Luke was on his way to his only friend’s house in the village.
Dart seed unusually excited, so much so that he had waited for Luke after finishing his work just so they could walk there together.
Luke couldn’t help but ask, "What does she usually like? Flowers, sweets, anything like that?"
Dart blinked in confusion. "Hmm? She does like sweet-sour things, but why are you asking?"
Luke nodded and glanced around. The shops nearby didn’t have anything worthwhile, so he picked up sothing from the Shop instead. "I’m eting your mate for the first ti. Of course I need to make a good impression."
Dart smiled innocently. "You’re coming over to our house... that alone is enough for her to hold you in high regard."
Luke sighed. They were really that lonely, huh?
He made a ntal note to talk to his mother about it. Monica was a friendly person, and from their brief conversation about the neighbors, it seed she sympathized with them. But because of Gustav, she kept her distance.
Not long after, they reached their destination. The house was almost as big as theirs, but unlike theirs, only two people lived in it.
"Co," Dart said as he opened the gate for him.
As they stepped inside, Dart knocked on the inner door. A sweet voice answered from within, "Coming!"
They heard hurried footsteps, and then the door swung open, revealing the love of Dart’s life.
She stood at an average height, a little over five feet, soone Luke had never seen before. Her short violet hair rested lightly on her shoulders, matching her radiant eyes. Her petite fra contrasted sharply with the fullness of her chest. A smile curved along her lips, one Luke would have easily mistaken for sothing mischievous, even seductive.
’Damn... Dart really scored a piece.’
Luke exhaled softly before speaking, "Nice to et you, Nadia. I’m Luke, Dart’s friend." He held out the box of sweet and sour candies he had bought from the system. "A small gift."
Nadia glanced at Dart for a mont, then accepted it. "I’ve heard a lot about you. Please, co inside."
Luke nodded, and alongside Dart, the two n stepped into the house.
The rich fragrance of mushrooms and at hit his nose instantly. Luke paused for a mont, taking it in before letting out a quiet breath.
"It looks like you’ve prepared a feast for us," Dart said with a grin, noticing his reaction.
Nadia giggled, her bust swaying slightly with the motion. "It’s nothing much. It’ll be ready in a few minutes. Until then, please make yourselves comfortable."
Dart nodded and gestured for Luke to sit at the small table in the center of the otherwise empty hall. There wasn’t much to fill the space, making it feel as though they had only just moved in.
Luke took a seat across from him before saying, "Your mate is charming. You two really complent each other."
Dart rubbed the back of his head. "You think so? When I first saw her, the way she carried herself, her qualities... I felt like I didn’t deserve her. But then she returned my feelings, and we ended up together."
Luke chuckled. "I’m sure there were plenty of suitors lining up for her."
Dart laughed softly. "There were. But I drove them away. Not out of desperation... I just wanted to keep her safe."
Luke grinned, clearly not buying it. "Sure... sure."
Dart grew more embarrassed before getting up. "I’ll go check how long it’ll take. Do you want so water?"
Luke shook his head. "Tell her not to rush. I’m not that hungry."
Once Dart left, Luke leaned back in his seat and asked the system, ’How did I perform the spell today?’
[6/10]
Luke grumbled. "That’s quite harsh... it was my first attempt, and I think I did well."
[Indeed, host. However, the system evaluates your attempt with perfection as the upper limit. Scoring above five on your first try is already a success.]
Luke humd in satisfaction before asking, ’Then tell how to improve it. Next ti, I don’t want to struggle like that again.’
He didn’t want his other senses to shut down while using enhanced perception. Back then, if sothing had attacked him, he wasn’t even sure he could have defended himself in those few seconds.
Having those loud noises full his ear was not only making it difficult to keep focus at one place but also turned his mind numb. Under those circumstances, he would have been an easy prey for anything
So yes, he needed to refine his control at all costs. He couldn’t afford to hesitate the next ti he used the skill.
[For better control, host, you need to keep using it. Channeling Gamma is still not within the scope of the First Pod so the system couldn’t suggest any routine activity for that.]
Luke humd before asking, "What about the Gamma I wasted back then?"
[The host would recover it after a good night’s rest. And earning Gamma further just requires the host to keep fighting strong foes.]
Luke nodded in understanding...so keep using your skills and hunt strong creatures. Got it.
...
"How long will it take?" Dart asked as he stepped into the kitchen, finding her stirring sothing in the pot.
Nadia glanced at him. "Not long. But why are you here? You should be out there with him."
Dart nodded. "Yeah... I’ll go back." Yet he stayed where he was, fidgeting slightly.
Nadia knew him well enough to sense it. Sothing was on his mind. She spoke up softly, "Tell . What is it?"
Dart let out a breath before asking, "Should I talk to him... about that?"
Nadia paused, her eyes widening slightly before she turned to look him straight in the eye.
His expression told her everything.
"Wouldn’t it be too soon? He just ca here for the first ti... it’ll feel like we’re taking advantage of him," Nadia said, trying to reason, even though a part of her was already leaning toward his suggestion.
Dart let out another breath. "Luke’s a busy person. He’s started going outside the village for hunting and other work. There’s a good chance he won’t be back for a long ti... so since we have this opportunity..."
Nadia fell silent for a mont before lowering her gaze. "Be careful with this, dear... I don’t want you to ruin your friendship over ."
Dart gently pulled his beloved into his arms, holding her close as he muttered, "Don’t worry. I’ll handle it sohow."
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