"...Holy shit."

Jake was completely dumbfounded at the display from Grace.

He remembered how she had temporarily transformed her small gun into a sniper rifle made of light construct.

He hadn’t even realized [Light Manifestation] could be used like that.

Jake couldn’t help but wonder if Grace was so good at handling it because it was tied to her bloodline skill.

...Plus, the atmosphere around her had completely changed the moment battle began.

He remembered her focused, calm expression and those glowing golden eyes—

Just then, Grace who was still breathing a little heavily turned to him with a bright, proud smile on her face.

"I did it, Jake!"

She ran over and hugged him tightly, her voice filled with excitement and joy.

Feeling that amazing pair of heavenly softness pressing against his chest, Jake finally snapped out of his daze and hugged her back.

He chuckled softly as he ruffled her hooded head.

"You were amazing and that last sniping shot was insane. It seems the new class suits you perfectly."

Grace’s cheeks flushed with happiness at his praise.

She smiled shyly but couldn’t hide the joy in her eyes.

"Hehe~"

But then, Grace paused a bit as she pulled back just enough to look up at him, her expression turning a bit shy.

"Umm... Jake? Since I did well... can I ask for a reward?"

"Oh?"

Hearing that, Jake glanced down and saw her beautiful golden eyes looking up at him with a mix of shyness and hope.

Jake thought to himself for a moment.

’Properly rewarding her might be good. She’s been working hard and showing so much determination lately. She deserves something special.’

Then without hesitation, he smiled warmly and declared,

"Of course! As long as it’s within my capabilities, I’ll make sure to fulfill it!"

Grace’s eyes sparkled with happiness at his immediate agreement.

Then Jake gently stroked her golden hair and asked with a soft smile.

"So, what kind of reward do you want, Grace?"

Grace blushed deeper, looking up at him with a shy but expectant expression.

She hesitated for a few seconds, fidgeting with the hem of her cloak.

Seeing this shy and hesitant woman, Jake couldn’t help but think she was completely different when she was in battle a moment ago.

’Maybe that side only appears when she’s in battle?’

But just then, Grace seemed to finally gather her courage.

She pulled him down by the collar, stood on her tiptoes, and whispered softly into his ear.

Hearing those request, Jake blinked many times, completely caught off guard by her bold request.

His face heated up a bit as he processed her words, and he couldn’t help but feel a rush of desire at how cute and honest she was being.

After stating her request,

Grace pulled back slightly, her cheeks burning red as she looked at him nervously, waiting for his response.

Jake looked at her strangely for a moment.

...Because it felt more like a reward for him than for her.

But just as he was about to agree, he paused and remembered something important.

There was a saying about using both the carrot and the stick... and this might be the perfect opportunity to push her even further to improve herself.

He gently stroked her golden hair and changed his words with a warm, encouraging smile.

"Grace... I’d love that. But let’s finish the quest first. How about this? If you manage to kill ten more monsters and we finish the quest by today, I will double the reward!"

"D-Double...?"

Grace’s golden eyes widened in surprise, her face turning even redder.

She bit her lower lip, clearly excited and motivated by the offer.

She nodded vigorously, clenching her small fists with determination.

"I-I’ll do it! Ten monsters... I’ll hunt them all!"

Her shy demeanor instantly shifted into fighting spirit.

She gripped her gun tightly and looked deeper into the forest with renewed energy.

Jake smiled, proud of her reaction. "That’s my girl. Let’s go, I’ll support you, but I want to see you take the lead."

Grace smiled brightly, a mix of greed and excitement on her face. "Yes, Captain! I’ll show you how strong I can become!"

Jake couldn’t help but think to himself as he watched her beautiful serious face.

’She’s so cute when she’s shy and asking for rewards... but the moment she switches to battle mode, she becomes so fierce and determined. It’s like two completely different sides of her.’

’Adorable and... terrifying at the same time.’

And he couldn’t help but sigh a bit as he kinda missed the shy Grace.

’But this means she has grown, so I am happy.’

With that thought, Jake smiled warmly and followed behind her, ready to support her from the back while letting her take the lead.

’It’ll probably take her at least the rest of the day to kill ten more monsters,’ he thought.

’This is good training and I can—’

His thoughts came to a screeching halt.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Infront of him,

Grace moved through the forest like a golden whirlwind of destruction.

The flash of light illuminated the forest like a light bulb turning on and off.

Meanwhile,

Jake just stood there, his mouth slightly open, watching what could only be described as a one-sided massacre.

Grace was darting between trees, her golden eyes glowing, gun flashing with every shot.

Forest Rabbits that were supposed to be sneaky ambush predators were dropping like flies.

At one point she even used her light-constructed rifle to snipe one from so far away that Jake barely saw the target.

Soon,

Within less than an hour, Grace had slaughtered fourteen monsters.

She stood in the middle of a small clearing, breathing heavily but with a triumphant smile on her face.

The ground around her was littered with the corpses of Forest Rabbits.

Grace turned around, her hood slightly messy, and ran back to Jake with sparkling eyes.

"Jake! I did it! Fourteen! That’s more than ten!"

She puffed out her large chest proudly, looking extremely pleased with herself.

Jake was still blinking in disbelief, with a mix of pride, amusement, and slight fear on his face.

"...I thought it would take you all day," he muttered under his breath, staring at the carnage behind her.

"What the hell did I just unleash...?"

But Grace tilted her head cutely, still smiling brightly.

She stepped closer, looking up at him with those expectant golden eyes.

"So... does this mean I get the double reward now?"

Her shy side was slowly returning, but at the same time she licked her lips like a predator hungry for her meal.

The contrast was strangely arousing.

Jake felt his throat go dry as he watched her.

And he could only let out a weak laugh at her question.

"Haha..."