Harem: The Wrath of Mjolnir

Chapter 18 - Shopping

Olivia's statement left Ethan speechless. He gazed at her, seeing a cheerful yet determined face.

She spoke again, her voice heavy with sorrow. "My father was killed in the last meteor strike. That's why I'm determined to fight. I have every reason to fight." 

She smiled at Ethan, but he could sense the sadness beneath it. He couldn't help but wonder what it would be like if he were in her place.

He then looked out of the window towards the setting sun. They didn't know how many days they would survive and whether it would all end today. And not knowing where the monsters will attack from makes it even harder for them to defend against them.

"Sign a contract with Olivia." He muttered.

Olivia looked confused by his words. She turned around to see that his eyes were closed as though sleeping. She stared at him for a while before approaching him, shaking him gently. He opened his eyes and gave her a look of surprise.

[Secure bond with Player Olivia Lvl. 2 has been accepted.] 

[The contract has been made.] 

[Olivia Lvl. 2 is now bound.]

The message was displayed on the screen. It took several seconds for Ethan to understand what had happened. In a split second, he understood that he had formed a relationship with another person, who had now become part of himself - no longer separate from himself. But this wasn't what he thought he had agreed to; this was far beyond anything he had ever imagined. This felt different than making friends or forming relationships online through games. As it sunk in further, he realized this was an extremely valuable opportunity, and he needed to be careful.

"How does it feel, Olivia?" asked Ethan cautiously. "Are you happy?"

"What?" she asked.

"I mean, are you pleased? Are you feeling relieved?"

Olivia frowned. "I can finally stop running away from everyone else. I'm going to go out there into battle." She said proudly. Her face became bright red at the end of her sentence when she realized what she had just revealed to him about herself.

Ethan noticed her cheeks were turning red, but the warmth and kindness emanating from her helped calm her down.

"Is that true?" he whispered. 

It felt like he had entered another dimension that he did not expect or understand. What was happening? How could he make such a decision? It seemed that his thoughts would never match those of this girl before his eyes - what had she been through, and what was she planning on doing with him?

He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, struggling to process what had just happened.

With little time remaining, Ethan had to train and prepare for his upcoming battle. Before he could do this, however, he felt he needed to do something else. The previous fight had been difficult, and he didn't want Olivia to be in danger yet since she was in level 2 yet.

 He wanted to show his appreciation for her help.

Ethan opened the Shop feature and searched for something that would help lighten his load. The system sold accessories that increased the user's potential in battle and even saved the user's life. After looking through the many available items, he found one he wanted and had enough Crystals to buy it.

[Necklace of Protection has been purchased for 2 Indigo Grade Crystals and 1 Blue Grade Crystal.]

[Necklace of Protection]

[Skill (Passive): Nullify one fatal attack. CD: 6 Hours]

Ethan bought a silver necklace with a blue crystal stone for Olivia. Although the price was a bit steep for him, he felt it was the least he could do for her, considering what she had done.

He eagerly presented the necklace to Olivia, saying, “It looks nice, but I don't need it. This is the least I can do to thank you for saving my life.”

Olivia's heart skipped a beat as she received the Necklace Ethan gave her, then she checked the information on it and was even more shocked. This item had a special effect that would save the user's life every six hours when a life-threatening attack occurred. It was not something that could be easily obtained. 

Olivia couldn't accept it, so she trembled as she handed back the necklace to Ethan. She wasn't the type to take advantage of people, and she had saved him because she wanted to, expecting nothing in return.

Ethan saw Olivia handing the necklace back to him. He wondered if she wanted him to help her put it on, so he reluctantly took it back and stood up. 

He walked to the back of the chair where Olivia was sitting and said, "Sorry, I've never put a necklace on before. Could you help me lift your hair for a second?"

Olivia was silent. Seeing what he was doing, she intended to return the necklace, but Ethan instead tried to help her put it on. 

She was about to say no, but she held it back, thinking that it might be a good idea. She felt like she was in a dream.

She froze, embarrassed and wanting to scream but trying her best to hold it back. Feeling weak, she slowly lifted her hair to let him put the necklace on. 

As soon as he touched the necklace, she heard a soft chime sound.

"There you go!"

Olivia's eyes widened. The cold metal woke her from her reverie when he finished. She touched the pendant on her chest: it was very beautiful, and she liked it.

"Thank you very much." She said softly.

Ethan sat back in his chair and looked at the sparkly necklace on Olivia's white and smooth neck. 

 "With this, you can be sure that no dangerous attacks will happen. It looks great on you." 

Olivia went red in the face and averted her gaze, not saying a word.

Ethan felt uncomfortable in his clothes, which were too big, and thought of buying something from the shop.

[Normal Dark Blue Shirt has been purchased for 5 Purple Grade Crystals]

[Normal Black Shorts has been purchased for 5 Purple Grade Crystals]

[Normal Dark Blue Shirt]

[Something that won't easily get destroyed.]

[Durability: 50/50]

He decided to buy clothes from the Shop; they would be durable and not easily torn apart unless their Durability had been used up.

Ethan believed that Olivia would appreciate the necklace more than he would. He offered it to her, and she was delighted. Knowing this, he was confident that she would not object if he gave her something else.

"This clothing is durable and useful for us in battle," Ethan said. "Would you like me to buy something similar for you? I don't know what you'd like, so would you like to pick it out yourself?"

Olivia was quiet, her thoughts a jumble as she touched the necklace around her neck. Finally, she replied, "Yes."

Ethan didn't understand Olivia's answer, so he tried to choose clothes that he thought she might like. 

He chose a black, sleeveless dress with a short flared skirt since Olivia was wearing black. He had enough money to buy 10 Purple Grade Crystals and 2 Indigo Grade Crystals.

“I hope this is something you like," he said. "I don't know your taste very well, and there weren't many choices I could get with what I had.”

Olivia snapped out of her daydream when Ethan gave her the gift. She ran her fingertips along the fabric, which was so soft and smooth. She had the urge to put it on immediately.

The color looked great on her pale skin, making her look elegant while also being warm and cozy at the same time. The dress wasn't too revealing either; it came down to about mid-thigh. It felt silky to the touch but surprisingly sturdy. She felt drawn into its beauty as soon as she held it in front of her face. 

Her face turned even redder than before when she heard his words. She hadn't expected him to buy anything for her, let alone something this expensive. She wanted to refuse the clothes, thinking that he should have given them to someone else. However, she couldn't deny that he was helping her in some way, and he had made her feel more confident about the fight.

"T- tha-anks... I'm going to take a bath now," Olivia announced suddenly. Her mind was spinning again. If only I could think properly... she thought as she quickly left the room without saying another word to Ethan.

She kept repeating to herself, "I have to go! I have to go! I have to go!" She was unsure of what to say.