At that moment, Pei Guang wasn't just sweating: he was drenched! The ticklish sensation at his waist had his whole body tensed like a bowstring.
And seeing this, Stelle's eyes lit up too. She reached out her hand as well. "Feeling guilty yet?"
Pei Guang: "I was wrong! I was wrong! Let go, I'm gonna die!"
March 7th grinned. "Hehe~ Not letting go~"
Stelle laughed smugly. "Exactly, exactly!"
March 7th turned to Stelle. "Hey… I'm punishing Ah Guang. Why are you butting in…"
Stelle crossed her arms and proudly replied, "Because it's fun! Besides, Ah Guang doesn't belong to just you."
March 7th wanted to argue, but the words got stuck in her throat. In the end, her face flushed red, and she gave Pei Guang a firmer squeeze. "You're asking for it!"
She really hadn't expected that just a bit of physical contact with Pei Guang would draw Stelle in too.
Pei Guang was dumbfounded: if Stelle was asking for it, then punish her! Why him? But… March 7th's hands were surprisingly soft. It hurt a little, sure, but the pain came with a certain enjoyment.
As for Stelle's hand? A bit firmer—different feel, but with its own kind of appeal. So Pei Guang didn't say much.
While the match went on, he just enjoyed the playful banter with them. Maybe to an outsider it looked like his teammates were trolling him—but to Pei Guang, having companions like March 7th and Stelle was a blessing.
Things might not go according to plan during a game, but as long as everyone was happy, that was the joy of gaming.
On the other side, Serval and Pela were stunned watching all this unfold. But seeing these two suddenly jumping in to harass Pei Guang mid-match, they glanced at each other.
They had no idea how Aether Spirits could form bonds or friendship or anything like that. But if Pei Guang said so, then it must be true.
That's right. Even though the people of Belobog still believed in Preservation, it didn't stop them from being huge fans of Pei Guang.
At this point, practically everyone in Belobog had a high opinion of Pei Guang. And because of their past experiences, people also held a deep trust in what he said.
Some who'd had contact with Pei Guang—both from the upper and lower districts—had even talked in-depth about something Pei Guang often mentioned: "common sense."
Forget the complex stuff like philosophy, physics, chemistry, or fantasy theories. Among those in the know, there was one phrase they all recognized: "If Pei Guang says it's common sense, let's just treat it like common sense. What if it actually works?"
Yes, Pei Guang's words had already been dissected and analyzed by some. Serval and Pela's attitude was simple: if Pei Guang said it, just go with it.
Unfortunately, their awakening of friendship and bonds with their Aether Spirits came too late. By the time they caught on, their Aether Spirits were already below half HP.
Pei Guang's Aether Spirits? All still above two-thirds HP. Without any surprises, Pei Guang claimed victory.
But that victory didn't stop March 7th. On the contrary, now that the battle was over, she and Stelle were playing around even more happily.
After goofing off for a bit, March 7th suddenly remembered there were others watching. "Hmph~ This time I'll let you off, but if it happens again, I'll sneak attack you while you're sleeping and show you what I'm really made of."
Hearing that, everyone around showed intrigued expressions. March 7th realized she misspoke and coughed awkwardly. "Ahem, don't get the wrong idea! I meant sneak up on him while he's sleeping to… um… No wait, that's not right!"
Pei Guang quickly covered March 7th's mouth. "Stop. The more you explain, the worse it gets. Just leave it."
Pei Guang could only sigh: how did March manage to make things sound worse with every sentence? But it wasn't a big deal. In fact, he was kind of looking forward to March's "sneak attack."
When the time came, who would win… that was anyone's guess.
Watching the three get along so well, Serval smiled. "Jeez, you three really got me. But I have to admit, your team setup is pretty interesting. Looks like Pela and I might need to make some adjustments."
Pela's expression turned serious as well. "It seems your calculations surpass mine."
Pei Guang held out a hand. "It's all thanks to March and Stelle."
Hearing Pei Guang's praise, March 7th proudly said, "Exactly, exactly! We only won so smoothly thanks to me."
Stelle looked over and undercut her, "But we were just getting in Ah Guang's way during the fight."
Pei Guang looked at Stelle seriously. "That wasn't getting in the way at all. At that moment, the three of us were in perfect sync—our friendship, our bond, our mutual trust inspired the Aether Spirits, making them unleash incredible power. Right, Piggy Hero?"
Faced with Pei Guang's dead-serious nonsense, Piggy Hero didn't know what to say. It could only show a helpless expression and let out a few half-hearted grunts to humor him.
Watching the lively trio, Pela smiled and pulled out a badge. "Congratulations. Here you go, this is your qualification badge for the Corridor of Fading Echoes. Once you're gone, Serval and I are going to study your tactics a bit more: you gave us a lot of inspiration."
Pela added, "Exactly! If we run into anyone with a lineup similar to yours again, we'll definitely win by relying on our bond with the Aether Spirits and my calculations."
This match with Pei Guang had really sparked something in her. She'd decided to raise a healing-type Aether Spirit just like he had.
What neither she nor Serval realized, though, was that their decision would cause a huge spike in the difficulty level of the Corridor of Fading Echoes's beginner zone.
In the days that followed, countless Aetherium Wars players would find themselves brainwashed by the Silvermane Lieutenant's unforgettable catchphrase: "The Silvermane Guards are here!"
Thankfully, Serval and Pela didn't bother changing the voice lines of their Aether Spirits—otherwise, March 7th's in-battle catchphrases might've spread across the entire universe.