Frieren: "The Poison Dragon sounds like a type of dragon, right?"
Stella: "Since it needed to be defeated, I'm guessing it's an enemy?"
Ayame: "I wonder if Sui is in danger."
Megumi Kato: "@Haruto, did something happen with Sui?"
Haruto: "Nothing serious."
Haruto: "[Image]"
Haruto: "Sui ran into this monster, but it's been dealt with. She's fine now."
Saeko Busujima: "It's huge, but it looks more like a snake than a true dragon."
Haruto: "It probably has some dragon blood in it."
Frieren: "Hmm, those scales do look draconic."
Shizu: "Monsters with dragon bloodline traits must be really powerful, right?"
Haruto: "It wasn't particularly weak, but it's comparable to some of the more dangerous species from Akame's world."
Haruto: "By the time I arrived, Sui had already broken through its defenses."
Stella: "Oh, so you just swooped in for the easy finish, huh?"
Sui: "N-no, I had already exhausted all my magic..."
Shizu: "So Sui is also quite a strong elf, isn't she?"
Sui: "Thank you for the compliment."
Blushing furiously beneath Haruto's oversized jacket, Sui looked down, flustered by the unexpected praise.
Akame: "Doesn't look like it would taste good."
Haruto: "Well, it 'could' be edible if you properly drain the poison."
Stella: "Wait, you're seriously thinking about eating a poisonous snake-dragon?"
Akame: "Too bad."
Stella: "???"
Stella often felt completely, hopelessly out of sync with the chaotic nature of the chat group.
Mai Sakurajima: "Since you're done dealing with that crisis, when are you coming back?"
Haruto: "Oh? Is my dear Mai missing me already?"
Mai Sakurajima: "..."
Standing in the center of her room while actively slipping into her signature glossy black bunny suit and sheer black stockings, Mai completely froze mid-motion.
"Honestly, how does he always manage to turn it around and make me the one who's desperate?" she muttered to herself, her cheeks burning red in frustration.
Haruto: "I'll be back a bit later. There happen to be plenty more monsters like this one crawling around this world."
Mai, exceptionally perceptive and deeply understanding of his capabilities, immediately grasped the underlying meaning behind his words.
She knew that Haruto's incredible growth and abilities heavily relied on acquiring powers from creatures like this.
Mai Sakurajima: "Alright. Take your time, then."
"Sigh..."
She let out a soft, breathy sigh of anticipation.
It looked like she would have to spend the next couple of hours waiting alone in her empty room, fully dolled up in her embarrassing, skin-tight bunny outfit.
As she glanced down at her legs encased in sleek, smooth black stockings, a bold, mischievous idea suddenly sparked in her mind.
"Maybe... I should try pushing myself a little further tonight. Would Haruto like that?"
After a moment of seductive hesitation, a determined glint crossed her eyes.
She reached down, her fingers gripping the edge of the fine fabric.
Rip!
The sound of tearing fabric tore through the quiet, empty bedroom.
Mai looked down at her hands, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs as she stared at the fresh tear she had just intentionally inflicted upon the sleek, high-denier black stocking hugging her thigh.
A jolt of electric thrill shot straight down her spine.
The very thought of how Haruto would react when he saw her altered, slightly ruined outfit made her breath catch in her throat.
For a girl who usually carried herself with absolute poise and immaculate perfection, this was a wildly out-of-character act of bold, seductive rebellion.
"What am I even doing...?" she muttered to herself, her cheeks burning a fierce, incandescent crimson as she stared at her reflection in the full-length mirror.
And yet, despite the wave of embarrassment, the heavy, anticipatory ache in her chest only grew more intense.
She adjusted her pose, letting the torn mesh catch the warm light, her pulse racing as she imagined the exact moment he would come back.
Meanwhile, Haruto turned his attention back to Sui, who was still standing awkwardly wrapped in his oversized jacket, and asked.
"Sui, do you happen to have some free time right now?"
Haruto's voice suddenly broke the silence, shocking Sui right out of her deeply suggestive daydream.
She let out a startled gasp, violently averting her gaze as she scrambled to look anywhere else, not daring to meet his intense eyes.
"I-I don't have anything urgent to take care of right now," she stammered, her cheeks burning.
"If that's the case, would you mind guiding me to a place where we can find more monsters?"
Haruto asked smoothly.
Sui blinked, completely taken aback.
"Monsters? Haruto... are you planning to hunt them down?"
"Something like that," he replied casually, his primary objective being to farm experience and maximize his strength.
The creatures in this world offered incredible value and unique skills—just like the high-level Poison Dragon that had just granted him a massive boost.
With nearly three full hours left on his trade duration, it was the absolute best opportunity to test out his newly acquired abilities in real combat.
Sui paused, pondering for a moment before responding.
"If you're looking for monsters to hunt, the best place would be to visit the Adventurers' Guild in the nearest major city and pick up some high-rank subjugation quests."
Haruto considered her suggestion. "And where exactly is this city?"
Sui pointed off toward the horizon, her delicate hand gesturing through the trees.
"It's in that direction, but... it's quite a long trek on foot."
"Far, huh..." If they had to travel at the standard pace Sui usually moved, who knew how many hours it would waste?
Therefore...
Whoosh!
Suddenly, massive, intricately scaled crimson dragon wings tore open from Haruto's back, unfolding with a majestic, heavy snap.
"W-What on earth is that?!" Sui gasped, her eyes going wide with pure astonishment as she stared at the sweeping wings.
An overwhelming, suffocating wave of thermal pressure and absolute dominance radiated from him, making her feel as though she were standing directly in the presence of a primordial apex predator.
"Sui, time is limited. If you don't mind, I can easily carry you there," Haruto offered, looking down at her with a confident grin.
"Carry... me?" Sui didn't quite process the logistical implications at first, but she implicitly trusted the man who had just pulled her back from the jaws of death.
She nodded numbly, her voice barely a squeak. "I-I don't mind."
"Alright. Hold on."
Before she could even blink, Haruto scooped her up cleanly into his arms, locking her securely in a tight, effortless princess carry.
"Make sure you hold on tight," Haruto instructed, his voice right beside her ear.
Startled by the sudden, intimate proximity, Sui felt her heart violently slam against her ribs.
Her face was pressed close to Haruto's chest, and she could vividly feel the steady, powerful thrum of his heartbeat combined with his radiating body heat.
How... wonderfully warm...
She froze completely, her mind short-circuiting as she was utterly overwhelmed by the close contact.
"Sui, I'm going to accelerate to high speed now. Wrap your arms around my neck,"
Haruto reminded her gently, preparing for takeoff.
"R-Right!" she blurted out in a panic, her face flushing a brilliant scarlet.
Overcome with hesitant shyness, she slowly lifted her arms and tightly looped them around his neck, burying her face slightly against his shoulder.
"Let's go."
With a single, thunderous flap of his crimson dragon wings, they blasted straight up into the cloudless sky.
A massive gale of wind roared around them, but Sui didn't feel a single gust or hear any roaring noise—every harsh element was entirely blocked by a protective layer of Haruto's passive magic.
Safely cradled in his arms, she slowly opened her eyes and gazed up at his profile in absolute awe.
It was the first time in her life she had ever been held this close to a man, and surprisingly... it felt intoxicatingly good.
******
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