Races: Online (VR Smartphone App)

"You can quite gallivanting yourself, Jilanya." Faeran waved a hand. "We already know of your meticulous deeds."

"I wasn't bragging, I was only telling this mortal the truth about it all. If anything else, it is a good reminder that either there's something wrong with him and he needs to step up and get stronger if he wishes to be on par with us."

"You should try giving this pep talk to the Goblin then, well, I think they were a Hob by now—but you're really showing preferential treatment. Now whether that's maltreatment, or favoritism, I can't tell myself."

Their babbling was ignored as Han Jing stared at the mollusk's corpse and wrinkled his nose. Dai Song Lan was poking it with his spear and Han Jing chose to look at the only silent Player. "I'm really going to get a weapon after this, that thing is nasty—are you okay, Odele?"contemporary romance

"I'm just a bit shaken up, it's nothing large… but I always forget that based on one's territory, the creatures living are quite different." the Mermaid ducked her head. "I tried to talk to it—but it only ignored me."

"It ignored you?" Han Jing frowned. He hadn't gotten the chance to detect the monster's thoughts, and he was pretty sure he didn't want to attempt anything like it. But the Mermaid was right, this was pretty much in her forte. "Wait a second. Territory—?"

"Oh?" Odele raised a brow. "Surely you've already noticed this before, right?"

Dai Song Lan was a cultivator.

The Wood Elf joked about Exorcists coming in their city to terminate the Demon Lord.

Han Jing always answered promptly with how the people here called themselves cultivators, and expected that other individuals who fought supernatural things as different titles. 

But it was only now that he fully realized and contemplated that it wasn't only the people themselves who were different. 

He slapped a hand over his face. "This was pretty obvious, okay—so you're telling me, that somewhere in another country, they're fighting stuff like pixies and that stuff? And in a desert, I'll probably fight a legendary cacti beast?"

"You mean the Fey?" Faeran glanced back at him. The Wood Elf smiled and its eyes were lit up with a certain glow. "If anyone else were to hear you speak and refer to them as the same as this mollusk—why, you might have offended many already, Han. And cacti are plants, not beasts. Don't be rude."

He stared at the Wood Elf and shook his head. He thought about his conversation once with the Moderator—for the love of all things good, haven't replied in a while—who told him to keep in touch with people in his server, rather than with other humans.

Han Jing scratched his head and sighed. "So in some way, maybe in another country, place or whatever—they're fighting Vampires and Werewolves, and I just happen to be stuck with you guys."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"Yes—well, no. I dunno, dousing someone in holy water seems kinda nice." Han Jing coughed and raised a hand. "That was a joke—if you can't tell."

Jilanya only stared at him and then shook her head. "There are common enemies naturally, my people being one of them. Although the term may differ from place to place, possibly this Wood Elf here is considered a demon." She pointed a sharp fingernail at him. 

"I did not come from a lower realm—that's inaccurate of a statement."

"But anyway, is that it?" Han Jing scrunched his nose as Dai Song Lan tore the clamshell and collected something from within it. He wanted to say that this was a let down, but it was also painstakingly deceptive of a huge clam monster to appear as a small one and then attempt to swallow him alive.

"Don't force us into another battle with your words." the Wood Elf wagged his finger at him. "Instead, we should continue with this lantern making so I can finally leave once tomorrow starts."

"You're thinking of that, even while we got attacked?"

"Naturally, this occurrence premeditated upon stands more important to me than this trifle oyster that attempted to have you for a snack." Faeran turned away. "Now let us move on and go back to the hotel room. Odele, you've already picked up shells now haven't you?"

"I… I might skip them instead." Odele managed a weak laugh. She glanced back at the cultivator and brushed back her hair. "We'll probably leave the clam's contents with you, Song?"

Dai Song Lan nodded and grunted. 

Han Jing stared at the two of them—wondered if it was because 'Song' sounded close to music in general and then shook his head. He really didn't want to spend any time bothering with ideas like that, instead he observed the struggle of the cultivator.

Similar to some sushi chef or something—maybe Dai Song Lan learned from Mou Gu—he cut and speared through numerous tubes inside of the clam. And finally dissected and stored what appeared to be another pearl—except it was larger than what Han Jing had sold him before.

