Chapter 16 - Something Like a One-and-Only Partner
◇ You have defeated the [Sand-Eating Great Scorpion] ◇
◇ Titles Acquired ◇
・'Vanquisher of the Sand-Eating Great Scorpion'
・'Protector'
・'The Untouchable'
◇ Skills Acquired ◇
・Jump Maneuver
・Carry Running
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◇Status◇
Name: Haru Lv: 28 (40)
STR: 15
AGI: 110
DEX: 100
VIT: 5
MID: 5
LUC: 5
◇Skill◇
・All-Weapon Aptitude
《Quick Change》
《Weapon Darts》
・Axel Tempo
・Boar's Heart
・Acrobatics
・Jump Maneuver New!
・Carry Running New!
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A few minutes after my counterattack began, the Sand-Eating Great Scorpion that I had been pummeling and Sora, who had been subjected to my human-powered roller coaster, both went down at the same time.
One exploded into particles of light, while the other became completely incapacitated in my arms, her head spinning. As I came to my senses, I realized, "I'm definitely going to get an earful for this later," and started to panic, albeit a bit too late. I leaned against a rock and began to tend to Sora.
"Ugh... ugh..."
The sight of a beautiful girl on my lap was quite an unreal and sweet scene, but knowing that a lecture was waiting for me, I had no room for any ulterior motives.
Besides, I just felt really bad. As I earnestly fanned her with my hand to show my sincerity, Sora groggily fluttered her eyes open.
"Uh... a-are you okay?"
"..."
She gave me a classic deadpan stare, and I couldn't help but look away. I continued fanning awkwardly while looking away, and I heard a small sigh from below.
"...I'm not that angry. I'm the one who held you back, and thanks to you, we were able to beat it."
Her voice was a little sulky, but... when I glanced back, her expression wasn't particularly angry, just as she'd said.
It seemed I had managed to avoid the lecture. I relaxed and turned my face back to her. Our eyes met for a moment—then she quickly looked away.
It was a pointedly grumpy gesture, but she couldn't escape Arcadia's tendency to exaggerate emotional expressions. I could see the faint blush on her cheeks, and I knew she was just embarrassed.
"Um... sorry about that. I know I went way overboard, even if it was on impulse..."
Seeing that she still wasn't trying to get up, she must have still been feeling unwell. I bowed my head honestly, and she glanced at me from the side.
"...The boss was just being mean. So, please don't worry about it too much."
"Haha... when you put it like that..."
Her kindness in return just made me feel worse. She's such a good kid...
After a while, Sora recovered, and we checked our newly acquired skills and allocated our stats. There didn't seem to be anything left to explore, so we stepped through the ring of light that appeared in the plaza after the boss was defeated and returned to the city.
I checked the time and saw it was just before 4 PM in the real world. We could still keep going if we wanted to, but—
"I'm sorry, Haru-san, but I think I'll log off for today..."
"Oh, right."
Unfortunately, Sora was done for the day. ...Well, she's been playing for quite a while in real-time, which translates to over ten hours in-game. It's natural she'd be tired, and it's not surprising if she has other things to do.
...Me? I don't have plans, so I could go full-time all day long!!
"Um, Haru-san, you're..."
"I think I'll keep going for a bit. I'll probably log out for a break, though."
Sora probably half-expected it from my demeanor, but when I told her, she looked a little sad—
"I see."
Then she smiled, as if to hide something.
...I get it. That feeling of melancholy when your partner, who you've been playing with from the start, gets ahead of you while you can't play.
—To be honest, Sora doesn't seem like a hardcore gamer, or even a light one. She seems to do her research diligently, but judging by the way she'd tilt her head at the gaming terms and internet slang I sometimes used... I'm pretty sure she's just a 'normal girl' who's not very familiar with this kind of stuff.
In conclusion, my playtime and Sora's will probably never align. It's safe to say it's impossible for us to progress through the game at the exact same pace.
If we were to force it, I'd have to halt my own progress to match her pace... but that just feels wrong somehow.
I might be able to put up with it at first, but I can see myself getting frustrated with the lack of progress over time. And Sora, being the person she is, would end up feeling guilty for 'making me wait.'
If that happened, we wouldn't be able to enjoy the game anymore.
So, I have no intention of doing that.
"Hey, Sora."
"Yes?"
"Our playing pace might not match, but we're still the only ones in the same boat, right?"
"That's... true."
We can't hope for any newcomers, and the veterans are at least six months ahead of us. In that case... ugh, I've already figured out what to say, but saying this stuff sober is a little embarrassing.
"So... uh, well, you know. We're each other's one-and-only partner... or something."
"Partner..."
Sora's small repetition of the word fanned the flames of my embarrassment, but her sad expression from before seemed to have hit me pretty hard. I wanted to make sure I cleared up any unnecessary worries she might have.
"I might get ahead of you, but I won't leave you behind. Feel free to call me whenever our times match up."
"But, if I do that, Haru-san, you'll—"
"I won't find it troublesome or annoying, okay? If we're going to keep pairing up, your progress is a plus for me too. It'll help me get better at party play... so in a way, helping you is like strengthening myself."
I said it simply and honestly. At first, Sora looked conflicted, but her expression gradually softened.
"...Please don't push yourself. If you ever think it's a bother, please tell me."
She smiled hesitantly, saying that it would be easier for her to accept if I were direct.
"Well, for starters, there's no way a guy would find it troublesome to be needed by a girl."
I threw in that lighthearted comment as a final push, and Sora seemed to be convinced.
"Hehe... Sometimes you can be quite the flirt, Haru-san."
With that, her soft smile dealt a critical hit to my mental state, and so, the first chapter of my adventure with my adorable partner came to a close.
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◇Status◇
Name: Haru Lv: 28
STR: 30
AGI: 130
DEX: 100
VIT: 5
MID: 5
LUC: 10
◇Skill◇
・All-Weapon Aptitude
《Quick Change》
《Weapon Darts》
・Axel Tempo
・Boar's Heart
・Acrobatics
・Jump Maneuver
・Carry Running
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Brief Explanations for Skills Not Detailed in the Main Story:
《Quick Change》 — An active skill exclusive to the All-Weapon Aptitude tree. By clearly visualizing the details of the target equipment, it allows for instantaneous equipment swaps without needing to use the UI.
《Weapon Darts》 — Provides an aiming correction and a slight power bonus when throwing weapons.
《Axel Tempo》 — When the same active skill is used consecutively, its cooldown time is progressively reduced. Using a different active skill will break the effect, but automatically activated passive skills do not interrupt its continuation.
《Jump Maneuver》 — Assists and stabilizes the avatar's movements during jumps.
《Carry Running》 — When running while carrying a heavy object, it reduces the burden according to STR and DEX values.