Chapter 98 The Date

The Lizardman leader and Suzuka stood facing each other, a tense silence between them as they weighed their options. Finally, after a minute of contemplation, the Lizardman spoke up. "We give you all the coins we found in this place and leave, we will not return here again, you can turn in your quest and still get the reward. It's a good deal for you."

Suzuka listened intently, her arms crossed and her finger tapping at her lip as she considered the proposal. She knew that this could be her best chance to complete the quest and collect the reward, but she also knew that the Lizardmen could turn on her at any moment.

After a short pause, Suzuka spoke up. "What about a kill proof? I need to show kill proof or the quest will not count." The Lizardman leader nodded in understanding. "You can cut it out of our bodies, it is a small price to pay if it means our survival."

Suzuka grimaced at the suggestion but knew that she had to do what was necessary to complete the quest. "Well, good thing the quest didn't show how many I need to kill, a few should do it." The Lizardman rejoiced at the news, "So? Does this mean you will spare us?"

Suzuka nodded a small smile on her lips. "Yeah, sure. But you better not make me regret this, Lizard. If you make trouble for me I will find you and finish the job."

The Lizardman leader's voice was shaky as he spoke with relief, "I am Zalthar, thank you for agreeing to this. We will leave this place regardless, it's not safe anymore. There are creatures lurking in the shadows, preying on our kind. Some of our fellow Lizardmen have vanished without a trace in the past few days. We don't know what they are, but they are not from our ranks. We suspected it was you, but after seeing your strength, I realize it wasn't you who did this to us."

Suzuka chuckled half-jokingly, "Oh, how spooky. It's like a horror story. Maybe they just left your group."

The Lizardman's face turned serious as he whispered, "No, it's much worse than that. There is something out there, something that shouldn't exist in this world. A creature that hunts us down for sport, its hunger insatiable, its power unimaginable. We've heard its growls at night, and the sight of its glowing eyes in the darkness is enough to send shivers down our spines. It's not just any ordinary predator, it's a monster."

Suzuka, feeling the pressure of time, urged him to move on, "Okay, enough talk. Let's focus on the task at hand. Let me just get the proof of the kill, and I will be off. Keep your word, and I will keep mine."

The Lizardman nodded grimly, "Agreed. May the gods have mercy on us."

In a low voice, the leader presented her with the coins and kill proofs he promised, his eyes glinting with a mixture of respect and fear. Despite the chaos Suzuka had caused, she had not killed any of the Lizardmen, only leaving them fatally injured. Fortunately, the Lizardmen possessed a remarkable healing ability, and they swiftly gathered the wounded to treat them. Within a few hours, the Lizardmen would be restored to full health.

Time was of the essence. She could not afford to wait until the Lizardmen had packed and left; she had to leave immediately to complete her mission.

As she ventured back to the town out of the forest, Suzuka couldn't shake the feeling of unease. The Lizardman was right - there was something sinister lurking in the shadows. The air was thick with an eerie silence, broken only by the sound of its footsteps crunching on the forest floor.

Suddenly, there was a rustling in the bushes, and Suzuka tensed, ready to attack. But it was just a harmless squirrel, scurrying away from its presence. She let out a sigh of relief but remained vigilant.

Suzuka hurried through the dense forest, her feet pounding on the soft earth as she made her way back to town. Despite her quick pace, her mind kept wandering back to her upcoming date with Olivia, filling her with a sense of excitement and anticipation that made her heart beat faster.

It had been months since she last saw Olivia, and Suzuka couldn't wait to finally know her better. She thought about all the things they could do together and all the things she wanted to talk about. 

As she navigated through the trees, Suzuka couldn't help but smile at the thought of Olivia's flirtatious laugh and sparkling eyes. She wondered if she would still be the same or if time had changed her in any way.

Despite her uncertainty, Suzuka managed to maintain her sense of direction with the aid of a crystal compass. Eventually, she emerged from the woods and onto the road leading to the town. As the day drew to a close, she took a deep breath and felt a sense of relief wash over her. She was glad to have made it out of the forest before nightfall.

Suzuka made her way back to the guild, feeling exhausted yet satisfied after completing her quest. She headed straight towards Lisanna, who welcomed her back with open arms.

"How was your journey, Helen? Did you encounter any troubles along the way?" Lisanna asked with a concerned tone.

Suzuka took a moment to catch her breath before answering, "It was a little challenging quest, but I managed to complete it successfully. The trip was the hardest part, there was only a few Lizardman who wasn't much of a threat. I took them out rather easily." She reached into her bag and pulled out the proof of her kill, presenting it to Lisanna.

She examined the proof and nodded in approval. "Well done, Helen! You've done an excellent job. Here is your reward."

Suzuka received 1 gold coin, her total funds with the money she got from Lizardman are 1 gold and 88 silver coins.

It was getting dark outside, and Suzuka realized that it was time to call it a night. She said a short goodbye to her friend Lisanna before making her way back to the Mystic Oasis Inn where she was staying. As she walked through the quiet streets, she could feel the cool evening breeze on her skin and the sound of crickets chirping in the distance.

Upon reaching the inn, Suzuka was greeted by the friendly staff and the warm, inviting atmosphere of the lobby. She made her way up to her room, which was decorated in a cozy and rustic style with wooden furniture and soft lighting. Suzuka changed into her pajamas and settled down for the night.

