The lightning-covered Crimson greatsword in his hand was thrown, instantly arriving before him and easily piercing through the plant-like fibres of the Vylkr vines beside him, pushing them backwards before striking the ground heavily with a thunderous sound.
It tore them apart and drove deeper into the ground without hesitation.
Meanwhile, Orion had appeared before him with ferocious bluish lightning gathered around his feet once more as he stepped on the Vylkr vines that were about to attack him again, charring and momentarily making them halt their advances.
He instantly arrived at the position where his Crimson greatsword had landed.
Although all these things had happened within an instant, it was still enough to buy time for Seth, who immediately bathed some parts of the two three-star Vylkr vines with molten lava, buying them even more time.
"Can you make this sword lighter, Aerialia?" Orion grunted, struggling to pull the Crimson greatsword out of the ground. Simultaneously, he fended off the one-star and two-star Vylkr vines closing in around him using his lightning-covered arm.
However, Orion received no response.
Turning to the side, he looked at Aerialia, who stared at him with furrowed brows and an unpleasant expression, as if she had just heard the most disagreeable words of her life.
Meeting Orion's gaze, Aerialia narrowed her eyes.
"I don't believe I have given you the right to address this goddess by her name," she said.
Instantly understanding what Aerialia was trying to convey, Orion responded, "Sorry, Goddess Aerialia, that was a slip of the tongue."
He swiftly cut down another Vylkr vine headed his way before creating a small lightning net around him to delay them.
"Hmph!" Aerialia snorted at his words. "It has already been done," she retorted.
Orion nodded before he grabbed the Crimson greatsword handle, effortlessly pulling it out with a single motion.
"Thank you," he said to Aerialia. He didn't want to sour his relationship with the only negotiable god within arm's reach.
As he took down the bluish lightning net, it was at that moment that Seth arrived before him.
"I can only hold them back for a minute before they begin attacking again, so let's get out of here as fast as we can," Seth urged.
Orion nodded and promptly followed behind Seth as they raced through the Vylkr vines, immobilizing them for a moment with molten lava and the Crimson greatsword as they passed by.
They continued until they arrived below the Orion's skies. Fortunately, no other three-star Vylkr vine had arrived at that moment. Even if it did, facing four three-star Vylkr vines, which attacked them simultaneously, was already enough to let them know how unlucky they were.
As Orion re-summoned the Crimson greatsword back into the small Crimson mark, he directed Seth's attention towards the rope he had used to climb down from the Orion's skies.
"Alright, you go first," Seth instructed.
Orion nodded, and Seth immediately grabbed his arm, propelling him into the sky. Balancing himself mid-air, Orion extended both arms forward, seizing the rope and causing the Orion's sky to momentarily quiver before regaining stability. Climbing upward, he reached the basket. However, the Orion's sky shuddered again, prompting Orion to glance downward and see Seth tightly gripping the rope.
Seth ascended slowly before releasing his hold, leaping toward the nearest Orion's sky. He grabbed the basket, tilting it slightly to the side, before he climbed into it.
Witnessing this, Orion sighed in relief and re-entered his own Orion's sky. However, before he could stabilize himself properly, Saria immediately dashed towards him, screaming, "Orion!" She wrapped her arms tightly around him, tears streaming down her face.
"I thought… I thought you were gone," Saria spoke, her voice cracking with emotion.
"Didn't I tell you that I'll be back soon," Orion said as he gently patted and rubbed her back.
He watched as she withdrew her head, her teary blue eyes looking at him.
Unexpectedly, before he could react or say another word, she brought her head forward and kissed him, tightly sealing the kiss with her arms wrapped around his neck to ensure he didn't break free.
After less than a minute of an intense kiss, Saria pulled back, breaking apart the kiss.
"I know I shouldn't be doing this, as such a thing has never happened or been heard of in the village. But after what we've been through together, I just can't help myself," Saria said.
"Orion, will you be my partner?" Her voice lost confidence and grew smaller as soon as she finished her sentence.
Orion looked at Saria's uncomfortable, shy expression and immediately understood her thoughts.
He stretched his hand forward, feeling her body tremble as he cupped her face in his palm, lifting her gaze so that he could look at her properly.
"Yes, I'll be your partner," Orion responded softly.
He watched as her eyes widened, her mouth opening slightly in shock and surprise.
She immediately jumped towards him, wrapping her arms around him and pushing him toward the basket's floor.
Before Orion could say another word, Saria continued to weep even harder.
"I... thought that you would say... no," she cried out.
She had confessed her feelings to Orion without expecting a response, as a relationship between a tree nymph and a human was not easily accepted within the village.
It wasn't forbidden, but the idea seemed so illogical that anyone in the village would look at them strangely if they ever heard about it. After all, villagers typically formed partnerships to contribute more children for the village's growth as they grew older. They did so to spend the rest of their lives with each other.
Additionally, considering that their fertility dropped with age, a tree nymph, incapable of giving birth and with a longer lifespan than the average villager, seemed an unconventional choice.
The only individuals who could catch up to them in age were the warriors, but they were focused on protecting the village from Vylkr vines and dealing with tree nymphs since ordinary villagers could not do so.
