"Lucia, Ivsha—come with me."
After logging back into the game, Kurose Akira called out to the two of them.
Since this was just a delivery-type quest for now, there was no need to bring too much combat power.
"As you command, Mr. Akira~"
"Mm."
The two women rose at once and followed him toward the summit of Moonlight Mountain.
"Master…"
Alice watched their departing figures, her expression complicated.
She had already guessed that something was being kept from her.
The reason was simple—there was now a faint trace of moonlight lingering on Akira.
That immediately reminded her of yesterday's mission, which had taken place in the Moon Goddess Empire.
And more than that, she could sense a faint residue of the Moonlight Witch's magic.
It was obvious—her guildmaster had encountered the Moonlight Witch.
Although Alice didn't understand why he would hide this from her, she chose to wait… and to trust.
She believed her master would never deceive her.
"Master must have his reasons… it's all for my sake!"
With a gentle smile, Alice picked up a broom and began cleaning, dutifully carrying out her role as a maid.
...
Bathed in a flash of white light, Akira arrived at the summit of Moonlight Mountain via the teleportation array.
Xu Feiyan and Petite had already been waiting for some time. When Feiyan saw him appear, a faint flicker passed through her eyes.
After a brief silence, she said, "Let's go."
The moment her words fell, Ivsha suddenly appeared silently at her side, leaning in close to sniff her.
"W-What is it?" Xu Feiyan asked nervously.
"Your scent…" Ivsha hesitated for a moment before smiling sweetly. "It smells wonderful~"
"Smells… wonderful?"
Xu Feiyan looked completely confused.
Meanwhile, Akira was sweating bullets.
It was obvious Ivsha had picked up on the trace of his holy light within Feiyan's body.
"Ahem—let's get moving. The sooner we finish the quest, the sooner you can be promoted to an A-rank guild," Akira quickly changed the subject and urged them onward.
"Mm…" Xu Feiyan nodded, though the doubt in her heart had not fully faded.
Ivsha, meanwhile, gave Akira a knowing, mysterious smile.
As they traveled, Akira asked curiously, "So your promotion quest—does it end once you deliver this item to the Crescent Priestess?"
"Not yet." Xu Feiyan shook her head. "After handing over the quest item, we still need to protect the Crescent Priestess while she performs the ritual to activate the Key of Moonlight Truth. That's when things get critical."
"A defense mission, huh…"
Akira frowned slightly.
Even without knowing what enemies would appear, the difficulty alone suggested they'd at least have to face the other three priests of the Moon Goddess Empire head-on.
As expected of an A-rank promotion quest—the difficulty was outrageous.
"Don't worry! This time, I'm confident I can complete it!" Xu Feiyan said with a bright, confident smile. "Don't forget—I still have a trump card I haven't used yet."
"Oh~"
Akira immediately understood.
She was referring to the seven Valkyrie petals she had obtained during the Star Kingdom event. When woven into a crown, they could summon the phantom of a Valkyrie.
Below demigod level, it was absolutely unstoppable.
"By the way, has your quest refreshed yet?" Xu Feiyan asked.
She was worried that Akira's progress might have stalled because of helping her.
"Not yet." Akira shook his head, then smiled. "You should focus on your promotion for now. Don't worry too much about my progress."
"You say that, but I can't help worrying," Xu Feiyan replied, glancing at him. "The official launch is coming soon. If you can reach A-rank before then, you'll have a say in the future."
"A-rank before launch? That's probably impossible." Akira gave a wry smile. There were only a few days left—it just wasn't realistic.
"Well, that depends on your effort. It's not entirely impossible." Her tone carried unwavering confidence in him. "If it's you."
"…"
Akira fell silent for a moment, then smiled faintly.
"Alright. I'll take your word for it. I'll do my best to reach A-rank."
"Oh right—I heard you went on a rampage in the Moon Dream, leaving a bunch of players wailing in despair?" Xu Feiyan suddenly brought up the incident, clearly curious.
"Not even close. Don't listen to their nonsense." Akira shrugged, refusing to take responsibility.
His attention had been entirely focused on dealing with the Waning Moon Priest.
As for the players' cries of despair… that probably had more to do with Feiyan's guild.
After all, his main members had been tied up fighting the priest.
"Is that so?" Xu Feiyan smiled slightly, then looked ahead. "We're here."
Akira followed her gaze.
At the summit stood a faint, nearly invisible door.
It looked as though it had been woven from pale moonlight, softly flickering.
"That wasn't here before…" Akira murmured.
When he had come here with Alice, there had been no such door.
"That's because I have the key to enter," Xu Feiyan explained.
With that, she took out a key from her inventory.
Not the Key of Moonlight Truth—but a bronze key adorned with a small cat-shaped charm.
She inserted it into the moonlight door.
In the next instant, the door opened.
Beyond it lay a hazy, illusory space. Within, a masked woman sat quietly, as if she had been waiting for them all along.
"Let's go."
Xu Feiyan stepped through first, with Akira following close behind.
Once inside, the woman's figure became clearer.
Though her white mask concealed her face, a pair of cat ears twitched gently atop her head, seemingly used for sensing.
But compared to that, what puzzled Akira more was the bizarre racial composition of the Moon Goddess Empire.
The Moonlight Witch's avatar was a white tiger.
The Crescent Priestess was… a catgirl?
And there were even mermaids…
Was this really a nation dominated by humans?
"Welcome, adventurers."
The Crescent Priestess spoke in a cool tone—yet there was something oddly off about her voice.
It almost sounded like she was… forcing a cutesy tone?
