After leaving Liz's tent, Aster settled down by the campfire, trying to cool his mind. Yet, despite his efforts, there was one part of him far from being "relaxed." It was a physical response he had little control over, and all he could do was wait it out until it eventually subsided.
"You were quite noisy, you know?"
"...!"
Aster flinched at the unexpected voice beside him. Turning, he spotted Kali sitting under the shadow of a nearby tree, her dagger in hand as she carved random shapes—more like stakes—from a block of wood. He briefly wondered what she might use them for, but decided to leave that mystery for another ti.
"Y-you an the massage, right?" Aster clarified, a little too quickly. "Yeah, well... I got lost in a trance, so I didn't notice." He emphasized the word "massage," desperately hoping to avoid any misunderstanding.
"Hmm..."
Kali's gaze remained icy and a little too sharp, causing a chill to run down Aster's spine. She clearly wasn't buying his excuse.
"A-Anyway," he stamred, eager to change the subject. "You should rest now. I'll take over keeping watch since I'm not feeling sleepy anymore."
It was both a peace offering and a silent plea for her to keep what she might have heard to herself.
Without a word—let alone a thank-you—Kali got up and headed into one of the tents, the one where Cassy was resting. Aster knew that after Kali's emotional outburst the previous night, the two had grown closer, even though Kali's usual standoffish attitude hadn't visibly changed.
Aster sighed, staring up at the forest canopy above.
Cassy, Kali, Tina, Liz... He had the distinct feeling that his relationship with each of them would change soon—an irrevocable shift, one he wasn't sure he was ready for. As if sensing his thoughts, Argus snuggled closer, offering silent comfort.
The night passed, both slowly and quickly at the sa ti.
---
"Holy Smite!"
"TAUNT! HAAP!"
"Priodis Sirreo fen Cura! Minor Area Heal!"
"Threefold Stab."
It was now noon, and the artificial sun overhead bathed them in uncomfortable heat. Fortunately, the forest provided so respite, its cool shade keeping the worst of the heat at bay. However, because the terrain was too erratic for Aster to safely pull the cart, they opted to continue on foot. The break also gave them all a chance to release so pent-up tension by fighting monsters.
Aster blad stress for Liz's behavior the previous night. It was the only way to preserve his fragile stability—or rather, to shield the girls from his growing desires. After all, he was just a man, not so saint with perfect control. He feared that sooner or later, he might hurt them in ways he didn't intend.
"Alright! Now only the Area Boss is left!" Liz grinned, hefting her shield and mace with renewed vigor. "Knight's Challenge!" she shouted, drawing the attention of the hulking figure ahead.
They were deep within the forest, facing a mob of goblins, but their true target stood behind the swarm—a towering goblin, three tis the size of the others. Almost three ters tall, the Area Boss wielded a massive tree trunk as a club, its red eyes gleaming with animalistic rage. This was the Hobgoblin Fighter, the Area Boss of the Goblin Forest.
"Everyone, stay sharp!" Aster called from the rear, where he and Argus stood, ready to offer support. "There are goblins circling behind you! Watch out!"
"Got it!" Kali responded. In a blur of motion, she disappeared.
In re monts, the goblins attempting to flank them began falling like leaves. Kali's stealth had reached a point where she could vanish and reappear so quickly that the goblins had no ti to react. The gap between her attacks and re-entering stealth was a re 0.2 seconds—fast enough to make her appear like a phantom.
Her twin Khopesh blades soon felled every goblin threatening their flank, their blood fortifying her weapons.
"Over here, you big oaf!" Find your next adventure on empire
At that mont, Tina rushed at the Hobgoblin Fighter, undeterred by its towering size. "Emberfury!" she shouted, launching a powerful punch with her right fist. Angelic Flas of Purification enveloped her gauntlet, and with one devastating blow, she obliterated half of the Hobgoblin's body.
"Too weak!" Tina scoffed, clearly unimpressed by the fight's brevity.
With the Area Boss down, the group quickly finished off the remaining goblins. Even Cassy, who had stayed as support for most of the battle, pulled her dagger and joined the offensive, earning her share of kills and experience points.
Of course, there were so imbalances. Tina, having dealt the final blow to the Hobgoblin Fighter, received all the experience points from the boss, propelling her to level 38—three levels ahead of the others.
It might seem unfair, but Aster considered it within acceptable limits. With Argus's help, they could distribute experience points more evenly later.
Aster wasn't worried that the girls were catching up to his level. After all, even though he wasn't fighting, all the experience gained by Argus killing the Floor Bosses raised his level to 49, still 11 levels above even Tina, who was the closest to his level.
"Alright, let's move to the next area!" Aster announced.
Their goal was twofold: not only to progress, but also to hunt down Area Bosses for the valuable experience they provided. It was a chance to level up while adjusting to their newfound strengths.
Though they kept a relatively straight path toward their destination, they didn't shy away from taking small detours to defeat any Area Bosses in their vicinity.
'Now that I think about it, that ga Ruby Sli...' Aster recalled their earlier encounter with the relentless sli that had pursued him through the forest. At the ti, he had assud it was a Rogue Boss, but now he wondered if it had been an Area Boss instead.
It had displayed a tenacity far beyond what a Rogue Boss typically showed, acting more like a territorial guardian.
'Well, it doesn't matter now.'
Whether it was a Rogue Boss or an Area Boss, it had long since been defeated, and its experience had beco part of his strength. Instead, he turned to focus on protecting the girls until they reached their peak, able to control their strength perfectly.
With a lighthearted gait, they continued onward through the 20th Floor.
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