Novel Rupegia

Discussion in 'Community Fictions' started by Manasong, Oct 10, 2019.

  1. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

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    Genre: Action, Fantasy, Psychological, Romance, Harem, LitRPG, Magic, Male Lead, Portal Fantasy / Isekai, Slice of Life
    Content Warning: gore, profanity, sexual content (male/female, female/female, and human/non-human(not for the faint of heart)), traumatizing content

    New chapters Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 8PM US East. At least 3k words each.

    This novel can also be found on Royal Road (most of the sexual content is censored), Scribble Hub, Wattpad, Hentai Foundry, Webnovel, MoonQuill, Archive of Our Own, and Literotica with the same name.

    Find more informationation at my blog or my Patreon.

    "You may now kiss the bride."

    But no kiss ever came.

    I'm ripped from my wedding and thrown into a medieval fantasy world with game-like elements. It may seem like a game, but that doesn't matter to me, because this is my reality. The pain, the hunger, the cold, the fear, it's all real to me.

    Alone, without knowing why I'm here, in a world where I know nothing and nobody, I decide to buy a Blood Slave to have someone I can trust. She brings me comfort and so much more. She helps me raise my head high again and bravely move forward. Together, we'll grow stronger. Together, we're unbreakable. But she won't be the only one by my side. We need more than just each other, for I know that my purpose in this world can't be accomplished with only her help.

    Monsters and dungeons plague the land, forcing civilization to protect themselves from the hordes with tall walls and fierce determination. Killing monsters is a daily need, but they aren't the only enemy here. I have a powerful "Gift" that allows me to change my "skill points" at will, but if others were to know about it, there would be many that would try to use me by any means possible.

    Step by step, moment by moment, day by day, we keep moving forward, always aiming to improve our strength. One day, we'll meet our Fate, and we'll be ready for it. Swords held-high, shields tightly strapped to our arms, wings spread apart, spells at the tip of our tongues, minds focused like blades, and our hearts hardened like steel. We'll take on whatever comes our way!

    ---------------------------------------------
    What to expect: Slow story focused on the day-to-day life of a transmigrated man rather than on the plot.

    The plot exists but it very slowly becomes relevant.

    Detailed environments and extensive world-building.

    Realistic and tactical combat instead of flashy.

    Protagonist with a cheat but far from overpowered.

    Lots of descriptive sex scenes, it is treated as just another part of life instead of merely fan-service.

    A harem where the members actually enjoy living with each other.

    Occasional weird wording and grammar, English isn't my first language.

     
    Last edited: Dec 18, 2021
  2. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

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    Many thanks to reader ZeroDays for switching the dashes (-...-) dialogue notation for the quotation ("...") dialogue notation.

    "You may now kiss the bride."

    But no kiss came. The warmth of her hand suddenly vanishes; the feeling of standing on the stable ground switches to the stomach-churning pain of free-falling, and then my consciousness is severed.



    "Lily…" I murmur.

    My back hurts, my whole body feels like stone, nausea prevents me from trying to get up, and my nose is filled with the musky smell of nature. I finally realize I'm laying down with my eyes closed and my belly up.

    Once the nausea subsides, I decide to open my eyes, and I see huge trees that almost cover the entire sky. Like cracks on a wall, the crown shyness of the canopies let only small streaks of light pass through.

    After regaining control of my body, I manage to sit and look at my surroundings. This is a forest with trees bigger and thicker than anything I have ever seen before, but bushes prevent me from seeing too far. The air is damp and slightly hot, reminding me of the subtropical climate I was born in.

    I get up and notice my body feels weird, then I look down and see I'm not wearing my tuxedo, but instead, I have a leather jacket lightly padded with a gambeson, a woolen white shirt, woolen black pants, and some rather uncomfortable leather shoes. On my waist, there's a belt where a sword and scabbard are hanging.

    I draw the sword and notice that it's rather light. Oddly, I don't find it difficult to handle, and it's almost as my arm moves on its own as I swing it. Its blade is straight and double-edged, about 90cm in length. There's space for only one hand on the hilt, which has a cross-shaped guard. The edge is sharp and can easily cut the bushes I swing at. This is not a prop.

    "Am I in a renaissance fair?" I ask the air, astonished.

    I don't remember how I got here. Did I hit my head? The last thing I remember is being at my wedding ceremony.

    Then a small amount of panic enters my heart.

    "Lily…!? LILY, WHERE ARE YOU!?" I scream in panic, but no response comes, I'm completely alone. After a few moments, I calm down and continue taking in my situation.

    My body still feels weird, and I don't know why. At least I'm not nauseous anymore, but now I'm starting to feel scared.

    I don't know where to go because there are only trees as far as the eye can see. I also don't remember how I got here and in which direction I can go to find someone. I'm truly lost in the woods with no idea of what to do.

    Besides, I've never seen a forest like this. I'm a Canadian living in the cold north where it should be winter and the trees are much smaller. Did I travel to a faraway place to the south, or is it summer and I simply forgot the passage of time?

    Time passes while I think about what to do, and I start to feel an itch slowly growing inside my head. It's not on the outside, on my hair, but actually inside. Like when water gets on your ear and it gets uncomfortable. It feels like I can almost "touch" it, but it's barely out of reach.

    I keep trying to "scratch it" while shaking my head, and little by little, it feels like I'm getting closer. Then, suddenly, I somehow "scratch it," and a menu opens.

    Like a light projection in front of me, I see various columns of black squares with white letters on them, similar to a touchscreen on a phone.

    Now I feel like I'm going insane. There's no source of light or medium where the light hits to explain this as a mere projection. It's a floating object that passes through the bushes near me as if it's non-corporeal, and as I move around I notice that It follows my torso but not my head.

    Curious and scared, I use my finger to touch the square that says "Status".

    A new black square opens with a lot of information written on it.




    Info​
    NamePRESS HERE TO CHOOSEAge16RaceHuman
    HP100MP100Magic Power175
    Level0Experience0/100

    Stats​
    Strength7Endurance8Dexterity9
    Speed10Intelligence20Wisdom15
    Willpower11Charisma10Piety0
    Perception15Sanity9

    Other​
    Status Effects'NONE'
    Titles'NONE'
    Affiliations'NONE'
    Companions'NONE'
    Crimes'NONE'
    I can't believe this. Mom told me this would happen but I didn't listen. I have now officially gone insane, I'm seeing a video game "status" in real life.

    I start panicking a little. This situation isn't funny. Compounding on my loss of memory and waking up in an unknown place, now I'm seeing something impossible to explain: a ridiculous looking menu that makes me believe I'm into some ultra-realistic virtual reality game.

    I can feel the pain in my body; I can breathe in the smells of the forest; I can perfectly see a level of detail only a real eye can; I can feel a slight hunger in my stomach; I can feel how uncomfortable these ridiculous clothes are; and I can taste my saliva inside my mouth. Just to make sure, I lick my hand and taste the salt of my cold sweat. All of my senses tell me that this is real.

    Is this the future where I purposely erased part of my memory and entered this virtual reality just to feel like I've been transported to another world? This is the only logical explanation that does not involve a supernatural event. But if this has really happened, then there's a huge problem: I see no "Quit" or "Logout" button.

    My heart beats like crazy, my vision loses focus, and I start to gasp for air because I feel like I can't breathe. My mind is slowly filled with fear, then my vision darkens, and my knees start to buckle. I'm having a panic attack.



    I blink, and suddenly I regain my awareness. It seems like the worst has passed.

    Apparently, I had laid down at one point, and at least I didn't collapse and hit my head against the ground.

    I sit up and look around, still a bit dizzy, but dismay hits me as I notice that I'm still in the same stupid forest as before.

    Fuck!

    I need to focus on my only ally here: logic. Logic is my friend, logic is my ally, and logic will help me get through the insanity and ridiculousness of my situation so that I can make a proper decision and that won't get me killed in this horrible world.

    First things first, I have to explore my options. There are more buttons to press on this menu, so let's just pull off the brakes on my skepticism of this fantasy.

    On the left of the menu, there are buttons on a column, they are: "Status", "Items", "Skills", "Magic", "Notes" and "Messages".

