Sylvia swore she hadn't meant anything more when she said those words.
It was just that, hearing Firefly's tone, she'd instinctively wondered if Firefly was particularly concerned or curious about such matters.
So the question just slipped out.
Yet upon hearing it, Firefly couldn't help but grow a little more bashful.
"A little, I suppose…"
What Firefly was looking forward to certainly wasn't just a simple kiss, but the meaning held within it.
"I quite envy the atmosphere between you and Silver Wolf when you're together."
Sylvia, who had started to let her imagination wander, gradually settled down under Firefly's words.
Propping her chin on her hand, Sylvia tilted her head to study Firefly's expression.
Beneath the calm surface seemed to hide a tangle of complicated thoughts.
What was Firefly thinking about now?
Sylvia couldn't help but feel curious.
"Well then, why not start by being friends?"
"Friends?"
"Yeah. We don't need to share the same hobbies, or always do things together. It's enough just to chat now and then, to share interesting things when we feel like it."
Sylvia smiled as she explained the kind of relationship she had in mind.
Firefly listened attentively, though a trace of confusion finally surfaced.
"Would that… really count as being close?"
"Of course not."
Firefly had asked so seriously that Sylvia couldn't hold back a laugh.
Hearing this answer, Firefly blinked, her eyes widening as she looked somewhat bewildered at the smiling Sylvia.
Suppressing the urge to reach out and pinch Firefly's cheek, Sylvia went on, "No relationship leaps to the top in one step. Start with the simplest form of friendship. No forced meetings, no obligation to like the same things."
"Time will be the best soil for feelings to take root."
"…"
Though silent, the smile on Firefly's face betrayed her emotions.
She gave a firm nod.
"Mhm, okay. Then let's start as friends."
Right as Firefly nodded, a system prompt box popped up before Sylvia's eyes:
--+--
[Target: Firefly]
[Favorability: 71 (Moved & Anticipating)]
[Relationship: Friends]
['The first friend she's made as Firefly, existing outside the Stellaron Hunters—your presence undoubtedly holds special meaning.']
['Of course, that meaning isn't deep yet. Your bond remains as fleeting as firefly light.']
[Reward: White Draw ×1]
--+--
Not only had the relationship updated to 'Friends,' but the favorability had also risen a little.
Though it only granted one draw chance, and just a white one at that—probably because the relationship established was too ordinary.
Even compared to her master-disciple bond with Guinaifen, this felt more lukewarm.
--+--
Her heart-to-heart with Firefly didn't last too long.
After all, it was just a break during study. Before long, they threw themselves back into swordsmanship training.
Once today's practice ended
and Sylvia logged out of the game, Acheron, who had been beside her, was gone. Only the soft patter of water from the bathroom could be heard.
With nothing to do, Sylvia lay on the bed, closed her eyes, and focused on the remaining draws.
Two green draws, one white.
Green first.
After a silent command in her heart, two streaks of green light transformed into text before her eyes:
--+--
[Taixu Sword Qi: Mind Essence]
['The beginner's manual will have to do for now. With your skill level, this is all you can practice at the moment.']
['You can thank me. Anyway, I'll help you get started on the beginner section. You practice the rest yourself.']
[Realm: Still Water]
--+--
The first reward was clearly from Sushang.
Along with the skill's appearance, a series of syllables and a detailed introduction to the Mind Essence surfaced in her mind. Her own mental state, or rather her mindset, underwent a noticeable transformation.
Thanks to the skill description, Sylvia easily recognized she had now entered the 'Still Water' realm.
The Mind Essence had four realms in total:
'Still Water (止水), Dustless (无尘), Clear Mirror (明镜), Great Void (太虚 ).'
Clearly, she was only at the first.
The second green light solidified.
Another skill:
--+--
[Burn Status (Damage Over Time)]
['A classic debuff skill. Enemies engulfed by your flames have a high chance of entering a Burn state.']
['Effect: Poké—ahem, enemies in a Burn state have their attack power halved and will continuously take damage for a duration.']
['Note: The attack reduction effect fluctuates based on the power gap between you and the enemy.']
--+--
"…"
You just copied this straight from Pokémon, didn't you? The name almost slipped out, as if you're afraid I wouldn't notice.
Whatever… as long as it works.
This thing came with a built-in 50% damage reduction. In a game, that might be fine since there are sustain roles.
But in reality, this was a straightforward and highly practical skill.
Halving an opponent's attack? Against someone of similar level, that alone pretty much decided the fight.
Even against stronger foes, where the effect might diminish, any reduction was better than none.
Now, the last white draw.
The items from white draws couldn't exactly be called useless. Whether it was the Storage Card or the Fullbottle, they might seem unremarkable.
But one could directly contain an active Stellaron without any leakage. The other could securely trap a Heliobus inside. Neither seemed like simple items.
Sometimes, Sylvia even had the impression that these things should at least qualify as green or purple-tier items.
But if you asked how useful they were, both had their own limitations.
If Sylvia hadn't drawn that Herrscher Core at the very beginning, these two items really wouldn't have been of much use.
So Sylvia understood white-tier items like this:
They probably had excellent aspects but also flaws. On their own, not hugely useful, but when combined properly, they could shine.
Draw!
Sylvia commanded silently in her heart.
With a flash of white light, a corrugated cardboard box icon appeared before her.
--+--
[Oak Cake Roll × 1 Box]
['Legend has it that poor inhabitants of border planets would add wood chips to their bread to satiate their hunger. Over time, this practice evolved into a peculiar tradition among aristocrats, symbolizing a "reverence" for the humble past.']
['If it looks like oak, smells like oak, and tastes like oak, then it ought to be oak, not cake!!']
--+--
"Well then…"
The slap to the face came so fast it was downright jarring.
One moment she was saying the items might be somewhat useful, the next she'd drawn a whole box of snacks.
The key point was, this stuff probably didn't even taste good…
The description said it reeked of oak. Chewing on wood couldn't be pleasant, could it?
Forget it. I'll try a couple to see how they taste, then pack up the rest and give them all to Firefly.
--+--
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.