After delivering a flurry of strikes with everything he had left, Long's arms finally gave out. His fingers loosened, the hoe slipped from his grasp, and he collapsed backward, chest heaving violently as he struggled to breathe.
At that moment, a figure burst out from the mouth of the damned snake and threw itself into his arms.
Long felt a solid weight press against him. He opened his eyes in shock. The tiny fairy from before was gone. In her place was a young woman of normal human size, clinging tightly to him. Warmth seeped through his clothes, the softness of a female body separated from him by only a thin layer of fabric. A faint herbal scent drifted into his nose, calming his mind as if he had just taken a sip of fine tea after enduring a long storm.
"Uh… sis, this size is…?"
Without realizing it, Long had already wrapped his arms around her. But the moment his hand touched her slender back, something felt wrong. He jolted and blurted out,
"Wait, where did your wings go?!"
"Blegh!"
Before he could get an answer, Lia suddenly vomited all over him. The warm, sticky sensation quickly spread, leaving Long frozen in helpless disbelief.
Only then did he notice that Lia's entire body was coated in the snake's yellowish, slimy stomach fluids.
Even though his only set of clothes was completely ruined, Long did not push her away. He let out a quiet sigh and gently patted her back, soothing her like a child.
"Go ahead, just throw up. It's fine. You'll be okay."
As if reassured by his kindness, Lia vomited even harder. She clutched his shoulder tightly, her whole body trembling from exhaustion.
"Ughhh! Damn it, I really thought I was done for! Where did a massive black serpent like that even come from? What the hell happened in the dungeon while I was asleep?!"
She sniffled and muttered to herself, then slowly looked up at Long with teary eyes. In a weak but sincere voice, she said,
"Thank you for saving me, kid. I'm really glad you were there."
Long smiled gently at her pitiful, disheveled state.
"You saved me too. If you hadn't pushed me away back then, I'd be the one dead right now."
He paused and glanced both of them over. They were in truly miserable condition, covered in slime, vomit, and an overwhelming stench. Scratching his head, he said,
"I feel like we have a lot to talk about, but first… we really need a bath. I'll take you to the bathroom."
Long helped Lia out of the dark underground chamber. When the first rays of sunlight touched his skin, the warmth eased the tension that had been gripping him.
Still covered in slime, Lia looked around curiously, examining the large wooden house and its unfamiliar objects. She pouted and muttered,
"Huh? Why is Alex living in such a shabby place? One of the greatest heroes, no less…"
Long nearly tripped when he heard that. He stared at her in disbelief. This place was shabby?
In modern times, owning a house built entirely of high quality wood, spacious, well designed, and fully equipped like this was nearly impossible. It had been his grandfather's pride, and even when wealthy businessmen offered absurd prices, the old man had refused to sell. Yet in Lia's eyes, it was little more than a rundown hut.
Long could only laugh awkwardly at her comment, but what bothered him more was her calling his grandfather a hero.
"This is getting more complicated than I thought," he mused.
They stopped in front of the bathroom. Long carefully explained how to use the shower. Watching the cool water pour out, Lia's eyes widened in amazement.
"Oh? Is this some kind of magic device? Are you a water mage?"
Long had expected this reaction. Thanks to all the novels and movies he had seen, he patiently explained it to her. Lia nodded along, though it was unclear how much she actually understood.
"That's it. There are towels on the rack. Take your time. I'll go get you some clothes."
Just as he was about to leave, Long froze under Lia's teasing gaze. She leaned against the door and spoke in a sweet, playful tone.
"Why don't you bathe with me?"
Bang!
Long's face flushed bright red. He grabbed the doorknob and slammed the door shut in a panic.
"No way! I'm still young! You hurry up and bathe or you'll catch a cold!"
Lia's mischievous laughter echoed from behind the door. She clearly enjoyed his reaction.
"Still young? How old are you, then?"
"Sixteen," Long replied, his voice trembling.
Her tone turned even sweeter.
"Sixteen and already this shy? For humans, sixteen is old enough to be an adult and even start a family, you know."
Long was stunned.
"That's in your world. In mine, it's twenty."
Lia clicked her tongue in disappointment. "Oh…"
The sound of running water soon filled the bathroom, easing Long's nerves. At least while she was bathing, that mischievous fairy princess would not be able to tease him anymore. For now.
Long returned to his room and rummaged through his wardrobe. As a boy, he rarely bought clothes, but his grandfather was the opposite. The old man had quietly bought him many new outfits over the years, especially during holidays, to the point that some still had their tags attached.
After careful consideration, Long chose a simple white T shirt and a pair of loose black sweatpants. The soft fabric would probably be more comfortable for her at home. Then a new problem hit him like a bolt of lightning.
"Wait… what about underwear?"
Long froze for several seconds. Having a girl wear men's underwear was absolutely unacceptable, but letting her go without any was even worse.
"Fine. I'll bike to the supermarket tomorrow morning."
The thought of himself, a clearly male teenager, standing in the women's underwear section under countless judgmental gazes made him want to die.
Blushing, Long knocked softly on the bathroom door.
"Um… I'm leaving the clothes here."
The door opened just a crack. A fair, slender arm reached out, snatched the clothes, and shut the door again.
A while later, Lia stepped out. She wore the white T shirt and pants Long had given her. The clothes were a bit large for her petite height of around one and a half meters, but they only made her long black hair, still damp, stand out even more. Her face was breathtakingly beautiful, and even under simple fabric, her curves were unmistakable.
"Well? How do I look?" she asked shyly, fiddling with the hem of her shirt.
Long froze for a few seconds, then answered honestly,
"So beautiful I can't look away."
Lia quickly turned her head aside, smiling quietly to herself.
"Good boy," she said softly.
Long took his own clothes and headed for the bathroom, reminding her,
"There's a hair dryer inside. I already showed you how to use it, so you remember, right? I'm going to bathe now."
Just as the door was about to close, Long stuck his head back out and eyed her suspiciously.
"No peeking, okay? I locked the door!"
His excessive caution after her earlier teasing left Lia both shocked and deeply embarrassed. Her face turned bright red as she shouted,
"LIKE I WOULD EVER PEEK AT YOU!"
Her sharp voice echoed through the quiet wooden house. That night felt unusually long, and Long knew that from this moment on, the lonely life he had known was gone forever.