"But the villagers said that it takes years to increase in cultivation. It's also rare for anyone from a village to become an Essence Sea cultivator. Most of them become stuck at the Essence Lake stage," Maia said.

"Really?!" Misho exclaimed in shock.

"Yes. And apparently, they cultivate the Yin and Yang cultivation. Women would bask in the moon at night, while men would bask in the sun in the morning to cultivate," Maia replied.

"Oh? So there are different elements for each race and sex."

Misho held his chin in thought. That meant that their growth would be different compared to other players that chose the other races.

"Mm. I tried cultivating earlier when I saw you cultivating so hard, but I just can't… Maybe I'm not fit for this game, Misho?" Maia said with a despondent look on her face.

"It's alright. I can help you. Let's hold hands, okay?" Misho said and comforted her.

He walked up to her and opened his right hand to her. Maia's eyes sparkled, and she took it.

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Continuous reward activated!

Every 10 minutes of continuous hand-holding, you will be rewarded with +1 woman essence.

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The two of them held hands, and they observed the nighttime village from the window. There were no words said between the two of them, but Misho and Maia felt closer than ever.

After ten minutes of silence, a notification appeared in their vision.

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+1 Woman's Essence!

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Misho and Maia immediately felt a warm energy enter their bodies from the other's hand.

Maia's face turned red, and she looked at Misho.

"M-Misho, I feel hot."

"L-let's stop for now," Misho said awkwardly.

At this rate, they might do some unthinkable things. His mind was starting to wander as they spent a long time together. Not to mention, the weird and warm energy that entered his body made him feel aroused for some reason.

"Yeah…" Maia nodded her head.

"Let's check our cultivation instead," Misho said.

"Mm."

Misho and Maia separated. Misho sat on the bed, and Maia sat on the floor like before.

They crossed their legs and closed their eyes.

Misho looked inside his dantian. The lake inside his dantian spread out to the dark area like spilled ink on a piece of paper. It only stopped after moving for several kilometers.

After seeing the massive change, Misho felt amazed. With this, they didn't have to cultivate that much. They only needed to hold hands. The problem was that if they did it for too long, they might lose control of their teenage bodies.

Misho opened his eyes and made eye contact with Maia. The two of them immediately understood what was on the other's mind.

(Let's do it again.)

(Let's do it again.)

Misho patted the part of the bed beside him.

Maia understood and stood up. She sat beside him, and she offered her hand to him.

Misho took it. They awkwardly held hands as their heartbeats started to quicken.

*Knock knock knock*

Both Misho and Maia jumped up in fright and separated their hands from each other.

The door opened, and Kea walked in.

"Quarter, Maisha, dinner is ready," Kea said with a gentle smile on her face.

She glanced at Misho and looked at the hands behind their backs.

"L-let's go, Maisha," Misho said.

"Y-Yeah, Mi– I mean, Quarter," Maia replied in a panicked stutter.

Kea looked at them suspiciously before turning around to leave.

"P-Phew… If she saw us, she would think we're doing something lewd," Misho sighed and relaxed his body.

"Mm."

Misho and Maia left the room together. They entered the dining/living room in the house.

There was a small wooden table at the center with Gerald and Kea sitting beside each other. Misho and Maia sat on the free chairs.

The table was filled with three roasted birds, a loaf of bread, and several fruits in a basket.

"Wow…"

Both Misho and Maia felt hungry the moment they saw the food on the table. The roasted smell of the birds wafted into their noses and tickled their appetites.

As for the fruits, one of them looked like an apple, while another type was green and round.

"Welcome to our house. These are our celebrations for the two of you joining us. Please do your best in investigating the surroundings of the village," Gerald said with a warm smile on his face.

"Thank you!" Misho responded with a wide smile on his face.

"You're too nice, Uncle Gerald!" Maia said.

The two of them felt happy seeing the food on the table.

"So that was why you were roasting those birds earlier," Maia said with a look of realization on her face.

"Yes. That's right. This bird is a local here, and the bread is made with the wheat we farm. As for the fruits, those are from the surrounding trees," Gerald said warmly.

"Quarter, you don't have to be embarrassed with your name anymore. We won't ostracize you for it," Kea said as she smiled at him.

"W-What?" Misho stared at her in shock.

"You said you came from a village far from us, right? The other villages you found must have kicked you out because of your name. It's okay. We understand you," Gerald said kindly.

Kea and Gerald stood up. The two of them surrounded Misho and embraced him.

Both Misho and Maia were taken aback by their actions. They never expected them to think of it that way.

"It's okay, Quarter. You can get an official name after you get into a city. After that, you don't need to deal with the stupid name your parents gave you," Gerald said as they embraced Misho.

"O-Okay???"

Misho was forced to nod his head. He was at a loss on what to do. He turned his head and looked at Maia.

"Hehehehehe…"

He was about to ask for her help when he saw her giggling at him. He frowned and looked away from her. She was only making him angry.

After a while, Kea and Gerald released Misho and returned to their seats.

Misho opened his mouth and asked them about it.