Turning back time a few minutes. Trisha was lost in thought as she sat on her bed. It had been bothering her all day that any time she looked at Yuki, Ryu’s face overlapped with hers. It was also the same for when she looked at Ryu’s face, Yuki’s face would overlap with his. “What if… This is a big what if… What if Yuki was playing a male character?” This thought suddenly came to mind. When she thought about it, it seemed like something Yuki would do. “If Ryu is Yuki… Then the feelings that have been forming for Ryu are my feelings for Yuki…?”

Trisha blushed as this thought came to mind. “Am I weird? If Yuki is really Ryu, then wouldn’t that mean I am falling in love with a girl?” Kicking her feet on her bed, Trisha buried her face into her fox plushie.

That was when the phone lying next to her dinged, telling her she had a message. She picked it up and saw the name of the person sending her a message. Trisha’s lips immediately curled up into a smile. She quickly opened the messaging app, and the first thing she saw was: “Come to my house early tomorrow morning.”

“Your house!?” Trisha replied back almost instantly. She couldn’t help but be excited. She had never been to a friend’s house before. Never mind one of a girl who seems to be stirring her heart.

“Yeah, my apartment was remodeled today, and I now have a shower and bath. So you can come to my house to use the bath or shower from now on.” Was the next thing Yuki sent, causing Trisha’s mind to go wild. As she stared at her phone in a daze, Yuki sent another message. “The bath is big enough for two.”

“Address!” Trisha replied back. She leaned back on her bed, her imagination going wild. “If the bath is big and she mentioned it, that means she wants to bathe with me, right? That means… No. No. She probably just means like we have been doing… Yes, that must be it…”

Trisha let out a sigh. She looked at the clock that still showed she had 15 minutes left before she could log in and closed her eyes. As she did, Yuki’s face appeared in her mind. Not just her face but also her body that had not a single speck of clothing on. Trisha bit her bottom lip as her hand reached for her modest soft mound on her chest. In her mind, she scanned down Yuki’s body, looking at her chest, her flat belly, and then the spot between her legs that had a small patch of black hair. Without even realizing it, her other hand had slipped between her legs. She had only rubbed a little bit when she suddenly left out a soft moan. “Mmmm… Yuki…” As soon as the name slipped through her lips, Trisha’s eyes shot open, and all her actions halted. She felt the wetness between her legs and the stiffness of her nipples. “Am I really? Ahh! What do I do now!? ”

Trisha removed her hands from her privates and held her head as she sat up into a sitting position. “I wonder if Ryu could help me with such a question… No, No, he would probably think I am a weirdo, but if Ryu really is Yuki, then…” Trisha went from holding her head to pounding her fist and feet off her bed. She was confused. She didn’t know what she should do. She had only just become friends with Yuki a few days ago. She has no idea how she even began to like Yuki in such a way. Then there was the big what if. If Ryu was Yuki, that was fine, but if Ryu was actually just some guy and not Yuki, wouldn’t that make her some kind of slut!? Trisha had so many questions but no answers for any of them. She knew she held Yuki dear to her heart. She was her first friend in real life, and Yuki truly cared about her. Early this morning, when Yuki got mad for her sake, she couldn’t help but have her heart flutter.

“Is it because Yuki is so similar to Ryu that I started thinking like this!? Ahhh!” Trisha let out a yell in frustration. “Yuki, what do I do!?”

Trisha looked at the clock and saw it was a minute past and pouted slightly. She still had not found her answer. She picked up her VR gear and put it on. “If Ryu is Yuki, then I will know my answer, but if she is not, then I will need to figure out what I am truly feeling. Ahh! I need to log in.”

When Chi logged in, and her eyes opened in game, she came face to face with a handsome man. She had completely forgotten that she had logged off in Ryu’s embrace because of the trial they were on. “R-Ryu!”

Yuki looked at Chi’s blushing face and smiled as she reached up and flicked Chi’s forehead. “Hold on, we have a ways to go.”

“HUh!? Ahh! Wait, Ryu! I am not ready!” Chi let out a shriek as she was lifted up by Ryu. She had yet to hold on to anything and almost fell. She had no choice but to reach out and cling tightly to Ryu’s neck.

Yuki chuckled as she took a step forward. When her foot stepped on the next step, Yuki realized that no matter how much she braced herself, it still hit hard when the pressure grew stronger with each step. She could only grit her teeth and look forward. Not only was she gaining levels for enduring all of this she was also finding this to be good mental fortification. By struggling to press on with each step, she found herself more determined to reach her goal. Even if she felt it was hard. Even if she felt the pain in her body as her bones creaked with each step, she was determined to push on. This was different from her previous self, who liked to play it safe.

It had been three hours of real world time, which was a few days in game time. Yuki was soaked in sweat. It dripped down onto Chi, who was in her arms. But Chi did not care. She could only look on helplessly while she was safe and sound in Ryu’s arms.

At the top of the mountain staring down the stairs, Fu Shi looked at the young man with a glow in her eyes. “This young man. Determination, looks, and someone who takes care of the girl by his side. This girl sure is lucky.” Fu Shi let out a sigh and looked down at her transparent body. “If only I was alive…”

The entire time Yuki climbed the steps, she and Chi were quiet. All the questions Chi was planning to ask to try to see if Ryu was Yuki or not were not asked. She did not dare break Yuki’s concentration at this time.

*Ding!*

[Due To Tempering and forging of your will and body, 150,000 experience awarded.]

Level: 9 → 15/20

More days passed in game until finally, as Yuki passed through the cloud bank, she could see the final ten steps, and standing at its peak was Fu Shi. “Chi, we are there, ten more steps to go.”

“Mm….” Chi answered softly. She felt terrible. The man in front of her struggled so much just to reach this point and all she had to do was go for the ride. She was not able to do anything.

9… 8… 3… and then finally Yuki’s foot landed on the final step. The great pressure she was feeling released off her body, and a big grin appeared on her face. “Yes!” Yuki yelled out.

“Well done.” Fu Shi was truly impressed.

*Ding!*

[Due To Tempering and forging of your will and body 285,000 experience awarded.]

Level: 15 → 19/20

Yuki’s and Chi’s levels had also progressed rapidly due to the pressure tempering and forging their bodies. Chi had also caught up to Yuki in levels and was also now level 19.

Yuki let Chi down from her arms, and her body swayed slightly. All the tension faded away, and her muscles began to relax. She felt her knee begin to give out and began to fall to the ground. “Ryu!” Chi quickly supported Yuki. Chi did not realize it, but the look she was giving Ryu was warm and full of care and concern, borderline love.

Fu Shi smiled and came to a decision. “Normally, I would force you two to take the final trial, but I think this is enough. Plus, you are both about to break through into the Fortification Realm. And for that, it would be best to use the inheritance I am going to be handing over to the two of you. To be honest, I never expected the first ones to take my trial would be the first ones to pass and even do so with only 2 trials. Young man, you never once put down the girl in your arms no matter how tired you got and pressed on. You not only showed trust but determination and finally, what the third trial was about, loyalty. Little girl make sure you cherish this man. Because he cares deeply about you.

“Now then enough of that and let’s get to the good stuff shall we?”