Lovely.

Truly, what a lovely forest. A forest in a cave, no less. What a dreamy place. It has changed a lot since I last been here, that was thousands of years ago. Don't mean to demean nature in general but this flora dominion is especially lovely now after a period of a seeming eternity. It changed for the better. A perfect spot for a couple outing.

I almost shrieked out in glee but I managed to hold it back. I have to be prim and proper in front of my beloved. Still, I can at least got for his arm which I wrapped mine around it.

Oops. Wrong arm. I have hugged his [Phantom Limb] instead. I awkwardly make my way to his other side and embrace that flesh arm of his.

Fumu~ The real thing is the best after all.

Although my actions are sudden but my beloved doesn't look or even act surprise. How insensitive but he's cute this way.

Hyx, my beloved came to this forest for a reason much proper but I don't see why I can't take advantage of this golden opportunity.

Unlike normal forests which are just trees as far as the eyes could see, this forest is packed with plants of various colors and shapes. Since my beloved has an appraisal ability, it's a little bit unsettling to see his eyes moving about while his head remain still. Instead of actually feeling repulsed, I'm further enticed by his peculiarity.

While observing all the different sorts of plants, a bug has crawled onto his arm. I don't have an aversion for bugs but I do find them unpleasant. My beloved however, is a different story. He calmly took it off his arm and threw it a few distances away. Thinking he's contend with just that, I turn my eyes away from the bug but then I felt a disturbance in the space around us. I looked back and found the spot where the bug is thrown to, is now a tiny crater.

What an interesting reaction.

Calming strolling through the forest while stopping and picking medicinal plants here and there, we arrived at a clearing after a little bit less than two hours. The clearing spans for at least a hundred meter. Taking up a quarter of the clearing is a pond in the middle. In the center of this pond is a small piece of land. On that land, a huge tree with cyan leaves stood proudly, ethereal chains are wrapped around the trunk and branches.

Despite the size, I can tell it is only a young seedling. The trunk and branches lacks the complexions and wrinkles that serve as a seasoned's mark.

"What the...." Hyx muttered. He must have found something with his appraisal ability. "Spirit of Nature?"

My beloved blurted out. What does he mean by "Spirit of Nature"? Did he mean this place or that tree?

Before questions came out from my lips, creatures made of flowers and wood preceded it.

"Oh.... fucking hell. Fuck fuck fuck fuck. Not you guys again...."

I'm shocked. I thought Hyx hated bugs but the look on his face right now is just simply priceless. Not just disgust, even fear, anger, and despair is in the mix. There are more than twenty of these creatures. Even without appraisal, I know what they are. Spriggans.

No wonder.

He did told me of his encounter with Spriggans covered with Red Crystals. Apparently, he lost most of his sense of pain on that encounter but he omitted the details. Reading the mood then, I didn't pursue it further. Maybe I should have pursue it?

I know a fair amount about Spriggans myself. They are forest guardians. If they appeared now, it can only mean one thing.

"Dear, they are guarding something."

"Guarding what?"

"I don't know but Spriggans are known as forest guardians in my time as they are always protecting something."

"I see." He said and conjures an orb of blue flames in his palm. He paused as if he noticed something off. He stares at my way. "Dear?"

Oh? He was wondering about that? Ehehe~ How amusing. "I can't?" I asked while making sure I look as appealing as possible.

Before answers came, the Spriggans attack.

"Fucking KYs." Hyx said with a groan and threw the blue fireball in his palm. I wonder what he meant by "KYs"?

The blue flames spread nicely among them but not all of them are caught in it.

"That's right! Burn, you fucks!" Hyx suddenly shouted. He is grinning at the sight of the Spriggans bathed in the sea of blue flames. I'm a little worried to be honest.

Let me help, okay?

I raise a tide of shadows and send it crashing at the Spriggans, shredding them like timber. Ara~? To my surprise, the number of Spriggans who survived the shadow onslaughts are more than I anticipated.

They're quite resilient, aren't they?

[Light Magic] would be clear away the Spriggans easily but since my beloved need the plants, that's out of the question. After all, [Light Magic] is a little similar to [Fire Magic] since both of them are heat-based. I might end up destroying the whole forest if I'm not careful. Hai~ Being strong has its demerits I suppose?

I guess [Abyss Magic] would do? Since we're underground, [Abyssal Rain] is definitely impossible and a no-no. So, [Death Garden]?

