The next morning, Kaisen woke up to find Alice missing from his bed.
Not exactly surprising, but he breathed a sigh of relief knowing she was just embarrassed, not feeling guilty according to her emotional meter.
If it were the latter, it'd be back to square one for him.
When Alice finally emerged, she seemed to be avoiding him like a cat dodging water.
When Alice finally surfaced, she steered clear of Kaisen, only interacting when Llyod was around.
Deciding to play it cool, Kaisen gave her some breathing room, planning to address the situation when the time felt right.
As the day unfolded, Alice, Kaisen, Llyod, Alwyn, and Elfie scoured the area in search of other players from different worlds.
They hoped to encounter someone friendly, unlike the cocky dwarf they had previously encountered who had the audacity to grab Elfie's nonexistent ass.
Thankfully, with Kaisen and Llyod sticking close to Alice, the dwarf had refrained from any inappropriate advances towards her.
But the moment he dared to lay a hand on Elfie's rear, Llyod snapped.
With a swift and decisive kick, he delivered a crushing blow straight to the dwarf's balls, crushing it instantly.
The resulting reaction was quite satisfying to witness—for everyone else, that is.
Kaisen had unconsciously clutched his balls seeing the gore scene.
Other players were acting as if sharing game lore was akin to giving away their secret recipe for success.
It felt like a bizarre competition where information was currency, and nobody wanted to spend.
Despite their efforts to persuade others, it seemed like groupism was already forming within the player community.
Making matters worse, many of the players who attended the Queen's event weren't staying at their inn, making it difficult to connect with them outside of the gathering.
"I'm telling you, we could also help you defeat the bosses."
Alwyn insisted, his patience wearing thin with the man who fit the stereotypical image of a local tough guy.
With his large build, leather armor, sword at his side, and short brown hair with short beard, he exuded a vibe of trying too hard to be the main character.
And to make matters worse, he had a whole entourage with the same energy and appearance as him.
"Sure, sure. We accept you into the brotherhood and then what? Who's gonna get the Radiance from that walking symbol of sex, huh?"
"The Queen said-"
Llyod began, but the thug named Samuel cut him off.
"Yeah, queen said whoever defeat Whispering Shade will receive Radiance and a nice private dinner with her. You know what that means, right?"
Samuel's eyes gleamed with lustful thoughts as he licked his lips, imagining all the things he would do to the queen.
"You're even dumber than I gave you credit for. Do you honestly believe the Queen would entertain the likes of you just because you beat a boss?"
Alwyn scoffed, clearly disappointed.
His assumption about humans thinking with their dicks first seemed to be spot on.
"Shut your mouth, elf. The only thing you should be doing with it is sucking dick."
Alwyn clenched his fists, his jaw tight with anger. He wanted nothing more than to silence this fool permanently.
However, he forced himself to stay calm. They needed information from these fools, no matter how distasteful they were.
"I'm asking you ladies. You think these dimwits can defeat the boss? They'll be obliterated to smithereens the moment they face him. But you gals..."
He leered at Elfie and Alice, his gaze lingering on their curves.
"We can make an exception for you two. We can provide you with food, protection, and glory, and all you gotta do is spread your legs for us at night."
Samuel's crew burst into laughter, their insults cutting through the tension like a knife.
Alice's anger boiled inside her, flames of fury dancing in her eyes as she clenched her fists, crackling with energy.
Kaisen and Llyod bristled, ready to strike back, but before they could, something whizzed past them and collided with Samuel.
The impact producing a sickening crunch as he was sent hurtling through the air.
?!
It was Elfie.
With her unmatched agility and strength, launched herself at Samuel like a rocket.
Her fist met his face with a satisfying crunch, breaking his nose in one swift blow.
Samuel crashed into a nearby table, sending it splintering into pieces, while onlookers scattered in shock and excitement.
Elfie landed gracefully, assuming a confident stance as she glared down at Samuel with disdain.
'Dayum!!!!'
Kaisen was trembling like a leaf in a storm.
Witnessing two perverts get taken down, one with a crushing blow to his balls and the other with a shattered face, sent shivers down his spine.
Imagining himself in their shoes made him queasy. Suffice it to say, he was not a fan of the idea at all.
"If any of you other pricks got something to spit out, say it now!"
Elfie's voice boomed with fury.
She was sick and tired of being objectified.
The five thugs standing with Samuel stared at the chaos unfolding, their faces a mixture of shock and fear.
They glanced at Elfie, towering over them at 7 feet tall, her posture defiant.
"SHIT!"
One of them yelled, bolting away.
The others quickly followed suit, dragging their leader with them as they fled the scene.
Kaisen, Alice, Lloyd, and Alwyn watched as the thugs scampered away, leaving behind the chaos they'd caused.
Their attention turned to Elfie, who seemed somewhat shy.
"So-sorry for being impulsive."
Elfie mumbled, avoiding eye contact with her companions, especially her master.
"Elfie-san, that was incredible! You really put those perverts in their place!"
Lloyd cheered, rushing over to Elfie with admiration in his eyes.
Elfie blushed at the praise, feeling a mix of embarrassment and pride.
Meanwhile, Kaisen, Alwyn, and Alice winced at the term "pervert," feeling uncomfortable with the label.
"Th-thank you."
Elfie responded shyly, unused to receiving compliments from anyone.
Despite excelling in archery and faithfully serving her master, she rarely received acknowledgment.
As her mother used to say, "Slaves don't get praised for doing what they're supposed to do."
So, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment at Lloyd's compliment, and she couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes.
Suddenly, a golden carriage emerged from the distance, drawing the attention of onlookers.
People on the streets craned their necks, those in windows leaned out, and others emerged from their homes to catch a glimpse of the extravagant vehicle.
"That's the Queen's carriage."