Kaito was in awe as soon as they arrived in Houlte. The place was bustling and had a very medieval vibe like most of the rpg fantasy games he knew. He never thought he could be seeing and experience this kind of setting that isn't through screen or movies.
"We're going to have to go separate ways for us to finish the task easily. Cali will be the one handling the foods and stuff while I will go to the weaponry and some level-up items. As for you, you can choose whom to follow."
Minyoung muttered as she looked in front of her as if she was pressing some keys and was typing and searching for something in the air, at least that's what Kaito see and think. He looked at her confused before looking at Calista who was also looking at Minyoung yet completely unfazed about what she was doing.
'Does this girl have hallucinations or losing her mind?'
"I heard that..." Minyoung suddenly exclaimed while glaring at Kaito while crossing her arms and tapping her right feet. Kaito immediately covered his mouth after realizing he muttered out his thoughts out loud.
Calista pursed her lips and cleared her throat refusing to let out a chuckle. She knows what would happen next at this point.
"Guess you don't have a choice now, I can't help you with it." Calista shrugged as she looked away making Kaito confused once again.
He then felt a hand gripping the back of his collar pulling him away. Calista just waved her hand at him before going to the opposite direction.
"You are going with me, you better ready your damned muscles if you have one 'coz I will let you carry all the shits I would buy..."
Minyoung said with an annoyed smile plastered on her face and was obviously irked. Kaito saw her expression and was clearly amused with her reaction.
"Well if it's groceries and all, I would do it without telling me, my lady~" Kaito teasingly muttered expecting her to react once again. Minyoung just glared at him while smirking.
"Oh really? No take backs okay~"
For some reason, Kaito felt a chill run down his spine when she said that. He felt like he shouldn't have teased her.
—————————
Soon enough, Kaito's intuition was right. Minyoung wasn't buying just simple groceries but boxes of items that is used for making her gadgets and weapons.
Kaito was carrying three big boxes at this point while Minyoung was still taking a look at the weapons at the workshop they are currently in. She then looked at Kaito while snickering and smirking.
"What now? You did say I am crazy, I am just showing you a sneakpeak of how crazy I can get." Minyoung chuckled lowly while looking at Kaito's now wobbly legs due to how heavy the boxes are.
"I would gladly appreciate it if you would let me put the boxes down while you're still checking the weapons out" Kaito grunted while trying to balance the boxes he was carrying.
"Oh please, stop whining like a child. You really don't act like a wolf or a werewolf. Even Calista can carry those. But, oh well, you are still at level one anyway, understandable." She muttered while shrugging and looking at the sword with a sky blue blade and gold handle with a head of a wolf engraved on it. The blade looks like it's illuminating whenever the light hits it as well as the blue gems that were on the wolf's eyes.
"Speaking of which, you still need to level up before we could venture out... This sword suits you too... Alright, put those boxes down and try this sword."
Kaito immediately placed the boxes down with a sigh of relief. He then streched his arms and leg after finally being free from carrying those heavy boxes.
Minyoung handed him the sword which he gladly accepted. Once Minyoung was in a safe distance, he started to swing the sword which he surprisingly find light and was just comfortable for him to use.
"So, are you not having troubles using it? Is it not heavy for you? Not too light? We'll take that if you like it."
Minyoung asked while once again, typing something in the air in front of her. Kaito looked at her with an eyebrow raised and another confused expression.
"Well, first, yes this sword is cool and just right for me, not heavy. Second, why on earth are you typing in the air or something?! Are you sure you are not crazy?!"
Kaito exclaimed making Minyoung sigh and type something once again. As he was about to ask again, a golden notification window suddenly popped up in front of him which startled him.
You received a message from Minyoung!
Kaito's eyes widened at what he was seeing right now, he didn't expect that he would experience this and not just see it in sci-fi films. He then pressed the notification which opened the message that Minyoung had sent.
Subject: An answer to your question.
Message: This is the reason why you dumbass!
He whipped his head at Minyoung's direction only to see her with her arms crossed with an expression that says "Do you still think I am crazy?"
"What the hell?! We have this thing too?! What in the sci-fi thing is this?!" Kaito excitedly exclaimed as he started pressing the home button he saw that was shown at the upper right corner of the window.