    "Messages" has an exclamation point near it, and I assume it signifies that there's an unread message. I open it, and it shows me the only unread message.



    Sender: God.

    "I'm sorry about this, but there's no way for you to go back."



    Logic doesn't help when God fucks you over. My vision is darkening again, I'm having another breakdown.

    Then I see my "Sanity" in my "Stats" window going down a point.



    This time, I forcefully bring myself back from the stupefied state I was in.

    No, no, no, no, no, no, no~~! I can't get mad, this is a prank, someone is messing with me. A camera is hidden and soon someone will jump out of a bush and laugh at me. I have to keep calm so the entirety of the internet, and then the world, won't have a reason to point and laugh at my situation. It's okay, keep calm, it's all a prank.

    Since this is a prank, why not use magic? I want to see what kind of special effects they're going to use.

    I press the "Magic" button and… a blank black box appears.

    So, I guess I don't have any magic skills yet. Well, let's see how "Items" works. I don't have a backpack, so how are the items going to appear? Hah, it's going to go *poof* and materialize from thin air or something?

    I press the button and a list appears.




    Items​
    Item NameQuantityItem NameQuantityItem NameQuantity
    Empty backpack1Spare clothes bundle1Rock bread10
    Dried meat10Deer waterskin5Sleeping bag1
    Flint1Kitchen knife1Skinning knife1
    Cooking pot1Whetstone Q1002Wool cloak1
    Firewood10Rose coin1Gold coin10
    Silver coin50Copper coin100
    "At least you gave me money, you shit stain of a god," I grumble to myself.

    I press the "Sleeping Bag" button and the menu suddenly closes, then a transparent sleeping bag starts to hover above my finger.

    Scared at the sudden apparition of a ghost sleeping bag, I step back and pull my hand away, but the ghost follows my finger as if it's glued to it, even going through the nearby bush without disturbing it.

    I swing my hand trying to unglue it, then I press my finger against my jacket, and the sleeping bag suddenly materializes in front of me with a *poof* and falls on my feet.

    I think I'm starting to get used to the insanity. A sleeping bag materializes from absolutely nothing and I don't really feel anything. Is this "shock"?

    Now… how do I put it back?

    I notice that there's an icon on the corner of the item screen that's animated. It shows a hand grabbing a sword, then bumping a button, and the sword disappears, then it loops.

    I grab the sleeping bag, press the button shown in the animation, and *poof*, the sleeping bag disappears. Then I see the entry "Sleeping bag" appear on the item list.

    So is there an item limit? Or a weight limit? Is it limited to things I can carry on one hand? Maybe I should write these on my "Notes" and test them later, it should be a priority to understand this if I'm going to be stuck in this fantasy land.

    Finally, let's see the "Skills" menu. On the right, there's a column with the writing "Skill Points: 10". Below it is written "Acquired Skills," and below that there is [Sword Use 1], which has a minus and a plus sign beside it. It seems I can increase or reduce the skill points at will with these ten "Skill Points."

    On the right of this column, there's a large box with the tabs on top: "Physical," "Magical," and "Miscellaneous." And each of these tabs shows an uncountable number of skills.

    "Physical" has things like [Sword Use], [Axe Use], [Shield Use], [Block], [Parry], and [Bow Use]. Some of these look like they might be overlapping, so perhaps the benefits stack, but it sounds troublesome to test. There are others where the name isn't very descriptive, like [Antushi Style], which is probably related to martial arts schools. Then there are some like [Enhanced Reflexes], [Muscle Explosion], [Hawk Eyes], and [Battlefield Perception] which are interestingly named. There are also dozens of crafting skills like [General Blacksmithing], [Armor Smith], [Weapon Smith], [Jewel Crafting], [Woodwork], and [Bow Crafting]. And finally, there are some ridiculous ones like [Enhanced Sexual Stamina], [Oral Technique], [Enhanced Genital Control], and [Enhanced Semen Recharge].

