''Crack, Crack''


    ''Pop, Pop''


    The mesmerizing symphony of crackling mes and popping embers reverberated through the dense forest, casting dancing shadows upon the figures nestled by the campfire''s warm glow.


    Aether, his form d in the dampness of his still-wet sack dress, cast a concerned gaze upon the figure lying prone near the flickering mes.


    The young teenage girl''s porcinplexion seemed to glow softly in the firelight, entuated by the delicate features of her face, while full lips, slightly parted in repose, hinted at the gentle rhythm of her unconscious breath.


    Her hair, a cascade of whitish-grey strands, tumbled in loose waves around her shoulders.


    Though her countenance bore traces of hardship and yet, the essence of her beauty remained undiminished. Despite the raw wounds marring her slender frame, there was an undeniable grace in the way shey.


    "Miss?" Aether''s voice broke through the tranquil forest air, yet she remained unresponsive. With practised hands, he diligently tended to her injuries, fashioning makeshift bandages from torn fragments of his sack dress.


    Scouring the undergrowth, Aether''s keen eyes fell upon a cluster of familiar leaves, reminiscent of those found in his own world. Drawing upon his knowledge of botany, he recognized their healing properties and began to prepare them, grinding the leaves into a paste before carefully applying it to the girl''s wounds.


    He wasn''t certain about the healing abilities he had witnessed in both games and novels, but recalling how his own hands regrew when severed... he just knew it must be because of the Magic!!


    Yet, he didn''t have any magic to heal....


    Sighing heavily, he surveyed his surroundings, noting the abundance of medicinal nts scattered throughout the forest.


    "I suppose she''s lucky..." Aether muttered to himself, a tinge of resignation colouring his words as he nced down at the log, his emotions a turbulent mix of confusion and frustration,


    [Mission: Seduce her]


    "Yeah, that''s all..." Aether muttered under his breath, frustration etched into every word. There was nothing else to glean from the mission directive... no rewards, no penalties, not even a time limit. It was just a half-hearted mission, with no mention of whom he was supposed to seduce, just the ambiguous ''Her''... Even though he understood who was ''Her''.


    Still,


    "What the Fuck am I supposed to do!?Seduce her? A Teenage Girl!!!


    This useless log asking me to do a fucking thing..." Aether''s exasperation echoed through the forest as he tried to flip through his log, hoping for some rity. To his dismay, there were no updates regarding the mission; it seemed to exist solely in a separate panel behind his profile.


    To Aether, it felt ssssooooo wrong to seduce a teen girl while he was on the verge of reaching in his thirties!!


    Well, not physically ofcourse....


    "Argh!" Aether''s frustration peaked, but his irritation was interrupted by a groaning sound nearby. Startled, he turned his attention to the girl lying on the forest floor, who was beginning to stir.


    As the girl slowly opened her eyes, her gaze fell upon Aether, and the first thing she did was...


    "KKKYYYAA!!!"


    The girl''s scream pierced through the air as she scrambled away from the peculiar sight of the leaf-masked, white-haired figure.


    "I-It''s fine, I won''t hurt you,dy....," Aether reassured her, his voice gentle as he raised his hands in a gesture of peace, signalling that he was harmless.


    It took a moment for her racing heart to calm down before she mustered the courage to speak, her voice trembling, "W-Who are you? Why are you wearing that?"


    "My name is Ae-- Kai," Aether replied, pausing for a moment before fabricating a false name. He couldn''t afford to divulge his true identity to a stranger, especially in this unfamiliar region where trust was scarce.


    "And?" The girl''s tone was cautious as she eyed the strange leaf mask adorning Aether''s face.


    ".... I had a few problems with my face," Aether answered hesitantly, choosing to conceal the true reason behind his mask.


    When he stumbled upon the unconscious girl, Aether hastily concealed his face with his sack dress, determined to keep his true identity hidden..... Instead of covering his ''Ding~Ding,'' he focused on ensuring that his face remained obscured from view.


    His reluctance to reveal his face stemmed from a deep-seated fear of the consequences that would follow if others were to discover the extent of his newfound strength. The thought of Mortimer learning of his enhanced abilities filled Aether with dread, as he could only imagine the dire fate that awaited him from that old man.


    Upon discovering the unconscious girl, Aether swiftly draped the sack over his head, obscuring his features. With determined haste, he scoured the forest for a suitablyrge leaf, which he promptly fashioned into a makeshift mask. Carefully, he cut two eye holes, a nose hole, and a mouth hole, securing the leaf firmly to his face with some stick gum from trees..


    As he exhaled, a plume of white smoke billowed forth.... giving the impression of heavy breathing.


    He currently looked like a pervert.


    No, Worse than a pervert.. he embodied the essence of a degenerate!!


    The sight left the poor girl utterly stunned and trembling with fear.


    Calming her pounding heart as best she could, she ventured a nervous question, "W-Where are we?"


    "... In a forest?" Aether replied with a shrug.


    Her face registered a nk stare, mirroring Aether''s own confusion about their whereabouts.


    However, Aether didn''t react too much because he didn''t even know who in the world he escaped from the guards of the Hotel.... Truly Mysterious!!


    She then scanned their surroundings before turning her attention back to the degenerate figure before her, "M-My name is Ste, and thanks for saving me... Mr. Kai," she said gratefully, retrieving a white-coloured bottle from her pouch and taking a sip.


    A soft glow enveloped Ste as the wounds on her body vanished as if they had never existed.


    "OH!" Aether eximed in amazement, witnessing real-life healing for the first time, a stark departure from the simted experiences of games.


    ''So that''s how I regained my hands...ah,'' Aether mused, beginning to understand the mechanics of the magic items he had encountered in his adventures..... in gaming.


    "Is that a healing potion?" he inquired, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.


    "Huh? Yes," Ste confirmed, noting his apparent unfamiliarity with the concept.


    "So, what are you doing here?" Aether pressed.


    "I am training with my friends.... MY FRIENDS!!" Ste suddenly shouted, as if struck by a sudden realization.


    "O-Okay, calm down!" Aether flinched, attempting to soothe her as she recollected herself.


    "BOOMM!!"


    The deafening st echoed through the forest as mes erupted nearby.


    "W-We need to go," Ste dered, rising to her feet and darting towards the source of the explosion.


    However,


    "You''re noting?" Ste stopped in her tracks, her gaze fixed on Aether''s unmoving figure.


    "Well..." Aether hesitated, inwardly refusing to rush towards the source of the st.He had no way in hell he would blindly rush towards the st, especially after narrowly escaping the clutches of a formidable foe that would be considered a rookie''s prey in games and novels.


    The harsh reality had made him more cautious, unwilling to take rash actions without careful consideration.


    Ste remained silent, her expression a mix of understanding and gratitude. With a gentle smile, she expressed her appreciation, "Thank you for your help, Mr. Kai," before turning to leave Aether alone.


    Sighing heavily, Aether watched as Ste''s trembling legs carried her away, a testament to her bravery in the face of uncertainty.


    Even so, he would not meddle in the affairs of strangers especially if it could be potentially dan---


    !~Ding~!


    [Mission Updated: Save and Seduce Ste


    Reward: ????


    Failure: Your Life will be Fucked up more!!]


    "Arrrhh.... Fuck You, LOG!!!!" Aether cursed vehemently before following Ste.