Ranni's single eye glared fixedly at him. A faint, almost imperceptible trace of... annoyance flickered across her blue-tinted cheeks.
It was only then that Lynn took a proper look at her, a bit belatedly.
In the past, Ranni had always been elusive, appearing and disappearing unpredictably. Every time she showed up, she was usually perched in a high place, which always gave off a sense of being high and mighty.
It wasn't until the very end of their journey that the two had finally met on equal ground, but then he had immediately entered a new cycle. He had almost never had the chance to truly look at her.
Now, as she stood firmly on this crystal floor, Lynn suddenly realized a problem.
She... seemed a lot shorter than usual.
Previously, he had to tilt his gaze slightly upward to see her; now, he had to look down.
The tip of her witch's hat barely reached his chest.
The disparity was a bit jarring.
"I say," Lynn couldn't help himself—his mouth sometimes moved faster than his brain—"were you always... this short?"
The air froze instantly.
Even the shimmering starlight particles in the crystal cavern seemed to pause for a second.
Ranni lifted her head, her spectral blue eye narrowing into a dangerous slit.
She didn't speak, but her gaze clearly said, 'Say that one more time, I dare you.' The fingers of her four hands curled slightly, as if she were considering whether to blast him point-blank with a Glintstone Pebble.
Lynn's survival instinct kicked in, and he immediately raised his hands in surrender. "Just kidding, just kidding. You're tall, a total 'big sister' type!"
Even he felt like laughing at his own words.
Ranni let out a cold snort and turned her head away, the wide brim of her hat concealing her expression.
"...It is you who is too tall, like some brainless, spindly stalk of a plant."
After a long pause, she squeezed the sentence out through gritted teeth.
"Right, right, I'm brainless," Lynn agreed readily, feeling inexplicably good.
He looked around, sensing the thick, viscous magic in the air. "What the hell is this place anyway? The commission mentioned looking for some Celestial Tear Crystal that can allow illusory things to touch reality..."
He stopped mid-sentence and turned to look at Ranni.
Ranni was also looking at him, a spark of realization flashing in her eye.
"I see," she said softly, her voice ethereal. "It is not that it turns the illusory into reality, but rather the laws of this place themselves blur the boundaries between the two. The reason I am able to manifest in this form is likely because this space is saturated with the energy of those crystals."
She extended a hand. A few starlight particles landed on her blue-tinted fingertip and then, as if possessing physical form, rolled off and hit the crystal floor with a crisp 'ting'.
"That's quite a feat," Lynn remarked, clicking his tongue. "The person who posted this commission is likely no ordinary individual."
"Let us find the target of the commission first," Ranni said, stepping forward onto the crystal path.
Her movements were a bit... stiff.
Following behind, Lynn saw it clearly.
Her gait lacked balance; every step was heavy and deliberate, lacking the grace and fluidity she possessed as a spirit.
It made sense. This body had likely been kept away for who knows how many years. Suddenly taking it out for a spin was like driving a brand-new car off the lot; it needed a break-in period.
The two walked one after the other through the shimmering cavern for about ten minutes.
The road ahead ended.
A crystal bridge, about five meters wide, had snapped completely in the middle. Below was a bottomless, pitch-black abyss, where faint blue currents of air swirled. The cavern on the other side was clearly visible under the starlight, appearing to lead to an even larger space.
A five-meter gap was nothing to Lynn; with a bit of a head start, a roll and a jump would get him across easily.
He turned back to look at Ranni.
The witch was standing at the edge of the broken bridge. Under her wide hat, her single eye was seriously evaluating the distance and the all-consuming darkness below.
Lynn could bet she was currently calculating the success rate of jumping across.
"Well, Lady Witch?" Lynn leaned against a crystal, arms crossed, teasing her on purpose. "Should I throw a rope over and let you walk the tightrope?"
Ranni ignored him, merely taking two steps back as if she truly intended to take a running start.
Seeing this, Lynn hurried forward and grabbed her.
"Stop it. When have you ever done something so physical?"
