It had been a week since Jake entered The Turtle Forest with Elizabeth.


    Three days into his new challenge, Jake received a beast-tamer subss from Elizabeth as she was content with his ways of wilderness.


    Because it was Elizabeth''s original ss, Jake picked up a fantastic skill from her.


    [You have received Elizabeth''s Beast Tamer Subss(Epic)]


    [You have learned a new skill—A Body Language Of The Beasts(Epic)(Passive Skill)]


    In a nutshell, it was a skill to learn or enhance the skills of hispanions. For instance, Elizabeth''s Roar Of The Queen was after her lion''s roar. She could shout like a lioness or use her voice to increase the effects of her lion''s roar.


    The same principle now applied to Jake.


    That said, Jake already could use the skills of hispanions during his assimtion with them. His assimtion stemmed from his unique bloodline, so Jake inferred that he''d level it up with more experiences and levels, meaning his assimtion skill would pick up more skills from his friends down the line.


    It should also work simrly in their case.


    ''I don''t have to learn skills from them,'' Jake concluded. His legendary ss interjected his thinking process, bonding itself with Jake''s new subss and the skill.


    As it bonded, A Body Language Of The Beasts became a legendary skill exclusive to Jake.


    [The Archer''s Body Language Of The Beasts(Legendary)(Passive Skill)(4 slots)—Archer can link the skills of his bondedpanions, of which he''s familiar with his other skills. The current limit is four skills. Each skill can be only linked to one skill.]


    Jake immediately felt facilitated by the new subss and skill!


    ''It''s brilliant! The skills of mypanions are really powerful if used well, and their time limit was their real and only weakness so far! If I link those skills with other skills, the weaknesses of thetter skills will be the new weakness. I must be smart here and properly choose skills.'' Jake thought.


    In addition to the new skill, Jake also received a new privilege from his new subss.


    He could see more into his bondedpanions'' stats.


    Their unusual bond, in which hispanions could hear his thoughts, could also be controlled now. Anything that Jake developed along with hispanions could now be seen in the beast tamer''s subss system window and appropriately sorted and listed.


    It was so convenient that Jake thanked Elizabeth a lot.


    "We are friends! The friends of the same feather of wilderness! Don''t thank me!" Elizabeth replied at the time.


    "We''re the best friends!" Jake replied, patting Elizabeth''s head.


    "Aye!" She nodded with a bright smile.


    After that, Jake and Elizabeth fought as a team against the tree soldiers. Herpanions were level forty, so their presence was stronger than that of the tree soldiers.


    Nheless, Elizabeth herself was around Jake''s level. She needed her bear''s protection, meaning that level forty Sio was heavily limited against the soldiers. The parrot also floated above its master, keeping her safe and intact.


    Its role was dealing with an archer and other long projectile attacks.


    The parrot also couldn''t protect Jake at the same time.


    Jake, however, didn''t need others'' help. He wasn''t alone, either.


    While he assimted with one of his friends, the others assisted him in his endeavor. He fought against the tree soldiers in four ways of the wilderness, prying deeper into their feral sides.


    Though he was way weaker than with a bow in his hand, Jake and Elizabeth still managed to hurt the tree soldiers and see into their interiors.


    Sitting on her bear''s shoulder, Elizabeth leaned forward and shouted, "I see the magic inscription!"


    s, she couldn''t properly make it out.


    Jake helped her with his better eyesight. He told her what he saw.


    Of course, he couldn''t read those inscriptions, so he said what they looked like.


    Elizabeth connected the dots and told him the usible theory.


    She said, "The strength source!"


    "Oh? That sounds interesting! What is it?" Jake asked as he perched himself on a tree''s branch like a monkey. He was currently assimted with Wukong, so it was only fair of him to move around like a monkey.


    He no longer cared about anyone, either. Minerva, Alice, and the assassins could stare at him for as long as they wanted.


    Jake hade to terms with his path and learned to ignore that awkwardness.


