Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: An Unforeseen Chase
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"Huh."
A beauty with fiery red hair.
Her hair shone a brilliant red, glowing even more splendidly under the desert sun.
The smile that graced her beautiful face was radiant.
The corners of her eyes crinkled, forming pleasant curves.
I stared blankly at her face.
Wow.
She's so pretty.
Where have I seen her before?
Ah.
Back when I was doing my second run of the 'Cave of the Orc King', I'd felt the gaze of a red-haired woman looking my way.
It was a bit dim at the cave entrance, she was some distance away, and I ran off quickly because of the crowd, so I didn't get a good look at her face.
But it was definitely the same woman I saw at the cave.
Seeing her now under the sun, I realized it anew.
She was really pretty.
She even had a great figure.
An elegant and delicate curve from her hips to her waistline.
And her chest was large, too.
I felt a little pouty.
She must have increased it with customization, right?
*Poke, poke.*
For a moment, I touched my own meager chest.
The difference was stark.
Should I have made mine a little bigger with customization?
In the center of the stylish uniform outfit that emphasized her firm figure was a drawing of a cute pig's face.
It was an exclusive outfit that could be obtained at a low drop rate from the 'Cave of the Orc King'.
A rare, soulbound item that couldn't be bought at the auction house.
I'm jealous.
I didn't get one.
My appraisal was long, but in reality, it all happened in a very short time.
In that brief moment, she had already drawn near.
For some reason, I got angry.
This woman might be pretty, but she was a kill-stealer.
She had attacked and stolen the 'Parmes Scorpion' I had dibs on from a distance.
Of course, of course, it's not like I attacked it first.
A Swordsman is a melee class, so what can I do?
I have to get close first, draw aggro, and then start slashing.
It's basic etiquette not to attack a monster a Swordsman is approaching.
But I timidly turned my head and avoided her gaze.
People are scary.
Forming connections is even scarier.
The kill-stealer walked right up to me as I timidly looked away, then bent down to meet my eyes.
"Hello?"
"..."
I didn't answer.
Simply not running away and pretending to ignore her was the most I could do to rebel.
I don't want to talk to a kill-stealer.
My whole posture screamed it.
If you get the hint, then hurry up and leave.
"Oh, were you about to hunt that? I'm sorry."
*Yes. I had dibs on it.*
She glanced at me cautiously before continuing.
"...Mind if I speak casually? Um, hi? How old are you? Would you mind if I drop the formalities?"
*You already started speaking informally, so why ask now? Not that I mind, since you clearly look older than me.*
"Hunting in the Parmes Desert means you must be done farming the 'Cave of the Orc King', right? Not many people have made it to this area yet. Anyone who's finished farming accessories must be in one of the few vanguard parties. That's really amazing!"
She praised me, her eyes sparkling.
*What's her motive? Why is she praising me?*
*Praising me won't get you a single copper, so I wish you'd just leave.*
"A-ahem. You seem to be a vanguard Swordsman, too. Do you have a fixed party? If not, want to party up with me? Our team has a regular tank, but he gets busy with work sometimes. Ah, but it's not like you'd just be a substitute! And I'm definitely not asking just because your customization is so my type and I think you're cute and selfishly want to party with you!"
The red-haired woman waved her hands dismissively as she made excuses.
*So transparent.*
*If their tank is gone, they can't clear dungeons, so she's trying to get me to fill in.*
*But I won't fall for that trick.*
*I'm a solo player, and I'm going to monopolize all the items and make a lot of money.*
*If I run a dungeon in a 4-person party, my profits get cut to a fourth.*
*Tap, tap, tap.*
I felt no need to listen any longer.
I tried to leave the spot quickly.
"Ah, wait!"
*Even without words, my refusal should have been clear enough. Why is she calling out to me?*
I glanced back.
The red-haired woman had a somewhat disappointed expression, waving faintly in my direction.
"C-can you at least tell me your nickname?"
"..."
*I don't have a nickname to give a kill-stealer!*
I suppressed the urge to shout that.
A faint emotion spread through my chest.
*As expected, a person's looks are a cheat.*
*That pretty woman must have won over many people with her appearance.*
*And I couldn't help but feel a slight fondness for her because of her looks, too.*
I expressed that feeling with a sigh.
"...Drizzle Rain."
The red-haired woman's eyes suddenly widened, and she hastily covered her mouth.
*What's with her?*
"Y-your voice is... Drizzle Rain? What a pretty nickname! Can I call you Rain? Is it okay if I send a friend request?"
*Beep.*
An interface popped up in front of me.
