CHAPTER 129: WHAT A SHITTY QUESTION!

’Am I finally about to hear her lore?’

Melissa was still a puzzle to him. She was one of the loveliest, most open-minded women he’d met here—friendly, chatty, and sometimes a little too nice for her own good—but beyond that, he knew jack about her. Celeste? He knew more about her and she barely talked at all.

’Maybe this is my chance to dig deep into Melissa... and then...’

His eyes glimmered, that slow, dangerous curve tugging at his lips. If Melissa had seen it, she’d probably have called it an evil smile. Luckily for him, she was too busy fussing with the horse to notice.

’...then I’ll make those cheeks jiggle.’

...

It didn’t take them long to get on the trail, the horse’s hooves thudding softly against the packed dirt as they moved under the shade of overhanging branches.

Naturally, Rae was plastered against Melissa’s back, arms looped around her waist like he was clinging to the last lifeboat on a sinking ship.

Yeah, sure—purely for safety. Absolutely nothing to do with the way her hips shifted with every sway of the saddle.

"Are you worried, Rae-kun?"

"Me no worry. Me have Madame."

"Ha ha ha. Right. Don’t worry, I will protect Rae-kun with my life, if it comes to that."

Her voice wasn’t the usual syrup-dripping, Ara ara mommy tone. No playful purr. No sly tease. Just flat. Calm. Like she’d switched from seductress to responsible kindergarten teacher.

’What is going on?’

That alone was enough to make Rae’s inner alarms twitch.

’There’s nothing for me to fear, right?’

He didn’t like it. Not because he was scared. Scared? Him? Please.

He was the man with Gear. The walking leash-holder of a creature that could flatten a small army just by breathing at them.

If Rae told Gear to sit, Gear would sit. If Rae told Gear to heel, Gear would heel.

And if Rae told Gear to stop roasting the hero party like kebabs, Gear would stop, convinced it was all part of some greater, master plan.

It didn’t take long for Rae’s brain to start running laps in its own filth.

’And for the others, they aren’t a problem for Melissa at all.’

He knew the score—one goblin might hog the darkness, sure, but when Gear took it, that left the rest as nothing but pint-sized vermin just waiting to get pulped under Melissa’s boot.

She could crush them without breaking a sweat, and maybe even look good doing it.

’Well, I too can crush them. I am level forty now. He he he.’

Confidence oozed out of him like grease off a frying pan. In fact, this was perfect. The little green pests could lead them right to their cozy little hidey-hole.

But the main question comes after that.

What next?

What is Rae going to do after finding the goblin lair?

’Should I kill them all?’

The thought had a warm, fuzzy appeal to it. He could already picture the pile.

They rode until the trees thinned and Rae felt the ghost of familiarity creep in. Melissa suddenly reined in, her head tilting ever so slightly as her gaze fixed on the clearing.

"This is the place that young goblin whooped our ass, Rae-kun. Ha ha ha. Bring back much memories."

Rae smirked. Oh, he remembered. Just not the same thing she did.

This was the very spot, right near that big tree, where he’d humiliated Celeste in a way that still made him chuckle on lonely nights.

’He he he. I wonder where that panties is at now.’

Obviously, he was talking about her panties.

The very same panties that had once given him undeniable proof the ice bitch could, in fact, feel lust.

That tiny little trophy had been his personal reminder that beneath all that frosty pride was a woman who could melt.

But the sweet warmth of that memory didn’t last.

"I wonder what I will do if I see that goblin again? Hmm hmm..."

?!

Rae froze. And then it clicked. This wasn’t nostalgia. This wasn’t Melissa getting sentimental about old battles. No—this woman was out here hunting. She wanted revenge.

’The fuck! The fuck! What’s she gonna do to Gear?’

His thoughts spun. What could Melissa even do to Gear? Absolutely nothing, that’s what. Gear wasn’t just above her—he was orbiting in another damn galaxy.

Even if she took a month off just to train, eat steak, and scream at the sky, she still wouldn’t get close.

What was her level now? Forty-four? Forty-five? Hell, let’s be generous and say fifty. She still couldn’t do jack shit against him.

Gear would swat her like an annoying fly, maybe even without looking.

"Huh... Madame?"

He called out, pulling her back to reality.

"Ha, Rae-kun, I got side tracked. Let’s go."

She flicked the reins like she had just remembered she was in a hurry, and the horse burst forward in a gallop, dirt kicking up behind them.

And seeing Melissa ride without a hint of hesitation, no second-guessing, no pause at forks in the path, Rae could tell this wasn’t random wandering.

The twists, the sudden turns, the quick cuts through narrow deer trails... none of it was something a clueless rider could pull off in an endless, moonless forest.

It was as if...

’As if she knows exactly where she’s heading!’

Rae’s eyes widened. He realized where Melissa was taking him—more importantly, where she had been planning to go alone.

And if his gut was right, that stupid cloak she carried was part of whatever madness she had in mind.

’Is she crazy?’

He didn’t know, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to start asking now.

They rode for nearly an hour without a break.

The pace never slowed until Melissa finally pulled back on the reins, letting the horse ease into a quieter, slower gallop, each hoofbeat muffled against the thick forest floor.

Here, the darkness was thicker—like the shadows themselves had weight. The trees pressed in close, their twisted branches knitting together overhead, shutting out what little light there was.

And the silence... it wasn’t peaceful. It was wrong. No rustle of leaves, no hum of insects, not even the faintest bird call.

It was like every living thing here had already fled, running from something they didn’t dare face.

Rae swallowed hard, his eyes darting from tree to tree.

He was strong, strong enough to fight most things without blinking, but even so, this forest was making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. It didn’t feel empty.

It felt... watched.

"Rae-kun, can I ask you something?"

Melissa spoke as she swung herself off the horse in one smooth motion. Rae followed, though his own landing lacked the same flair—his boots hit the ground with more of a thud than a graceful step.

He already had a feeling this was about to turn into one of those awkward, self-sacrificial speeches.

The kind of thing where she’d ask about love, loss, or some nonsense about dying for the greater good. Whatever this woman was cooking up, he wasn’t about to let it happen.

Still, he answered like he always did—smooth on the outside, annoyed on the inside.

"Yes, madame?"

Melissa hesitated, her gaze flicking toward the forest before returning to him.

"What is the most important thing for you?"

She didn’t tie the horse to a tree, didn’t even bother securing it. Instead, she started patting the animal’s neck in long, slow strokes. The horse responded with a soft snort, clearly enjoying the attention.

"Important? Hmm..." Rae tilted his head.

What the hell kind of question is that?

Even after giving it a moment, nothing solid came to mind. Sure, he could say Alice was important to him. Or Lyra. But even that felt... hollow.

I’ve only been in this world for a few weeks. It’s not like I’ve had time to get all mushy and sentimental.

And yet, the way she was looking at him, like she was digging for an answer that could change everything, made him feel like whatever he said next might actually matter.

’Aha! I can’t say that!’

The perfect answer had just hit him. Not just a good answer—the kind of answer that could twist Melissa’s story into a whole different path.

At least, that’s what he hoped. Of course, in this unpredictable hellhole of a world, hope was about as reliable as a drunk archer.

’Damn it, why can’t this be like one of those novels I read? You know—the normal transmigrated protagonist story where the MC already knows every plot twist coming?’

If that were the case, he could’ve sat back, predicted the next scene, and played the perfect role without sweating.

Instead, here he was—completely blind and winging it in a place that didn’t even have the decency to follow a decent story outline.

Sure, he could complain... but then again, he has a freaking lust system, so maybe not.

Rae cleared his throat, as if what he was about to say was profound enough to echo through history.