Inner World

" ... So, how is she?" (Sylphy)

I was looking for Sylphy in the room, but suddenly I heard her words coming from somewhere.

I was quite surprised, so I turned around and saw that she was near the ceiling of the room ...

Smile! "Much better! But ... she did something reckless and right now she's resting because of it. However, she should be fine in a few days." (Ember [Usagi])

I'm very glad that I managed to save Ember and also ... how our relationship "changed" ...

Once I started to smile, I couldn't stop for a few moments.

Sigh. " ... Good. You fell asleep all of a sudden, so I thought the worst case had happened ... But if both of you are still okay, everything is fine." (Sylphy)

I looked at her closely and, thanks to my improved eyesight, I noticed that she was pale and had a few tears streaming down her face.

Then she came over and hugged my neck, as she was too small in her true form.

"Sob ... Both of you are idiots! Making me worry so much ... Sob ... " (Sylphy)

" ... Sorry, it won't happen again ... I promise." (Ember [Usagi])

So we were already that important to her ...

She barely met us recently, but she's already too attached to us ...

Either her heart is very big or she is just extremely kind.

But ... I'm glad we met each other.

If something similar to what happened to Ember happens to her, I will also remain by her side at that time and I will not let her go ...

We spent a while like this until Sylphy finally calmed down.

. . .

The sun was starting to set when we were finally ready to go out.

Growl! Growl!

Cute growls escaped our stomachs.

Sylphy and I were hungry, so we decided to go get something to eat first.

"Fae's restaurant is quite expensive and I don't like getting free food so let's buy a cheap meal here." (Sylphy)

We were supposed to start our journey to the royal capital this morning, but it was delayed by Ember's shock and Sylphy's fever.

That merchant named Oswald and his caravan should have left by now.

I know Ember is extraordinarily fast, however, if something unexpected happens we could end up being late to the event.

"I understand, Sylphy." (Ember [Usagi])

But first things first.

We sat near a corner of the dining room, and soon a waitress arrived.

"Good evening. What are you going to order? A simple meal costs 30 copper coins. It consists of a roll of bread and the same soup served this morning. As for expensive meals, the cheapest costs 50 copper coins." (Cute Waitress)

She was a pretty young woman and seemed strangely similar to the owner and her husband, so she was probably their daughter.

"Two simple meals, please." (Sylphy)

"Understood. Please wait for a bit." (Polite Waitress)

The waitress bowed her head slightly and told the cook about our orders.

It wasn't long before she placed a plate of food in front of each of us.

"Here you go. Please enjoy your meal!" (Kind Waitress)

She gave us a perfect business smile like her mother's before continuing to serve the other guests.

We ate without saying much, paid for our food, and quickly left the dining room.

"Let's take a bath. This inn doesn't even have showers, that's why the rent is so cheap ... So we'll go to a public bathhouse. Don't do anything strange, do you hear me?" (Sylphy)

" ... Yes." (Ember [Usagi])

Her expression was a bit scary, but I also felt like she was starting to trust me even more.

The bathhouse was divided into two areas. One for men and one for women.

We "obviously" entered the latter ...

After undressing, we stepped into a very large bathtub filled with hot water.

I could see both young and old naked women around me and the large mirror that covered the nearest wall did not help calm my nerves.

This was "worse" than the last two times I have bathed as a woman.

Not because this situation didn't turn me on, but because I'm too shy.

Besides, Sylphy would kill me if I did something a "normal woman" wouldn't do.

Although, if I were still a man, a sight like this would be impossible to see ...

After all, I would be kicked in my important male parts, killed by the adventurers here, or if I was really strong, they would all run away in shame from me ...

My heart was beating so fast it seemed like it was going to explode at any moment ...

The only saving grace was that the steam was quite dense, so I couldn't see the entire room and the intimate parts of the women here ...

Even then, my cheeks were as red as tomatoes.

My current situation wouldn't be that awkward if I could use assimilation for at least half an hour, but that wasn't the case right now ...

<The host's soul cannot resist the use of Assimilation as it is heavily damaged!>

After a few minutes, we got out of the tub and I sat down on a nearby wooden stool.

Sylphy saw my stiff body and helped me clean Ember. I was grateful for that.

Finally, when I was reaching my limit and I thought I was going to pass out, we finished bathing and went back to the dressing room.

I pulled Ember's white gothic dress, black socks, and white underwear from Sylphy's magic bag and dressed as quickly as I could.

On the other hand, Sylphy reshaped the blouse and skirt she was wearing for a similar but slightly different dress than Ember's when no one was looking at us.

After that, we slowly returned to the White Sheep Inn while holding hands. Both because Sylphy insisted and because I was still dizzy.

"Little Rabbit, we're leaving this town tomorrow morning, so get as much sleep as you can." (Sylphy)

"I understand." (Ember [Usagi])

She didn't sleep while in human form this time, as if she didn't want to repeat her earlier mistake.

Afterward, we both lay next to each other on the bed and said good night.

. . .

Once I could feel myself falling into the embrace of sleep, I felt that something strange was happening.

