The first thing Firefly wanted to do, as it turned out, was go shopping.
Now, this virtual world was pretty well-developed—some even jokingly called it "little Penacony" among its fans—so the shopping experience here definitely wasn't bad.
But Silver Wolf couldn't care less.
Not everything automatically became interesting just because you slapped a game label on it.
No matter how you dressed it up, shopping was still just shopping. She'd much rather head to the adventure zone and grind some achievements or climb the leaderboards.
Silver Wolf had assumed they'd be making a beeline for the adventure zone today. Who knew Firefly would suddenly lose her urge to set the world on fire?
To be honest, Silver Wolf didn't know much about Firefly.
Aside from her being a woman of few words who liked spamming stickers in chats, the only other thing she knew was that Firefly had poor health and was pretty much dependent on a medical pod.
But since neither Firefly nor Sylvia seemed to mind…
Silver Wolf pursed her lips, holding back any comment, and simply waved a hand dismissively.
"Fine, you two have fun. And you!" she added, jabbing a finger so close to Sylvia's cheek it was almost touching. She looked ready to pull out Prometheus and hold it to Sylvia's neck. "Don't forget—you're paying!"
"Hey, Silver Wolf, you're kinda acting like a parent dropping their kid off for a playdate."
Sylvia looked down at Silver Wolf, reached out, and gently pressed down the finger pointed at her.
The realism in this kind of virtual game wasn't great, and Sylvia wasn't even using any peripherals. Aside from being able to detect collision boundaries, there wasn't much else in terms of sensation.
"Piss off."
Silver Wolf shot Sylvia an eye-roll, then gave Firefly a nod before teleporting away in-game.
"Shall we go, then? I've explored around here a bit during the day. Would you like me to lead the way?"
Firefly smiled, her pale gray hair swaying gently in the game's windless air. Dressed in pretty clothes and wearing a gentle smile, it was hard to connect her with the image of Sam.
"Then I'll trouble you to guide us, Miss Firefly."
Sylvia stepped closer to Firefly. With her naturally tall frame and high heels, Firefly stood just a little taller than Sylvia.
Firefly covered her mouth as she let out a soft laugh.
"Being called 'Miss' feels a bit unfamiliar. Just 'Firefly' is fine. Ah… but then again, not many people call me by that name. Sylvia, you might be the first to address me so formally."
Mid-sentence, as if struck by a thought, she blinked at Sylvia.
Sylvia felt her cheeks warm slightly at Firefly's adorable expression, then asked thoughtfully,
"Do the others usually just call you Sam?"
"Mm. When I'm on missions, I never show my face. The codename just carried over into daily life. So even though I really like this name, I hardly ever get to use it."
Firefly's expression remained calm, but Sylvia could sense a certain attachment to that name.
Was it a longing to be called by her name like an ordinary person, to connect with others as herself?
Probably.
Sylvia didn't press further. Instead, she smiled and extended a hand in a gentlemanly gesture.
"Then from now on, when you're with me, you'll only be 'Firefly.' I'll only call you Firefly. After all, I'm not part of your group—I don't care about mission codenames."
"…"
Firefly brought her hands to her chest, blinking a few times as she took in the warmth in Sylvia's eyes and her slightly exaggerated, almost playful manner.
"Alright."
She smiled and placed her hand in Sylvia's palm.
For Firefly, experiences like this—whether it was diving into a virtual game or meeting someone as her true self—were rare.
But it's just a virtual game.
And I already planned to go by 'Firefly' here anyway.
So it should be fine, right?
Firefly told herself this, feeling her heartbeat quicken just a little. Meeting Sylvia's gaze, her smile brightened.
"But there's one thing I should clarify."
Firefly grinned, making a small gesture with her hand. Sylvia listened attentively.
"What is it?"
"Even if it's only in name, in the future, you and I will form a contract of intimate connection. To me, that makes you one of us. If your identity is ever exposed, everyone will see you as being on our side. You won't be able to escape~"
A sly smile touched her gentle face. Feeling the faint sense of contact in her palm, Sylvia felt as if Firefly's smile had pierced straight through her heart.
It was… breathtaking.
So much so that she couldn't help but want to reach out and hug this girl.
This kind of impulse was a completely new feeling. Even the sensation in her palm seemed to grow softer, warmer.
--+--
Meanwhile, in the real world…
Acheron was curiously slipping her fingers, one by one, between Sylvia's, playing with her hands with keen interest.
Compared to her own slightly calloused hands, Sylvia's fingers were pale, delicate, and smooth—her skin soft and seemingly unlike that of a swordsman.
Of course, Acheron was also curious just how far Sylvia's guard was down around her.
How much would she have to fiddle with Sylvia before it triggered some internal 'alarm' and woke her from the game?
And besides… Sylvia had already stirred up so many uncomfortable emotions in her.
Wasn't it only fair that she got to 'get back' at her a little?
Acheron didn't intend to act on impulse and make things difficult for Fu Xuan or Sylvia, but that didn't mean she couldn't vent a little.
Even though Acheron had long neglected matters of the heart, these impulses and actions seemed to arise almost instinctively.
"Hmm… Anyway, these clothes are too plain. Let's change them first."
Once a certain emotional dam had broken, things she could once tolerate suddenly became unbearable.
Like the simple pajamas Sylvia was wearing now.
With that thought…
Acheron released Sylvia's hands, got up, and found a black V-neck camisole nightgown from the nearby wardrobe—one with large lace cutouts on the sides.
The hem was short, ending around the thighs. Acheron had never worn it herself, but that didn't stop her from wanting to see Sylvia in it.
The smooth fabric felt weightless in her hands. Clutching the nightgown, Acheron climbed back onto the bed, turning and kneeling over Sylvia's body—hovering above her without putting any weight down.
Looking down at the completely unguarded Sylvia, Acheron felt a strange sense of novelty, even though it wasn't her first time in this position.
She reached out, undoing the buttons of Sylvia's top one by one, starting from the collar. As the garment slid away, it revealed that Sylvia wore nothing underneath.
The perfect, graceful curve of her chest trembled slightly with each breath.
Her taut abdomen bore faint muscle lines, yet felt firm rather than hard to the touch.
Acheron's fingers traced over Sylvia's stomach, circling gently around her navel.
Yet even at this point, Sylvia still hadn't woken.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.