5. Beauty Without Rival

When she noticed his abnormal breathing, she gazed at him intently, drawing her face closer to his.

"What's wrong?" asked Asuka with genuine concern, placing a hand on his head. Startled, Daisuke became so flustered that he tumbled out of bed.

"I'm sorry, did I scare you?" she inquired, descending from the bed and slowly crawling towards him as he crawled backward, distancing himself.

He continued until his back met the wall on the opposite side of the hut. Then she knelt right in front of him, so close that he felt her ample bosom press against his chin.

Daisuke's face reddened at this proximity. He had never experienced such intimacy with a woman before, and it felt overwhelming. To compound matters, she touched his head again.

"Damn it. You have a fever," she exclaimed, cupping his face with both hands, causing him to gaze directly into her eyes.

"Do I still frighten you?" she inquired.

Daisuke reached his breaking point.

"I'm fine," he said, panting. Summoning all his willpower, he placed both hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her away.

Asuka's eyes widened, and a smile formed on her face, much to Daisuke's surprise. Arching an eyebrow, he had anticipated a different reaction.

To his further astonishment, instead of appearing angry or embarrassed, she rose and returned to the other side of the room. Sitting on the bed, she glanced back at him with a mischievous smile, causing him to blush with embarrassment.

"I was merely expressing my gratitude for saving me and my sister out there. But it seems you are not the kind of person I thought you were. So, let me tell you instead: 'Thank you.' We would have perished if it weren't for you," she conveyed, maintaining her smile.

Daisuke nearly arched an eyebrow. So, her playful seduction was merely a gesture of gratitude? Or was it her unique form of hospitality? In the midst of these thoughts, he remembered his manners.

"You're welcome," he replied, averting his gaze. Even clad in nothing but a white shirt, she was too stunning to look at without entertaining inappropriate thoughts.

"You were injured during your battle with the Jinro," she remarked. "How is your leg feeling?"

"Painful," Daisuke responded. "But not enough to render me crippled or anything."

"Thank goodness," she expressed. "Would you mind sharing your name? I'm Asuka."

"Daisuke," he blurted out before realizing he had inadvertently revealed his previous identity.

Asuka detected his reaction upon hearing his name, so she sought confirmation, despite having heard it correctly the first time he answered.

"Daisuke?" she repeated to ensure accuracy.

He contemplated retracting his statement, yet simultaneously, he didn't want to appear disingenuous.

So he confirmed what he had just said, "Yes, Daisuke."

"Interesting," she remarked. "It sounds like a peculiar name, yet it also feels indigenous for some reason."

Daisuke also noticed that Asuka's name had a similar quality, but he dismissed it as insignificant.

"I know I don't have the right to ask, but I'm curious," she stated. "What race are you?"

Daisuke sighed and stared up at the roof, unsure where this conversation was heading.

Asuka gazed at him, as if she had just read his thoughts, and said, "Look, I'm open to believing anything you tell me."

"Really?" he asked.

"You lack a lot of confidence for a person who literally descended from the heavens and singlehandedly slew a Jinro," she said with a grin. Daisuke sighed, wondering what she was implying.

"Human," he replied. "I come from the human race."

"Human?" she inquired, and he nodded in response.

"What is that?" she asked.

"Basically, a race that shares many similarities with yours, except without pointy ears, webbed hands, and feet," Daisuke explained.

"Interesting," she replied.

"You don't have any of those in this world?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Not that I'm aware of," she replied.

Daisuke widened his eyes. "Are you serious?" he asked.

"Why would I joke about something like that?" she responded.

"You're not joking," he stated as his eyes widened. He wondered what kind of world this was and went on to explain, "Humans were the dominant race where I came from. We tamed the greatest beasts and brought the strongest monsters to extinction. Then we transformed the world in so many ways that some of us started to believe that we were slowly destroying it through our influence."

"Wow," Asuka said. "That sounds convenient. So your race ruled over everything?"

Daisuke sighed. "I wouldn't put it that way," he replied.

"So you never worried about another race challenging yours?" Asuka asked, fascinated.

"Of course not, unless you consider germs as another race that poses a threat to humans," Daisuke replied.

"Germs?" asked Asuka. "What are those?"

"Tiny living things that make people sick? Anyway, that's not important," Daisuke replied. "But now you're telling me there are no humans in this world."

Asuka nodded, confirming his statement.

"Then which dominant race governs this world?" Daisuke inquired.

"Well, we don't have one as you've described," she replied. "In this world, as far as I know, each race struggles against the others for survival. There is no formally established superior race. Even the strongest races are in constant conflict with each other, with no clear victor thus far."

Daisuke frowned, pondering what to make of all this. Why did the system bring him here? What could he possibly do in a world like this that would make a difference?

"I see," Daisuke said.

After several seconds of awkward silence, she asked the pressing question. "So, what now?" she inquired.

"What?" he asked.

"What are you going to do now?" asked Asuka. "I mean, will you ascend back to the heavens or something?"

Daisuke remained silent, unsure of how to answer that question. It seemed simple, yet he had no clear response. Returning to where he came from was not an option, as he had a task to fulfill in this world. The problem was that this new world was vastly different, with very little similarity to his previous life.

"I can't go back," Daisuke replied, and Asuka frowned. "I'm stuck here indefinitely."

She sighed, beginning to understand his predicament.