Being grabbed by the arm, Ranni's body stiffened. She turned to glare at him. "Let go."
"Alright, no need to prove yourself to me." Instead of letting go, Lynn took a step closer, leaning toward her. He lowered his voice, a mischievous grin on his face. "I have a better idea."
Ranni looked at her warily. "What?"
"I'll carry you across."
Ranni's eye widened. She seemed to want to say something, but her lips moved without a single word coming out.
She likely wanted to refuse, but looking at the five-meter-wide abyss and then at her body that wasn't quite listening to her, the proud witch fell into silence.
Lynn didn't rush her, simply looking at her with a smile.
After a full thirty seconds, Ranni seemed to lose all her strength and let out an almost inaudible "Mhm." She then quickly turned her head away, pulling her hat down low so he couldn't see her face.
The smile on the corner of Lynn's mouth deepened.
He leaned down, sliding his right arm behind Ranni's knees and supporting her back firmly with his left hand.
With a slight bit of effort, he lifted her up easily in a bridal carry.
Wait, with this posture, her four arms were awkward.
Lynn thought about it and changed positions.
He turned Ranni sideways, using his right forearm to support her seat, letting her sit on his arm like a child.
This position... was even more embarrassing.
Ranni's body instantly turned as stiff as a rock. Her four hands flailed in the air for a moment, having no idea where to go.
Finally, like a drowning person catching a lifebuoy, her top two hands gripped Lynn's collar tightly, while her bottom two hands hugged her own midsection.
Lynn could even feel the two hands grabbing his collar trembling slightly.
He held her steadily, as if holding a bundle of fragile starlight. He took a few steps back and then lunged forward with sudden power.
Whoosh—
The sound of wind rushed past his ears.
Lynn's figure drew a sharp arc in the air. His toes tapped lightly on the edge of the broken bridge on the other side, and he landed steadily without even a wobble.
A safe landing.
Lynn looked down at the person in his arms.
Ranni was still in that stiff posture, clutching his collar tightly with no intention of letting go.
Lynn wasn't in a hurry to put her down either.
"I say," he spoke suddenly. "You seem... quite a bit heavier than when we were in the Lands Between."
The body in his arms stiffened again.
Ranni snapped her head up, two small flames burning in her spectral blue eye—a light mixed with embarrassment and fury.
"...Because at that time, it was merely a doll's body!"
Her voice was half a pitch higher than usual, carrying a frantic tremor of exasperation.
"Furthermore, I... I am also a girl, your consort! Watch your words!"
Looking at her huffy expression, Lynn couldn't help it and burst out laughing.
To think the powerful witch, the demigod Ranni, would care about something like weight.
Just seeing this scene made this commission worth it, even if he didn't get the 500,000 Valis.
They continued forward.
The space deep within the crystal cavern opened up into a magnificent circular hall.
In the center of the hall stood a giant crystal pillar that reached the ceiling. Brilliantly bright light, like a flowing galaxy, circulated within it, illuminating every detail of the hall.
However, the silence didn't last long.
Accompanied by a tooth-aching grinding sound, three figures slowly emerged from behind the crystal pillar.
They were composed entirely of hard crystals, their joints gleaming with a cold light. One held a staff, one held a ring-blade, and the last brandished a heavy spear. They were Crystallians—notorious hard-asses from the Lands Between.
"Looks like this is the gatekeepers' domain." Lynn stopped, sensing the oppressive atmosphere in the hall.
Ranni, in his arms, looked up. Her blue eyes swept over the three monsters, and magic began to condense in her hands.
"Put me down, Lynn. In this position, you cannot use your full strength."
She spoke calmly, her tone as cool as ever, but in this moment, it carried a rare trace of concern.
Instead of letting go, Lynn tightened his grip, shifting his stance slightly to make Ranni's center of gravity more stable.
"No need. Since the Lands Between, it seems we haven't tried fighting side-by-side, have we?" Lynn's left hand slowly gripped the Bloodhound's Fang on his back. "It's a rare opportunity. Why not try?"
