As the teleportation light faded, the first thing Adrian saw was the endless blue sky stretching above him.
For a brief, disorienting moment, nothing felt wrong.
Then gravity asserted itself with brutal honesty. There was no ground beneath his feet.
His stomach lurched violently as his body dropped like a stone, the wind instantly roaring past his ears. The distant ground rushed upward far too fast, a patchwork of green and brown blurring below.
"Wait."
Panic flooded his mind before coherent thought could form. He desperately tried to summon his water magic, forcing a protective barrier into existence, but only a pathetic little orb of water materialized right in front of his face. It instantly burst on contact with the rushing air, splashing uselessly across his cheeks and chest as he continued plummeting.
Beside him, Elena had already twisted mid-fall with practiced grace. Her body rotated smoothly, stabilizing her posture. Instead of fighting the descent, she angled herself downward, accelerating deliberately to close the gap between them.
Adrian's eyes widened in realization, she was positioning herself to catch him.
A flicker of relief cut through the terror… until he remembered the staff still clutched tightly in his right hand. If she caught him like this, the long weapon would slam straight into her.
Before he could even shout a warning, the staff reacted on its own. It shrank rapidly in his grip, smoothly and silently until it was no longer than a frying pan, fitting neatly in his hand.
Adrian blinked. "That's… surprisingly useful."
While he marveled at the convenience, Elena adjusted one final time, arms opening as she prepared to use her own body to cushion the impact. The ground was terrifyingly close now.
The collision was sudden and jarring.
They slammed together hard. The force punched the air from Adrian's lungs as they tumbled across the grassy slope in a tangled heap, rolling once before skidding to a stop.
For a long second, neither of them moved.
Adrian lay there, dazed, chest heaving, staring blankly up at the sky while his body tried to remember how breathing worked.
Then he felt it something unmistakably soft and warm beneath his left hand.
His thoughts stalled for a heartbeat.
Then slowly, he tilted his head.
Elena was pinned beneath him, her face tight with the lingering pain of impact, one arm still half-raised as if she'd tried to shield his head during the fall. His left hand had landed squarely on her chest, fingers sunk into the full, yielding softness of her breast. The thin fabric of her top had bunched and shifted in the tumble, offering almost no barrier.
Adrian didn't pull away immediately. Instead, his fingers pressed in slightly, almost experimentally. The warmth was undeniable—soft and heavy, giving way under his palm with a subtle bounce that sent an unexpected jolt through him. He could feel the rapid beat of her heart beneath it, the way her body responded under his touch.
Elena's breath caught sharply. Her eyes flicked to his face, wide with surprise, but she didn't shove him off right away.
After confirming she wouldn't slap him then did he lift his hand and pushed himself up off her, wincing slightly at the fresh aches in his ribs and back, but his expression stayed composed.
"Sorry about that," he said evenly, his voice a little rough.
Elena sat up slowly, one hand brushing over the spot his palm had just occupied. Her cheeks carried a faint flush.
He offered her a hand, which Elena took without hesitation, letting him pull her back to her feet before stepping back slightly.
His grip tightened around the staff.
"Hold still."
This time, when he focused, the response was immediate.
A sharp pulse of energy spread from the staff, settling over Elena in an instant. The effect was undeniable—bruising faded, her breathing steadied, the strain from the impact disappearing as if it had never fully taken hold.
Elena stilled, then exhaled, her body relaxing all at once.
Adrian turned the staff toward himself without delay.
The same energy surged through him, clearing the ache from his ribs, the stiffness in his back, and the lingering shock in his limbs. What had been pain a moment ago simply… wasn't there anymore.
He lowered the staff slowly.
Elena flexed her arm once, testing it, then gave a short nod. "That's… better."
Adrian lowered the staff and looked around. They were on a dirt road; at one glance, he could tell it wasn't some random forest path but proper farmland. It didn't take long to notice how quiet it was. He drew a breath, then paused slightly as he felt the air was too dry.
"That's weird," he muttered.
His gaze drifted from the parched earth back to Elena. He realized she looked like she'd been plucked from a home or a gym, not like someone starting a journey in a fantasy world.
In the current environment, her scoop-neck tank top and dolphin shorts made her look out of place. Those thin straps and light clothing might be fine for exercise, but here, it felt strange.
Compared to him, Elena didn't seem bothered. She casually reached back, slipping the band off her wrist and tying her hair into a ponytail while looking around.
Then she glanced at him. "So," she said, adjusting it once more, "what are we supposed to do next?"
Adrian exhaled lightly, forcing himself to focus.
"First, we check what we actually got from the goddess," he said. "After that… we look for a village or something nearby."
His grip shifted slightly on the staff as he spoke, the solid weight of it grounding him.
Then something clicked.
He glanced at Elena again, this time more carefully.
"Where's your weapon?"
Hearing him, Elena raised her hand, letting him see the ring resting on her finger.
"I put it inside," she said simply.
Adrian paused for a moment, then gave a short nod.
"You have very good reflexes."
It wasn't just a compliment. She had reacted faster than him—stored her weapon, adjusted mid-air, and still managed to catch him on the way down.
His gaze flicked briefly to the staff, recalling the pathetic splash he had managed with his water magic.
Frowning, he stepped a few paces off the road and focused again.
Maybe it was about control.
He tried to create something like a spear, but what he got was a small mass of water floating in front of him.
As he failed to shape it, his expression tightened. He tried creating something like a small vortex.
The result didn't change.
The same small sphere hovered weakly in front of him, unaffected by what he was trying to make it become.
He stopped for a moment, then tried once more, focusing harder, forcing all the imagination he had.
The water responded in only one way.
A small ball.
Nothing more.
Adrian stared at it in silence before flicking it toward the ground. It burst on impact, soaking uselessly into the dry soil.
He didn't stop.
Another small sphere formed in front of him. He threw it harder this time. It hit the road and splashed, leaving a darker patch of wet earth behind.
Again.
Another one—formed, thrown, gone.
The motions came quicker now, less careful, more irritated. Each time, the result stayed the same. A small ball. Nothing more.
Within moments, scattered patches of damp earth marked where the water had struck, the dry road darkening in uneven spots.
Adrian exhaled sharply, staring at the latest one hovering in front of him.
"…That's it?"
He paused, then reached out, letting the small sphere settle into his hand. For a moment, he just looked at it—then, as if deciding there was only one way to find out, he brought it closer and took a cautious sip.
It tasted like water.
Adrian swallowed, his expression flattening slightly.
"What a useless magic."
Author note: so the support of tpm is so bad that im afraid of uploading chapter since every time I upload a chapter on patreon someone is leaving. If don't get enough support this won't able to become LN 8f anyone have suggestions put down the comments like always and
https://www.patreon.com/Silvervir?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator