Chapter 38: Lightning Ride
Leon sat firmly secured behind Lady Seraphina on the broad back of the giant armored wolf.
The terrifying beast was appropriately named Stormfang and it possessed a temperament that perfectly matched its volatile master.
Thick silver fur crackled with dormant lightning every time the creature exhaled a heavy breath into the warm afternoon air.
Riding a magical beast of this caliber was an experience entirely foreign to Leon.
The world outside the towering stone walls of the noble estate was a sprawling untamed wilderness filled with dense forests and treacherous mountain ranges.
House Sterling controlled a massive territory encompassing dozens of prosperous trade towns and agricultural villages but the spaces between those settlements were ruled by lethal predators. The rogue beast they were currently hunting had already slaughtered two heavily armed merchant caravans traversing the borders of the Whisper Woods.
Seraphina gripped the thick leather reins and leaned forward over the wolf’s neck.
She did not bother offering her new attendant any safety instructions or warnings about the impending acceleration. She simply dug her armored heels lightly into Stormfang’s flanks and unleashed the monster.
The giant wolf exploded into motion with terrifying kinetic violence.
The sheer instantaneous speed was enough to snap a normal man’s neck.
Stormfang cleared thirty feet in a single bound and hit the dirt road running at a pace that easily rivaled a speeding locomotive. The wind instantly transformed into a howling gale that whipped Leon’s dark hair wildly across his face and tore the breath right out of his lungs.
The landscape blurred into a chaotic streak of green and brown as the beast rapidly devoured the distance separating them from the treacherous forest.
Leon utilized his monstrous hundred and twenty five points of Agility to dynamically shift his body weight and perfectly match the erratic bounding rhythm of the giant wolf.
His seventy points of Strength allowed him to effortlessly grip the leather saddle straps holding him in place. A normal commoner would have been violently thrown from the beast’s back within the first ten seconds but Leon sat as steady as a seasoned cavalry knight.
Seraphina glanced over her shoulder while the wind whipped her silver braid around her armored shoulders. Her violet eyes narrowed in genuine suspicion when she saw Leon sitting comfortably behind her without screaming in terror or desperately clinging to her waist for dear life.
She intentionally shifted her weight and directed Stormfang to violently bank around a sharp bend in the dirt road hoping to finally dislodge his arrogant composure.
Leon smoothly leaned into the sharp turn and maintained his perfect balance without breaking a sweat.
The crystal bell suddenly chimed beautifully in his skull and bathed his chaotic windblown vision in a bright pink glow.
[Quest Issued: The Bumpy Ride]
[Context: The Silver Goddess is intentionally trying to throw you off her mount to test your limits. A true degenerate never misses an opportunity to turn a woman’s hostile actions into a highly intimate advantage. Secure your position.]
[Objective: Let go of the saddle straps, wrap your arms firmly around Seraphina’s waist, press your chest directly against her back, and loudly compliment her perfume over the howling wind.]
[Reward: +10 Strength, Skill ’Aura Resistance (Intermediate)’, 100 Shameless Points.]
[Failure Penalty: The Host will suffer a severe bout of extreme motion sickness and violently vomit directly onto the noble daughter’s silver hair guaranteeing your immediate decapitation.]
Leon read the digital text and actively decided the pervert system was actively trying to get him murdered by the most dangerous swordswoman on the continent.
Grabbing an aristocratic Aura Knight from behind without her explicit permission was considered a grave insult punishable by severe dismemberment. However the threat of vomiting on her pristine hair left him zero room for negotiation.
He released his iron grip on the leather saddle straps and smoothly leaned his upper body forward. He wrapped his strong muscular arms firmly around her incredibly toned midriff and locked his hands together right over her stomach.
He pulled her flush against him pressing his broad chest directly into the firm lines of her back.
Seraphina violently gasped as the highly unexpected physical contact sent a massive shockwave of pure shock through her nervous system.
She possessed a terrifying aura that normally repelled anyone from entering her personal space but Leon had casually bypassed her invisible defenses.
The sheer blistering heat radiating from his body seeped directly through her dark leather combat suit and sent a confusing jolt of warmth straight down her spine.
"What do you think you are doing Leon?" Seraphina roared over the deafening sound of the rushing wind while her passive Lie Detector aura wildly flared with intense flustered heat and aggressive annoyance.
"The ride is getting incredibly bumpy Lady Seraphina," Leon shouted back in a deep resonant voice that vibrated heavily against her spine. He intentionally tightened his grip around her narrow waist and buried his face slightly into the crook of her neck. "And you smell like sweet lavender and forest. It is a highly intoxicating combination."
Time seemed to fracture for the Silver Goddess.
Her mind struggled to process the astronomical audacity of a common attendant casually securing his safety by using her body as a makeshift seatbelt while simultaneously whispering scandalous compliments into her ear.
She instinctively wanted to summon her crimson aura and violently blast him off the wolf but the dense muscular warmth enveloping her waist felt dangerously secure.
[Quest Completed Successfully!]
[Your stomach remains perfectly settled and your head remains attached to your neck.]
[Distributing Rewards: +10 Strength, Skill ’Aura Resistance (Intermediate)’ Acquired, 100 Shameless Points.]
A sudden explosive surge of dense muscular power flooded his chest and elevated his Strength to a massive eighty points.
The newly acquired Intermediate Aura Resistance permanently etched itself into his physical form ensuring he could withstand the suffocating gravitational pressure of high tier magic users without instantly collapsing.
Seraphina did not blast him off the giant wolf. She merely let out a highly frustrated scoff and focused her violet eyes back on the rapidly approaching horizon.
"If your hands wander even a single inch lower I will feed your fingers to my wolf," Seraphina threatened fiercely but her voice lacked its usual murderous conviction.
Leon offered a wicked highly satisfied smirk and comfortably rested his chin near her shoulder.
He spent the next several hours enjoying the exhilarating high speed ride while holding Seraphina securely in his arms.
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