A work of art, honestly~
Kurose Akira admired Alice's flawless, jade-white feet and couldn't help but sigh inwardly in appreciation.Black stockings were beautiful, sure—but they depended entirely on who wore them. For someone as pure-looking and sweet as Alice, white stockings were unquestionably the perfect choice.
"Master~ have you found where it's come undone yet?"
Alice's voice floated over like a light breeze.
She gently curved her hands, as if cradling a delicate flower, carefully holding her pink twin-tail curls. Those large, beautiful eyes of hers—clear and luminous like a tranquil lake—were filled with expectation and longing.
"Don't rush. Let me take another careful look~"
Akira examined Alice's small, delicate feet once more, meticulously running his fingertips over every inch so as not to miss anything. He inspected them for a long time… yet still found no place that needed stitching.
—Wait.
Akira suddenly snapped back to his senses.
Alice's clothes were woven entirely from her own magic. How could they possibly come undone?
But just as that realization hit him, Alice had already begun to act.
She lightly hooked her toes upward, guiding Akira's chin closer, and said in a sweet, seductive tone,"Maybe it's not here~ Could you help me check somewhere else?"
The moment her words fell, her thoughts surged into Akira's mind like a tide.
There's no loose seam at all~ I just want Master to carefully check every part of me~I love it when Master looks at me with those appreciative eyes~Master~ please look at me properly~
…?
You little brat!
So you're teasing your master now, huh?
"Alright, alright~ I need to rest for a bit. Go say hello to the others in the guild."
As he spoke, Akira gently tapped Alice's white-stockinged foot away and stood up, intending to take a short break.
Even though Idiss's black tea kept him energized, what he'd gone through earlier at the church with Ivsha had completely drained him. Right now, all he wanted was to lie down for a while and recover.
"Okay~ then Master, you rest first~"
Alice blinked playfully and, surprisingly, didn't cling to him any further. She slipped back into her pink, round-toed leather shoes and hopped her way toward Loserine, who was seated in the guild hall.
Akira smiled faintly at the sight, then turned and headed into the back room of the guild. He lay down on the simple wooden bed, intending to make do for the night.
However—
Just as he drifted into sleep, Alice silently entered the room. She stood by the bed, gazing at the sleeping Akira, a mysterious and coquettish smile slowly blooming on her face…
...
The next morning, soft sunlight filtered through the gaps in the window, gently illuminating the room.
"Su… Mr. Kurose Akira ?"
A soft voice pulled Akira from his slumber. He groggily opened his eyes and looked toward the doorway.
Ivsha stood there, a hint of surprise in her expression, her gaze fixed on him.
"Good morning, Ivsha."
Akira smiled and greeted her, though confusion flickered in his mind. He couldn't understand why she was looking at him like that.
Was it because this was his first time sleeping at the guild?
As the thought crossed his mind, he suddenly caught a faint, sweet fragrance—refreshing, yet strangely stimulating. At the same time, he noticed a heavy weight pressing against his left arm.
And in that instant… he understood.
When he slightly turned his head, a stretch of pure white filled his vision.
Alice was tightly hugging his left arm, lying quietly beside him. Her pristine skin gleamed with an alluring sheen in the dim morning light…
—Wait?
Alice?!
Where's your maid outfit?!
Huh?
Why is it messily tossed on the bed… and the floor?!
What exactly happened after he fell asleep last night?
"Mm~"
Alice slowly opened her sleepy eyes. Those large, water-blue irises sparkled like stars under the morning light as she quietly looked at Akira. A faint smile curved on her youthful face.
"Good morning~ Master~"
"?"
Akira's expression stiffened slightly as he searched his memory. Yet everything about last night was shrouded in thick fog—he couldn't recall a single thing.
"Mr. Kurose Akira~ who is this?"
Ivsha walked into the room in confusion, picking up the scattered clothes one by one and handing them to Alice, while casting a puzzled look at Akira.
"She's Alice, our guild's new member," Akira explained."Do you remember the doll Emily gave me? That's her."
As he spoke, Akira gently pulled his arm free from Alice's tight embrace.
He tried hard to piece together fragments of memory from the night before, but after thinking for a long time, he reached a firm conclusion:
Nothing happened.
After all, he'd already been completely drained of life mana by Ivsha before that.
"So she's the doll Emily gave you?" Ivsha looked at Alice curiously, faint light shimmering in her pale-purple eyes.
Then she smiled warmly."Welcome to our guild~"
"Hello~ Succubus senpai~"
Alice greeted her politely, her voice sweet and gentle—yet her body instinctively leaned back toward Akira.
Akira watched her with a trace of helplessness in his eyes. He raised a finger and lightly knocked her on the head.
"That's enough. Get dressed—we're heading out soon."
"Oh~"
Alice covered her head and obediently got up.
With just a light touch of her fingertips against her skin, the pink maid outfit reformed as if summoned by magic—soft threads weaving themselves together, perfectly hugging and outlining her graceful curves.
"Hah~"
Akira let out a breath and stepped out of the room, rubbing his temples as a satisfied smile appeared on his face.
He discovered that even resting in this virtual game world provided sleep quality no different from reality—an unexpectedly pleasant surprise. It meant players could remain immersed in the game for extended periods, only returning to reality when necessary to handle basic needs like eating, drinking, or using the restroom.
When he arrived at the guild hall, he saw Loserine carefully tending to the Demonflame Silverphoenix Butterfly.
She focused intently, guiding a thin strand of magic from within her body. The magic danced in her palm, emitting a faint glow like a lively stream.
Then she offered it to the butterfly for its once-a-day feeding.
"So this little guy eats magic?" Akira asked curiously.
Loserine nodded calmly and explained,"Yes. It's a magical creature formed from condensed elemental mana. Normally, continuous mana nourishment is enough. That said… it prefers mana that comes directly from its master."
Chirp chirp~
The moment the Demonflame Silverphoenix Butterfly saw Akira, it happily fluttered onto his shoulder, gently rubbing against his cheek. Its gleaming butterfly eyes were filled with longing and anticipation, silently begging for mana.
Akira thought for a moment. After advancing to an E-rank player, all his attributes had indeed increased slightly. Combined with his base stats, each of his attributes now sat at a solid 30 points.
His combat power was still lacking—but feeding the butterfly should be fine, right?
"Alright, I'll feed you mana."
Akira smiled gently and extended his fingertip, preparing to transfer mana using the method Ivsha had taught him.
However—
The instant his finger reached out, the butterfly's slender proboscis wrapped around it and began greedily siphoning mana from his body.
"So that's it? Pretty simple~"
Akira had assumed it would be nothing more than letting it absorb a bit of mana.
But only a few seconds passed before he realized something was wrong.
His mana was draining at an alarming rate, being continuously sucked away.
Mana—It's almost gone?!
"Wait! Demonflame Silverphoenix Butterfly—stop!"
[Demonflame Silverphoenix Butterfly (Pet) has received your mana supply and gained temporary status — Mana Overflow!][Mana Overflow (24H): Mana +10%, Mana Potency +20%]
[Your mana loss is severe. You have gained temporary status — Mana Exhaustion!][Mana Exhaustion (12H): Unable to use magic.]
"Ah—"
..
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