-Vol 4: To The North Pole!-

-A Beautiful Picture!-

Kenshin’s sideways glance wasn’t missed by Core, but he pretended to not notice it. Although both him and Kenshin were bound by a contract, they both also on guard against each other. Trust was obvious an issue, but for Kenshin, it was because Core was suspicious while for Core it was because Kenshin was too strong.

For his plans, Kenshin’s strength was the biggest hindrance.

Unknown to Core’s thoughts, Kenshin was busy formulating a plan on how to destroy the other six pentagrams. If he were alone, it wouldn’t be easy, but if he had someone to act as a decoy, then the matter would be different.

“Core, can you come out even if I cancel Create Dungeon skill?” Kenshin asked with furrowed brows.

“Hmm! I can’t. But as long as you have a piece of dungeon summoned, I can appear.”

“I see!” his frowned deepened. Obviously, Core was powerful, if he helps him, it should be easy for him to destroy those remaining six pentagrams. But it seems, it would be unpractical to use him, not only the MP toll on his would be higher, but also the method won’t be ideal. Those freaks in cloaks would realize that it’s a skill at one glance.

He couldn’t afford to make that mistake. The only option left was to make Vera use DCB main office’s help. He has to tell her about these pentagrams and twist the truth a little. But he got no other way.

“Okay, Core, see you later.” With that, he canceled the skill.

“Ahh! Wait, Kenshin…” before he could finish the sentence his body had already phased out of existence.

“I know what you wanted to say!” Kenshin muttered silently before shifting his eyes towards still an unconscious form of Vera.

“I sorry miss for what I am about to do.” He apologized to her first before, extending his shaky hands towards her battered body. Her fight with Lyda was very short, that’s why her clothes were spared from being shredded like what should have happened to him had he not wore the Blood Armor. When his callous hands touched her soft skin, a red blush appeared on his pale, angular face. He had very few physical contacts with girls who wasn’t Akari and Ellie. Even with Yuki, the most he did was placing his arms over her shoulders.

As such, it would be his first time hugging a beautiful and sexy girl. He was very nervous about that and worried about his little brother’s sudden awakening. He dearly hoped that until he reached a safe location, Vera wouldn’t awaken.

As he pressed her body into his, his breath nearly stopped at the sensation of those melons on his chest. He was on the verge of breaking down, and his little brother was about to awaken from its slumber.

‘This is bad! Really bad! God, I hope she doesn’t awaken until I am up above. Even so, her body was so soft! I can’t believe she has a monstrous strength! Her breas…no no no! What am I thinking? This is not the time to admire her body.’ Kenshin shook his head to clear out his dirty thoughts.

“Yosh!” while muttering this, he hugged her more tightly then used his skill, Burrow. This room was built on a special place that seemed to not connected to the main facility. It’s entirely made by hollowing out the ground adjacent to the underground facility. As such, everything except the left wall was directly connected to the ground.

A brown light glowed beneath Kenshin’s foot as they both slowly submerged into it like how a submarine submerged. Within a few seconds, he along with Vera, entirely inside the ground. And since Vera was connected to him, she also received the effect of the skill.

Inside the ground, Kenshin was like a fish inside water, his speed of movement was faster than what he was above. He traversed more than a thousand meter in just a few seconds, that’s how fast he traveled. His aim was that cave where they both killed those wolves and rested for the night yesterday. He had already marked it in his map while he was there yesterday.

Ten minutes later, he reached the marked location. After that, he ‘swam’ up to the ground. During this ten minutes, Kenshin experienced many things, excitement, shame, and also fear. Excitement on the prospect of hugging a beauty, shame for his little brother’s awakening and fear because Vera was showing the signs of waking up. Her body had already jerked twice, nearly giving him heart attacks.

‘Just a little more!’ Kenshin chanted like a mantra as he ‘swam’ faster and faster. Finally, he could see the top layer of the ground.

*plop*

Both Kenshin and an unconscious Vera came out of the earth, making a water drop like sound in the process. Then Kenshin laid her on the ground and draped his long coat over her shivering body. The cave was very cold after all. Buying a few mats from his store, he placed one under her and used one for himself to sit on. Then he bought a few firewoods from his store for 10 G and started a small fire, waiting patiently for Vera to wake up. But the heat from the small fire was very tempting and soon his eyes were closed as the sleep took over his conciouness.

He was really very tired, not physically but mentally. That war within his psyche to gain control of his body, then dying and going to the afterlife and again coming back, then attacking and killing that snake after that facing the rampage of that snake woman and finally learning about some hidden powers of the world and the possible background of these black-cloaked, golden skull gang. All these things made him spiritually tired.

It was not long after Kenshin slept that Vera’s eyes shakily opened. Then suddenly her eyes opened wide, and she instantly got up with her guard at its maximum. Her eyes roamed everywhere, taking in the details of the place she was in. Then finally her eyes landed on sleeping form of Kenshin, she unconsciously let out a breath. She seemed to have relaxed after seeing Kenshin sleeping like a log. And the fact that she can feel slight aches all over her body and soreness on her abdomen, there was no mistake that she was alive.

Then she remembered a purple streak of light that attacked the giant ape before her conscious faded, instantly connecting the dots she realized what happened. It seems she was saved by this young man sleeping near her. Although her head was filled with questions, she couldn’t stop that smile from appearing on her face. It was a sweet smile that probably never appeared on her face before. At that time, her serene smile coupled with her looks and white hair that seemed to mix well with the background, it painted a stunning picture. Unfortunately, Kenshin was not conscious to see it.

It was, after all, a fact that most of the beautiful things tend to occur in the world away from everyone’s sight.