C.S.O.

 Time: Now

“Flamia, why are you dreaming? Are you thinking about something weird again?”

“Why do you always assume the worst? Of course not, but now I might.
Fufu…”

Kuro sighed.

“…sometimes, I can't tell the two of you apart.
Honestly, it wears me out.”

Beside Kuro, Flamia smiled to herself, as if she thought of something amusing.
Unfortunately, it only made Kuro more suspicio

us of what plan was brewing in his wife's mind.

Despite their differences, Ruko and Flamia had one thing in common: they wanted to seduce Kuro.
Not only that, but Kuro couldn't get away from either of them, neither in the real world nor in CSO.

In the real world, Ruko always teased Kuro.
And when Kuro escaped to the virtual world, he was harassed by Flamia.
It's no wonder that his mind got tired quickly.
Especially since he had also been harassed online by Flamia's fans for the past two months.
Fortunately, he didn't interact much in the virtual world, so it eased the burden a bit.

At least, that's what Kuro hoped.

After marrying Flamia in CSO, Kuro's life seemed to have turned 180 degrees.
Almost.

Before, he was known as a rather inconspicuous student, but now all students in the school knew who he was.
This allowed Kuro to endure, because life at school wasn't any different than before, only now everyone knew who he was.
This was his own fault for not using an alias and changing his character.

One thing that made Kuro uncomfortable was when Flamia's fan, who happened to be a Cracker, tried to find out about Kuro's family.
This worried Kuro immediately, but it seemed that the Cracker didn't find anything, because there was nothing special about Kuro's family from the beginning.

Currently, they were in Midgard, the human world, in the city of Afarp.
The city was the largest shopping center for items in Midgard.
Unfortunately, they were not in Afarp to buy weapons or items.

“Well, all our preparations are done.
We can leave anytime, but why go on a honeymoon?”

They went shopping for their honeymoon needs at a place Kuro didn't know.
Flamia said it was a surprise place, so he gave up trying to find out.

And the reason why they went on a honeymoon even though they were in a game was because they both wanted to rest after defeating the Demon King in the Third World, Alfheim, two and a half months ago.

Even though it was called a honeymoon, they couldn't be together all the time because Kuro was busy with his school activities.
That's why he would log in after school and be with Flamia until midnight.

It was a decision they made together, so there was no reason to protest.
Well, to be more precise, Kuro couldn't protest and run away.

“Why do you ask that again? We just got married, of course we should go on a honeymoon.
Together…”

“……..”

Flamia hugged Kuro's arm tightly, then leaned close to his ear and whispered.

“(Or does Kuro prefer to do it in the real world?)”

“………..”

Kuro immediately shuddered and wanted to run away and cancel their honeymoon plans, but it was impossible because he couldn't go against his wife who was one of the strongest Liber in CSO.

“Hahaha…
I was just joking.
We can't possibly do it because there are too many interruptions, right?”

“…….”

Kuro fell silent as he understood Flamia's meaning.

Flamia is famous in CSO, and of course, she is also famous in the real world.
If they were together, they would always be interrupted.

“I can't wait…”

Flamia smiled and looked happy.
If one were to describe her as a girl in love, it would be fitting.

As for Kuro, he just smiled weakly.
If you asked him if he was happy, the answer would be 'yes'.
Who wouldn't be happy to have a beautiful woman like Flamia?

But when asked if he loved Flamia, Kuro didn't know the answer.

Kuro looked at the sky.
It was a bright, cloudy blue sky with the sun shining brightly.

He asked himself in his heart.

-Is this the best choice?

Time: 3 and a half months ago, Alfheim.

Alfheim is also known as the world of fairies.
Unlike Midgard or Nilfheim, Alfheim is a world filled with forests.
But not just any forest.

The trees in Alfheim are many times larger and taller than those in the real world.
In fact, a single tree can be turned into a comfortable home.

This gives the impression that Libers in Alfheim are small creatures like insects, and that's true.
In Alfheim, every Liber has to use the [Fairy Wing] item to fly.

Of course, this is because the large trees make it difficult to explore on foot.
In addition, Alfheim is twice the size of Nilfheim, so it takes more time to explore the entire world.
But who would do that?

In addition to the giant trees, there are several floating islands in Alfheim.
Liber who want to reach these islands have no choice but to fly.

Unlike Nilfheim, Alfheim has many flying monsters.
Aerial combat is not possible in Midgard or Nilfheim, which is why Alfheim is so popular with Liber.

Currently, Flamia is in Hurz Forest.
She is alone because she is a solo player, but all Valkyrie Maidens are solo players, so this is quite normal.

Hurz Forest is one of the floating islands in Alfheim.
The forest can be considered a peaceful place, as mob monsters are quite rare, and there are no towns in the Hurz Forest.

Flamia's purpose in coming to the Hurz Forest is not to hunt mob monsters, but rather she is driven by her curiosity, which can be said to be quite significant.

“Where is he? Didn't he just land here?”

Flamia looks around in various places, searching for someone.
The large and dense trees could be the perfect hiding place, but with the [Enemy Detection] skill, it should not be difficult to find someone.

The person Flamia is looking for is called Kuro.
He is a player who has been playing CSO for two and a half months.
CSO is also his first VR game, so he can be considered a beginner when it comes to gaming.

But compared to the billions of other experienced Liber players, Kuro can be said to be on par with them all, because despite his low level, he managed to reach Alfheim, which is populated by monsters with levels of 300 and above.

This is not normal.
And it is this abnormality that piques Flamia's interest.