My mind became extremely clear and I felt like I was no longer lying down, so I opened my eyes again.

This was not the room I was in before.

Once I looked at one of my hands, my suspicions were confirmed.

'This is my Inner World, but ... why did I come here?' (Usagi)

Did the system automatically activate my ability?

Then, I looked down and saw someone sleeping on "flower petals" made of red energy on the floor.

It's Ember.

Her sleeping face is pretty cute, but somehow I knew I shouldn't wake her, so I knelt to kiss her forehead.

Small red particles slowly appeared from our surroundings and entered inside her, her body becoming brighter every time.

'This must be the process of healing her soul ... so it's best if I don't interrupt.' (Usagi)

After thinking about what I could do here, I tried to open my status and it truly opened.

≪Usagi≫

Race: Spirit

Species: Wandering Soul

Gender: None

Age: 0

Level: 71

Magic Attributes: Fire, Water, Earth

≪Inherent skills≫

Possession Lv. 5 (Active), Soul Eater Lv. 4 (Active), Soul Guard Lv. 5 (Passive), Assimilation Lv. 4 (Active), Soul Share Lv. 3 (Active), Soul Link Lv. 3 (Active), Inner World Lv. 2 (Active)

≪Active skills≫

Appraisal Lv. 4, Charge Lv. 5, Ambush Lv. 4, Bite Lv. 5, Consecutive Slashes Lv. 1, Acceleration Lv. 1, Frenzy Lv. 1, Aura Awakening Lv. 3

≪Passive skills≫

Lunaria Kingdom Language Lv. 4, Oak Leaf Kingdom Lv. 3, Goblin Language Lv. 6, Kobold Language Lv. 5, Beast Language Lv. 3, Shortsword Mastery Lv. 4, Club Mastery Lv. 2, Leadership Lv. 2, Quick Thinking Lv. 3, Darkvision Lv. 3, Danger Sense Lv. 5, Stealth Lv. 5, Climbing Lv. 3, Evade Lv. 5, Escape Lv. 3, Increased Physical Prowess Lv. 2, Weapon Strengthening Lv. 2, Increased Intelligence Lv. 3, Experience Boost Lv. 3, Etiquette Lv. 2, Chantless Casting Lv. 2, Fast Casting Lv. 2, Mana Flow Control Lv. 2, Magic Consumption Reduction Lv. 2

≪Magic≫

Fire Magic Lv. 2, Water Magic Lv. 2, Earth Magic Lv. 2

Unexpectedly, 'Inner World' is an active ability. Since it is not passive, that means the system probably activated it for some reason.

This intrigued me a lot, so I appraised it.

≪Inner World (Lv. 2). You have gained access to the depths of your psyche. This is the world within you, so you can do whatever you want as its owner. However, as the skill level is too low, in addition to your poor control over this space, the energy expended increases, and the skill experience gained is reduced.≫

Either it had a fairly long description compared to other skills or it was affected by my higher Appraisal level.

I don't understand what "spent energy" means, but I have an idea for the last part.

If I can get skill experience here, that means I can get stronger while I sleep ...

For now, it's just a theory, but I was eager to test it.

"Rest well, Ember." (Usagi)

I whispered those words while looking at her and started walking in the opposite direction.

First, I appraised a skill that I have been using without realizing it.

≪Experience Boost (Lv. 3). You instinctively know how to improve little by little in everything, so your ability to adapt and learn has increased. You gain skills faster and your training becomes a little more efficient.≫

'Man, this ability is crazier than I thought ... ' (Usagi)

If this is a lower-ranked version of Fast Growth, I hope I never find a highly evolved goblin ... It will definitely be strong.

Also, this ability should make up for some of the "penalty" I receive while practicing my moves here.

Thus, training here will not be in vain.

'It's been a while since I've killed a monster or fought someone ... ' (Usagi)

These last few days have felt too long since I met Sylphy.

She has helped us a lot. From giving us a comfortable bed to paying for our food.

Furthermore, although at first she just wanted to go there to get some money, now she will guide us to our next destination.

'The royal capital, Aria.' (Usagi)

If I can really become stronger within my inner world, then I will be prepared for whatever comes our way.

'I will be able to protect those who are important to me!' (Usagi)

I steeled my will and decided what I would try to learn or improve right now.

'The only thing that comes to mind is unarmed combat ... I don't think I can improve my sword skills here as there are no swords anywhere ... ' (Usagi)

With that in mind, I took a fighting pose with one foot behind the other and hit the air with all my might.

Punch! "Ha!" (Usagi)

My voice was too loud!

'Shit! I forgot Ember was asleep!' (Usagi)

I looked back and saw that she still didn't wake up.

Sigh. 'That was close.' (Usagi)

The first time I came here, I was able to find her thanks to shouting her name, but now it would probably hurt her if I'm too noisy ...

'Is there no way that I can cover her ears for a while? ... ' (Usagi)

As if responding to my will, more red flower petals rose from the ground and became a sphere around her ... I could no longer see her figure.

"Was it that easy? ... Still, I should go as far as I can from here." (Usagi)

I started running and stopped once she was out of sight.