    "Magic" sounds extremely interesting to me. It has all of the standard elements like [Electric Magic], Space, Light, Dark, Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, and Nature. Then there are more exotic skills like [Spirit Magic], Summoning, Conjuring, Blessing, Cursing, [Undead Creation], [Bloodwork], and many more. There's magic enhancements like [Mana Control], [Mana Efficiency], [Mana Recovery], [Mana Absorption], [Mana Reflection,] and [Reduced Mana Cost].

    Mana seems to be the name of the source of magical power in this world, so maybe MP means something like "Mana Points."

    Continuing, there are resistances, like [Poison Resistance], [Fire Resistance], and so on. Then crafting, like [Armor Enchanting], [Weapon Enchanting], [Jewel Enchanting], [Alchemy], [Potion Brewing], [Magic Tool Carving], [Poison Brewing], and [Golemancy]. The last one seems extremely interesting to me since I have a degree in robotics. And there are ridiculous ones too like [Slavery Magic], [Sexual Charm], and [Sexual Metamorphosis].

    "Miscellaneous" contains things like [Weapon Appraisal], [Jewel Appraisal], [Metal Appraisal], [Ore Appraisal], [Flute Playing], [Lute Playing], [Musical Improvisation], [Singing], [Oratory], [Acting], [Writing], [Housework], [Cleaning], [Washing], and even [Folding]. Then there are some interesting ones like [Sense Presence], [Hide Presence], [Quiet Steps], [Quiet Action], [Intimidation], and [Charm]. There's even a bunch that's related to language proficiency, but I don't know which one to choose, so I'll leave it for later. Some look like they belong into the "Physical" category, but with things like [Charm] and [Sense Presence], maybe they revolve around some weak form of magic, so they are a mix of both physical and magical skill.

    Luckily, at the top, there's a search function, but typing on this menu is very awkward. Unlike a keyboard, where you can feel the feedback of pressing a key, this keyboard passes through the finger, so I don't feel anything when I press a button. The feedback is even worse than that of a smartphone.

    I can add and remove skills at will, and since I already have one point in [Sword Use], I actually have eleven skill points I can use if I remove this skill.

    "Notes" operates like an office computer software where you create and organize documents, and simply write things in them with the awkward, floating, non-corporeal keyboard.



    Now that I have seen it all, I need to decide on my next step.

    I have some food, and although something like "rock bread" doesn't sound appetizing, I don't think I'll starve to death so soon. But still, if there's no civilization nearby, then I need to secure a source of food and water.

    Perhaps [Conjuring Magic] will give me something to survive, but I'm not sure relying on it is a good idea. I have no idea what kind of nutrition magically created food has, and I also have no idea of the mana cost of conjuring it, or how fast mana recovers. I'll need to test it, but testing it now might cost me precious time.

    Since I have no idea where to go, maybe it's best to find a vantage point where I can look over the surroundings and search for a river or a man-made structure. The problem is that I can't see very far in this thick forest, so I might have to wander about for a long time before I find a hill. I'm also scared of sleeping in an unknown forest and what might hunt at night, so I absolutely don't want to waste time.

    Suddenly, an idea comes up to me. Since I can add or remove skill points at will, I can see which magic gives which spell, so maybe there's something useful in there. Once I put one point into a magic school, it gives me at least one spell. Most magic schools seem to require ten points until the next spell is unlocked, but some require five, and I don't know what's after level eleven since I don't have enough points.

    Although [Golemancy] seems interesting, it doesn't look like it's useful right now. [Conjuring Magic] gives me [Conjure Water] at level 1 and [Conjure Bland Meal] at level 5, and [Conjure Dirt] at level 10, so at least I have a source of water, but I'll have to test it later for how much water it gives me. It might also be a good idea to have at least one offensive magic since I seemingly have good stats for magic if it's based on "Intelligence" or "Wisdom" like most RPGs.

    I wanted some healing magic, but since my "Piety" is zero, I'm uncertain if it's a good idea since healing magic is tied to religion and piety in plenty of games.

    I'm starting to wish I wasn't an atheist.

    If this truly is a different world, then I better start believing in the divine seeing how supernatural things are happening around me.

