Volk’s heart thudded with excitement as he revealed the magic crystals clutched in his other hand. Solluha’r, who had been sitting quietly, her earlier look of helplessness fading, suddenly bolted upright. Her eyes widened to the size of full moons, and before she could stop herself, she let out an astonished cry, “Whaaaaaat!?”

The exclamation echoed through the room, bouncing off the stone walls like a ricocheting arrow.

Realizing how loud she had been, Solluha’r’s face flushed a deep crimson. She slapped her hands over her mouth, eyes darting away in embarrassment. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to shout,” she stammered, her voice now a shy murmur.

Volk couldn’t help but chuckle at her reaction, a warm smile spreading across his face. Solluha’r, still blushing furiously, slowly lowered her hands from her mouth, her curiosity getting the better of her. “H-how… how did you get those?” she asked, her voice tinged with disbelief. “It’s way too early for you to have magic crystals.

Usually, an orc can’t get one until at least three months have passed… And you… you got them in just one day?” Her words came out in a rush, stumbling over themselves as her emotions tangled together in a mixture of embarrassment, pride, and awe.

Volk’s smile widened as he leaned in closer, his voice teasing. “Guess how?”

Solluha’r’s cheeks flamed even redder as she caught the playful glint in his eyes. He was enjoying this—enjoying her confusion, her flustered state. She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, Volk scooped her up in his arms, lifting her off the ground with ease.

“Ah!” she gasped, her body trembling with a mix of surprise and excitement. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to steady herself. But despite her shock, she managed to stammer out, “It… it was Grak’thor, wasn’t it?”

Volk froze, his eyes widening in shock. “How did you know that?” he asked, his voice filled with genuine surprise.

Solluha’r, still nestled in his arms, took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. “It’s… it’s because of your smell,” she began hesitantly, her words spilling out in a rush. “And the meat… The herbivore meat you brought back was a special kind and only in the part of the market where they sell those kinds of meat and one of them was his shop.

Plus, Grak’thor is the only butcher in the meat area who would have those kinds of crystals because he… he refused to have a partner. He’s the only one who does that because he came from a hazardless tribe, one that was destroyed long ago. When you gave him that meat, it must have reminded him of his old tribe, of everything he lost. That’s why he gave you the crystals—out of gratitude.”

Solluha’r’s voice trembled as she spoke, her emotions laid bare. Her face was a deep shade of red, her embarrassment evident as she revealed everything she had pieced together.

She had always been the informative one, the one who knew more than anyone else. But in the past, this knowledge had driven people away, made them wary of her. Her classmates had been intimidated by her, and even her former lover, Luk’Tar, had been scared off by how much she knew. She had seen that look of fear in their eyes, that sense of alienation.

As she finished explaining, Solluha’r hesitantly looked up at Volk, bracing herself for that same reaction, for that familiar look of fear or discomfort. But what she saw instead left her breathless.

Volk’s face wasn’t filled with fear or unease—it was filled with pride. His eyes gleamed with joy, a proud light shining within them. His expression was one of pure amazement and admiration, not a trace of the discomfort she had come to expect.

Solluha’r’s heart swelled with emotion, a wave of warmth washing over her. For the first time, she felt truly understood, truly appreciated for who she was. She felt touched, she didn’t even understand what was happening but she couldn’t help but felt that her feelings for Volk deepened in a way she hadn’t expected.

But amidst the rush of emotions, Solluha’r suddenly became aware of Volk’s hands, which had slowly drifted down to her open stomach.

A jolt of sensation shot through her, a mix of heat and ticklishness that made her skin tingle, it also made her feel the familiar warm sticky web substance below her. As if her body reacted instinctively from his touch, making her breath quickens, with her pulse racing fast.

Unable to resist the sensations coursing through her, Solluha’r’s body trembled with the intensity. But even as the familiar emotions swirled within her, she mustered the strength to whisper, “Wait… Please…”

Volk immediately stopped, with his expression shifting to one of concern. “What’s wrong?”

Solluha’r’s face burned with embarrassment, her voice barely above a whisper as she tried to explain. “I… I need to absorb the crystal first… before we… do that.” Her words came out in a shy, embarrassed rush, her eyes avoiding his gaze.

Volk’s eyes widened in realization. “The crystal?” he echoed, understanding dawning on him.

Solluha’r nodded, her embarrassment still evident. “I heard the beam of sound earlier, and… and judging by how you came back in such a hurry, it means the tribe won’t let you join the catacombs unless you reach the third stage of Mag’Durotan. And the catacombs probably require warriors at stages three to five…” Her voice trailed off, her gaze finally meeting his.

Volk couldn’t help but feel a surge of admiration for her insight. She had pieced everything together with such precision, understanding the situation without even needing to be told. He slowly set her down, his movements gentle and careful, as if she were something precious.

Solluha’r reached out for the crystals with trembling hands, her expression a mix of determination and nervousness. Volk watched her, unsure of what to do next, but then Solluha’r’s shy voice broke the silence. “You… you could try the meat on the first floor, if you don’t know what to do for now,” she suggested, with her voice laced with embarrassment.

“It’s your prize… for capturing the venomous earth mole yesterday.”

Volk nodded, his mind still spinning from everything that had just happened. He left the room, making his way down the stairs to the first floor.

As he searched for the meat, his thoughts were a whirlwind of emotions and questions.

When he finally found it, he unwrapped the bundle carefully, revealing the meat inside.

As he looked at it, something familiar caught his eye.

The meat was different—there was a faint glow to it, something that hadn’t been there before. He stared at it in confusion, his mind immediately tried to make sense of what he was seeing. But this time, he could see that it was not green anymore, but a brown one.

Then, it hit him. “Absorption?” he muttered to himself, the word escaping his lips as the realization dawned on him.

The meat had somehow absorbed the hazardous magic particles, just like he could.

The implications of this discovery left him stunned, his mind reeling with questions how?

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep