Chapter 74: Summer time

After several light battles like that, climbing to the top floor of the dungeon revealed an old altar symbolizing the ‘First Key’.

Around the cross shape carved into the cracked wall, unrecognizable characters remained faintly.

“This is…”

“Why, do you know these characters? Can you read them? I have no idea.”

“It’s my first time seeing these characters too, but… somehow I feel like I can read them.”

Yoo Da-hee approached the altar, tracing the letters with her palm, and began interpreting their meaning.

“This seems to be related to the sanctuary. The place that will save the world is somewhere…”

Summer swallowed and nodded.

Up to this point, it was exactly as experienced in ChatRPG.

‘The problem is what comes next…’

The Nth playthrough Summer had stopped right here.

From here on, it was unknown territory.

‘If I knew this would happen, I should have ground the off-stream game more diligently,’ she thought, but then again.

‘Well, whatever, if I keep banging my head against it, something will work out~’

Of course, her determination to play this playthrough as if it were the last remains unchanged.

Even if, by some chance, an absolutely unavoidable accident occurs and she must move on to the next worldline.

‘The one who dies in this world isn’t Yoo Da-hee, it’s me.’

One might say, why get so immersed in what is merely an NPC, an AI.

But seeing Yoo Da-hee’s model, carved with all of Jina’s sincerity, right before her eyes, she couldn’t help but get overly immersed.

Yoo Da-hee was that dazzling, and that lovely.

---

Summer and Yoo Da-hee left the forest and headed towards a nearby village.

The village, seemingly abandoned by everyone, was shrouded in gloomy silence.

A desolate wind passed through broken windows, and old signboards lay strewn on the street.

“I definitely only typed ‘Found a village with no people’…”

The details were filled in by the AI model Jina had programmed.

It was Jina’s Omakase, or rather, Jinmakase.

Passing through the ash-gray streets, they found a shabby inn with a half-fallen sign in an empty alley.

The windows were broken, but the internal structure seemed relatively intact.

“How about staying here for a day?”

Yoo Da-hee looked at Summer with a cautious expression.

The girl’s shoulders were trembling slightly.

Having avoided monsters and walked rough paths for more than half a day in game time, it was understandable that she was tired.

“One day should be fine.”

Summer carefully opened the inn door.

The counter and dining tables, which should normally be bustling with people, were empty.

Dusty furniture covered in cobwebs lay toppled here and there.

Traces of wood splinters and food waste, so dry and shriveled it had rotted, remained on the floor.

The atmosphere felt like a ghost could pop out at any moment, but it seemed much safer than outside.

The two chose a large room that looked relatively clean and closed the door.

The mirror was broken, and the wallpaper around the fireplace was peeling off in places, but.

…For some reason, only the bed was pristine, like new.

It was even king-sized, prepared generously large.

“Wow… truly transparent modeling.”

“Yes? What did you say?”

“It’s nothing. I was just thinking about how blatant the sexual preferences of someone I know are.”

Summer summoned a simple campfire kit using a command.

Gathering small pieces of wood and striking a flint to create sparks, soon a small, flickering flame began to moderately illuminate the dim room.

As her eyes adjusted to the light, Yoo Da-hee approached Summer’s side.

“Summer-ssi, are you okay? Did you overexert yourself today?”

She examined Summer with worried eyes.

Her hand movements were careful, like a friend checking for injuries.

At Yoo Da-hee’s voice, as warm as the campfire in the hearth, Summer gave a dry laugh.

“Me? I’m fine~ More importantly, you must be tired.”

Honestly, Summer was tired too.

Since it was a VR game, fatigue built up faster than expected.

Still, the reason Summer could pretend to be fine and boast was entirely thanks to Yoo Da-hee.

Having the Saintess worrying about her with a gentle voice by her side strangely lifted her spirits.

“Still, if we get some sleep here, we can go further tomorrow.”

The two soon sat side-by-side on the bed.

The day was ending, and outside was already completely submerged in darkness.

Only the small flame flickered…

Casting long shadows of the two onto the wall.

Fortunately, this was a world where the creature known as the polar bear did not live.

---

Night deepened.

Sharing the same room, the same bed, yet strangely, there was no discomfort.

