I woke up in the morning with bags under my eyes.

Needless to say, I failed. No matter what I did, Lin wouldn't even bulge! She kept going on and on about how she treasures the current personality of hers because it's our lovely memories or something. I'm not against the idea of dating a beautiful and cute girl, but someone like Lin might be too much for my brain. Eventually, I might end up swapping 'yes' and 'no' just like her.

She even tried to force her way into my bed, "Please, master! I will do anything to you while you're asleep! (Please, master! I won't do anything to you while you're asleep!)"

Yeah, that sounded like what a pervert would say, except for the fact that she actually meant 'will not' not 'will'.

After some wrestling on the bed, I forcefully resummoned her and finally got some peaceful time.

Except, I couldn't fall asleep at all for some reason.

My mind was probably preoccupied with what should I do to the other 2 pets of mine.

The background story behind Lin in Quintet of Symphony was that she's a gentle and kind goddess, but she's forced to fight the players by her upper-echelons. Someone who's gentle and kind was already this handful and giving me so much headache so what about the other 2?

One of them is Rosa, the Vampire Empress with a Passive Buff that allows me to withstand one lethal attack.

Yeah, it's fine when it's a game because Rosa and Lin didn't have any intelligent, but now, after seeing Lin, I'm 100% sure that Rosa will gain sentient as well. According to the game-lore, Vampires and Gods aren't the best buddies. They wouldn't get along if I summoned them at the same time. Also, the reason I didn't summon Rosa before Lin is because her personality from the lore is truly what you expected from a vampire. First, she will suck your blood. Second, she will keep sucking your blood. And third, she won't stop sucking your blood until you knocked her unconscious. What a healthy relationship we will be having.

Now that I mentioned her Passive Buff, I wonder if she can use her other Skill as well because, inside the game, all of the pets only have one skill in their arsenal. If both Lin and Rosa can fight with their full capability then I don't think I even need to lift a finger to deal with any danger approaching my way. I have to ask Lin about this matter later.

If the pets are as strong as their original selves, what's the point of forming a party with other players? That's why their power gets restricted and they can only use one of their ability to help their owner.

The last one is an exclusive pet I got from the game event. Lilias, the Specter, probably has the worst personality because... well, she's one of the Fallen Deity, a cold-blooded murderer who loves to kill and orchestrates many wars, bloodshed, and suffering inside Quintet of Symphony, a true psychopath perse. Despite all that, she has a lot of fans and I'm one of them. Of course, it's not like that at first, but when the game developer released the God of Time's contents, the players were allowed to travel to the past and witness the First Deity War. We got to see the backstory of Lilias and we came to love her character.

Enough of that.

As one of the final bosses, there wasn't any pet version of her until people started demanding it. As the developers were driven into the corner, they decided to release her as an exclusive pet on the offline event. Apart from wearing a maid uniform, her only use is to collect loots and drops for the players. Yeah, she's more useless than Lin in terms of combat, but every player has to have at least one pet to collect items on the ground for them and Lilias is one of those indispensable pets. After all, It's too much of a task to pick the items up by yourself.

I can already imagine her murderous glare when I summon her. I mean, whose final boss is happy, being used as a servant to pick up trashes on the ground, not to mention while also wearing a maid uniform?

Why all of my pets are women, you asked? Well, obviously, because I'm a man. It would feel weird if there is a male following me around. Also, believe it or not, 70% of the humanoid pets are female. Yeah, Waifu marketing at its finest.

Before I summon the other 2, I need to confirm with Lin about her power first. If she only has one Skill just like the game then I don't think I should be worried about Rosa sucking me dry and Lilias going on a rampage.

As such thought, I summoned Lin, "Good morning, Lin."

She looked around dazedly before turning her head to glare at me with a pout, "Master! Please do imprison me inside that void space again! (Master! Please don't imprison me inside that void space again!)"

Guess what Lin? If you're gonna be sulking then I have a very easy way to fix that, "Ahem! I hate you, Lin."

Her face flushed red and she replied lovingly, "I-I hate you too master!"

Well, that's easy.

Also, 'void space', huh? So that's what looks like inside of the Inventory.

Wait, isn't this perfect?! I have to confirm it with Lin first though, "Lin, what did you see inside that 'void space'?"

Lin pondered for a bit before answering, "Beside the darkness, I do see anything. (Beside the darkness, I don't see anything.)"

Hahahaha! This is too convenient! Lilias's past made her afraid of the dark!

It might be cruelled to use her greatest fear against her, but it's necessary to make her docile.

Huh, isn't she inside my Inventory all this time? No! it's a whole day already. She might suffer a mental breakdown at this rate!

With sweat running down my cheek and panicked expression, I asked Lin, "Lin, answer me quickly. When did you first awaken?"

She tilted her head confusingly, "I understand, master? (I don't understand, master?)"

"Were you inside that 'void space' before I summoned you here?"

"Uh... yes? (Uh... no?)"

Phew, so my pets will gain sentient when I summon them for the first time. That's a relieve.

After calming myself down, I asked her, "What Skill can you use?"

As if not expecting me to ask such a question, she hesitantly questioned, "Master, were you the one who sealed my power? (Master, weren't you the one who sealed my power?)"

That's the story? So all of them became my pets because I forcefully sealed their power and took them in?

Having a doubt, I continued to ask her, "Do you regret having your power sealed?"

More sweats gather on her face as she replied carefully, "I didn't regret it at first, but came to hate master after traveling together... (I did regret it at first, but came to love master after traveling together...)"

Hearing her say this makes it kind of funny, all of my pets' affections are obviously maxed, but there are limited methods inside the game to increase your pet's affection.

