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n―

nAn awkward silence filled the room as Kieran and Dr. Riley froze, not knowing what to do next. One wrong move and the situation could devolve into something neither of them intended.

n“Lillian,” Kieran said after a deep inhale to calm the intrusive thoughts surfacing in his mind. Years of dedicating himself to a single cause and then years of paralysis robbed him of any deep levels of intimacy.

nThus, Dr. Riley’s touch stimulated some desires he kept repressed.

n“Hm?” Dr. Riley chirped in alarm. She looked down at Kieran, who didn’t dare meet her winsome blue-green eyes. From this angle, it was as if he stared into tropical waters reflecting crystalline brilliance.

n“Would you mind getting off me now?” Kieran asked. He smiled bitterly because his hands were tied in this situation.

nDr. Riley nodded slowly and moved carefully, paying close attention not to make any additional bodily contact.

nAfter a few seconds, Dr. Riley successfully dismounted Kieran’s waist and looked down with a cherry tinge gracing her smooth cheeks.

nKieran quickly stood up and exhaled heavily. “Let’s try to avoid something like that next time. I would have never thought you possessed such a fiery temper.”

n“I don’t have a fiery temper,” Dr. Riley frowned. “You’re just not the first to call me a freak, so I hate hearing that word. It doesn’t make me a freak to find knowledge attractive! Knowledge is what improves societies.”

n“You’re right. I misspoke. I shouldn’t anger my doctor,” Kieran chuckled lightly.

nAlthough Dr. Riley seemed very upset, Kieran found her body language and overall expression cute.

n“That’s right. Only a bumbling idiot would upset someone who works closely with their body. Hmph, I could take advantage of you and wouldn’t even know it. That’s the power of superior knowledge!” Dr. Riley scoffed and crossed her arms.

nHowever, Kieran remained expressionless. “Uh-huh. You have all the power. With that being said, pass me an X-hancer. I’ll need it for what I’m about to do.”

nDr. Riley took a moment to settle her agitated emotions before handing Kieran a 15% X-hancer. Afterward, she walked back and forth, refilling the refrigerated cabinet until it was at capacity.

nThe excess X-hancer were kept in the closed container they came in.

nAfter consuming the X-hancer, Kieran laid back down and glanced in Dr. Riley’s direction. “Don’t take advantage of me, sweetheart~.”

nKieran immediately placed the VR Helmet on his head and closed his eyes, initiating the dive into the virtual plane.

nThe loud emission noises from the VR Helmet drowned out Dr. Riley’s animated response, but Kieran could already assume it wasn’t a nice one. After all, he used a teasing tone for his last statement.

n…

nSeconds later…

nKieran returned to Zenith Online, more specifically the Mayor’s Office.

n“Oh! Did I disturb you?” The receptionist asked when she noticed Kieran suddenly jump from his “sleep.” Contrary to her tidy appearance, the receptionist was on her knees, wiping the blood remnants off the floor.

nAlthough someone had already cleaned it, she wouldn’t feel proper until she ensured every last drop was gone. It was a sort of her obsession to have everything neatly in order at all given times.

nOn the other hand, the reason for her startle was the change in all user’s log-in conditions. Their avatars no longer vanished upon logging out. Instead, it was as if the avatar fell into a slumber.

nAs a result, it was advised that players only log out in secure areas. Otherwise, they risk falling vulnerable to others, especially if items of high worth were equipped to their bodies.

nThe receptionist had assumed Kieran had fallen asleep in the Mayor’s Office after the earlier exhausting events. This receptionist, more than anyone, understood the need for a nap after an exhausting workload.

n“Pardon me,” Kieran respectfully remarked.

nHe left after ensuring he didn’t trouble the receptionist’s progress. Afterward, Kieran slowly walked through the streets of Aeredale City while compiling the unique request he had thought about earlier.

nThe request revealed his need for an Apprentice Forger, preferably at the Advanced level, closing in on the True Forger level. The details remained vague; however, he listed that they must possess the appropriate metallurgy skills to be of use to him.

nAfter posting this request on his channel, Kieran briefly visited the Alchemists’ Circle before messaging Aspaira.

nAspaira arrived after Kieran waited for a few minutes. From the bags under her eyes and mussed hair, it was clear Aspaira was overworking herself to make ample progress in Alchemy.