Flamia happened to see Kuro flying alone on a skeleton dragon that always accompanies him.
In the past two weeks, Flamia has seen Kuro many times, but since he is always with Anna and Chika, Flamia did not dare to approach him or even watch him from a distance.

After witnessing Kuro's fight against Fuape in the city of Hiln, Flamia has been curious for almost a month now.
And since this is a rare opportunity, Flamia will not miss it.

After following Kuro by flying at a distance and using illusion skills, Flamia finally managed to catch up with Kuro in the Hurz Forest.

Unfortunately, she lost sight of him.

Flamia continued to fly low, using her thin, red, dragonfly-like wings to search the area where Kuro had landed, but she still couldn't find him.

Tired and wanting to rest her wings, Flamia sat down on a large branch and drank orange juice.
Although the orange juice was made of data, it tasted no different and helped quench her thirst.

While still sitting, Flamia used the skill [Sonic Wave], which is a more accurate detection skill than [Enemy Detection].
Even if Liber players used illusion skills, [Sonic Surge] would still be able to detect them.

After a while, a small sign appeared on the tablet in front of Flamia.
The sign didn't necessarily mean that she had found Kuro, but it could also indicate the presence of a monster or another Liber player.

“500 meters? No wonder I couldn't find him.”

Flamia stood up and jumped between the branches.
She didn't fly because the place she was going to was in a dense part of the forest.
Besides, she would be easily spotted if she flew.

The biggest problem was that it was very likely that Kuro had a detection skill, but detection skills also had many variations.
Flamia didn't know which detection skill Kuro had, so it was a tricky problem.

As a precaution, Flamia used the [Fire Illusion] skill to make her body invisible like a chameleon.

After a few minutes, Flamia finally saw the Liber she was looking for.

But when she found Kuro, Flamia couldn't help but widen her eyes in surprise.

Kuro was zigzagging through the air, but he wasn't using the trees for support.
A small object appeared in the air, like a small black wall, which served as Kuro's foothold in the air, allowing him to move in a zigzag pattern while wielding two swords in his hands.

Kuro shot at high speed towards a rather large tree.
He would have crashed into it if he hadn't stopped in time, but instead, Kuro prepared his swords.

“[Shadow Breaker]”

Kuro's body spun in the air and moved even faster, like a bullet, towards the tree while using a sword skill.

Flamia could immediately guess what Kuro was doing: he was trying to cut down the tree with a sword skill.
It was something simple that all Liber players could do, but…

Kuro couldn't do it.

Kuro crashed into the tree at high speed, creating a human-shaped hole with his body.
Not only that, but Kuro's HP bar turned red from the impact of his own attack.

“……….”

Flamia, who witnessed this, covered her mouth to stifle her laughter.
This was the first time she had seen something like this in CSO.

Meanwhile, Kuro, who was on the verge of dying, got up with a somersault.
He scratched his head and looked confused.
At first glance, Kuro looked like a stupid person.

Then he walked through the forest, looking at the map on his tablet.
He didn't use any healing potion because his HP would recover by itself after a while.

After that, Kuro disappeared behind a big tree.

And after a few moments, Flamia realized that Kuro had disappeared again.
Startled, Flamia jumped onto a branch above the last place where Kuro had been seen.
Unfortunately, she couldn't find Kuro again.

“………..”

(WHERE DID HE GO…
AARRRGGHHH!!)

She screamed in frustration and anger in her mind.
At the same time, she used the [Sonic Wave] skill to search for Kuro again.
She found him, but this time

She couldn't see Kuro's figure.

“Huh?”

Confused again, Flamia landed on the ground.
She looked around while using [Sonic Wave] again.
She found the sign indicating Kuro's presence near her, but she still couldn't see Kuro's figure.

(Could he have already known that I was watching him from a distance?)

There was that possibility, but it was small.

And if it was a false sign, it was also unlikely because it would require a rather rare item.

“Hm…”

Flamia put her hand to her chin and thought.

([Sonic Wave] detected Kuro nearby, but I couldn't find him.
That means he's using an illusion to hide.
If that's the case.)

She used [Sonic Wave] again, but this time, she carefully observed the signs on the map.

(30 meters to the west…)

Flamia turned to the west and started walking forward.

Still using the [Fire Illusion] skill, Flamia didn't have to worry about being discovered.

(Why isn't he moving? Was he waiting for me to approach and prepare to attack?)

Flamia moved forward and continued until she reached a not-so-large tree surrounded by thick bushes.

“……….”

Flamia used [Sonic Wave] again to confirm.
He was close.
The distance between them was only a few meters.

(Is he hiding in the bushes?)

Flamia stepped forward and carefully opened the bushes.
So far, there was no sign of Kuro's movement.

(Or could he be logging out?)

Liber couldn't log out of the CSO (Cybernetic System Online) without being careful.
Liber could only safely log out if he was in a city, a house, or an inn.

When Liber logged out in the forest or any other place, their characters' bodies would turn into soulless dolls.
It wasn't a big problem, but a soulless body was vulnerable to attacks and player killing (PK).

Choosing to log out while hiding like Kuro wasn't a bad idea, but if there was a Liber with skills like Flamia, Kuro's game would be over.

Little by little, Kuro's black leather jacket came into view.
Just as Flamia suspected, Kuro was logging out, because he didn't move even after Flamia came very close.

But…

“..Huh?!”

When Flamia saw Kuro's face, she saw the face of a cloth doll with a tongue sticking out, as if mocking her.

[Woll Doll], an object similar to Liber's doll.
Actually, [Woll Doll] was a useless item that was only used as a joke.

Wrinkles immediately appeared on Flamia's forehead.
She was angry at being played by Kuro.

