131 Ava’s Senses
Leo returned to his home late at night, when the moon was already high in the sky, casting a bright glow over the entire street. The lunar light illuminated the pavement and the surrounding buildings, creating a peaceful and serene atmosphere.
As Leo walked down the street, he could see his own shadow stretching out before him, cast by the bright moon above. It felt as if the shadow was staring back at him, but Leo just shook his head, it was only a shadow.
Leo carefully and quietly unlocked the door to his house, taking care not to make any noise as he entered. Once inside, he removed his shoes and tiptoed across the floor, trying to avoid any creaky boards that might wake his parents up.
Feeling hot and sticky from the heat and sweat, Leo headed to the bathroom to take a quick shower. He turned on the water, letting it run until it reached the perfect temperature before stepping into the stream of warm water.
As he looked at his reflection in the mirror, Leo saw his usual deep black eyes framed by a handsome face. He traced his finger over his chiseled abs, which were more defined and visible after his run. His body was toned and fit.
As Leo climbed into bed, he tried to clear his mind and relax, hoping to fall into a peaceful sleep. However, just as he was drifting off, his phone vibrated, indicating that he had received a message. He reached over to grab his phone, wondering who could be contacting him at such a late hour.
[ The order for Health Potions has been completed! (-???) ]
The sender of the message was Tia, a colleague of Leo’s. In her message, Tia informed Leo that she had finished preparing the first batch of Ava’s Intermediate Health potions, which had been purchased in advance. Tia mentioned that the potions were ready for pickup and asked Leo if he could come by the shop to collect them at his earliest convenience.
Thud...
.....
After reading Tia’s notification, Leo placed his phone back on the nightstand with a sense of annoyance. He couldn’t understand why Tia would choose to work through the night, especially since it meant that he would have to pick up the potions. However, he knew that there was no point in worrying about it now and decided to try to get some rest instead. He also knew that the request commissioner, Ava, would not be able to retrieve the potions anyway, so there was no need to rush.
With a sigh, Leo settled back into bed and tried to clear his mind, determined to get as much rest as possible before the busy day ahead.
“I’ll just reply tomorrow...”
***
Leo suddenly jolted awake, his body covered in a cold sweat and his muscles slightly trembling. He had been dreaming of a terrifying nightmare in which a silver jaguar was chasing after him, intent on devouring him. Every time Leo turned to look at the creature, it seemed to be getting closer and closer, as if it was moving faster than he could run. Just as the jaguar was about to pounce on him, Leo woke up in his bed, relieved to find that it had all been a dream. He sat up and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm his racing heart and shake off the remnants of the nightmare.
“Weird...”
Leo shook off the feeling of unease that lingered after his nightmare and quickly got out of bed to take a shower. As he washed away the sweat and grime of the night, he glanced at the clock and realized that it was already past 10 AM. Since it was Sunday, Leo had no classes at university, which meant that he had time to play the video game Fragmental. He and Ava had planned to meet up at 10 AM.
Realizing that he was running late, Leo quickly finished his shower and got dressed. He didn’t even have time to grab a quick breakfast and quickly logged into Fragmental.
...
“You’re late...”
As soon as his body materialized inside the ruined temple, Leo heard a voice with a hint of annoyance.
Leo turned his head to the side and saw that Ava was staring at him with a mixture of annoyance and curiosity. Her bright blue eyes were fixed on his hood, as if she was trying to catch a glimpse of his face beneath it. Leo found himself biting his tongue to keep his thoughts straight. Despite her stern expression, Leo couldn’t help but think that Ava looked cute, even when she was pouting. He quickly looked away, trying to hide the hint of a smile that threatened to break out on his face.
“I overslept, sorry.”
Leo slightly shook his head, trying to convey his apologetic attitude towards Ava. He could see that she was still visibly pouting, despite his gesture of remorse. However, after a moment, Ava slowly nodded her head, accepting his apology.
Leo gestured for Ava to follow him as he walked out of the ruined temple, continuing their discussion about the Demonic Ants and their unique Mana Signature.
“Can you sense the mana?”
Leo asked Ava, his eyes fixed on her face as he waited for her response. When Ava nodded her head, indicating that she could indeed sense the flow of mana around them, Leo continued his explanation.
“If you close your eyes and concentrate, you should be able to feel the flow of mana surrounding us. The Demonic Ants are small creatures, so their mana flow is a bit harder to detect. But fortunately, your sense attribute is very high, so you should be able to pick up on it. As we walk through the desert, try to search for a flow of mana under the ground that reminds you of an infinity sign. That will be the signature of a Demonic Ant!”
Seeing a visible question mark hovering above Ava’s head, Leo summoned Fenrir.
“Try to close your eyes and feel his presence”
As Leo pointed at the black wolf and offered it a piece of cooked pork, Ava closed her eyes, focusing on the mana surrounding them. While Leo tended to his pet, Ava stood still, her senses attuned to the subtle movements of the mana in the air.
“I can see it!”
After a few minutes of intense concentration, Ava suddenly exclaimed with excitement. Leo couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm, even as he felt a twinge of bitterness at the fact that Ava had been able to master a trick that had taken him a whole month to learn in his past life.
“Fenrir’s mana flows in a circle...”
Ava trailed off and Leo nodded his head, her answer was correct.
“Why can’t I sense yours?”
Ava’s audible whisper made Leo break out in a cold sweat. He was certain that it had something to do with the Shadow Energy that seemed to be overshadowing the mana, but he couldn’t bring himself to tell Ava about it. He knew that if he mentioned Shadow Energy, he would have to explain how he had come to learn about it, and that was a conversation that he wasn’t ready to have.
“Personal Secret...”
Brushing it off Leo felt Ava’s gaze linger on the back of his head, but pretended not to notice and focused on the path ahead. If you ignore it long enough, it’ll disappear!
Approaching the forest, full of various plants decorated in red leaves, the pair stopped. Even though the forest looked exotic and beautiful, it was full of high level monsters.
“Be careful...”
Leo noticed the look of worry in Ava’s eyes as he warned her about the dangers of the forest, and he couldn’t help but sigh.
“Trust me, Ava, just close your eyes and try to sense the flow of mana around us. I’ll make sure that we’re not attacked while you concentrate.”
Nodding her head Ava closed lowered her eyelids, which made Leo notice how long her eyelashes were.
‘Focus...’
Creating Shadow Soldiers Leo spread them in all directions, making sure that they would notify him if any monsters were nearby.
He quietly took Ava by her hand and slowly led her forward, whilst the girl was focused on sensing Mana. He recalled the first time they met and Leo could tell that her hand skin was even smoother.
‘This game is too realistic...’
Leo found himself blaming the creators of the game for his own weird thoughts and feelings. He kept pulling Ava along by the hand, hoping that the physical movement would help to clear his mind. However, the sensation of her hand did the opposite.
Stop...
Suddenly he felt Ava’s hand tense in his grip and froze in place. Shifting his eyes towards the girl he noticed her looking at their hands clasped together.
...
Silence engulfed the pair and Leo felt that he had to break it.
“Sorry, I had to lead you through the forest, since you couldn’t move while sensing Mana...”
He tried freeing his hand and felt Ava’s grip tighten around his fingers.
“Ava?”
Ava’s eyes had been unfocused, but upon hearing her own name, they suddenly snapped back to normal. She lifted her head to meet Leo’s gaze and let out a sound that was more like a question. ‘What?’ she asked, confusion etched on her face.
“My hand... Can I get my hand back?”
Leo couldn’t help the slightly sweet tone that crept into his voice as he spoke. Ava’s expressions and reactions had unknowingly brought a bit of brightness into his day.
...
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