The next day came in a flash.

It was a bright early morning for Pearlcrest, and everyone had fallen under an exuberant atmosphere. The main reason for a livelier mood for the City is because it's finally the weekend.

For most residents of the City, Academy students, Sect members, or just the common worker, all types of people were preparing to just enjoy their two days off.

After a long tiring week, most people have to drool through; this was one of the highlights of their daily routine.

Now for most average people, they would spend their time off relaxing with friends or by themselves at various establishments, at their homes, or any unique entertainment sights.

The more cruel parts of the world get blocked by their minds as nobody would even want to think about terrifying places such as the Decrypted Woods.

However, like many things, there are always exceptions to a norm.

And that one exception happens to involve a young man actually standing around in the Decrypted Woods. Despite the horrifying atmosphere this area continually exudes for as long it exists, this young man had complete smiles on his face.

Of course, this young man was none other than Asher. And he was actually dressed quite nicely despite coming to one of the most horrifying areas in Pearlcrest City.

His clothes fitted him in a perfect middle ground.

It wasn't like his gray tracksuit, where it's just mainly designed for him to train in. But it also wasn't something so high and fancy that would severely limit his movement.

It was an outfit that allowed Asher to have normal movement but also show a more charming side to him that accentuated his decent looks.

Currently, Asher was waiting around in the open field just before the entrance to the starting area of the Decrypted Woods.

He was basking under the warm sunlight here, letting any nerves building up calm down. Today was a monumental day for him, and despite previous foul events, he wasn't going to let that drag down his mood.

As Asher let his mind wander under the soothing rays of sunlight, he began to let out a wry smile.

He recalled the events of this morning, which ultimately led him to feel even better about that upcoming date.

As per usual, he woke up very early to prepare himself for the long day ahead. And after some last-minute cultivation, Asher moved on to get himself sufficiently dressed for his date.

In the midst of his preparation, his phone had suddenly gone off.

Initially, Asher thought it was Reese or Kylee finally contacting him. But to his surprise, it was actually Elsa!

For the proud yet reserved girl, Asher least expected her to text him so early in the morning and be first about it. It was at that time, Asher did briefly recall during their talk yesterday he mentions that if she wants to do anything different for the date, she could always text first.

Admittedly, Asher was just doing that to lightly tease Elsa. And when she had visibly reacted with a slight blush and a snort, he thought, she obviously was not going to do that.

Though it would be a welcoming surprise. And then, against his wildest expectation, she truly did text him first.

When he had read her message, Asher just knew their date would go over well. She had given him specific instructions to come over here, and even through text, it was plain to see she had some excitement about today.

Asher found it quite cute to see how awkwardly she texted while also trying to hide her enthusiasm for today.

'Hehe~! I agree. Now I'm sort of seeing why you're playing the long game with her. With our first time, it will be oh so satisfying."

Suddenly then, Yuki's teasing voice interrupted Asher of his thoughts.

He felt some heat run through his body at Yuki's suggestive words of their first time together. Some wild fantasies briefly ran through his mind before he quickly shook his head off it.

Asher rolled his eyes as an event like that would come far later down the line. And while he had desires for it, he obviously wasn't going to let it affect the way he interacted with Elsa.

With a dry tone, he started to tell Yuki, 'We first need to actually do many steps before we come close to that point. Seriously….I wonder just how frighteningly successful your quick methods are.'

'Oh Asher….you will one day see it. I'm sure of it.' Yuki spoke in a mysterious tone and went silent.

Asher wryly shook his head and focused back on waiting for Elsa. He had just arrived here a couple of minutes ago as per Elsa's instruction.

Even though he was preparing a pretty early time for the date, Elsa surprised him again by going that step beyond, wanting it sometime after the break of dawn.

And Asher certainly wasn't going to complain about the time. Doing the date this early allows them free reigns and the chance to spend a lot of time together. He didn't have any family to go home to, but Asher was sure Elsa does.