“DAMN IT!!”

Flamia immediately drew the Flame Haze from its scabbard.
She stabbed the Kuro doll repeatedly like a ruthless and bloodthirsty killer.

“Fuuuuu….”

After successfully destroying the doll and turning it into dust, Flamia felt somewhat relieved.
But her anger hadn't subsided yet, so she vented her frustration by hitting the tree not far from her with full force.

The big tree shook and had a deep hole in it.
After that, Flamia finally felt completely relieved.

“Ha…
ha…
ha…
I was ri-“

Thud…

Suddenly, an object hit Flamia hard.
The object was quite big, even a bit bigger than Flamia.

“Ow…
what the-!!?”

Flamia was surprised to find out that it was Kuro who had hit her.
More precisely, it was Kuro's character body, which now closed its eyes, indicating that Kuro was logging out.

The problem that shocked Flamia was that even though Kuro's body was not moving, it was still on top of her, pinning her down.
But an even bigger problem was that their lips were still connected after Flamia had screamed.

Flamia's face immediately turned red.
Although she had accidentally kissed the fake Kuro's body, it was the first time she had ever kissed anyone.
A strange feeling overwhelmed her, and it confused Flamia about what she was feeling.

Unfortunately, something even worse happened.
Kuro opened his eyes and stared into Flamia's eyes.

Their lips were still connected and both Kuro and Flamia noticed it, but they seemed to let it be and didn't want to separate.

After a few moments, it was Kuro who released his lips first.

Both of them sat down on the grass without starting a conversation.
The silence lasted for more than 10 minutes.
Even the sounds of monsters in the distance could be heard by both of them.

“……….”

“……….”

Both of their faces turned red and they didn't dare to look at each other.

Flamia didn't know what to say because this was her first experience kissing a guy, even if it was in a game.

But the soft feeling on her lips, when they touched Kuro's, couldn't escape her.

Flamia heard Kuro sigh.
Kuro stood up and looked at Flamia with a complicated expression.

“Ah…
Um…
I apologize for kissing you, Miss.”

Kuro lowered his head in a gesture of apology.
Meanwhile, Flamia remained silent with a flushed face.

“Huh? It seems like I've seen you before.
But…”

“……….”

“Ah…
I can't remember.
Maybe it's just my imagination…
ahaha…”

Upon hearing this, Flamia immediately stood up and looked annoyed.

Not knowing the reason for Flamia's anger, Kuro could only break out in a cold sweat, feeling the danger.
The same danger he felt when he faced Ruko.

(Did I say something wrong? Or was my apology not enough? In that case…)

Kuro prostrated himself before Flamia.

“Miss, please forgive me! It was indeed wrong of me to kiss you, but I didn't mean to.
I swear.
To make up for my mistake, I'll do anything you ask.
Anything!”

Even though it looked pitiful and lacking in dignity, it was better for Kuro than hurting a girl's feelings.

“Anything?”

“Yes.
Anything, as long as you forgive me, Miss!”

“In that case, marry me quickly! I don't want to get pregnant before marriage.”

“………………………………………………….huh?”

For the first time in his life, Kuro was really surprised.

Kuro stood in front of Flamia with a confused expression on his face.

“Be-Before that, can I make sure you ask me to marry you because you think you'll get pregnant if you kiss?”

Flamia's face turned red as she nodded several times quickly.

“Isn't that what happens when a man and a woman kiss?”

“……..”

“……..”

The events Kuro was experiencing right now should only happen in manga or anime.
Kuro did not expect to experience it in a game.

“I don't know if Miss is pretending to be innocent or really innocent, but one thing Miss should know, kissing will not make you pregnant.”

“Eh….?”

“If you get pregnant just from kissing, parents kissing their children will immediately get pregnant, right?”

“….Ummmmm…yes..
I guess you're right.
Wait, does that mean I've been lied to all this time? …uuuugggg ….Basic fox bitch.
Watch out if we meet!”

Flamia's face was both shocked and deathly pale mixed with anger.
Kuro didn't know who Flamia was angry at, but it seemed that the person was similar to someone Kuro knew.

Kuro chuckled.

“Besides, there's no way I'm marrying Miss.”

“Eh? Why?”

“Why do I have to explain that too?”

Kuro sighed.
He realized the girl in front of him was more innocent than he had expected.

“Of course it's because of love.
It doesn't exist between the two of us, right?”

“Love? I've heard that before, but I've never seen it.”

“……..”

Kuro was now convinced the girl in front of him was just stupid.

Kuro sighed again and began to explain.

“Love is formless and cannot be seen by the eyes, but can be felt by the heart.
The easiest example is the love of parents and children.”

“Hmmm….that means I can't marry you?”

“I don't understand why you have to marry me, ….but one thing you should know, when you fall in love with someone, you will understand what I mean!?”

“Heeeeee….
I still don't understand, but does that mean I can't marry you because I don't love you?”

“Y-Yes you could say that..” said Kuro with a dry laugh.

“Then, if I fall in love with you, I'll be able to marry you?”

“Miss doesn't have to fall in love with me, but can fall in love with someone else.
But to get married, two people must love each other first.
Besides, there are many other things to consider.”

Although marriage was in fact more complicated, Kuro felt no need to explain it in detail.
Certainly not explaining what happens after marriage.

“Hoo…I understand,..
maybe.”

“……”

(I hope not to say anything wrong to this innocent girl.)

Kuro only hoped not to tell Flamia something that would become a problem.

As for Flamia, although she was one of the strongest Liber, she was still young and inexperienced when it came to love affairs.
She didn't even know what sex was.

