Chapter 20 - The Motivation

Pond was driving Kate back to his mansion after a tiring day at Eden, and she was complaining about everything she could think of. To lift her spirits, Pond suggested stopping at a nearby street vendor to try a special Thai dessert called "Roti Sai Mai." Kate had never heard of it before, so Pond explained that it was cotton candy wrapped in thin layers of soft dough. Kate was intrigued by the description and agreed to try it.

As they approached the street vendor, Kate noticed the colorful cotton candy strands wrapped in the soft dough, and her mouth started to water. She took a bite and savored the combination of sweet and fluffy flavors. "Wow, this is amazing!" she exclaimed, "I could eat this every day." Pond smiled, glad to see Kate enjoying herself.

After finishing the Roti Sai Mai, they continued on to the mansion. Once they arrived, Pond took out a roll of the dessert and offered it to Kate. She gladly accepted and took another bite, relishing the sweetness. "You know, I saw some famous Thai idol having this dessert before, and it looked delicious. I'm so glad I got to try it," she said with a smile.

Pond chuckled, "Yes, it's a popular dessert in Thailand. I'm glad you liked it." Kate nodded in agreement and the two of them continued to chat about Thai cuisine and culture while finishing the roll of Roti Sai Mai.

As they entered the mansion, Kate thanked Pond for the treat and said, "You know, I'm starting to get used to working at Eden. It's a lot of work, but it's rewarding to see the animals getting better." Pond nodded in agreement, "Yes, it's a lot of work, but it's worth it. And having your help there makes it easier for me."

Kate smiled, "I'm glad I can be of help. And who knows, maybe I'll start to like this place after all." Pond laughed, "Well, that would be a pleasant surprise." The two of them continued to joke and chat as they made their way to the living room.

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After reaching home, Pond logged back into Xylo Chronicle and asked his party about Pim's whereabouts. They informed him that she had been obsessing over her solo leveling, as Pond often logged in late and logged off early. She was trying to catch up to their levels, and had been working hard to do so.

Pond then asked about each of his party members' experiences with Pim's solo leveling. Xiao Ming joked about Pim becoming a character from his favorite manhwa, while Anastasia was impressed with Pim's progress. Palm added that Pim was determined to improve her level and skill play to be useful for Pond in the game.

After Pim finished her solo leveling, Pond gave her a stamina potion and told her not to overexert herself. Pim was proud of her progress in the game, and she was determined to catch up with Pond and Xiao Ming. After Pond gave her a stamina potion, she smiled at him and reassured him that she was fine. She appreciated his concern, but she didn't want to give up on her goal of becoming a stronger player. "Thanks for the potion, Pond," she said. "I'll make sure to use it wisely."

Pond smiled back at her, impressed by her determination. "You're doing great, Pim," he said. "I can see that you're really putting in the effort to improve. Keep it up, and you'll be even stronger in no time."

Xiao Ming chimed in, teasing Pim with a grin. "Hey, Pim, are you trying to show us up?" he joked. "I'm starting to get a little worried about my position as the top player in the group."

Pim laughed at his comment. "Don't worry, Xiao Ming," she said. "I'm not trying to take your spot. I just want to be useful to the team."

Pond nodded in agreement. "That's the spirit, Pim," he said. "We're a team, and we need each other to succeed. Let's keep working together and supporting each other."

After checking Pim's stats, Pond was impressed to see that she had made significant progress in leveling up her character. He congratulated her on her achievement, and she proudly told him about her latest accomplishment - soloing a map boss. Pim went into details about the tough fight, describing how the boss had nearly defeated her multiple times. However, she persevered, and with quick thinking and strategic use of her skills, she managed to come out on top. Pond listened intently to Pim's story, nodding and expressing his admiration for her skills.

As Pim finished her story, she revealed the special reward she had received for the limited condition of solo-killing the boss. The unique grade twin dagger named "Blood Hunger," enchanted by blood magic that drained the target's HP to heal its user. Pond was surprised and impressed by the power of the weapon and congratulated Pim on her luck in obtaining such a valuable item.

Xiao Ming, always the jokester, couldn't resist teasing Pim about her newfound power. "Watch out, Pond," he said, "Pim's starting to look like one of those overpowered characters from your favorite manhwa." Pim laughed at the remark, happy to receive her friend's praise and recognition.

