The stars shimmered above like scattered shards of silver. My mana hammock swayed gently between two trees as I lay cocooned inside, floating just beneath the tree canopy.
Below, the campfire still glowed faintly, surrounded by the remains of last night's romantic warzone.
'Pixia, if a man sleeps in the forest and no girl screams at him, does he really exist?'
(Host, you're lucky they didn't strangle you while you slept. That stew saved your life.)
I chuckled softly to myself.
Then I sensed it—
A presence. Soft. Familiar. Trying way too hard to be quiet.
Alicia.
I kept my eyes closed, waiting until she climbed up using mana steps, hovering just beside the hammock. I felt her presence shift as she reached forward—probably aiming to surprise me or snuggle in without waking me.
I moved faster.
My arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her in. She yelped as I flipped her gently onto the hammock beside me, securing the blanket around us.
"A-Ahh! Ravin! You were awake?!"
I smiled, eyes still closed. "Only for the last thirty seconds of your stealth mission."
She pouted. "I just wanted to see you… It was quiet, and I missed you."
"Could've just asked." I turned to face her. "You're always welcome beside me."
She snuggled closer, burying her face against my shoulder. Her warmth seeped into me—she smelled so nice that I exhaled deeply and hugged her tighter.
For a while, we just lay like that—no words, just breathing in sync under the stars.
"…You've changed," she said quietly.
"In a good way?"
"In a… frustrating way."
I chuckled. "Do explain."
"You vanished for years, then came back as this stupidly powerful, charming, frustratingly kind idiot who makes women fight over him and cooks like a god."
"Guilty, but you still love me."
"Of course I do. And you know how lonely I was without you," she whispered, her voice vulnerable.
I stayed quiet. Sometimes, silence said more than words. I just held her tighter and started patting her head.
"Tell me what you've been through," she murmured after some time.
I chuckled. "Where do I begin? I woke up in a different world, defeated the big bad demon king, accidentally seduced 10 goddesses, got myself stuck with a sarcastic system fairy whose speaks in my head, who keeps reminding me that I'm too narcissistic, and then… came back looking hot."
"Oh gods," she groaned, elbowing me lightly. "You're impossible."
"Ok... ok, my bad. I was just teasing you. Now I'll actually tell you what I've been through."
So I told her about the places I visited. About the floating library buried inside a ruin. The time I had to tame a frost panther and hug it for warmth in a tundra. My time in the mercenary group, and my meeting and the hell (training) I went through with Synthia. I told her about the assassins and how I dealt with them.
I kept talking to her for hours and she just listened. Silent. Eyes wide.
She didn't interrupt once. Even when I tried to exaggerate a few things for dramatic flair, she just smiled softly and shook her head.
"…You've been through a lot, but I don't like you talking about other women with that look on your face when you are with me," she finally said, her arms tightening around me. There was practically no space between us now.
I could feel her body pressing softly against mine—her breath warm on my neck, her heartbeat syncing with mine.
(Host, this is it. The stars are right. The forest is quiet. Her thighs are pressed against yours. If you don't kiss her now, I'm logging you out of life.)
"Yeah, but is that jealousy I sense from you? Are you jealous I was talking about Synthia?"
"Don't say her name right now," Alicia grumbled and pinched my cheek—harder than necessary.
"Ow—ow! Okay, okay! I surrender!"
Her fingers loosened, but she didn't let go of me entirely. Her voice dipped lower, almost a whisper.
"You let her kiss you earlier… didn't you?"
I blinked, surprised. She sounded more hurt than angry.
"It wasn't exactly planned, she—"
"Still. I wanted to be the one to kiss you…" she muttered, looking away, her cheeks puffed slightly, trying to hide the hurt behind a pout. "I waited for you. All this time."
I didn't say anything. Instead, I slowly reached up and tucked a strand of her soft black hair behind her ear. It felt soft—cool and smooth like the first night breeze after a summer day.
She looked up at me.
Eyes wide. Vulnerable. Hopeful.
Seeing that look in her eyes, I leaned in.
Our lips met—soft at first. Just a gentle press. A moment suspended between heartbeats. Her eyes fluttered shut, and mine did too.
She kissed me back—light, tentative, like she was afraid I might vanish.
And then something shifted.
The second kiss came with more hunger. Her hands rose to cradle my face. She pulled me in. This time, there was no hesitation.
Our lips moved in rhythm, slow but deepening, tasting the weight of longing and years apart. My hand slid to her waist, the other resting against her back as I pulled her fully onto me. She didn't resist.
She kissed me again. And again.
Fierce now. Starved. As if trying to reclaim every lost moment.