“Alright, since you are asking me to do the impossible, in return you may ask for other requests as long as they are not impossible for me.”

“Hmm…?”

Flamia thought hard.
She was confused because she didn't really need anything.

“Feel free to ask.
I will do my best.
Even if you ask me to get the rare it”

“Kiss me!”

“Eh?”

Kuro hoped what he heard was a joke.

“I ask you to kiss me one more time.”

“Bo-Can I know the reason? Frankly kissing you is not impossible for me to do, but-“

Kissing was not an easy thing to do.
Especially to someone you've just met.

At least that's what Kuro believed.

Flamia just smiled a little bit looking mischievous..

“Hehe…
if you're wondering why…
I'm just curious about what I felt when we accidentally kissed earlier.”

“Eh? Is that it?”

It was a reason that never crossed Kuro's mind.
But he was somewhat relieved that it wasn't some strange reason like love at first sight.

Flamia nodded.

“All this time, I thought that kissing would lead to pregnancy, that's why I never kissed before.
But after experiencing my first kiss, I felt something strange.
Is there something wrong with me?”

“Hmm…
I think it's normal.” Kuro replied flatly.

This conversation reminded Kuro of something bad, the beginning of all his problems so far.

“That's why I want you to kiss me again.
That way, I think I'll know what I felt before”.

Flamia leaned closer to Kuro.

“Is that reason not enough or is it because you don't want to?”

“Guu…”

Flamia moved even closer.
Kuro was only a few centimeters away from Flamia's face.

“But if you don't want to do it, doesn't that mean that what you said before was a lie? Or…
are you really a li-“

Not wanting to be called a liar, Kuro silenced Flamia by pressing his lips against hers.
It was a short kiss, but it was enough to prove that Kuro was no liar.

“Are you satisfied now, Miss? Honestly, I hate to be called a liar.”

To live in peace.
That had always been Kuro's wish.

“Hmm…
I don't know, I still don't understand what I felt.
Maybe because you kissed me too fast.
This time, let's do it slowly and longer like the first time we kissed.
No, I think it needs to be longer.
That way I'm sure I'll know what I felt.

“…………”

Kuro slapped his cheek to wake himself up from the strange and unbelievable dream.

Such an innocent girl, the girl in front of him was the most innocent girl he had ever met.

“Unfortunately, I don't want to do that.”

Kuro smiled, having found a way to escape from the dangerous kiss.
And of course, the girl was more dangerous because of her innocence.

“Hmm, why…?”

“I said I would do anything, and I already did, didn't I? So I don't have to comply with your request anymore.”

“But you didn't say it was only once.”

“…….eh?”

(Damn it!)

Kuro cursed himself for not realizing a big mistake.

(What surprises me is why this girl noticed it?)

Innocent and clever.
The positive impression, no, Kuro's negative impression increased instantly.
For some reason, the girl in front of him reminded him of the most troublesome girl in the world, like a demon, Ruko.

Kuro also realized one thing, because he didn't set a limit on the girl's requests,-

(Doesn't that mean I've become her slave now? A slave to a girl I just met? This is just a dream…)

Somehow, the highest LUX status turned out to be a lie.
That status only brought him trouble.
Especially trouble that came from women.

“Now do it quickly.
Honestly, I want to know right away.”

“Guh…”

(What should I do? Run away?)

(Yes.
I will do it.
That's the best option.)

After deciding what he would do, Kuro prepared to use the skill [Shadow Bullet], but-

“?”

Flamia gently grabbed Kuro's hand, appearing weak, but Kuro couldn't break free.

(This girl…)

Kuro realized one fact about Flamia.
The innocent girl in front of him had higher status and level than him.
If he tried to escape, the chances of success were very low.

“Come on, kiss me quickly! Aren't you the one who doesn't want to be called a liar?”

Flamia brought her lips closer to Kuro's.

The proximity of Flamia's face allowed Kuro to feel her breath and the sweet scent of her body.

It wasn't unusual, considering there were items with a similar function to perfume.

“……”

“…or is it because I'm…
not beautiful?”

Of course not.
To Kuro, the girl in front of him was the most beautiful girl he had ever met, but the current situation confused him.

“N-No.
You're beautiful.”

“Then why are you hesitant to kiss…
me? You have to take responsibility for making me like…
this.”

Their lips drew closer.
The seductive voice and mesmerizing gaze almost made Kuro lose himself.
If it were called the temptation of a demon, perhaps that would be accurate.

The most beautiful temptation of a demon.

“I-I'm not hesitant, b-but…”

“………”

“……..”

Their lips met.
Kuro could clearly feel the softness of the girl's red lips.
His mind slowly started to fade, losing consciousness as if being possessed by her.

This was the first time Kuro had experienced this.

(It's not fair…)

They kissed for several minutes without moving.
Their eyes closed, seemingly oblivious to what was happening around them.
The world seemed to belong only to the two of them.

If someone saw them, they would probably be mistaken for a couple indulging in intimacy in the woods.

But their current kiss also reminded Kuro of someone important in his life.

[Onii-chan…]

Ruko's face and voice immediately appeared in Kuro's mind.
It made Kuro instantly realize that what he was doing now was a huge mistake.

(But-)

His body and mind refused to obey.

As he tried to release his lips, Flamia's soft lips clung even tighter.
She even hugged Kuro to prevent him from leaving.

Mixed feelings haunted Kuro's mind and began to torment him.
Was what he was doing right or wrong?

But the girl kissing him seemed unconcerned about that and only wanted to know his feelings.
She was innocent.
The one at fault was Kuro for allowing this to happen.

