So, am I actually living on Earth or not? Philippe gazed at the sky, his thoughts swirling. Maybe this planet orbits the sun too. What about the moon?
"Hey." Emilie's voice pulled him from his reverie. "I know you're busy thinking about something. But can you help me carry this?"
Philippe looked into Emilie's eyes, then shifted his gaze to the box in her hands. He stepped closer, reaching out to help lift it. The weight of the box was surprisingly heavy. "Where should I take this?" he asked, curious.
The girl turned around. "Just set it down if it's too heavy. I need to get ready first."
Bruh? Now I'm supposed to wait for a girl to get dressed?! Philippe grumbled inwardly, his eyes returning to the sky, which he never tired of probing with his assumptions. How many hours do I have to wait? I'll definitely die of boredom, I'm sure.
The door opened. Emilie stepped out, wearing a coordinated and pleasing outfit. She looked at Philippe, who had been staring in awe since she appeared. "What's up? Let's go."
Bruh, seriously?! Philippe was still stunned but quickly lifted the box and hurried after Emilie. "So, where are we going?" His curiosity still gripped him.
"Secret," Emilie replied with a giggle.
Philippe narrowed his eyes.
"Hehe, just kidding." Emilie looked ahead again, as if her eyes were fixed on a distant place. "We're going to Sister Madeleine's place."
Who the heck is Madeleine… Philippe thought. She seems like an influential figure. Maybe I can get some clues about this place.
At that moment, a vibration was felt, and a blue screen floated in the air, appearing out of nowhere. A bad premonition crept over Philippe. At that instant, a notification appeared on the screen.
[ SURVIVE ]
A quest! A mission like in an MMORPG suddenly appeared! Philippe realized this was a command to survive. Without hesitation, he immediately grabbed Emilie's hand, hugging her tightly. Her petite body felt so light.
Emilie was startled, unable to say anything. She looked at Philippe in confusion and was about to speak, but as she began to sense a dangerous presence suddenly appearing in front of them, she clamped her mouth shut.
A crack in space suddenly appeared. A strong wind blew, buffeting them both.
Emilie broke free from Philippe's embrace. In her hand, a sharp-bladed sword suddenly appeared.
At that moment, from the torn spatial crack, a wolf with a rough, stone-like body stepped out. It looked around, then stared at them as if they were prey. A Rifthound!
Without warning, the Rifthound darted at high speed toward them. Emilie, already in combat stance, immediately slashed right at the monster's head.
The iron sword and the Rifthound's stone-hard head collided. The sword failed to penetrate, instead seeming to slap it and push it back. The Rifthound shook its head briefly, then attacked again. But this time, the Rifthound entered the cracked space, disappearing in an instant. And at that moment, a crack suddenly appeared beside Philippe.
Philippe, still unaccustomed to this, could only stand frozen, taking no preventive action. However, Emilie, who was used to fighting Rifthounds, immediately anticipated the monster's movement. She stood beside Philippe, ready to slash the Rifthound.
A purple light encircled her sword, making it glow. She raised her sword and brought it down at high speed, aiming for the Rifthound's head again!
The sound of iron sword and stone colliding, but this time louder, followed by the sound of breaking stone. The Rifthound staggered, its head cracked but not completely shattered.
Emilie, who had been waiting for this moment, immediately launched a counterattack. The purple light enveloped her sword again, and she used it to unleash a flurry of attacks from various directions on the Rifthound.
At that point, the Rifthound entered a critical state and turned, creating a dimensional gate through the spatial crack, intending to enter it.
But Emilie, calm and composed, raised her sword high. The purple light on her sword grew brighter. As the Rifthound's head entered the gate, she brought the sword down.
The sword touched the Rifthound's hard body. But this time, the sword slowly pierced through and cleaved it.
The bisected Rifthound's corpse fell, and dust scattered afterward.
Emilie turned and smiled. "That was close." She walked ahead of Philippe. "Let's continue."
Philippe stared in astonishment at Emilie's receding back.
He swallowed hard. "Don't make her angry," he muttered to himself and quickly hurried to catch up.
…
A soft bell chimed as Philippe and Emilie entered a house. It looked ancient from the outside but was adorned with glittering ornaments at the front.
This seems like a shop... right? Philippe observed his surroundings as they entered, the box still in his grasp.
"Sister Madeleine! Are you here?" Emilie called out, stepping further inside.
Why is this girl so shameless? Philippe couldn't help but grumble inwardly. On one hand, he hadn't expected Emilie to have such an impolite side.
At that moment, a chill pierced through Philippe's body, as if an invisible breath was blowing on him.
"I'm here." The voice echoed in Emilie's ears, but somehow Philippe also heard it clearly, as if whispered directly to him.
"Ah!" Emilie flinched briefly, then a pout crossed her face. "Why do you always appear out of nowhere?"
A girl, Madeleine, emerged from the darkness beside Emilie. She smiled. However, Philippe found the smile more eerie than sweet, unusual for a girl her age.
Philippe observed. The two girls seemed close in age. If Emilie was 23, Madeleine must be around 25. He wanted to confirm, but the image of being beaten flashed in his mind if he dared ask.
Philippe sighed. "Where should I put the box?" he asked, weary from holding the weight.
Madeleine, still smiling, replied, "Just place it on the table."
Philippe searched for the table and found it. He set the box down on it. Beside the box, there was a thick, dusty book. He brushed it off, then coughed lightly. After that, the writing on the cover became clear.
Philippe paused, reading, and furrowed his left brow. He couldn't read it.
"Do you want to read it?" Madeleine suddenly appeared beside him, her mouth so close to Philippe's ear that he could hear her breathing.
Philippe quickly turned around and stepped back, but unfortunately, his back hit the table, preventing him from moving further. His face flushed.
"Take the book. I haven't read it," Madeleine said.
"Thank you." Philippe paused. "What's this book about?"
Madeleine moved away, circling Philippe, then stopped near a chair. She pulled it out and sat down. She smiled.
"Another world."
Philippe's eyes widened. His gaze couldn't leave Madeleine's eyes.
She closed her eyes, then tilted her head. "Of course, it's just fiction."
Philippe exhaled in relief. A mix of gratitude and disappointment enveloped him. What would happen if I showed suspicious signs?
At that moment, the blue screen suddenly appeared before him, displaying:
[ CONGRATULATIONS ON COMPLETING THE QUEST ]
[ SURVIVE ]
[ YOUR REWARD IS NOW STORED IN YOUR INVENTORY ]
Philippe stood silent for a few minutes. Then, Emilie patted his shoulder, pulling him back to reality.
"Let's go home. My business here is done," Emilie said, turning and walking away.
Philippe nodded and quickly hurried to follow her.
Madeleine, still seated, watched their backs alternately. Then, her gaze settled on Philippe. The smile on her face had vanished.
…
A/N: If you want to read the 7 advanced chapters with a faster update frequency than the webnovel, you can read it on my patreon whose link is below:
https://www.pâtreon.com/Junxt
Replace "â" with "a" and search for it in your browser.
By the way, don't forget to throw a power stone and leave a review to motivate me :)
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