    After I look at [Summoning Magic], I get an excellent idea. The first spell for Summoning is [Summon Small Bird], which might be my best way of finding my way around this forest, so I put a point in it, go to the "Magic" tab, and press the spell's button.

    For a second, I feel like my blood is being sucked out of my body through every inch of my skin, then a ball of light appears in front of my finger.

    Not knowing what to do, I decide to touch the ball, and gravity suddenly starts to apply on it, so it falls on the ground and then stops shining. Suddenly, I'm looking at the sky again.



    When my head stops spinning, my senses are overwhelmed by the oddest combination of feelings I've ever felt. On one side of my vision, I can see the sky, and on the other, I can see the sole of my own boots as I appear to have fallen on my back; my body feels really weird and tired while also light and energetic at the same time; I feel like I've "grown" more limbs, yet I can't "control" them; everything sounds a lot noisier and louder than before; and my stomach feels both hungry and full at the same time.

    After getting a little bit used to the situation, I raise my upper body. On one side of my vision, I see a small brown bird that looks like a fluffy ball, on the other side of it I see… myself? I don't remember looking like this. I'm younger, much younger. This baby face that I didn't see for more than a decade is staring at… me?

    After a long minute staring at the bird, all the weird feelings start to make sense and I get over this mind-fuck. This little bird in front of me is my summon, and I'm "sharing" its senses. Things like sight, hearing, touch, taste, proprioception, heat, and maybe even more. There are so many that a headache starts to flare; my mind isn't ready for so much information.

    I wish that I wasn't sharing all of those senses

    Suddenly, the sharing stops, and I feel so sick that I almost puke.

    A flush of information followed by a sudden cut is too much for me to handle. I have to spend a few minutes controlling my stomach so that I can keep whatever's in there.

    After getting my stomach under control again, I look at the bird and notice that it's still in the same spot, with its beady little eyes staring intensely at me.

    If all I need is to wish for this "sense sharing" to stop, then I wish that I could only share the sight.

    And now my vision is back to seeing two images.

    It's not like my vision decreased, it "expanded," and now I can see much more, which puts a strain on my brain and makes me feel a little queasy. At least now I'm sure that this little guy is the perfect thing to help me find civilization.

    I look at my "Status" and notice that my max MP has been halved, and that my current MP is now at fifteen points. It seems that either summoning is an advanced form of magic, or I'm just bad at magic even though I have good stats. Also, I didn't put any points into things like [Mana Control], [Mana Efficiency], or [Reduced Mana Cost], so maybe that's why this magic is so expensive. That was a mistake, so I wasted a lot of mana points.

    But it doesn't matter now. What I need to do is learn how to control this bird.

    First, I try to wish for it to move like I wished to stop the sense sharing, but nothing happens. Perhaps it only works with voice commands, which makes it impossible to use it as a puppet.

    "Sit on my hand," I order, then I open my palm, and it obeys.

    Seeing the bird suddenly take flight makes me nauseous again, but I guess it's just a matter of getting used to it.

    Now, with the bird closer to my face, I can finally see myself properly.

    I'm truly much younger than before, I'm really sixteen again. Round face, protruding jaw, full cheeks, traces of pimples, a few characteristic freckles, complete lack of the stubble that made me look manly, and short black hair neatly combed to the side, now slightly disheveled.

    That's me, the young, baby-faced me. Considering how I'm seeing my younger self through the eyes of a little bird, I can feel my "Sanity" dropping another point.

    I need to get a hold of myself! I'm not supposed to be affected by this anymore, and my safety is the top priority right now. If I really am inside some sort of video game, then just by looking at the large number of combat skills I can assume that this is a dangerous world. Not only that, but I'm alone in the woods, which is the most commonplace for enemies to appear, so I need to prepare myself and focus back on finding civilization.

    While calming myself, I notice something odd inside my head. It's like an "itch," and it's similar to the "itch" that I have to scratch to open and close the "Menu," but maybe this is related to the [Summoning Magic]? I feel like I don't have to make an effort to scratch it, so I'll leave it like this, otherwise, it's possible that I could accidentally dismiss the summoned bird and lose the mana I'd already spent.

    Finally, it's time to scout the area.

    "Fly high in a circle and come back after two minutes," I order.