The new day had arrived, and Suzuka was filled with anticipation as she realized it was finally Saturday, the day of her long-awaited date with Olivia. As soon as she woke up in the morning, Suzuka sprang out of bed and eagerly began to get ready for the special occasion.

She carefully selected her outfit for the day, settling on her favorite leather clothes that made her feel confident and comfortable. As she looked in the mirror, she couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and nervousness, knowing that this date could be a turning point in her life.

After all of the preparations were done, Suzuka stepped out of the Mystic Oasis Inn, taking a deep breath of the fresh morning air. The sun was shining brightly, and the gentle breeze made her hair flutter around her face. She felt a renewed sense of hope and happiness, eager to see what the day had in store for her.

Without any further delay, Suzuka set off towards the café, the designated meeting place for her date with Olivia. She walked briskly, her heart beating fast with anticipation, and her mind racing with thoughts of what the day might hold.

As she approached the café, she felt a flutter in her stomach, wondering if Olivia would like her outfit and if they would hit it off. Nevertheless, Suzuka pushed those thoughts aside, took a deep breath, and entered the café with a confident smile, ready to enjoy the day to the fullest.

After she entered the cafe, she sat down at an unoccupied table and placed an order for a coffee. As she waited for her drink to arrive, she checked outside and realized that it was almost time for her promised meeting. 

As she sipped her coffee, she tried to quell the nervous feeling in her stomach. She hoped the meeting would go well and that it would lead to a positive outcome. She took a deep breath and reminded herself to stay calm and focused.

Olivia sauntered into the cafe, her snow leopard coat draped effortlessly over her shoulders. The coat was made out of real snow leopard fur, white fabric felt luxurious to the touch. The black spots on the white background gave the coat a wild and untamed look that perfectly suited Olivia's charismatic and seductive demeanor.

Suzuka looked up from her cup of coffee and couldn't help but be captivated by Olivia's striking appearance.

Olivia was dressed to kill in a black miniskirt, a black top that hugged her curves in all the right places, and a striking snow leopard coat. The coat was the centerpiece of her outfit, drawing Suzuka's attention like a magnet. It was evident that the coat was of high quality, and it had clearly been tailored to fit Olivia's body perfectly.

"Wow, you look amazing," she said, her eyes lingering on Olivia's coat.

Olivia smiled, her eyes sparkling mischievously. "Thanks, Suzu," she purred, taking a seat across from her. "I thought I'd dress up a bit for our date."

As Suzuka admired the coat, Olivia caught her eye and grinned playfully. "Do you like my coat?" she asked, her voice low and seductive. "It's one of my favorites. I just love the way it makes me feel when I wear it. It's so... fierce, you know?"

Suzuka blushed slightly, feeling a rush of attraction to Olivia. "It's beautiful," she said softly. "You look fabulous in it."

Olivia's smile widened, and she reached across the table to take Suzuka's hand in hers. "Thank you, Suzu," she said, her voice full of warmth. "You look pretty amazing yourself, you know. I love your leather, I was thinking of getting something similar for myself."

Olivia leaned in even closer to Suzuka, her lips brushing against her cheek. "You know, Suzuka," she murmured, "I've been thinking about you a lot lately. I can't get you out of my head."

"I've been thinking about you too, Olivia," Suzuka said, her voice barely above a whisper. 

Olivia leaned back comfortably in her seat and said, "So, I heard you are a magic box power user, two starts, right?"

"Umm, yeah. Two stars, I will increase the rank next month. To 3 stars."

Olivia's eyes narrowed slightly as she noticed Suzuka was telling her a lie, but chose to ignore it.

"So hey, Olivia. How was your escort mission going? You've been on it for two months, there must be something interesting to tell."

"Well... let's see... few attacks of bandits, we beat them. Then... a few bloody wolves attacked, and we killed them. Honestly... it was boring, nothing interesting happened. But looking around the town was nice, found many great weapons and armor variations. But it was too expensive for my poor valet." 

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I spent all of my money on the starter gear. Good thing Walter offered some good deals and discounts."

"Ahhh, Walter... That old raccoon, he and his deals. He will tell you such sweet things, he will sugarcoat his deals so sweet that you will start drooling. But... his prices and quality are the best you can get on the outskirts of the town."

"Yeah, unfortunately, I can't afford anything, fancier." 

"So, how was your time going as an adventurer? There must be some stories for you to tell."

"Well, I killed a lot of monsters, mainly goblins. Joined a couple of groups for a monster kill quests. The rewards were low though and barely held me afloat. A few days back I joined a group to help rescue girls abducted by goblins. That's about it, nothing really to be happy about. Basically, just killing some monsters and trying to get by."

As Olivia opened her mouth to speak, the tranquil atmosphere of the café was shattered by a resounding slam of the doors. Suddenly, the air was filled with the familiar boisterous sound of infectious laughter, reverberating off the walls and filling the space with vibrant energy.

 All eyes turned towards the entrance, Laughing Larry swaggered in, his presence commanding attention and drawing the gaze of every patron in the room. With a single entrance, he had transformed the peaceful atmosphere into one of excitement and anticipation, his larger-than-life persona instantly electrifying the entire space.