Chapter 113: Becoming Momo's Boyfriend?
"—As for the condition? How about this—you take us to see other worlds someday?"
Franklin shook his head, sounding helpless. "That's really not something I can do right now. At least, not with my current ability. But maybe someday I can. If you're willing to wait, I can promise it now—just… no telling when it'll happen."
Momo twirled a strand of her hair around her finger, her expression subtly amused as she studied him closely.
"Sigh… how should I put it? You're not the type who likes to lie. You face things head-on, and you actually take responsibility for what you do. And you're full of secrets—layer upon layer—hard for anyone to see through."
As she said this, Momo's lips curved into a smile.
"No wonder Sis likes you. She's never been fond of scheming types, and now she's met someone who not only cares about her but gives her a kind of safety that even family can't. It's no surprise she fell for you. You've passed my test—but getting through Nana's will be harder.
"As for helping you with my dad…" She tapped her chin lightly. "That part's easy. I'm kind of interested in you myself. So how about this—you become my boyfriend?"
The moment those words fell, Nana completely lost it. She sprang to her feet, grabbed Momo by the wrist, and dragged her a few steps away. The two whispered fiercely to each other, and then Nana stormed off toward the forest.
When Momo returned with that teasing smile, Franklin took a deep breath, his tone serious.
"I'll have to refuse that condition. Feelings aren't something I take lightly. You're Lala's sister—my future sister-in-law. That kind of joke really isn't funny."
Even after being turned down flat, Momo didn't drop her smile.
"Don't be so quick to refuse. I have my reasons. The idea is simple—you pretend to be my boyfriend. That way, I can learn some of your secrets without you holding back, since it's something a 'girlfriend' is entitled to know. I'll also explain things to Dad. He'll be furious, sure—but probably won't go overboard. Once he leaves Blue Star, the deal's void. How about that?"
Franklin still couldn't quite figure her out. There was no way she genuinely liked him—not this soon. So what was she after? Just his secrets? He thought for a long while, then finally nodded.
"I get what you mean. I can accept that. I'll leave the matter of… explaining to my future father-in-law in your hands."
Momo's smile deepened, bright and delighted. Just then, a flock of birds burst from the forest canopy. A thunderous roar followed, making her turn toward the trees in surprise.
The next instant, a massive frost dragon with glacial-blue wings soared from the forest, heading straight for them. Franklin's face changed the moment icy dragon breath shot toward them.
He shifted his consciousness to his phantom body—merging the two—and in one smooth motion, scooped Momo into a princess carry and leapt aside.
The dragon's breath struck the strange computer, freezing and shattering it completely. But the icy torrent still pursued them. Franklin summoned his lightning rune—Yang Lightning—infusing it with spiritual power. Arcs of lightning crackled through the air, the current traveling along the icy breath back to its source.
A pained roar rang out—followed by a startled cry. The dragon stiffened midair and plummeted. Because Franklin's control of lightning was so precise, the girl riding it—Nana—was completely unharmed.
As the dragon fell, Nana tumbled off too. Spiritual energy surged around Franklin; with a thought, he condensed a giant spiritual hand from wood-attribute energy and caught her before she hit the ground. All three landed safely.
"Nana, that was way over the line! If I hadn't reacted fast enough, Momo could've been seriously hurt!"
Nana ignored the scolding, rushing to the fallen dragon. Once she confirmed it wasn't badly hurt, she turned back to Franklin—still fuming.
"You're the one to blame! It's all your fault! Even Momo isn't safe from you now—you're the worst kind of scumbag!"
Franklin sighed. "Didn't Momo tell you she was joking? Whatever her real reason is, she clearly doesn't like me like that. Do you seriously believe she fell for me at first sight?"
That finally gave Nana pause. When she turned and saw Momo watching with a playful smirk, she exploded again—baring her little fangs and biting Franklin's arm before wriggling free of his grip. Then she lunged at Momo, the two rolling and scuffling on the ground.
Franklin didn't even bother to stop them this time. His consciousness returned to his main body, leaving just enough awareness in the game to watch. As the two girls wrestled, their panties—one pink, one blue—flashed into view while they yanked each other's tails, gasping and squealing. It was… quite a sight. Franklin decided there was no harm in watching a little longer.
Meanwhile, inside the game world—under Mith's guidance—the party had already left the city. Following her lead, they moved swiftly toward the next town. According to her, only there would they reach the true safe zone. Along the way, they cut through monsters with ease.
Mith kept a close eye on Asuna, still wary of Franklin's group despite Lala's friendliness. She never dropped her guard.
At first, wild wolves and boars served as convenient practice targets. Under her instruction, Franklin demonstrated for Lala and Bulma how to handle them. Then it was Bulma's turn—and her crisp, efficient combat technique left Franklin speechless. Remembering that she had reached the Foundation Establishment stage four or five years ago and hadn't progressed since, he suddenly understood why.
Lala's performance was sharp too. Watching the three of them fight, Mith was left dumbfounded.
"You three seriously aren't beta testers?"
Franklin spread his hands. "Nope. In fact, we're not even from your world. I'm a cultivator. I came into this game to polish my swordsmanship—never expected things to turn out like this.
"But it's fine. Since we're not using the same system, once we reach the next town and you're safe, we'll probably log off for a while."
Bulma shot him a questioning look, but Franklin waved it off.
Now that the exit button on the control panel had lit up again, there was no reason to keep hiding who they were. In fact, it'd only get harder to conceal later—so he might as well be honest now.
If they thought he was a delusional role-player or some kind of lunatic, so be it. Once he logged out for real, that would prove his words true.
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