“Erylin, do you like me?”
“I don't...”
Erylin tilted her head, tapping her chin with her index finger as she looked at Ain with a puzzled expression.
Ain spread his hands, wearing a look of utter confidence.
“See!”
Lillian clenched her small fists, looking first at Ain and then at Erylin.
“I! You guys!”
She suddenly didn't want to play this romance game with these two anymore.
Lillian felt like she was just a prop in their little roleplay.
Maybe I should just sneak some passion powder into their food and be done with it...
Lillian looked at Ain with a resentful gaze.
No feelings, my foot...
If you actually did something like that with Erylin, I’d like to see if you still have ‘no feelings’!
Soon, the girl's expression shifted to one of worry.
But it still feels like I’d be giving away something that belongs to me...
Looking at the vast field of ice spikes on the practice grounds that had yet to dissipate, Lillian was secretly startled. Despite spending every day with Erylin, this was the first time she had seen her unleash magic on such a massive scale.
Just as she was about to say something, two white birds flew toward them at high speed from a distance. One of them landed steadily on Erylin’s shoulder.
“This is... Professor Finn’s magic!”
Erylin spoke with some surprise. When her hand touched the bird, it instantly transformed into glowing white particles and vanished into the air.
Immediately, several lines of text appeared on Erylin’s hand.
The other white bird landed on Ain’s hand in the same manner.
“Communication magic, huh...”
Ain murmured, silently reading the words appearing on his hand.
“Ain Aldric, Group Five is dissolved. You are being transferred to Group Three. Assemble at the Mosen Inn by the city gates...”
Group Three...
That was Erylin’s group!
A smile tugged at the corner of Ain’s mouth.
“So it’s finally happening...”
Before the auction in Act Three of the original game began, players had a 50% chance to trigger a hidden special event.
Assisting the auction house in recovering precious items scattered from a crashed transport ship.
In the first playthrough, if the player-controlled character joined the Typhon Chain, they would need to search for the lost transport ship alongside other members in an area teeming with monsters.
Most importantly, players could encounter the Saintess of the Church, Grace, during this event!
Ain had originally thought this was one of the clues to unlocking the hidden ending of Act Three.
To verify his theory, he had specifically reloaded an old save after beating the game to see if the final outcome of Act Three would change after triggering this event.
However, the reality was that nothing changed.
Compared to the ending CG where the event wasn't triggered, Grace’s death scene in this branch was even more horrific—the level of brutality increased exponentially.
She didn't even leave a whole corpse; her internal organs were scattered everywhere.
Ain had been so furious at the time that he punched and shattered the 27-inch monitor he had saved up for months to buy.
The cost was a noble injury to his right hand and a few hundred dollars in hospital fees.
For the rest of that month, he could only scrape by on instant noodles.
Make the damn game properly, you bastards!
But in the end, he still chose to trigger this event as the branch ending for completing Act Three.
If for nothing else, it was because this event was the fastest way to grind levels in Act Three.
The area where the transport ship crashed was swarming with monsters, most of them Tier 3 or Tier 4.
Not to mention, he would have Erylin and several Tier 4 instructors as teammates. He only needed to jump in and snatch the last hit when they had almost killed a monster.
The experience points would be his.
This was a must-do event for early-game leveling. If missed, it would take a massive amount of grinding to level up later.
“Speaking of which, that letter I sent out a few days ago should be arriving at the academy soon...”
Ain chuckled, his next plan beginning to take shape in his mind.
That letter was merely a notification, not a request.
Ain had no intention of following the academy’s instructions.
This event wouldn't affect the progress of the auction either.
Although the compass fell with the ship, it was ultimately found first by the nobles of the auction house.
In the original plot, Grace intended to use this event as an opportunity to swap the compass—a classic bait-and-switch.
Even though Grace failed to find the compass in the end, she used the opportunity to meet Erylin ahead of time.
When playing the game, even though Ain knew the compass's location in advance, he didn't dare rush into that place recklessly.
His early-game stats simply weren't high enough; the transport ship containing the compass was surrounded by massive swarms of monsters.
But things were different now...
The smile on Ain’s face widened.
Hehehehe!
I’m a second-playthrough player now!
You idiots can go ahead and take your time searching!
