Now, he wasn't some posh prick. In fact, he despised those types. Yet he was still used to whatever minimal luxury a medieval city could offer, at worst, a bed in a tavern with supper and dinner included was fine enough. It didn't seem like he was getting his own bed any time soon. A quick thought surfaced.

  Isn’t she a dungeon, mission, or some other bullshit scout?

  The game was already pretty much a second reality, but why was she suffering this much, knowing the things she was getting involved in.

  Han cut himself off and smiled. The danger was nonexistent for her, he was the scout's scout, a perfect chance to steal some levels. Anyhow, he didn't plan on living in some shack for long. The moment she got a mission, he was turning his, and subsequently her, life around.

  Their walk eventually stopped, but his mind kept racking through plans. Until he turned right. They were exactly on the city limits, to a point where literal woods were to the left, their one-story wooden shack pressed right up beside it. By his estimate, there was still something to gain EXP from if he managed to sneak out. He had barely less than a mile's range.

  “I’m beat…” She muttered and stepped onto the porch with Han at her side. The porch was rather large compared to the house, though sparse, it sported a single wooden chair and a long stool. The front door was miserable to look at, seemingly waiting to crumble at any moment. His eyes were proof enough, but the mold inside the door and throughout the whole shack made his new living situation very clear.

  He couldn’t really look up at the door, though he heard a key turn and the door swung open. The place was horridly bare. Han couldn’t help but snicker at it. The medieval equivalent of a New York apartment, arguably even worse. The shack had a single window without glass positioned high up, which probably deterred any unfit robber from climbing through. The wooden blinds added some security, but that was about the only standout feature, along with the furniture, which amounted to a single bed.

  There wasn't much to say about the bed, though it wasn't exactly sanitary. What was interesting was the extremely large bowl, or at least that's what Han assumed it was. Anyway, he turned to the girl, and then instantly had to avert his eyes.

  “Yawn… I’ll get some rest. You’ve been energetic; get some as well…” She had stripped down to her undergarments, removing the sweaty undershirt he had the displeasure of smelling, the muddied pants, and the leather armor that had more than a few slices in it. His first glance carried some lust; his heart ached at the second.

  While her bra covered most of her back, he could easily make out the bright red marks across her back, hamstrings, and traps. His eyes read the pattern immediately, the thicker end of each strike landed at the back, curving around to snap at the shoulder. There were countless of them; just from what he could see, over thirty. Her white-tipped tail seemed rather short as well. Most demi-humans of the feline variety had their tails hanging near the ground. He wasn't squeamish, but the girl didn't look that much younger than him, and with scars that bad, he couldn't help it.

  She fell onto the bed without a care. The thick bedding smushing together loudly led Han to wake up from staring. For some reason, he couldn't go through with his plan of heading to the woods. The shack offered basically no security, his mind had already mapped out ten ways someone could kill her. That was far too many for him to leave her alone. He went to the bed and sat down beside it.

  It’s only natural. If she dies, I die—can’t let some punk get a jump on her.

  Being used to the monotonous crypt had its advantages here. Waiting wasn't a bad skill for someone in his position, though his eyes still grew heavy. The slits finally closed after a solid hour of intense guarding.

  It was the first real sleep he had gotten in God knows how long, and even then, it didn't come without problems. A thick scent, a stench of sweat, crept up the street. It snapped him awake; his heart started beating hard. The approaching assailant carried a sharp metallic smell beneath it. He dismissed it as armor, but that made things worse. It had to be some large armored bastard moving down the street.

  What are the chances he’d walk right up to us?

  Despite Han wishing the opposite, the door handle creaked. Before anything else registered, he was furious at the thought of the girl being careless enough to leave the door unlocked, which immediately collapsed into fear for her life.

  If she had a weapon nearby, he could at least bite the handle and do some damage. But as things stood, he was effectively defenseless, barely more useful than the sleeping girl behind him. The door opened fully. His heart dropped, then stopped before it hit the ground.

  This… this armor. I’ve seen it before.

  The party way back in the crypt. He had seen this figure then; they were together. He settled on them at least knowing each other. But she was still asleep with some stranger standing in the doorway. Until—

  Wait… I’m a dog…

  “Bark!” A single, full-lunged bark using every bit of Pochirin's capacity. The figure didn't visibly react, but since he’s head-to-toe in shining, pristine armor, it would've been hard to tell. Luckily, he heard the bed creak behind him.

  “Li?” The girl sat up, and so did Han. He held a neutral stance, reading the room. If things turned ugly, there wasn't much he could actually do. Despite thinking that, the man ignored him and closed the wonky door, and locked it from the inside. A sheathed sword was propped against the wall, unsurpringily expensive-looking, which made Han wonder what level this Li was.

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  The armored behemoth with shining armor started taking it off; as per convenience, he unclipped his helmet’s clasp. Han watched from a distance, seeing only the back. When the helmet finally lifted, long, slick white hair sprang free.

  “Mm. I still don’t understand… why Pochirin has to bark… at my armor.” A woman's voice. Her plentiful breaths came long and heavy, breaking up her words. The armor had to be absurdly heavy, that explained the stench that had alarmed him.

  “Yawn… it’s the enchanting; familiars aren’t exactly holy.” The girl explained, followed by the gentle crackle of stretching. Then she sprouted from the bed and went to help with the armor.

  “Mm.” Li nodded, continuing to remove the plate. With the girl's help, she was freed from the sarcophagus of heat. The sight in front of him was the kind that would've made a young man very happy. A feline woman in undergarments, the other a white-haired, pale behemoth who looked like she had just stepped out of a shower. Alas, he was very focused. Focused on not staring.

