Two faint lights appeared deep in the Midnight Forest.
Dian and Laura opened their eyes simultaneously.
In stark contrast to the already dark sky they saw on Earth, this world had just welcomed its earliest light.
Laura inhaled the fresh, unpolluted air of this world.
"The air is so nice…" she muttered with a smile.
Dian looked her over from head to toe. Just like him, her outfit had changed upon entering Savatia. While it seemed somewhat similar to his own, Laura's leather boots, armguards, and mantle covered very little of her body and appeared designed to allow for greater freedom of movement.
Noticing Dian staring at her, Laura stopped admiring the scenery. She raised her right hand to adjust her glasses to hide her embarrassment, only to realize she wasn't wearing any at that moment.
Her eyes slowly widened in shock.
She raised both hands to touch her face, but couldn't find her glasses anywhere.
"Eehhhh!" she yelped, her face turning a slight shade of red. She almost lost her composure at that moment.
Dian stopped looking at her new outfit when he heard her yelp. Only then did he realize that his girlfriend was no longer wearing her usual glasses.
Her pale, well-nourished skin now greeted the world without the cover of her round glasses. Her violet eyes were laid bare before everything she could see, and with her long, flowing black hair reaching down her back, her current appearance looked so fresh that Dian was momentarily at a loss for words.
When he finally regained his composure, he gave her a thumbs-up.
No fancy words were needed; that single gesture, along with his smile and gaze, communicated his approval.
Laura blushed slightly, turning her face away, her cheeks reddening further.
After about ten seconds, she managed to calm herself.
"What should we do now?" she asked. "Should we head to Grebir Village, or continue hunting goblins?"
Dian looked at the forest as he contemplated their options. After a while, he made a decision.
"Hm… This world is a dangerous place, so becoming stronger is essential. Let's focus on exterminating the goblins in this forest first."
While exploring this world's civilization sounded fun and exciting, both Dian and Laura were well aware of the dangers they might face. Their main objective in entering this world was to earn money, and for that, they needed the power to defeat monsters. Without further ado, they agreed on this decision and cautiously moved deeper into the forest.
They didn't have to wait long before they encountered their targets—or rather, heard their footsteps.
Laura's ears perked up as she picked up on a faint echo of footsteps in the distance. She grabbed Dian's hand and halted him. When he turned to her with a questioning look, she whispered, "Something is coming this way."
Though he couldn't hear anything yet, Dian trusted Laura, so he nodded in agreement.
"What's coming? How many?" he asked as he led her to a nearby hiding spot behind a thick bush next to a large tree.
"Just a moment…" Laura replied, raising her hand to signal him to wait.
She closed her eyes and focused on her sense of hearing. After entering this world, she had noticed that her senses had become exceptionally sharp. She could hear, see, and feel better than she had ever imagined.
Now, focusing solely on her hearing sense, the effect intensified. She could now hear the footsteps clearly.
She could hear the subtle sound of air being disturbed by the small, short footsteps on the ground—as if the very air itself had become an extension of her senses.
After thinking about it for a moment, she quickly identified the source of her heightened awareness. It was her skill, Blessing of Wind! With Focus, the effects of Blessing of Wind were even further enhanced.
Feeling satisfied with her self-assessed status that exceeded her expectations, Laura smiled as she reported her findings to Dian.
"There are about five of them, around 200 meters away from here. They're all short and lightweight, but I couldn't determine exactly what they were just from the sound," she said.
"Short and lightweight... They must be goblins," Dian presumed.
He retrieved his club from his storage and handed it to Laura. "After I weaken them, use this to finish them off. Since we don't have access to any bows yet, let's make do with what we have."
Laura nodded in response. "Okay," she replied.
They fell silent, waiting quietly for the goblins to appear.
Now that she was about to experience her first battle, Laura felt a wave of nerves wash over her. Her grip on the club tightened with every passing second, and she flinched at the sound of the wind or falling leaves. Unfortunately, her exceptional senses only heightened her anxiety.
At that moment, Dian placed his palm gently over her hands, which were gripping the club tightly, and gave her a reassuring smile.
There was calmness and confidence in his expression. He was certain they could take down those goblins together.
Unknowingly to her, Laura recalled how Dian had once stood before her, shielding her from a man who had been approaching her. She could still vividly remember his trembling body—fearful yet determined to protect her.
And now? It was no different. The only change was that Dian was stronger.
Though Dian seemed to want to show off and suppress his fear, she could still perceive the subtle tremor in his palm. He was still the same person, but now he was stronger and cooler.
A faint smile crept onto her face as new determination surged within her. She nodded to him, signaling that she was ready.
Now that she had realized he had become stronger, how could she, Laura—his girlfriend—just remain silent and be left behind?
She would grow stronger in this world too.
Just then, five small green humanoid figures appeared in the distance. Their targets had now entered the clearing.