Chapter 29: [FGO]: 29
Crack!
A series of shattering sounds suddenly erupted.
The sword in Ais's hand, like a giant drill, fiercely split Malphite's body in two.
Watching the wailing Malphitet, Ryou laughed.
From the beginning, they had devised a strategy: Ryou continuously cast hail magic to cool Malphite down, specifically targeting the area between Malphite's two heads.
Initially covered by a thick layer of magma, that area became cold and brittle under the relentless hail. Finally, combining the ice magic with Ais's wind magic, they easily pierced through this vital spot.
Under Ais's thrust, Malphite was nearly split in half, and the Sword of Despair in Ais's hand quickly reached the location of the magic stone.
Ping!
A crisp sound signaled the attack on the magic stone that symbolized the monster's heart. Malphite's massive body instantly turned into white dust.
Thud, thud!
Two heavy objects hit the ground.
One was the magic stone, and the other was a heart-shaped, black crystal of unknown material, covered with bright red vein-like patterns.
In addition, Ryou also gained 60,000 energy points. Unfortunately, no Mystic Code dropped this time either, leaving Ryou somewhat disappointed.
It seems that the drop rate for Mystic Code is very low.
But then again, given how remarkable the effects of Mystic Code are, it's naturally hard to obtain.
Ryou drank a healing potion and put away the magic stone. When he was about to pick up the heart-shaped stone, he suddenly froze and stopped moving.
"Are you okay?"
A concerned voice came from beside him.
At some point, Ais had returned to his side, her eyes fixed on him.
Although Ais's facial expressions were subtle, Ryou could still detect a hint of concern.
He quickly waved his hand.
"I'm fine. But there's something I need to discuss with you."
Ais tilted her head in confusion.
Ryou forced himself not to be distracted by her unconscious cuteness and said seriously, "I want to give you all the magic stones, including the one dropped by Udaeus. I'll keep the materials dropped by Malphite."
Ryou knew that even with this arrangement, he was still getting the better deal. Unfortunately, aside from the magic stones, he didn't have many valis on him.
It must be said that the drop rates in the dungeon are truly abysmal. Except for the guaranteed drop of magic stones, equipment rarely drops.
To get equipment, you have to rely on blacksmiths. Good equipment requires materials dropped by monsters.
And the drop rate for materials is equally pitiful. Except for floor bosses, normal monsters drop materials roughly once every few hundred kills.
Even floor bosses don't always drop materials, so Ryou was indeed getting a great deal this time.
"It's okay. I can't carry the materials anyway. You can have them. Let's split the magic stones evenly," Ais said calmly.
Ryou was instantly moved. What a simple and kind-hearted girl!
He recalled how, in the original story, she had also selflessly handed over materials worth millions of valis to the adventurers on the eighteenth floor.
"You can take all the magic stones. Your Familia is preparing for an expedition, right? You need Valis urgently now," Ryou instinctively patted Ais's head.
Ais's face turned slightly red, but she didn't stop him.
Feeling the silky smoothness of her hair, Ryou couldn't help but marvel in his heart.
This girl, with the bloodline of a celestial spirit, truly seemed like a masterpiece of the heavens.
After enjoying the moment briefly, Ryou quickly withdrew his hand, pretending nothing had happened, and said calmly, "It's getting late. Let's head back."
"Okay."
The two of them quickly set off on their way home.
Before heading back, Ryou put his mask back on, instantly transforming his distinctly Eastern face into the very ordinary face of a Westerner.
Since even the floor boss on the forty-eighth level was no match for them, the wild monsters on their way back to the surface were even less likely to impede their progress.
In less than two hours, they had returned to the surface.
Looking at the sunset's afterglow, Ryou felt a sense of having been through another life.
A lot had happened today.
First, they went to the guild to exchange the magic stones for easier-to-carry diamonds. Then, Ryou escorted Ais to the entrance of the Loki Familia castle.
When the two guards at the gate saw their 'princess' being escorted back by Ryou, their expressions changed dramatically. They looked at him with envy, jealousy, and resentment.
"Please open the gate," Ais said calmly.
The two guards glared at Ryou before opening the gate.
"See you tomorrow," Ryou said.
Ais nodded and turned to walk inside.
Just then, the ground began to shake as if a war chariot were speeding towards them.
It was the Familia's goddess, Loki, who was kicking up a cloud of dust as she rushed to the gate.
