They sat by the riverbank with pale faces. Jagu returned to his normal jaguar size and rubbed his head against Ash's hand.
He, who had started getting used to the things he saw in this Finding Object world, quickly recovered and stroked Jagu's head. "Good job, buddy. You saved us all."
Jagu purred and kept nudging his nose and mouth against Ash's closed hand. He whispered, "What is it?"
Jagu continued nudging his nose and mouth until Ash turned his palm open.
The jaguar then placed something from his mouth into Ash's palm. It was a black, round earring.
Ash glanced at his team members and saw they were still sitting there, pale and frozen with fear.
"What is this?" he whispered to the big cat, who then nudged his cheek with its nose and mouth, making him giggle.
Ash quickly opened his Inventory screen in secret to check the earring Jagu had just given him.
[You have obtained Tear of The Naiad.]
[Item rank: Rare.]
[Description: Blessed by the Naiads, helping the wearer to connect with water spirits and channel the power of rivers. Only those with pure hearts can earn this rare treasure.]
'Huh?'
He was confused while reading the description of the earring. There was no explanation about its function or purpose, but the words said that only those with a pure heart could obtain it.
Grinning slightly, curious whether he himself possessed a pure heart, he put the earring on his left ear while glancing at his teammates, who weren't paying attention to him.
Nothing happened, and he chuckled softly. That must mean he had a pure heart.
However, his chuckle was heard by Luca, who was sitting not far from him.
"What's so funny?" Luca asked, his face slightly flushed and weary. His eyes were still staring across the river with a horrified expression.
Ash stammered a little. "N-no, it's nothing. I was just thinking... I just turned eighteen, but I've already seen an R18 scene."
Dwayne, overhearing their conversation, laughed. "Yeah, that was definitely an eighteen-plus scene."
Xion laughed as well. "You should be grateful for getting an uncensored, first-hand look at something that should've been blurred out."
Everyone laughed, except for the female team members. They hadn't seen anything like what the male members had witnessed.
Curious, Milo asked, "What exactly did you guys see back there?"
"You didn't see what was on the big rock earlier? The ones Ash's pet killed?" Xion asked.
"Yes. We didn't see anything at first, but then we saw those frog-headed creatures after Jagu killed them," Milo replied.
Hank chimed in, "It seems like the women couldn't see them..."
The male members became a bit shy, but eventually, Dwayne answered, "We saw four women wearing very revealing outfits on that big rock earlier."
Hearing that, Milo and Mia were left speechless for a moment, but then they chuckled.
"Let it go. I've heard that Nymphs, including Naiads, love teasing men. Let's get moving now," Milo said with her signature playful smile.
They then set off in their jeep, heading back to Drogo Castle.
***
When they arrived, Ash immediately headed to the dormitory designated for members of The Unveilers.
The dormitory consisted of several large apartment-like buildings located in the center of the castle. All the buildings faced each other, forming a square shape.
Hank, a member without a family, also lived there. However, each member had their own room, so Ash had a room to himself.
'Nice. That means I have privacy, and this big cat also needs his own space,' he thought, lightly tapping Jagu's head. The jaguar happily responded by nuzzling and licking Ash's hand.
They, along with Jagu, walked towards the building to their rooms. Hank's room was on the third floor, while Ash's was on the second floor.
The building was exceptionally clean, painted in dark brown, like most of the structures in Drogo Castle. A middle-aged woman could be seen mopping the corridor.
He headed to room number 27, inserted the key he got from Milo, and unlocked the door.
The room was 12 x 8 meters in size and fully furnished. A medium-sized bed was placed in the center, along with a bathroom and toilet. There was also a complete kitchen set, equipped with a refrigerator—and even a washing machine!
A TV set with gaming equipment was available, along with a computer on a desk paired with a gaming chair. A sofa was positioned at the side of the bed.
His eyes widened in astonishment. 'Is this what life is like for the Finding Team in a major group?'
He checked all the equipment, and everything worked perfectly. The only difference was the lack of internet, unlike in the real world.
Even the gaming console in front of the TV functioned, complete with several game discs.
"Hmm. This is really fun, but I wonder if I'll even have time to play," he muttered, remembering Milo's words that they would be heading out on another mission in two days.
With a sigh, he headed to the bathroom to freshen up, then prepared his dinner. Meanwhile, Jagu, as usual, sprawled on the bed lazily.
After finishing his meal, which happened to be a cup of instant ramen he found in the kitchen cabinet, he placed the bowl on the side table.
Then, he took out the four special items he had earned as his reward for the day.
Earlier, Milo had distributed the rewards among all the team members, with each receiving two special items. Ash also got a bonus for saving the entire team.
So, today he ended up with a total of four special items and one rare item. Also some amounts of gold coins.
He opened his Stats screen and discovered that his player level had increased.
[Player: Ashborn Locke]
[Player Number: #23875]
[Level: #5]
[Stats:
⇒ Strength: 85
⇒ Endurance: 75
⇒ Agility: 85
⇒ Intelligence: 75
⇒ Magic: 125
⇒ Defense: 300]
[Extra Point: 60]
[Skills:
⇒ Hunter: Level: #8]
[Sword Skill:
⇒ Shadow Dance: Level: #42]
"Yes," he exclaimed with a wide grin.
In just one day, his level had increased by 0.6.
It wouldn't be long before he reached Player Level 10 and would be able to choose an Advanced Profession.