"I'm gonna miss this place..."
Neo brushed the three lonely strands of his beard, a nostalgic and slightly sad look on his face.
He tied up his black satchel, filled to the brim with pink and blue fruits, some meat, scavenged items from the dead party members, and his technique tome.
In the end, the satchel turned out to be almost as large as him, forcing him to reluctantly toss out some of the fruits to make space.
Though his beard refused to grow, his purple hair had flourished in the seven months he'd spent in the Spirit Realm.
Once short, it now hung to his shoulders, the black-tipped strands shimmering with a metallic sheen.
He had entered the Spirit Realm as a weakling and, well... he was still a weakling.
But compared to his previous self, it was like comparing a caterpillar to a slightly larger caterpillar.
He had grown!
Grown enough to dare venture to the surface.
Today was the day—he was leaving the underground world for good.
After seven months down here, he'd grown somewhat attached to the place.
The exotic forest...
The serene field of pink grass...
His cosy treehouse...
Alright, maybe not so cosy.
Still, the whole underground vibe had grown on him.
Not to mention, he'd survived hundreds of life and death battles in this underground world—most of them against uncommon grade beasts!
Yep, he had truly grown!
Neo packed up his belongings, grabbed his spear, gave the underground world one last wistful look, and headed towards the blue pond.
It was time to leave.
It was time to leave here forever!
Suddenly, a fluffy rabbit stirred atop his head, having just woken from a nap. It yawned, stretched, and patted Neo's head as if it were the world's comfiest pillow.
This was, of course, the demonic bunny—though it now answered to "Bouncy."
Neo had originally wanted to name it something more fitting, like "Trouble" or "Little Devil."
The rabbit, however, had other ideas. It had insisted on being called Lord White.
Imagine the cheek!
Such stupidity!
Then it changed its mind and decided it wanted to be called Empress White instead.
It was a male, for crying out loud!
After hours of arguing and repeatedly trying to explain basic biology to the rabbit, Neo had finally settled on the name Bouncy due to the creature's tendency to flash around like a bouncy ball during fights.
The rabbit had grudgingly agreed—but only if it could add Empress to the name. Empress Bouncy!
It had vehemently insisted on the title being a part of its name!
Neo had almost gagged. In the end, a well placed spanking had convinced the rabbit to drop the title.
All in all, the naming process took three long days!
That was five months ago.
Now, the two had developed a bond closer to friendship than that of a human and his beast companion.
Speaking of beasts...
Neo glanced at the blue pond with some apprehension.
Not for himself, of course. He was concerned for Bouncy.
The blue rock at the bottom of the pond turned any bloodline beast into an ice sculpture exactly five seconds after they entered it. No exceptions.
There was no remedy or cure, once that deadly beam got released from the blue rock and hit the bloodline beast, their whole body literally crystallises!
It was shocking!
Neo had tested it on so many unfortunate creatures he was completely sure of this fact.
But Bouncy had insisted on following him to the surface, so, after thinking for days, they had come up with a plan to bypass the rock's deadly effect.
It was simple: beat the clock.
"Ready to dive, buddy?"
The plan was to reach the blue rock before it activated. They had exactly five seconds to swim down, touch the rock, and avoid turning into popsicles.
Easy enough, right?
Bouncy hopped onto Neo's shoulder and nestled into his shirt. Being small had its advantages.
Neo smiled and gave the bunny a pat on the head. The amount of trust the little fluffball had in him was staggering.
He wouldn't disappoint.
It was time.
3... 2... 1... Splash!
Neo dove into the blue water, shooting downwards like a bullet. His body twisted and glided like a fish as he used every swimming technique he knew to boost his speed.
Blue water gushed against his face as the added weight from the satchel increased his weight and in so doing, boosted his downward force.
Three seconds left!
Neo's eyes glowed blue as he powered forward. But the rock was still a bit far!
At this rate, he might not make it in time!
Unconsciously, his nails elongated and his skin darkened, increasing his speed. He surged toward the blue rock, closing in fast.
One second left!
Neo reached the rock and slapped it with all his might, his heart pounding in his chest.
Now came the waiting game. Would the rock transport both of them, or leave Bouncy behind to freeze?
'Please work... please work...'
Gulum!
A familiar sinking sensation washed over him as he got transported. In the next moment, his feet crunched on dry, white grass.
He'd made it to the surface.
Neo spent a moment to bask under the feeling of being bathed by sunlight before he noticed something.
Something felt off. Why did he feel lighter?
Neo frantically patted his body, and his face paled as the truth sank in—Bouncy wasn't with him!
Just as despair set in, a squeal echoed from nearby. Neo looked over to see Bouncy, alive and well, gazing at the white sky with childlike wonder.
Neo let out a long, relieved sigh. The little pest had survived. He fastened the satchel on his back, a smile tugging at his lips.
The last time he had come to the surface, he was afraid of even the weakest common grade beasts.
Now, with proper planning, he could take down uncommon grade ones.
He had grown, and it was time to leave this Zone.
He glanced at his rabbit companion and grinned.
"It's time to head to the shelter, buddy!"