7 minutes.
10 minutes had passed since they started kissing.
There was no significant change, but Flamia started to become slightly aggressive by sucking on Kuro's lips.

Kuro was slightly surprised, but he couldn't refuse or avoid it.
In fact, as time went on, Kuro started to enjoy their kisses, and that was something that shouldn't happen.

(No.
No.
No.
Keep those thoughts out of your mind.)

Kuro realized that he was losing himself.
The girl in front of him was truly making his heart and body lose control.
Kuro even briefly thought that she wasn't human.

After 15 minutes, their lips parted.
Flamia also released her embrace and let Kuro go.

“…….”

Flamia didn't say anything and held her chest.
The strange feeling she had experienced resurfaced after they kissed, but now it was slowly fading away.

(It's strange, but it's not necessarily a bad thing.)

Flamia smiled.

“Hm…
I knew I wouldn't understand that strange feeling.” Flamia turned to  Kuro.
“But I understand that the strange feeling arises when we kiss.
I don't know why, but I'm starting to enjoy it.”

“Guh.”

“Hey, do you feel the same way?”

“I always feel something whenever i kiss, so I guess it's not something special.”

(That frightening girl…)

“Is that so? In that case, let's do it again.
Honestly, I like this.”

“……….”

The situation became even more complicated for Kuro.
But he was more curious whether his lips contained some kind of ecstasy that made the girl addicted.

“Hm? Don't you want to?”

Kuro sighed.
He tried to calm down and think of a way to resolve the situation quickly.

“No, but it's enough for today.
We've already done it for more than 10 minutes, right?”

(It's been that long?)

Kuro was even surprised to find out.

Flamia understood Kuro's silent contemplation.
After a while, she smiled softly.

“You're right.
My friend said that kissing too often isn't good.”

Kuro quickly nodded in agreement with Flamia's statement.k

“If that's the case, let's kiss three times a day.
I don't think it's a big deal.”

Kuro nodded again but stopped immediately when he heard kissing being compared to taking medicine.

“No, no, no.
How could you think like that? Besides, when did I say I would kiss you every day?”

“Didn't you say you would do anything?”

“…right.
But I said that so you would forgive me for kissing you.
So, damn…”

He stopped because he realized he made another mistake.
A bigger mistake.

“That's right.
Didn't you kiss me again? I think I have the right to make as many requests as I want as long as they're not impossible for you.”

“……….”

Your mouth is a trap.
Now Kuro understood the meaning of that saying.

Flamia smiled happily.

“First, every time I ask for a kiss, you have no right to refuse.
Frankly, it's your fault for making that strange feeling arise.
So, take responsibility like a real man.”

“Why am I the one at fault here?”

“Second, put me on your friend list.
That way, I know when you're online.”

It's not too difficult of a request, but it means he can't escape from that girl.

“…alright..”

Kuro added Flamia to his friend list.
It was then that Kuro immediately learned that the girl in front of him was named Flamia.

“What's next, Flamia-san?”

“Don't call me Flamia-san.
Just call me Flamia.”

“….al-right, Flamia.”

“Third, if we meet in town or crowded places, I want you to pretend not to know me or even greet me.
We'll chat like this only when we're alone.”

“…huh? Could it be that Flamia is actually famous?”

Flamia nodded with a cheerful face.
For Kuro, it was bad news.

“I think that's enough for today.
I'll think of other requests some other time.
For now, why don't we talk? To be honest, there are a lot of things I want to ask you.”

“…..eh?”

After that, the two of them sat under the tree with a hole caused by Flamia's punch.

Somehow, Flamia sat close to Kuro.
This made Kuro slightly uncomfortable.
Kuro could still remember when they hugged and kissed.

But Kuro tried to remain calm and control himself.

“S-So, you said you wanted to ask many things about me earlier, which means you already know who I am, right?”

Flamia nodded.
There was nothing to hide.

“Kuro is close to Anna and Chika, so I know about you.
Besides, for the past three weeks, Kuro has been exploring Alfheim and reaching the last city with them, right?”

After arriving in Alfheim, Kuro embarked on an adventure with Anna and Chika.
Although he could use the same fighting methods as when he was in Midgard and Nilfheim, it took longer to defeat monsters that were level 300 and above.

Moreover, the promised time was getting closer, so he had no choice but to accept Anna and Chika's help.

Not only that, the biggest reason was to get used to fighting with Anna and Chika.
In other words, getting used to fighting in a party.
For that, Kuro, Anna, and Chika needed to know each other's skills so that unwanted things wouldn't happen.

Kuro, who had experience fighting with Leo and Umi, didn't have much difficulty in matching skills and attacks, but that's when Kuro realized the significant difference between players in their 60s and players in their 400s.

Now Kuro had explored the last city before the Heaven Gate in Alfheim and was waiting for the Demon King to be defeated by Liber, who was level 400.
Although there were hundreds of cities in each world, only a few dozen were on the path to the Heaven Gate, which was why Kuro had come this far.

But waiting also became boring, which was why Kuro spent time leveling up and trying new skills.

“Yeah…
that's right.
I don't have anything to do now, so I'm leveling up.
But if Flamia knows, is it possible that Flamia is a member of the Ouroboros guild like Anna?”

“No.
I'm a solo player but don't underestimate me.
Even though I'm a solo player, I'm one of the top players.”

Flamia smiled proudly, while Kuro smiled wryly.

There were actually quite a few solo players in CSO, but few became top players.
If Flamia became a top player even as a solo player, maybe she was a gaming maniac like Ruko.

(Maybe she's just a shut-in?)

That also explained why she was so naive.

