Ranna was about to leave the house when she remembered something. Perhaps the Dragon Lord was correct when he said there was a new system user. First, the strange incident had happened in the house, and now the Orc Lord had been defeated. She turned back to Leo, who had returned to the table, deep in thought.
"Another reason no one paid attention to Amanda before, regarding her request about the Orc Dominion extermination, is that she needed to file the quest in the guild center in the capital," Ranna continued, her voice steady but filled with frustration. "Quests require rewards that the guild decides, depending on their difficulty. Dominion exterminations usually cost 10,000 gold coins and above because they need to be done by multiple parties."
Leo's eyes widened. "That's a staggering price," he replied, astonished by the sheer amount of money required.
Ranna nodded. "In other kingdoms, that amount can get someone a villa already."
Leo suddenly asked, "What if I told you that I am also a system user?"
Ranna laughed heartily, a glint of amusement in her eyes. "You definitely look strong, Leo, but you don't know what kind of power a system user has."
Leo smiled confidently. "What if I can prove it?"
Ranna grinned, intrigued by his challenge. "That's an interesting idea. Tell you what, if you can defeat me in melee combat, I'll consider it true." She had a hidden motive, though—she wanted to push Leo to use his system if he really had one.
Ranna, a level 63 adventurer, had retired years ago but never wasted her potential. She practiced regularly and defended her farmland from monsters. Her rapid expansion was due to saving coins from hiring adventurers for security and obtaining loot from defeating monsters. Recently, she was forced to hire additional help because her land had grown too large for her to secure alone.
Ranna stood up and gestured for Leo to follow her. "Come with me. Let's see what you've got."
As they walked outside, other women on the farm saw Leo and called out to him, their playful voices filled with seduction. Ranna glanced at him, amusement twinkling in her eyes. "You've become quite popular. What happened?"
Leo sighed, a slight blush creeping up his neck. "It's quite a long story."
They approached Ranna's office, and Leo was surprised. Inside, Ranna went straight to her table and rummaged through a drawer.
She brought out a silver key, its surface glinting with a magical aura, and walked towards the door. The key twinkled, casting a faint, enchanting glow. As she turned the key in the lock, it was enveloped in a white light, then broke apart and vanished like a burst of stardust. When Ranna opened the door, a bright light poured in, making Leo shield his eyes. As his vision adjusted, he saw a completely different place outside.
He glanced back at the window, expecting to see a change in scenery but it was still the view of the farmland. "What are you waiting for?" Ranna asked, a hint of impatience in her voice.
"Sorry," Leo muttered, quickly stepping through the doorway. The door closed behind him on its own and then disappeared.
Leo was in awe. The view around them was a vast expanse of white, stretching endlessly in all directions. The ground beneath their feet was covered in a cloud-like smoke that danced and swirled as they walked. Ranna noticed his amazement and said, "I forgot to tell you about this place. I'll explain everything later."
She pointed upwards, and Leo saw a floating window similar to the one he had seen with his VIP system. However, this one only displayed a timer: 4:45 and counting down. "When it reaches zero, we'll be brought back to the office," Ranna explained. "Here, we can go all out. Nothing will be destroyed, and our auras won't leak outside. We're practically immortal while inside, but we'll still feel pain."
Leo listened intently, his eyes wide with excitement. It was like a training room, or perhaps a realm, due to its vast size. His mind raced with possibilities.
Ranna noticed his expression and chuckled. "You seem happy," she said, a hint of amusement in her voice. "Just remember, since we're immortal here, I'll be fighting with all I've got. And since you don't have a weapon, we'll fight barehanded."
She assumed a fighting stance, her body tense and ready. "Prepare yourself," she warned.
In a split second, she vanished from her spot and reappeared in front of Leo. She was faster than the Orc Lord, but Leo could see her movements clearly. He braced himself, deciding to take her attack to gauge her strength.
Ranna's fist connected with Leo, and the impact scattered the clouds beneath them like ripples in a pond. She had thrown her best attack, but it felt like she had hit an unmovable wall. Stunned, she jumped back, trying to process what had happened. Leo stood there, lost in thought as well.