Crap.

Han Jing cleared his throat. "Thanks for coming here to warn us. I'll give you a discount when you buy pearls from me—tomorrow, not today."

Dai Song Lan looked up at him. "Alright."

This guy was really a man of few words, wasn't he? Han Jing glanced at the Wood Elf and Demon Lord returning to their place and cleared his throat. "You don't happen to have another spear lying around? Maybe an interspatial ring—"

"They cost more than the pearls." 

"Hah! I knew it!" Han Jing pounded his fist into his palm, and looked up at the cultivator. "Your job pays extremely well." And also that he needed to actually raise the price of pearls, instead of discounting this guy.

"It's a needed position." Dai Song Lan acknowledged. "But I must go."

"Wait, why?" Han Jing frowned. "You're trying to run away, aren't you?"

The cultivator nodded. "Yes."

"Wait, what?"

"Different sects and organizations have their own jurisdiction across the entire country, ours is in our city—I shouldn't have interfered without permission." Dai Song Lan glanced around at the posts of talismans. "I need to get rid of those."

Han Jing stared at him and fought the urge to grab the guy's shoulder. "It's not one headquarters or something? There's no huge sect that watches over the entire continent, but multiple ones?"

Dai Song Lan nodded. "Yes." After a little while, he said, "I'll buy them in the city, after vacation."

Without waiting for another word, the man stored his spear away and then kicked the clam's body into the ocean. Odele gaped at the cultivator's back as the man ran away, whereas Han Jing had his hands in his head.

"Okay, not just these guys." Han Jing glanced at Odele and then into the ocean. The clam's body dispersed into seafoam, bubbles floating up as the sky finally turned dark. "There's several other organizations too. Can't life be simple?"

Han Jing had too much to watch out for. He muttered underneath his breath. "I'm supposed to stay low, aren't I? Keep my pockets full, but my head low… but I'd end up as clam chow if I don't do anything either."

"Han?"

"What is it?" He looked back at Odele, a bit put out and lost in thought. 

The Mermaid smiled at him brightly. "Thank you for accompanying me and the rest of us yesterday and today. And for tomorrow as well in advance." 

"Oh… well, you know that it's an agreement between the two of us." Han Jing scratched his cheek. "And for the most part, it seems like you've got the worse part of the deal. I mean the pearls are going to be life changing for me, whereas this..."

She gave him a coy grin. "I think whether or not it was worth the cost is up to me to decide, and we never actually specified the number of pearls I'm supposed to give you, have we?"

Han Jing's eyes bulged. "You're right, why didn't I—"

She laughed and started walking back. "We should get back now before those two oldies get the grumpies or something."

"I forgot if I asked this before, but where did you learn how to speak like that?"

Odele coughed. "I sometimes tail cruise ships along—and uh, well, a waterproof phone fell off once."

—-

Then

"He's ridiculous isn't he?" Jilanya rolled her eyes as she walked with the Wood Elf back to their rented room. "I think that the Demon Lord of Greed might have had better chances of seducing him than I have."

"Wait—so you admit to the attempt of seduction?"

"I never said that," Jilanya scoffed at him. "My mere embodiment is supposed to arouse insatiable lust—"

Faeran cracked a grin. "You've lost your touch then."

"I have not—!"

"It's probably just a Mental Skill he got, Jilanya." The Wood Elf waved a hand dismissively. "Certainly, you're still the most beautiful of them all, even the goddess—"

"Hush your mouth. Do you want to invoke a war again?"

"Well, I'm sure they know that I wasn't serious in the first place." Faeran chuckled. 

The Demon Lord threw a jab at his back. "Learn how to keep your mouth shut if you don't have anything good to say."

"You wound me too much."

—-—-

Author's Note: Slice of Life chapters. I love them a lot. You know it, we know it. If you're probably here, then maybe you're enjoying them as well? I call them character development, although I'm not so sure if you'd agree with me. Right after this, maybe it's back to Otherworld/Kraelonia Academy time. Also yeah, I feel like I'm not giving Han Jing much romance compared to the other protagonist for my Harem book. *cough* Long live the underdog Han! Or call me out. Feel free to do so. Thanks for reading!

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