Dating.
A word that means meeting up with a lover or someone you're casually seeing to hang out and have fun. But Yuda and Tia’s current situation fell a bit, no, quite a lot short of being called a date.
Since they were planning to camp in the forest to hunt black wolves, they went around buying supplies for it. Small but pricey temple-made potions with great effects, long coats from the mage tower inscribed with warming magic, insect-repellent and bloodstain-removing salves from the general store, plus emergency kits and spare weapons, they bought a ton.
Sure, under the guise of a "date," they ate a bunch and sight-saw plenty, but Yuda and she had lived here for years. Nothing was particularly thrilling. It was just their usual routine, really.
Buying stuff, playing, and eating racked up a bigger bill than usual, but Kaseun’s money covered it all.
Money really is the best. No hesitation in buying, no need to haggle. Carrying it all home was a pain, though. But since most of it, minus a few things, would go into the 〈Inventory〉 when they left tomorrow, weight wasn’t a concern.
Back home, they spread the purchases on the floor and double-checked for anything missing. Unlike Tia, who expertly sorted through them, Yuda found many items unfamiliar.
He asked Tia what they were for and how to use them, and she explained kindly, as if it were no big deal. Since they’d be useful later, he made sure to memorize it all.
Once sorted, Yuda stashed everything into the 〈Inventory〉.
Preparations were complete. They’d stay in the forest for four days at the shortest, a week at the longest, so they turned in early.
Before dawn, Tia and Yuda woke, washed, geared up, and headed for the eastern gate. It was open, but unlike usual, no hunters or herbalists were setting out at this hour. They’d likely read the plaza’s notice and decided to lay low, spooked. Receiving worried words from Charles, the gate guard, Tia and Yuda passed through and followed a familiar path.
After about two hours of nonstop walking, they reached the entrance to the black forest.
Contrary to concerns, no black wolves were in sight in the eastern forest. But it wasn’t just them, deer, boars, and even the usual bird calls were absent too. The forest was eerily silent, save for the sound of branches rustling in the wind.
"No cigarette today?"
Yuda asked Tia as they entered the black forest, staying alert.
She held the cigarette holder in her mouth but hadn’t lit it. It was just a habit, she kept it there, occasionally exhaling with a ssshh as if craving a smoke. Her eye twitched at Yuda’s question.
"I want to, but I might put my disciple into trouble. Guess I can’t."
Tia was concerned there might be too many black wolves in this forest. No need to light up and risk it. Yuda shrugged off her unnecessary worry and kept walking.
The black forest didn’t feel as intimidating now compared to the first day. Scanning around with rolling eyes, Yuda stopped at the low grrr sound in the distance.
"Looks like the notice wasn’t for nothing."
"Yeah, not even five minutes in and we’ve got black wolves."
She blinked in surprise too. This pack had five, a bit much.
"Want me to take one?"
Yuda shook his head and drew his sword. With a shrrrng, the sharp blade slid from its sheath. Five was doable. Tia, as usual, activated stealth, climbed a tree, and watched over him. Perched lightly on a branch, she saw the five wolves encircle Yuda and close in.
The fight began in a flash. Right off the bat, one aggressive black wolf lunged at Yuda, only to collapse, spurting blood.
He’s really got talent.
Not just talent, he had skills too. Surrounded by five, he didn’t flinch, taking them down one by one. Two daggers sliced through the air, embedding in a wolf’s flank and neck, and the other three went down cleanly too. Tia hopped down from the tree as Yuda finished off the last one.
"What’s this? How are you fighting so well?"
"Hmm. Well… all thanks to your great teaching, Master?"
"Hey you, where’d you pick up that sweet talk? You’ve been talking real smooth lately."
Still, she didn’t seem displeased and chuckled lightly. Yuda himself thought it went surprisingly easy. He’d expected a bit of a struggle, but predicting their moves made it a breeze.
He opened the 〈Inventory〉 and handed Tia a skinning knife. She skinned three wolves in a flash while Yuda managed just two. They cleaned the blood off the pelts with a solution and stored them back in the bag. Gathering the stripped wolves in one spot for disposal, the once-threatening beasts now looked comical.
Snickering, Yuda wiped the blood from his daggers and longsword with a cloth, then moved on with Tia to find their next target without lingering.
The black wolves were numerous. Like they were respawning, another pack appeared shortly after dealing with one. The experience points were juicy, allowing quick leveling, but it was mentally draining. He flicked the blood off his dulled blade with a light swing. His body was covered in scratches.
"Ugh. How many have we killed?"