As long as he found Grace during this event, he could lead her straight to the compass and then use the fake one she had prepared to pull off the switch!
Then, when the auction began, he would capture that big, stupid dragon as planned and have it fly him and Grace to the location of the holy spear.
Finally, he would combine the fragment with the holy spear for a perfect speedrun of Act Three! Wahahahaha!
He’d take everything he could, and even the things he couldn't, and then steamrolling through the main storylines of Act Four and Act Five would be a piece of cake!
It was, quite simply, the perfect plan!
Ain couldn't imagine any way he could lose.
“Ain, your laugh is really creepy...”
Hearing Erylin’s voice, Ain subconsciously wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth.
“I-Is it?”
“Are you going to the city gates too?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“Wait, where are you guys going?”
Hearing Lillian’s question, Ain and Erylin both explained the situation to her.
Ain suddenly remembered that this girl had told him a few nights ago that he had to take her with him wherever he went.
But Lillian wasn't even a member of the Typhon Chain...
Ain looked at Lillian suspiciously and asked, “Do you really have to go?”
Lillian looked confused. “When did I say I was going?”
Ain was speechless.
“Didn't you make a scene that night, saying that from now on, no matter where I go...”
“Ugh! Whatever, whatever! I’m not going anyway!”
Lillian put her hands on her hips and looked at Ain huffily.
“But you can't go looking for other girls!”
“Huh? I’m going out on business! How could I possibly look for other girls? If I were that kind of person, I’d—!”
Ain’s voice cut off abruptly as he realized that he actually did need to find Grace during this sudden event.
Hiss...
But that shouldn't count as fooling around, right?
I’m not going to flirt with her. She wouldn't just throw herself at me, right?
“I don't believe you!”
Lillian made a face at Ain in annoyance.
Then, the girl looked at Erylin and said with total sincerity, “I only trust Erylin!”
“Erylin, you’ll help me, right?”
Erylin nodded gently. “Mhm.”
“You have to keep a close eye on Ain for me!”
“Mhm, mhm.”
“You absolutely cannot let him find any girls other than you!”
“Mhm, mhm... Wait, what?”
“As long as you can keep him in check, it’s fine even if you drag him somewhere private to get intimate, or even... do all sorts of things! It’s a necessary measure!”
Immediately after, Lillian pressed a bottle of pink potion into Erylin’s hand and said solemnly, “Even if you have to use this to... and then... as long as it stops him from finding other girls, using these methods to keep him by your side is perfectly fine!!!”
“Eh? Eh?!!!”
“Li-Lillian! What are you saying?! I wouldn't do something like that! I really wouldn't!”
Erylin’s face was flushed red as usual, and she waved her hands frantically in a fluster. But suddenly, Ain saw a piercing reflection flashing on her neck.
It looked like shards of condensed ice crystals.
“Erylin, is there something on your neck...?”
The moment the words left Ain’s mouth, Erylin’s pupils dilated slightly. She instinctively covered her neck, then quickly regained her composure, looking at Ain with a puzzled expression.
“What is it?”
Erylin let go of her neck. When Ain looked, he saw only her fair skin and a single necklace.
“Ah... it’s nothing...”
Ain just felt it was a bit strange.
Perhaps it was just a strong reflection from the necklace.
Since it only lasted for an instant, he hadn't seen the exact image clearly.
Soon, after Erylin said goodbye to her parents, she and Ain left the estate.
On the way, Erylin readjusted her Typhon Chain uniform, pulling the collar higher to hide her neck.
Beneath the fabric, layers of frost slowly condensed on her skin. Under the bone-chilling temperature, her skin turned bright red and congested.
The girl seemed completely oblivious to the abnormality in her own body. A faint smile remained on her lips as she quietly gazed at Ain beside her.
“There are many fun places nearby. After this mission is over, we could...”
Ain stopped in his tracks instantly.
“Erylin.”
“What is...”
Erylin looked up in slight surprise, her gaze meeting Ain’s.
Before she could react, her slender hand was firmly grasped in his palm.
“It’s the same as that time at the academy, isn't it?”
Ain looked at Erylin with concern.
“Is there something you want to tell me?”
In an instant, the frost on the girl’s neck receded slightly.
Rate on N.U.
