Vwoom!
A bolt of shadowy energy shot through the dark forest, crackling with purple energy as it collided with the panther's head, causing it to explode after dealing 60 damage.
"Phew… haa…haa… so tired."
Fran's body collapsed beside Julian, resting her head on his shoulder while Umbra and Nocta gathered the remains. After five hours of hunting, together with a few breaks to rest. Fran and Julian's synergy grew rapidly.
A talented archer and summoner made quick work of the beasts in the tutorial forest.
[◊ Fran's Affection Level reached: Friendly! ◊]
• You can now view her attribute panel and request her support whenever logging into the game!
'This helps me so much!'
Not knowing her attributes made it difficult because after a single blow, Fran's health dropped faster than his at first.
"Julian, is this all for today?" Fran's voice slurred because of her exhaustion.
"Yeah, because I have something to take care of, can you meet me again for another hunt tomorrow at the same time?"
She suddenly opened her eyes, gazing at Julian with her tired orbs. Fran's help made Julian more confident in reaching the next zone, closer to the capital. Because the monsters here were four levels higher than in the dream world.
He needed to fight level 10–15 monsters to survive in the next zone.
"I would love to, if I'm not holding you back."
'Umbra might not be strong enough to endure that at my current level.' Julian noticed the change in Fran's atmosphere and her actions. Fran became less nervous, and when he ordered her to attack or retreat—she followed him almost at the same speed as his shades.
Fran Sakurapaw • Leporian Ranger (B+)
• Level: 5 → 9
• HP: 20 → 40
• Attack: 5 → 6
• Defence: 2 → 3
• Speed: 5 → 7
• Magic: 2 → 3
• Total: 14 → 19
• Arcane Arrows: 2 → 4
Among the Leporians, the Sakurapaw clan was known for their graceful agility and mysterious allure, their members distinguished by hints of pink hues in their hair and eyes—a rarity among their kind.
When Julian read the flavour text about Fran, he couldn't help but feel conflicted because it looked like she had dark hair and her eyes seemed dull. However, after learning she was a Leporian something clicked in his fuzzy memories.
'They are a race that thrives off emotions.'
The happier a Leporian became, the more vibrant their eyes were rumoured to shine.
'Nobody could be happy in this kind of situation, though… I guess we both need to bathe.'
Julian's lips curved into an awkward smile, realising that once again this world confused him about whether it was real or still a game. He tried to pretend not to notice the sour scent coming from the villagers' bodies, but after five hours of hunting it became unbearable.
"Do you remember that fresh pond a few hundred metres to the south?"
"A-Ah, yes… where we killed the group of nightmare hounds?"
"Yeah, before we head back, I want to clean my body. Do you want to join me?"
"Huh! T-Together?"
He noticed her cheeks turning red beneath the dirt and couldn't help but smile at the Leporian who took his words the wrong way.
"Well, the monsters would kill you if I am not protecting the area, right?"
"Ah?"
Her eyes widened, and she turned away, kicking her feet, as if understanding his true meaning, causing Fran to become embarrassed.
"Come on, let's go. I will help you clean your clothes, maybe tomorrow we can find another stream, so the villagers can wash too."
Julian led the way back to the familiar pond, his stride confident as always, while Fran trailed behind, her steps tentative and quiet. The water shimmered under the darkness, a faint ray of moonlight illuminating the surface and promising relief from their long hunt.
"Come on, Fran," Julian said with a warm, playful smile. "Let's wash away all that dirt and sweat. You deserve a little comfort after all that suffering."
Fran's cheeks flushed a soft pink as she mumbled, "I—I'm not sure if I can… it's so cold." Despite her hesitation, her eyes sparkled with a shy anticipation. She glanced down at her worn clothes, feeling the weight of fatigue and embarrassment mixed with relief.
"A-Are you going to keep looking?" Her pink cheeks became visible after splashing her face with water, the caked dirt sliding down her cheeks.
Julian chuckled, showing a brilliant smile as he spoke gently. "Don't worry. I'll help you out. Besides, just look at how refreshing this pond is!" He stripped and suddenly jumped into the pool with a splash, and dived to the bottom.
