Chapter 2: Cold Shoulders
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The soft crunch of sand under his shoes echoed with each step as Rylan wandered inland, the frozen trail Esdeath had left slowly thawing behind them. Palms swayed above, and the ocean breeze whispered through the foliage. The warmth of the sun was pleasant, but he couldn't stop glancing at the silver-haired woman trailing beside him like a silent shadow.
Her heels didn't sink into the sand. She didn't sweat. She didn't even blink much.
"Are you always this quiet?" he asked, breaking the silence.
Esdeath glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "I'm watching your surroundings. This place isn't safe."
"Well, sure, pirates exist here apparently." He scratched the back of his head. "But you froze them solid. I doubt they'll come back for round two."
She didn't smile. "That wasn't a fight. That was cleanup."
Rylan let out a low whistle. "Okay, damn."
They reached the edge of a patch of trees, and he paused. Hunger gnawed at his stomach. His soaked jeans chafed, and he was barefoot. He was exhausted, confused, and walking next to an insanely powerful woman who called him husband like it was a given.
"Can we… take a break or something? I'm not exactly made of energy right now."
Esdeath turned to him, folding her arms under her chest. "You're weak."
He gave her a flat look. "Thanks for the ego boost."
She stepped closer. The edge of her long coat fluttered behind her, and Rylan instinctively took a step back when her eyes narrowed.
"I didn't mean it as an insult," she said. "You're a normal human. This world isn't built for people like you."
He huffed. "Yeah, no kidding. I was just trying to get a damn SSR."
At that, Esdeath tilted her head. "SSR?"
Rylan sighed. "Limited-time character. You know, gacha banners. RNG hell. Waifus. Pulling until your soul leaves your body."
Her gaze didn't waver. "You were willing to risk everything for someone you desired… and now, you've summoned me. Perhaps you got what you wanted after all."
That last sentence hit differently. The way she said it—calm, direct, almost possessive—it made him swallow a little too hard. She wasn't joking.
The air around them dropped a few degrees, just slightly enough for Rylan to notice the goosebumps on his skin. Whether it was the cold or her presence, he wasn't sure.
They reached a small clearing where fallen leaves blanketed the ground. Rylan dropped to sit against a tree, finally letting himself rest.
"Hey," he muttered after a long silence, "do you… know anything about this system?"
Esdeath didn't sit. She stood watch like a sentinel. "Only what I've been programmed to understand. I exist because you completed a mission. I am bound to you."
"So you're like… an AI?"
Her expression turned slightly sharper. "I am not artificial. My memories may be fractured, but my emotions are mine. I can feel, think, desire."
He blinked. "Wait… so you're like a real person?"
"I am real. Real enough to kill for you." Her voice softened a little. "And to protect you."
There was something in her tone—something less ice and more woman.
He shifted, looking down at his hands. "I didn't ask for this, y'know. I was just trying to escape for a bit. Life back home… wasn't great."
The wind rustled through the trees. Esdeath didn't reply immediately.
Then, her boots crunched the leaves as she stepped closer. Rylan looked up—and froze when she knelt in front of him.
"I don't care why you summoned me," she said quietly. "But now that I'm here, I won't let anyone take you from me."
His mouth went dry. "That's… kind of intense."
Esdeath leaned forward, resting a gloved hand on his chest. Her fingers were cold, even through the fabric. But her gaze burned.
"I don't share," she said.
Rylan's heart thudded hard. Was this a joke? A threat? A confession?
He suddenly became aware of how close she was. Her sharp military jacket hung open just enough to reveal the subtle curves of her chest, rising and falling with her breath. Her pale skin looked like it could melt against his fingertips, even though she radiated cold like a walking glacier.
She leaned in closer. "Would you like to… feel how real I am, Rylan?"
His brain short-circuited.
"W-Wait, are you serious?"
Her lips ghosted his earlobe, and a tremor ran down his spine.
"Say the word," she whispered. "Just one word."
He gulped, staring at her, caught between desire and disbelief.
A faint ding echoed in the back of his mind.
[SYSTEM WARNING: USER AFFECTION LEVEL INCREASING RAPIDLY]
[CAUTION: HIGH PHYSICAL PROXIMITY DETECTED WITH SUMMONED AVATAR – CONSENT REQUIRED]
He flinched. "You can see that too?"
Esdeath smirked. "No. Only you can see your system. But I can feel your heartbeat."
He pushed her gently back, trying to breathe. "We, uh… we should pace ourselves."
She studied him, then nodded, standing tall again. "As you wish."
He stood too, brushing leaves off his back. His legs felt like jelly, and it had nothing to do with exhaustion. Just what the hell kind of cheat ability had he been given?
A waifu system that summoned fully aware, emotionally active, ridiculously powerful women… with loyalty bordering on obsession?
And this was just one of them?
His stomach growled.
"…You don't happen to have food, do you?" he muttered.
Esdeath blinked. "No. But I can hunt."
Rylan raised a brow. "Hunt?"
She didn't reply. Instead, she vanished into the trees. The temperature dropped slightly again as frost trailed behind her steps. Moments later, he heard the distant sound of cracking ice.
Five minutes later, she returned, dragging a frozen, wild-looking bird by the leg.
"…Okay, yeah, you're definitely real," he muttered.
She tossed it to the ground and drew a curved dagger from her coat.
"I'll prepare it. You rest."
Rylan sat down again, watching her move with unnerving grace as she skinned and dressed the bird like it was second nature. Efficient. Cold. Beautiful.
He leaned back, sighing.
"I don't know what kind of messed-up luck brought me here… but I think I'm gonna survive this after all."
[NEW QUEST UNLOCKED]
[SPEND ONE NIGHT WITH SUMMONED AVATAR WITHOUT LOSING CONSCIOUSNESS]
[REWARD: SYSTEM COMPATIBILITY BOOST – LVL 2 UNLOCK]
Rylan stared at the message, then slowly turned to look at Esdeath.
She met his eyes. "You're blushing."
"I'm not."
"You are."
He groaned and covered his face. "God help me."
She smiled.
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