Chapter 80: Shrouded in Moonlight

The good news was that the newcomer didn’t squat nearby.

Instead, he simply stood a short distance away, lifted his fur skirt, and relieved himself.

The unmistakable sound reached Sora’s ears.

That’s... surprisingly loud.

How long had he been holding it?

Before she could finish the ridiculous thought, she caught sight of a pair of striking purple eyes through the grass.

Xavier.

She had heard snakes possessed exceptionally sharp senses. Realizing who it was, Sora instinctively wanted to cover her eyes and look away.

But a sliver of curiosity tempted her to peek.

Before she could act on it, however, Xavier had already finished and quietly disappeared into the forest.

"..."

Maybe I’m overthinking everything.

Once she was done, Sora cleaned herself with the broad leaves she’d gathered.

Just as she stood up, her legs suddenly went numb.

"Oh no..."

Her body tilted backward.

The thick grass had completely hidden the edge behind her.

She hadn’t noticed the steep drop.

"Ahhh!"

With a startled cry, she toppled over the cliff.

The scream echoed through the valley.

Xavier reacted instantly.

He spun around and lunged toward the sound, but he was a heartbeat too late.

Sora had already disappeared over the edge.

Without the slightest hesitation, he jumped after her.

The wind rushed past them.

A moment later—

Thump.

Sora landed safely against a firm chest instead of the rocky ground she had expected.

She blinked.

Xavier had caught her in his arms.

"..."

Relief flooded her, quickly followed by embarrassment.

Great...

Now he’ll think I was spying on him.

She had been curious, yes—but she hadn’t actually looked.

Would he believe that?

Before she could explain, Xavier frowned and studied their surroundings.

Mist drifted through the valley like flowing silk.

His expression turned serious.

"The fog is too dense."

He glanced upward toward the cliffs.

"It doesn’t look like we’ll be climbing out today."

Sora forgot all about her awkward explanation.

"What?"

"Then what do we do?"

Xavier remained calm.

"We spend the night here."

"When the fog clears tomorrow, we’ll look for a way out."

There wasn’t much choice.

Sora sighed.

"Looks like that’s our only option."

Fortunately, the valley wasn’t barren.

There were towering trees, fresh water, and plenty of fish in the nearby stream.

As evening approached, Xavier caught several fish from the river.

Sora gathered dry branches and started a fire before grilling them over the flames.

It wasn’t much, but it was enough to fill their stomachs.

After dinner, Xavier stood and looked toward the forest.

"I’ll scout the area before it gets completely dark."

He looked back at her.

"Stay here."

Sora nodded obediently.

"I won’t wander off."

Satisfied, Xavier disappeared into the trees.

Once he was gone, Sora walked toward the river.

After everything that had happened that day, she desperately wanted to wash up.

She had barely stepped into the cool water when the familiar electronic voice rang inside her mind.

Ding!

Host, Xavier’s affection has changed.

Sora paused.

"Changed?"

This is an excellent opportunity.

The system recommends increasing his affection immediately.

"How?"

A brief silence followed.

Then the answer appeared.

Suggestion: Use your feminine charm.

Sora nearly slipped into the river.

"...What?"

She stared blankly into the water.

"Did you just tell me to seduce him?"

The system remained perfectly serious.

Correct.

Sora rubbed her forehead.

"You’re joking."

"Look at me."

"What exactly am I supposed to seduce him with?"

She pinched the soft flesh around her waist and sighed dramatically.

"With this body?"

"I’d be setting a trap, not casting a spell."

She shook her head.

"Even if someone couldn’t see me, they’d still feel all this."

The thought alone made her groan.

If she hadn’t been deliberately hiding her rapidly changing figure, her recent ability upgrades would have made her waist noticeably slimmer already.

She glanced down at herself.

Then froze.

Moonlight spilled across the river like silver silk.

Its reflection illuminated her skin, making it appear smooth and luminous.

The curves of her body had changed far more than she realized.

Her waist had narrowed.

Her chest looked fuller.

Even her shoulders and arms had become more graceful.

"...Wait."

She blinked twice.

"When did this happen?"

She touched her waist in disbelief.

"I’ve actually gotten thinner..."

A slow smile spread across her face.

Maybe...

Maybe she wasn’t hopeless after all.

She looked at her reflection again.

"My chest is..."

"...still ridiculously big."

Her cheeks warmed.

"And..."

She twisted slightly to glance over her shoulder.

"My hips aren’t bad either."

She couldn’t help smiling.

Despite carrying extra weight, her figure still retained soft, feminine curves.

"...Not terrible."

She tilted her head, studying herself from another angle.

Perhaps...

perhaps she looked prettier than she had given herself credit for.

Lost in her own inspection, she unconsciously struck another pose to examine her silhouette beneath the moonlight.

Meanwhile...

Xavier had already finished surveying the surrounding valley.

The terrain was far more complicated than he’d expected.

Towering cliffs surrounded them.

The fog thickened rapidly after sunset, swallowing every visible path.

Moving through unfamiliar terrain at night would be reckless.

They would have to wait until morning.

Thinking of Sora waiting alone, Xavier quickened his pace.

He assumed she’d be frightened.

Most females disliked darkness.

Some would already be crying.

But when he returned to the riverside...

He stopped.

His breathing caught.

Standing waist-deep in the river, Sora was completely unaware of his presence.

Moonlight poured over her like liquid silver.

She rested one hand against her hip while lifting her chin toward the night sky, admiring her own reflection in the still water.

The pale glow outlined every graceful curve of her silhouette.

The shimmering river concealed what it should while emphasizing the elegant lines of her figure beneath the moonlight.

She looked almost ethereal.

Like a goddess emerging from the water.

Xavier’s purple eyes darkened.

Without realizing it, he swallowed.

The memory of seeing her after her bath before flashed through his mind.

Back then, he’d noticed subtle changes.

Now...

The difference was unmistakable.

Her figure had become noticeably slimmer.

Her curves were softer, more defined.

She seemed transformed.

He had no idea why she was standing there admiring herself beneath the moon.

Nor did he interrupt.

He simply stood silently among the trees.

Watching.

Sora remained blissfully unaware.

She gazed at the moon’s reflection dancing across the water.

In her imagination, she looked like Aphrodite rising from the sea.

The longer she admired herself...

the more beautiful she thought she looked.