It felt like they’d skinned a ton, yet instead of decreasing, they seemed to multiply. They hadn’t even fully left the forest’s edge, and there were already this many, shockingly so. It was a relief they weren’t coming in larger packs.
"Dunno. Six or seven packs already, maybe? Were they really pushed out of their territory?"
"Yeah. It’s getting dark, should we set up here?"
This spot was perfect for a campfire, rare to find in a forest. The downside was its openness, with no hiding spots, but that also meant they could prepare for black wolf ambushes to some extent. Above all, it looked comfy for sleeping. Tia glanced at the sky, surveyed the area, and nodded.
"Let’s do it. Take off your clothes first, I’ll check your wounds."
At her words, Yuda stripped off his shirt without complaint. Leveling up didn’t fully heal him, it just boosted regeneration briefly, restoring a bit of stamina. With level-ups feeling so far apart and no full recovery ability, it was rough.
Tia pulled a glass vial of potion from her pocket and sat behind Yuda. Popping the cap, she scooped out a bit of the gel-like potion, rubbed it between her fingers, and applied it to his wounds. A stinging sensation hit as white smoke rose from the cuts, which began healing rapidly.
"Hmm."
It felt good. Like sinking into a hot bath, maybe. As she treated each wound, his body felt like it was melting into relaxation.
"There, done! Now go gather some branches for the campfire."
"But we held off smoking cigarettes to avoid attracting wolves, won’t a campfire do the same?"
"No choice, better to have light than get ambushed in the dark. Why fuss now? We’ve done it before."
"True. I’ll be back."
Tia nodded, waving him off casually.
There was firewood in the 〈Inventory〉, but Yuda quietly gathered fallen branches nearby. Meanwhile, Tia collected stones, arranged them in a circle, and cleared the dirt inside. She pulled a few logs from the bag, set them in the center, and surrounded them with the branches. Striking a match from her pocket, she lit the fire and put a cigarette in her mouth.
"Time to enjoy my talented disciple’s work?"
At home, Tia would cook herself, but out here, she dumped all meal prep on Yuda. Luckily, her tastes weren’t picky, so casual cooking was fine, no hassle. He pulled out a pot, reheated stew they’d bought, and fried some prepped wolf meat in a pan.
Watching him pull items from the 〈Inventory〉 with swift whoosh whoosh motions, she looked amazed. As if she couldn’t believe it no matter how often she saw it, she let out a hya of admiration.
"How in the world did you get a subspace?"
"Yeah, somehow it just happened… It’s a secret."
"You’ve got secrets from me??"
"Boys my age tend to have a few secrets."
They’d probably give it to you if you got summoned to another world. Maybe.
Unable to say that aloud, Yuda just gave an awkward smile under her envious gaze. Tia didn’t press further about the subspace.
Cooking progressed smoothly. For a forest meal, it felt pretty lavish. Delicious aromas wafted through the woods. After a filling dinner, Tia and Yuda sat around the campfire, sharpening the longsword and daggers used that day.
After that, they watched the crackling fire in silence. Tia puffed away at her cigarette as if making up for the day’s abstinence, staring at the night sky. Yuda, clutching his torn coat, nodded off bit by bit.
"Yuda."
"Y-Yes?"
Startled awake, he jerked his head up, and Tia gave a gentle smile.
"Why sleep so uncomfortably? How about you lie down and rest properly? I’m fine with just a little sleep."
It was a tempting offer. Hesitating, she urged him again. Pretending to give in, Yuda pulled a sleeping bag from the 〈Inventory〉 and lay down. Tia smiled softly, tossing branches into the fire. Hearing the crackle as it flared, he settled into the sleeping bag, fatigue fading fast. Gazing at the sky, sleep came quickly.
Tip18. Beastkin ears and tails are highly sensitive. Unless you’re close, touching them carelessly could cost you your life.
──────────────────────────────
「Status Window」
[Name: Yuda Arshe]
[Title: None]
[Level: 13]
[Class: Black Claw _ Shadow Magic Swordsman(Hidden_A)]
[Revival Count: 1]
[Strength: 35(D) / Potential A]
[Stamina: 35(D) / Potential S]
[Agility: 30(D) / Potential SS]
[Mana: 41(C) / Potential B]
[Mana Resistance: 51(C) / Potential S]
[Knowledge: 17(F) / Potential B] ◀ Special
[Luck: 84(A) / Potential S] ◀ Special
[Remaining Points: 12]
──────────────────────────────
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
***Author’s Note***
I said no gilding, and you do it more… Troublesome.
Let me know if there’s anything else you would like to be adjusted!
Comments