“So, what is one of the top players doing in this deserted forest?”

“Guh..!”

Flamia immediately became shocked and panicked.
Kuro didn't know the reason why she was like that.

“Ah..
that…
I-I'm just hunting mob monsters, but I accidentally saw you.
Yeah.
I-I just accidentally thought you were a monster, so I approached you…
errr…
I guess I don't need to explain it anymore..
aha ha..”

Flamia's face suddenly turned red.

“I see…
but if you're hunting mob monsters, isn't this floating island not suitable since it doesn't have many monsters?” Kuro quickly nodded in agreement with Flamia's statement.

Flamia seemed to panic once again, even more than before.
“Um…” (How should I answer? There's no way I can admit to following her.
I don't want to be called a stalker or be seen as weird by her…
ARRGHHH…
Wait a minute…
Weird?) “Um…
actually, the monsters I hunt are quite unique and…
um…
they only exist on this floating island…
hehe…” (I hope she believes me.
No, she has to believe me, or I'll be in trouble in her eyes.)

“Oh…
by the way, what kind of monsters are those? I'm a bit curious.
Since I'm here, I think I'll hunt those unique monsters too.”

“Huh?” (WHAT SHOULD I SAY?) Flamia panicked half to death.
(The monsters in this forest are just lizard-like monsters commonly found in other forests.
She'll immediately know if I tell her.) She was running out of ideas.
But she remembered who Kuro really was, so…
(I'll mention a monster she has never encountered, something rare.
Kuro has only been playing for two and a half months, so he probably doesn't know about it.
Yes, that's it.
And I think I know a suitable monster.)

“Um? Flamia, is everything okay?”

“Huh?! I'm fine.
I just forgot the name of that monster, so I need some time to remember it.
Hehe…”

“Do you remember it now?”

“Yes, I remember.
The name of the monster is Forezd.”

“………”

Forezd is a dragon-like monster, similar to the Chinese legend of Sen Long.
The difference is that Forezd has wings and the ability to control the earth and trees.
Forezd can be considered rare and falls into the category of legendary monsters like the Phoenix.
But what's interesting is that defeating Forezd yields very special item drops.

“Um…
Did I say something wrong, Kuro?”

“…I saw Forezd on another floating island yesterday.”

“Huh?”

“I didn't expect Forezd to be on this island too.
It's just a coincidence that I wanted to defeat it…
haha.”

(…)

“…….”

Why did a super rare monster appear in front of Kuro? Flamia could only hope that what she heard earlier was a mistake.

“But I think Forezd is gone.
Flamia knows that Forezd is famous for traveling, right?” Kuro added.

“Ah, you're right.
Haha…”

Flamia only forced a bitter smile, but at least she could cover up her lie.
(Thank goodness he's the kind of person who easily believes.) Flamia sighed with relief.

“Now, let's talk about something else.
I want to know a lot about you, but we've strayed from the topic.”

“…You're right.”

Kuro understood the meaning behind Flamia's words.

“But what do you want to know about me? Honestly, I'm not a top player and I can't be considered special.”

Flamia leaned her face close to Kuro's face.
“No, you're special.”

“What do you mean? But could you move back a bit?”

Although they had kissed three times before, Kuro was still not accustomed to such proximity.

“Oh…
sorry.”

Flamia slowly moved away.

“You're special,” Flamia continued.
“You could even be said to be the most special Liber I've ever seen.
So don't underestimate yourself.”

“O-Okay, but could you explain what part of me is special?”

Kuro didn't understand Flamia's meaning.
His weapons, stats, and equipment could be considered common and easily obtained.
His appearance was a bit different because Kuro requested equipment that wasn't too different from the real world, but it was still ordinary.

“The special part of you is that you're weak.”

“Hee~~~~~”

That was an effective way to extinguish his enthusiasm in an instant.
Flamia turned out to be a sadistic person.

“Hey…
don't be sad just yet.
What I meant by weak is that no weak player could come this far except for you, Kuro.”

“Yes, I'm weak.
I know that.
But you don't have to keep saying it over and over.”

Kuro cried silently in his heart.

“Uh…
I'm sorry.
But that's what I meant.
Despite being weak, I could come this far.
Isn't that something to be proud of?”

“I don't want to hear that from a top player like you.”

“Ge…”

Flamia realized that she may have hurt Kuro's feelings.
Or maybe not.

Although he looked annoyed and sad, Kuro didn't show any signs of sulking.
One could even say he had a poker face.

“Do you know why I wanted to know about you, Kuro?”

“How would I know? Are you stupid?”

“Why stupid? Uh…
that's not it.
By the way, do you remember when you fought against Fuape?”

Kuro tried to recall.
In the two and a half months he had been playing CSO, he had defeated hundreds of monsters.
Finding one particular monster among hundreds was a bit difficult.
Besides, Kuro didn't really care about the monsters he fought.

“……..mmmm….”

Kuro really made an effort to remember.

“Fuape was a monster that looked like a white gorilla.
You surely remember!”

Flamia finally gave him a clue.

And he remembered.
He remembered the monster that could be considered fierce.

“Oh…
was it that time…
If Flamia knows, then you must have watched the battle? Or perhaps you were one of the three innocent people who died?”

Kuro also remembered that three innocent people had become victims.
Until now, Kuro still felt guilty, but since he couldn't remember their faces, he eventually ignored them.

“No.” Flamia denied.
“I accidentally saw it from afar.”

“….”

“To be honest, I had never seen such a long and exciting battle before.
Since then, I've been curious about you and wanted to know more about you.”

Flamia smiled happily.

