Two Days Later
Alex bounded after Korrin, laughing as he swung his arms in a playful chase. Korrin dodged desperately, trying to escape—but Alex was relentless, always right behind him.
In his panic, Korrin accidentally leaped off the tower. Without missing a beat, Alex jumped after him and grabbed him firmly. "Gotcha!" he exclaimed.
"Yo, why did you jump after me? Now we'll both fall—ah!" Alex cried out, amused as he held on to Korrin. After a few seconds, Korrin realized they weren't plummeting to the ground.
"Wh-why aren't we falling?" Korrin asked, peering down at the billowy clouds below. "I mean, of course I knew you could fly—I was just testing you, haha."
They landed safely inside the tower. As soon as they touched down, Alex swiftly snatched the staff from Korrin's hand.
"Finally, I got it!" Alex declared, glancing at Korrin. "Can I drink it now?"
"Drink up—you earned it," Korrin replied, his thoughts lingering on the feat. Hmm, impressive… being able to do this much in such a short time, especially with the extra weight.
Alex unscrewed the bottle and gulped down the water. When he finished, he flexed his arms. "Strange—I don't feel any stronger, Korrin."
"That's natural," said Korrin casually. "You feel exactly as you should after drinking tap water."
"Tap water? But I thought it was sacred water!" Alex protested, feigning surprise.
"Hahaha, not really," Korrin laughed. "You gained strength by working hard: climbing up and down the tower boosted your endurance, learning to anticipate my moves sharpened your mind, and snatching the bottle increased your speed. You've tripled your strength since you arrived on your own."
"Really?" Alex marveled as he swung his arms, punching and kicking the air. "I do feel a bit stronger."
"Very good, Alex—you've mastered everything I had to teach you," Korrin said with a thoughtful twirl of his moustache.
"Thank you, Master Korrin. I'll be off then—see you later!" Alex announced, leaping from the tower. In just a few seconds, he could see the ground rushing up as he slowed down for a safe landing.
Noticing a crowd nearby, Alex mused, "Hmm, there seems to be a crowd here. I should look for Melon." He walked over to the Capsule House, only to find it empty. Turning his attention to the people of Bora's tribe, he soon spotted Upa, busy helping with the preparations.
"Hey, Upa!" Alex called, hurrying over. Upa turned, clearly excited to see him.
"Ah, Alex, you're just in time. We're preparing for tonight's feast," Upa said with a smile.
"A feast, huh? By the way, do you know where Melon is? I checked the Capsule House, but it's empty," Alex asked, glancing around at the bustling activity.
"If you're looking for your friend, don't worry—look over there. She's with the women preparing the vegetables and meat," Upa pointed toward a group. Among them stood a woman with blonde hair and fair skin, dressed in traditional tribal attire with a striking feather in her hair, half white and half red. She almost looked like a goddess.
Alex was momentarily dazed as he stared at her. Suddenly, she looked up, ran toward him, and stopped right in front of him. "Hey Alex, look! What do you think of this outfit? Does it look good on me?"
Coming back to himself, Alex managed a shaky reply, "You look beautiful," even though his throat felt dry.
"I know, right? I even borrowed these clothes from Bora's wife," Melon said with a playful smile. "Don't tell me you've fallen for my beauty, too."
"Ridiculous," Alex mumbled, embarrassed as he averted his gaze. "And how do you know? Aren't you supposed to be an airhead?"
"I'm not an airhead," Melon retorted, her tone softening. "Bora's wife said all the men were staring when I stepped out in this dress—they were dazed by my beauty. I could see it in your eyes, too."
"Well, you do look beautiful," Alex admitted nonchalantly.
"You mean it?"
"Of course I do. Why would I lie?" Alex replied. Melon's eyes sparkled, and she leapt forward to hug him. "Yay! Now you can't take that back!"
Just then, the crowd parted, revealing a young man nearly as big as Bora. He advanced toward Alex, brandishing a spear. "You! I heard you climbed the Korrin!"
"Yes, I did," Alex replied, confusion mingling with amusement.
"Fight me!" the young man challenged.
power level
Alex : 120 (weighted)
korrin : 190