"Tell me that you never tried Virtual Reality without telling me you never tried Virtual Reality" Minyoung muttered while shaking her head.
"This may seem like a reality for us now, but please do remember this is the world of a game so things like status windows, artifacts, item shop, item drops, etc. exists here. Now, can you see that icon that looks like an eye below your window screen?"
Minyoung asked as she walked towards him and stopped beside him whilst still crossing her arms. Kaito then looked at the lower corner of the window screen and immediately pressed the eye icon.
Would you like your system window screen to be visible?
If you choose yes:
[ ] ONLY to chosen friends or guild
[ ] VISIBLE TO ALL
If No, just press CANCEL
"Once you click on the icon, choose 'Only to chosen friends' then press on my name, you can see my name and Cali's since I did something while we were resting on the way to Houltes."
"And that is?"
Minyoung looked at Kaito with a grin on her face as if she was proud at what she did.
"Hacking. Now, now, click on our names once it asked you to choose which friends could see your system window."
Kaito obediently followed what she said and soon enough Minyoung can finally see it too. Kaito could see her pressing the air once again before her system window is also finally visible to him. It has a different color than his, it was red in the middle that fades into gold as it reaches the corners. It also had a pattern of two wolves facing each other at both sides. Kaito was intruiged and also wanted to have design like hers.
"You can change the system window's design and colors? How do you do that?!"
"Level up, rewards, item shop... So that means you have to work hard for this feature."
Kaito huffed and crossed his arms frowning.
"I swear I'd quickly level up and get that, just wait and see..."
He grumbled before checking his status window once again.
"Okay good that you are still holding
That sword. You can see the weapon Icon right? Click on that... As you can see there's the plus sign in that... Ehem... Rectangle— slot... I mean slot. Fuck these terms..."
Minyoung cursed while frowning. If there's anything that she is bad at, it would be remembering some terms and names that she thinks she wouldn't need to remember as long as she knows how it looks.
Kaito looked at her with his lips pursed together trying to hold his laughter.
"Laugh and I'll kick your ass."
What Minyoung said didn't help and only made it worse, Kaito laughed loudly making her glare and turn red in embarrassment and annoyance.
"Well at least I didn't try to flirt and talk it out with an enemy npc and can't even kill a lower level enemy!" Minyoung exclaimed while glaring at Kaito.
"Wait, huh?! That was lower level?!"
"You'd be dead by now if it isn't!"
Both of then continued to bicker with each other which made them unaware of Calista's arrival. Cali watched them bicker for a few seconds before sighing and walking towards the two.
"Do you want me to shove that exploding alarm in your throat?! Or would you want me to tear you into pieces?!"
"Oho, surprisingly, that didn't even sound like a threat. You look rather cute when mad with your height" Kaito laughed as he pats Minyoung's head
"OH YOU LITTLE PIECE OF SHIT– "
Cali grabs them away from each other with their collar before Minyoung could throw her hands at Kaito.
"You guys, I can see the chaos in the future if this continues." Calista muttered whille looking at a growling Minyoung who has turned into a small sized red wolf while still in her grip.
"I am very glad that Houlte have this barrier where you can't use your full power or abilities or we'd be in trouble. Whicg means, you can't easily turn back to your human form once again."
Cali hugged the now small wolf form of Minyoung to stop her from pouncing towards Kaito and possibly bite or claw at him.
She then looked at the boxes that was beside Kaito with a confused expression.
"Oh... Why are the boxes still here?"
Cali asked which made Kaito more confused than Calista. She noticed Kaito's expression making her mouth an "oh"
"You see, you can actually use the system window to place those items... Just press on the bag icon and the slot to add it there... "
Kaito just looked at her shocked. After all the energy he spent to carry those boxes, he could just do something that simple?!
He then suddenly looked at Minyoung's little wolf form which was snickering and smirking at him, clearly enjoying the stumped expression on his face.
"You pesky little--"
"Ah, ah. Enough." Calista raised her index finger and both of them stopped.
They're probably stabbing each other on their minds, but with Calista here, they unfortunately cannot do that in real life, or they would've seen something far worse.
"Let's make this just a normal shopping day? Is that alright?" Calista smiled, although it didn't seem like a smile.
Both Kaito and Minyoung just nodded. With that, their "peaceful" shopping day at Houlte proceeded.
***