For Kuro, Flamia's words were not really a compliment and didn't make him happy at all.

“Besides my long battle and my weakness, what else do you want to know, Flamia…?”

The girl who troubled him and made Kuro tired.
That was Flamia.

And this reminded Kuro of a girl who was similar to Flamia but had a different approach.

“I want to know about the sword skill you used when fighting against Fuape.
That sword skill you used is unusual, and I don't think it's a system sword skill, right?”

That question made Kuro understand that Flamia was only curious about the sword skill he used, not about him.

(This girl really knows how to torture people.)

If Flamia was described as sadistic, Kuro strongly agreed.
Very much agreed.
Wholeheartedly agreed.

Kuro sighed softly.

That's right.
The skill he used was a sword skill from the real world.

“I didn't know sword techniques like that existed in the real world.
Hm…
wait, doesn't that mean you can do it in the real world?”

Because it was a skill outside the system, it meant that the movements originated from Kuro.
It could be considered an original skill, but…

“No.
I can't do it.”

“Eh?”

“Of course, because the body in the real world is different from the body here.
My body in the real world can do it, but not as strong as here.”

In CSO, Kuro could easily jump up to 10 meters.
If he did that in the real world, his legs would surely break.
That's normal.
Normal because they were in an artificial world.

“This world uses numbers as indicators of strength.
Honestly, I don't really like it.
Maybe that's why I've never played VR games.”

“Hate? Why?”

“Because 10 is greater than 9 and the numbers below it.”

“Eh? What do you mean?”

“Simply put, I hate fake power like that.
This is a game, and games have rules.
Players can't break the rules, only the Game Master can.”

Kuro looked up at the sky, then continued:

“Doesn't a world like that make the weak unable to defeat the strong? Doesn't a world like that make the weak give up because they know they will lose before even trying to fight? No.
The real world doesn't allow that.”

“……..”

“Weakness doesn't mean you will lose.
On the contrary, because you're weak, you have to try harder and never give up until you achieve your goals.
If you fail, try again until you succeed.
If you lose, practice until you become a winner.
Of course, what I mean doesn't necessarily have to be done because it's a difficult path, but that's the true meaning of life.
You can't always choose the easy way.”

Flamia turned her gaze toward a small plant growing on a rock not far from them.

Despite plants thriving and growing lushly when planted in soil, the small tree still struggles to survive even though it grows on top of a rock.

“I understand what you mean, but…-“

“I know.
This is a game and not the real world, we can't equate them.”

“………..”

“….but CSO is different.”

Flamia widened her eyes.

“Even though it's game, in CSO, I can still feel the real world in this world.
And it's not because CSO is made to resemble the real world as much as possible but for the first time…
I can say that this is my second world.”

“A second world?”

Kuro nodded.

“And I think I'm not the only one who feels that way.
At first, I thought CSO was a popular game because it was good, but now I understand why many people play CSO.”

For the first time, Flamia saw Kuro smile.
It was a beautiful smile, reminiscent of a child, but Flamia realized it was a smile that came from Kuro's deepest heart.

At the same time, the wind blew quite strongly, causing her long hair to sway in the wind.

For some reason, Flamia felt a strange sensation again, like when she kissed Kuro, but she knew that this strange feeling was now even stronger than before.

Flamia's face turned red, and for some reason, she couldn't dare to look at Kuro.

“Hm? What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?”

“No,” Flamia answered, glancing away.
“You said CSO is your second world, so if you had to choose between CSO and the real world, which one would you choose?”

“Hmm? Why are you suddenly asking a question like that? If I had to choose, of course, I would choose the real world.”

“……….”

“As good and as much as CSO resembles the real world, CSO is still an artificial world created by humans.
I'm sure you also think the same as me, right?”

Kuro's choice had been anticipated by Flamia.
In fact, all players would probably answer the same as Kuro.

CSO is a fake world.
A world created based on imagination and technology.
Although one can be in the world of CSO and live in it, the fact that CSO is an artificial world remains unchanged.

“Yes…
you're right…
CSO is a fake world…
but-“

“…?”

“If CSO were real, would you still choose the real world?”

Initially, Kuro was slightly confused, but she realized that CSO might be like a real-world to Hikikomori like Flamia.
Novels often depict Hikikomori and NEETs as considering the virtual world as the real world.
Perhaps Flamia was the same as those depicted in novels or anime.

If that's the case, then Flamia's question was hypothetical.
If it was a hypothesis, then Kuro's answer was clear.

“To be honest, I don't know.”

“Huh?”

Flamia's eyes widened in surprise at Kuro's answer.

“But it might be enjoyable if CSO were the real world and not just a game.
Besides, I'm not like Kiri*beeb* trapped in the Underworld, am I?”

“………….”

Flamia fell silent, but after a few moments, she smiled thinly, a sweet smile like an angel descending from heaven.

For a moment, Kuro couldn't even divert her gaze from Flamia.

“..
let's talk about something else.
Honestly, I don't like discussing topics like this.
Ahaha…”

“Yeah…
you're right.” Flamia continued to smile

“Let's discuss why you crashed into a tree earlier.”

“Bffft….”

Kuro wanted to talk about a different topic, but why bring up something embarrassing?

“Wait a moment.
How do you know I crashed into a tree when I was trying out a skill?”

“Of course, because I saw it firsthand.
From the beginning to the end, of course.”

“………….”

(This girl is scarier than I thought.
I should find a way to log out as soon as possible.)

“So, what were you doing earlier?” Flamia asked.
“Honestly, it was the first time I saw Liber crash into a tree.”

Unable to hide his embarrassment, Kuro's face turned red.