Ah? Never mind. Apparently, my beloved has overdone it. He has set alight the whole place with blue flames. Under normal circumstances, I would be worried but this is not normal. The blue flames are burning but it only burns the Spriggans. Eh, wait. My shadow tides are being burned away too by the blue flames. It's burning away all magic.

Hai~ My sweetheart. Just what are you?

I can't wait for the day he surpasses me. It would be glorious.

Ehehe~ Thinking about it alone is enough to make me feel excited. Guhehe~

"Angie." My beloved called out as he shook me.

Oops. I dazed off in my fantasies. This is no good of me. I have to be prim and proper. Prim and proper, Senna.

On the other hand, my beloved is decimating the Spriggans with blue flames while laughing maniacally.

"Having fun?"

Eh? His face turned sour when I asked that. What did I do?

"No, not really." He answers without any excitement. Strange, didn't you look so excited just now when you were turning every Spriggans to ashes? I suppose the experience with the Red Crystal Spriggans must have really left a deep scar on him.

Fortunately, the Spriggans aren't endless. Either they are all eliminated or they retreated, I do not know. I'm just thankful that they stopped coming.

Now, let's ask my beloved about what's happening.

He pointed at the tree in the middle of the lake. Figures.

"They are protecting that."

"That seedling?"

"Seedling? You know what is it?"

"No but it's obvious. I am over a hun....." Oops. Almost let out my age. Age is a woman's biggest secret next to weight. My beloved already probably knows my real age but let's both play the fools here. "I have lived a long time, I know these things."

"I see...." he said while looking conflicted. He probably noticed my slip-up.

Making sure no Spriggans are attacking us anymore, we approached the pond. At then, I noticed a carefully yet naturally concealed presence nearing us from behind. Without needing a nudge from me, my beloved too noticed the extra presence.

"Greetings, two fellow Sagax." We turn around and we are greeted by a woman with cyan hair wearing a very compose expression. She looks human but she's obviously not.

Neglecting her race.... she's beautiful. I'm well aware of my own beauty thanks to the constant reminder of the peoples around me but I believe this woman outrank me in every aspect of beauty. She's even dressed with a lot of exposure, especially on her chest area and her thighs. Not good, I can't compete with her. Despite looking older than me, she's definitely a higher tier beauty. I suddenly felt a prick on my heart. I turn to look at my beloved.

He looks shocked but he doesn't look entrance by the beauty of that cyan hair woman. I guess it's good? Come to think of it, his expression isn't too exaggerated either when he first met me.

No. He's certainly bewitched. I can hear the loud beat of his heart and the red tinge on his cheeks. Mou~ How could you~

I pinch him and he jumped.

"What?" He asked.

What do you mean "what"? You were ogling at other woman, that's why! Is what want to say but I remained prim and proper. "Please exercise restrain." I subtly warn him.

"Rest easy, Nephilim. I have no intention on stealing your mate." said the woman.

My blood is boiling. Are assuming that you could steal my man if you wanted to?

I feel a clasp on my shoulder. Is my beloved. "It's alright." He assures me. Not with a smile but with an expressionless face. He stepped in front of me. "May we be of assistance, Dryad?"

Dryad? Hmph. That explains her beauty. A natural seductress in the most literal sense. Although, isn't she a little bit too old? Most Dryad looks like a human girl at the coming of age period. This is the first time I see a Dryad this old.

"I know what you two are thinking. I am quite old comparing to a Dryad's standard."

"Old?" My beloved blurted out.

What's this? Is my beloved falling for the vixen's tricks?

"I think old is an understatement for you, Dryad. Wouldn't ancient be more suitable?"

The Dryad looks confused at first but her calm expression return shortly after. "I see, you have an appraisal ability."

My beloved then whispers into my ear the age of the Dryad in front of us.

Wh...what? Over a million years old? Holy.... That's so old. And what's more, she doesn't even look the quarter of her age..... Curse you, Dryads!!

"What do you want? You obviously saw me massacring all your Kin just now. Doesn't make sense for you to just popped out of nowhere to greet us when we obviously showed you hostility."

The Dryad chuckled. "To be fair, we showed you hostility first."

Oh? This Dryad is reasonable.

"Well, damn straight." My beloved said. "So, get straight to the point. Be direct cause my mood has just been dampen."

"Be at ease, shepherd. I have no intention on misleading you. What I have to say to you and ask of you are all the truest and the most sincere."

"Uh huh....?"

He made a weird sound that I can only see as a mockery towards the Dryad.

But the Dryad smiled back at my beloved's distrusting ridicule. She's quite prim and proper. I don't like her even more.

Unexpectedly, the Dryad kept to her words and told us everything.

Her story was quite long and she used some surreal words but my beloved helped me summarized the whole thing. I'm impress that he is able to absorb all the words and knowledge in one gulp. It seems like he's not only amazing in his Mana prowess.

Putting aside the matter on my beloved's versatility, this is how the Dryad's story went.

This forest is the birthplace of the Spirits of Nature. It was once barren but at certain point, it was blessed a miracle by the grace and generosity of the Gods. Life flourished and bloomed magnificently. It became something akin to a heart of nature. The surroundings were affected by this miracle forest and these places too started blooming beautiful marvels, most of all, magic ore veins.

Just as my beloved and I already have known, humans came and they desecrated these wonders. They harvest the resources and used it for their selfish reasons and benefits. Eventually, their rapid rise and evolution attracted the unknowns. They fend off the invaders but the Gods were angry and had enough of these humans' greed. The Gods plunged this civilization underground, both as a punishment to the greedy ones and to make sure the Outworld Devils, as the Dryad calls the Void Demons, never to set foot again into this world.

Unfortunately, this miracle forest is also cut off from the world to prevent it from being exploited again. The forest survived this long without sunlight or water is all because of me. Though it wasn't originally their intention to draw power from me but they had no choice.

Of course, I'm angry but I'm calmed down after my beloved embraced me. Mwu~ no fair. So sneaky.

Ahem~ Back to the story. Before the greedy ones were sealed, before they were judged, they were very meager with their resources. These people became so paranoid and delusional. They can't stand the idea of anyone having these power and knowledge too. So, they sealed the source of their fortune away. Kept them lock away like mere artifact objects, only to be retrieved out when needed.

So this was what happened.... They sealed me and only to free me when they need me.... Serves you all right, you twats.

Nevertheless, the three sources the Dryad spoke of are,

A Nephilim, which is me, a very powerful war potential and a Mana reservoir, as how the Dryad puts it. How rude.

An ancient giant race called Colossus. He was sealed for his unparalleled knowledge of forging and crafting. He helped created the first Mondra. Most of the complex artifacts in my time were made by him. Strange, I never met this giant before though. Then again, there's a lot of genius back at my time that I'm not acquainted with. I always left the talks and diplomacy to my others.

And finally, a young Dryad of the purest and oldest line. The young Dryad possesses the knowledge to a lot of long forgotten potion recipes.

Now, a Void Demon has roamed free. The power source of this whole place, me, is cut off. The forest is dying and it can only sustain itself for another three years before completely withering out.

"Yes, that's very enlightening and fantastic and all but, I still don't hear an ask."

"Then, here's the ask. The Spirits of Nature in this parts greatly differs to the ones on the outside and surface. We are the purest and the oldest of our own kind. And right there," The Dryad points at the tree in the center of the pond. "A young Dryad is sealed there, our legacy. We request you to take it under your care, Shepherd."

"Under my care?"

"If she's left here, she would wither away along with us."

I feel a change in my beloved's air. What's wrong, I wonder?

"Why me?"

"That's right, why him?" I pull my beloved closer to me.

"Because you are the Shepherd, aren't you? None of us were able to break the chains that have imprisoned our legacy. If it's you, I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem."

"Shepherd?" I asked and I look to my beloved for an answer.

"I don't know what she's saying either." is what the face of my beloved is telling me.

"You must be. There's no way, you're not. Even the Spirits are clamoring around you. That says a lot."

I look at my beloved but I don't see anything.

"They never do that unless one has a high affinity with [Spirit Magic]. You obviously don't. You're not a Spirit either so it comes down to one possibility. You are the Shepherd." The Dryad said with a face full of confidence. Not a single hint of being mistaken could be seen on her face.

"Shepherd.... Are you referring to.... Harbinger?"

"Yes but I would prefer not to call our savior with such crude name."

"Harbinger?"

"I didn't tell you about it?" My beloved asks.

"No, you didn't."

"Ah. Sorry. There were just so much things to tell you that I may have forgotten about a few things."

I forgave him but I made him promise to tell me everything he forgotten later, while in the bed of course.

"But I might not be the Harbinger though?"

Both me and the Dryad raised our eyebrows.

"I'm only called the Harbinger by a Void Demon. As far as I can tell, I have no such title."

