Finally, the weekend—my day off from school.
I wasn’t planning to train today. Instead, I decided to rest and spend quality time with Rin and Tama. And what better way to do that than shopping?
I brought them out from my realm into the outside world and took them to the market district.
Judging by their smiles, they were happy. But to avoid drawing too much attention, I made Rin wear her hoodie. Tama, on the other hand, outright refused to hide her cat ears. "If people want to hate me, let them," she said. "I don’t care."
The shopping district was bustling with life—stalls and big stores lined the streets, selling all kinds of goods. Our first stop was a clothing store.
They needed new outfits of their own choosing.
As we stepped inside, I immediately noticed the glances. People eyed Tama, some scoffing, others frowning as they distanced themselves. Even the shopkeeper didn’t seem thrilled about selling to us.
"Alright, girls, pick whatever you like—quickly," I muttered.
"Yes, Master!" Tama beamed before dashing off, her energy boundless as she explored the rows of clothing.
Rin simply nodded and started browsing the dresses.
I figured I should update my wardrobe too. Most of my clothes still belonged to this body’s previous owner. My style had always been minimalistic, even in my past life, so I picked out a few neutral-colored t-shirts, a couple of chino trousers, and some formal shirts. While I wasn’t a fan of full formal wear, I did like mixing casual and dressy pieces.
Thankfully, the store had a changing area. After paying for my selection, I asked if I could change, and they allowed me.
I stepped into the changing room and put on a black button-up shirt—slim fit—paired with navy blue chino trousers and white sneakers. Leaving the top buttons undone, I accessorized with the lumen necklace I had won in Felmora, which had been sitting in my item box.
After brushing my neatly styled black hair, I glanced at my reflection. I had to admit—I looked good. A total ladies’ man, if I do say so myself.
Stepping out of the changing room, I was immediately met with Rin and Tama’s wide-eyed stares.
"Master! You look... so handsome!" Tama gushed.
Rin fidgeted slightly. "C-cute," she murmured.
I chuckled before turning my attention to the outfits they had chosen.
These girls had questionable fashion tastes.
They quickly went to change as well.
A few moments later, they emerged.
Tama had chosen a stunning black-and-white maid outfit dress, and—predictably—she had poked a hole at the back to let her tail through. I hadn’t expected it to suit her so well, but I suppose it was only natural for a cat girl to look good in a maid-like outfit.
Then there was Rin.
She looked... well, herself.
She wore a long black dress with long sleeves and gloves. If someone from my old world saw her, they’d probably think she was cosplaying as Wednesday Addams. But despite her gothic taste, I had to admit—the lace fabric around her chest framed her boobs in a way that gave her an elegant yet dangerously alluring look.
And then there was the hat.
A pink hat with bunny ears.
It looked ridiculous on her. But at least it hid her horns better than a hoodie.
"Well... you both look great. But whats up with Rin’s hat?" I asked.
"It’s cute, isn’t it?" Tama said. "I’m the one who picked it up for her." She touched her chest as if that was something to be proud of.
I sighed. "Well, let’s get going, shall we?"
They smiled, nodding. I paid for the clothes, and as we stepped out of the store, I could feel the weight of people’s stares on us again.
But I ignored them.
Today was for us.
Then, we went to a restaurant. Surprisingly, it wasn’t as bustling with female hunters as usual. Now that I thought about it, the entire town felt strangely quiet. Even the Guild had been empty the other day. Something was definitely going on.
Well, whatever. Ignoring that, I ordered some food.
"Waitress, bring us your best balanced meal," I said to the girl serving in the restaurant. She smiled at me, nodded, and turned away.
Life had certainly changed. Even the waitresses were smiling at me now—without me having to rely on my charm skill. I never would’ve thought I’d enjoy this new life as much as I was at the moment. And to be honest, I had a feeling this was just the beginning. This world still had so much to offer... and more women for me to judge with my rod.
To do that, I needed to explore more. Which meant it was high time I went after the second guardian of the Key of Ascension. I wondered if they would be humans or demi-humans. Well, whatever they were, I’d just have to face their trial—or game, or whatever—win every damn thing, take their necklace, and move on to the next target.
"Here is your food, sir."
The waitress’s voice jolted me out of my thoughts. She set down a steaming hot bowl of food in front of me. Inside were tender slices of meat simmered in a rich, savory sauce, served over fluffy rice.
I picked up my chopsticks and took a bite.
"Mmm... This beef is really good!" I complimented.
"It’s boer meat, sir," the waitress replied.
"What?!" My eyes widened. "Boer meat? How is it this good?"
Meanwhile, Rin and Tama had already finished their bowls and were asking for seconds, as if they were in an eating competition.
As we enjoyed our moment of peace, I overheard two janitors talking nearby.
"Hey, did you hear? The skeletons are closing in. It’s only a matter of hours before they overwhelm the entire kingdom."
"Yeah, dude. What the hell are the Hunters doing? Can’t they handle a couple of skeletons?"
"Apparently, no matter how many times they defeat the skeletons, they just keep coming back to life."
Their conversation piqued my interest, but before I could stand up and ask them for details, sudden screams erupted from the streets.
"The skeletons!!!"
"Everybody, hide! Get indoors!"
I rushed outside, Rin and Tama close behind me.
My breath hitched. An army of the undead was swarming the city!
"What the hell is going on?" I muttered.
"At this rate, the entire kingdom will be wiped out!" Tama said behind me.
Suddenly, l felt a suffocating aura on the air.
[WARNING!! A high-level demon detected!]
My brows furrowed. A demon?
But weren’t demons supposed to be unable to enter this world...
TBC.