    Hopefully, it knows what two minutes are. I also defined a time limit since I'm afraid that it won't come back unless I tell it to.

    The bird quickly flies upwards and crosses the canopies, giving me a breathtaking view.

    A sea of trees, that is how this place looks from above. There are some trees that are much taller than the rest, allowing me to see their trunks, and they show huge vines hanging from their branches. There are huge roots thicker than a house that twist around the ground and disappear among the trees. Blue, red, yellow, orange, white, and black patches of leaves color the sea as if they were drops of paint on a green canvas. The sky is completely clear and blue, showing me that this isn't a completely alien world. But the most beautiful detail of all is the sunlight reflecting on the leaves, which creates beautiful twinkling lights as the bird flies around.

    Based on the position of the sun, it looks like it's either a few hours before noon or a few hours after it because I don't know which direction is north or which direction the sun is traveling towards.

    Far away, near the horizon, I can see a grassland, and beyond that, just on the edge of my view, I see something that makes my heart stop: multiple black lines stand on top of another black line. It's not a mountain or a weird tree, and it kind of looks like towers behind a stone wall, but it's definitely man-made.

    Finally, I have a direction to go. After the bird comes back, I'll order it to fly towards that to investigate more closely.

    But wait, that doesn't look like anything modern; it reminds me of drawings of medieval fantasy towns… Just another piece of evidence I'm not in a normal situation.

    Suddenly, the bird's view gets shaky and blurry, and a shadow blocks part of it. The bird has been captured by the claws of a large, scaled animal.

    I don't know what happens if it gets killed, but I fear that a painful feedback could be sent to me if that happens, just like in some games.

    I immediately "scratch" the "itch" inside my brain, and the vision of the bird instantly gets blurry, then it slowly goes black. My field of view returns to normal size and the discomfort of double view goes away. It seems that I just "unsummoned" my familiar.

    This hits me like a bucket of cold water. It shows again that this world is dangerous and I need to prepare for battle.

    So far, I only have 1 point into [Summoning Magic] and [Sword Use], leaving me with 9 unused points, so I better prepare.

    First, I test the melee skills. Taking off [Sword Use] instantly removes all the "intuition" I had when holding a sword.

    I slash with the sword, then I put the point back on and slash again. I instantly feel a difference as my second slash feels much "smoother," but I have no conscious idea of what I'm doing, it's all just "intuition."

    I test [Parry], [Dodge], and [Block], but the "intuition" they give me is incredibly weaker than [Sword Use]. Then I test [Sword Use] again and notice that it also gives me some small intuition in how to parry, dodge, and block just by itself. There's some overlap in what the skill gives me, so I don't necessarily need to spread my points around to multiple skills, at least not yet.

    The Style skills don't give me any noticeable changes, so I have no fucking idea how to use them, and their names don't give me any clue about what weapon they're about.

    Once I put on [Muscle Explosion], I instantly feel like I can do a "power punch" or an "instant dodge." In fact, every muscle of my body feels ready to move with "explosive" speed.

    I try out the punch, but I pull a muscle on my arm and it takes a few minutes to stop hurting, then I try the "instant dodge" and also pull a muscle on my leg. I don't remember being that physically inept, but it seems like this younger body is pretty weak.

    Is this a fucking Deprived start?!

    [Hawk Eyes] allows me to "focus" my vision, basically reducing my FOV to allow me to see better, but after a few seconds of using it I feel mentally tired, so I don't think I need it right now.

    The "enhancement" skills like [Enhanced Strength] also use "mental energy" to work, but instead of actually making me stronger, they just make it slightly easier to "use" these attributes, as in, easier to push me to my limits.

    For example, [Enhanced Strength] doesn't actually make me stronger, it just allows me to better use my (I assume) meager seven points of "Strength."

    Curiously, [Battlefield Perception], doesn't give me any noticeable changes, so I don't understand how it works.

    "Sneaking" skills like [Quiet Steps], [Quiet Action], and [Hide Presence] also need me to "focus" to feel any noticeable difference, though [Hide Presence] doesn't visibly do anything besides draining my mental stamina, but at least it's a lot less straining than [Hawk Eyes].