"Hmm.... This is.... unexpected...." The Dryad's face turns gloom at once.

"But I will take care of the young Dryad even if I'm not the Harbinger."

"You will?" I blurted out.

"Oh? Why is that?" The Dryad asked with a faint smile. So sly.

"I owed the Spirits of Nature. If it wasn't for the generosity of a Spirit of Nature, my party and I wouldn't have been able to make it out of the dungeon in the south. If I can repay them, I will do it."

The Dryad lets out a smile, wryly. "Then perhaps, you are the Shepherd after all. I don't feel any malevolent intention behind your eyes when you ask to take care of the Dryad."

My beloved return a wry smile too. I saw it and pinch him on the waist.

"A little service wouldn't hurt, right?"

He has a point but.... it just doesn't sit right with me. I can't help but feeling my heart getting prickled when my beloved is flirting with another woman, especially if it's a woman more beautiful than me.

I pout.

He saw my state. He rustles my hair while whispering some extreme promises for when are in bed. Guhehe~ All according to plan.

"What about you?"

Eh~? My beloved said some unneeded things. W...why?

"I have seen a lot and experienced a lot. I have every desire to spent my last days in peace. I only wish for the pure line to be preserved. That alone, is enough."

Whew~ Luckily this Dryad is unusual.

"But... I don't mind a last night for the sake of relieving a fleeting memory of my frolic past."

WHAT. DID. THIS. WHORE. JUST. SAY!?

I bare my wings and almost turn this slut into mince but I'm stopped by my beloved. Why? Why are you stopping me? Let me go and gut that bitch!

"Calm down, Angie. She's just joking," My beloved then look towards the Dryad "right?"

I too glance at the Dryad.

Swaying her figure vaguely, she answers "Ara~ I wonder~?" with her hand on her lips.

If it wasn't for my beloved who held onto me tightly and whispers affection into my ear, I don't think I would have been able to restrain myself.

For someone who is "pure" just days before, he's quite good at showing affection when it is truly needed. Such a sly person my beloved is.

I though we would be given the care of the young Dryad without anymore complications but I was being too optimistic and naive.

"Forgive me for the late revelations but..... I'm the last Spirit that has remained sane for the last two thousand years."

Ah.... In other words, the Dryad here is the only one that isn't hostile.

When we got near the pond, large trees appear from it.

When I asked my beloved, I got the answer "They are Elder Treants. They all have Demented as their status. They are over a million years old too. They're not that threatening. They are C levels at most."

I would be happy with just "They're hostiles."

Before I can offer myself to sweep these tactless trunks away, my beloved stepped up instead. It seems he has something he wants to try. So I let him.

One of the Treants fired a green energy beam at my beloved but a dark purplish barrier absorbed the energy. The green energy is then converted into the barrier's Mana upkeep. What a wonderful spell, as expected of my beloved.

"Hmm.... I didn't gain any [Nature Magic] from it."

Looks like my beloved doesn't have the aptitude for [Nature Magic] or does he need [Soul Harvest] to acquire it? He use to had the notion of [Spirit Magic] and [Nature Magic] being the same thing but I have made it clear to him that the two are different Arcane Arts.

Hmm? Where did he went? My beloved disappeared all of a sudden. I can't sense his presence anywhere. What did he do?

Without any sound or the slightest hint to give him away, the five Elder Treants are instantly severed into half.

"Timber!" My beloved shouted as he reappeared.

What was that? He completely erased his presence. Not even an S-rank like me is able to perceive him. What a frightening ability he has.

"Such an adept display in dispatching your enemies. I expected no less from the shepherd." I heard such words from the Dryad who is clapping behind me. Gununu~ This Dryad.... Just begone already!

Huh? What is he trying to do? Is he trying to swim across the pond?

As I'm about to offer my wings, he casually strides across the surface of the pond. Eh? He can do that? I can see some sort of distorted plane under his feet as footholds. [Spatial Magic], no doubt.

Unlike me who is all combat-oriented, my beloved is a jack-of-trades. Mah~ As expected of my eccentric savior. Fufufu~ I have truly struck gold.

Ah. No good. I almost let loose my inner side of me. Prim and proper, Senna.

Just a few steps in, ripples spread across the water surface. As oppose to the sense of anxiety brewing within me, my beloved looks so calm. Too calm, in fact. Six serpents covered in mosses of approximately fifty meters emerge from the depths. Now that I look closely at the depths, is this suppose to be a lake instead rather than a pond?