Fran's eyes remained fixated on the spot where Julian vanished, her eyes peeking at Umbra and Nocta that guarded the poor before a hand suddenly rose from the pool below her face.
Splash!
Julian's face and bare chest appeared, causing her to yelp, falling on her buttocks.
"Haha, Just relax," he couldn't help but find her adorable, and laughed, grasping her hand, and yanking her towards the pool. "Let the water wash away your worries."
"Kya!"
Before Fran could fully regain her balance, Julian pulled her into the water with him.
The cool pond engulfed them both, and for a brief moment, the world fell away. Fran gasped as she sank beneath the surface, her vibrant pink hair fanning out like delicate petals in the moonlight.
Julian's eyes narrowed with amusement as he murmured, "There you go, let the water wash away your worries." His voice was both teasing and tender, a blend of charm and reassurance that made Fran's heart flutter and allowed her to relax.
As they floated together, the water rippled around the pair, carrying away the grime and fatigue of the long hunt. Fran's eyes, now a vivid shade of pink that glowed in the moonlight, met Julian's calming gaze.
For a heartbeat, silence ruled—only the gentle ripple of water and the soft howls in the distance filled the space.
'Well, what a surprise…'
A shy smile spread across Fran's face as clear droplets dripped down her smooth, dark skin. She reached up and brushed her bangs over her head. This revealed small tufts of fur hidden within her hair and her two fluffy pink ears finally appeared.
"Ah, d-don't look."
'That's right, I forgot. Demi-humans were discriminated against in the game.'
The atmosphere between them shifted as Julian swam backwards, watching her scrub and clean her clothes. Thanks to his status as a player, the moment he cleaned his body, the inventory cleaned his equipment.
Julian closed his eyes and chuckled softly, "You're quite the beautiful Leporian." His words were soft and sincere, resonating through the quiet night.
"R-Really, but don't humans hate our kind… I tried to hide it from the villagers, it was difficult after my sister and family didn't return."
"How did you avoid being caught?" He wondered how a family living in a village could avoid being noticed.
When he saw Fran's face, she looked sad, "because my mother is human, so they didn't doubt us."
"I see…"
He didn't continue the conversation and instead focused on himself while watching the timer slowly ticking down. There were less than 30 minutes left until he would be logged out of the game, but he simply enjoyed resting like this, floating in the water while gazing at the moon above.
Because he had nothing to do, he checked his current growth after almost 8 hours of grinding.
Julian Pendragon • Shadow Mancer (SSSR)
• Level: 4 → 9 (5,970/25600)
• HP: 50 → 80
• MP: 100 → 150
• Attack: 2 → 3
• Defence: 4 → 5
• Speed: 3 → 5
• Magic: 10 → 16
• Total: 19 → 29 (+3)
• Command Points: 12 → 14
"Wow, such a big difference. It seems I get 2 CP every 5 Levels, too."
[◊ Monsters have been Massacred ◊]
• Gained 30000 Experience Points
• Gained Panther Pelt…
• Gained Panther Fang…
• Gained Monster Meat…
Because they spent hours hunting the same monsters, and hunting them as they started to respawn or flow in from the other forests because of the noise and scent. In the forest, less than half of the panthers and hounds remained.
The weakest Night Prowlers now granted much less experience to Julian, so he would start gaining less per kill unless he moved to another area.
"You should head back to the village soon, Fran."
Splash!
"Ah… Nn, but a little more, it's comfortable." The woman's brown back slipped from the water as she scrubbed her skin, but Julian could only gaze at the small fluffy tail just above her hips, and couldn't help but smirk to himself.
'So she's a rabbit girl, haha.'
Soon after, despite the embarrassment of Fran seeing Julian's bare body, they left the forest now clean and fresh in the humid night air.
"I'll come meet you tomorrow, make sure to keep the village safe."
Julian already shared the meat with her, giving her hundreds that were stored in her inventory. Now the little village wouldn't starve.
'But the quest didn't complete… strange.'
While he was watching her hopping ahead of him, swaying her hips and humming a folk song, he felt a jolt in his body before a sound echoed in his mind.
Jingle!
He noticed a message notification in the corner and stopped in pace upon seeing the subject.
[Julian, are you awake?]
It was from Sena.