Ch. 18 – Small Stick Insect

"No worries," Jade replied with a reassuring smile. "I'll just give you mine for now. It's..." She leaned closer to Yves and whispered her ID name to him, ensuring only he could hear.

"White Bun..." She paused momentarily, as if hesitant to continue, before finally adding the numbers that completed her ID.

Yves listened intently, committing the ID to memory. As Jade finished, he couldn't help but notice the hint of shyness in her voice. "White Bun #3547" he repeated. "Alright. Got it."

"Does she really have to whisper it to me?" he thought silently.

Jade's cheeks flushed slightly as she noticed Yves repeating her ID. When their eyes met, she quickly averted her gaze, feeling her cheeks warm even more. "Do you remember it?" she asked, trying to hide her blush, but it was clear she was a little embarrassed.

Yves couldn't resist teasing Jade a bit. "Yes. Thank you, miss White Bun,"

Jade shot him a cute-angry look, her cheeks still tinged with pink. "Oh, so you're gonna be like that now, huh?" she retorted. "Maybe I should just keep the payment for myself then."

Yves couldn't hold back a grin at Jade's response. "Hey now, don't be like that." he chuckled, feigning innocence. "I was just trying to remember your ID."

Jade's expression softened into a playful smirk. "Uh-huh, sure you were."

"But fine, I'll transfer the payment. Just don't call me with that name again, okay?

Yves just smiled and signaled with an okay sign, acknowledging Jade's request. Then, he asked casually. "So, are you heading home now, or do you plan to continue exploring? If you're heading out, we can go together to the entrance gate."

As she considered Yves' question, she shook her head lightly. "I don't have any plans right now." she admitted. "I've already achieved what I came here for—to find another pet monster to tame."

"That's good to hear." Yves replied with a nod.

"Since you're ready to head back, shall we make our way to the entrance gate together?" Yves suggested, gesturing in the direction they needed to go.

Jade thought about it. Going back together seemed safer. If they bumped into any monsters, they could handle them together. Plus, she felt fine being with Yves, so there was no reason to say no.

Jade made a small sound of agreement and nodded.

"Sounds good." Yves said. "I'll go first, just follow behind me."

Before he started walking, Yves reminded Jade to unsummon her giant panda. He explained that its large size could attract trouble in the forest, and its movements might make too much noise as they traveled.

Understanding the reasoning, Jade nodded again and dismissed Coco with a thought. With a gentle wave of her hand, the Giant Glacial Terra Panda vanished, absorbed by the small, light pink circular glowing pattern on her neck.

Seeing the giant panda disappear, Yves instructed Taro to walk beside him. He also informed Taro to protect Jade if any problems arose in the forest.

With Taro by their side, they set off towards the entrance gate, Jade walking closely behind Yves, feeling reassured by Taro's presence and Yves' thoughtful gesture.

As they strolled through the forest, time seemed to slip by quickly. The path they followed was clear, and they didn't run into any creatures that might have slowed them down. Their journey felt easy and relaxed, thanks to their careful navigation.

Eventually, they arrived near the entrance gate. Yves glanced ahead and noticed a tall man standing there. The man wore a fancy black suit that made him look important, but what stood out the most was his vibrant green hair.

While they got closer, Yves could see the man's face more clearly. He appeared to be around thirty years old, with a confident demeanor that suggested he was used to being in charge. When he approached them, he bowed politely to Jade, showing her respect.

"Good afternoon, young miss." he said, his voice polite and attentive. It was clear that he regarded Jade with a sense of importance and respect.

Jade introduced him to Yves. "This is Sir Herald, my personal driver and guard, Crow." she said, gesturing towards the man. "Sir Herald, this is Crow, a tamer I've met in the forest who helped me."

Herald acknowledged the introduction with a nod, his demeanor professional yet approachable. Extending his hand, he addressed Yves warmly.

"A pleasure to meet you, Crow." he said with a smile. "Thank you for assisting our young miss."

