The picnic ended almost as quickly as it began. After all, Aster had only packed a small basket of sandwiches—loaded with more at than vegetables—that vanished within monts. Despite the modest quantity, the girls were thrilled by his cooking, their praises pouring out like an avalanche.
"Alright, ti for the main event!" Tina announced with a mischievous grin as she stepped forward, her ears flicked and her tail swooshed in excitent.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a thick, gleaming silver bracelet. Its polished surface caught the sunlight, making it shimr as she held it out toward Aster.
"Here you go! This is my gift to you!" she declared, her voice practically singing with glee.
Aster blinked, his initial thrill giving way to puzzlent, then a tinge of disappointnt. His thoughts, despite his best efforts, were written all over his face.
"Uh... an accessory?" He scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Thanks, Tina, but I'm not really into wearing stuff like this."
Practicality always trumped appearances for Aster. Wearing accessories, especially in battle, felt like a surefire way to invite trouble.
"Fu fu fu~!" Tina laughed, clearly expecting his reaction. "If this was just any ordinary bracelet, I'd understand! But trust , you'll want to try it on first."
With Tina's insistence and an eager gleam in her eyes, Aster reluctantly took the bracelet. It was simple—just a smooth silver band with no unnecessary embellishnts. He slipped it onto his wrist and found that it fit snugly, as though it had been custom-made for him. It wasn't tight enough to restrict his movents, nor loose enough to dangle awkwardly.
'Still feels weird wearing this,'
he thought, frowning slightly.
Before he could even consider taking it off, Tina spoke up again. "Now, channel your mana into it! Go on, don't hold back—it needs a lot!"
"My mana?" Aster glanced at the bracelet, his curiosity piqued. "Alright, I'll give it a shot."
He focused, drawing mana from deep within himself—a ntal process akin to imagining a glowing core in the center of his chest. Concentrating, he sent the energy flowing toward the bracelet. At first, there was only a faint vibration, but as he continued to channel mana, the intensity grew.
The bracelet began to emit a low hum, followed by a bright, pulsating glow. It beca so brilliant that Aster instinctively shielded his eyes with his free hand, holding the bracelet away from his body.
The light flared once, then disappeared.
When Aster cautiously lowered his arm and opened his eyes, his jaw nearly hit the ground.
Standing before him was a sleek, black vehicle—sothing that looked like it had been plucked straight out of a high-tech city. It had four sturdy wheels, tinted windows, and a streamlined body that exuded both luxury and practicality.
"Tada~!" Tina exclaid, beaming as she gestured toward the impressive machine. "What do you think?"
"This... is this a levitation car?!" Aster stamred, still in shock.
He knew that ordinary vehicles couldn't be brought into dungeons. If they could, adventurers would have long since abandoned trekking across treacherous dungeon floors and instead cruised through them in style. But here it was—a fully functional car, seemingly defying every convention he knew.
"But how is this even possible?" he asked, his amazent mingled with confusion.
Tina puffed out her chest proudly. "This beauty is a custom project from our R&D team! Every part of it, from the tiniest bolt to the engine, is crafted from monster materials. That's what makes it dungeon-compatible!"
She strolled over to the van, giving its side an affectionate pat. The sound it made was solid—far from the hollow ring of lightweight, made-to-fail-upon-crashing designs. Aster had no doubt that this vehicle could bulldoze through whatever stood in its way.
"In all, it took two weeks of hard work, countless prototypes, and a small fortune—just 100 trillion Tels," she added casually as if the number was pocket change.
"One hundred—?!" Aster's voice caught in his throat. Just hearing the figure made him feel like he was holding sothing far too valuable to touch, let alone use.
"So, darling," Tina said, stepping closer with a hopeful glint in her eye. "Do you like it?"
Aster hesitated, then offered a sheepish smile. "It's... overwhelming. I can't accept sothing this expensive for free, though."
"I thought you might say that!" Tina giggled, already prepared.
She produced a slim folder from her Spatial Ring—a compact and elegant alternative to the bulky fanny packs they used to rely on. Handing the folder to Aster, along with an ornate fountain pen, she grinned.
"Here's the contract! Just sign here, and the car's yours!"
Aster gulped as he took the folder. It felt heavier than it looked, the taphorical weight of 100 trillion Tels pressing down on him. Bracing himself, he opened it, expecting to find a grueling, lifelong obligation spelled out in legal jargon.
Instead, his brows furrowed in confusion. "Wait... Marriage Contract?"
He shot Tina a bewildered look. She simply bead back at him, her smile as radiant as ever.
"Oh, whoops!" she said with a teasing laugh. "That's the wrong one. Here's the real contract." She pulled another folder from her Spatial Ring and handed it over.
Aster quickly swapped folders, but Tina made no move to take back the first one. "You can keep that one," she said sweetly. "I'm sure we'll be signing it sooner or later~."
"…"
Aster sighed deeply, the exasperation clear on his face. Without a word, the "Marriage Contract" burst into flas with Pyra's help, and turned into a pile of ash within monts.
Even as the docunt crumbled away, Tina remained unfazed. Her confidence was as unyielding as ever, a trait Aster found both admirable and exasperating in equal asure.
'It'd be so much easier if she just gave up…'
he thought, shaking his head.
Hoping to steer the conversation back to safer waters, he opened the second folder. But the mont his eyes landed on the words at the top of the page—"Marriage Contract"—he snapped it shut again, his patience fraying.
"... Tina," he said, his tone a mix of warning and resignation.
"Just kidding~!" she chirped, waving yet another folder in her hand. "This one's the real deal, I promise!"
Aster pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're impossible."
"Impossible to resist, you an~," Tina quipped, her playful grin never faltering.
Aster let out a long sigh. At this rate, he wasn't sure if he'd end up using the car or torching every last contract she handed him.
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