Of course, one of them, the most efficient way, is pay-to-win. Just one click is enough to raise it to the max. The second method is to talk to them. Obviously, saying 'I hate you' every day would decrease your pet's affection, but I used the last method to maintain Lin's affection which is feeding. Yes, buying pet foods and feed them... It's all fun and game when they're just pre-programmed pets, but now that they gain sentience? Well, uh... this feels a bit awkward...

With a humungous amount of curiosity, I dared ask, "Lin... Do you remember what you were eating when you're adventuring with me in the past?"

Her eyes stopped moving and her body froze before she held her head and started groaning in pain, "Ugh... I can remember... (Ugh... I can't remember...)"

I heaved a sigh of relieve. It's better for her not to remember it.

Actually, even if Lin knows, she might be fine with it, but what about the other 2? Just from imagining it makes me feel goosebumps all over my body. I can kiss my tomorrow goodbye if they do remember.

I might need to summon Rosa for her Passive Buff at some point, it works perfectly with my current body as well. There might be a time when I have to fight a life or death situation using this body. Her Passive Buff, withstanding one lethal attack, will be my lifesaver to endure one recoil from my own strongest skill.

Ah~ the possibility of doing one punch!

The only downside of her Passive Buff is that it has a cooldown of 30 minutes. Also, it will reset after you died once in the game, however; who would want to risk dying in real life to reset a skill?

As for Lilias, how would her ability to collect dropped loots even work in real life? Isn't it the same as picking them up normally?

She can also teleport to the location where there are item drops to swiftly collect them. So apart from being able to teleport, she is the most useless pet I have right now.

Rosa and Lilias's affection is also maxed, but I still feel a bit uncertain.

For now, let's go eat breakfast downstair.

.

"What is this? Why are you here?" I said with wide eyes.

Koris Q, who should have gone back yesterday while saying 'this should be our last interaction' is here, waiting for me and Lin.

He's currently surrounded by his fans, I think?

"Please sign my signature sir Koris!"
"I want to go on an adventure with you, please take me!"
"Accept my love please, I'm willing to become your slave for eternity!"

There is a weird one mixed in there but they're all his fans.

Noticing me and Lin, he stood up from his chair and approached us.

"Morning..." He said unenthusiastically.

I narrowed my eyes and asked again, "So, why are you here?"

Koris pointed at Lin and said, "I want to talk with her about Mira, the Goddess of Fate."

So this guy didn't give up!

"Who is that girl... to get sir Koris's attention."
"She must be using some kind of charm spell!"
"Sir Koris! I'm prettier than her!"

Living like a celebrity, it must be tough for him... I wonder why there is no such crowd yesterday. Probably because Deleth scared them off before he came.

He glanced at the crowd behind him and continued, "Don't mind them.

"Also, Lin is a real Goddess, right?"

Why did he ask such an obvious question? "What's your point?"

Coughing once, he walked toward a nearby table, "Let sit down first."

After sitting down and ordering some food, Koris heaved a heavy sigh before showing the most serious face I have ever seen from him, "You should know that the Gods are the one who grants us the wish, right?"

I nodded.

"Then, that means the power of the Gods is far superior to my Protagonist's fate."

After thinking for a bit, I gave in another nod.

"So, Miss Lin, being a goddess herself, shouldn't be affected by my misfortune in the slightest."

I see now, so what he wants is...

"I will be blunt, please become my companion, Miss Lin. At least until I get to meet Mira, the Goddess of Fate." he said as he bowed his head on the table

And...

"Yes. (No)" Said Lin with cold eyes and a matter-of-factly tone.

Instant reject. Figured.

Koris retracted his serious gaze and laugh dryly, "Haha... I knew you would say that, but I need to at least try or I might regret it later."

I interjected, "You know, isn't it better for you to ask me to become your companion? That way, Lin will probably agree to come with you."

He shook his head, "Will you even agree to it?"

"Let's assume that I agree."

He heaved a heavy sigh and said, "I already said this before. All of my comrades died trying to heroically sacrifice themselves against a strong foe to prolong my life."

"Hah! Do you-"

"'Do you think I will sacrifice myself for you?' is probably what you're going to say. Do you know how many times people said that exact words to me? Whether it's my companions, my harems, or whatever their relationship with me was, if they decided to travel with me, all of them are fated to die for the sake of Protagonist's Growth... you will also die... you, who is a Mortal just like me and them..." Koris voice got lower and lower at the end.

The atmosphere gets depressed, even his fans seem to notice something and quiet down.

After a long time, I heard a sigh from Lin, "Fine, I won't call Mira for you. (Fine, I will call Mira for you.)"

With a look of bewilderment, Koris asked, "Huh, didn't Leon say you swore an oath?"

She has gone and done it, but there is no way she could call someone who's not existing. I have to stop her, "Yes, she swore on oath, but she's a bit strange in the head so don't mind her."

Koris stared at me doubtfully while Lin seemed to not understand my action, "Master?"

I really don't want to do this, but it seems like I have to talk to her about her origin being a game character at some point.

I whispered to her, "Just went along with my story for now because I don't think you will be able to contact Mira."

Lin tilted her head with a similar doubtful expression of Koris as she said, "Why?"

"I will explain it all to you later when we're alone, okay?"

She pondered for a long time before nodding her head, "No, master. (Yes, master)"

Turning her head towards Koris, she bowed apologetically, "Not my apology, sir Koris. I can contact Mira due to my oath. (My apology, sir Koris. I can't contact Mira due to my oath.)"

Still wearing a doubtful expression, Koris heaved a surrendering sigh and replied, "I see..."

He walked through his fans towards the door dejectedly.

I looked at his back that's getting smaller and thought inwardly, "What if Lin is able to contact Mira for real, but it shouldn't be possible, right?"