Ranni was taken aback, a ripple of emotion crossing her eye. She looked at Lynn's profile—a face full of confidence and battle intent. She was silent for a second, then let out a soft chuckle and raised the hand that wasn't bunched in his collar.
"...Truly a hopeless brute. Fine then, as you wish."
Before her voice had even faded, Lynn lunged forward, turning into a blurred afterimage as he charged toward the three Crystallians.
"Glintstone Pebble!"
Ranni's voice was ethereal and calm.
Almost instantly, three blue glintstone shards accurately bypassed Lynn's shoulder, drawing perfect arcs in the air and striking the staff-wielding Crystallian right in the forehead.
A crisp cracking sound rang out. Cracks appeared on the monster's hard shell, and its movements jolted to a halt.
"Nice one!"
Lynn shouted, his footwork shifting as he dodged the horizontal sweep of the ring-blade Crystallian at the last possible second. He swung the Bloodhound's Fang with one hand, the blade slicing through the air with a heavy whistling sound.
He didn't use a skill, simply relying on his unstoppable momentum to slam the Fang heavily into the unbalanced staff-wielding monster.
With a roar of impact, the crystalline shell completely disintegrated under the massive force, turning into a pile of rubble.
"To the right, the one with the ring is charging!"
Ranni warned calmly while raising her hand again. This time, she didn't fire a pebble but instead coated Lynn's blade with a layer of pale blue magical energy.
Understanding her intent, Lynn's body twisted in a strange maneuver. The Bloodhound's Fang in his hand instantly swapped for the Carian Knight's Shield.
He didn't meet force with force. Instead, he evaded the pincer attack of the ring-blade monster with a tiny turn and countered with a precise parry, the Carian Knight's Shield catching the opponent's joint perfectly.
Clang!
The sound of metal hitting crystal was exceptionally piercing. The ring-blade Crystallian immediately entered a massive staggered state, standing frozen on the spot.
"Your turn." Lynn lowered his center of gravity, leaning slightly.
Ranni didn't hesitate. With a tap of her finger, the Greatblade Phalanx instantly deployed above them.
Four magical greatswords circled in the air and then poured down like a storm, accurately piercing the chest of the ring-blade monster.
The rhythm of the battle was incredibly fast. The two coordinated without any verbal communication; despite never having fought together, they moved as if they had practiced thousands of times.
Lynn was responsible for close-quarters suppression and distance control, while Ranni acted as the ultimate precision turret, maximizing the threat of her sorcery.
The final spear-wielding Crystallian didn't even have time to launch a charge before Lynn shattered its torso with a fluid combo, leaving it scattered on the floor.
The battle subsided.
Silence returned to the hall, leaving only the sound of Lynn's slightly heavy breathing.
[Obtained 8,000 Runes]
[Obtained Smithing-Stone Miner's Bell Bearing (1)]
"Your magic is definitely much stronger than mine. You can even deal massive damage to Crystallians with sorcery."
Lynn rested the Bloodhound's Fang on his shoulder and looked at the witch in his arms with a smile.
Ranni tidied her slightly disheveled clothes. Her new physical body rose and fell slightly, her blue skin glowing with a sacred yet fragile beauty under the crystal light. She glanced sideways at Lynn and snorted.
"Your melee style is still so reckless. If that parry hadn't succeeded just now, were you planning to take it with your face?"
"Wasn't that because you were here?" Lynn added shamelessly.
Ranni didn't say anything more, simply tapping his shoulder and gesturing for him to look deeper into the hall.
The road ahead was broken.
In front of them was a cluster of crystal platforms floating in the void. Huge gaps separated each platform, and below was the unfathomable darkness. To pass through here, one had to perform precise platform jumping.
"The laws here are very strange; perception is suppressed." Ranni closed her eyes, seemingly feeling the flow of magic around them. After a moment, she pointed a hand toward the front-left. "That one, then jump to the right."
"Roger."
Lynn took a deep breath and jumped powerfully while holding Ranni.
He felt weightless in the air. Every landing was precise, hitting the irregular crystal edges.
