"Wait!? Big Brother!?"
Naturally, the ground is nowhere near my sister; instead, there's a massive pit beneath me, and with my jumping power diminished, I'm plummeting straight down. Looking below, I can't see the bottom. Given the situation, if I land, it's certain death, but in this game world, I could respawn. If the fairy falls into my sister's hands, it would likely survive too.
It would mean failing the quest, but that's fine. Upon reflection, as long as I can craft a weapon for my sister, that's what really matters... I doubt my failure would prevent weapon creation.
As I fall, I glance upward and see Yuna jumping in after me, heading toward the shovel. My heart races—oh no! But after catching the shovel, she leaps back to the sky, returning safely to the ground…
Wait, this game allows mid-air jumps? Just as that realization hits me, a jarring pain strikes, plunging my vision into darkness.
"That hurts… and the pain feedback is pretty intense…"
So Yuna is playing a game like this… incredible. Maybe there's a setting to disable pain feedback? While I ponder this, a system screen materializes before me.
*First Quest: The failure conditions of Despair, Fairies, and Shovels were 50%, with a success rate of 75%.*
Relief floods through me; thank goodness that ordeal is over. I can't handle that kind of terror again. But 75% success? I can understand the 50% failure given that I died… if the fairy had died too, it would've been a full 100%.
However, I couldn't determine why my success rate was at 75%. Was it because 50% of the party members were fairies… and I had made contact with my sister Lily? It seemed like she had joined, while I had crashed to the ground instead. Could it be that I came back to life and the 25% was just a result of that?
[Quest results are being processed.
Lena has acquired skills in Dedication, Resilience, Evasion, and Throwing.
Lena has earned the title of One Who Confronts Fear.]
It looks like I gained several things, but I can't help but question the title of One Who Confronts Fear… considering I had just been running away.
[You will respawn in five seconds.]
Lost in thought, my vision suddenly faded to white, and when I regained focus, I found myself back at the initial location in this world. At least I had reached the safe zone; my sister was left in the forest, but unlike me, she was familiar with this world… she should be fine.
I wanted to head into the forest, but without a shovel, I couldn't fight effectively. In fact, staying in this safe area might increase my chances of reuniting with her.
Deciding this, I started to examine the skills and title I had acquired from the quest, awkwardly navigating the unfamiliar system screen.
"Hey there, miss! You okay? Are you new to this? If you want, I could help you out!"
A flashy, unruly guy approached me, trying to flirt.
He was looking right at me, but since I'm male, I chose to ignore him, focusing on manipulating the system screen with my index finger. Ah, it popped up.
**Dedication**
When protecting someone, you gain a status bonus.
**Resilience**
If your HP drops to zero, there's a chance you can rise again with 1 HP, depending on the strength of your will.
Escape and throwing techniques provide advantages when performing those actions, as does the skill of using tools.
Those who confront the fear of titles suffer a slight maximum HP reduction but gain an advantage when fighting creatures possessing insect-like traits. The emphasis on "insect" made it somewhat embarrassing; it seems well-known in this world that insects are disliked. The reduction in maximum HP is likely due to dying... It seems permanent, making it quite a heavy downside.
"Hey, don't ignore me! What's wrong with you? It's dangerous to be out without proper gear!"
I continued to ignore the persistent thug. My upper gear should be with my sister, alongside the shovel. By the way, I wasn't completely undressed—I was wearing a t-shirt that I couldn't take off.
"Come on, if you're in trouble, just tell me! I can help, you know."
"…Then please don't speak to me. I'm waiting for my sister and I'm still rattled from the terrifying experience I just had. Don't bother me; besides, this body is male."
I rejected his persistent advances. While I might chat casually with a woman who approached me, it felt completely unpleasant to receive such attention from another man.
"Hey, don't say that! How about I gift you a cute set of gear? Just for beginners!"
"What did you do to my sister?!"
Just when I thought the lowlife was going to keep hitting on us, my sister Yuna—known as Lily in this world—appeared and launched a flying kick at him! The thug was sent flying spectacularly... Wait, is he dead? Is he okay...?
"Wow, that was fast, Lily! I thought it would take longer."
"I realized the party was in danger, so I activated all my speed skills and dashed over! I wanted to deal with Lena's enemy, but since I had to take care of something else, I couldn't. For now, let's get out of here—it's not safe to talk!"
As Lily hurriedly pulled me through the streets, I debated whether to leave the harassing thug behind. It might be best—men can take care of themselves, right?
"Is the fairy okay? And what did you mean by 'sister' earlier?"
"She's fine, but my beginner's luck is out of control! I said 'sister' because of her appearance! Kicking the thug minimizes the negative impression too."
It's true that a lot of people saw Lily kick him. I could feel the weight of their gazes since the lowlife started harassing us... There's no doubt it attracted attention.
But more importantly, where is the fairy I saved? As if sensing my thoughts, my sister started to speak.
"For now, there's a fairy in my home, so let's head there! If we hop on this…"
"Huh? Huh?"