  I-I am—I am of integrity… after all.

  He did allow himself one quick look, for the sake of a proper first impression. Li was very tall. As Zom, he stood about a head over the cat girl, but Li cleared him by nearly two. The armor had done its work on her build. It had also, unsurprisingly, left her pale, barely a shade or two warmer than Han. The most striking thing besides her build was the hair; while white hair usually meant age, this world didn't seem to have concrete rules about that, from what he had seen.

  Setting aside the view, his heart was still recovering from the roller coaster. In the end, she—he wasn't in danger. He relaxed, sat back down, and closed his eyes, minding his own business while absolutely not intently listening.

  They both passed him and settled on the bed, which raised a fresh problem. One bed. The question of what exactly their relationship was crept back onto the table.

  “So?” She leaned in towards Li. “Did you get it? Did you?” Her excitement was a bit much for someone who had woken up moments ago. Li, however, hadn't made a sound. She set her sheathed sword aside by the bed. He heard the bed creak again.

  “Not yet.” Li sighed. The moment Han heard her voice clearly, it struck him, slow and gentle, like a stoic mother that was nearly two meters tall. He had no idea what they were talking about, but the girl's answering sigh was plainly disappointed.

  “Kanade… why aren’t you joining us?” Her voice was even and calm, yet it still managed to irritate Kanade.

  “Is this about the last time? I didn’t know they’d hire you.” Her tone pushed to close it down, trying to bury the topic, which Li evidently had no intention of doing.

  “You still were of use. Why not join me.”

  “We talked about this dozens of times over. I can’t put Pochirin in danger. I’m not strong, and neither is he. We’d be dead weight; nobody would hire us. Don’t you understand…? I’m already doing everything I can.” She stood up, voice cracking at the edges. Her heartbeat went fast and loud, clear enough for Han to hear. It wasn't enough to earn his sympathy, though.

  Han already knew he was at the pinnacle of unchanging, but he was at least taking small guaranteed steps, moving forward with life, in or out of the game. She wasn't even planning to change anything. That would breed problems, especially now that he was involved. He dismissed her inwardly, because that was—

  A lie—

  “…A lie.” Li's quiet murmur matched Han's thought precisely. Her sharp read landed without knowing he existed, which, to be fair, would upend things considerably. Li simply didn't want Kanade to rot. That painfully reminded Han.

  I had someone like that…

  “Became a fighter for hire. I’ll put in a good word and—“ Li tried. Before she could even finish, it was already clear it wouldn't land.

  “Why can’t you understand, I—“ Kanade’s interrupted by none other than Han as he jolted to his feet.

  “I’m not staying in this shithole until you become old! Let’s get out of here, damn it!” He barked his heart out in a short, furious burst, several sharp barks that, depending on interpretation, could read as deeply enthusiastic, or something close to encouragement.

  He caught his breath and opened his eyes to both girls staring at him. He did not like that. He was also, technically, nude in front of them, which added an entirely unnecessary layer of awkwardness to everything. Before either of them could react, he ducked back behind the bed.

  Shit. Shit. Shit!

  Even if they couldn't understand him, he hadn't interacted with a girl in nearly a decade. He couldn't figure out why he was reacting like this. As Zom, he couldn't speak with NPCs or players, and with Rhapari, this had never happened. Until—

  I inherit some parts… isn’t this the case?

  The muted feelings weren't just sensations, they were actually affecting his thinking. Which was unsettling to consider. It was possible that Pochirin's attachment to Kanade had been transferred onto him, pressed in whether he wanted it or not.

  Testing, yes. Testing needs to happen.

  ?

  “Arf! Arf! Arf!” Pochirin couldn’t be stopped; three full barks, then silence. Kanade was confused, but the moment Pochirin immediately vanished behind the bedside.

  “Pfuu! Hahahaha!” She burst out laughing, cheeks aching from it, and fell backward onto the bed. From somewhere beside her came a quiet, restrained squeaking. Li had her hand pressed over her mouth, snickering like a mouse.

  “What?! You think Pochirin’s being funny, huh?!”Kanade gave Li's shoulder a playful punch, barely holding back her own grin. It was fun, they hadn't had a decent laugh in a while. As it passed, she let out a long breath and made a quiet decision.

  “Alright… alright tomorrow… I’ll go to the guild if we don’t get accepted. I am not. Are you listening? I am not reapplying again and—“ Li cut her off by pulling her into a hug. She was like an older sister. If both Pochirin and Li were against her staying still, she could at least try. She did notice they all needed a bath, herself and Pochirin included, but held her tongue on it. After that, Li leaned back against the bed frame, eyes as heavy as they could get.

  “What time is it?” Kanade asked aloud, eyes drifting to the high window. The warm hues of orange was already coming through. She jolted out of bed and went to the corner where her gear was piled. Aside from the stool outside, they didn’t have any storage spots, chairs or tables, so their small shack divided itself naturally.

  She started gearing up. Han's ears perked at the noise. He stood slowly. Putting the awkwardness aside, it was better to focus on where she was taking him and he didn't have to wait long to find out.

  “We’re going hunting. I’ll wake you up for dinner if you sleep in.” She said, voice muffled by the shirt going over her head. At that, Han heard Li's faint yawn and promptly got comfortable. While Pochirin seemed calm. Han was not.

  Fucking hell! Finally! Progress!