when you make such nice cooked beef! Why is my master that shitty woman who lives on instant noodles! Yet she acts all fake on instagrume with her expensive meal pictures!'
Zell almost spat out the beef as the words of this evil cat sounded. He looked at the elegant Tessa, who ate like a noble lady. His head shook, and he returned to his meal and ignored these two women.
Tonight he would raid the Vampire's small base. He needed to make use of his free exp to boost himself.
"I bet the pain from dying will be terrible…" Zell said in a light voice.
"Ah! But we only feel a fraction of the damage, so it's all good!" A bright voice came from Tessa, who then scolded Infra, who reached for the beef in the centre bowl on his large, brown wooden table.
"Damn cat! See if I don't have you neutered if you eat a single piece of beef!"
"Nyaaaaoo!" (This Goddess rejects being neutered! Damn human, this is inhumane. Someone call PETA!)