“I’m glad you shrimps get along so well.”

Minerva smiled in relief after Erika and Vivi came to agreement.

“Hmph! Like, who gets along with whom!?”

“Of course we’re getting along~ We’re going to be the best pair ever~”

Erika smiled from ear to ear, whereas Vivi crossed her arms in irritation.

“Now, I’d be thankful if you erased yourself from my hall. I can feel my eyes rotting just by watching you.”

Minerva smiled gently as ever, and Erika also responded with a thin smile.

“I see. Let’s go, Vivi.”

“Like, who gave you permission to order me around? You stupid kid will follow ME around!”

“Sure, sure~”

Erika and Vivi walked down the stairs and approached a wooden door.

“Oh, right. It’s impossible for trash like you, but I may as well tell you this.”

Minerva’s voice resounded from behind. Erika quickly turned around, suspecting another prank.

“If, by some unreal chance, you happen to tame a dragon, then bring it to me. It may worth your while.”

【NEW QUEST】【Minerva’s Dragon Taming】

Erika felt it was an important quest, but there was hardly any information provided.

“May I ask what’s the reward?”

“Look forward to it. Though, trash like you will ever get it anyway.”

“Then, where do I find dragons?”

“Use your rotting brain to figure that out.”

“Thank you very much for the help.”

“The pleasure is all mine. Cleaning trash is an important duty, after all.”

Erika and Minerva smiled in a friendly manner, but killing intent lingered in the air. Since Minerva was useless, Erika decided to dig up the information herself. She opened the menu and tapped on【Quests】. Currently, she had only two quests on the list.

【Minerva’s Dragon Taming】

【You’re trash through and through, so it’s best if you abandon the quest right away.

Trash

Trash

Trash

Trash

Trash

Trash

Trash

Trash

Trash

Trash

Oh, I apologize. My hand slipped while writing. Are you still reading? Very well.

Since you’re both trash and a fool, then you may as well try to bring me a tamed dragon. Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be a stud like my darling Trigon.

Reward: You’ll never get it anyway, trash.】

Erika finished scrolling through the details with a dumb smile. She hoped to find objective information and hints, but apparently the quests in GoVe were written by the NPCs themselves.

【Vivi’s Escort】

【It’s not like I need your help to get to Zelin City or anything, hmph. Just because you’re so helpless, the generous Vivi may as well land you a hand.

And just to be clear: I DON’T want the Dragon Chocolate or anything childish like that! Like, it’s just a waste for an idiot like you to eat such rare food! Hmph!

Reward: Dragon Chocolate. Like, that’s MY reward, for helping a helpless idiot like YOU. As for your reward: my divine presence is the greatest reward you could ever hope to receive.】

“How cute~”

Erika affectionately eyed the little pixie.

“Ew...”

Vivi didn’t understand the meaning behind the gaze, but it creeped her out. She flapped her glittering wings and drew more distance between herself and Erika. With a safe distance maintained between them, Erika and Vivi passed through the wooden door, and left Minerva’s hall.

Erika found herself inside the temple’s big corridor. The temple wasn’t in best shape, with some of its walls crumbling down. There was space for many visitors, however, at the moment, she couldn't spot a single player around.

“This place sure is empty...”

Erika mumbled as she examined her surroundings.

“Of course it’s empty. Like, who’d bother to visit these crumbling ruins?”

Vivi crossed her arms and looked around in disgust. After walking from corner to corner, Erika found only two other NPCs in the temple. There was also a door, which presumably led to a basement area, but it was tightly locked.

“Hmm...”

Erika pushed and pulled the basement door to no avail. Her inner RPG veteran whispered, that she had to obtain a key item, or to clear some quest, in order to unlock the door.

However, GoVe was set in a virtual reality. It offered a lot more physical freedom than a PC game. In a normal MMORPG, a door like this would probably be unclickable. However, in VR, Erika could try many things.

“Vivi, could you please tear down this door with you amazing wind magic~?”

Erika asked with puppy eyes, which she could only make with her childish avatar.

“Hmph, I don’t feel like you’re begging hard enough.”

“Would you please land a hand to the helpless, idiot me, o great Vivi?”

“ Hmph, fine. If you beg so much, then the generous Vivi may as well blast this door open!”

Despite talking like that, Vivi grinned with a hint of excitement. Causing mischief must have been second nature for a pixie like her.

“Take that!”

Vivi swung her tiny arms and slammed the door with a gust of wind. Her strong attack didn’t even make a dent.

“My, my.”

Erika tilted her head with a playful smile.

“L-like, I was just testing how strong this door is1 Hmph!”

Vivi retorted in anger and prepared to launch another attack.

“This one is the real deal!”

Vivi channeled her everything and barraged the door, bombarding it over and over. Alas, the door stood firm.

“Pwahaha! What a useless midget!”

Mina laughed out loud at Vivi’s poor attempts. Luckily, Vivi herself couldn’t hear these insults

“If it were me, I’d bust that dumb door with one swing!”

Mina proudly puffed her invisible (and flat) chest.

“Geh...”

Vivi clenched her little fists and dagger the door with her glare.

“Good job, Vivi. Here, you can have some chocolate.”

“W-wha? Like, are you mocking me!?”

Vivi yelled and kicked in midair.

“J-just you watch! Like, I can wreck this door in no time!”

“Of course, I believe in you. The great Vivi is amazing, after all~”

“Y-yeah! That’s right! Like, I’m glad even a brainless kid like you can see that, hmph.”

“I’m sure you’re so amazing, that you won’t bother to use your full power on a mere door, right”

“Y-yeah! Exactly! Like, that wasn’t even 10% of my real power! If you want the great Vivi to use all of her potential, then you must prepare a grand and majestic reward! Just some kiddie chocolate isn’t going to cut it, you know!”

Vivi smiled in confidence, believing that she “smoothly” avoided embarrassing herself. Erika giggled at the result and offered Vivi a chocolate piece for her generous, hard work.

“H-hmph, not like I want it or anything. But, I may as well take it, since you beg so much.”

Vivi snatched the piece of chocolate and began munching on it.

“Mmmmmmmm!!!”

Vivi’s eyes sparked from a sweet surge of joy.

I’ll have to try this door another time.

With that decided, Erika left the door and returned to the temple’s ground level.