Both the flying creature and the girl didn't look pleased at all, seeing Leon confirm by nodding repeatedly that he had indeed come through the portal she'd drawn on the ground.

She said something in her harsh, guttural language with a distinctly bitter expression on her face, speaking to her bird companion.

"Kresh vol mandor sikth. Vel'kresh sikara tor."

To which the massive creature responded by stomping one of its powerful feet on the ground with visible frustration.

BOOM!

The impact caused a slight tremor that rippled outward through the rocky terrain around them.

They're not happy about portal travelers. That's... concerning.

Next, the girl came closer to Leon suddenly and without warning, reaching out to grab his wrist firmly. He didn't feel any genuine hostility from the contact, so he allowed it without resistance, letting her take hold.

She started leading him somewhere with a clear purpose, pulling him along.

Leon immediately felt the strength in her grip on his wrist—it was genuinely something impressive.

She's definitely strong. Her toned body is not just for show—she has real physical power.

Stopping at the back of her flying creature, she gestured urgently by nudging him and pointing repeatedly at the creature's back, clearly communicating that he should climb on and sit.

She wants me to ride with her.

Leon knew perfectly well how to fly on his own using his elemental abilities. However, the girl obviously didn't know that, and he didn't bother trying to explain it now. Communication was already so difficult—they were reduced to using basic signs and gestures like primitive people.

So he climbed up onto the back of the flying creature and took a seat, settling himself as comfortably as possible on the surprisingly smooth plumage.

The feathers were warm from the afternoon sun, and a faint musky scent clung to them—like earth baked under heat and dry fur brushed with smoke.

In his mind, he was already thinking strategically about what he needed to do about the severe language barrier between them.

I need to fix this communication problem as soon as possible.

He opened up his cosmic shop interface mentally, the transparent golden screen appearing before his eyes, invisible to others. He began searching through categories for any item that might help him understand and speak their language.

Just then, while he was focused on browsing, he suddenly felt two large, soft sensations pressing against his back.

PRESS...

The feeling was unmistakable and extremely distracting. He could feel everything through his thin shirt—the warmth, the softness, the distinctive shape.

What the—?

He realized she was going to ride along with him, but why was she sitting so impossibly close? Their bodies were practically pressed together.

Then she suddenly pressed even more firmly against his back, eliminating any remaining space between them.

PRESS!

Just then, he heard her voice speaking directly in his ear from behind him, her breath warm against his skin.

"Vel'kresh mandor sikth tor kala!"

He didn't understand the words she said, but she definitely got his attention—though not in the way she probably intended. The soft pressure on his back was incredibly distracting, making it difficult to concentrate on finding the perfect item in his cosmic shop.

From the side, he could see her hands reaching around him, gripping the distinctive neck feathers of the bird creature for stability.

And from behind, he could feel her soft chest pressing even harder against his back with deliberate force.

What the fuck is she doing?!

That thought screamed through his mind as he tried to process the situation. He did understand on some level that she was telling him to hold onto the creature's feathers like she was doing. But why was she so close? He could feel her entire body against his back, from her thighs to her barely-covered chest, touching and pressing against him. And she was definitely pressing intentionally, as if she actively wanted to make him feel the substantial weight of her chest.

Is this normal for her culture? Or is she a per—?

However, her voice came again directly in his ear, slightly louder this time, as if she was trying to tell him something important and urgent.

"KRESH! Vel mandor SIKTH!"

She pushed her chest against his back even more emphatically.

Which made Leon finally understand and say aloud reflexively, "Oh, you want me to lean forward!"

While saying that, he leaned his upper body forward into a riding position, tilting at about a thirty-degree angle.

After he adjusted his posture, the overwhelming weight and pressure on his back lessened considerably. But he could still feel her presence as she leaned forward together with him, matching his angle. However, she wasn't actively pressing her chest against his back anymore with such force.

Oh! She was telling me to lean forward for aerodynamics and stability. Not... the other thing.

He understood now that she had been instructing him on proper riding posture through physical demonstration and pressure.

Then, along with another command in her foreign language, the giant creature flapped its massive wings powerfully.

WHOOOOSH! FLAP! FLAP!

They took off rapidly into the red sky. The rush of wind howled in his ears, mixing with the deep, heavy beat of wings flapping like thunder against the clouds.

Leon felt significant pressure on his body from the acceleration and wind resistance. Since he deliberately wasn't using his elemental control to help stabilize himself right now—wanting to experience this naturally—the forces were quite substantial.

So that's why she told me to lean forward and hold on.

If he hadn't leaned forward and grabbed the creature's surprisingly tough neck feathers when she'd instructed him to, he would have been knocked backward off the creature entirely during takeoff.

She wasn't being a pervert. I was reading too much into it. She was just teaching me proper riding technique. Her clothing sense being minimal doesn't mean she lacks decency.

Leon let out a soft exhale through his nose, equal parts embarrassed and reluctantly amused, his lips twitching into the ghost of a smirk.

Even after everything I've seen, somehow this still counts as a first.

As the creature flew steadily through the hot air, traveling above the settlement below and heading deeper into their territory, the scent of dry fur and old stone filled the air, mingling with the rising heat currents that shimmered across the sky.

More importantly, Leon continued feeling her body pressed against his back. Her barely-covered form, and especially her chest, which was definitely not small by any measure, created constant soft pressure.

Focus on the shop. Focus on finding the language item. Stop being distracted.

The soft feeling kept distracting him from time to time, pulling his attention away from the transparent golden cosmic shop screen floating before his eyes as he tried to find a proper way to communicate.

Of course, he was distracted repeatedly.

How can I not be? This is... this is a lot.

After what felt like a short while of travel—though measuring time was difficult while distracted—they finally started descending toward a landing zone.

The beast's body tilted forward slightly, and Leon could feel the shift in its muscles under him—like coiled rope unraveling midair.

To Leon, it felt like an absolute eternity. This journey had been quite heavy on his back in multiple ways.

And he made that sarcastic remark internally with a flicker of disbelief:

That wasn't a flight. That was a sensual ambush with wings.

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