Whenever their eyes met in the firelight, a gentle intimacy flowed between them, despite both being exhausted.

Although only a day had passed in game time since they met, there was a sense of trust built through shared battles and pursuits.

“Come to think of it, why do you keep using formal language with me?”

Summer suddenly asked Yoo Da-hee.

“Just speak comfortably. We’ll be seeing each other for a while, maybe even quite a long time.”

Yoo Da-hee looked momentarily flustered, but soon smiled brightly and nodded.

“…Okay. I will, Summer.”

“Kiya~ Your voice is really nice. So, is today our day 1?”

“Th-th-that’s a bit…”

“Huh? What, weren’t we ‘friends’?”

“…Yes?”

“Or what, did you perhaps think of something like lovers? Between girls?”

“…!”

Yoo Da-hee, feeling embarrassed for no reason, lightly tapped Summer with the back of her hand, and Summer countered with a cheerful “Nyahahaha-” laugh.

Probably, something more than friends, less than lovers.

An indescribable, ticklish affection flowed between the two.

Of course, as Summer said, both were ‘female characters’, but that wasn’t a problem at all.

Rather, because they were both girls, it was easier to open up.

“Summer, if we… save this world, what do you want to do after that?”

In the tender atmosphere, Yoo Da-hee asked quietly.

“Hmm…”

Summer seemed lost in thought, touching her hair with one hand.

“I’d like to toss the sword and bow somewhere by a river, strum the lute on my back, sing songs, and go on a healing journey~”

“Pfft! Summer and singing… somehow doesn’t seem to fit.”

“Uh oh? Are you dissing me now? Hey, I may not look it, but I’m pretty good at singing?!”

Summer was properly triggered.

“But to me, Summer, you’re a cool hero.”

Trigger, cancelled.

This sly fox Saintess, told to drop the formalities and speak comfortably, immediately lands a smooth flirtatious line.

“…Ahem, cough! Anyway, my main job is a bard. Hero is just a side job.”

“How can I believe that? I’ve never seen you sing.”

“What, you wanted to hear my song? If so, you should have just said so honestly~”

At Summer’s nonchalant smile, Yoo Da-hee nodded as if she had been waiting.

“Yes! I want to hear it. Summer’s song, I’m curious.”

“Alright~ Shall I belt out a light tune then?”

Getting into the mood, she cleared her throat, “Hmm hmm-“, then suddenly.

‘Uh… Come to think of it, when was the last time I seriously sang a song?’

Of course, it wasn’t like she hadn’t sung at all on stream, but that was closer to comedy than actual singing.

Other than that, it was just humming along while playing rhythm games.

‘It feels like it’s been almost a year…?’

Racking her brain, the last time was when she belted out a song in front of Daon and Youngjun during the Cosmo Live 2nd generation audition.

Back then… how was the reaction?

Was it good? Or not great?

‘Well, it’s not like I can’t sing anymore.’

Being unable to sing due to burnout or slump was all in the past.

Singing in front of a large crowd is still difficult.

But singing with a few acquaintances sitting around, or for unseen viewers, is nothing now.

Her voice comes out fine now, and she can hit high notes smoothly.

…However, she just doesn’t take the initiative to sing herself.

And even if someone suggests it, she usually refuses once or twice first.

‘Anyway… what should I sing?’

Countless melodies flashed through her mind.

From well-known famous songs.

To messy original compositions no one would know.

Numerous tunes swirled in Summer’s head.

At that very moment.

A completely new melody flashed in Summer’s mind.

It started as a small resonance.

Like dropping a small pebble onto a calm water surface, the faint ripple.

Soon became a large wave, sweeping over Summer’s entire body.

“Hmm hmm, ah ah-“

Summer, clearing her throat with a dazed expression as if dreaming, quietly opened her mouth.

[If I’m with you, surely.]

[This summer will be fun, a little more.]

[Even if submerged in this dream world, I can’t forget.]

[But if I convey these feelings, someday.]

[This dream will surely end.]

[On the street where blue shadows flicker.]

[Even after years pass, I can’t say it.]

[Regretting it would be useless.]

[But these words that rise to the tip of my throat.]

What flowed out of Summer’s mouth was.

[…Take my (Summer’s) time.]

A song no one had ever heard before.