He spins with his ethereal arm splayed. Like the Elder Treants earlier, the six moss-covered serpents met the same fate.

Although our gap in strength is still far apart, he is by no means weak. He told me he is only C-rank from his appraisal ability but I think his appraisal is mistaken. With that kind of power, he must be at least a B-rank.

More monsters from the lake came out but my beloved easily dispatches all of them. Just a few steps away from the small island at the center, a humanoid reptile appears. Like every other monsters, it is also covered in mosses and it stood over five meters tall. I can see my beloved using the same ability of space-cutting but the reptile monster resisted it. Even from here, I heard him cursed.

Such foul mouth~ but I don't dislike it.

I moved in between them with [Gap Shrink] and brought an abrupt end to the reptile monster with [Blight Barrage].

I feel my beloved gazing at me but I didn't give a response to it. Just like always, he's surprised at the level of my ability while he himself is far more absurd. Such an odd person. My beloved thank me with a pat on my head. Although I feel like a pet for being patted, I quite enjoy the feeling of having your love one rustling your hair. Such a baffling sensation but a good one.

Standing just before the enchained tree, he tilts and inclines his head. So this is how he ponders, what a cute action. Gah~ What's happening to me~? I'm thinking that everything he does is cute. Isn't this slowly crossing into the boundaries of obsession?

While I'm thinking such things, black tendrils emerge from my beloved's back. I immediately took a stance at first but he quickly reassure my needless worries. Apparently this is his unique Arcane Art, [Soul Harvest]. The black tendrils devoured the binding chains but left the tree alone.

"Ooh, level up!" My beloved exclaimed. His smile suddenly make my day so many times better. Gosh~ I'm really head over heels for him. Why is that? I never think that I could love someone so much. Am I really going obsess over him?

The tree lights up into a brilliant cyan and it disperses into thousands of tiny flickers, they look like [Light Drop]. When the lights faded, a small frail girl with cyan hair lies in the place of the tall tree. The girl looks a little bit like Nilin, the Wisp.

"That was easy." I remarked.

"Yeah.... only now...." When my beloved said those words, I can see his hands trembling slightly. A short one but it was rough. He even took deep breaths to calm down. Looks like I have unintentionally reminded him of some past trauma.

I whisper an apology which he he reassure that I have done nothing wrong. Wow, even his hearing is excellent. Just what else is absurd about my beloved?

As if sensing us, the little girl wakes up. She blinks a few times before alternating her gaze between me and my beloved. Before either one of us spoke, she emanates cyan lights. Cyan vines sprouted from the soil around her. I can feel the animosity from her and the vines. Does she sees us as enemies? We're not, you know?

As if hearing the words in my head, the girl stops, the vines retreated back into the soil. Her gaze is fixated on my beloved.

Huh? Why does my heart felt like it's being torn apart?

Without any words, the girl throws herself into my beloved.

"Nn~!" She made such sounds as my beloved gently receives her.

Eh~! What is she trying to do~!? And Hyx, what are you doing by acting all flustered? Swat her away, now!

"Ara ara~ Seems like she likes you." The Dryad said. Where did you come from? How did you crossed the lake?

"Why?" My beloved spare no effort to conceal his vexation. His current facial expression would make one think his cool demeanor just moments before is non-existent.

"Spirits flock to those who could prove beneficial to them. The more benefits one will provide, the more Spirits will gather to that person. And you, dear shepherd, you have a lot of Spirits flocking to you. Do you notice?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh right, I have [Spirit Sight]." he said. I can tell he invoke [Spirit Sight] because the next moment, he went "Holy fudge monkeys!" I don't know what he meant by those words but it must be words of surprise in his world. Great, it is just itching me to learn more about my beloved and his world.

Oh? The girl is still rubbing her face on his legs. Oi, do something. Don't just let her do that.

"She doesn't look like someone who has been sealed for a long time. She's taking it quite well."

"She may have been sealed but she was still aware of her surroundings."

Just like me, I see.

"Even if she wasn't sealed. Her fate and daily routines won't make much difference. We are Spirits after all. In a way, we are very much like plants."

"Then why bother sealing her?"

"That's the notion of the ones who imprisoned her. They applied human's logic to a Spirit. Although it doesn't shift our routines much, we are still ticked by such acts."

"I see." My beloved then makes a troubled face. "Does she has a nickname?"