"She's definitely fast, but her power doesn't seem to scale with it," Leo mused internally. He considered the possibility that Ranna was an agility-strength hybrid adventurer. This was a popular character build in one of the games he used to play, offering a balance of speed and decent attack power for rapid, successive strikes.
Ranna, still recovering from the shock, straightened up and resumed her fighting stance.
But Leo was no longer in her line of sight. Ranna's eyes scanned the area frantically, but before she could locate him, he reappeared right in front of her. His fist clenched tightly, muscles coiled like springs, he prepared to throw a punch with all his might. Since she mentioned they were immortal here, Leo wanted to test the limits of his newfound strength, feeling the adrenaline rush of his previous battle with the Orc Lord.
Ranna's eyes widened as her battle-honed instincts screamed danger. Her years of experience told her that taking the brunt of Leo's incoming attack would be catastrophic. While she was immortal in this realm, she was far from invincible. The sheer power radiating from Leo's fist sent chills down her spine. She attempted to dodge, but her body seemed frozen, overwhelmed by the impending force.
Just as his punch was about to connect, Leo noticed Ranna's hesitation and stopped himself mere inches from her. The sheer pressure from his halted punch created a powerful gust of wind that blasted Ranna off her feet and pinned her to the ground. The force dispersed the cloud-like surface around them, revealing the stark white ground in a large, clear area.
Ranna struggled to push herself up, the wind still swirling around her from the aftershock of Leo's almost-attack. She looked up at him, her eyes a mix of awe and relief. "That... was impressive, Leo," she managed to say, her voice slightly shaky.
Leo extended a hand to help her up, a concerned look on his face. "Sorry, Ranna. I didn't mean to push it that far," he said sincerely.
Ranna grasped his hand and stood, dusting herself off. "No need to apologize. You've proven your strength, Leo. More than I expected." She smiled a hint of pride in her eyes.
Ranna was happy to confirm Leo's strength. This was just his raw power, without any weapons or active buffs, she thought to herself. She composed herself and adjusted her clothing before asking Leo to show her his aura.
Leo seemed confused by her request. Although his strength was clearly out of her league, she wanted to see his aura and verify if it matched the one she felt last time. Seeing Leo's perplexed response, she began to concentrate.
Leo watched in awe as something began to form around Ranna. "So that's what she means," he thought, remembering a childhood dream of becoming a powerful warrior with a golden aura. As a child, he was captivated by a legendary hero from an animated series. He would often stand in front of the mirror, striking dramatic poses, and shout as if he were unleashing an incredible power, his eyes squeezed shut with determination, imagining the world transforming around him.
Feeling a bit silly, he decided to try it in front of Ranna. He struck a pose and began to shout, but nothing happened. Ranna burst into laughter, her laughter echoing in the vast white expanse until tears streamed down her face. She exhaled and apologized, wiping her teary eyes.
"You need to concentrate and feel the flow of energy in your body," she advised.
Leo, flustered and scratching his head, slowly closed his eyes. He inhaled deeply, trying to sense something within himself. Ranna noticed his focus and continued to guide him.
"Picture it getting bigger," she instructed.
Leo followed her instructions and felt a surge of energy starting to form. The clouds below him began to move away as wind started to swirl around him. He felt in complete control of it and began to release it as he opened his eyes.
In a blink of an eye, Leo's aura expanded enormously. The ground that was covered by clouds now showed the stark white surface beneath. Leo felt amazing, looking at his hands as he continued to exude his aura.
Ranna was speechless. This was indeed the aura she had felt before—heavy and unimaginable power. To her, the air started to become heavy and unbreathable. She smiled as power began to drain from her body. In a matter of seconds, her knees gave way and she lost consciousness. She saw Leo coming towards her as her eyes began to close.
Leo quickly caught Ranna before she fell completely. His aura disappeared instantaneously, leaving the air still and quiet. The clouds began to return to their place, slowly filling the space they had been pushed from. He realized he needed to learn how to control his aura so that he could use it appropriately.
"Ranna, are you okay?" he asked, his voice filled with concern. He kept her in his arms, her weight resting against him as he looked around the white expanse.
He looked up and saw that the timer was almost running out. Only a few seconds remained. He held Ranna securely, preparing for whatever might happen when the timer reached zero. The room's surreal atmosphere and the hum of the energy surrounding them felt more intense as the final moments ticked away.
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