Blake and Ais walked together along the lush forest path, their bodies bathed in the soft light filtering through the scattered leaves, creating a poetic and beautiful scene.
"Although the 18th floor doesn't generate monsters, there are still some. They must have come from other floors," Blake said softly as he casually dispatched a red-eyed white rabbit wielding a small stone axe.
Ais nodded lightly in response, her jade-like hand instinctively pressing against her chest, where her heart was beating faster than usual. She felt a strange emotion inside, one she didn't quite understand. Despite spending many mornings alone with Blake over the past week, she had never felt this way before.
"This place is nice. Let's stay here."
At that moment, Blake's field of vision suddenly widened as he looked toward a serene pond and the relatively open area surrounding it.
"Blake?" Ais looked at him in confusion, unsure of what he was planning.
Behind them, a girl with pointed ears quietly followed, eavesdropping. From the way her hand tightly gripped the tree trunk, it was clear she was nervous.
"You saw the move I used to defeat Bete on the 18th floor, right?" Blake's sapphire eyes flickered as he turned toward Ais with a serious expression.
Ais nodded after a moment, her golden eyes showing a trace of anticipation.
"Currently, you're able to condense around a hundred sword auras. If you can successfully gather them, your attack power should reach the level of an LV.6 adventurer."
Blake paused for a moment before continuing his explanation. Since Ais was about to go on an expedition, as both her teacher and friend, he naturally had to ensure she was well-prepared.
As Blake spoke, Ais's gaze wavered, and under his guidance, she began practicing. She used the pond to test her power, occasionally creating large splashes of water.
Observing them from behind the tree, the hidden girl let out a sigh of relief and muttered, "What a relief... I thought he was going to do something to Miss Ais, but it turns out he's just training her."
The girl was Lefiya, an elf from the Loki Familia, regarded as the successor to Riveria. With her LV.3 rank, she had managed to enter the first-tier adventurer team alongside Ais and was considered a prodigy.
Having admired Ais for a long time, Lefiya had originally found an excuse to leave Finn and the others, trailing behind to prevent Blake from doing anything inappropriate. Now that she realized they were only training, she clearly relaxed. Her opinion of Blake even improved a little.
For the next couple of hours, Blake continued teaching Ais while Lefiya silently watched, her gaze never leaving Ais, admiration growing in her eyes.
But that was only natural. From Lefiya's perspective, using such vast sword auras was incredibly cool.
"Alright, let's take a break."
Two hours later, Blake glanced at Ais, who was panting slightly, her face pale from both physical and magical exertion. He spoke softly, "Rest for a bit."
Ais nodded obediently, without any resistance. If this had been in the past, she probably wouldn't have cared much about her physical condition, prioritizing strength above all else. However, over the past week, Blake had gradually changed her mindset.
It had only taken two hours to merge ten sword auras. Ais's talent was indeed extraordinary.
Blake looked at the golden-haired girl resting on a natural stone, unable to help but sigh in admiration.
"Blake, I'm rested. Let's continue."
After a moment, Ais spoke firmly.
"You've already figured out the method. From now on, you can practice on your own. For today, let's stop here. You'll be going on an expedition tomorrow, so it's better to focus on recovering your energy."
Shaking his head, Blake smiled gently at Ais, who looked at him in confusion, before removing the black-and-white ring from his finger and handing it to her.
"'Sin and Punishment.' It's not of much use to me now, so you can borrow it. Ais, I don't want you to get hurt during the expedition."
Looking at Ais with a serious expression, Blake's voice was calm yet firm.
As he finished speaking, Ais's golden eyes immediately softened, and she felt a warm current flowing through her body.
Lefiya, who had been peeking from behind the tree roots, was completely stunned. Looking at the ring in Blake's hand, her face turned bright red, and she froze in shock.
"I understand now... Blake, thank you."
In the next moment, Ais's lips parted, and with intense emotional fluctuation, she spoke softly. Her smooth jade-like hand reached out, taking the two black-and-white rings that emitted a faint magical energy.
"Ais, there's no need for thanks between us."
Hearing this, Blake smiled lightly and placed his hand on Ais's golden hair, gently stroking it as he spoke softly.
"Blake, please close your eyes."
As soon as she spoke, a blush appeared on Ais's delicate face. Her voice was quiet, but it carried an unfamiliar tone.
Although her tone remained steady and her expression wasn't much different than usual, this time, Blake sensed something unusual in her demeanor, causing him to pause.
Seeing that Blake didn't close his eyes but was instead looking at her, Ais hesitated for a moment.
Then, under Blake's astonished gaze, Ais tiptoed, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled his body down slightly—
Before pressing her soft lips against his.
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