[Yin-Yang Master 'Chris' has sent you a friend request]
The system in 'Astria Online' that let you send a friend request if you knew the other person's nickname.
"Eek."
*I don't want friends.*
*If someone sends me messages while I'm soloing, it'll be a pain.*
Ever since my return, I've become severely shy around strangers.
I've developed an extreme aversion to forming connections.
Of course, I hadn't made any connections on Earth after returning, either.
Users are people, too.
Even though it was a game, I had no intention of making comrades.
*Beep.*
I squeezed my eyes shut and hit decline.
A hint of sadness appeared on the red-haired woman's face.
Seeing her expression, I felt something prick at my heart.
I ignored the unidentifiable feeling poking at my chest and quickly left the area.
*Let's run away.*
*To a place where that red-haired woman can't see me.*
***
*Boom!*
Chris defeated the 'Parmes Scorpion' in front of her and glanced across the way.
A battle was taking place there.
A battle? No, it was too beautiful a scene to be called a battle.
It was like looking at a magnificent painting.
A Parmes Scorpion raised its stinger and charged at the girl.
For a moment, the girl's eyes flashed, and the sword in her hand moved in a beautiful arc.
*Clang!*
*Clang-clang-clang!*
The scorpion's stinger was blocked by the girl's fluid swordsmanship.
At the same time, the girl's sharp thrust pierced the Parmes Scorpion's steel-like exoskeleton.
*Twirl.*
*Swoosh!*
The girl spun around, and the Swordsman skill 'Moonlight Slash' swept through the approaching Parmes Scorpions.
"Kiiiik!"
The level 16 Swordsman skill, 'Moonlight Slash'.
It was an enhanced version of the basic Swordsman skill, 'Slash'.
Perhaps because it was the girl using it, but to Chris, it seemed like an incredibly beautiful skill.
Chris let out a gasp of admiration without realizing it.
"Oh."
Chris had seen many Swordsmen fight.
But the girl's swordsmanship was on a completely different level from the crude skills of other Swordsmen.
Just how high had she ranked up her skills?
The girl's delicate blocking skill seemed to perfectly grasp the direction of the monsters' attacks.
An attack from a field monster like that probably couldn't deal even a bit of damage to her.
Her 'Thrust' skill that easily pierced the hard exoskeleton of the Parmes Scorpion, and her 'Moonlight Slash' that cut like a flash of lightning.
Even a high-agility named monster from an elite dungeon wouldn't be able to dodge it.
The girl not only had outstanding looks, but her proficiency as a Swordsman had also reached a master's level.
Chris forgot all about hunting and watched the beautiful girl's combat with her hands clasped.
*Glance.*
The girl's gaze suddenly turned toward Chris.
*Scurry!*
The girl hurriedly turned and started to run away.
"Ah!"
Chris cried out in disappointment.
*I must have gotten too close.*
*I should have watched from a bit farther away like before.*
*Crash!*
After finishing off another passing Parmes Scorpion, Chris carefully followed the girl, who was quickly shrinking in the distance.
Even while tracking the girl's back, Chris hadn't forgotten her primary duty of leveling up.
*Pitter-patter!*
The girl's white hair fluttered gracefully even as she ran away.
Her silvery-white hair swayed like a silver wolf's tail, tempting Chris.
The girl's cute appearance customization was perfectly to Chris's taste, but there was another reason Chris was now chasing after her.
"It's like a nightingale's song."
The girl's beautiful, baby angel-like voice that she had only heard for a brief moment.
Chris couldn't help but be completely charmed by it.
'Astria Online' allowed you to change your appearance with customization, but you couldn't change your gender or voice.
Which meant that girl had a very beautiful voice in real life, too.
Judging by her youthful voice, she was probably a minor, right?
If so, her small frame made sense. It probably wasn't reduced through customization.
'Astria Online' is an M-rated game, so how is a minor playing it?
Within Chris's heart, the desire to meet this girl in real life began to sprout.
"Drizzle Rain."
Rain.
Chris rolled the pretty name around in her mouth.
"I won't let you get away."
I'll become friends with her, no matter what.
*Crunch, crunch.*
Chris carefully stepped on the sand, approaching Rain.
*Scurry!*
Rain, who noticed her approach as if by magic, scurried away on her short legs.
*Stealthily, stealthily.*
*Pitter-patter!*
In the middle of the Parmes Desert, an unforeseen chase began.
And amidst it all, the scorpions of the Parmes Desert were continuously killed at the hands of the two users, Chris and Rain, who were engaged in their invisible chase.
The suffering of the Parmes Scorpions continued until Chris and Rain reached 'Philia Village', the first town in the Parmes Desert region.