"Honored Crescent Priestess, greetings." Xu Feiyan respectfully bowed. "As per the Moonlight Witch's commission, we have delivered the Key of Moonlight Truth into your hands."
With that, she retrieved the key from her inventory and presented it.
"You have done well."
The Crescent Priestess accepted it, then continued, "The ritual will begin in three hours. The Waning Moon faction will undoubtedly sense the surge of magical power. When that happens, I will once again rely on your assistance."
"Please rest assured—we will protect the ritual," Xu Feiyan replied.
"Very good."
The Crescent Priestess nodded slightly. "However, my Crescent Gate will not be easily breached. You need not engage them directly. Simply hold out for thirty minutes—maintain the magical barrier of the Crescent Gate while I complete the ritual. Leave the rest to me."
"Understood."
"Then please wait here for a while. I must prepare the ritual materials."
"Of course."
With that, the Crescent Priestess turned and left.
As she did, Akira caught a glimpse of a leopard-patterned tail swaying behind her.
Wait… so she wasn't a catgirl?
Then she was—
"Akira, let's sit over there for a bit."
Xu Feiyan's voice interrupted his thoughts as she took his hand and led him toward a resting area.
The Crescent Priestess's dwelling was nothing more than a simple wooden cabin.
The living space and bedroom were connected, with only a wooden bed as furniture.
However, there were several snow-white cushions placed around for resting.
The moment Akira sat down, he nearly melted.
It felt like sitting on a cloud.
What brand of cushion is this!?
Drop the link already!
"So soft~"
Ivsha and the others shared the same reaction, clearly fascinated by the cushions' unusual softness.
"And it smells nice…"
Not only were they soft, but there was also a refreshing fragrance—something like mint—lingering in the air.
"The Crescent Priestess lives quite simply… I didn't expect just a small wooden cabin," Xu Feiyan remarked, looking around in surprise.
As a priestess of the Moon Goddess Empire, living in such isolation felt unexpected.
She was almost like… a reclusive sage from a novel.
"Simple on the surface, perhaps—but creating a place like this is anything but easy," Akira said, scanning the surroundings. "An isolated pocket world, with a barrier capable of blocking even demigods… that's not something money can buy."
"That's true." Xu Feiyan nodded, then added with concern, "I just wonder how many priests the Moon Goddess Empire will send to stop the ritual."
"Don't worry. According to her, we only need to maintain the Crescent Gate—no need to fight them head-on," Akira reassured her. "By the way, should we summon more adventurers while we have time?"
"Probably not." Xu Feiyan shook her head. "This mission has special rules—only one adventurer can supply mana to the barrier. Numbers won't determine the outcome."
"But don't forget—I still have my trump card."
"Nice~"
Akira smiled faintly.
For this A-rank promotion, Xu Feiyan had clearly prepared thoroughly.
Not just the seven Valkyrie petals—Petite's level had already reached 82 in a short time.
It was obvious she had poured all her guild's resources into this mission.
Thinking about that, Akira felt a headache coming on regarding his own A-rank promotion.
Even his current C+ guild missions were already comparable to B+ difficulty.
If it escalated further… would A-rank missions reach S-tier difficulty?
Yeah, right.
There wasn't even a single A+ guild yet!
"We have three hours… I'm going to take a nap," Xu Feiyan said, her voice tinged with fatigue. Last night's exhaustion still lingered in both body and mind.
"Go ahead. I'll wake you when it's time," Akira replied.
"Mm~"
As soon as she lay down on the cushion, she fell asleep almost instantly.
Once she drifted off, Ivsha silently moved behind Akira, wrapping her slender arms around his neck and whispering softly into his ear,
"Mr. Akira~ your scent is getting more and more intoxicating~"
"Huh? What does that mean?"
Akira turned, confused.
"Ah~ it smells so good~"
Instead of answering, Ivsha pressed closer against him, inhaling deeply, savoring the scent of a mature man.
Her strange behavior made Akira raise an eyebrow in confusion.
Lucia, meanwhile, merely cast a cold glance, clearly long accustomed to his… tendencies.
Only Petite stared blankly, watching Akira like a piece of unthinking driftwood.
"Human."
Suddenly, a voice echoed in Akira's mind.
"The Moonlight Witch's avatar?"
He immediately recognized it and responded through telepathy, "Do you need something from me?"
"Mm."
The image of a snow-white tiger gradually appeared in his mind, leisurely grooming its fur—seemingly unaware that Akira could see it.
It even lifted a hind leg and licked its paw.
Only when it noticed his gaze did it freeze, then glare at him before speaking,
"I need your help. The Crescent Priest alone won't be able to stop the Waning Moon faction."
"What do you need me to do?" Akira asked.
"Simple. I need you to leave a scar… on the Crescent Priestess's backside."
"…Huh?"
Akira froze.
He couldn't comprehend the purpose of such a task.
Why would he need to scar the Crescent Priestess's… backside?
"Don't ask questions. Just do it. If she refuses, tell her it's my will," the white tiger instructed.
"…Alright."
Akira reluctantly accepted.
Strange as it was, if it ensured Xu Feiyan's promotion succeeded, he had no choice but to follow through.
Still…
It seemed the Moonlight Witch and her avatar weren't exactly the same entity.
"Oh, and don't forget what I told you before," the white tiger added, narrowing its eyes at him. "Do not agree to any personal requests from the Crescent Priestess. Understood?"
"Got it~"
Akira smiled and nodded, committing the warning to memory.
"Do you really 'got it'? Don't just let my words go in one ear and out the other."
The white tiger squinted at him, its gaze filled with unease—like a worried parent watching an unruly child who might cause trouble at any moment…
..
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