Pond then asked Pim how she was feeling after the tough fight, concerned that she may have overexerted herself. Pim assured him that she was fine, but thanked him for his concern. She also mentioned that she planned to continue leveling up and improving her skills, hoping to become even stronger and more useful to the party.

The conversation then turned to strategy and planning, as the party discussed their next moves and goals in the game. They spent the rest of the evening strategizing and joking around, enjoying each other's company and the thrill of adventure in Xylo Chronicle.

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Kate arrived at the Black Phoenix guild, a massive building with a gothic exterior that looked intimidating from the outside. As she walked into the guild's headquarters, she was greeted by several of her fellow guild members, who congratulated her on her successful mission. She nodded in acknowledgement but quickly made her way to her private office, where she could focus on her next move.

Once she was alone, Kate settled into her chair and brought up the report from her spy. She read through the details carefully, taking note of each member's stats, equipment, and recent activities. She focused particularly on Pond, analyzing his movements and strategies in the game. She was determined to get him to join the Black Phoenix guild, but the situation was becoming more challenging with each passing day.

As she read through the report, Kate couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration building inside her. She had been trying to recruit Pond for weeks, but he seemed content with his current party and guild. It didn't help that he had already established strong bonds with his party members, particularly Pim. Kate couldn't shake the feeling that Pim was getting in the way of her plans, and she found herself growing more and more resentful of the girl.

"Ugh, Pim," Kate muttered under her breath. "Why does she have to be so close to Pond? If she wasn't in the way, maybe I'd have a chance of convincing him to join Black Phoenix."

Kate knew that Pim was a valuable member of Pond's party, and she respected the girl's skills and dedication. But she couldn't shake the feeling that Pim was a roadblock to her plans. She needed to find a way to remove her from the equation, or at least convince Pond to prioritize the Black Phoenix guild over his current party.

As she pondered her next move, Kate couldn't help but feel a sense of determination building inside her. She was a skilled player, and she knew that she had the resources and connections to make her plans a reality. With a steely glint in her eye, she began to formulate a new strategy, determined to get Pond into the Black Phoenix guild at any cost.

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Kate's room in Pond's mansion was elegantly decorated, with a king-sized bed, a comfortable armchair, and a spacious closet. There were several paintings on the walls, showcasing her love for the arts. Her laptop and some gaming peripherals were also neatly arranged on a small desk by the window, where she could enjoy the view of the garden outside.

As Kate logged out of the game, she gazed across her empty room, taking in the quietness and solitude of the night. She walked down from her room on the second floor of the mansion, undressing her uniform to reveal her perfect body adorned in sexy lingerie. She made her way to the outdoor pool, where she could cool off and relax under the moonlight.

As she slowly swam across the pool, she couldn't help but think about Pond and Pim. She wondered if she could ever convince Pond to join her guild, but she knew it would be a difficult task. She also couldn't shake off the feeling that Pim was starting to become a hindrance to her plans. She knew she had to do something to keep her under control.

Suddenly, Pond's voice interrupted her thoughts. "What are you doing up so late?" he asked.

Kate turned to him, smiling seductively. "Just enjoying the night, Pond. It's so hot tonight. Why don't you come down and have some fun with me?"

Pond chuckled. "I just had a roll of Sai Mai Roti, I don't think I'm up for swimming. But maybe we can just sit and talk for a while?"

Kate swam to the edge of the pool and climbed out, the water dripping from her hair and wet lingerie. She walked over to Pond and asked if he could dry her hair using the towel nearby. Pond couldn't refuse her polite request, so he wrapped the towel around her hair and gently dried it.

As Pond was drying Kate's hair, he couldn't help but notice how sexy she looked in her soaking wet lingerie under the bright moonlight. He felt a strong attraction to her, but he knew that he couldn't act on it. Kate, on the other hand, seemed to be trying to seduce him more, slowly removing her wet lingerie.

Pond stopped her move by using the towel to grab her hand. "Your body is still soaking, Kate," he said. He then proceeded to rub the towel all over her body, drying her off until she was completely dry. Kate was caught off guard by Pond's actions, and she couldn't resist the feeling that his touch evoked in her.

As he wrapped her up with the towel, Pond told Kate to go to sleep. He left her alone breathing heavily near the pool, struggling to control her desires. Pond walked back to the mansion, his thoughts filled with the memory of Kate's alluring body. He knew that he had to keep his distance from her, but he couldn't help but feel drawn to her.