Chosen By The Lover's Constellation-Chapter 153: Children of Mana, Part Thirty-Six

{Lianna}

{December 22}

Lianna sat in front of her System interface, scrolling through the options in the Player’s Shop with a furrowed brow.

Mystic Staff of Arcane Energy

Quality: Uncommon

Requirements: Mys: B- or greater

{Effect: Every time you cast a spell, gain a stack of Arcane Energy. Upon reaching 5 stacks, regenerate 15% of your mana}

{VAL: 500 WST}

---

Frostbite Longbow

Quality: Uncommon

Requirements: Proficiency in archery

Effect: Slow enemies hit by 50%

Value: 1000 WST

[Hm... That last one could be good.]

The screen displayed a variety of weapons, each with their own stats and abilities, but none seemed to stand out as the perfect solution against Jack.

Still, Lianna had already gotten quite a few, looking to equip her friends to the best of her ability.

As what could be one of the final fights in this struggle drew ever closer, so too did Lianna’s desire to be prepared.

Mel approached her table, carrying freshly brewed tea. She set it down on the table beside Lianna and took a seat across from her.

"Did you... get anything useful for us?" Mel asked, her voice laced with concern.

Lianna sighed, shaking her head.

Mel didn’t know the details. Still, she’d been surprisingly receptive to Lianna saying, "I have access to an ability that let’s me spawn items that no one else has." She only questioned it a little, as did Enverna.

"I’ve gotten a few things. Nothing too insane, though."

Mel nodded in understanding.

"I hope you can find something."

As Lianna continued to browse through the options, Mel leaned back in her chair.

Up ahead, same as ever, Enverna was training.

[She’s actually making a lot of progress. Her Lance skill has gone up to 25. I wonder if me being nearby has started to have an effect on her potential. Maybe that’s why she’s improving so fast.]

"You know," Mel began, her tone thoughtful, "the Starlight Association is sending in some mages to help us with the fight against Jack."

Lianna looked up, her interest piqued.

"Really? That could be pretty helpful."

Mel nodded.

"Of course. Trust me, you might think I’m talented, but those students back at the Association are something else."

Lianna returned her attention to the interface, her fingers tapping thoughtfully on the screen as she considered Mel’s words.

"It feels like this is going to be a very big fight," Mel continued, her voice tinged with apprehension. "And even after that, we still have to deal with the Fiend raid."

Lianna nodded in agreement, a heavy weight settling in her chest.

"I know. It’s a lot to take on, but we’ll do our best. We have to."

Mel reached out and placed a reassuring hand on Lianna’s shoulder.

"We will. We’ve faced a few tough challenges before, haven’t we?" Mel gave a little smile. "Hopefully, this will be no different."

As Lianna scrolled through the listings in the Player Shop, her eyes scanning over various weapons and equipment, she suddenly received a notification on her System interface.

Curious, she opened it to find another quest from the Lover.

The quest read:

{Kiss Enverna in front of Caroline}

{Reward: 10 RP}

Lianna blinked.

[Really?]

A faint blush crept onto her cheeks at the unexpected request, though it was mostly just amusing. After a moment of consideration, she shrugged to herself.

[Well... Alright. Should be some easy RP. In fact, why not get it out of the way now?]

Putting aside her search for weapons, Lianna made her way out of the Player’s Shop and headed towards the training arena where Enverna and Caroline were sparring.

As she approached, she could see the two of them engaged in a lively exchange, their movements fluid and practiced.

Mel and Zura stood nearby, watching the match with interest. Vayn was also there, keeping her eyes on the street, likely to check if they were being spied on.

Lianna caught their attention with a wave, signaling that she wanted to interrupt for a moment.

Enverna and Caroline paused, taking a breather as Lianna approached, a bright smile on her face.

The training arena was alive with the sound of clashing swords and the rhythmic thud of footwork as Enverna and Caroline sparred with impressive skill. Beads of sweat glistened on their brows under the harsh glare of the training lights, casting shadows that danced across the arena floor.

Lianna stood at the edge of the training grounds, her heart swelling with pride as she watched her friend train hard.

The snow-haired woman charged the air with her effort, each strike and parry against, objectively, an opponent who two times the fighter she was, a testament to her dedication and determination.

"YOU’RE DOING GREAT, ENVY!" Lianna cheered, her voice ringing out over the sounds of battle. "KEEP IT UP!"

Enverna flashed Lianna a bright grin amidst a light blush, her breath coming in short, exhilarated gasps as she deftly dodged another strike from Caroline.

One, two, three blocks later, Caroline held a hand up, signaling for them to take a break.

She wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand, her eyes shining with determination.

