When a group of adventurers work together, the etiquette of fair plunder must be observed.

This is the unspoken rule of mages, as mages cannot survive without companions, and there is no more deadly party destroyer than a leader who wishes to capture all the spoils.

Usually, a political party has five members.

They were given a thousand pieces of loot.

With a simple arithmetic combination, each member should get an equal value. If a member needs a particularly important item, they will pay the missing fee to the other members after the assessment.

However, Gwen and Deborah now face two very different problems.

First of all, if this is a level 3-5 earth spirit, it means that the core value is close to four or five thousand HDM companies. If a soul has other attributes besides increasing affinity and identifying friend and foe, then its monetary value will compound.

The second problem is that Deborah's middle-class family is not wealthy. To put it simply, for a mediocre mage like her, this spirit is simply "too good". In her lifetime, Deborah may never be able to afford the spirit of the middle class. Stolen goods are completely out of her category. The right thing to do is to sell the spiritual core and divide the money, which is a win-win for everyone.

Deep down, Gwen knows that her friend desperately needs more power so she can catch up with her peers. This basic spirit was her chance, her only chance. If she can somehow merge with the souls of the earth, her spell will become even more powerful. Luckily, her spells produce new side effects that may alter her magical physiology and make her a unique being.

That's their dilemma. If they find the lightning element, Gwen can repay Deborah by borrowing money from Henry or Suya. But with the other foot, Deborah has little to do to repay her kindness.

If so, how should she deal with their swag? For Deborah, it was a watershed moment, but for herself, it was just another benefit.

Gwen took a deep breath.

She loves money, but she loves her friends even more.

"Then I'll go get one, do you agree?" she chanted. She felt a hint of regret, but the feeling quickly passed.

Across from her, Deborah's eyes were filled with gratitude and joy, and her body trembled with joy.

Watching Debbie's reaction, her heart melted. She effortlessly repelled the mocking demon called Jealousy.

"Thank you! Gwen, thank you so much!" Deborah gushed, holding her spiritual core to me like a baby - I didn't know what to say!

"Then don't say anything. Gwen said with a smile.

"Should I try it now?"

Gwen didn't speak. Debra is a smart girl. The night is long, and the mind changes quickly.

"Wait, let's set up camp," Gwen suggested Dautaco, Tommy, could you find us a nice place?"

"Got it, boss!"

The makeshift group soon set up camp under the obsidian outcrops, sheltered from the elements. Gwen gathered around dancing lights as the children cleaned up the field.

She pulled out two tents, some sleeping bags, and assorted camping supplies from her storage ring.

Not far away, Tacko's eyes widened in shock, but the other two young tramps were used to such miracles. With reverent awe, Jack Rowe stared at the prettiest girl he had ever seen.

Gwen noticed that Tacco's eyes widened, and the young stag quickly looked away. She didn't mind those dumbfounded expressions, and people don't get filet mignon every day. If she had been a pseudonym, she would have the same impression.

At the same time, Deborah washed the blood off her body. Her white shirt was ruined, but her shorts and boots were intact. Gwen tossed Debb a towel and smug that she had put everything in her storage ring. A little surprised, she realized that this was already her second storage ring. Conversely, Deborah may not even be able to afford a small pantry until Debs is an adult. Looking at her companion, she felt a pang of guilt, and she understood that despite all the trials and tribulations she had been through, she was spoiled by opportunity.

More than ever, Gwen felt that she had made the right decision to give her spiritual core to Deborah.

By now, thanks to Gwen buying some magical convenience items from the market, the boys managed to start a raging fire. She had enough pots and pans, plates, and cutlery for dinner and breakfast. Without saying a word, the jackal began to cook dinner.

After the audience is distracted, Gwen turns her attention to Deborah. Her friend had retreated to a corner of the camp, and now she had her spiritual core on her knees.

With the passing of mana, Deborah began the ritual.

The process of absorbing souls is simple. When defeated, an elemental spirit that once inhabited the body of a magical creature was trapped at its core. When connected to such a core, the mage gains the opportunity to combine the elements with the astral body. This process gives the element a direct connection to its main plane, allowing it to maintain the sustainment it needs for itself. In return, the mage assumes some of the soul's abilities and affinities.

