"Haha, no, you silly! Use telekinesis to collect the pollen." Lise advised him with a wonderful giggle.

Pef strained himself not to look at her jiggling chest, but he failed.

The damn traitorous Gamer's Mind was no help.

*You have Observed Anne-Lise Siegmarinen. Again.

Slapping himself in encouragement, Pef returned to the task at hand, harvesting alchemical reagents, without contamination.

After some 20 tries, and many failures, he finally managed to fill the glass container.

*Gathering task complete. 200/200.

*Telekinesis has reached level 3. Like a puppy, with clumsy hands.

*Relationship with Lise opened. You roll a lucky 7!

*Relationship with Lise now at 10. (Accepted)

*Plant sense has reached level 4. Gaia approves.

*Alchemy has reached level 2. A small step for Pef, a giant leap for anyone else.

"I did good, right?" he asked with a small grin.

She patted his head in approval. "For a single week, you did very good Pef. This primer task took me a whole year. You might be a genius in disguise!"

"Haha. You must be kidding! Someone as talented as you, praising poor me?" he argued teasingly, holding a hand over his heart.

"Okay, okay. Enough flattery, young man. You may go and massacre poor defenseless monsters in the dungeon." she replied with a snort.

Pef sped away, cheering loudly. "Yay! Senseless killing!" Soon he vanished into the Training dungeon.

---------------------

Space quivered and opened like a flower, and Master Kimmel emerged next to Lise.

"Talented, right?" he asked with a frown.

"Scarily so, Master. If he truly entered the Abyss three months ago..." Lise commented with a distant look.

"You're not far now, Lise. Five years, I would say. Then, you too may learn the ancient secrets."

Lise nodded shyly. "Perhaps I could dive again into the dungeon? I never made it past Floor 61."

Kimmel shook his head. "You're royalty, Lise. There's no point risking your soul that deep. One day you will regain your throne."

"Not while von Mackberg supports my brother."

Kimmel patted her shoulder. "That's why you need your Mastery badge. Or perhaps, sooner... if you can charm our young visitor and ride his coat tails."

Lise blushed fiercely. "I fear that won't be a problem at all Master. However, my heart is not for sale."

"As you say, dear Lise. Go back to your lab and concoct 300 Luminous Gems. We have a big order from Valhalla."

"Yes, yes. I'm going!" she proclaimed with a sullen grin and vanished into a flare of golden light.

----------------

Pef arrived at Floor 4 and began farming the landlocked bears again.

*You have killed 300 Polar cubs.

*You gained 3 million Exp.

*You have found 133 bear claws, 4 bear fangs and 2 Mana crystals.

*The angry carebears arrive for revenge!

*You have killed Polar Papa Bear. Gained 2 million Exp.

*You have killed Polar Mama Bear. Gained 2.1 million Exp.

*The Gamer has reached level 40.

*You have found 7 Medium HP potions. You have found an Armored Arctic Cap.

*You have found 2 Greater Soul fragments.

"Oh? What's this? An item drop after 100 boss kills? Amazing!" Pef declared in fake admiration.

He then proceeded to inspect the new loot.

*Armored Arctic Cap. Headgear. Blocks 10 damage. Adds +10 Magic Resistance. Also, keeps you warm during the long winter.

"And also looks cool! Don't forget that!" Pef mused aloud, examining the headgear looking like a white furred bear skull.

*Update 1.058. Armored Arctic Cap now adds +1 Charisma, because it looks cool.

Pef decided to wear the damn thing, because Magic Resistance was hard to find.

'Three more runs, and then I get to sleep. Great planning, Pef! Now back to grinding.'

His thoughts wandered back to his new loved ones, while reflexively butchering young animals for their bones and Exp.

'Lucia is probably missing me, right?'

"She spent 50000 Euros past week on various magic books. All low level ones, but related to elemental affinities." Gaia whispered in his ear.

"That's good. Lucia needs to grow too." Pef muttered to himself.

"Miss Chen has reached level 9 as well. Farming old mummies in Egypt. A couple per day." Gaia added with a giggle.

Pef smiled fondly. For someone without the Gamer cheats, the Abyss was slow and hard to climb.

"Can I create parties with people? Help them grow faster?" he wondered wistfully.

