Level Up!
Dozens of green screens were hovering in front of me, completely blocking away Ofris's hopeful expression. I should just close them all and answer his question but I couldn't help browsing through each and every single one of them.
Until now, I hadn't found a single line that wasn't describing the benefits of a newly achieved level up, but all those numbers were treasures in themselves. They were as precious as the messages Mira had sent me that long ago, more precious even than being pet behind the ears like Ofris had done after reading about it in Shiro's book.
After finishing off all those slimes, I had grown stronger, I just knew it, even though I didn't really feel a difference yet. How could I, when I was just sitting at the campfire now, preparing for the night?
At least I knew I wouldn't suddenly crush water flasks due to my new-found strength, which wasn't exactly to be taken for granted knowing my luck.
"So..." Ofris interrupted my thoughts. "What does it say?"
I hurriedly closed all of the windows, before using the 『Inspect』 command. A new screen appeared in front of me, far larger than all that had been in its place before.
"Level 93!"
"93?!"
"I'm level 93! I am really level 93!"
Ofris face became as pale as chalk. "How did you do that?! You weren't even level 15 before!" He suddenly closed in on me, as if to kiss me, before whispering his next question. "Was it that quest she gave you?" He asked while trying his utmost to prevent the others from hearing him. "That goddess?"
"Ye- yes," I heard myself stammer, "it made each slime give me more."
"More of what?"
"Experience points. They should only give me 100..."
"100? How much is that?"
"I would need dozens for a single level. Maybe even a hundred."
"So what did the quest do?"
"I don't know how much of a bonus it gives right now. Maybe if I use quest..."
Just as I thought about it, a new screen appeared in front of me. I didn't even have to use the command for real.
«Shiro probably has one of her bright moments right now...»
『Active Quests:
⇒Ball-less Opponents
Progress: defeated 129 of 1000 ball-less opponents
⇒A Hero in the Making
Progress: defeated 0 of 1 wyverns
⇒Flags and Slimes
Current bonus: 50 + 6650
Remaining time: 17 hours, 38 minutes, 44 seconds.
⇒Use this Chance, Dummy!
Progress: kissed Ofris 0 of 1 times』
"Use this Chance... WHAT?! She- why- what is she doing!"
My sudden outburst left Ofris startled and unable to utter as much as a single word. He just stood there, waiting for me to steal his lips like the quest demanded.
«AS IF! NEVER! I won't do this!»
Shiro's complaint came within a split second. 「But Rika~」
«NO buts!»
「I will reward you!」
«Reward me?! You never rewarded me! You just tricked me again and again!»
「Didn't I give you a bunch of free experience just now? For nothing?」
«You did ...»
「And the magic spells. Why would I need to give them to you?」
«You need me to get strong, don't you?!»
「Do you think I want you to save the world or anything?」 She protested. 「I only want you to be happy!」
«You want me to spread the faith towards you!»
「Where did you get that weird idea?」
«You don't?!»
「Sure, I would tootally~ like being famous and all, but what would really change by that?」
I couldn't even answer her question. She was right, it probably didn't change a thing for her. Shiro had never appeared eager to get back into the minds of the mortals. Maybe she had already given up on that when the foxkin were wiped away so many years ago. And given that she had lost her memory, or at least claimed so, there was nothing she would want to get back to.
«But why me?» I hesitated. «Why would you make me do this?!»
「Because I want you to be happy!」
«Kissing Ofris won't make me happy! Give me Mira! Or Miriam! Even Sahria is fine!»
A long sigh resounded in my mind. 「Girls again?」
«Yes, girls!»
「I don't know what to do with you ...」
Shiro cursed me with two quest-screens, one of them was the worst I could think of, the other one seemed more normal and unambiguous the more I thought about it.
『Quest accepted: Use this Chance, Dummy!
Description: Kiss Ofris. Telling Ofris about this quest will make it fail.
Rewards: Priestess's Robes, Vixen's Secrets MK2』
『Quest accepted: Freebie
Description: Use Transformation magic once.
Rewards: Improves mana regeneration per minute by 5.』
«FIVE?!»
I didn't need to be a mathematician to understand how much of a buff this Reward was. Today alone, I had wasted hours trying to replenish my mana and hadn't even got half of it filled back up. With this, I would never have to wait again! I could just summon Foxfire after Foxfire without ever being forced to switch to Fiery Ballet in order to save mana!
"This is the best!"
"What is?!" Ofris asked, even more confused than before.
"She gave me a quest!"
"A quest?" I heard Jack ask from somewhere behind me "What Quest? Who did?"
I couldn't help but replying half-laughing. "It is nothing~ I just want to do a little magic trick~"
Now it was Sophia's voice that reached me. "A magic trick?" She asked. "What kind of magic trick?"
I turned around to her. "I can change!"
"Change?"
"Into a man, into a human girl, into everything!"
"Like an illusion magic?"
"No! It's real! I will do it right now! I will change into a man!" I hurriedly placed my hands on top of my head, imitating two large fox ears. "Kon Kon!"
The magic worked almost immediately. At first, there was a tingling feeling crawling all over my body, as if tiny lightning bolts were rushing through my veins, then a faint, white mist started fuming from my skin. It surrounded me, grew thicker and thicker until there was nothing left to be seen. There was only white.
⊱————- Extra ————-⊰
Ofris: Dear diary...
Shiro: Yes?
Ofris: What?! Diary? You answered me?
Shiro: Of course I did! I am your diary, after all!
Ofris: But you are a book!
Shiro: A magic book! No, no! A holy magic tome! Of course I can talk!
Ofris: Holy magic... So I can tell you everything I want?
Shiro: Whatever you want~ I will keep it safe!
Ofris: Maybe you can help me!
Shiro: I will! I will!
Ofris: There is this girl. I wrote to you about her!
Shiro: Rika?
Ofris: Yes! Exactly! She is being weird lately.
Shiro: Weird?
Ofris: She blushes a lot! And she seems to avoid-
Shiro: She is in love with you.
Ofris: What?!
Shiro: She wants to marry you.
Ofris: Ma- marry?
Shiro: And have your child! A daughter!
Ofris: But I could have sworn-
Shiro: Believe me! I am a god of love, after all?
Ofris: God of love? ButShiro: Magic tome! Magic tome! I meant magic tome! I am always right! You should marry her! Like totally!
Ofris: I'm not sure that is a good idea...
Shiro: But I am! It is the best idea! The absolute best!
Ofris: Maybe I really should-
Shiro: Yes! Just listen to me~