As Leo opened his eyes, he instinctively looked to Amanda's side of the bed, but she wasn't there. A delicious aroma wafted through the air, making his stomach growl. "Is that soup?" he thought, his curiosity piqued. He turned his head towards the kitchen and saw Amanda cooking. A smile spread across his face as he began to get up.

The wooden floor creaked under his weight, catching Amanda's attention. Leo heard something clatter to the ground, and as he looked, he saw Amanda running towards him. She hugged him tightly, her relief palpable. "Oh, Leo, thank goodness you're okay," she whispered, her voice trembling.

He felt her chest pressing into him, making him blush. He was about to ask her to let go when he noticed something. "Was Amanda always this small?" he wondered. He glanced down at his hands and arms, noticing they seemed larger and more muscular. "Were my arms always this big?"

"Ahem." The sound of someone clearing their throat made Leo look up. It was Ranna, standing in the doorway, holding a tray of food. She placed it on the table and smiled at him. His eyes widened in surprise. "Why is the farm owner here?"

He gently grabbed Amanda's shoulders, trying to get her attention, but Ranna waved him off, indicating it was fine. "I'm glad you're awake, Leo," she said warmly. "You've been out for three months."

Leo couldn't believe it. He turned to Amanda, who loosened her hug and looked up at him with wet eyes, but her happiness was unmistakable. She nodded, confirming Ranna's words. Leo smiled back at her, feeling a mix of emotions he couldn't quite place.

Amanda quickly composed herself and returned to the kitchen to fetch the remaining food. They all sat down at the table, the clinking of utensils and the aroma of the meal filling the air.

As they ate, they talked about what had happened. Leo learned that he had collapsed suddenly, and Amanda had used her spells on him every day to keep him alive since he couldn't eat or wake up.

"I can't let you go, Leo," Amanda said softly, her eyes reflecting the depth of her care for him. "I had to do everything I could to keep you here."

Ranna leaned back in her chair, the wood creaking beneath her weight. "You know, Amanda wasn't able to work because of you," she began, her tone light but carrying an undercurrent of concern. "You're already three months late on the house payment, not to mention the food I always bring to you."

Leo's eyes widened in shock, and he opened his mouth to apologize, but Ranna burst into hearty laughter, slamming the table with her hand. Tears of mirth formed in her eyes as she calmed down. "I'm just messing with you, kid," she said, wiping away her tears. "But seriously, do you have money to pay me anyway?" She laughed again, clearly enjoying the lighthearted teasing.

Leo managed a chuckle, though his mind was already racing. He knew he needed to keep a good relationship with Ranna. She wasn't just an adventurer; she was a strong one and a farm owner is constantly importing goods to the capital. Her support would be invaluable. He glanced at Amanda, who was finishing her food. She noticed his gaze and responded with her warmest smile.

Standing up, Amanda said, "Leo, keep Ranna company, okay? I promised to work once you woke up."

Ranna smiled at her and said, "Good thing you remembered, Amanda. You owe me a hefty amount of coins." She laughed, clearly still in a playful mood, and Amanda laughed along before grabbing her tools and gloves and heading outside with a never-ending smile on her face.

As soon as Amanda was out of sight, Ranna's face turned serious. "Leo, I need to tell you something," she began, her tone grave. "I didn't mention this to Amanda because it would just make her nervous, but you need to know."

Leo leaned in, listening intently.

"It's about the Dragon Lord," she said. "He went here to check the powerful aura, but he didn't see anything unusual, we need to be careful if we ever meet him again."

Leo furrowed his brow. "The Dragon Lord? That's a peculiar name."

Ranna chuckled. "It's not his name, Leo. It's his system's name."

Seeing Leo's confused look, Ranna decided to explain. "The Dragon Lord thought another system user had emerged when he felt that powerful aura. He was disappointed not to find one. You see, system users can see the power of other system users."

Leo nodded slowly, absorbing the information. He found it intriguing that having a system was a normal occurrence in this world, yet the Dragon Lord had been unable to detect his. He didn't know why, but he thought it was for the best. Internally, he couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of being called "The VIP." It sounded almost comical, like a title from one of his favorite video games back on Earth.

"Why do we need to be careful with him?" Leo asked, his curiosity piqued but tempered with caution. He leaned in closer, wanting to grasp the full extent of the danger they might be facing.

Ranna's expression grew serious. "The Dragon Lord, with his Dragon Lord System, possesses immense power. He's known for his ruthlessness and his insatiable desire to dominate. If he sets his sights on Amanda, or on you, he won't stop until he gets what he wants. His system grants him abilities that make him nearly unstoppable, and he's not afraid to use them."

Leo felt a shiver run down his spine. The weight of Ranna's words settled heavily on him. He realized that the stakes were higher than he had imagined, and the mysterious protection of his VIP system might be the only thing standing between them and the Dragon Lord's wrath.

Leo's face hardened with resolve. "We'll be careful. I won't let anything happen to Amanda."

Ranna smiled, though her eyes remained serious. "I know you won't, Leo. Just stay vigilant. This world is full of dangers, and you need to be prepared for anything." Leo nodded, determination etched in his features.

After their conversation, Ranna went out, leaving Leo to tidy up the table. "You don't have to work for now," she said with a reassuring smile. He nodded and thanked her, feeling grateful for her understanding.

Once the kitchen was clean, Leo returned to the table and decided to check his system again. He wanted to understand why the Dragon Lord hadn't seen his system. When he scanned through his perks, he saw the VIP protection perk. "Aha! So that's why," he thought, feeling a wave of relief. He realized how fortunate he was to have that perk early on; it had allowed them to dodge a major complication.

Next, he saw the Share the Pain perk and reminded himself to be more careful using it in the future. His eyes caught sight of a blinking left arrow on the middle left side of the screen, with a badge that said "new." Curious, he tapped the arrow, and a page slid from the left, pushing the VIP page out of view. He was surprised; he hadn't known he could do that since he had been so focused on the system last time.

A thought struck him. "What if I do this?" he wondered. He waved his hand from right to left, and the VIP system screen slid back into view. A grin spread across his face as he waved his hand back and forth, the screen changing accordingly. It felt like a game, and he was enjoying discovering new things about the system.

Suddenly, he stumbled upon a third page. It was titled Sync List and had one item: Amanda. He tapped it, and another page opened.

Amanda

Level 50

Class: Priestess

Race: Elf

Synced years: 100

Bonus Status Points: 1000

Below is data about her that he already knew. He skipped that section and went straight to the skills and abilities section. It listed skills like Heal, Cure, Minor Shield, and Guiding Light. He didn't check all of it and scrolled down further. He then saw a locked section titled Race Skills.

"Race skills?" he mused as he checked some of them. "Elf's Perception, Nature's Favor, Elven Knowledge," he read aloud. "So I can't use Race skills, huh?"

He then waved his hand towards his left side. The previous page was displayed again and it was titled Adventurer Details.

Leo

Level 1

Class: None

Race: Human

He noticed a section that wasn't on the previous page.

Status

Strength: 1015

Agility: 1015

Intelligence: 1015

Stamina: 1015

"Hmm, so the initial status is 15 points, huh?" Leo thought, analyzing the numbers. "I guess I will go hunting monsters nearby to check these stats."

Excitement coursed through him. He felt ready to test his newfound strength and see what he was truly capable of. With determination, he planned his next steps, eager to embark on his first real adventure in this new world.