Her tongue brushed against mine, and I answered without thinking. The firelight below flickered, and the stars above blurred into a halo.
When we finally broke apart, breathless, her forehead rested against mine.
Her cheeks were flushed, eyes shimmering like starlight on water.
"…You're still stupidly annoying," she whispered, voice barely audible.
I smiled lazily, letting my hand stroke her back.
"And you're still incredibly in love with me."
"…Shut up," she murmured—but the way her lips sought mine again a second later told me everything I needed to know. We kept snuggling and kissing until the sun came up.
---
[Morning – Lakeside Camp]
I stood shirtless by the firepit, humming as I flipped some wildroot pancakes and stirred forest-berry syrup with mana threads. The air was crisp, scented with pine and divine butter.
Alicia yawned and walked up in one of my shirts, stealing a pancake before I could even plate it.
"You're lucky you're cute," I muttered.
"I'm the cutest," she said smugly with her mouth full.
Tbh, only god knows how I managed to control myself and not just take her after those hugs and kisses.
Eira yawned as she peeked out from the tent. Her silver hair was a mess, her eyes heavy.
"You're cooking again?" she asked.
"Of course. My girls deserve nothing less."
"...Hmm." She plopped beside the fire with a pout but accepted her plate anyway.
"Smells divine," Nivera murmured from a nearby tree branch, elegantly descending like a noble vampire goddess.
"It is," I said, handing her a plate. "And you're welcome."
(Host. CP +11,000. Affection +1 each. They're all calm. Be afraid.)
We ate in relative peace, if you exclude the occasional moaning of the girls about how divine the food is, or questions like:
"Be my personal chef."
"Marry me."
"From now on you will be making my meals."
And then… I brought out a guitar.
The morning birds quieted. The forest leaned in. And I sang. Something light. A melody that drifted through the trees like wind on glass.
My voice wasn't just singing—it was telling a story.
When I finished, no one clapped.
They just… breathed.
That was enough.
(CP +200,000. Nearby spirits declare you the music king of the forest. Girls: too stunned to fight.)
"I suppose this is where I take my leave," she said after the last note faded. "You're too dangerous, Ravin. For my blood pressure."
She leaned close and whispered, "Don't die before I taste you again."
Then vanished in mist.
(Affection +3. Nivera: 32/100. CP + 3000)
Eira also stood up. "I have to prepare for the ranking matches."
"Don't kill anyone," I said sarcastically.
Honestly, I was surprised with how easily she went away. I guess it's the guilt of ruining Alicia's date yesterday.
She grinned. "No promises."
And then it was just me and Alicia again.
---
[Midday — City Date, Part II]
We strolled through the quieter parts of the capital. I showed her the hidden market alley with skyfruit vendors, and she pulled me into a pet café where kittens floated in bubbles. The city was quiet compared to the chaos of the forest.
After getting the attention of every single kitten in the café and taking an angry and pouting Alicia out of the café, we walked through floating gardens, ate skewers on sticks, and even visited the music plaza where I sang the same song I sung for my first performance.
She clung to me the whole time, smiling like a girl who finally got her long-awaited date without stalkers.
And honestly?
She deserved it.
(CP +25,000. Waifu happiness detected.)
"Ravin?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you… for making today perfect."
I smiled. "You haven't seen perfect yet. Wait till you see the sunset spot I picked."
---
[Nightfall — Alicia's POV]
As we sat near the edge of a gentle waterfall overlooking the city lights, Ravin rested his head in my lap.
"…You'll win tomorrow, right?" I asked, stroking his hair.
He didn't open his eyes. "Of course. But that's not what you're really asking."
I looked away. "No… I guess I'm asking if we'll be okay. If you win against those nobles."
He sat up and took my hand.
"Don't worry. Nobody can bully us, and if they do…"
He just smiled without finishing. That smile sent goosebumps up my body, but I liked it. I liked how he got so protective for me.
And with that, he kissed me. Not rushed. Not desperate. Gentle, slow, and real.
---
[The Next Morning – Academy Arena, Pre-Competition]
The air was electric. Excitement, tension, fear—all woven into one.
The Ranking Competition.
It wasn't just among commoners anymore.
Royalty had entered the fray.
Floating balconies filled with noble families and king's envoys shimmered above the coliseum. Magical screens hovered in the air.
'Pixia, you think they're ready for what I'm about to do?'
(Host, I don't think the world is ready for you. Period.)
'Good.'
I took one step forward into the center ring.
Let the ranking war begin.
-----
{A/N: Tell me if you enjoyed this chapter and if I should add more chapters like this, or do you want the novel to be fast paced. Tell me your views about it. Also if you have any questions related to the novel just join the discord, I will try to answer any questions I can. ✌️}