Chapter 216: Below the Chest

With a final look around the room, he turned back to Amelia. "Ready to go?"

"Absolutely," she declared, a hint of excitement in her voice. "Let's meet this village elder and see what this whole 'godhood' business entails." A playful chuckle escaped her lips.

Suddenly, a muffled but insistent voice erupted from a box tucked away beside the bed.

Dug! Dug!

"Let me outtt!" The exclamation, clearly a female voice, startled both Alex and Amelia.

Amelia's eyes narrowed, darting between Alex and the box. "...You hiding someone?" she questioned, her voice laced with suspicion.

"Huh? No, I didn't know..." Alex stammered, genuinely surprised. He cautiously approached the box and, with a hesitant hand, lifted the lid.

A gasp escaped his lips. Inside, blinking rapidly in the sudden light, was a young elf woman. Her emerald green hair was disheveled, and her clothes rumpled.