On his way back home, Luke was busy checking the rewards he had earned from teasing and breaking Thea.

To his delight, the system’s quest was progressing exactly as he had hoped.

Everything pointed toward a single objective: obtaining that absurdly overpowered physique.

He knew it was a little petty, maybe even scummy, to torment a woman for his own benefit.

But, honestly?

Meh.

It wasn’t as if she hadn’t enjoyed herself.

’I need eighty more percent of the armor before I can fully wield it.’

That meant interacting with Thea a few more times.

[Host, extracting additional fragments from the target will become increasingly difficult. The remaining fragments are deeply integrated into the target’s soul.]

Luke’s expression stiffened.

’Wait... I’m not going to accidentally kill her, am I?’

Teasing and tormenting her was one thing.

Carrying the guilt of someone’s death was another matter entirely.

That would be enough to make him stop.

[No, Host. Since the target lacks a Gamma Pod, the extraction process will not produce significant side effects. At most, the target may experience mild weakness and slight shifts in temperament.]

Luke hummed thoughtfully.

That was reassuring.

Besides, it wasn’t like Thea was ever going to make use of that ancestral gift herself.

So why shouldn’t he be the one to extract it?

Pushing the thought aside, he focused on the more immediate issue.

’I need to start shopping and get everything prepared.’

He had a very large fish to transport to the ocean.

That thought sparked another question.

’When should I leave if I want to arrive around nighttime?’ 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

The trip alone would take several hours. Depending on how things went, retrieving her and bringing her back could easily consume an entire raid session.

Luke wasn’t delusional enough to believe everything would unfold according to plan.

The forest was a box filled with surprises, anomalies, and things that actively wanted to kill careless travelers.

No matter how carefully he prepared, he was bound to encounter a few beasts along the way.

And rushing wasn’t an option either.

Synthia’s container wouldn’t be completely sealed. Too much movement could cause water to spill out, and if enough leaked away...

Her life could be put at risk.

Which meant the journey would have to be slow, careful, and deliberate.

The exact kind of journey that rarely went smoothly.

[Host, according to dungeon regulations, you cannot re-enter the dungeon for at least twenty-four hours after completing a raid. If you wait another fifteen hours, however, your next entry will occur during daytime.]

"..."

Luke frowned.

Nope.

Not happening.

Entering during the day would make the entire trip pointless.

And waiting until tomorrow night would mean making her wait nearly twice as long as he had promised.

’System, do something. As you can clearly see, I’m perfectly fine. Besides, I don’t even plan on hunting beasts this time.’

[Host, the dungeon feature exists to help you grow stronger, not to assist a random entity...]

Luke clicked his tongue.

"Man, you’re being cruel now."

He shook his head in disbelief.

"She gave me something incredibly precious, and now you’re telling me to betray her?"

As if to emphasize his point, he summoned the Lunar Pearl from his inventory.

The flawless orb materialized in his palm.

For a moment, it looked like nothing more than a beautiful sphere of pale crystal.

Then the moonlight touched it.

Silver radiance streamed across its surface, flowing into the pearl as though it were being swallowed whole.

The orb gradually began to glow.

Gently soft.

Yet undeniably mystical.

The faint lunar light pulsed within its depths like liquid moonlight trapped beneath glass.

Luke stared at it for a moment.

Even now, he found it difficult to believe that Synthia had handed over something so valuable without demanding anything in return.

His expression softened slightly.

’I’m definitely bringing her back.’

Whether the system liked it or not.

He had given his word.

And Luke intended to keep it.

[Host, the system can reduce the waiting period and allow you to enter the dungeon in a few hours. However, to qualify for this exception, the host must complete the following quest.]

[Quest]

1. Prepare Basic Healing Potion ×5

2. Take complete rest for 3 hours

3. Have all battle gear repaired

4. Have a cuddling session with Target Monica]

"..."

Luke stared at the quest window in silence.

A few seconds passed before he finally asked,

’Am I seeing things, or did you just tell me to cuddle with my mate?’

[The system’s objective is to ensure that the host is both physically and mentally stable before entering the dungeon. Analysis indicates that the primary source of the host’s mental stability is a single individual.]

Luke blinked.

Then blinked again.

For some reason, a smile crept onto his face.

And, annoyingly enough, he could feel his ears growing a little warm.

"That’s a pretty fancy way of saying I miss her already."

[The system did not say that.]

"Yeah, yeah."

Luke waved dismissively, though the grin on his face only widened.

The system wasn’t entirely wrong.

For all the chaos he usually faces in his everyday life, Monica was the one person who always helped him collect his thoughts.

Just being around her made things feel simpler.

Less chaotic.

Less exhausting.

His shoulders relaxed as he imagined her reaction if he told her that cuddling was a mandatory quest objective.

She would probably turn red.

Then deny being happy about it.

Then immediately agree.

The thought drew a quiet chuckle from him.

Was he really acting like someone his age for once?

Maybe.

And honestly?

He didn’t dislike it.

Shaking his head, he sighed and focused on the orb in his hand.

It was still burning brightly and inviting his senses to consume it.

’You sure this wouldn’t be painful?’

[No, host. However, the system suggests being alone and somewhere no one could see the host before consuming it.]

Luke silently stored the orb back in the inventory.

He was already close to his house and here, anyone could see him.

So yeah, he would probably consume it just before entering the dungeon.

For now, it’s time to fulfill the quest.

•••••

A/N:- Thank you for reading.