"Ais~!!!"
Even before reaching the gate, Loki shouted, her voice echoing far and wide.
Ais immediately adopted a cold expression, as if to say, 'I don't know this person at all.'
Loki started circling Ais as soon as she reached her.
"Ais-tan, where on earth did you go!"
"You ran off without a word for a whole day. I was so worried~!"
"I just went to the dungeon."
Even the usually stoic Ais couldn't handle Loki's clinginess and answered.
"The dungeon? Did you get hurt?"
The first part of Loki's question was normal, but the second part revealed her true nature as her face contorted into that of a lecherous old man.
"How about I give you a thorough check-up~"
As Loki's hands slowly reached for Ais's shapely derrière, Ais swiftly dodged and, in one fluid motion, used the Sword of Despair still in its sheath to whack Loki on the face.
Ouch!
Even from a distance, Ryou felt a twinge in his nose.
At that moment, Loki seemed to suddenly notice Ryou and shifted her attention towards him.
"I remember you... you're that cook!"
As expected of the mischievous god Loki, her sharp tongue knew no bounds.
"You came back with Ais!?"
Loki's squinting eyes suddenly widened, her face showing the expression of a father who just discovered his precious daughter dating a street punk.
"Ais-tan is mine. Don't think you can take her away from me!"
Loki suddenly screamed, lunging at Ais, who quickly subdued her.
"Sorry about that," Ais said, bowing to Ryou before dragging Loki by the collar into the Familia's headquarters.
"Ais-tan is mine! I will never hand her over to you!"
Even while being dragged by her collar by Ais, Loki continued to shout incessantly.
Feeling a surge of mischief, Ryou suddenly yelled at Ais in a voice loud enough for the entire Loki Familia to hear, "Ais, don't forget about our 'date' tomorrow!"
When he said the word 'date,' Ryou deliberately emphasized it to ensure everyone could hear.
Upon hearing this, Ais nodded slightly, clearly not yet grasping the seriousness of the situation.
The entire Loki Familia suddenly fell into an eerie silence.
The goddess Loki wore an expression of utter despair.
In the next moment, the entire Loki Familia came alive.
"What did he just say?"
"I think he said he's going on a date with Ais!"
"Is that for real?"
"The world is ending!!!"
With Ryou's shout, the flames of the Loki Familia were instantly ignited.
The female members of the Loki Familia blushed as they looked at Ryou, clearly captivated by his boldness and the romantic scenario.
Of course, this excluded a certain yuri elf girl.
Lefiya wore an expression of despair and breakdown, with dark energy swirling behind her, scaring her good friend Tiona, who quickly stepped aside with a look as if she didn't recognize her.
As for the male members of the Loki Familia, not to mention the many single ones, even those with girlfriends glared at Ryou with expressions of resentment, as if they wanted to burn him alive.
A particular silver-haired werewolf was even gritting his teeth, looking as if he wanted to devour Ryou.
Facing their gazes, Ryou waved his hand dashingly and turned to leave.
Disturbed by the commotion, Finn, standing by the window of the captain's office, looked at Riveria with a wry smile and said, "That guy sure knows how to cause a stir wherever he goes."
"Should we call Ais over?"
Riveria frowned deeply. As half a mother to Ais, she was completely opposed to Ais associating with Ryou, an outsider of unknown origins.
Gareth, holding a cup of wine, sighed, "Youth is something."
The commotion caused by Ryou and Ais gradually subsided by the evening.
However, when Ais handed over the magic stones she exchanged today to Finn, it once again triggered a strong reaction from the top three.
After a series of questions, Ais, being an honest child, roughly recounted today's events to the three.
When they heard that Ais and Ryou had jointly slain the floor boss on the 48th floor, they were speechless.
"Although Ais has reached level 6, I think we still need to reassess Ryou's strength," Finn said gravely, biting his thumb.
"I agree. Although he doesn't seem to have any malicious intent towards us for now, we can't rule out the possibility that he's trying to gain our trust first," said Riveria, the most cautious among them.
Thus, a brief monster-hunting trip between Ryou and Ais once again stirred up quite a commotion within the Loki Familia.
On the other side, a rumor about a monster rampage and migration on the 24th floor was gradually spreading among the adventurers.
...
The next day, the sun was shining brightly—it was a perfect day for a date.
Dressed in clean, new clothes, Ryou appeared at the gate of the Loki Familia's castle.
Facing the murderous glares of the Loki Familia members, Ryou stood there for about ten minutes before Ais appeared in front of him.
"Pure lotus emerging from a water, naturally uncarved."
At that moment, Ryou deeply understood the meaning of this poetic line.
So, there exists such an extraordinary person in this world.
Ais was wearing a simple blue and white dress, her delicate and fair face showing no traces of makeup, completely resembling an unpolluted natural white lotus, fresh and pure.
At that moment, a strong desire to possess rose in Ryou's heart. This pure white lotus could only be picked by me! It could only bear my mark!
"Is there something wrong with my face?"
Perhaps Ryou's gaze was too blatant, as Ais asked in confusion, instinctively checking her attire.
"No, you look very beautiful today," Ryou praised generously.
This straightforward compliment made even the naturally dazed Ais blush.
"Shall we go?"
"Okay."
With Ais's response, Ryou glanced around the Loki Familia's courtyard and gave a meaningful smile to a particular statue.
Then, as if deliberately provoking, Ryou took Ais's soft, white hand.
Faintly, he seemed to hear the sound of teeth grinding.
Ryou chuckled lightly and led a slightly shy Ais towards the street outside.
After the two figures disappeared, three people suddenly emerged from behind the statue.
It was the goddess Loki, Tiona, and Lefiya from the Familia.
"Damn it! How dare he hold Ais-tan's hand! I haven't even held it myself—he must be killed!"
The goddess Loki, biting a handkerchief, looked tearful.
"No, we should use magic to blow him to pieces!"
The yuri elf Lefiya mimicked Loki's actions exactly.
The elf and the goddess seemed like inseparable partners in mischief.
If not for Tiona, who was holding them back with a sweaty forehead, they would have rushed out already.
"Private Lefiya!"
Loki suddenly stood straight, calling out seriously.
"Yes!"
Lefiya immediately stood straight and gave a military salute.
"I now order you to follow those two. If you find them doing anything too intimate, stop them immediately!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
"And you, Tiona, you go too. This is the goddess's order!"
Loki continued, addressing Tiona, who looked speechless.
Seeing Tiona's reluctance, Loki, true to her origins as a trickster god, leaned in close and whispered temptingly, "Tiona-chan, don't you want to know how far they'll go?"
If it were the mature and steady elder sister, Tione, she probably wouldn't fall for it. But the younger sister, Tiona, was carefree and playful, and Loki's words immediately piqued her curiosity.
"Well, following them might be interesting. I can also go shopping on the street," Tiona's eyes started to twinkle.
Seeing that she had convinced the guardian sent by Riveria, Loki exchanged a conspiratorial smile with Lefiya.
After Tiona and Lefiya had followed, Loki suddenly opened her trademark squinted eyes, flames burning in them as she muttered to herself, "Damn brat! Don't think you can take away my Ais! One day, I'll tear you to pieces!"
At this moment, the goddess Loki was entirely like a foolish father whose obedient daughter had been taken away by a delinquent boyfriend...
On the other side, walking down the street, Ais and Ryou unknowingly gained two shadows following them.
Unfortunately, one was a berserker and the other a mage. Their clumsy tracking skills were so poor that even the naturally oblivious Ais noticed them, let alone Ryou.
Just as Ais was about to turn around, Ryou stopped her.
"Ignore them. Let's just enjoy our time. If they want to follow, let them follow."
Pointing at a nearby stall,Ryou said, "I remember you really like the fried potato balls from that place. How about we get some?"
"Okay."
Ais immediately forgot about the stalkers.
Indeed, the fried potato balls from that stall were quite special. Even without the presence of Hestia, the place was still bustling with business.
Ryou took a bite, savoring the rich aroma of the oil, which was not overly greasy. The exterior was crispy while the inside was tender, and the black pepper filling added a distinctive flavor—truly a remarkable snack.
At this moment, Ryou glanced at the fried potato ball in Ais's hand, which exuded a rich milky fragrance mixed with the unique aroma of red beans.
An idea struck Ryou, and he said to Ais, who was focused on her snack, "How about I make a dessert with cream and red beans for you when we get back to the Gudako hotel tonight?"
After a slight hesitation, Ais nodded.
"Okay."
However, the scene ten meters behind them, where Lefiya and Tiona were hiding behind a stall, was entirely different. To them, it seemed like Ryou and Ais were enjoying their snacks together, deeply in love.
