His First Kiss

Ash looked at the pouch, then looked back at his uncle.

"Take it," said John.

Ash took the pouch and opened it slowly. He hoped that the amulet would help him summon creatures without needing to say any incantations.

The amulet was made of silver with intricate runes carved into it, glowing softly in the shape of a necklace.

Ash put the amulet around his neck and looked at it. "Thank you, Uncle. I will take good care of it."

John smiled warmly again and said, while sipping his coffee, "You can try it tomorrow."

***

The next morning, Ash walked up the hill above John's house. Maya and Jagu followed closely behind. 

After arriving at the empty spot, he tried to summon a Minotaur without using any incantation.

And it worked. A blue circle appeared above his head, releasing the Minotaur.

The Minotaur stood like a statue, staring at them.

"Wow. Is this what you fought during the expedition yesterday?" asked Maya.

"Yeah. There's another creature, a Centurion," replied Ash.

"I want to see it," Maya said excitedly.

Ash followed Maya's request, and a Centurion emerged from the circle on his forehead.

"Wow," exclaimed Maya. "Is it safe if I approach them?" she asked.

"I think it should be safe," Ash replied, nodding.

Maya approached the two creatures, who had already been sniffed by Jagu.

She looked at them from head to toe and laughed.

"You're starting to have an army now, Ash," said Maya.

Ash laughed happily. "Yeah, at least I'm safe even though my level is still low."

"How many Minotaurs and Centurions do you have?" Maya asked curiously.

Ash thought for a moment, rubbing his chin, then answered, "Hmm, maybe about five Minotaurs and three Centurions."

"Wow. Along with The Giant Spider and Jagu, you already have a lot of warriors in your army," praised Maya.

"Umm. I didn't summon Jagu, he can't go into this circle," said Ash, pointing to the circle.

Hearing his name mentioned by Ash, Jagu approached Ash and started circling his legs. Ash laughed and patted his head.

"But Jagu himself is already very strong," said Maya, crouching down and petting Jagu. "It's a pity we can't see their abilities, like level, rank, and so on."

Ash nodded. For now, it might not be a problem. But later, if he encountered a creature guarding an item that was stronger than his creatures, it would be difficult to determine which summon could fight that guardian creature.

"Hello," suddenly, they heard Liliana's voice behind them. Ash and Maya stood up, startled.

"Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," said Liliana with an apologetic look on her face.

Maya's expression immediately turned sour. What's this girl doing here? she thought.

"Thank you for coming, Liliana," said Ash.

Liliana smiled sweetly at Ash and replied, "No problem. So, can we start the training now?"

"Wait, what training?" asked Maya.

"Oh, Liliana is going to teach me some Sword Skills," explained Ash.

Maya's feelings grew even sourer, but she could only hold them back, though with a slightly sulky face. "In that case, can I watch from the side?" she asked, not wanting to leave Ash alone with Liliana.

Ash began his training with Liliana. He swung and thrust using his Shadow Sword skill, under her watchful eye.

Occasionally, Liliana corrected Ash's stance. However, her actions made Maya even more upset.

When Ash thrust his sword forward, Liliana adjusted his footing by half-embracing him. Or when he finished swinging, she stood too close, so her outfit, which slightly revealed her cleavage, was level with his face.

Ash, of course, felt very awkward with Liliana's behavior, but he remained silent. Being close to a beautiful woman like Liliana, especially with skin contact, made his face feel slightly burned.

Meanwhile, Maya, growing more and more upset, quietly walked away from the scene and down the hill.

Liliana glanced at Maya, who was leaving angrily, with a faint smile at the corner of her lips.

***

Maya returned to her room at the inn and threw herself onto her bed.

She was so angry that she felt like crying.

She knew that Ash did not see her as a woman, he only saw her as a friend, as his little sister.

Maya lay face down, covering her face with a pillow, and cried silently.

***

Meanwhile, Liliana was sitting on the hill with Ash, accompanied by Jagu, who was running around disturbing the small animals in the grassy field on top of the hill.

"What is your next quest?" Liliana asked Ash, who was sipping orange juice from a can.

Ash replied, "The Missing Scroll, The Lost Chalice, and The Forgotten Key."

"Where do you have to find them?" Liliana asked again, gazing intently at Ash's face. Her brown eyes glistened, making his heart race.

Ash swallowed before answering, "According to the System, everything must be obtained in this city..."

"Oh," exclaimed Liliana, clapping her hands. "In that case, I will help you."

Ash turned to her and then replied, "No need, Liliana. I will find it myself."

"But how will you find it? You don't have Treasure Sense or other finder skills," Liliana insisted.

Ash took out his Captain's Map and spread it out in front of him.

"What is this?" she asked, leaning closer to Ash and bent down to see the map. The sweet scent of roses emanated from her, making his heart feel like it was about to leap out of his chest.

"I-It's a map of all the items in this game," Ash replied, truly nervous.

Liliana's eyes widened at the sight of the map and said, "Wow! For a new player like you, you've got a lot of cheat items."

"Look, this is Sassi. And it says here... Yes, all the items you're looking for are here," said Liliana with a laugh.

"But how can this map help you find them if they're already here in Sassi?" Liliana asked, suddenly confused.

"The map will automatically zoom in when we're close to the items, but I've never tried it..." Ash replied in a voice that sounded more like a whisper.

Liliana turned to Ash, and their faces met at a close distance.

Ash hurriedly tried to pull away, but she held his face back with her hands, then softly kissed his lips.