Chapter 39: Campfire Sparks
Stormfang finally slowed his terrifying pace as they reached the dense ominous tree line marking the official border of the Whisper Woods.
The magical forest earned its sinister name from the unnatural whistling sounds the wind made as it traveled through the twisted ancient branches.
It was a place where light struggled to pierce the dense canopy and rogue beasts stalked their prey under the cover of perpetual twilight.
Seraphina gracefully dismounted the giant armored wolf and stretched her stiff limbs.
Her dark leather combat suit creaked softly in the quiet evening air. She turned her piercing violet eyes toward Leon expecting to see a broken exhausted servant collapsing onto the dirt after enduring hours of grueling high speed travel.
Instead Leon effortlessly vaulted off the tall saddle and landed perfectly silently on the soft earth.
His eighty points of Strength and hundred and twenty five points of Agility rendered the physical toll of the journey virtually nonexistent. He casually began unstrapping their heavy leather supply bags from the wolf’s saddle without showing a single sign of fatigue.
"Set up the camp attendant," Seraphina commanded while drawing a small whetstone from her pouch to meticulously sharpen her enchanted silver daggers.
"Clear the brush build a proper fire and prepare the rations. If you make too much noise you will attract unwanted attention from the tree line."
Leon merely offered her a smooth confident nod and set to work.
He moved with a supernatural predatory grace that once again left the noble daughter secretly mesmerized.
He gathered heavy fallen logs that would normally require two grown men to lift and arranged them effortlessly into a perfect fire pit. He utilized a small flint striker to ignite the dry kindling and soon a warm crackling fire illuminated their secluded campsite.
Seraphina sat gracefully on a thick fallen log near the flames and watched him unpack the dried meats and hardbread.
Her Lie Detector aura was practically glowing with a deep tantalizing curiosity.
The mystery surrounding her handsome new attendant was driving her to the brink of frustration.
He possessed the physical capabilities of an trained knight yet he diligently performed mundane servant chores without a single complaint.
"You are a walking contradiction Leon," Seraphina noted softly while putting her daggers away.
She leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees allowing the firelight to dance across her beautiful face.
"You hold onto me during a high speed ride with zero hesitation but you follow my domestic orders flawlessly. Who exactly taught you how to survive?"
Leon handed her a wrapped portion of dried venison and sat down on a smaller log across the fire from her. He heavily relied on his magnetic Charisma to project a calm highly guarded persona.
"The streets are a very harsh instructor Lady Seraphina," Leon replied with a smooth half truth. "You either learn how to adapt to your surroundings or you perish. I simply prefer to adapt."
The familiar crystal bell chimed beautifully in his skull right as she took a bite of her rations. The digital interface illuminated the space above the crackling fire with a neon pink glow.
[Quest Issued: The Tense Shoulders]
[Context: The Silver Goddess is a weapon forged for war but even weapons require proper maintenance. She is currently tense from the long ride and highly vulnerable to physical touch. Exploit her aristocratic fatigue.]
[Objective: Walk behind her log, place your hands firmly on her bare shoulders, and offer a deep massage while praising her lethal physique.]
[Reward: +20 Mana, Skill ’Night Vision’, 150 Shameless Points.]
[Failure Penalty: The Host will suffer a sudden violent muscle spasm in both legs causing you to faceplant directly into the burning campfire.]
Leon stared at the unhinged digital text and let out a soft sigh of pure amusement.
Approaching an elite Aura Knight from behind while she was resting in a hostile environment was a fantastic way to get an enchanted dagger buried directly into his ribcage.
However the reward of Night Vision was an invaluable survival tool for fighting rogue beasts in the dark magical forest.
He stood up from his log and slowly casually walked around the roaring fire.
Seraphina immediately tensed her athletic muscles and her violet eyes tracked his movements with highly lethal precision.
She expected him to fetch water from the nearby stream but he boldly stepped directly behind her log and invaded her personal space.
Before she could issue a sharp verbal warning Leon reached down and firmly placed his large warm hands directly onto her bare toned shoulders.
Seraphina violently flinched as the highly unexpected physical contact sent a massive jolt of electricity straight through her nervous system.
She instinctively reached for the hilt of her dagger but her hand froze hovering over the leather grip. Leon’s thumbs dug deeply into the tight knots of muscle near her neck and his passive Basic Caress skill instantly activated at full capacity.
A highly concentrated wave of pure soothing pleasure bypassed her rigid martial discipline and melted directly into her tense flesh.
The sensation was astronomically euphoric.
"You hold a massive amount of tension in your shoulders Lady Seraphina," Leon murmured in a deep resonant whisper that vibrated nicely against her ear.
He masterfully kneaded the sore muscles using his enhanced physical dexterity.
"A flawless blade needs to rest its edge occasionally."
Seraphina closed her violet eyes and let out a soft highly scandalous sigh that she immediately desperately tried to suppress.
Her mind commanded her to push him away and sever his insolent hands but her exhausted battle hardened body aggressively betrayed her.
She leaned back slightly into his highly skilled touch and allowed her heavy aristocratic burdens to momentarily fade away into the dark forest.
[Quest Completed Successfully!]
[Your face remains unburned and highly handsome.]
[Distributing Rewards: +20 Mana, Skill ’Night Vision’ Acquired, 150 Shameless Points.]
A sudden refreshing wave of cool energy flooded his eyes and the dark ominous tree line surrounding their camp instantly brightened into a highly detailed weave of grayscale hues.
The shadows receded granting him perfect clarity in the pitch black wilderness.
Leon continued the deep tissue massage for another minute enjoying the rare sight of the fearsome Silver Goddess looking incredibly relaxed and deeply vulnerable under his hands.
Just as he traced his thumbs down her spine intending to push his luck a fraction further a low terrifying growl echoed from the dense brush just beyond the firelight.
Stormfang leaped to his feet and let out a deafening roar of pure aggressive warning.
The intoxicating romantic tension violently shattered. Seraphina’s violet eyes snapped open blazing with highly concentrated crimson magical energy. She instantly transformed from a pliant relaxed woman back into a terrifying apex predator.
"We have company," Seraphina hissed fiercely while fluidly drawing her massive steel broadsword from her back in one seamless motion.
Leon stepped back and narrowed his newly acquired Night Vision into the dark trees.
The rogue beast they were hunting had not waited for them to enter the forest. It had tracked their scent and brought a highly lethal pack of corrupted monsters directly to their doorstep.
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