Jolene was eager to know more about Daniel. Both of them were stranded in this otherworld, cut off from the modern life they once knew, living each day uncertain if they might fall on the battlefield—or worse, if the Demon Clan would launch an overwhelming invasion of Coruna Heights any day now.
Survival was everyone's greatest desire.
This inseparable, shadow-like sense of insecurity compelled Jolene to accept Daniel's invitation. Of course, maybe it was just that the nights in the trenches grew unbearably dull.
The two of them exited the trenches and walked toward the cluster of tents in the camp's center. At this point, Norn didn't follow along.
Around them, many comrades looked over, watching Jolene as she entered Daniel's tent.
Someone couldn't help muttering, "Look, Jolene's practically clinging to Daniel. If I had Holy Maiden's favor, I'd crush that tramp Jolene!"
"Tsk, tsk. We're out here risking our necks on the frontlines, while the aristocrats are probably indulging themselves in pleasure."
"Not likely. Jolene's definitely not just sleeping around with Daniel. She's more complicated than that! If she wanted it easy, wouldn't she go straight for an aristocrat?"
Jealous eyes were in no short supply, but even more hopeful ones wished for the day they could advance to the rank of High City Knight. After all, that title signified wealth, honor, and status.
Inside the tent.
It was modest, with only a simple cot, a low table, and a cupboard—nothing particularly noteworthy. The low table held a good spread of food and drink. After all, as someone favored by the Holy Maiden, Daniel's needs were given special consideration by the quartermaster.
Daniel settled himself casually on the ground, twisted the cap off a bottle of rum, and poured two glasses.
"Some ice would make this perfect," Jolene muttered, swallowing as she looked at the food. After days of marching, she'd been subsisting on basic rations.
For someone used to a modern lifestyle, suddenly transmigrated into a medieval-like otherworld, it was a hard adjustment.
Daniel shrugged and tore open a few packs of portable beef jerky, filling the tent with a spicy, savory aroma.
The two of them ate sparingly, trading one lazy remark after another. Their conversation drifted to amusing memories of their school days.
Sitting close, Jolene had removed her armor, and the curves of her body, mixed with the subtle scent of camellias and the rich smell of rum, created an intoxicating atmosphere.
But Daniel's interests didn't lie solely in women.
At times, he found himself drifting off, pondering how he could more easily conquer women with high Evil Value.
Power was, after all, the foundation of survival in this otherworld.
Yet capturing an Evil Woman wasn't as simple as using the system's easy-farming functions. To unlock the rewards of the Evil Woman System, he first had to find his own ways to subdue them.
The more powerful and wicked the woman, the more challenging it would be to conquer her.
If… he were an aristocrat, things would be much easier.
Aristocrats inherently held the right to recruit mercenaries and maintain domestic slaves. As long as he achieved a basic level of submission from them, he would receive rewards. With deeper submission, he'd unlock even greater rewards!
"What are you thinking about?" Jolene asked, curious why this man showed no interest in making a move on someone as attractive as her. Was he pretending?
Jolene studied Daniel's expression, realizing he genuinely seemed uninterested. Oddly enough, before entering the tent, she had even thought about how she'd politely turn him down if he tried anything, in a way that wouldn't harm their budding partnership.
Jolene desperately wanted military merit.
Setting his glass down, Daniel replied, "I'm thinking about nothing and everything all at once."
Jolene laughed. "Philosophy, huh? Didn't expect that from you."
Daniel shook his head, idly twirling the empty glass in his hand, clearly in no rush to refill it. He needed time to process everything on his mind.
To Jolene, this air of introspection only piqued her curiosity further.
"Daniel, what do you think I want to do right now?" Jolene asked expectantly. "Didn't you say you're a prophet?"
Daniel gave her a faint smile, glancing at the system prompt, and replied, "You just want to get up and walk around."
In an instant, Jolene's cheeks flushed crimson. Although he had only made one simple comment, her mind had wandered beyond that. She was tipsy and had even imagined what might happen if she threw herself into his arms—wondering if he'd still pretend he wasn't interested.
Fortunately, Daniel didn't say anything further, which allowed her to breathe a sigh of relief. "Alright, then. You're in command of tomorrow's battle!"
[Ding! Jolene has begun to submit to you. You've earned random Attribute Points… Your spirit attribute has increased by one.]
Daniel glanced at his personal profile in the system. As usual, a stream of information scrolled by, and only near the bottom did Jolene's name appear.
