Aera

She moved quickly and swiftly through the battlefield. The Chimera was struggling to keep up with her pace. 

Blue flames flickered on her mighty sword as she launched her attack. The Chimera, a grotesque fusion of lion, serpent, and dragon, struggled to match her pace, its multiple heads hissing in frustration.

Her sword, adorned with enchanting blue flames, glinted as she closed in on the Chimera. With a graceful spin, she unleashed a series of rapid strikes, each swing leaving trails of azure fire in the air. The Chimera recoiled, its heads snapping in vain attempts to catch her elusive form.

As the battle intensified, she tapped into her latent power. The air crackled with energy as she channeled her strength into the sword. The blue flames surged, enveloping the blade and herself into a powerful aura.

The Chimera, sensing the impending danger, thrashed wildly. But her movements were too swift, too precise. She dodged the creature's attacks with effortless grace, her blade a streak of azure lightning.

With a final, powerful slash, she struck the Chimera's main body. The blue flames erupted in a dazzling display of light, consuming the creature in a blaze of mystical energy. The battlefield fell silent as the defeated Chimera disintegrated into ashes.

She stood amidst the remnants of the battle, her breathing steady. The blue flames on her sword gradually subsided, leaving behind a weapon that seemed ordinary once more. The leveling up had occurred, her prowess now a force to be reckoned with. 

Ren was shocked. She had single handedly defeated the Chimera they were just struggling with. As he slowly stood up, she walked towards him, her green eyes staring into his blue orbs. 

He gulped nervously and stood his ground waiting for her to speak. 

"You idiot! I missed you so much!" she jumped into his arms and cried. 

It took him by complete surprise, his eyes widened as he slowly wrapped his arms around her. 

"Aera," he choked out. He was holding her again. He was holding his girlfriend. 

"I missed you too," the tears fell from his eyes as he hugged her tightly.

"What are you doing here? I don't understand. What happened? Don't get me wrong, I am happy to see you. I am ecstatic! But...how?" 

"Well, I kind of um...killed myself," he whispered, and her eyes widened. 

"What? Don't tell me it was because of me?" she frowned; her eyes grew sad. 

"It's not your fault Aera. I made that choice. I couldn't live without you," he admitted.

She turned her back to him and stared up at the sky. 

"I thought about you everyday Ren. So now that we are together again, can we make the most of it this time?" she turned around and stared into his eyes, a blush creeping up on her cheeks.

"Yes, Aera," he nodded eagerly, "We sure can."

~

The cleanup crew arrived shortly after. The medics took Haneul and Iseul for medical attention. Naturally Iseul left without saying a word while Ren went with them. 

As they entered the room, Ren finally noticed what Aera was wearing. Her attire clung to her form like a second skin, a sleek and stylish black suit that accentuated every curve. He could see the shape of her breasts and the outline of her thighs and ass. 

It made him think unspeakable things about her as he found himself not being able to look away from her body.

"By the way, how did you find me?" He asked Aera, trying to distract himself from her very sexy outfit.

"Well, you see, I just came back from my mission and went to the main interface. I was talking to Yuri when she told me that you were looking for me. She said that you went to a portal, and I thought I would surprise you there. It's a good thing I came huh?" she smiled.

"Yeah, thanks for saving me," Ren touched her hand as he stared into her eyes. 

"It's a shame though, there was a kid that died. He was so bright, and he wanted to be a top hero. I really wanted to save him just like how I wanted to save you."

"Ren, it's okay. Stuff like this happens all the time. It's natural."

"Not when I could do something about it," I sighed. 

"Come on, it was your first time. You'll be better prepared next time."

The healer entered the room and greeted Ren. She immediately got to work. Using her powers, she began healing him. 

"There's something I have to ask," he started, and she nodded for him to continue. 

"I unable physically unable to kill monsters," he stated. 

"Oh! Let's see what we can do then. Lay on your back," she instructed. 

"Now close your eyes and think of nothing. Let your mind be at peace."

As she touched his wrist, his stats came up. She observed all his stats. As she continued looking, she gasped. 

"Ren, you don't have a soul or a spirit. At least with you right now."

"What?" 

"It's strange, it's what I would call a Soul Fragmentation. When you came into this world something happened and you were separated from your soul. It most likely split into fragments and spread all over Etherea," she explained. 

"So, I have to find it in order to level up?"

"I'm afraid so. It is complicated and difficult to do," she explained, and he nodded. 

"That's all I can tell you about the matter."

Ren left the room dejected and frustrated. 

He felt like the biggest loser in the world. He couldn't even kill a single orc. 

Aera hadn't spoken since, and Ren was growing worried. What did she think of him?

"Ren," she started, " We will find all those fragments together." 

Her words surprised him, and he felt himself pulling her into a hug. 

"I love you Aera."

"To infinity, I love you Ren."

"Where's Iseul?" Taeyang suddenly approached them.

"I think he's in a room down the hall," Aera pointed, and he nodded. 

"I heard you took care of the Chimera. That was a good save." 

"It was a lucky one too but what troubles me is the fact that a Chimera was on the first floor. That's not okay."

"They are currently investigating that so you shouldn't worry too much about that," she frowned and Taeyang took her chin in his hand. 

"Chin up my dear. Things are going to be okay."

Ren was annoyed. What the fuck did he think he was doing? He cleared his throat and Taeyang's attention snapped to him. 

"Oh Ren, I didn't see you there. Seems like you're fitting in well. I'm guessing you were in the battle with the Chimera. Good job making it out alive. I see you've met Aera. She's going to be a top hero one of these days. She's amazing," he said, and she smiled.

"We've already met. This cutie here is my boyfriend!" she cheerfully expressed and Taeyang's eyes widened. 

"I see. This is the Aera you were looking for then. I am glad you found her. Well, let I'm going to check on my brother. I'll see you guys around." 

"He definitely likes you."

"I know. We are on the same squad. I was never interested in him. I didn't want to move on from you." 

"I'm glad you didn't."

Ren ended up introducing Su-Yeung and Aera. To put it simply Su-Yeung wasn't impressed. 

"I'm glad you took care of my Ren," Aera giggled.

"How long have you both been together?" Su-Yeung asked, her ears twitching. She was annoyed. 

"Around 5 years," Ren smiled as he stared at Aera. 

"It's sad that you can't level up though. I wish I could have helped," Su-Yeung frowned. 

"Don't worry, Aera is going to help me!" Ren announced.

"Oh well that's great," she forced a smile. 

Little did Su-Yeung know was that she was going to see less of Ren.