"You want to watch?" Enverna called back.

"Sure."

"Then, get comfortable. We’re only getting started," Enverna said, her voice filled with determination.

As Caroline took a moment to hydrate, Lianna thought:

[Now’s my chance.]

With a surge of courage she didn’t know she possessed, she moved forward, her pulse quickening with each step.

As Enverna saw her coming, her eyes widened slightly.

"Hm?" Caroline raised a brow subtly, a gesture Lianna may not have noticed had the quest not specifically stated that the kiss needed to happen in front of her.

Suddenly, the air crackled with tension as she closed the distance between herself and Enverna.

Enverna lowered her spear. Lianna placed her hands tenderly on Enverna’s cheeks.

[... Doing this in public is kinda embarrassing. Not as embarrassing as that kiss on the beach was, though. Oh well.]

Then, slowly, Lianna drew closer, her movements slow and deliberate.

Any thoughts of this being embarrassing faded away the instant their lips drew closer.

The world seemed to fade away around them, leaving only the two of them suspended in a moment of shared intimacy.

With bated breath, Lianna pressed her lips to Enverna’s, the sensation sending that usual rush of warmth cascading through her body.

For a moment, Lianna forgot all about that quest. Time stood still, and the rest of the world faded well into the background.

Enverna’s lips were soft and yielding beneath Lianna’s touch, her breath warm against Lianna’s skin.

In that fleeting instant, all the noise and chaos of the training arena faded into the background, leaving only the echo of their shared connection.

For a heartbeat, there was silence.

Then, slowly, the sounds of the training grounds began to filter back in. The distant shuffle of footsteps. A distant backdrop to the intimacy they shared that now reappeared in full force.

[Right... We were in public.]

As Lianna pulled back, a soft smile tugged at her lips, her gaze locked with Enverna’s.

Naturally, Lianna’s eyes roamed the spectators, gauging their reactions.

Caroline’s brows furrowed in a mixture of annoyance and... perhaps curiosity.

Mel’s jaw tightened clearly, a flicker of jealousy crossing her features as she observed the intimate moment between Lianna and Enverna. Her eyes darted between them, a pang of longing evident in the depths of her gaze.

She was borderline pouting.

Vayn and Zura just exchanged amused glances.

It was Enverna herself whose reaction shook Lianna to her core.

There was a flicker of something in her eyes. A hunger of sorts. A silent invitation that she’d be extending this moment once they were alone.

Lianna felt a rush of warmth flood her chest as she met Enverna’s gaze, a spark of anticipation igniting within her.

Given what had happened recently, however, Lianna wasn’t too sure whether pushing on this feeling was the right thing to do or not.

The quest notification distracted her, though.

Quest Completed!

RP Gained: 10

RP: 60

[Well, that’s nice.]

---

Later, the soft glow of the lamp cast a warm, intimate ambiance in the room as Lianna sat at her bed, still engrossed in her task of purchasing weapons.

Now that she knew they were going to have even more reinforcements coming, Lianna wanted to make sure they were equipped too.

[Not that it’s going to matter,] she thought. [We still don’t really know what Jack’s got in mind.]

She scrolled through the options, weighing the pros and cons of each, her brow furrowing in concentration.

The door creaked open, and Lianna glanced up to see Enverna entering the room.

Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of her, a rush of warmth flooding her chest as she took in Enverna’s presence.

"Hey," Enverna greeted softly, her voice tinged with a hint of hesitation.

Lianna smiled, rising up to greet Enverna properly.

Before she could say anything, however, Enverna closed the distance between them in a swift, purposeful stride.

And then, without warning, Enverna’s lips crashed against Lianna’s with a ferocity that stole her breath away. Lianna melted into the kiss, her heart racing with a heady mix of desire and anticipation.

Enverna’s hands moved with a sense of urgency, trailing along Lianna’s body as she began to peel away her clothes, leaving a trail of heat in their wake.

Lianna’s skin tingled at the sensation, her senses overwhelmed by the intensity of Enverna’s touch.

But even as desire pulsed through her veins, a flicker of concern nagged at the back of Lianna’s mind.

Enverna had been through so much recently, and Lianna couldn’t help but worry about the toll it had taken on her.

"Enverna," Lianna murmured between kisses, her voice barely above a whisper. "Are you sure about this? After what happened..."

Enverna silenced her with another searing kiss, her lips moving with a hunger that left Lianna breathless.

There was a raw, primal energy to her, an intensity that ignited a fire within Lianna’s soul.

"Stop talking," Enverna whispered against Lianna’s lips.

Lianna nodded, a wave of longing washing over her as she surrendered herself to the moment.