Putting down her phone, Sylvia collapsed onto the sofa, suddenly at a loss for what to do.
She really wanted to just summon Acheron back right then and there, but it wasn't an emergency, and Acheron had happened to wander into a zone with no signal.
Just yanking her back like that didn't feel right.
"...Time for some practice."
The moment she lay on the sofa, she'd start imagining Acheron's embrace, her warmth.
She couldn't calm down at all.
So, Sylvia had no choice but to open a portal and head to the planet where they first met.
The Stellaron was gone, the space routes were open, but still, hardly anyone came to this planet.
After all, it was a realm overrun with monsters, plus no one knew if it even had an owner yet.
If they did develop it completely, some heir might pop up out of nowhere—now that would be a real headache.
At most, a few scholars would descend here to document this vanished civilization.
Sylvia emerged from the portal.
She glanced around.
The city, once cleared, was again teeming with monsters.
God knows how many bizarrely shaped Fragmentum monsters were crammed onto this planet.
And these Fragmentum creatures weren't just the few types you saw in games.
They came in all shapes and sizes.
This time, Sylvia headed for the seaside.
Ordinary Fragmentum monsters were no longer much of a threat to Sylvia.
They couldn't even provide a decent workout anymore.
Even if Sylvia put away her cards and Fullbottles, relying solely on the power of the Herrscher Core and the Ambrosial Arbor, she was already more than a match for ordinary Fragmentum creatures.
So, to add some pressure to her training, Sylvia chose to go underwater.
The water not only made it hard for her to wield her sword, but the vast depths were also teeming with massive Fragmentum monsters.
She'd explored this underwater area before, but never ventured deep.
Today was her first time entering.
Sylvia changed into her Valkyrie armor, hefted her greatsword, and stood on the shore.
"...The view here isn't so bad, actually."
She murmured to herself, unconsciously picturing a scene: her and Acheron, both in swimsuits, spending a leisurely day on the beach.
A bustling vacation planet would be nice, of course.
But having a private place like this, alone with someone close to you, had its own special charm, didn't it?
"Maybe I should consider that planet renovation project Topaz mentioned..."
But she didn't know the first thing about business; she'd need someone who knew the ropes to help.
Involuntarily, Sylvia's thoughts drifted back to Acheron.
And then to what Topaz had said about sovereignty and business.
Lost in thought, Sylvia suddenly snapped back to reality.
"...Why am I thinking about Mei again? What's going on?"
She scratched her head, a little bewildered.
"Did someone put a spell on me or something? All I did was try to imitate Mei's sword style in that simulation, so why is she suddenly occupying my every thought..."
It was a strange state.
Sylvia admitted she really liked Mei, and often thought about her.
But it wasn't like this before—one thought of Mei and she'd zone out, wanting nothing more than to pull her close and cuddle right that instant.
Ever since that urge to hug Mei had appeared, Sylvia found her mind just wouldn't shut up about it.
"No, no... I'm not some clingy little kid. I can endure a few days without her, can't I?"
Every time Mei went to a place not linked by the space routes, she'd be out of contact for a few days.
Not because she got lost, but because she was curious about what novel things that planet might hold.
She'd linger there for a few days before moving on.
So, going by routine, it would be several days before Mei was back in contact.
Sylvia didn't want to interrupt Mei's interests, so she didn't want to pull her over without a word when there was no danger, just to satisfy her own selfish desire.
That wasn't right.
Mei wasn't Sylvia's possession.
Sylvia took a deep breath and patted her own cheeks.
"Let's go. Once I start fighting, these distracting thoughts will stop."
She reminded herself firmly.
Forgoing the power of Abundance or Destruction, relying only on the Ambrosial Arbor's strength, Sylvia strode purposefully into the water.
The depths were dim, but that wasn't a problem for Sylvia.
And just as she'd thought, the underwater world was packed with seafood-shaped Fragmentum monsters, every last one of them ferocious.
After descending about a hundred meters or so, she was quickly set upon by swarms of them.
There was no foothold underwater.
Sure, Sylvia could create points to push off from, but she was here to train, and to banish those wicked thoughts.
So she didn't. Instead, she tried to figure out how to wield her sword while suspended in the water, with nothing to brace against.
At first, unused to this environment, she was battered by the monster hordes.
She could barely keep her balance, and her awkward sword swings only managed to kill a few monsters by sheer luck.
Thanks to her armor and her own body, already tempered to be quite sturdy, combined with the Abundance's power to heal, Sylvia wasn't afraid of getting hurt.
She kept using the sense of danger to push her limits, and in doing so, tried to purge the flood of distracting thoughts from her mind.
Mei's image still kept surfacing.
But gradually, the gentle, beautiful Mei transformed into the sharp, aloof Mei.
Brilliant flashes of her blade-work flickered continuously through Sylvia's mind.
As she fought the monsters, the Mei in her head began to demonstrate her sword techniques.
And little by little, Sylvia was no longer as clumsy as she'd been at the start; her movements grew more fluid.
Her excellent physique allowed her to quickly adapt to the underwater environment.
Seizing the opportunity, Sylvia launched her own counterattack.
--+--
Time slipped away, its passage hard to gauge in the pitch-black depths.
Dripping wet, Sylvia emerged from the sea. Dragging her exhausted body, step by step, she made her way onto the beach.
Then, with absolutely no regard for appearances, she collapsed onto the sand.
Just then, her phone rang. Sylvia fished it out and glanced at the screen.
Her expression shifted from confusion, to surprise, and then gradually to curiosity.
Though bone-tired and soaked through, Sylvia still called out Acheron's name:
"Help me, Big Sister Mei."
The portal opened.
As before, the graceful figure stepped through.
The moment she looked down and saw Sylvia, though her eyes held a hint of puzzlement, Mei still graced her with a charming smile:
"What have you been up to?"
Mei crouched down, her finger wiping away a water droplet at the corner of Sylvia's mouth, while Sylvia just grinned:
"Couldn't settle my mind, so I did some training to cool off."
"?"
Mei tilted her head, not understanding what was going on.
It had been rare for Sylvia to be unable to settle her mind, except back in the very beginning.
"...It's all because of you!"
"??"
Sylvia's answer only deepened Mei's confusion.
But gentle Mei simply sat down close to her, tucking her knees up.
Then, ignoring the sand clinging to Sylvia's hair, she gently cradled Sylvia's head and placed it on her lap:
"Did I do something?"
"..."
Sylvia, who had been feeling a bit petulant, was so moved by this sincere gesture that she felt a little embarrassed herself.
Blushing, she averted her gaze.
After a long, silent moment, she finally whispered:
"Because I missed you..."
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.