Dexter approached Stella, now half-consumed by the writhing mimic.
'Where's that "Help me step-brother I'm stuck" line coming from?' his traitorous mind supplied.
He watched her flailing legs with growing exasperation, each desperate kick accompanied by muffled protests from within the mimic's gullet.
'This AI will be the death of me — good thing I can resurrect indefinitely.'
With a single practiced slash, he cleaved the mimic in two.
The sudden release sent him yanking Stella free with enough force to send them both tumbling — Dexter flat on his back with Stella sprawled atop him.
"Phew... Thought I'd become that golden chest chow," Stella gasped, shaking globs of acidic saliva from her torso.
"Ugh! It's all over me! Dexter, do something!"
He stared up at her damp, disheveled form currently pinning him to the ground and exhaled deeply.
'Oh Gods, why test my restraint with this walking temptation?'
"Stella, get off me..." Dexter grunted.
Instead of complying, Stella flashed a mischievous grin and began bouncing up and down, deliberately smacking her rear against his stomach with each peal of laughter.
Thump! Thump!
"Gah—STELLA! YOU'RE MAKING ME HARD... TO BREATHE!" he choked out between impacts.
In one swift motion, Dexter forced himself upright, sending Stella tumbling onto her backside. He scrambled to his feet, transforming his Firestaff into a full-face mask to conceal his burning red cheeks.
"Wow, Dex~" Stella cooed, brushing herself off. "You look so mysterious like that~"
'Damn this woman! She's either the most innocent pervert or the most perverted innocent... Does she even realize what she's doing?'
"Just... clean yourself already, you crazy—"
Stella responded with airy giggles, twirling her Holy Staff to cast Cleanse and Purify in a shimmering golden light.
…
After returning to Sunscar Kingdom, Dexter sold their looted items and once again dragged Stella to hunt for budget-friendly lunch options.
Stella proceeded to order enough food to feed a small army — so much that Dexter questioned whether she actually intended to eat it all or just use her stomach as a temporary storage unit.
"Why do you order so much?" he asked, eyeing the mountain of dishes.
"Mother always said eating well helps my body develop!" she chirped between bites.
'No wonder certain parts are so... developed.' His gaze drifted downward before snapping away the instant Stella caught him.
She merely giggled, thoroughly accustomed to Dexter's flustered reactions. If anything, his shyness only encouraged her to tease him more.
…
After their meal, Dexter prepared to leave, transferring all his coins to Stella while stocking up on rolled dry leaves.
"Stay in the kingdom," he instructed, his voice uncharacteristically serious.
"Don't accept any trade requests, duels, or invitations. You can explore the markets or gather materials nearby—just check the map to ensure it's a safe zone first." He fixed her with a stern look.
"No dungeons. No monster zones. Understood?"
Dexter lingered, studying her face longer than necessary before exhaling deeply. Leaving her behind had become unexpectedly difficult, but strength demanded sacrifice.
"Once I earn ten million coins," he added softly, "I'll buy us an island. We'll build our home there."
Stella's eyes sparkled as she beamed at him.
"Just don't forget to bring me a present when you return," she called after him.
With a final nod, Dexter turned away, forcing himself not to look back at her waving figure.
…
Dexter marched toward Sunscar Kingdom's northern gate, pausing for one final glance at Stella's distant figure before crossing the boundary.
Mounting his mule, he rode hard until reaching the lawless Tier VI zone — where player killings ran rampant. Dismounting at a dungeon entrance, he activated his cloak's invisibility and drew his sword, the blade gleaming in the dim light as he slipped inside.
Positioning himself near the entrance, he waited with predator's patience.
'Nothing levels you faster than hunting AI players. Thank the devs for making it count.'
His grip tightened on the hilt as shadows danced across the cavern walls.
'Let's see how these AIs perform... Just don't let them be Gridlock-tier monsters.'
…
After thirty minutes of waiting, Dexter nearly dozed off—until the telltale shimmer of magic snapped him alert. Three figures stood at the dungeon entrance, chatting casually as they crossed the stone bridge toward the deeper chambers.
'/Inspect.'
His eyes widened at their gear display.
'Two Tier IV crowd-control specialists and... a Gucci-clad healer? How the hell do they expect to clear this dungeon with that setup?'
Dexter shadowed the group unnoticed, observing their strategy. The two frontliners aggressively tanked mobs, forcing their healer into non-stop spellcasting.
Bottles clinked as the healer gulped mana potions between casts, their party pressing deeper into the dungeon without pause. Only when they reached an inner chamber did they finally pause to rest.
"Check your XP bar—see how fast it's climbing? Inner Zone farming is unbeatable," one tank boasted.
The healer wiped sweat from their brow.
"Thank you... I could never find parties before. Everyone rejects pure healers."
"How many potions left?"
"Just two..." The healer's voice carried exhaustion as they shook near-empty vials.
Dexter observed the group with predator's patience, though he could easily create an opening. For him, the hunt mattered as much as the kill — the thrill of stalking unseen.
Then shadows shifted. Two figures materialized at the cave mouth, moving with calculated silence toward the unsuspecting trio. Only Dexter's sharpened senses detected their approach.
'/Inspect.'
His pulse quickened.
'Dual claw builds. Professional PKers... The AIs actually leveled up! This just got interesting.'
The three players finally noticed something was wrong — or more accurately, the two approaching figures made sure they did.
The healer scrambled backward, trying to hide between his teammates.
Then the system notification flashed:
[You have been removed from the party]
"You... you set me up?!" the healer shrieked, face flushing crimson.
His former companions burst into laughter, pointing at his furious, reddening expression.
"Idiot," one sneered. "Did you really think we'd carry you for free?"
The healer's eyes trembled with barely contained rage.
"You monsters! What did I ever do to you?"
"Nothing personal," one smirked. "But that gear of yours fetches a pretty price. Hand it over quietly, or we'll take it from your corpse."
Backed against the cavern wall, the healer pressed his palms against the cold stone — and nothing more.