'This ought to be far enough ... ' (Usagi)

Huff, huff. "Haah ... Haah." (Usagi)

I forgot that the system said that I was in a weak state ... Also, now I understood what "spent energy" meant.

After calming my slightly heavy breathing, I resumed my training.

Punch, punch! "Ha! One ... Ha! Two ... " (Usagi)

My fists of blue light hit the "air" in the "atmosphere".

'Is this truly just a world inside my mind?' (Usagi)

Doing things like breathing should be impossible ...

'Well, I won't find an answer just thinking ... ' (Usagi)

I decided to ignore the mystery of this place and switched from punching to kicking.

Kick, kick! "One! ... Two!" (Usagi)

Half an hour passed and normally I would have stopped by now, but ...

'I can feel it! I am constantly improving!' (Usagi)

The results were remarkable enough. My punches contained more weight and power behind them, while my kicks became faster and sharper.

Also, Experience Boost was not the only one that helped me, Increased Physical Prowess made my movements more dexterous, especially my legs.

It must have something to do with the skills from which it was created.

After stretching a little, I decided to try using one of the latest acquisitions in my "arsenal".

'Acceleration!' (Usagi)

I started running and activated the ability shortly after. Suddenly, I became around fifty percent faster and could feel the air clearly touching my body.

'Wait ... I'm not weightless anymore!' (Usagi)

I didn't realize it before, but my body that was once light as a feather now had an adequate weight.

'Why didn't I notice it before? Was it because I forgot about it?' (Usagi)

Running without weight would probably be impossible. At least I think so.

As for punching and kicking, I assumed I could do both without any proof that it was possible ...

I stopped thinking about this because I felt more foolish the more I think about the irrationality of this place.

So after running for a few minutes, I used another of my new abilities.

'Frenzy!' (Usagi)

"Haaaaaah! Stop it!" (Usagi)

Power flowed through my entire being, but I felt like I was losing some control over myself.

As if I was suddenly going to go on a rampage and start destroying anything or anyone I could find ...

'This is dangerous ... I shouldn't use it carelessly.' (Usagi)

I immediately disabled it and thought about using the next skill on my list.

'Consecutive slashes!' (Usagi)

I stared straight ahead with my head held high, but ...

" ... Nothing is happening." (Usagi)

Weird ... I appraised it to find the cause behind this phenomenon.

≪Consecutive slashes (Lv. 1). While using a blade-type weapon, your next 3 attacks will be more agile and powerful. The number of strengthened slashes increases each time this skill levels up.≫

" ... " (Usagi)

'Dammit.' (Usagi)

I tried to summon a weapon with my mind, but it was useless ...

<The level of 'Inner World' is too low!>

It's a shame ... I really thought for a moment that I would be able to create an imaginary sword ... but it seems that I will be able to do so in the future.

I sighed and turned to the last skill I could try right now.

'Aura Awakening.' (Usagi)

A dark blue aura surrounded me and I felt my muscles expand slightly.

This ability looks great, but somehow I knew it.

"This is not the correct way to use it ... " (Usagi)

It is too wasteful.

While it greatly improves my defense, it also consumes too much energy and doesn't improve my attacks as much.

'I will stop using it for now.' (Usagi)

I don't think I can find a better method to use it at the moment. However, using it while training will only exhaust me more.

After the aura around me disappeared, I continued my training.

Punching, kicking, and also running while using Acceleration from time to time. I found that I could not only accelerate while running but also when attacking. Still, it is much more difficult.

My training regimen was simple but efficient enough for now. Since I didn't go to gyms much before or have a friend who was a trainer, I couldn't think of a more effective method.

Punch! Kick! "Ha! One! ... Ha! Two!" (Usagi)

Above all, it was satisfying.

Whenever I was feeling too tired, I would walk next to Ember and lie down beside her.

The sphere-shaped barrier disappears every time I get close enough as if responding to my feelings.

Her cute sleeping face renews my withered will every time I see her.

'I hope you wake up quick ...' (Usagi)

We used the word "lovers" before, but I could feel that our relationship is more like that of a boyfriend, me, and the girlfriend, her.

Also ...

'Once you wake up, I wonder if you would like to train with me ... ' (Usagi)

She would probably agree as long as I promise to "reward" her efforts ...

I repeated this cycle over and over again until I felt like it was time to wake up.

My efforts were not useless.

<The passive skill 'Unarmed Combat Mastery Lv. 1' has been acquired!>

<The skill 'Acceleration' has leveled up! (Lv. 1 -> Lv. 2)>

Those messages that the System showed me were the result of my hard work.

Certainly, it is much slower than acquiring skills by consuming souls, but I was still very happy to become stronger.

Also, if I were to try to compare the time difference between this place and the one outside, I would say that here it is twice as fast.

'So I was here for more than ten hours and only got a little stronger ... ' (Usagi)

However, I spent more than half of that time lying around Ember.

If I had someone like a coach to teach me the correct ways to practice, I feel like I could get a lot stronger in less time though ...

I ignored my mixed feelings and just opened my eyes.

The world was no longer dark and empty ...