"What should I do with her in the meantime?" Azrael asked.
At least a day would pass before Mary could contact her creator and get something that would let her translate Kaya's language. Leaving Kaya alone would only expose her to danger, and it was already a miracle only a single group had shown up during the hours she'd spent in the dungeon alone.
The timing was perfect, honestly. I must've scored a lot of points in her heart with my new strength.
Mary pondered aloud. "You could take her home."
"Isn't it too early, Mom?" Azrael covered his lips, putting on a joking tone.
Mary clenched her little hands and shook her head. This time, she could clearly tell Azrael was joking and not taking it seriously. After all, he'd be the first one to take a girl home!
"Alright! Let's do it," Azrael chuckled.
With his portal home open, Azrael jerked his chin toward it. Unlike the vortex used for the dungeon entrance, this one looked different at a glance, and it was obvious it led somewhere else. Going first wasn't an option, though, or it'd close behind him, so Kaya needed to take the first step.
This might've been the boldest step of her life.
Going into the unknown with a man who was shameless. So shameless that not only had he stolen her reward for clearing the dungeon, but he'd also stolen her lips.
With a strong grip on her spear's handle, Kaya went past Azrael and touched the portal, soon appearing in a completely different world where even a simple modern interior looked alien.
Still as a statue, she looked around like a lost puppy.
A huge TV stole her attention, an anime episode playing on a loop. She stared at adorable and sexy anime waifus with confusion and interest. The AC blowing warm air felt so comfortable that Kaya suddenly got sleepy, which was normal after so many events in a single day.
But a single peek outside was enough to jolt her awake again. She'd never been so close to the clouds.
He's undoubtedly someone prominent!
A moment later, Azrael came out of the portal.
No graceful landing for him, either. The portal spat him out like usual, as if he were a distasteful snack.
"This damn skill…" he muttered under his breath.
Mary commented as well. "You need to practice landing, or perhaps your skill takes after you and only treats ladies well."
"Now that makes much more sense!" Azrael brightened at the thought and cursed his skill without holding back.
It wasn't like he disliked his friends or hated them, but he'd for sure call them out for their attitude toward him in the future. Once he descended the mountain with his harem, he'd show the entire world who he was!
"I'll now seclude myself on your roof to make a mental call to my creator. I'll see you later. Do not die," Mary said, casually drifting out of the house and flying up to the roof.
Umbrella in hand, she seemed to be having a lot of fun. Anyone clever would know she was looking forward to Azrael's suffering, after all the mom comments he'd made so far.
Naturally, Azrael was already in woman-hunter mode.
Hunters lure out their prey with meat and stuff. I'll lure her in with my independence. There's nothing more handsome than independence! First of all, she got all sweaty and dirty! Easy!
Putting on the most handsome smile he could, Azrael gestured for Kaya to follow. He took her to his bathroom and showed her how to use the shower, along with where the shampoo, soap, and other things she'd need were. Neatly folded towels were already waiting, and he handed her a spare shirt and a pair of pants.
Sis would be so proud of me… sigh!
After that, Azrael excused himself from the alien woman, who'd been keeping up pretty well so far despite the cultural gap.
Now then. I need a skin ointment for the torn skin on her hands… bandages, too. I should cook something light as well. I'll prepare a room for her while she's eating! Let's do this.
And so, the hunter began setting traps all around his house to steal the woman's heart.
—
Over the next 6 hours, Azrael pulled off what looked like smooth criminal moves. In his own mind, he'd completely nailed his plan and shown the alien woman just how reliable he was.
By then, Kaya sat on Mary's sofa, curled up with a thick blanket around her, watching TV.
Nearby, Azrael did push-ups, which was yet another part of his plan to show more of himself, even though he'd always been pretty lazy.
Mary came down from the roof with a book in hand and walked into the house. The thing was the size of her little head. Her eyes lit up when she saw Azrael working out and the red-haired woman sitting calmly on her sofa looking much better.
"I imagined you two fighting, but you did so well!" Mary commented. "Here's your reward for your achievements! It's about time you spoke to her!"
"Is that what I think it is?!" Azrael exclaimed, his voice drawing Kaya's eyes.
Mary beamed. "Yes! It's a skill book from a dungeon chest that grants universal language comprehension! It's a valuable book, but Earth hasn't been able to establish universal diplomacy yet, so its value hasn't risen. There are a couple of those skill books anyway, so you can have one!"
"You wear a goth dress, but you're a little angel inside!" Azrael exclaimed as he took the book from Mary's hands.
[Would you like to learn Universal Language Comprehension(A)]
In an instant, Azrael felt a new skill invade his brain. Heat flared through his skull, and he closed his eyes from the pain. For a few seconds, his mind went numb before he returned to consciousness. The skill settled inside him, and he didn't feel like he was hitting his limit anytime soon.
He smiled. "Hey, do you understand me, beautiful?"
"Ah," Kaya exclaimed. "You're not a monkey anymore."
Azrael's eyes darkened when he heard her words.
Monkey? Did this bitch just call me a monkey?
On their own, his hands curled into fists. Veins popped across his forearms and temples.
Mary flew up. "Do not lose your composure, Azrael!"
Alas, she was 1 second too late!