A long pause followed. "I could allow that. For those that join your harem." the goddess said in a thoughtful tone.

*Update 1.059. The Gamer can create parties with Favored people or higher.

*Party members will gain Gamer's Mind and Body at level 3. Loot privileges restricted for same instance.

"Many thanks, dear goddess. It won't help right now, but once I leave the Alchemists I can level them up easily."

The goddess just snorted amused.

*You have killed 300 more bear cubs. You gain the perk Clubber. +1 Strength. +10 percent Exp from any cubs.

*You gain 3 million Exp.

*You have found 141 bear claws. You have found 15 bear fangs. You have found a bear skull.

*The angry carebears arrive for revenge!

*You have killed Polar Papa Bear. Gained 2 million Exp.

*You have killed Polar Mama Bear. Gained 2.1 million Exp.

*Your Incendiary Cone has reached level 5.

*Your Levitation has reached level 5.

*Your Floating Meditation has reached level 5.

*Your Raiju elemental has maxed out at level 20.

Evolve to next tier? Cost 1000 MP. Yes/Later.

As soon as Pef pressed Yes, the Lesser Elemental was struck by a huge golden thunderbolt, and began glowing and growing.

*Young Raiju has undergone Heavenly Tribulation. Young Raiju is now a level 1 Minor elemental and can use Nine Lightning Steps and Charged Armor spells. Cost 200 MP per minute.

*Relationship with Raiju is now 80. (Loyal)

"Come here, big guy! Who's the bet pet ever? You are!" Pef cooed and patted the proud lightning wolf.

"Woof. Hunt. Woof!" the elemental replied with a cute attempt at speech.

"Yay! You can speak too?"

"Woof. Hunt?" Raiju replied with a toothy grin.

"Of course we hunt! Beware, puny monsters! Pef and Raiju are out for blood." Pef proclaimed dramatically while re-entering Floor 4.

Farming the dungeon became a bit less straining, with the elemental wolf providing some comfort and distraction.

*The Gamer has reached level 41.

*Raiju has reached level 9.

"Good hunt!" the wolf proclaimed. "Wooooooo!"

"Yes. But now we go to sleep. Rest and we hunt again tomorrow." Pef replied with an affectionate pat.

Leaving the dungeon, Pef headed towards the dormitory, where dozens of young and not so young alchemist resided for their studies.

Curiously, there were only men living here, making his tutor, Anne-Lise the only woman Pef had seen in the Association.

Next day, he decided to ask about this, during the study hours in the Garden.

"Why aren't there more women here?"

Lise smiled teasingly. "Oh? Earning for some female companionship, are you?"

Pef nodded shyly. "Yes. And I'm luckier than most, because I have you, Lise. But really, it must be hard to live many years alone."

The woman nodded grimly. "Most women mages go to the Golden Branch, the witch club if you will. Well, at least here in Europe. Tradition is a hard thing to overcome, especially when old patriarchs are still around."

"Hmmm. So, I'd guess Paracelsus himself is around here too?" Pef mused thoughtfully.

Lise giggled charmingly. "Indeed he is. And you even met him, when you brought out the red potions."

Pef thought back at the meeting, where he was dazzled by the ominous Mackberg and Lise's charming presence.

He slapped his forehead at the memory. "Right! The fourth guy! He looked so nondescript and grey I missed him completely."

"Hahaha. That's his style. Fades into the woodwork and you forget about him. But never disrespect him, Pef. He's reached Demigod status, which means he's crazy strong and even more learned." Lise advised him in a warning voice.

Pef nodded back, looking around for a scary demigod. "I'd say so too. This dungeon is quite impressive, I can only make ogre dungeons myself."

"Uh. Only ogres, he says. Took me a decade to reach that stage." Lise complained to herself, then opened the alchemy primer book for the next task. "Today, you must collect 100 pistils and 100 petals. Be careful not to touch them with anything but the container."

"Yes, my beloved tutor. My mind is my hand. I shall become a gentle wind, and pluck these fragrant flowers for you." Pef replied poetically and got slapped on his shoulder.

"More work and less silliness, Pef!" she said with a friendly snort.

*Relationship with Lise has grown to 11(Accepted).

Pef grinned and focused on telekinesis. Plucking flowers with your mind was actually very difficult.