    [Sense Presence], on the other hand, instantly gives me a response the moment I put it on. I "know" that there's a "white dot" ahead, which I locate with my eyes and identify as a little squirrel going up a ginormous tree. A few seconds later, the small "white dot" disappears from my mind, though I still see the squirrel moving, so I guess the range of the skill is limited.

    It's kind of like a mind radar, with plants being extremely faint white "dots," and other animals as properly discernable "white dots." These "dots" start to gain weird shapes the more points I add to the skill, but I have no idea what these shapes mean, and the skill drains me exponentially more with the number of points, so I can't test it for long.

    Overall, I'm a bit disappointed with the "Physical" skills. They don't give me any significant benefits besides [Sword Use], so that skill is the one that has the most use to me right now, pun intended.

    Now, magic, on the other hand, seems a lot more impactful.

    First, I want healing magic. I bite the bullet and put 10 points in [Light Magic]. I have a suspicion it uses "Piety," and since I have zero in that stat, it might be useless to me.

    I go to my "Magic" tab, press [Heal]… and nothing happens.

    I guess I was right. If zero "Piety" means that I can't cast it, then maybe it works like a multiplier. If I assume that "ten" is the normal value for the average person, then I might need at least that much "Piety" before it becomes cost-effective.

    Well then, at least there's another healing spell I can use. I put five points in [Nature Magic], and it gives me two spells: [Constricting Vines] at level 1 and [Regeneration] at level 5. Both seem very useful for someone like me that doesn't really want to fight. I put one point in [Electric Magic] so I at least have one offensive spell: [Lightning Bolt]. I don't want to use [Fire Magic] in a forest since I'm not confident I won't start a forest fire.

    Now, how do I use the last five points? I should at least always have one on [Sword Use]. One on [Hide Presence] just for safety, one [Sense Presence] to let me see ahead leaving me with two points left. It's straining to keep these two skills "active" at the same time, so it'll be impossible to use a third like [Quiet Steps].

    There's nothing that helps me fight better than adding two more to [Sword Use], so I'll go with it.

    Now there are six "itches" inside my mind and because of some sort of subconscious understanding, I can differentiate between them quite easily. One is the "Menu," two are for the [Nature Magic] spells, one is the [Lightning Bolt] spell, and the last two are [Sense Presence and [Hide Presence]. With a little bit of familiarity, it seems that it'll be very easy to quickly use the one I want.

    My mana is back to twenty, so I think I'll rest some more until it's back to full.



    While I wait, I focus on calming my heart so I can do what I need to do, then I notice my "Sanity" going up one point, and it's now at eight. I guess that forcing myself to prepare for danger has repaired my mind, somewhat.

    I assume that the average is ten, so being at eight isn't necessarily bad, but I believe this means that I have to work harder on keeping calm.

    This is possibly a medieval fantasy world with swords and magic, which means that it's different from my society. I need to be mindful of things such as respecting the nobility, avoiding triggering the superstitions of locals, understanding local laws, adapting to the food and etiquette, understanding the economy, understanding the common sense, and dozens of other small things.

    If I fail with this first contact, then I don't know if I can survive until I reach the next town. I can't bring attention to myself, so I should avoid things like [Slavery Magic], [Bloodwork], and [Necromancy Magic], which sound dangerous and potentially illegal. [Summoning Magic] also seems advanced and exotic, and it's best that people don't ask where I learned it, so I should hide it, too. Also, the skill system seems abusive. I could turn from a swordsman, to a mage, to an assassin, to a craftsman, and to a negotiator, all in a small amount of time. It doesn't seem normal for people to be able to do what I did with this skill system. Even the menu and things like "Items" could be abnormal here, so I have to be cautious of that, too.

    Now I'm starting to accept this might really be another world. "God" may have sent me a message that I can't go back, but there's no evidence of that, it's just the words of a suspicious being that I have never seen before. Perhaps I can go back, or perhaps not, but first, I need to search for knowledge about this world, about teleportation, and about other worlds, only then can I truly decide if it's possible or not.

