C18 The Consequence of Being Greedy

Chicken bones were scattered across the ground.

Dorothy patted her full belly contentedly and said, "Brave Rinn, thank you for your generous meal. Rest assured, I'll definitely repay you for this dinner one day!"

"No need, no need!" Rinn replied politely, though inwardly he thought, "Just don't put on that breastplate—that'll be thanks enough for me!"

He couldn't help it; the piece was too large, too pristine—he couldn't bear to see it worn.

"Dorothy, did you bring any supplies with you for your training?"

With the small talk out of the way, Rinn turned to more serious matters.

"No," Dorothy answered.

"Have you considered how you'll handle food?"

Rinn probed further.

"Of course, I'll use whatever's at hand! I'll eat whatever I kill," Dorothy responded with straightforward logic.

"Right, but do you have any survival tools?"

"Tools to make fire? Why would I need those?"

"Without them, how will you start a fire? And without fire, how will you cook your food? Surely you don't eat it raw?"

Rinn's words struck a chord, and Dorothy had an epiphany. "Oh! Why didn't I think of that?"

Rinn could only shake his head.

Alright, you're tough!

But heading out to train like this?

Just don't end up dying from food poisoning—that would be tough indeed!

"Even setting aside food, a fire source is crucial for safety in the wild. Take this place, for example. Without the glow of fire, the nocturnal beasts would surely have made their move, and I might have been devoured already."

Rinn gestured to the tree and continued, "Even the trees aren't safe—there could be venomous snakes or insects. Only the presence of firelight keeps these dangerous creatures at bay..."

As he finished, he noticed Dorothy's earnest expression, the look of a diligent student.

"Warrior Rinn, you're so knowledgeable! I'm grateful for your guidance!"

Hearing this, Rinn was at a loss for words.

It's not that I know so much.

It's just that you're too naive!

"Tell me, Dorothy, is this really your first time out on a training expedition?"

Rinn inquired with a serious tone, "You haven't actually spent a night out here on the plains, have you?"

"No, why would I? Snakefield is so close by. After my training, I always head home to sleep," Dorothy replied with her characteristic innocence.

"That's exactly why you're lacking experience," Rinn realized, speaking with a weighty earnestness. "Remember, if you're planning on extended training sessions in the future, make sure to pack food and daily supplies."

"I get it now, Teacher Rinn..." Dorothy nodded with gravity.

Teacher?

What on earth?

Rinn decided to take it as humor. Glancing at the sky, he suggested, "How about we head to Beast Valley tomorrow morning?"

He was concerned Dorothy might propose a nighttime departure, which could spell disaster. They might not even make it to Beast Valley before the nocturnal beasts, twice as ferocious and strong at night, would have their way with them. Experience points, unfortunately, didn't double at night. Otherwise, Rinn wouldn't have hesitated to leave camp for some monster hunting.

"Absolutely! It's far too late to venture to Beast Valley now," Dorothy agreed with a serious tone, prompting Rinn to nod internally, 'At last, a bit of sense.'

But then, Dorothy added, "Plus, I'm a bit scared of the dark."

Rinn almost choked with frustration. How on earth did this naïve and adorable swordswoman make it to level 8?

"Ugh, that roasted chicken earlier was a bit salty. I'm really thirsty!" Dorothy complained, sticking out her tongue and scanning the area. She spotted a bottle of blue liquid in Rinn's open bag, grabbed it without hesitation, unscrewed the cap, and gulped it down.

"Stop! Don't drink that!"

Rinn was startled and tried to intervene, but it was too late.

Dorothy set the empty bottle down and let out a satisfied burp, "Hmm, that 'water' tasted odd."

"Water? Since when is water blue? Miss Dorothy, are you sure your eyes are okay?" Rinn exclaimed in exasperation.

"Um... Warrior Rinn, why are you being so harsh?" Dorothy looked both frightened and a bit ashamed.

"Me, fierce? Do you even realize what you've ingested?" Rinn was on the verge of tears from sheer panic. If he wasn't mistaken, that blue concoction was Judy's homemade stimulant. Yeah, Rinn had come up with the name. It was designed to give someone a surge of violent energy, akin to a berserker unleashing their ultimate power—enhanced attack, speed, life-draining capabilities, you name it.

But the side effects were no joke. It could make someone...

"Ah! I'm burning up!" Dorothy abruptly rose to her feet, her cheeks a fiery red, her eyes blazing with intense heat. "Here it comes! The frenzy is starting!"

Rinn recoiled in alarm. "Dorothy, please, stay calm. Don't get violent!"

"I'm not going to get violent! It's just... I'm so incredibly hot, and it feels so odd!"

"What's odd about it?" Rinn's voice was barely above a whisper.

"It's like there's a fireball in my belly! I'm going to combust! I can't stand it! I need to strip or I'll overheat to death!"

Without hesitation, Dorothy stripped off her armor and crouched on the ground. But she didn't stop there. She began to peel away her leggings too! Given it was summer, her undergarments beneath the armor and leggings were minimal, leaving little to the imagination.

Rinn was dumbstruck. What in the world? Was this some kind of perk? It felt like a crime, especially in the dead of night. If it had been someone less attractive, maybe it wouldn't matter. But Dorothy was stunning, a dead ringer for those Hollywood starlets he remembered from movies in his past life. How could anyone resist such a vision standing before them?

Rinn was struggling to keep his composure.

And then, things took an even more outrageous turn.

"I'm still too hot! I can't... I have to keep going!" Dorothy declared, reaching for the last layer of her clothing.

Rinn, barely containing a nosebleed, blurted out, "Hold on! Don't strip! Sword dance instead! Find an open space and let out all that energy with a sword dance!"

Taking his advice, Dorothy paused, grabbed the longsword from the ground, and with a few leaps, she was off. The sound of her blade slicing the air—"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"—filled the space as she channeled all her might into each thrust of her longsword.

"Wow! It really works! I'm not so hot anymore!"

Dorothy exclaimed with delight, her swordplay growing more rapid. The entire area was engulfed in the shadows of her blade.

"Is this what an apprentice swordsman is capable of? Terrifying..."

Rinn watched the blur of sword shadows and wiped the sweat from his brow. Yet, his eyes couldn't help but drift towards Dorothy's long legs.

Pristine white.

Sadly, they were never meant to be mine.

But what can I do when I, Rinn, am a man of integrity?

...

Five minutes later.

Dorothy returned, drenched in sweat, her sword in hand.

With a clang, she dropped her sword to the ground and collapsed beside it, panting, "So tired, but at least I'm not overheated. It's weird, though. Why did I get so hot out of nowhere?"

"Are you serious?"

Rinn bit back the words he really wanted to say, all for the sake of his image.

You took a stimulant and then this happened.

What else could it be?

But then, a sense of urgency gripped him.

The stimulant's effects included agitation, but what about the side effects?

Were they about to kick in?

With concern, Rinn asked, "Um... Dorothy, are you feeling any discomfort?"

"Discomfort?" Dorothy looked confused. "I don't feel bad at the moment, but what kind of discomfort are you talking about?"

"Ahem! Right here." Rinn gestured to his belly.

"My stomach? I don't think—"

Dorothy began to shake her head, then suddenly froze, clutching her stomach as she stood up.

"Dorothy, is it your stomach that's bothering you?" Rinn's voice was tinged with alarm.

Without a word, Dorothy's face turned crimson as she nodded, lips pursed.

She then dashed behind a large tree like a whirlwind.

What followed was a sound that lingered uncomfortably in the air.

Rinn reluctantly pinched his nose and sighed, "Diarrhea as a side effect... just as I thought."