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...
The moment Takumi locked eyes with Eve, a jolt like electricity ran through his chest. She, too, showed a trace of surprise—her crimson pupils fixed directly on him.
"No way… even across worlds!?"
That familiar sensation of love at first sight instantly made Takumi realize that [Love Curse] had activated again. So not only did it affect his main world, but even other worlds were within its range!
Eve froze for a full three seconds before recovering from the electrifying gaze. She lowered her head, her fingers brushing against her flushed cheeks. What was that just now? Why did that man suddenly seem so handsome… so trustworthy? Had I lost my mind?
Her thoughts swirled in confusion, her delicate and lovely face showing a rare trace of panic.
Takumi didn't avert his gaze. Instead, he activated his [Observation Eye.]
[Name: Eve Reese]
[Class: Black-Wing Warrior]
[Level: 30 (Intermediate)]
[Traits: Demon Lord Candidate (Purple), Monster Domination (Purple), Magic Genius (Blue), Bloodline of the Black-Wing Tribe (Blue), Favored by Fortune (Blue)…]
[Demon Lord Candidate (Purple): A chosen successor to the Demon Lord, possessing unimaginable potential.]
[Monster Domination (Purple): Holds the power to command the highest-tier monsters of this world.]
[Magic Genius (Blue): Exceptionally gifted in magic; capable of mastering countless spells with ease.]
[Bloodline of the Black-Wing Tribe (Blue): Descendant of the Black-Wing Tribe. Capable of flight and gifted with extraordinary magic talent.]
"She's close to upper-class level. Even without using Divine Gear, she's stronger than Flare was before I trained her."
While Takumi silently evaluated her, the drunken man at the next table started gossiping about recent rumors.
"The current Demon Lord's putting a bounty on the Black-Wing Tribe, ya know.
And it's a damn generous one—enough for your descendants to laze around for generations! If I ever get the chance to catch one and hand it over, I'll be rich! Then I'll drink only the finest wine~~"
His rambling made Eve's body tremble. She snapped out of her bashful daze, pulling her cloak tighter around herself. Now wasn't the time for romance—she still had to escape!
Biting her lip, Eve tried to make her presence as small as possible.
A moment later, a waitress arrived with a simple bowl of thin meat soup. For just a single copper coin, it was already generous.
Takumi's table, however, was another story—a large iron pot of stewed Rock Bear meat was placed before him.
"This is our signature dish, sir—Bear Hotpot. Please enjoy!" the waitress said with a cheerful smile.
By then, Setsuna was already drooling.
Takumi's eyes lit up. The dish reminded him of a northern-style one-pot stew—but far more luxurious. After tasting it, he found the broth rich and savory, the meat tender yet firm.
As he ate heartily, Takumi noticed Eve staring blankly, envy written all over her face.
He smiled faintly, scooped a bowl, and handed it toward her. "Here, eat. Don't be shy."
Eve bit her lip and muttered, "I don't accept charity."
Takumi shook his head, smiling as his gaze met her deep red eyes. "It's not charity—it's a gesture of friendship. I think you're really cute, and when we locked eyes earlier, I felt a spark in my heart. Let's just say… I'd like to get to know you better."
His words made Eve freeze. She wanted to say she felt the same way. But the smell of that bear stew was simply irresistible. Her resolve melted.
"My name's Eve Reese… you're a good person. Thank you so mu—mmph."
Before finishing her sentence, she eagerly dug in. Compared to that bowl of near-dishwater soup, Takumi's meal was heavenly!
Watching her eat so desperately, Takumi could easily imagine the kind of hardships she'd been through.
"Eve, my name's Takumi. I'm glad we met." After saying that, he glanced around.
Flare and Setsuna—already full and satisfied—suddenly sensed something. They looked around, their gazes fixing on the tavern window. Frosty claws and defensive magic circles appeared in their hands.
"Defend with full power toward the window," Takumi warned calmly. "Otherwise, you might die."
The next instant, beams of magic light burst through the window like a storm of arrows.
Bang! Bang! Bang!!!
Flare, who had already activated a defensive barrier, blocked most of the blasts.
But several slipped through from different angles, shooting toward Takumi's table.
Anna and Ellen immediately hid behind Flare, while Setsuna relied on her sharp instincts, slashing through the incoming bolts with her claws.
Eve quickly raised her own magic barrier, glancing toward Takumi—just in time to see a magic bolt hit his skin and shatter harmlessly.
Her eyes widened. Even the tavern's walls couldn't withstand that kind of magical force!
Takumi's expression didn't change.
He constantly maintained [Gravity Magic] pressure over his body, making his muscles tense at all times. His tightened fibers twisted like wound steel cables, their hardness and resilience far surpassing any city wall.
"Was this your doing? Why—"
"It's not us."
Before Eve could finish, Takumi cut her off. He pointed to the glowing lines gathering on the floor and said evenly, "That's a ritual magic triggered by multiple casters using leyline energy. For ordinary mages, setting up such a formation would take at least an hour. Which means—by the time you arrived, they were already in position."
Every word he spoke made sense, leaving Eve speechless.
Before she could ask more, Takumi continued, "A frontal assault like this is usually a diversion. The real attack comes from the shadows—poisoned arrows, for example."
As he said that, a poisoned arrow shot straight into Eve's pale thigh.
"..."
"See? Called it."
"Don't… look… at me… help… me…"
Her words came out strained as the neurotoxin paralyzed her body, and she collapsed to the ground—placing all her hopes in Takumi.
At the same time, a group of minotaurs wielding blades, spears, and guns burst into the tavern. They were demons sent to capture Eve after discovering her location.
"Ha ha ha! Found her! The Black-Wing brat—jackpot!"
"And a few weak humans in the way!"
"Outta our sight!"
Hearing their shouts, Setsuna's fury exploded.
"How dare you insult Lord Takumi!"
Her figure blurred like lightning. The next instant, her icy claws pierced through one minotaur's chest.
Puchi!
A single strike—one massive beast down, dead on the spot.
The others reacted fast, charging at Takumi's group.
"Ice Spear!"
Flare conjured a massive spear of ice and hurled it forward, skewering another minotaur through the chest.
Takumi hadn't even needed to act; the attackers were already collapsing in heaps.
"So strong…"
Eve, paralyzed on the floor, watched in astonishment. She never imagined Takumi's group would be this powerful.
Takumi, meanwhile, casually took advantage of the chaos, cutting down two minotaurs himself.
[Ding! Randomly plundered traits: Great Strength (Green), Bloodline of the Mad Bull Tribe (Green)]
"..."
Seeing what he'd gained, Takumi decided it wasn't worth the effort. Maybe he should just slack off for now.
...
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