Chapter 98: A New Kind of Training

In the end, Leva still wore the clothes that Lara had made, a bikini top and super short hot pants. Of course, I asked for it.

Three days after Leva woke up, the woman rocked her new pickaxe to relax her stiff muscles. She had been unconscious for two weeks, after all. Her previously formed muscles had faded a bit.

Sweating, she stared at the pickaxe in her hands for a moment, looked at the container she used to carry clay, then snorted hard.

Maybe she doesn't want to take clay anymore and wants to start mining as usual?

I then whispered some instructions to her to do something. When Leva was walking to Manu, I saw Pif doing push-ups. I also saw the dispirited expression on his face. Maybe it's just his hardworking trait that makes him able to survive doing that monotonous activity day after day, without some entertainment.

So, I gave another instruction to the red-haired girl.

"Hey, Manu. I want to ask." Leva looked at Manu, who was standing on the temporary wooden frame. The frame was made so that Manu could build a wall in a high place. "Do you still need more clay?"

Manu stopped his construction work, then looked at the pile of clay that was still near the shelter. "We already have enough bricks. I just need to build a kiln and a furnace. I think the remaining clay will suffice as well."

"Then I'll stop transporting the clay, okay?"

As soon as Manu gave a thumbs up, Leva smiled and took out a sack, as well as Pif's bow and quiver. Then, Leva walked up to Pif, who was still doing push-ups.

"Stop that, brat. You come with me to mine." Leva stood by the young man. "Muscle and stamina building is not just doing what you are doing now."

Pif raised an eyebrow, stopped his push-ups, and looked at the red-haired girl. "I know what you mean, but what if I run out of energy? I'll bother you later. You know that I'm physically weak."

"If you fall, I'll carry you on my back." Without asking for approval, Leva pulled Pif to her feet. "And we ran towards the cliff for your training too. To make you more excited, I will chase you and give you punishment if you get caught."

"Punishment? How do you excite someone with punishment?" Pif grumbled in annoyance. "What kind of punishment are you going to give me? You want to destroy my dick like you said before?"

"Of course not, I wouldn't do such a twisted thing in a situation like this." Leva handed the quiver and bow to Pif while laughing. After that, Leva made a twisting gesture with her thumb and forefinger. "I'm just going to twist your nipple. It's not just any twist, because I once traumatized a member of my tribe. He covers his chest every time he sees me."

Pif winced and covered his nipples, starting to walk backward.

"The race is on!" Leva stomped her foot on the ground hard, causing Pif to run away with a frightened expression. At the same time, Leva chased after him while laughing again.

***

Pif was still gasping for air, even though Leva wasn't after him anymore. The young man walked some distance from the red-haired woman.

"Come on, Pif! We'll be there in a minute!" Leva approached the young man, who immediately backed away with a snort. The red-haired girl spread her arms. "I'm really sorry, okay. Maybe I did it too hard."

Pif rubbed his right nipple. When Leva twisted that part, I cringed hard. I can't imagine something like that happening to me.

"You can repay me for what I did to you." Leva puffed out her chest. "Even you can do it twice if it makes you more satisfied."

"Are you insane!?" Pif snapped with a red face. "How could I do that to you!"

"Why not?" Leva had an astonished expression. "This is a form of my apology."

Pif snorted again and quickened his pace, but Leva soon caught up and put her arm around him. Leva pressed the boy's cheek with her finger. The young man snorted for the third time. "You look cute when you're angry, you know?"

"Stop it. "I'm not a kid anymore." Pif tried to get away from Leva, but the woman hugged him even tighter.

"Hey, Pif." Leva looked straight ahead. "I want to ask you something."

Pif's brow furrowed. "Ask me something? What do you want to ask? And why are you looking so serious now?"

It took a few seconds for Leva to finally open her mouth again. "How do you get rid of the sadness of losing loved ones?"

"Aah…" Pif also took a while before finally being able to answer. "I don't know. I haven't found a way either."

"I see." Leva took a deep breath. She blinked her eyes which were starting to get coated with a clear liquid. "In that case, I changed my question. How can you still carry on as usual after losing so much?"

"There are only two choices, right? Keep walking or keep wailing? What happens if you keep wailing?"

Leva fell silent, and I contemplated Pif's words.

My two colonists stopped when they were at the crack leading to the salt cave. The crack has been covered with a pile of stones now. There's a flag stuck there. The flag, made of scraps of dull cloth, is engraved with a skull, using charcoal.

"I haven't been here since that incident." Pif hissed.

"Me too." Leva narrowed her eyes at the flag that fluttered slowly in the wind.

"We'd better get out of here soon." Pif shuddered. "I feel uncomfortable."

They continued their journey, past the cremation mark, which was now just a stretch of ashes, then started walking down the cliff. It took about an hour in-game time until Leva finally stopped walking.

"Here …. Maybe this is iron…." Leva turned her head to Pif. "It's your time to shine."

Leva begins to teach Pif how to swing the pickaxe well. With slightly blushing cheeks, Pif occasionally glanced at Leva's face, which was so close to him.

I envy you, Pif. I also wanted to be taught this closely with someone like Leva.

"What?" Leva raised an eyebrow when she realized that.

"Nothing." Pif shook his head, then started swinging the pickaxe against the cliff wall.

"Your form is already good. Just keep it that way." Leva stepped back and studied her new student. "Give it a little more force."

Knowing it would be boring because Pif was doing the monotonous work, I went over to Kat, who was hunting.

Once near the amber-eyed girl hiding in the bushes, I didn't find Rox. Kat was observing something.