Yves shook Herald's hand firmly. "Nice to meet you too, Sir Herald." he said with a respectful nod.

During their handshake, Yves's attention was suddenly drawn to a small black insect perched on Herald's shoulder. As their hands parted, Yves's gaze fixed on the creature, triggering the appearance of an information panel in front of him.

⋖ ⸻ +++:-:+:-:+:-:+:-:+++ ⸻ ⋗

⊂ Dark Goliath Spiky Stick Insect ⊃

Grade: Rose Gold-order

Realm: ★★★

Species: Nocturna Arborealum/Phasmidae

Special Trait: Night Hunt

Affinity: Darkness, Poison

Ability: Echo Detection, Heightened Instinct, Toxic Fog, Toxic Spike Barrage, Umbral Expansion, Umbral Leap, Umbral Shift

Evolution Route: Unlockable at White Platinum-order Realm

⋖ ⸻ +++:-:+:-:+:-:+:-:+++ ⸻ ⋗

Yves quickly glanced at the screen but refrained from reading it further. He knew that if he focused too long on the panel, it might seem odd to those around him, as they would see him apparently reading something in thin air. Instead, he discreetly slid his eyes away from the panel, pretending as though nothing had happened.

However, the information panel remained in his field of vision, floating in front of him. Yves understood that it wouldn't disappear unless he actively thought about closing it.

"I'll read it later." he thought to himself, making a mental note to revisit the details when he had privacy.

Meanwhile, Herald turned his attention back to Jade. "We should go home now, young miss." he reminded. "It's getting late, and we promised your father we would return before dinner."

Jade nodded in agreement with Herald's reminder. "Yes, let's head back." she responded.

Turning to Yves, Jade's face lit up with a radiant smile. "We're heading home now." she said warmly. "I'll send you the payment later for your help." Her smile widened as she added. "And hey, if we have some free time, we can go for another exploration together."

Yves smiled warmly at Jade's announcement. "Sure, miss Jade. Take care."

Herald observed Jade's bright smile with a calm demeanor but a hint of surprise flickering in his mind. It was a rare sight to see Jade smiling so brightly, especially in the presence of a boy. He glanced at Yves curiously, wondering what he had done to cause such a reaction from Jade.

Herald had heard that Yves had helped Jade, but it seemed unlikely that mere assistance would cause her to light up like this. It must have been Yves' attitude or something he said that made the difference.

"Alright, let's go home now, Sir Herald." Jade said, breaking the moment.

Together, Jade and Herald made their way to the nearby car parked nearby, while Yves and Taro headed towards the parking area where his road bike was located. Just as they were about to part ways, Yves heard Jade's voice shouting from behind.

"Hey! Crow! Don't you dare forget to add me!" Jade called out.

Yves turned around with a grin, raising his hand and waving it enthusiastically.

"Don't worry, Miss Jade!" Yves shouted back. "I might be forgetful, but I'll definitely remember that cute ID!"

Taro, catching onto Yves' mood, let out a low growl and raised both of his front paws, waving them in the air with a wagging tail.

With a big smile on her face, Jade entered the black car, as Herald held the door open for her. At the same time, Yves glanced at Taro. "You can rest for now, Taro." he said gently. "I'll summon you again once when we get home."

Taro let out a contented squeak before disappearing into the familiar circular glowing pattern in Yves' hand. With everything settled, Yves and Jade's forest adventure came to an end, but they knew there would be more in the future.

Yves settled onto his road bike, still processing the recent events. He glanced at the persistent information panel before him, reviewing the screen once more.

"Shit." he muttered under his breath, his eyes widening in disbelief. "That little insect is at Rose Gold-order grade? That's... insanely powerful. It could wreck an entire city if it wanted to."

Struggling to recall the insect's appearance, he shook his head in disbelief. It was difficult to connect the small frail-looking black stick insect with its immense strength. This reminded him again of how unpredictable and dangerous the world could be, with hidden surprises and threats waiting around every corner.