"Hmm?" The Dryad tilts her head in confusion. "She's a Dryad like me. And her name is...."

"I know what's her name. I'm just asking is there a simpler way to call her. Her name is quite long and I'm afraid I'll bite my tongue saying her name."

"Oh?" The Dryad giggled. I don't know why, it really boils my blood seeing her giggle with those affectionate eyes. "That's up to you, Shepherd."

"Kirin." The little girl said with a flat voice and tone. She turns to me and our gaze match. Without breaking her gaze from me, she tightened her grasp on my beloved.

THIS LITTLE....!

The cunning little thieving cat even put her hands on my beloved's cheeks. She can't reach it of course, so she motioned for him to bend down. And she did it with a toneless face. With both her hands clasping on each side of his cheek, they touch their forehead.

I would have rain down [Blight Barrage] on the little girl but what she said and does next ceased my hysteric actions.

"Does the pain ever stops?" she murmurs while their foreheads are still touching.

Pain? What pain?

"It does." He answers. "It always comes back ever so often. It doesn't go away as long as I wish."

"What is she talking about?" I asked.

"Kirin has the ability to see into other people's soul and mind. She has seen the shepherd's." It was the woman Dryad that answered me.

"Let go?" The young Dryad named Kirin asked. I wonder if she's incapable of showing emotion?

With a painful and sorrowful face, my beloved said "It's not easy to get rid of it."

"Then, as a thanks for freeing me of these chains...." Kirin said and gave a kiss onto my beloved's forehead.

I wanted to pulverize this thieving cat right now but I understand what's she trying to do, so I refrain. Even without appraisal, I can tell she's mending my beloved's mind and soul. I don't know if it helps him forget but I can at least tell it is soothing my beloved's spirit. She even heals back the lost arm of my beloved.

"Wh...what?" my beloved blurted out.

"Better?" The thieving cat asked with her head titled all the while showing only an expressionless face.

"Y...yeah. Thanks, Kirin." he said, flexing his fingers of his new arm.

It hurts. It hurts seeing your beloved being soothed and mended by others while you can only helplessly cheer from the sides. How vexing. Unforgivable.

But of course, I'm not that unreasonable. I am also very thankful to her who has done something that I couldn't for my beloved. I said my thanks to the thieving cat too.

"Welcome." She said, nodding slightly.

My beloved smiled..... and is now rubbing the young Dryad..... no, the thieving cat's head. She's even enjoying it. She's not showing it but I know she is.

Before I could insert myself into the pink space forming between the two, my beloved suddenly rose straight up. His face told me something must have happened to Tom. It could have been the playful three but since they are training somewhere in the peaceful deserted city, it is unlikely that they are the ones in trouble.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I don't know. My link with Tom is cut off suddenly."

My beloved have told me of his "special" relationship with Tom. My beloved has a telepathy link with Tom since he gave away portion of his own essence to resurrect him. I am so envious of it. Gah~ I want some of his essence too. Not just the one from below. Gah~

Ah. Now it's not the time for that, Senna.

"Sorry, Dryad. I have to go now. My friends might be in danger."

"I understand." The Dryad said so with a nod and moved out of our way. How tactful.

As we are about to leave, something "interesting" happened in the corner of my view. The thieving cat, Kirin has grabbed on to the hem of my beloved's shirt.

"Follow." She said and pointed at herself.

My beloved is stuttering on his words while I look at the Dryad.

"Take her. She will be able to help. She has magic with healing properties."

My beloved sighed and took Kirin under her arms. "Fine. We need healing anyways." He then looks towards me. "Angie, let's go."

I nodded while not taking my focus and attention off the thieving cat who is clinging tightly onto my beloved.

It had taken us more than two hours to reach this clearing on foot but with teleportation magic, we reach the egress in just less than half an hour. It would have taken longer for me since my [Gap Shrink] has a limited range. My beloved wrapped his other free arm around me and we move with his teleportation magic instead since the range is further. With such range and usage frequency, he ran out of Mana quickly but he uses me as a Mana tank when he ran out of Mana.

For some reasons, Kirin started competing with me on who can offer him the most Mana. To my amazement, Kirin has quite the amount of Mana.

So, my beloved didn't need to worry about running of Mana while he exceed all of his strength to reach the other side of this place.

I wonder if he knew his hand is touching one of my pride. Judging from how red he is, I guess he does.

Kirin noticed this and she's measuring her own. She looks kinda dejected.

Serves you right, you thieving cat.