The moment I stepped onto a beautiful circle, my vision turned completely white, and suddenly I found myself inside a log cabin. Ah, so it's like one of those magic circles that warp you.
Looking around, I spotted the fairy who had been trapped in a cocoon on the table. Had someone removed the spider silk? Her wings sparkled brilliantly, and when she realized I was there, her expression shifted to one of surprise.
"You're the one who saved me from that monster! You're alive! I'm so glad..."
"...Do you remember me? You looked like you were drifting away."
In reality, I had died, but this was a game. Ignoring that, I asked what had been on my mind. Tears spilled from her light blue eyes as she replied.
"I was so weak, my body wouldn't move properly, and I could hardly speak, but I was fully aware... I remember you holding my hand as I was on the brink of death, saying you would definitely save me..."
Her blue hair swayed, her cheeks flushed, and her plant-themed outfit fluttered as she became shy. My heart raced; how cute was this?
"Really, I didn't expect you to say something so cool... By the way, can I ask your name? I'm Lily, and this brother who saved you is Lena."
"My name is Phoebe... Thank you for helping me, Lena."
"Uh, you're welcome..."
Feeling shy under her pure smile, Lily chimed in with something unnecessary.
"Sorry, Phoebe, but it seems my brother has a crush on you and is too shy to talk properly!"
"Wait! What are you saying!? Is that even your personality?!?!"
What on earth is she talking about!? I can't deny it, but still!
"Anyway, it wasn't just me who helped; Lily played a huge part too...
Thank you, Lily. You suddenly disappeared, and just when I thought we'd regroup, you dropped the shovel and Phoebe and fell. You made things so complicated when you ended up coming back without leveling up."
"Thank you too, Lily. I can't express how grateful I am for your help with treating my weakened body and removing the spider webs."
"Don't mention it, you two! I just acted on my own... I have a lot I want to ask Lena, but more importantly, what are we going to do now? Phoebe, do you have a place to go?"
When Lily asked this, Phoebe looked down sadly. Does she really have nowhere to go...?
"If you don't have a place, why not stay with Lena?"
"What, what do you mean!? Even if you say she should stay with me, that can't happen forever! I can't be logged in all the time!"
"It's fine. While Lena is logged out, I'll set things up so Phoebe can live here."
"Is that okay when it's Lily's house? Doesn't Lily lose out?"
She's considerate toward me, but I can't quite gauge my sister's thoughts. However, I'm certain that her friend Yuna doesn't intend for me to suffer.
"Well, there's the benefit of it being interesting. So, what will you do, Phoebe? If you have nowhere to go, why not stick with Lena for a while?"
"But I don't want to bother Lady Lena any more…"
"Ah, she doesn't think it's a bother at all, so don't worry. You don't need to call her 'Lady'—it feels distant to me. Just use her name or leave it out."
At that, Phoebe broke into a smile.
"Then, I look forward to working with you, Lena!"
Suddenly, a system screen appeared, displaying a message:
'You have met the required conditions and achieved a favorable relationship with the fairy Phoebe, unlocking the skill Resonance.'
I've acquired some unfamiliar skill…
'Resonance
A skill gained by deeply connecting with someone from a different race. The effects vary depending on the race with which you have formed the bond.
Effect with the fairy Phoebe: Effective only when near Phoebe. During combat, it may grant your weapon attributes or special effects; during crafting, it may give your creations attributes or special effects.'
As Lily excitedly observed the effects of the skill they had acquired, she exclaimed, "What an amazing attribute! The special effects are activated almost at no cost!"
"Really?"
"Absolutely! Gathering materials for attributes and special effects is a hassle, and the crafting difficulty skyrockets. Items with special effects are expensive! I need to have my brother make me some gear right away!"
"Well, I can't equip the hammer for forging due to my low strength... I really don't want to fight today..."
I held back the exuberant Lily. We had just faced a colossal spider; it was the kind of experience that could become a traumatic memory if things went wrong. I needed a reprieve.
"Are you okay, Lena?"
"I'm fine; just a bit mentally drained…"
"Hmmm… Oh! Wait a moment! And by the way, you should keep Phoebe out of sight in town. I've never heard of a talking fairy joining a party, and if that news spreads, it will definitely attract trouble."
With that, Lily started rummaging through a storage-like area. I sighed; there were limits to how well we could hide Phoebe... What should I do?
"Am I a burden just by being here…?"
"No, it's alright! If any oddballs approach, I'll handle it. Besides, Lily over there causes way more trouble than Phoebe ever could; I've been dragged into a forest full of bugs, even though I dislike them!"
"Hey, big brother, you've become so direct! Oh, look what I've found!"
Lily cheerfully said, trying to lift Phoebe's spirits, who had her head downcast. Instead of getting upset over my awkward attempts at comfort, she brushed them off lightly while clutching an outfit that resembled gym wear.
"Big brother! Change into this!"
"Huh?"
"This'll boost your strength just by wearing it! There are two ways to equip it, but there's a physical option in the system, so choose whichever you prefer!"