    Elizabeth nodded. "I think the strength source gives them mana to… to make them fast and strong!"


    Jake tranted her words, "In other words, the strength origins sustain their mana and enable them to be as strong as they currently are. It''s simr to their mana source. If we cut it off, we will significantly weaken them. Over time, they might be as weak as level-one monsters!"


    "Aye!" Elizabeth nodded.


    These two poor souls didn''t know that the soldiers could repair their strength origins so long as their mana source existed…


    It was a surprise that left Jake and Elizabeth peeved.


    "Their strength shouldn''t have returned like that!"


    "I''m not talking to Grandma today!"


    -


    "I was wondering if I could practice something with one of the assassins," Jake said while everyone else was eating supper.


    Eating food in the game was a unique experience. It tasted so much different!


    It was tasty, too!


    Of course, there were also benefits to it. Jake would log in tomorrow with full health, mana, and stamina. He''d be like a new man as the supper of royalty was nothing short of amazing and bountiful.


    ''It''s so tasty, too!'' Jake thought.


    Minerva asked, "What is it that you want to practice?"


    Jake replied, "I''d like to learn a movement skill. I don''t have one despite being at this level… I was thinking of making my own!"


    "You request an assassin''s help for that?" Minerva asked with a hint of amusement in her voice. On the other hand, Alice thought about Viktor and what her grandson was doing… how could he not pass any movement skills to Jake yet?!


    Jake nodded. "To be honest, I hate assassins."


    The five assassins smirked at him.


    Jake reflected their smirks with a smirk of his own.


    He continued, "They''re so annoying… but their Shadow Dash is a movement skill that suits me best. With its principles learned, I should be able to make my own movement skill true to my nature."


    Minerva pondered about it for a few seconds.


    She faintly smiled and turned to the assassins.


    "One of you has my consent to help Archer," Minerva said.


    Thedy assassin raised her hand and said, "I offer myself. It''s been a while since I had a date!"


    The other assassin hollered. "A date? Haha! I haven''t seen you this desperate in years!"


    Thedy''s eyes turned murderous. "You''re making it sound like I''m past my thirties! I''ll kill you!"


    "I''ll kill you first," the man replied.


    Elizabeth grinned, "So wild! But you can''t die until I learn who killed that beast!"


    "You heard Elizabeth. Be quiet now," Minerva interjected before the assassins began discussing topics inappropriate for a youngdy like Elizabeth at the table. "ra shall teach Archer the basics of Shadow Dash and its tricks."


    Thedy assassin happily epted the order before returning to the supper.


    The other assassins sighed.


    Their whispers turned into a unique code that only they could understand.


    "What if she will molest the poor man?"


    "Should we keep an eye on them?"


    "That''ll go against the imperial order."


    "We should tell The Imperial Mage Orb our worries and ask for her wisdom."


    "I can hear you!" ra stabbed the thigh of the assassin beside her with a fork. No one except the assassins heard her and saw that move.


    The wounded man didn''t even react. He carried on with the supper as though nothing had happened.


    Inwardly, he told himself he''d pay back her in the future.


    Across the table, Jake didn''t know about anything happening between the assassins. He thanked Minerva for her aid and turned to ra, telling her he looked forward to their lessons.


    Minerva epted his thanks and didn''t make any fuss about it. That said, she was one of a few people who could overrule the imperial order given by The Emperor himself. What she had done was nothing short of incredible.


    ra curtly smiled at Jake. It was that smile that had embarrassed Jake before.


    The circumstances were much different now, and Jake took in her feelings wholeheartedly.


    ''A date, huh? I have never been on a date before, and I don''t think anything serious wille out of this. It doesn''t hurt to get some experience,'' Jake thought. He was bing increasingly interested in and affected by the opposite gender, but not to the point where he''d lose himself like an idiot struck in love.


    He doubted anything woulde out from this date.


    In fact, he wouldn''t be surprised if it was just a y on words.


    Author''s note: What''s your opinion on short romances and romance with NPCs? Let me know!