For Firefly, Sylvia's invitation was naturally a welcome one.
Her true form couldn't remain active in the outside world for very long, and if it were any other planet, it would be quite inconvenient for Firefly.
But Penacony was different.
The dream world felt so utterly real that even Firefly could freely tread the ground with her own two feet.
Forming the contract there would definitely be a better choice.
And besides…
Firefly turned her head, smiling as she looked at Sylvia.
Was she doing this to fulfill her wish?
According to Elio, after forming a contract with someone, her power would increase. The exact details of how and what would be enhanced were unknown, but that conclusion alone should be correct.
Logically, as a transactional benefit of the contract, Sylvia ought to want it sooner—having them go to the Xianzhou would have made sense.
But clearly, even though Sylvia had agreed to the idea of a 'simple contract,' she still gently wanted to consider the other's feelings.
"An invitation to the Charmony Festival… there aren't many organizations in this universe that received one."
The Stellaron Hunters certainly weren't on the guest list, of course. But with Silver Wolf's skills, getting into Penacony wouldn't be a problem for them.
The only catch was they'd probably be hunted down after getting in.
Then again, that was pretty much their usual experience with every mission.
Firefly hadn't heard much from Elio about this, so she didn't know if Sylvia was just saying this to make her happy, or if she genuinely had a plan.
"Not many, but anything's possible," Sylvia said, raising a finger and putting on a mysterious air, which drew a curious look from Firefly.
Naturally, since it involved Robin, she wouldn't go into details.
--+--
Strolling around with Firefly even gave Sylvia the mistaken feeling that she'd returned to her original world, going on a date with a beautiful girl.
It was ordinary, yet held a unique kind of excitement.
After Firefly helped pick out a dress similar in style to her own fashion sense,
and Sylvia changed into it, she finally understood why Silver Wolf had been so dismissive of her not buying clothes in this game.
Because the outfits in this game actually boosted stats, and even came with passive skills. Putting together a strong build to maximize combat power was an essential part of the experience.
Even for players who only liked playing 'The Sims' aspect, these outfits had special visual effects when combined, enough to attract collectors who cared about appearance.
When Sylvia first logged in, she'd skipped every bit of the beginner's tutorial, so she'd completely missed all that.
She only found out after trying the clothes on.
"So that's how it works, no wonder Silver Wolf made such a big deal about it."
Sylvia stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the skirt and looking over the outfit, while Firefly watched, covering her mouth to hide a giggle.
"Looking like this, don't you think we kinda look like sisters?"
Firefly took a step to the side, moving into the mirror's frame, and stood behind Sylvia as she teased.
Right now, the color schemes of their outfits were almost identical, their hair colors were similar, and their height and build weren't too far off.
Even if their facial features didn't look much alike, at first glance, they really did give off a sisterly vibe.
Seeing the delight on Firefly's face, Sylvia thought for a moment and said:
"We really do. So, who's the big sister and who's the little sister?"
"Huh?"
Firefly blinked, looking at Sylvia. She'd only been joking, but Sylvia was seriously discussing who was older.
Of course, Firefly didn't mind—in fact… she really wanted to be the big sister.
"Well, of course I'm the big sister! I'm older than you, after all!"
Firefly placed one hand on her hip, the other on her chest, then lifted her chin proudly, looking quite pleased with herself.
Watching Firefly act like her tail was about to wag right off, Sylvia didn't mind calling her 'sis,' but she was curious how Firefly could be so sure about their ages.
"And how can you be so sure you're older than me? If anything, you look more like a little sister who… developed a bit too well."
The impression Firefly gave—whether it was her figure, her face, or even her fashion sense—leaned toward cute and approachable.
But once you stood right in front of her and took a closer look, you could appreciate her tall posture and rather… substantial development.
Based on first impressions alone, Sylvia did come across as more mature.
"Elio told me, of course! Hmph, don't think you can fool me."
Firefly didn't back down at all, wagging her finger playfully in front of Sylvia's face.
Elio hadn't specifically mentioned Sylvia's age, but he had noted she was 'quite young' during introductions.
Sylvia's mouth twitched…
The other side had someone with spoiler-level intel. Why was she even trying to argue about this with Firefly?
Just as Sylvia was ready to admit defeat and call Firefly 'sis,' Silver Wolf suddenly sent a message.
[GamingDomainDivaSilverWolf: You two done shopping? Get over here and help me with a multiplayer instance!]
[GamingDomainDivaSilverWolf: [Teleport Coordinates]]
The message was sent to both Sylvia and Firefly.
Seeing it, Firefly looked up at Sylvia and asked:
"Shall we go?"
"Fine by me, but do you want to stroll a bit longer?"
Hearing Sylvia's reply, Firefly shook her head.
"Let's save it for when we get to Penacony. This is just a virtual game, after all—it can't compare to the real thing."
Firefly had logged into the game today mainly to meet Sylvia, so whether they shopped or fought didn't really matter to her.
"Alright then, let's go. Better not keep Silver Wolf waiting."
"Mhm."
--+--
Meanwhile—
Reality.
"Still not waking up, huh…"
Acheron murmured, gazing at Sylvia, whom she had twisted into a rather… creative pose, feeling both impressed and puzzled.
Was she truly this defenseless, or was the game's immersion setting just that high?
Sylvia was currently lying face down on the bed, legs together, with her rear lifted quite high.
Her arms hung limply at her sides, her head was tilted and buried in the pillow, and a faint smile even lingered on her face.
The smooth sleepwear, in such a position, was barely clinging to her hips, doing very little to actually cover anything.
She looked strikingly like one of those defeated female knights from those… comics.
"…"
Even for Acheron, seeing Sylvia in this state made her realize she might have gone a bit overboard.
It had started with just a little poking and prodding, adjusting her limbs slightly, but seeing Sylvia completely unresponsive had encouraged her to get more and more… adventurous.
And it ended up like this.
"Hmm…"
Acheron pondered for a moment.
Then she picked up her phone, opened the camera app, and aimed it at Sylvia's body…
After taking a few shots, Acheron noticed that Sylvia's underwear was too plain, clashing a bit with the sleepwear.
"I think Sylvia bought a matching set, didn't she? Stockings too, if I recall… Let me see."
Remembering that Sylvia had originally tried to persuade her to wear these clothes, Acheron now felt zero guilt about putting them all on Sylvia instead.
--+--
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.