[Congratulations, the Host's character progress bar has reached 53%]
[Reward obtained. New characters have been unlocked]
[Currently viewable characters: Acheron, Sparkle, Yunli, Silver Wolf, ***, Firefly]
[Acheron: 85%]
[Sparkle: 72%]
[Yunli: 68%]
[Silver Wolf: 53%]
[Firefly: 5%]
[***: 1%]
…
The beautiful and familiar figure who had just arrived—
Was none other than one of the Stellaron Hunters—
Firefly.
During this period, Silver Wolf had been constantly "summoned" by them to handle various matters, worrying about all sorts of situations.
Coupled with how chaotic things had become recently—
New characters had been unlocked before she even realized it.
However…
When Silver Wolf's gaze fell on Sparkle's progress bar—
She was left speechless for quite a while.
"If it's not someone pushing the main storyline or discovering some hidden dungeon…"
"Then it must be that Elation Seeker starting a new playthrough again."
No matter what—
All of this was a headache for the Ability Bureau.
It had nothing to do with her.
…
At that moment, Firefly slowly walked over and sat down beside Silver Wolf.
She then took out a small cake she had just bought and gently handed it over.
"Try this. The clerk said it's a new item and tastes very good."
"I saved it especially for you."
Her soft, gentle voice brushed past Silver Wolf's ears like a spring breeze.
Seeing this, Silver Wolf didn't hesitate.
She reached out, accepted the dessert, and casually replied,
"Thanks. I was just a little hungry."
"You're welcome… but don't eat too much. We'll be having dinner soon."
Firefly smiled sweetly, then added that extra reminder.
Hearing this—
Silver Wolf almost rolled her eyes.
"Why are you suddenly acting like Kafka?"
"I'm not…"
Firefly's hands immediately pressed against her legs, her posture stiffening.
A faint blush crept onto her delicate face.
Silver Wolf simply shrugged.
She scooped a spoonful of cake and brought it to her lips.
The soft cream melted on her tongue, smooth and sweet, carrying a faint fruity fragrance as it slid down her throat.
Her eyes unconsciously curved into crescents.
A faint smile appeared on her lips—
As if even the world had softened just a little.
Silver Wolf (＞＜): "Mmm… not bad at all!"
"I'm glad you like it."
Seeing her reaction, a gentle smile appeared on Firefly's face as well.
…
At that moment—
Silver Wolf noticed something from the corner of her eye.
Firefly had also taken out a pastry and was quietly nibbling on it, her expression calm and composed.
At first glance, nothing seemed unusual.
But upon closer inspection—
Why did that brown cake roll look so familiar?
Silver Wolf rubbed her eyes.
Then, with a hint of disbelief, she pointed at it.
"Firefly… that thing in your hand…"
"It's not what I think it is… right?"
Firefly shook her head seriously.
"No. It's exactly what you're thinking of."
Silver Wolf: (ᗜ ˰ ᗜ)
Her previously calm expression instantly collapsed.
Firefly looked at the cake in her hand, then at Silver Wolf's clearly displeased face.
Firefly: (๑•. •๑)
After a brief pause, she extended her hand.
"Do you want to try some? It actually tastes pretty good."
"No way. Absolutely not!"
Silver Wolf immediately leaned away, rejecting it without hesitation.
That thing—
Was the infamous oak cake roll from their original world.
That texture alone—
Unless it was someone like Firefly or Acheron—
It wasn't something an ordinary person could handle.
Silver Wolf wasn't that desperate.
Firefly blinked slightly but didn't mind.
Instead, Silver Wolf asked curiously,
"Logically speaking, this world shouldn't even have oak cake rolls."
"Where did you get it? Don't tell me someone here was bored enough to recreate that thing?"
"I had the System generate it."
As she spoke, Firefly raised her other hand.
An oak cake roll appeared silently in her palm—
Then vanished just as quickly, like a magic trick.
Silver Wolf was momentarily stunned.
Not knowing how to react—
She simply watched as Firefly brought it back to her lips and took another bite.
That strange, hard-to-describe texture—
Seemed to evoke a hint of nostalgia in Firefly's expression.
Silver Wolf quietly set her own cake aside.
She didn't interrupt.
…
A moment later, Firefly came back to her senses.
Silver Wolf curled her lips, unable to hold back her complaint.
"Honestly, I'll never understand your taste."
"I definitely can't eat that."
"I bet even Acheron wouldn't be able to keep a straight face after one bite."
"It's fine. Once you eat it enough times, you'll get used to it."
Firefly replied with a small smile, her tone serious.
That only made Silver Wolf more speechless.
Is that something a normal person is supposed to get used to?!
She sighed inwardly.
But outwardly, she still spoke in a casual tone.
"Forget it."
"Since you brought me dessert… let's share it."
Halfway through—
Silver Wolf clicked her tongue lightly, clearly reluctant.
Yet she still scooped up a spoonful of cake—
And held it out toward Firefly.
Firefly froze for a moment.
Her gaze lingered on Silver Wolf's expression.
A warm feeling quietly rose in her chest, spreading gently through her heart.
Meanwhile, Silver Wolf grew impatient.
"Hurry up. Do you expect me to hold it there forever?"
Hearing this—
A soft, sweet smile appeared on Firefly's lips.
She leaned forward and accepted the bite.
The sweetness of cream and jam spread across her tongue—
Light and soft, completely different from the heavy, peculiar taste of the oak cake roll.
Like a spring breeze brushing across flower petals.
Her eyes shimmered slightly.
A gentle smile bloomed on her face, warmth lingering even in her lashes.
…
"How is it?"
"Sometimes trying different 'games' gives you a completely different experience."
Seeing her reaction—
Silver Wolf picked up the remaining cake and stood up.
Her steps were light as she walked toward the room.
When she turned back—
A trace of cream still lingered at the corner of her lips.
But she called out nonetheless,
"Hey, let's go, partner!"
"You promised to play games with me today."
"We'll eat while we play."
"Whoever loses washes the dishes tonight!"
Firefly smiled helplessly.
Her fingers lightly tugged at the edge of her skirt.
"…Alright."
Then she stood up and followed behind.
Her gaze rested on Silver Wolf's gently swaying hair—
Her eyes filled with quiet warmth.
…
(There was still one more character, ***, three letters. Feel free to guess in advance who it might be. As for Yunli's progress bar, It was almost there. After all, aside from using her Ultimate early on, she hadn't done much else. So her progress had slowed down a bit later on.)