Especially for Lefiya, who had completely entered a delusional mode. In her mind, the scene had transformed into the two of them ignoring her objections, feeding each other flirtatiously and walking farther away.
Even though they hadn't eaten anything, Lefiya and Tiona felt their stomachs swell with the metaphorical "dog food" they were being forced to consume.
Lefiya, who had already turned dark, repeatedly tried to pull out her staff to cast a spell at Ryou, only to be stopped by Tiona each time.
Naturally, the passersby on the street also suffered, enviously watching Ryou and Ais, their eyes almost burning him to ashes.
Ryou, however, remained oblivious, continuing to lead Ais around to various clothing and accessory stores.
Personally selecting items, Ryou bought Ais several fresh and cute dresses that wouldn't hinder her movements, as well as some inexpensive yet adorable and unique accessories.
Although Ais's face showed some shyness, she still accepted Ryou's gifts.
While the two of them were happily shopping, it was tough on the two followers, especially Tiona, who was constantly worried that Lefiya might rush out at any moment.
When Ryou and Ais reached a rarely frequented fountain, he suddenly stopped.
"Last time, you seemed very interested in how I store things, so I decided to give you this."
As he spoke, Ryou took out a beautifully wrapped, palm-sized box from his pocket and handed it to Ais.
"What is this?"
Ais asked, her eyes filled with curiosity.
"Open it and see. You might like it," Ryou said with a slight smile.
With a slight effort, Ais opened the box, revealing its contents.
The moment the box was opened, a soft white light flashed briefly, revealing a uniquely designed ring resting quietly on black silk.
The platinum ring was crafted into the shape of a blooming white lotus, with a flawless white gemstone embedded in the center, emitting a pure white glow.
The ring exuded a sense of purity from beginning to end.
Ryou had searched the system shop for most of the day and finally selected it at first sight, spending 50,000 energy points to redeem it, even postponing the purchase of a pair of gauntlets he had long wanted.
Ais instantly fell in love with the ring that matched her temperament, instinctively reaching out to take it and playing with it carefully.
"This ring slightly enhances the wearer's overall attributes, provides 30% resistance to curse-type skills, and can use the 'Purification' spell three times a day. Most importantly, it has a built-in storage space of one cubic meter, though it cannot store living things..."
Ryou explained the ring's properties in detail.
"Thank you, I like this ring..."
Ais's eyes showed a hint of reluctance, but she still put the ring back in the box.
"It's too valuable; I can't accept it."
Indeed, this was true. Not to mention its overpowering attributes, the fact that it had a unique built-in storage space in all of Orario made this ring worth a fortune. An initial estimate placed its value at one billion valis, and that was a conservative figure. If it went to auction, it could fetch two or three times that amount.
Even though Ais didn't care about such things, she understood the value of the ring. Being kind-hearted and not one to covet luxury, Ais was adamant about not accepting the ring.
However, Ryou was prepared for this. He directly placed his hand over Ais's, gently but firmly making her hold the ring box. Meanwhile, his other hand instinctively patted her head.
"Consider this a gift from a Senpai to a Kouhai. Besides, this ring is mine. I can give it to whomever I want, and no one can object..."
Before Ryou could finish speaking, he was immediately interrupted.
"I object!"
Lefiya shouted, storming out with a fierce expression, dragging Tiona along with her.
Tiona was surprisingly overpowered by Lefiya in terms of strength, showing how love can indeed double one's power.
"I object!"
Lefiya charged up to Ryou, her eyes blazing with anger as she glared at him.
"You've been following us all day, and now you finally show yourselves," Ryou said with a playful smile.
Lefiya, naturally shy, was only emboldened by her love for Ais. Being called out by him made her falter slightly.
Stalking someone was already disgraceful, and being caught made it even more embarrassing.
"Anyway, I object!"
Lefiya, unable to argue rationally, resorted to the classic tactic of stubbornness.
"Lefiya..."
Ais tried to intervene, but being tongue-tied, she didn't know what to say, her face full of distress.
"Ais, please stay out of this! This is between him and me!"
In this critical moment, Lefiya couldn't care less. If her beloved Ais accepted what she imagined to be an engagement ring from Ryou, it would be all over.
"Ugh~"
The aura Lefiya emitted was so intense that even Ais was momentarily taken aback.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone