Cipher hadn't intentionally slowed her pace, yet she moved almost silently. Glancing at Aria, still asleep beside her, she gently pushed the door open and slipped out.
The moment she closed the door, a male voice startled her from nearby. "What are you doing up so early?"
"Eep!" The sudden question sent Cipher leaping backward. Her tail snapped straight, stiff as a rod.
Instinctively, she hopped back a step, but misjudging the distance, she slammed her head against the ceiling with a loud thud!
"Ouch!"
Even Feidric, known for his impeccable composure, nearly lost it at the sight. He stared silently, his expression wavering.
Cipher crouched on the floor, rubbing her head. Only then did she notice Feidric sitting cross-legged against the hallway wall, a book in his hand.
"You're the one who should explain yourself!" she demanded. "What are you doing here so early?"
After all, it was barely past four in the morning. Who sits in a doorway reading at this hour?
"I can't sleep," Feidric said, getting to his feet. He gently pushed open the door to his room, and a thunderous snore immediately filled the air: Huuu—rrrrrrrr!!! Huuu—rrrrrrrrr—!!!
There was no doubt—it was Douglas's snoring.
Cipher remained silent for a moment, then couldn't help but cast a sympathetic glance at Feidric.
Feidric closed the door again and continued, "So, what are you planning to do?"
"Just going for a walk to stretch my legs," Cipher replied. "I'll be back before breakfast."
It sounded strange—who goes for a walk at four in the morning?—but it was the truth.
Feidric didn't press further. Instead, he abruptly changed the subject. "Everyone has their secrets. That's normal. I won't pry, but I hope you won't betray the team."
Cipher immediately protested, "Of course not! Little Aria is so adorable—how could I ever betray her?"
Feidric was taken aback. He had imagined Cipher joining their party to steal money, but they were dirt poor and had barely any. He had also considered she might be after valuables, but they owned nothing of worth.
Now it seemed... could Cipher's true target be their Captain, Aria? Was she here to kidnap someone?!
This... this couldn't be right, could it?
Feidric's face remained impassive, but his mind was churning with shock and wild speculation, conjuring up outlandish scenarios.
Oblivious to Feidric's inner turmoil, Cipher waved goodbye and left the Adventurer's Guild. The streets at four in the morning were nearly deserted, eerily quiet—just how she liked it.
She began with a few simple calisthenics, familiar from her previous life. Then, bending her knees slightly, she leaped effortlessly onto a wooden house three or four meters high.
Landing lightly on her right foot, she concentrated her entire weight on her toes. Yet her body remained perfectly balanced, without a single tremor.
Bending forward with astonishing flexibility, she easily placed her right palm flat against the wooden roof. Slowly, she lifted her right leg, transforming her stance into an inverted handstand, supporting her entire weight on a single arm.
When ordinary people maintain their balance, their bodies sway slightly from side to side and tremble subtly—normal reactions as they adjust their center of gravity. Cipher, however, needed none of this. With her tail, she could remain perfectly still, using its precise swings to fine-tune her balance and maintain perfect equilibrium.
"Wow!" Cipher couldn't suppress her excitement. In her previous life, even touching her fingers to the ground during stretches had been a struggle; now, her entire palm effortlessly rested flat on the ground.
With a gentle push from her right hand, she launched herself into the air. After executing two swift backflips, she landed gracefully on the rooftop, still balanced on her right foot.
In just one day, Cipher's mastery over her body had visibly improved.
She broke into a light jog, leaping effortlessly from one rooftop to another, completing the entire sequence without making a sound. Her body moved like a weightless feather, defying gravity itself.
Cipher's speed increased until she raced out of the small town. Following the stone path, she soon spotted a small stream.
Suddenly remembering something, she slowed to a stop beside it. Peering into the water, she saw her own reflection staring back.
This was the first time she had truly seen her appearance since transmigrating.
Though she knew what Cipher looked like from playing the game in her previous life, seeing her in person was a completely different experience.
Her hands involuntarily rose to touch her face, her beautiful, glass-like eyes sparkling. "Wow, I'm so cute~!"
Until now, Aria had been the most beautiful and adorable girl she knew. Now, of course, that title belonged to herself.
After pinching and squishing her cheeks a few more times, she resumed familiarizing herself with her new body.
She attempted yoga poses that tested her flexibility, wiggled her tail with meticulous control, and... tried to activate the Divine Speed.
Hunt a crazed wild boar terrorizing a farmer's field. Reward: 5 Gold Dragons.
Clear a forest of glowing mushrooms. Reward: 3 Gold Dragons.
Help map a designated area. Reward: 10 Gold Dragons.
Perhaps due to the town's remote location, the quest board held few entries. To Cipher, the tasks seemed simple, and the rewards were correspondingly meager.
For example, while the first quest offered 5 Gold Dragons, Aria's party of four had spent nearly 1 Gold Dragon the previous night. For civilians working the fields, scraping together 5 Gold Dragons would undoubtedly be a monumental effort, but for seasoned adventurers, such a sum was hardly worth the trouble.
These types of quests seemed better suited for solo rookie adventurers. After all, how dangerous could a single wild boar really be...?