To maintain balance, he had to constantly adjust his posture. Although Ranni didn't say anything, her body was tense, and her four hands nervously gripped his collar. Whenever Lynn performed a sharp lateral dodge in mid-air, the jolting forced her to press even closer to his chest.
"There is a mechanism here," Ranni pointed to several giant crystals blocking the way. "Use your sword; they are illusions."
Lynn didn't doubt her. The Bloodhound's Fang swept out.
Sure enough, the seemingly indestructible crystals shattered and vanished like bubbles the moment they touched the blade.
They were like travelers moving through a sea of stars, shifting and jumping across the floating platforms.
The final long jump was at least ten meters.
"Hang on tight," Lynn whispered a warning. Powering through his legs, he shot toward the other side like an arrow.
It was a leap to the limit. The wind whistled in his ears. In that moment, time seemed to stand still. Ranni subconsciously closed her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling.
Thud.
A steady landing.
Lynn didn't put her down immediately. Instead, he kept his arms around her, looking down quietly at the witch. Sensing that their center of gravity was no longer swaying, Ranni slowly opened her eyes, meeting Lynn's focused gaze.
"...What are you looking at?" her voice carried a hint of bashfulness.
"You closed your eyes." Lynn gave a teasing smile. "That last bit—were you scared?"
"I was not," Ranni countered quickly, but a very faint blush rose on her blue cheeks.
"You were." Lynn suppressed his laughter and reached out to gently brush aside a lock of hair by her ear. "Your eyelashes were shaking like a startled butterfly just now. As expected, after gaining a physical body, your expressions are much more vivid. You used to be so cold."
Ranni felt a bit uncomfortable being looked at like that; the feeling of having her inner thoughts peered into felt dangerous to her.
She reached out with her four arms. She used a bit of force but didn't push him away; instead, she gently covered his mouth.
"Be quiet... Lynn."
Her voice trailed off. A complex emotion flashed in her single eye—both the embarrassment of being found out and a long-lost tenderness belonging to a Princess of Caria.
Just then, a crisp cracking sound came from the depths of the hall.
At the very top of the giant crystal pillar, a crystal emitting a soft white light slowly detached and hovered in mid-air.
"The Celestial Tear Crystal." Ranni's gaze sharpened.
Lynn followed her gaze. The energy fluctuation emitted by that crystal perfectly matched the frequency they had felt when traveling through the void earlier.
"Looks like we've reached the end of this commission."
Lynn put Ranni down. Although he was a bit reluctant, he knew the focus now was the crystal.
Ranni landed on the ground, and though her balance was still slightly off, she quickly adjusted her posture. She looked at Lynn, her expression returning to its usual composure.
"The power contained in that thing is enough to cause the laws of this space to collapse. You had better take it quickly; we need to leave."
Lynn nodded, put away the Bloodhound's Fang, and strode toward the crystal pillar.
When his fingers touched the Celestial Tear Crystal, a warm current instantly flooded his entire body. It wasn't simple Runes, but a fragment of memory that was older and more grand.
"This thing... is more than just a mineral," Lynn murmured, his eyes turning deep.
Behind him, Ranni watched his back quietly, her fingers lightly tracing her sleeve. In those spectral blue eyes, an unknown expectation flickered faintly.
"Lynn, you have gone further than I imagined," she said softly, her voice almost drowned out by the wind in the hall.
Lynn turned back and gave her a brilliant smile—a smile without any shadows, as pure as when he first entered the Lands Between.
"Since I'm here, I'm going to see it through to the end, of course."
Ranni was stunned for a moment, then she let out a light and cheerful laugh.
The laughter echoed through the silent crystal cavern, sounding exceptionally pleasant.
"Then I shall wait and see, my... King."
The hall began to vibrate, and the crystal walls started to crumble. Lynn scooped Ranni up, not giving her a chance to refuse this time, and charged toward the teleportation gate that had just surfaced.
"Hold on tight! Where are we going next?"
"Follow your heart... in any case, you always seem to find the way."
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