The sun was officially checking out by the time we cleared the thickest part of the brush. I stopped for a second, looking up at the sky being sliced into jagged pieces by the mountain shadows. Twilight was settling in like a bucket of cold water being poured over the trees.
We're a bit off-track, I realized. But whatever.
My brain was already on autopilot, replaying the route we took to get here. Before I ended up in this world, I'd spent way too much time falling down "Wilderness Survival" rabbit holes on YouTube. Combine that with three years of "don't-get-eaten" adventurer training, and I had a pretty decent internal GPS. As long as the mountain didn't literally move, I wasn't going to get us lost.
By the time I checked the map again, the sun was basically a sliver on the horizon.
"Uh, Sister?" I looked over at Serena. "It's about to be pitch black."
And just like that, the lights went out. With the tree canopy so thick, the moonlight didn't stand a chance. It was "can't-see-your-own-hand" dark. Moving forward was basically asking to walk off a cliff or into a monster's mouth.
Camping was the only play.
Not that I minded. Between being too broke for an inn and long-haul quests, I'd spent plenty of nights under the stars. We were close enough to town that the big, scary night-terrors were already cleared out. Anything left out here was small fry—and small fry hate fire.
"Let's set up camp right—"
I didn't even finish the sentence before the world brightened up.
"Fire," Serena whispered.
A soft, steady glow erupted from the tip of her mace. It wasn't a torch; it was Holy Flame, and it cut through the dark like a neon sign. The orange light caught the sharp line of her jaw and turned the surrounding trees into flickering ghosts.
"Holy Flame is useful for nights and dungeons," she explained, her voice calm as ever. "Most monsters have a built-in fear of it. Though... it doesn't last forever."
I stared at her, thinking one thing: She's a literal survivalist Swiss Army knife. Also, can we talk about the outfit? There is something dangerously distracting about a girl in a prim-and-proper nun habit who looks that good.
Lord, I thought, forgive me. I'm a werewolf; it's basically in my DNA to be a dog.
"Seriously, that's some 'cheating the system' level magic," I said, giving her a little round of applause.
"...'Cheating the system'?" Serena tilted her head.
"Old-world slang. It means you're cracked. In a good way."
She just gave me a faint smile and didn't push for more.
With her Holy Flashlight, we made it back to a familiar-looking clearing. The lamp oil from earlier was gone, so torches were out of the question. I scrambled to gather a mountain of dry wood before her spell flickered out.
"Fire," she said again, and the pile went up in a cozy blaze.
I watched her as I stoked the flames. This girl wasn't just some sheltered church girl; she was a pro.
"Alright, Sister," I said, dusting off my hands. "We should pull shifts. You pick when you want to sleep."
"No need," she said simply. "I'm a light sleeper."
I frowned. Logically, that's a terrible plan. But I didn't argue. In this world, gods are real, and I was trying to play by the rules so I could eventually reach "God Tier" myself—mostly so I could go home, fix my life, and flex on everyone who ever doubted me.
"I'll take the first watch," I insisted.
She thought about it for a second, then nodded. "Fine."
The firelight danced across her face, making her look soft and, honestly, kind of irresistible. She was clearly wiped, her shoulders drooping just a bit.
"Here, use this." I tossed her the lizardman hide we'd scavenged. "My armor is insulated enough."
Serena took the leather, kicked a stray lizard skull out of the way, and wrapped herself up. She looked down at the oversized hide, then looked up at me with a playful glint in her eyes.
"It's actually pretty big... plenty of room for two?"
The Night. The Fire. A gorgeous woman literally inviting me in.
My brain and my hormones had a brief, violent civil war.
"...I'd be honored," I said, trying to sound like a suave protagonist instead of a guy whose heart was trying to beat out of his chest.
I slid under the hide next to her. It blocked the wind, but it couldn't block the heat radiating off her or the faint, clean scent of her perfume. My werewolf blood started humming, and my body decided to remind me that it had been a long time since I'd had any "action."
"Just sleep," I whispered, my voice a bit gravelly. "I've got point."
"We'll be fine," she murmured, her eyes fluttering shut. "We're close to home."
I didn't say anything else. I was exhausted, too. I managed to stay awake for my shift, but between the crackle of the fire and the rhythmic sound of her breathing, I eventually drifted off.
And man, I had the wildest dream. Total R-rated stuff.
I woke up before dawn.
I was about to groan at the early start when I realized something was very, very wrong. Or very, very right, depending on who you ask. My chest felt heavy and incredibly warm.
I opened my eyes.
Serena was fast asleep, draped completely over my chest. Her platinum hair was a silver mess across my neck, and one of her legs was hooked over my waist. Her habit had loosened during the night.
I looked down.
My brain hit a 404 error.
Her robes had shifted, and... yeah. Let's just say her "blessings" were on full display. White, soft, and definitely a D-cup. It was blinding. And right there, in the center of my vision, was a very distinct, very pink piece of the puzzle.
Her hand was resting right over my heart.
"...Holy shit," I breathed.
There isn't a man on earth who could stay chill in that situation. Especially not a werewolf with enhanced... everything. My blood hit boiling point. My body reacted instantly and violently. A 20cm biological reaction, to be exact. It was so sudden and so "upward" that it actually bumped her leg off me.
Serena, startled by the movement, shifted in her sleep, reaching out for something to steady herself.
Her hand grabbed exactly what it shouldn't have.
I sucked in a breath so hard I thought my lungs would pop. A muffled groan escaped my throat. The sensation was... intense. Warm, soft, and a very firm, unconscious grip.
It was the best and worst second of my life.
"Mmh..." Serena hummed, her eyes slowly blinking open.
She looked dazed for a second. Then she realized she was on top of me. Then she realized what her hand was currently wrapped around.
"AH—!"
She vaulted off me like she'd been struck by lightning. She moved faster than she did in the lizardman fight. The hide flew off us and landed in the dirt.
Her face wasn't just red; it was glowing. Even her ears were beet-red.
"I—I'm going to go wash my face!"
Her voice was a high-pitched mess as she basically sprinted into the bushes.
I just lay there, staring at the sky, feeling very, very empty all of a sudden.
"Morning to you too, Serena," I called out, trying to sound like I wasn't currently suffering from a medical emergency.
The sun was up. After a very awkward, very silent breakfast, we packed our gear. Serena wouldn't look me in the eye, and she was talking way less than usual.
"We should get back to the city," she muttered.
I nodded. I wasn't going to be that guy. I kept it professional.
We hit the road. The morning sun brought out the locals—and by locals, I mean a pair of black giant spiders the size of a Ford F-150.
"I've got this," Serena said, her hand reaching for her mace. She looked like she really needed to hit something.
"Wait." I caught her arm. "Venom glands sell for a ton of gold. Don't smash them."
She paused. "They do?"
I stepped up and shouldered my compound bow. The metal pulleys caught the light, looking cold and efficient. I notched two arrows.
"Watch the 'science' in action," I quipped.
Twang-zip.
The two spiders hit the dirt simultaneously, arrows through the eyes. The venom glands were perfectly intact.
Serena actually clapped, her eyes wide with genuine awe. The embarrassment from the morning seemed to vanish for a second.
"That was... beautiful," she whispered.
I stowed the bow and gave her a wink.
"That's just basic mechanics, Sister."
I expertly carved out the venom glands and handed one to her.
"A souvenir."
Her fingers brushed mine as she took it. She didn't pull away immediately.
"Thank you," she said, her gaze lingering on me a bit longer than usual.
I realized then that the "reward" for this hunt was going to be way better than just one silver coin.