I immediately ran toward the direction of the scream.
Sure, I was just a fat, unattractive loser, but that didn’t matter right now.
The voice was familiar.

“Hah... how many times... do I have to run in one day...!”

Already out of breath, I pushed myself to keep running at full speed.
I climbed over tree roots and pushed through the underbrush until I reached the source of the sound.
Beyond the bushes in front of me, in a small clearing, there was a woman on the ground and a giant creature standing over her.

‘What the hell?! Why is that thing here?!’

The enormous figure was a B-rank monster.
[Albino Cyclops.]
Among the giant-type monsters, the cyclops was a field boss even in this Droplet Forest.
And it had the albino title.
Albino monsters were rare, and they were even stronger than their normal counterparts.
There was no way a monster like that should be in this forest.

“Guaaaaaargh!!”

Drooling nastily, the cyclops roared at the woman in front of it.

“Kyaaah!”

The woman, collapsed on the ground, let out a terrified cry.
I knew exactly who she was.

‘What the hell is she doing here…?!’

The woman was none other than Emily Epiris, the main character of the game.

At this point in the game’s story—early in Part 2—she wouldn’t be able to defeat that thing.
[Academy of Epiris] was a game designed for party play.
Emily’s solo stats weren’t that high, and her unique skills were more focused on support rather than offense.
The proper way to fight was to have strong allies at the front while Emily guided the strategy from the center.
There was no way she could defeat a boss monster alone.

‘Damn it, how can I get her out of here?!’

If she died now, the bad ending of this world would be set in stone.
And that meant my death would follow.
I couldn’t let her die.
We both had to survive.
But…

‘I have no chance of beating that thing either…’

It was obvious. Ken Feinstein, the fat, extra character I was stuck as, didn’t have any magic skills worth mentioning.
All I had were the item-making skill and the ridiculous trait that made me stronger if I lost weight.
And…

‘I really don’t want to use that skill when I don’t know what it does…!’

[Unique Skills: Item Creation, Calorie Burn.]
The mysterious skill that had been bugging me for a while.
If it turned out to be a self-destructive skill, I’d end up dead right away. I hadn’t dared to use it without knowing its effects.
But now wasn’t the time to be picky.
If Emily died, I was dead anyway.
So…

‘I have no choice but to rely on this unknown skill…’

“Guaaaaaargh!!”

Boom, boom.

“S-someone... please help me....”

The giant cyclops slowly moved its massive foot closer to her.
Emily sat on the ground, trembling and unable to move.
From the dirt on her clothes, it was clear she’d already been knocked down once in the fight.
She shivered in fear, her eyes filled with despair.
She was on the brink of death, tears starting to well up in her eyes, her voice weak as she muttered:

“Please... someone... save me....”

Watching her, I made up my mind.
I closed my eyes and focused my will.

‘...Calorie Burn.’

I felt the energy in my body surge, and a wave of pain hit me as I opened my eyes.

“Ugh!”

[Skill Activated: Calorie Burn.]
[Time Limit: 15 Minutes]

Emily, faced with death, found herself reflecting on her past.
As her life flashed before her eyes, her biggest regret was clear.
It was the old woman who had stopped her during a walk in the city that weekend.
She had agreed to the old woman’s request.

‘Why did I offer to help find her son’s keepsake…?!’

Emily, who could never turn down someone in need, was now regretting her choice.
Helping others had always felt fulfilling, something she thought was right to do.
But now, her life was in danger because of it.
She was about to die, all because of one good deed.
Staring at the cyclops growling at her, she shook with fear.
Her legs were paralyzed from the earlier attack, and she couldn’t even run.
Her shoulders, legs, and lips were trembling.
The cyclops seemed to enjoy her fear, taking slow, deliberate steps toward her.
The giant’s hand came into view.
Emily could already picture how she would die.
Her limbs would be torn apart.
At the very least, she would be crushed by that massive fist.
The monster wouldn’t be kind enough to give her a quick death.
She could see it all play out in her mind, and she barely managed to open her mouth.

“S-someone... help me....”

I don’t want to die...! I don’t want to die...!
Emily didn’t want to die at all.

“Please... someone... save me....”

In that short time, she prayed over and over in her heart. She begged someone to save her.
Just like the knight who had once saved her from the lecherous noble.
She prayed for someone to save her again.

‘But… this time... no one’s coming, right…?’

Was this time going to be different?
Unlike that knight, was there no miracle coming?
As she called out with no answer in sight, Emily began to give up on life.
Her lips quivered as tears streamed down her face.
She closed her eyes, accepting the inevitable.
Her mouth trembled with fear, and her tears flowed endlessly.
And then…

“Step back!”

Just like a miracle, the knight she had prayed for appeared in front of her.

“A-ah... Ah!”

When Emily opened her eyes after giving up, she saw the figure of the knight who had saved her from the noble.
Golden hair. Broad shoulders blocking her view. He was her prince.

“Hyaah!”

The man charged at the cyclops, holding a short dagger.
He moved swiftly, as if he knew exactly where the monster’s weak spot was.
Without hesitation, he stabbed the cyclops directly in the eye.

“Guaaaaaaaaah!!”

The cyclops clutched its eye and fell to the ground, and the man didn’t miss the opportunity.
He swiftly slashed with the short dagger.
Even though it was just a short blade, it cut through the monster as if it were a knight’s sword.
The man slashed the cyclops in half, killing it.

‘...What just happened?’

Emily couldn’t take her eyes off him.
After killing the cyclops, the man caught his breath and walked toward her.
He looked exactly like the knight who had once saved her.
The same knight who had shaped her ideal of a perfect man.
His strong, chiseled features and the powerful, muscular build that screamed strength.

‘...Am I stupid? Why am I feeling this way...?!’

Just moments ago, she had been trembling in fear, but now, after miraculously surviving, Emily’s heart was pounding at the sight of the man in front of her.
She put her hand on her chest, feeling her heart race like never before.
Her face flushed with heat.
This was her first love.

“T-thank you... so much for saving me.”

Trying to calm her racing heart, Emily expressed her gratitude.

‘Is he... an academy student?’

As she took a closer look, she noticed that the man was wearing the academy’s uniform.
The crest on his chest was unmistakably from the academy.
Emily felt this was her chance.

“Um...! Excuse me...!”

Just as she tried to gather her thoughts to continue the conversation, the man spoke first.

“...Food.”

“...What?”

The word was completely unexpected.

“Do you have any food? ...I need something, anything.”

The man suddenly asked for food.
It was a strange request after killing a monster so heroically, but Emily quickly rummaged through her pocket.

“Yes, yes! I’ll give you some right away! Just a moment, please!”

Fortunately, Emily had her spatial pouch.
Any food she stored in there stayed fresh indefinitely thanks to the suspended time within it.
The convenient pouch had allowed her to keep plenty of supplies on hand.

‘I’m so glad I have this pouch...!’

She had already experienced the pouch’s usefulness many times, but this time she was more grateful for it than ever.
She wanted to hold onto this man, even if it was just for a little longer.
Offering food seemed like the perfect excuse.

“H-here... I’m not sure if it’s to your taste, but...”

Emily handed him a sandwich she had made herself, with chicken and mashed potatoes.
Her heart raced as she offered it to him, but the man immediately took it and started eating.
To anyone else, it might have looked rude, even greedy, the way he devoured the food, but to Emily, it looked different.

‘He eats with such confidence...’

Worried that the sandwich might not suit his taste, Emily was relieved to see him enjoying it.
Without hesitation, the man reached out again.

“More. I need more food...!”

“Yes! I have plenty, so please, tell me what you need!”

Pleased that he liked her sandwich, Emily happily smiled as she took more food out of her pouch.
She handed him one, and he finished it in an instant.
She handed him two more, and they were gone just as quickly.
His insatiable appetite seemed endless, but Emily was happy to keep feeding him.
As the man continued to eat…

‘...Huh?’

His body began to grow rounder and rounder.

‘...Wait, what?’

Soon, he had transformed into a familiar figure.

“Phew, thanks. That was close, but you really saved me.”

The man, now with a bloated belly, patted his stomach with a satisfied smile.
It was her classmate, Ken Feinstein.

“...What?”

Emily could only manage a short, confused sound, while Ken’s belly-rubbing echoed in the quiet forest.