Chapter 52: Does Ais Like Me?

When the two had finally finished cutting down the swarm of mad beetles—only a few escaping their blades—Ais halted her movements. Her chest rose and fell with fatigue, the exhaustion etched clearly across her usually composed face. Noticing her state, Akira found a relatively clean spot beneath a tall tree and sat down, patting the spot beside him and beckoning Ais over. "You're already tired, so let's take a break. It's probably noon by now anyway." Akira said, pulling out food from the necklace he wore around his neck. Due to a recent system update, the [Backpack] function had been disabled, forcing Akira to craft a makeshift storage item using dimensional magic. The result? A temporary storage necklace, created with spatial manipulation. "There won't be any more monster spawns nearby for a while, so we're safe for now." Inside the lunch box was a generous and hearty meal—fried meat, seasoned rice, dried fruits—accompanied by two bottles of water and a bottle of panacea. Ais, on the other hand, had only brought some dry rations and a single bottle of water for herself, prioritizing combat readiness over comfort. Typically, Riveria would act as her supporter, managing such things for her. Seeing the delicacies Akira had laid out, Ais gave him a puzzled look, her golden eyes flickering with confusion. She seemed unsure how he'd managed to carry so much. Sensing her curiosity, Akira smiled and explained, "It's a magic item—used for storage. Nothing too fancy. Don't worry about it, Ais." His gaze shifted to her face. A small scratch had formed across her cheek, likely from the earlier scuffle. Without saying a word, Akira took the panacea, applied it to his fingers, and gently dabbed the wound. "Are you hurt anywhere else?" Ais turned around obediently, lifting her long golden hair to expose the soft skin of her back—unprotected by armor or clothing. A few red scratches marred the otherwise flawless white surface. "My back... it feels a little itchy." She said in a flat tone, as if reporting a minor observation. Akira internally sighed. Sometimes he wondered if Ais's preference for backless outfits was Loki's eccentric influence, or if there was another reason. He poured more panacea onto his palm and rubbed it gently along the scratched area of her back. Once he finished, Ais reached for the panacea, seemingly intent on returning the favor. However, after inspecting Akira from head to toe multiple times, she couldn't find any wounds. Akira stopped her gently and said, "My recovery ability is pretty strong. Small wounds like those heal on their own." Ais nodded, fully convinced. At this point, Akira's many peculiarities no longer surprised her. "Alright then, let's eat. Let's see what's delicious. Want this one?" Akira picked up a piece of crispy fried meat and held it in front of Ais. "I want it! Ah—" Ais opened her mouth like a child awaiting a treat, anticipation shining in her eyes. Akira chuckled internally. This version of Ais—so lively and open in front of him—was rare. Most would never believe it if they saw her like this. Riveria and the others would probably be thrilled to witness this softer side of her. Still... why did Ais behave this way around him? As she munched on the meat happily, Akira voiced his thoughts aloud, "Ais, we haven't known each other for that long, yet you trust me a lot. Why is that?" Ais blinked, confused by the question. Her expression betrayed no understanding of the deeper implications. Akira sighed and asked directly, feeding her again. "Does Ais like me?" "I like Akira very much." Ais replied without hesitation, her tone dead serious. Akira raised an eyebrow at that and asked, "Why?" Ais lifted her fingers and started counting them one by one. "Akira gives me fried potato balls, met the same evil god as me, fights the same monsters, uses wind, and gives me gifts." She paused before adding, "And Akira is strong. He's going to teach me 'Wind'." Akira rubbed the bridge of his nose and said, "You never told me what happened the day we met, but... I think I get what you mean. Basically, I'm strong, and you want to know why." He reached out and patted her head, saying, "Alright, alright. I get it. No need to explain more. You and I will become stronger together. I promise." Although Ais felt like Akira might've misunderstood her again, she nodded enthusiastically. "Yes. I believe in Akira!" After finishing their meal, the two resumed their exploration. — — — 21st Floor. Beneath the earth, a beast akin to a prehistoric mammoth trampled the ground. Each thunderous step crushed flowers, plants, and trees alike, leaving destruction in its wake. Anything standing in its path was flattened without mercy. This was a Mammoth Fool. As the largest common monster on the middle floors, it stood over six meters tall. Dark red fur covered its hulking body, and long, curved, spear-like tusks jutted from its massive skull. Unfortunately, something clearly wasn't right with its brain. As soon as it spotted Akira and Ais, it roared, raised its spear-like tusks, and charged with unrelenting force. True to its nickname, it's behavior was as foolish as its moniker suggested. Tree roots splintered beneath its weight, and the dense forest path was opened into a wide clearing by its advance. But instead of engaging, the mammoth fool slammed headfirst into a towering tree even larger than itself. The impact shook the ground. Leaves scattered like snowflakes, and the monster's tusks became lodged deep within the massive tree trunk. Akira watched the scene unfold with mild amusement. "Seriously...?" Then, without hesitation, he leapt onto the trembling back of the colossal beast. With a smooth motion, his one-handed sword slashed cleanly down it's forehead. The blade parted its skull, exposing a brain that had long been replaced by a glowing magic stone. With a flick of his sword, Akira shattered the core, and the beast collapsed lifelessly. Turning toward Ais, he spotted her already engaged in combat with a pack of lizardmen. The red-scaled monsters wielded metallic flowers—swords and shields. One lizardman raised its shield to block Ais's attack, while the others circled around and swung at her with deadly coordination. But Ais, short and agile, moved like water through their formation. With nimble footwork and lightning reflexes, she dodged every attack. Then her eyes flashed. Her boots dug into the dirt—and in the next instant, she burst forward with explosive speed, crashing into the group of monsters like a bolt of golden lightning.