Gwen sits, studying her friend. Sadly, they weren't in a cognitive room, otherwise she would have been able to witness the whole phenomenon in its entirety. In the future, Gwen knew that she would acquire a basic spirit of her own. While an empty one is impossible, it is entirely possible to purchase a lightning elemental through her master's connections, or to find a soul by raiding the orange and black areas.

"Gwen! I'm going to start!"

"Good luck!" Gwen gave a thumbs up to her friend.

Deborah held the stone close to her diaphragm and held the egg-shaped sphere like a baby. The Teleporter observes an amber light swirling inside, and then begins the process. There was a bright light, and then suddenly the core became sluggish, even though Deborah's body was surrounded by sand.

Hurry up, Debbie, you can do it!"

Deborah's amber eyes now take on a dull orange glow. Gwen could feel the dust of earthy mana pouring out of her friend's body, as the soul self-tuned and strengthened her affinity. Particles of stone and sand around Deborah began to rise into the air, creating a brownish-red vortex storm. Gwen backed away. One of the pebbles hit her leg and made her winch.

The boys pause to cook and observe the scene. The sandstorm continued until it was only a few meters wide, leaving Gwen and the others scrambling to hide. Then, the sandstorm suddenly stopped.

The silhouette of a seated woman emerges from the falling dust. Deborah has been transformed into a sandstone statue. Visually, her cross-legged face combination Deborah is a disguise for a fertility goddess. The Jaccaros opened their mouths wide as they watched as the clumps of dust from Deborah's body slowly peeled off, revealing the girl below.

Debb is a**! Gwen's heart pounded to her throat. She crawled out of the covers and made a towel for her friend. Deborah, perhaps unrealized, tried to get her halfway through. The girl turned, and a pile of clay cannonballs fell from her, exposing herself to three young men, who were laughing like foxhunters.

"The stars tonight are so beautiful, Vic. ”

"yes, man, she looks amazing. ”

"My jeans are a little tight......"

With a roar, Gwen let out a flash of low energy, and the boys hurried up the hill.

Deborah lifted her eyes, still mesmerized by what was blending. From the beginning of her ambivalence, her expression began to change, first realizing it, and then producing a smile of genuine joy that instantly melted Gwen's heart.

"Thank you, thank you very much. Her amber eyes welled up with tears, and her gratitude overflowed. Gwen clasped her arms around her waist and could feel Deborah's body pressing against her. She rested her hand on Deborah's ribs, a slight distance between her hands.

Deborah took a step back, as naked as Leda in front of a swan.

Gwen took another step back and pulled out a set of shirts and shorts. She silently made a mental note that she wanted to buy more clothes for the future, and she understood why Alicia had so many wardrobes. To her surprise, Deborah casually tossed her clothes aside, much to Gwen's annoyance at her waywardness.

"You were too careless," Gwen knelt down to retrieve the fallen clothes.

"What's the matter?" replied her friend in a trance, and I was happy now. ”

"You look drunk, Debbie. How's the spirit?"

Deborah pressed a hand to her heart and pressed the piece of flesh.

"It's happy and grateful. "Deborah lifted a finger and a wisp of silica started to scatter on it, do you want to see what we can do?"

"I want you to get dressed first," Gwen said solemnly.

Deborah shook her head.

"I'm afraid it's going to be quite difficult. It's an ability. ”

"Whole body metamorphosis?"

Instead of answering Gwen, Deborah smiled and raised her arms.

Gwen felt the dust of the earth elemental gather around them.

"Bronzeskin!" Deborah incused.

Instead of turning bronze, her skin became rough. The particles of dirt and the viscosity of the sand flow over Debbie's body. The effect is a bit disturbing, and in Gwen's eyes, her friend becomes a puppet made of quicksand.

Deborah giggled and said, "I should call this Shar Pei by now." ”。

"Sand Wall!" Deborah held up a hand. Where she gestured, the sand wall undulated, forming an instantaneous shape. The hills, the valleys, the pillars, the battlements, there seemed to be no end to what she created at will. Gwen looked down and felt something grab her ankle. Before she could react, she and Deborah rose into the air, one, two, three meters. A few seconds later, they were standing on a platform paved with sand. Gwen exhaled, impressed. In general, it would not have been possible to achieve such a level of affinity without years of extensive training.

"I'm not sure what my affinity is right now, but ...... Judging by the previous situation, it is likely to be five ......"

"That's great," Gwen congratulated her friend, getting tense by the minute. Deborah is very intimate, very nude, sand-skinned or otherwise.

"Blink!" Deborah announced. She suddenly disappeared and became a loose crust of sand, a hollowed-out beach sculpture. Gwen was about to applaud when she felt a pair of arms around her waist. She turned around nervously and saw Deborah's mischievous eyes looking into her own.

Gwen looked down.

Her scalp immediately rose.

"Blinking" is a low-level teleportation method that diverts the body into the Void Layer and then returns it in stages at a designated location. For low-affinity spellcasters, it comes with the danger of getting lost in the gray immaterial space – though Deborah's spirit has now replaced this limitation. Unfortunately, "Blink" doesn't teleport parts of the caster's costume that aren't soaked in tuning magic. This is also the problem that Alicia faces when she does not wear quasi-magical combat gear.

Gwen herself hadn't mastered any whole-body spells, but now that she was learning the versatile school of transmutation, it was only a matter of time.

Of course, her most pressing problem remains the ambitious Deborah, who seems to revel in her new abilities.

"Yes! wonderful!" said Debbie, "Gwen said please, let me come down and get dressed." You're going to catch a cold. ”

"What if I don't want to?" Deborah's lips opened to reveal the tip of her pink tongue. "Kiss me. ”

"Debbie. Gwen's tone turned serious, and I was serious. ”

"Okay. Debra stepped back and reappeared below. She puts Gwen on the first floor and lets Gwen confide in her nervousness about being restrained. Gwen handed over her new shirt, shorts, and underwear once more, and she turned her head to the side as her friend got dressed.

"I'm sorry. Deborah apologized as soon as she got dressed. Not being nude seems to have regained her friend's sanity. "I'm kind of fooled. I'm referring to my new abilities. ”

"Good. "Gwen punched her friend in the arm, as long as you're okay, Debbie. How are you feeling now, and there are no side effects after inhaling the spirit?"

"I'm fine now. "Deborah pauses I owe you, Gwen ......"

Her friend's words were a little too serious for Gwen to listen to. She spoke in a tone as if Gwen had saved her life, as if she owed a debt for her life.

"No, Deb, you're working hard, too. We are all lucky. I have nothing to do with this matter. ”

"I'll give it back to you, Gwynnie. I swear. I know I can now. With that spirit, I can do it. ”

"Debbie..."

"It's alright, Gwen. You know, I will never forget what you have done for me. ”

"Okay. Gwen touched her friend's arm, and Deborah pounced, but her friend had regained her flesh and blood.

"Let's take a break. We have a long way to go tomorrow. I'm also not sure if we need to check the shielding station, Opa said he would get in touch with the authorities. ”

"Okay. ”

Gwen turned and went to the tent, sweating profusely, but she was glad she had dodged a terrible slingshot.

Even though they missed quite a few shows, the three young bucks were still elated. After supper, they insisted that the girls bring both tents with them, and they gathered around the fire. In the same way, they offered to have the last hours before dawn, first Victor, then Tommy, and finally Taco.

Gwen was delighted by the display of chivalry in the hinterland, as she had been worried that Deborah would take the opportunity to snuggle up impromptu. Leaving aside her indifference, she simply doesn't have time for a relationship. There was still too much on her plate: Inter High School, the announcement of the apprentice, her debut as a Void Mage, and her pain was endless.

Gwen lay comfortably in her sleeping bag, feeling the excrement of her Void Spell steal her last sobriety. When she closed her eyes, the dancing lights that lit up her surroundings flickered. The camp was plunged into darkness, with only a campfire lit and the shadows cast dancing on the rocks of Dademan.

At dawn, the jackals got up. The young bucks cleaned up the camp and made breakfast with what Gwen had left for them. The boys easily made a jug of English breakfast with some omelette and a thin layer of bacon at the end. Later, the girls appeared, washing their faces and brushing their teeth.