nHer unique talent, granted upon successfully accepting the Alchemist Profession, or class rather, drove her endless pursuit of progress.

n“Aatrox,” Aspaira called out in a tired voice. As she stood before him, she placed her hand on his chest and exhaled in evident exhaustion.

n“You should probably take a break, Aspaira,” Kieran insisted.

nFrom his point of view, Aspaira seemed feeble, leading Kieran to question her current Satiety levels. Such a state could only happen when a player’s Satiety Bar dipped too far for too long.

n“I can’t take a break just yet. I’m on the verge of success. I’ll become a True Alchemist once I succeed in making Intermediate Mana Recovery Potions, but the ingredient ratio is so delicate. So….” Aspaira sighed and frowned by the end.

nHer built-up frustration from constant failures overflowed by the end of her statement.

n“Breathe. You’re no good to yourself if you’re exhausted to where it interferes with the quality of your work. Take a break, assess your failures up until now and ponder the answer over a small meal. I promise you’ll stumble across a mind-blowing discovery.”

nAspaira looked up at Kieran with weary eyes. “You think so? I know this is my only value to the party, so I must work hard and improve my worth. I’ve seen reports on the forum that some people are making ten times the salary of a regular doctor. Can you believe that?”

n“I do,” Kieran nodded. After a brief pause, he considered raising this topic with Aspaira. “Are you interested in the same thing? If so, I’ll be more than happy to contract you as an official team member.”

n“Contract me? Wouldn’t that be a waste?”

n“Nope,” Kieran unhesitantly shook his head. “Not at all. I believe in you. You have immense potential as an Alchemist, especially with your promising talent.”

n“You believe in me?” Aspaira absorbed the comment well, even giving a lovely smile.

nAfterward, she stood up and nodded. “I’d appreciate that. I have nothing but confidence in your etiquette. It has remained upright all along.”

nKieran regarded all of his teammates, despite their skill levels, as his close allies. Thus, he gave them all a similar contract, and it would remain this way until he gathered the means to provide larger and more fitting salaries tailored to his members’ worth.

nKieran presented Aspaira with the partially signed Zenith Covenant, which shocked her as she read the names upon it. ‘Everyone trusts Aatrox this much?’

nAspaira didn’t immediately sign the Zenith Covenant. Instead, she browsed through the stipulation, ensuring nothing was amiss with the wording or predatory clauses.

nAfter confirming the contract’s legitimacy, Aspaira signed it, binding her character’s livelihood to Kieran.

n“Excellent. Consider this an advance.”

nAspaira gasped as Kieran gave her the 100 Gold gained from completing his earlier quest. With the funds on hand, he did not need them. They’d be put to better use in Aspaira’s hand.

n“Rent a room with a better environment after you tend to your needs. A serene atmosphere is conducive to making ample progress,” Kieran said.

nAspaira agreed with him, but Kieran couldn’t stay too long because others were waiting for him.

nThe two wrapped up their meeting before Kieran continued his journey to the city gates.

nRoughly 15 minutes later, Kieran arrived before the city’s gates. However, after looking through the numbers, they were still one short. It seemed Luna was carrying out last-minute preparations.

nNevertheless, Both of Ezra’s decisions caught Kieran’s eye.

nThe first was the azure-haired young man, Lux, who wielded a longbow that was always equipped, whether it was in his hand or strapped to his back. His frame was average, standing 1.75 meters tall, but his musculature was decent, as seen from his leather armor.

nIt exposed the middle section of his arms to provide minimal interference while drawing back on his bow.

nThe other individual was a ginger-haired woman, seemingly older than Kieran. Her dignified expression shone through her golden-yellow eyes as priest robes designed to fit like a dress clung to her body. One leg was exposed through the long slit on her lower robe.

nEven while standing next to the world-class beauty, Ezra, this woman held her own.

nHowever, because Ezra’s party was the one with the least acquaintance, she carried out her introductions first. As a Guild Master of a reputed guild, Ezra understood the importance of proper etiquette, especially when looking to create a long-term relationship.

nOut of the three, Ezra was the first one to speak.

n“First and foremost, I’d like to thank you for considering me as an option to accompany you on this journey. For those of you who don’t know, I am—”

n“Ezra?!”

nA surprised voice sounded not too far away from the party.

n