Chapter 8: The calm before Storm
Zara took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay, sign in, Fluff."
[Okay, Host!] Fluff chirped brightly.
He raised his tiny paw in the air, giving Zara an enthusiastic thumbs-up. With a small pop of light, Fluff disappeared from her shoulder, diving into the system space to process the sign-in.
A moment later, a clear voice echoed inside Zara’s head:
[Ding! Today’s sign-in used. Distributing reward: Basic Swordsmanship.]
As the reward announcement echoed in her mind, Zara’s eyes lit up.
"Swordsmanship! That means I can be considered a knight now!" she said excitedly, her voice practically bubbling over.
But before she could celebrate further, Fluff reappeared in front of her with a disdainful look on his tiny face.
[Host! With Basic Swordsmanship, you can only be considered an apprentice. Don’t get ahead of yourself.]
With a single comment, he completely shattered her fantasy.
Zara deflated on the spot, her excitement leaking away like a popped balloon.