Although Asher wasn't sure what was Elsa's personal home life is like. He didn't ask yesterday as that kind of question needs a different mood to be set in.

And now, for the date, Asher had the intentions to slightly pry into her personal life, forming a deeper connection with her.

When two minutes had passed, Asher wondered how long it would take Elsa to get ready.

He humored himself in believing she could be like the old tropes he watches on shows where they depict women taking longer time than men to get ready for an outing.

However, his musing was cut short when a presence had entered his Aura Sense range.

Asher turned his head to the right, and his eyes immediately widened in awe. Slowly walking towards him was Elsa, but her beauty was taken up to a higher degree.

Her beautiful face seemed even more vibrant as she had done nice little touch-ups on it. There weren't any noticeable overt signs of makeup, but Asher could tell she had taken the time to perfectly refine her gorgeous face.

She was also wearing a lovely blue dress that fell all the way down to her ankles. The dress perfectly hugged her sexy body figure, accentuating her large breasts, curvy waist, and long legs.

At her ankles, Asher could also spot some enchanting stockings that further ignited his own flames of desires.

Even Elsa's long flowing blue hair seemed more radiant as it shone under the rich morning sunrays.

Compared to other days he saw her, Elsa now carried a more luminous starry glow that made her appear as a holy princess of a great country.

Asher briefly wondered, with that kind of appearance, how much attention did she garner? Or did she just quickly shuffle over here with her unfathomable speed?

Either way, Asher blinked his eyes and got a hold of himself. There was an intense, electrifying sensation jolting his body, but he forcefully ignored it.

This would also be his first date ever, so he wanted to make sure no mishaps happen. Putting on his best smile, Asher waved at Elsa and spoke out to her.

"I'm glad I showed up early to not keep you waiting. And I must say, you look divinely stunning. I was almost at a loss for word from your beauty."

All of this was Asher's honest opinion. He wasn't trying to be charming or swoon her off her feet. It was like he needed to say what was on his mind right now to get his true feelings across.

And though Asher felt a bit embarrassed by his own words, he didn't regret saying them. Plus, from watching Elsa's reaction to them, he could say it was an excellent first move.

As Elsa got close to Asher, she was trying to keep a calm, cool facade. But that was quickly faltering as she approached close to him and heard his compliment.

Just like how Asher felt about Elsa's new look, she had also felt a bit taken away by his current appearance.

He still simply have his decent looks, but there was a certain charm radiating off him that made Elsa even more attracted to him.

Electrifying jolts shiver down her body as Elsa was a bit enrapture at Asher's appearance and that honest compliment. She avoided making direct eye contact with him and tried to say,

"I….thank you. Hm….and, well, you too look suitable for today."

When she finished talking, Elsa felt her cheeks heating up. Most people know her as one of the calmest people ever and wonders if she even has any emotions.

And here she was, stuttering like an innocent maiden.

Elsa wanted to sigh at her embarrassing behavior but kept it in. Since everything was out in the open between them, she was determined to not let Asher continue to lead everything in their conversations.

Her own pride developed a sense of rivalry there. And though she wasn't off to a great foot, she made up her mind to make sure mistakes like that don't happen again.

All the while Elsa was doing mental gymnastics, Asher wanted to genuinely chuckle out loud.

Her face got so serious after she talked, and he found it incredibly cute. Indeed, he was blessed to be the only one to see Elsa like this.

But Asher held any chuckles in, knowing that will only sour her mood. He had then got bold and directly grabbed her soft, smooth hands.

Elsa shivered from a shock of pleasure for a second before quickly calming down.

"Thank you for coming, Elsa. Now then, shall we get walking? I'm really looking forward to this." Asher spoke in a calm tone, getting Elsa to relax even more.

"Hm."

She only gave a slight hum in agreement while still avoiding his face. And Asher swore he felt her gripping his hand tighter.

Hand in hand, they had then slowly walked to the borders of the starting area of the Decrypted Woods.