What happens when a person's thoughts move faster than their body can react?
That's when you can clearly see an attack coming, yet your body refuses to respond. A certain Bucciarati—who will remain nameless—knows that feeling far too well.
Wade's current body had inherited its original stats. His Intelligence had soared, making his thought process lightning fast… but his body couldn't keep up with the commands his brain fired off.
"Thud—"
A dull sound echoed. Anyone watching might have expected a romantic, ambiguous scene—a mysterious girl falling into the arms of a boy, sparking a sweet encounter.
But that wasn't what happened.
Elsa didn't knock him down. She stood steady as a pillar. Wade, on the other hand, startled himself into tripping, landing flat on the ground like a fool.
Utterly embarrassing.
He opened his mouth, ready to lash out in irritation—until his eyes locked onto the enormous greatsword strapped to her back.
To call it a sword felt like blasphemy. It was far too big. His gut told him all he needed: Alright, I've seen enough. Take it away already.
"Uh… w-what business do you have with me, lady?" he asked carefully, deciding survival was the wiser option.
"Sorry," Elsa said, bowing slightly as she leaned down and extended her hand, apology written across her face.
"?"
What kind of scene is this?
Wade reluctantly accepted her hand. It wasn't soft—far from it. Her palm was lined with calluses from endless training. It felt strong enough to crush his fingers if she willed it.
He braced himself for her to gently pull him up. But things once again went in a direction he hadn't anticipated.
Elsa suddenly yanked him forward with surprising strength, and their faces nearly collided.
The hell? Rage flared in Wade's chest. Messing with me like this? Fine, even if I get split in half by that giant sword, I'm cursing out your whole family first!
If only he knew Elsa's family situation was about as "harmonious" as Batman's.
"Sniff, sniff."
"…What are you doing?" Wade demanded, stiffening.
Elsa rose on tiptoe, her black hair brushing against his cheek as she sniffed around his neck. Warm breath fanned across his skin—what might've been an intimate gesture to someone else felt, to Wade, like a swarm of crawling caterpillars.
She tried to sniff higher, but couldn't quite reach above his neck no matter how much she stretched. The awkwardness became unbearable.
Wade pushed her back by the shoulders. "Hands off, girl. Hugging and sniffing people in broad daylight—what kind of example is that? If you're really that desperate for attention, I know a dungeon full of monsters who'd be more than happy to keep you company."
Elsa didn't flinch. Her dark eyes locked onto his.
"…The scent of monsters."
"What?"
Wade's eyes narrowed, though he forced a dry laugh. "I'm an adventurer. Having a monster scent on me is perfectly normal, isn't it?"
Strange… this body hasn't been near monsters in days.
"Not that kind," Elsa said firmly, shaking her head. Her expression twisted with frustration, as if she couldn't quite put it into words.
What she sensed wasn't the ordinary stench of monsters. It was deeper—an aura that seemed to cling to the soul itself. Unless someone had lived among monsters for a long time, there was no way to carry this kind of scent.
She had seen beast tamers before, those who raised monster mounts. They carried faint traces of it too. But Wade—
Wade's scent was overwhelming. If she had to compare, it was like the difference between a sprinkle of European spice and the fiery burn of Asian spice.
And his scent wasn't just stronger—it was dangerous.
Until now, Elsa had always relied on her uncanny ability to smell demons and monsters. At times, her nose was sharper than magic itself.
But this was her first time meeting someone who truly coexisted with such danger. Her curiosity had driven her into acting rashly.
Wade, however, felt something else stir inside him—an instinctive repulsion. A voice whispered deep in his bones: Stay away from her.
He was about to demand clarification when another voice cut in.
"Elsa, what are you doing?"
Sali came running up, panting for air. With his short frame, it was obvious he'd struggled to keep pace with Elsa.
"I…" Elsa faltered.
Sali stepped in front of Wade and gave a polite bow. "My apologies, sir. This child must have startled you."
This is the third son of the Bedford family? So polite?
Wade had heard Sali's name before, often praised as a beautiful boy. Seeing him now, Wade thought: Wait, isn't this the textbook definition of a trap character?
Then again… What if he transforms into a musclebound brute in his second phase?
He shook the thought off and chuckled. "It's fine, it's fine. A little liveliness is part of being young. Anyway, I'll be on my way. You two carry on."
With that, he made his escape.
Sali watched Wade disappear down the street, then turned to Elsa with a hard look. "What exactly were you doing?"
The steel in his voice made Elsa instinctively step back two paces. "He carries the scent of a dangerous monster."
"That must be from the dungeon," Sali said with a shake of his head. "I checked his file. He's an adventurer. Anyone who spends years in dungeons is bound to pick up traces of that scent. Don't overthink it. I'll have someone look deeper into his background just in case."
But then his words caught in his throat.
He suddenly remembered the file he had only skimmed before. The report was thin, barely half a page.
And yet one detail now screamed at him:
[Maldron, Copper-ranked Adventurer, Registration Date—]
Registration date: four days ago.
That was… very suspicious.
Sali's expression hardened. He resolved then and there to order a full investigation.
When Wade returned to White Whale Street, he found his workers loitering at the storefront with long faces.
"Why aren't you working?" he asked.
"B-b-boss!?" they stammered, staring at him as if he were a ghost.
"We heard the guards took you away… we thought you'd gotten into serious trouble. We were really worried…"
"You mean worried you wouldn't get paid, right?" Wade scratched at his neck. The memory of Elsa's hair brushing against his skin still itched. "Relax. I was just questioned a bit. Keep working like usual—you'll get your wages."
After calming them down, Wade didn't bother staying inside to supervise. He wandered out instead, Elsa's words echoing in his mind.
So being around monsters too long leaves traces? That doesn't make sense. Veteran adventurers don't reek of anything.
And that instinctive urge to avoid Elsa… what was that? It wasn't reasoned fear. It felt primal, buried deep in his soul.
"Best to stay away from her in the future," he muttered.
A few days later, an announcement appeared in the newspaper:
"The Maldron Magic Item Shop officially opens today! Specializing in dungeon goods—everything you could want, all in stock. Come take a look!"
At last, Wade's shop was finished and ready for business.