[Evil Woman Host: Daniel]
Position: Common Knight of Coruna Heights
Conditions: Holy Maiden Martha is observing you / Someone is inquiring about you / Slightly intoxicated
[Base Attributes]
Strength: 11
Agility: 13
Spirit: 7
Constitution: 14
Chaos: 2
[Magical Affinity]
Holy Light (Resistant)
Draconic Language (Unknown)
Fire (Affinity)
Frost (Weakness)
…
Current Assets:
Coruna Heights, Luther District, Mansion No. 3
13 gold coins, 2 silver coins, negligible copper coins
Current Evil Woman Targets:
Holy Maiden Martha (formerly Succubus), Evil Value 99, Submission Value 15
Elite Knight Jolene, Evil Value 49, Submission Value 20
Innkeeper Karina, Evil Value 65, Submission Value 79
Tavern Barmaid Flora, Evil Value 51, Submission Value 92
…
A gust of night wind slipped through the gaps in the tent.
Daniel felt a slight chill.
"It's late. I should go," Jolene said suddenly.
Daniel just glanced up. "Alright, see you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow."
…
The Next Day...
The first light of dawn began to break through the morning mist.
It was early autumn, and there was a slight chill in the morning air.
Daniel, Jolene, and a few other classmates rode their armored warhorses, advancing toward the distant extinct volcano. Naturally, Unicorn Knight Norn followed behind them.
"About ten meters ahead, there are three Lesser Imps hiding in the grass," Daniel spoke up.
Jolene responded instantly, "Got it."
"Huh? What? Lesser Imps? How can there be Lesser Imps hiding in grass that isn't even taller than my hand?" one of their classmates, also an elite knight, grumbled.
Another classmate chuckled, "Better safe than sorry."
Clang!
Jolene drew her knight's sword, her movement indicating she trusted Daniel's word.
As they approached the area Daniel had mentioned, suddenly—
Three Lesser Imps with red-and-black skin, drooling, and flashing jagged yellow teeth, lunged out of the brush toward them.
Only the Demon Clan would be bold enough to send three Lesser Imps to charge straight at a group of seven elite knights!
The Lesser Imps managed to cause a bit of chaos, eliciting a few startled yells from the group.
But quickly enough, Jolene and Daniel hacked the Lesser Imps into pieces.
"Take the Lesser Imps' ears. We need to speed things up!" Daniel instructed, frowning as he looked at the Demon Clan camp in the distance, just beginning to stir.
In his view, the entire area was dotted with red Evil Value indicators, bubbling like sinister embers.
Only he could see this spectacular sight!
The classmates around him watched as Jolene smoothly removed the Lesser Imps' ears and handed them to Daniel, each of them feeling a little put out.
How could Daniel spot the Lesser Imps in advance?
Why did Jolene seem to be treating Daniel with the deference of a subordinate to a commander?
But there was no time to ponder.
Before long, with Daniel's guidance, Jolene led the others in a quickened pace of battle.
The armored warhorses' hooves thundered along the Demon Clan camp's edges, tearing through the outskirts. With Daniel's uncanny precision in calling out enemy locations, they effortlessly engaged and quickly dispatched any threats.
The way his classmates looked at Daniel began to shift.
He was like a battlefield radar!
Even those who hadn't played games before now felt the thrill, as if they had an open mini-map and a full visibility hack—pure exhilaration!
"That was incredible, Daniel! How do you even do that?" a red-haired classmate exclaimed, his voice tinged with envy and curiosity.
"Where to next? My god, we must have taken down at least dozens of Demon Clan by now, right?" another classmate shouted, clearly exhilarated.
The Demon Clan ears stuffed in their pouches represented not just merit points but a promise of future wealth and glory.
Daniel squinted into the distance and spoke calmly, "To the right, about fifty meters. Let's hit one last big target, then we'll pull out!"
Beside him, Jolene's gaze lingered on Daniel, practically star-struck. She could hardly believe combat could be this effortless. With Daniel's precise callouts, those ambush-loving Demon Clan were left utterly exposed. Even areas shrouded by mist or smoke couldn't hinder Daniel's incredible foresight.
Behind them, High City Knight Norn followed, completely dumbfounded.
Since when did battle require no risk at all?
Even among the keenest generals he knew, none came close to matching Daniel's battlefield intuition.
Norn was beginning to understand why the Holy Maiden herself had ordered him to protect Daniel.
My god, the Holy Maiden's foresight was nothing short of divine!