"Well, you could stay here with us," she suggested. He shook his head so vigorously that she worried he might hurt himself.

"Come on," she insisted. "It would be fun."

"I wouldn't even consider it. I've already burdened you enough," he replied.

"So, where will you live?" she asked, receiving no response from Daisuke. "Can you afford to rent an inn? Do you know of any means of income in this world?" She paused, noticing his lack of understanding. "You barely grasp how this world functions, and yet you act as if you can take care of yourself."

Daisuke blushed as he averted his gaze.

"You're staying with us," she declared. "At least until you can figure things out on your own."

"You seem remarkably at ease about taking in a complete stranger," Daisuke responded. "Aren't you concerned that I might take advantage of you?"

"Don't worry," she assured him. "Based on our conversation so far, it's safe to say that even though you were strong enough to defeat a Jinro, you pose no threat when it comes to living a normal life."

While Asuka was still speaking, Daisuke's stomach growled loudly. The sound was so pronounced that he blushed upon hearing it. Asuka threw her head back, bursting into laughter, while Daisuke closed his eyes and turned away in embarrassment.

He opened his eyes a moment later, seeing her still laughing so hard that tears were streaming down her face. His face turned even redder as he briefly frowned.

However, witnessing her laughter eventually brought a smile to his face, despite being the source of amusement.

She held onto her stomach with one hand while wiping away a joyful tear with the other. After laughing for a while, she finally regained her composure and got up to leave.

"It's getting late. I'll go check on my sister, Aya. She went to get some food earlier but is taking too long to return," she informed him. "I won't be gone for long."

Asuka left the hut, leaving Daisuke alone in her home. As soon as she departed, the system's voice suddenly resounded in his head.

"Hello, player," it said, slightly startling him.

"Damn! Will I ever get used to such a loud voice yelling in my head?" he grumbled.

"Here are your daily quests," the system said to him.

A holographic picture then appeared before him. His eyes widened as he read its contents, wondering how he was going to accomplish all of this.

"System, you know I'm injured, right?" he asked.

"Yes, I am aware," the system replied. "That is why I have selected these simple daily missions for you. Your injuries occurred because your body is weak, and at this rate—with the increasing threats you will soon encounter—your body will not be able to keep up. You have to get stronger, or your body will give up on you."

Daisuke nodded, partially understanding the situation. "I get that, but I still can't do these things with a broken leg. It's impossible! Isn't there a way to work around this? Or at least to help with my leg?"

"You have 10 healing vials remaining," the system replied. "Would you like to use one of them?"

"Great! How many would be enough to completely heal my leg?" he asked.

"One," it answered. Of course, it was just one.

"Alright, use it," he instructed, and it was done.

Almost immediately, his right foot felt as good as new—so good that he felt like running around for no reason. He stood up on the bed, feeling elated.

"Alright then," he said as he stared at the hologram in front of him. The tasks were simple activities that could be done right there and then.

"I might as well get this over with already."

With that said, he got down onto the ground and began doing squats and push-ups, wondering what reward the system would have for him after this training session.

********

Deep in the forbidden territory neighboring the region where the elves lived, at the far end of the district...

A Jinro was seated at a table, enjoying his meal. The table was huge, possibly built for a whole family, but it was only used to serve one person. The meal, however, mainly consisted of raw venison still saturated with blood. With every bite, blood spilled out randomly, but the person having the meal couldn't care less.

The room was quite luxurious for a primitive home, filled with decorations and furnishings the average person could only dream of.

Using his sharp claws, he tore off another huge chunk of meat and bit off a large portion of it. His mouth and claws were now covered in blood, and the stench of it filled the entire room.

Whenever the large chunk of venison on the plate was finished, he would pick up the full dead animal from the floor right next to him and tear out another huge portion of its body for the next round.

This task of serving himself food was supposed to be carried out by one of his servants - as in other aspects of his daily life, they would do everything for him. However, when it came to food, he preferred doing things on his own, perhaps due to his impulsive gluttony or personal greed.

As he was about to take his first bite from the new pile of meat on the table, he was interrupted by another Jinro.

He looked in disdain as the other Jinro walked into the room with boldness, which only angered him more. He wondered who this person was, as only a few people would have the guts to interrupt his supper.

It was his older brother, Mazui - the person who would have become the leader of the race if only he had been stronger than his younger brother. Mazui could hear his younger brother growl at the table as his face came into the light, but he was unfazed by it.

"Hello, brother," Mazui said as he took in the bloody mess the large dining room was in. "It seems you've been having fun."

"Yes, until you came and ruined my meal," replied Kurai, the one whose personal feast was interrupted. "What do you want, Mazui?"

"It is nightfall, and yet our younger brother, Maga, left early this morning for a stroll and has not returned ever since," Mazui said to him, and the other one rolled his eyes.

"So what?" asked Kurai. "He is not a child. He can take care of himself."

"You are wrong," Mazui replied, and such blatant lack of respect made Kurai growl even louder than before.

"Growl all you want, Kurai. It won't change anything," Mazui replied.

Kurai got up from his seat, now clenching his fist. "Know your place, brother," he said to Mazui, who still stood firm and unfazed.

Not having time for a petty confrontation, Mazui got straight to the point. "Maga is dead," he said in a cold manner.

Kurai looked back at him, scowling almost immediately.