He chose the Hurz Forest because it was secluded, but now his choice had trapped him with an innocent demon.

(I guess I should explain it quickly and leave this world and not log in for a few days.)

That would be the best way to escape from this demon circle.

“I was just testing my new skill, [Black Bind].”

“[Black Bind]?”

[Bind] is a skill type that immobilizes opponents.
The effectiveness of this skill is influenced by the level and DEX status because it requires precision to target the enemy.

In Kuro's case, it seems he misused the function of this skill.

Flamia chuckled.

“You know, [Black Bind] is a skill to lock the opponent's movements, not to use as a foothold in the air.”

“Eh? Is that true?”

Flamia nodded.

“I just chose a skill that could create a wall in the air, but it turns out I used it incorrectly…”

Kuro's idea was simple.
He wanted to combine [Shadow Bullet] and [Twin Breaker].
Shadow Bullet could be performed as long as there was a foothold, but in Alfheim, aerial battles were more dominant.

Shadow Bullet wouldn't be usable.
And that was a big problem for Kuro, who often used Shadow Bullet as his main skill.

But it wasn't a big problem, and a new idea emerged in Kuro's mind.

“I'll show you how to use a [Bind] type skill.”

“Oh…
I'm curious too.”

Flamia's hand pointed towards Kuro.
Kuro paid close attention because they were close to each other.

Suddenly, a magic circle appeared.

“[Fire Chain]”

From the magic circle, seven chains of fire emerged and immediately bound Kuro to the tree.

“………………….eh?”

Instinctively, Kuro tried to free himself, but he couldn't loosen the fiery chains that bound him even slightly.

(This is bad.)

For some reason, Kuro had a bad feeling.

And his intuition was right when he saw Flamia crawling closer.
Flamia's blushing face made Kuro shudder, and he struggled even more, but his restraints only grew tighter.

“Flamia, I already know the purpose of a Bind-type skill, so now re-“

“Neee..”

“?!”

Flamia's face was so close to Kuro's that he couldn't say anything.
But cold sweat flowed down his forehead like a river.

“I have a strange feeling again.
We didn't even kiss.
What is actually happening to me?”

(…I knew it…)

“Can you explain what I'm experiencing? Is there something wrong with me?”

(Why are you asking me? Honestly, I don't know…)

“Sorry, but I'll have to ask for another kiss to make sure.”

“Why a kiss? Are you joking? Quickly, release me!”

“Hehehe…”

After giving a slight smile, Flamia kissed Kuro.
A gentle and warm sensation immediately spread, but there was a stronger feeling present.

It didn't take long for Flamia to release the kiss.
She then touched her lips with her finger.

“Ummm…
this is strange, but…”

“…….”

“I like this.
I think I'll keep doing it until I feel relieved.”

Hearing something bad and getting worse, Kuro immediately asked what was on his mind.

“Errr…
may I know when you'll feel relieved?”

“I don't know.” Flamia casually replied.
“Maybe two or three hours, or even more.
So…”

Flamia once again brought her lips close to Kuro's.
Unable to escape, Kuro finally tried to think positively.

(At least Ruko doesn't know about this…)

Kuro finally resigned himself.
Reluctantly.

———————————

Elsewhere, Anna (Ruko) was fighting against a giant tree-like monster named [Johon] in a cave with members of the Ouroboros guild.
Chika was also with her.

Johon was a high-level monster that required a party to defeat.

“?!”

Anna suddenly stopped moving.

Seizing the opportunity Johon attacked with its wooden hand.

“[Shield Blade]”

A shield appeared to block Johon's attack, and at the same time, Johon's hand was severed into several pieces.

Liber, who helped Anna, was a muscular and gallant young man.

“Anna, what are you doing? If you're careless, you could die.”

“Shut up, Bort.
My Radar Onii-chan told me that he's having a hard time.”

“Eh? Radar…
Onii…-chan???”

Bort already knew Anna was a Brocon, but it was the first time he saw a Brocon'shaving a skill called Radar Onii-chan.

(Was that a skill possessed by a Brocon's little sister?)

That was a mystery that Bort would never solve in his lifetime.

The next morning, after Kuro finished his morning run and changed into his school uniform, he finally had breakfast.

As usual, Ruko prepared breakfast.
Ruko used to make sandwiches, but lately, she learned to cook and could make other dishes besides Onigiri and sandwiches.
Today's dish was Omurice.

“…………”

The Omurice in front of Kuro had a large heart-shaped sauce.

Ruko seemed to be inspired by an anime or received advice from the witch Chiaki.
It wasn't a problem because Ruko's homemade Omurice was quite delicious.

“What's wrong, Onii-chan? You usually finish Ruko's special Omurice quickly.
Don't tell me Onii-chan doesn't like Ruko's cooking anymore? Wait, don't tell me Onii-chan prefers the food made by a gir-“

“It's not that.”

Realizing Ruko's imagination was getting wilder, Kuro immediately interrupted her.

“It's just that, for the past few days, I don't want to see the colors red, yellow, or orange.
Honestly, they traumatize me.”

“……………………..?”

Kuro stared at the yellow omelet that looked delicious with the heart-shaped sauce on top.

At the same time, he saw the image of a beautiful and enticing red-haired girl.

Eventually, Kuro didn't log in for several days after that incident.

 

note

=>After entering Alfheim, the method Kuro used to pass through the city before was no longer effective.
To overcome this, Kuro formed a party with Anna and Chika.
Unfortunately, due to using the Vital Curse skill, Kuro's level was difficult to raise.

=>Flamia is the strongest (in other matters).