Later, while the girls sat there admiring the view of the plateau, the jackals packed their saddle bags. Since Gwen and Taco were the smallest, she and Jaccaro shared a horse until they reached the main road, where Suya promised that a 4 out of 4 would be waiting for them. This had been the source of Tommy and Viktar's frowns until Gwen raised a glittering finger in warning.

It took an hour or so to reach the highway that stretches to the horizon of the stars. After another quarter of an hour they met Rhodes, who was drinking morning tea in the back of the carriage.

"Kids! It's a pleasure to meet you. ”

"Boss. ”

"Boss. ”

"Mr. Rhodes. ”

"Taco! close, huh, great job of transferring terrestrial sharks. ”

"Nothing, sir. Tacco scratched his chin.

"You've done a good thing, kid. I'll be sure to let you know. I'll get you a new horse and say a nice word. ”

Taco seems to be a little overwhelmed by the praise. After all, he fulfilled his duty in the hottest moment.

"Gwen, Deborah. ”

"Good morning, Mr. Rhodes. ”

"Good morning. ”

Before the jackals had to drive the horses back, they chatted a few more words. The carriage was packed, and Rhodes was ready to drive the girls back to Sulya's house.

Bite!

Gwen heard an obvious message spell.

"Opa?" she clutched one ear.

"Gwen, how's the hunt?"

"Very well, Opa, it's all over. As a result, there are some exciting new developments for Deborah as well. I'll tell you later. ”

"Great, I'm glad you're both safe. ”

"Thank you. Gwen gushed.

Surya cleared her throat.

"Yes, Opa?"

Her grandfather's voice became more serious.

"So, I tried to get in touch with the shielding station yesterday, but they didn't call me back. I got in touch with some of Hunter's colleagues this morning. ”

"Is this normal, Opa?" asked Gwen suspiciously, her crisis tingling.

"If we get a mana storm, or if there's a sandstorm coming in, of course. But the sky was as clear as last night and the day before? I suspect your terrestrial sharks might have something to do with it. ”

"Shall we go and see Opa?"

"I usually say no," Suliya hesitated for a moment, but it would take another day to get to the station, after all, this is a safe place, and you're with Rhodes, right?"

"Yes, Opa. "I'm with Mr. Rhodes. Gwen smiled at Rhodes, who held up the water bottle in thanks.

"Then you should be two hours away from the station. Would you mind going and seeing the kids there?"

"Not at all, Opa," Gwen affirmed.

"Good, I know I can count on you. When you come back, there will be rewards waiting for you. ”

"Thanks, Opa. ”

The spell suddenly disappeared.

Gwen tells Deborah and Rhodes about their new mission.

"Of course, those boys have been keeping us safe. "We should check if the monster somehow slipped through the shield. Rhodes nodded, tossing the cigarette into the dust, and I'm sure you girls can handle anything bad. ”

"Of course, Mr. Rhodes. Deborah flexed her biceps.

"Hmmm... Mr. Rhodes?" Tommy held up.

"No! don't!" Taco pushed his companion aside, Mr. Rhodes. ”

"What's wrong, kids?" asked Rhodes.

He was sure that he had told them to bring the horses back to the pasture.

Even though the poor turf had been roasted for days, Taco was still red.

The other two boys elbowed him.

"Just do it, Taco, you're the hero of the day!" Vikta kicked his companion.

"You'll never find an opportunity like that again!" Tommy slapped the young man on the back.

Taco stumbled forward, wide-brimmed hat clutched tightly in his hands.

"Hmmm... Belch... Ms. Gwen......"

"Yes, Taco?" Gwen raised an eyebrow. "Well, Mr. Takahashi, I'll have to say. ”

Taco has a warrior-like gaze, ready to receive a blade stab in the abdomen.

"I can... Asking you to eat? It's like saving my ass. ”

Deborah spat out the water she had been drinking.

Rhodes turned off the cigarette he had ordered.

"There's nothing like ......," Tacco muttered, just... It's like being in a local pub or something......"

Gwen blinked.

She slowly swallowed a sip of water from the water bottle, then looked around for guidance from those around her. The faces she saw were full of anticipation. Her brain was buzzing. It was the first time someone had asked her out, at least in her second life. But Tucker is a pseudonym, she's a mage, and if so, what should a girl do?