Benjamin had left the ladies in the hut sleeping comfortably and peacefully, after their rather intense and exhausting communion together, a shared experience that had drained them completely while leaving him strangely energized and alert.

As it seems, the reverse of the usual pattern was occurring quite rapidly and unexpectedly this time around;

With Benjamin being the one overwhelming the women sexually and energetically, unlike the prior occasions where the opposite had been true and he had been the one left breathless and spent.

Now, despite everything that had just happened, he was still full of energy, practically buzzing with vitality and restless power that had nowhere to go and nothing to immediately attach itself to.

Sys was currently and intentionally tuning his heightened senses down by a very large margin.

She was reducing the range and intensity significantly.

Because if she did not take this precaution, Benjamin could hear every single whisper drifting through the air, every soft shift of fabric against skin, every quiet breath and murmured word, and even the unspoken thoughts of the Amazons who populated Verdant Spire.

Thoughts, most of whom were already excited and overjoyed that Benjamin had finally returned to them after his long and worrying absence. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

And many of whom were privately wishing and hoping that he would choose to spend a night with them in their own beds, a thought that Benjamin did not need to hear echoing through his mind from every direction at once.

With his senses reduced so considerably, brought down to a level that was merely sharp rather than nigh-omniscient, he could currently function more as an ordinary person and less as some kind of spiritual being.

It was dark now in Verdant Spire, the sun having long since set below the horizon and the deep blue of night having settled over the treetops and the hanging walkways.

But the lanterns hung on thin lines and draped over tree branches were lighting up the Spire in that familiar, warm, golden glow that made nostalgia brush softly and gently over Benjamin’s heart... like a tender hand reaching out to touch him after a long separation.

A bit lost in awe and wonder, he wandered about the familiar paths and platforms, his feet carrying him wherever they pleased.

He kept admiring the home he had been away from for a considerable amount of time, taking in every sight and every sound and every scent that reminded him of why this place mattered to him so deeply.

This was before something interrupted his peaceful reverie;

"Benjamin..."

The familiar sharp voice called out to him from somewhere nearby, cutting through the ambient noises of the night with its distinctive edge and tone.

He turned his body around slowly to face the direction the voice had come from, already knowing who he would see standing there.

"Yo, Tamar."

Benjamin raised one hand in a casual wave at the tall, raven-haired girl who was standing at a small distance away from him with her arms folded firmly across her chest.

Her dark eyes were fixed on him with an expression that would be difficult to read in the dim lantern light.

She was dressed in her usual light armor, the practical and minimal set that exposed her toned midriff, with the lower part of the armor acting as spats that hugged her hips and thighs without restricting her movement.

Her muscular and toned body was displayed openly, every line and curve speaking of strength and training and discipline.

However, the femininity of her form was not undermined or hidden by her physical power — she was simply a woman who was both strong and beautiful, neither quality canceling out the other.

He smiled warmly at her, genuinely glad to see her face after so many days apart, and walked toward her with measured and deliberate steps, his pace unhurried and relaxed.

He had not seen her for days, so he wondered what she was feeling in this moment...

What emotions were hiding behind that sharp voice and those folded arms, and that unreadable expression.

And when he finally got within range of her, when he was close enough that she could reach out and touch him without moving her feet from where they stood, she immediately lunged forward and grabbed him into a firm, unyielding embrace.

Her arms wrapped around his body with notable strength, holding him tightly against her.

"Hmph. You are always getting into trouble, always finding some new way to worry everyone who cares about you," she muffled her voice against his neck, her face hidden from his view as they pressed together in the hug, "And do not think for a single moment that I missed you while you were gone, do you understand me?!

"I did not miss you at all, not even a little bit, not even for one second... But... n-never leave me alone like that again... W-Welcome back to Verdant Spire, Benjamin."

Benjamin’s eyes softened considerably at her words, his expression growing gentle and tender as he squeezed her back just as tightly in the shared embrace, his arms wrapping around her smaller frame and holding her close.

"It is good to be back, seeing everyone again," he said quietly, his voice warm and sincere. "I am truly sorry I kept all of you guys waiting for so long without any word. That was not fair."

"Hmph! I will not forgive you," she grunted against his neck, her voice stubborn and fierce, still pressing their bodies together as if she were afraid he would disappear if she loosened her grip even slightly, "I will not forgive you for leaving me behind and making me worry, not knowing if you were alive or dead or somewhere in between. But... I might reconsider my position just a tiny bit, just a very small amount, if you agree to f-f-f-follow me to my room right now, without any arguments."

"...Haha. If you promise not to constrict my breathing and suffocate me right here in the middle of this walkway, then I am definitely game," Benjamin laughed softly at her words, his chest rumbling with the sound.

He tried to peel her arms off his body gently so that they could walk together, but she refused to budge even a single inch, her grip remaining firm and unshakable.

"No! Absolutely not! I am giving you the accumulated hugs, and the stored embraces, of all those days and nights that you were away from me!" Tamar nagged at him, her cheeks flushing as she tightened her embrace around his body even further, squeezing him with all of her strength. "T... Tremble before my fearsome and inescapable death hug, Benjamin! You have no hope of escaping until I decide to release you!"