Endless Leveling Done Right!

Chapter 748: Triggering A Bad End By Mistake

When Alex finally regained consciousness, he found himself lying in the middle of what seemed to be a blue sea.

His body felt heavy at the moment. Enduring the soreness, he forced himself up to better understand his current situation.

Above his head was a clear blue sky spanning across the horizon.

Still, despite standing on top of the sea, the breeze smelled of fresh grass, making him feel like he was in the grasslands.

It didn’t take long for him to realize that he wasn’t alone in that world. In the distance, he saw a robed figure seated on a chair while puffing on a pipe.

By his feet lay an unlit lantern, which looked both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.

“Took you long enough to wake up,” the robed figure said in a casual tone.

The voice sounded manly, but since Alex couldn’t see their face, he couldn’t confirm if the person was indeed a man or a woman.

“Come and let me take a good look at you,” the robed figure ordered.

His tone was still friendly, but it sounded like he would not take no for an answer. For this reason, Alex decided to obey and walked in the mysterious being’s direction, stopping only when they were two meters apart.

“It has been a while since I saw someone whose fate and karma is jumbled up like this,” the robed figure said after a minute of observing Alex. “Each lifetime ended with regret and unfulfilled promises. Such a pitiful soul, and yet… Fate still brought you here to give me a slap on the face.”

Sensing that the old man had nothing else to say, Alex decided to ask the person a question. He already had a faint idea on who he was, but confirming it was something he had to do.

“Who are you?” Alex asked.

“That depends,” the robed figure answered before taking another slow draw from his pipe.

He then puffed out white smoke, creating circles as if biding his time to give his answer.

“Depends on what?” Alex inquired.

“The era,” the old man answered. “In this age, I am called ‘The Hermit’. Does that answer your question, Alex Stratos?”

Alex subconsciously closed his fist in response because the lantern by the robed figure’s side was already a giveaway.

One of the Major Arcanas. The being who wielded wisdom, guidance, and the pursuit of truth.

“I came here to save the Queen of the Elves,” Alex stated. “Do you know where I can find Queen Elaris?”

“I know where she is,” The Hermit replied. “But why should I tell you?”

“What can I exchange for this information?” Alex inquired.

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“Yes, nothing.” The Hermit smiled faintly. “However, if you are really curious, how about you go on a little adventure to find the answers that plague your past? Let’s see… if you clear this challenge, then I’ll allow you to take Queen Elaris back. How does that sound?”

Alex smiled wryly. Even though he couldn’t see the Hermit’s face, he could instinctively sense that the Deity was smiling mischievously at him.

“What kind of challenge am I about to take?” Alex asked.

“The challenge of your destiny,” The Hermit replied. “Now, off you go.”

With a wave of The Hermit’s hand, Alex soon lost his footing on the sea and fell into the water.

He tried to swim upwards, but his body was as heavy as lead, causing him to fall deeper into the crystal blue depths.

But just as he was about to lose consciousness for the second time, he heard The Hermit’s words echo directly inside his mind.

“There are no right or wrong answers,” The Hermit said calmly. “Regardless of what path you take, all rivers eventually lead back to the sea. We shall talk again upon the completion of your challenge.”

Those were the last words Alex heard before darkness took him once more.

When he woke up, he found himself lying on a bed.

And a naked lady slept by his side.

Alex’s consciousness was still a bit muddled, but when he finally regained clarity, his body gave a jolt after realizing who his companion was.

With her head resting on his shoulder, as well as her arms and legs wrapped around his body, Alex immediately sensed that he had unknowingly been thrown into the worst possible scenario in his lifetime.

The naked lady sleeping by his side was Aeris. Plus, judging from the faint marks on her body, she and Alex had just finished making love with each other.

“Oh sh*t…” Alex muttered, wanting to cry but had no tears to shed.

Then, as if to make matters worse, the young lady showed signs of waking up. Alex was forced to watch as Aeris’ eyes opened to look straight at him in a daze.

“L-Listen,” Alex said before things escalated out of control. “T-This is not what it looks like. I—mpphhh!”

He wasn’t able to finish whatever he planned to say because Aeris pressed her lips over his own, sealing his words with a kiss.

For a brief moment, Alex blanked out.

He thought that he was really about to get murdered, but things flowed in a direction that he didn’t expect.

Thinking that this might be his last kiss, Alex decided to just go with the flow and kissed her back.

A few minutes later, their lips finally parted as both of them panted for breath.

‘Damn… even the way she kisses is perfect,’ Alex thought. ‘As expected of the perfect Heroine of ELO.’

Alex wasn’t ignorant when it came to kissing. Though, he had to admit that this was the best kiss he ever had in both of his lifetimes.

After regaining his composure, Alex finally held onto Aeris’ hand.

“Aeris, listen to me,” Alex said in a serious tone. “I don’t know what just happened, but I’d like to let you know that I have no recollection of it.”

“You don’t?” Aeris asked back in an amused tone, her hand gently caressing Alex’s neck as if she was about to strangle it.

“N-No,” Alex replied. “I can’t remember anything. I just woke up, and then I’m here on the bed with you.”

“I see…” Aeris smirked. “Then I guess we’ll just have to do it again. That ought to help you remember, don’t you think?”

Before Alex could even give her a reply, the young lady moved to make love with him once more. Not once, not twice, but thrice.

When it was all over, the young lady sat on the bed and took a draw of her pipe, blowing white smoke as if it was the most natural thing to do.

Meanwhile, Alex was curled up on the bed, thinking how things ended up this way. He didn’t even have the strength to resist, as if making love to her was as natural as the flow of a river.

Although he didn’t want to admit it, every part of Aeris’ body was perfect as well.

Was he worried that he had triggered a Bad End by mistake?

Yes.

Did he have any regrets?

No.

Would he do it again if given the chance?

…Yes.

Did things go horribly wrong?

Yes.

Did he completely lose control of the situation?

Yes.

Did he enjoy himself?

Absolutely!

Was he ashamed to admit it?

A little.

Would he refuse if Aeris asked again?

He wasn’t confident he could.

‘Damn it!’ Alex covered his face with both hands, looking like a tragic heroine in a dark fantasy novel. ‘What the hell is happening here?!’

He really wanted to know what was happening. However, when a soft and delicate hand once again moved to caress his lower abdomen, the string that held Alex’s reasoning finally snapped.

Soon, the elven princess’ breathless moans reverberated inside the room once more as Alex had his way with the perfect heroine that 99.9% of the ELO male player base had voted as the ideal girlfriend they would marry in reality.

If his guild mates back on Earth knew that Alex had made love with their Elven Goddess, and even marked her both externally and internally, they would have tied him up and burned him at the stake without hesitation.

As Alex marked Aeris for the umpteenth time, he eventually collapsed on top of her, ravaging her lips in a kiss that would be the envy of all men in Endless Leveling Online.

———

A/N: In the off chance that you guys are thinking that Aeris is the Hermit then you’re completely wrong. I’m just putting it here to prevent misunderstandings.