    Even if this world is only a game, I can still feel a lot of pain, I can feel the pleasure of the wind, I can feel the hunger in my stomach…

    Now that I think about it, I feel like I should eat a piece of meat.

    This "dried meat" is too salty for my taste, too hard to cut, and too rubbery to chew.

    I really want normal food now.

    I didn't even get to taste the buffet that I ordered for my wedding, and there were so many choices of chocolate candies that I never got to enjoy.

    I slap my cheeks to get away from these idle thoughts.

    Going back to the previous train of thought, I can feel the satisfaction of eating something, and everything else that I should normally feel. For me, this is reality, not a game, so I don't want to live a poor and hard life. If I can basically do anything with this skill system, then maybe I can use it to my advantage and have a quiet, but fulfilling life while I search for knowledge about how to get back.

    I sigh and lay back on the cold, hard ground. I can see the sun on top of the canopies now, so I guess it's about noon. Also, my MP is now back to full, and it took at least an hour of waiting, so I think I should conserve my MP as much as I can.

    I just wanted to hug you one more time, Lily…



    I try to eat a piece of "rock bread", but it's really as hard as a rock. Well, I guess this is why it won't spoil easily. Then I try to wet it with my saliva and it easily turns into mush.

    Bland, wet, white bread, delicious.

    I have to test [Lightning Bolt], too. It's best to know your tools, even if I'm going to waste the mana right now by firing it at nothing.

    I scratch the "itch" of [Lightning Bolt], and immediately the point of my left finger starts feeling hot while the sensation of blood leaving my body comes again, so the spell must be charging.

    I look at my finger and see that it's shining faintly. I point it forward, and after two seconds of holding it still, a lightning bolt flashes from my finger towards a bush ahead.

    After the flash and thunder, I see that the bush has been partially carbonized while the rest has caught on fire.

    I have no idea how to measure damage, but this spell feels dangerous, though a small, rather dry bush would burn extremely easily. I'm not sure if it can kill someone in one hit, and there are also the status values and HP values, so maybe people can get resistance through "Endurance," or something.

    I cast [Constricting Vines] and feel my finger getting hot, so I point to another bush, and once the spell fully charges, green vines burst from the ground and wrap themselves around my "target." It takes a few seconds for them to wrap around it completely, so I don't think I can use this on an enemy that's moving.

    These spells cost me around 1/4th of my mana, so I only have four more uses or so of [Lighting Bolt].

    I think I'll wait again until my mana is full since I don't know what happens if I use all my mana. In some games, you can feel sick, faint, lose health, or even die, so I'm unwilling to test my mana to the limit.

    Finally, after resting again, I get the motivation to move on. Now I need to walk in the direction of town and reach safety.



    I walk with [Sense Presence] and [Hide Presence] activated and just power through the tiredness that they give me.

    The skills make me tense, but I can still appreciate the environment. The trees are all ten to fifteen meters tall, with a girth that would require at least five people to make a human chain around it. There's also the occasional huge root snaking around the trees, randomly going above or below the ground, and they make me wonder if they're the roots of one huge tree.

    There're also plenty of different bushes and small trees with fruits, mostly colorful berries and grapes. I try to put the fruits into "Items," but they all show a "??? fruit," so I'm not sure what they are or if they're even edible. They look quite appetizing, though.

    Then, as I walk through a small patch of blue-leaved trees with a white trunk, my [Sense Presence] picks up something different from the animals. I sense a "red dot" a few meters away and to my right. Not only is the color ominous, but I actually do feel like the skill is telling me that it's something "dangerous."

    Then my heart skips a beat when I notice that the red dot is coming directly towards me.

    Did it notice me? Does it also have [Sense Presence]? I can't even see it because the bushes are on the way.

    I hide behind a bush and crouch. If possible, I'd like to avoid combat. In games, killing monsters gives experience, which will increase my "level," but I don't have confidence in my abilities, and I also don't even know what kind of "enemy" is coming.

    The presence continues towards me. I notice the intercept route is a little off, so maybe it's just a coincidence that our paths would cross, but it'll still be very close. I can't afford to move and make a noise.

    I put my hand on the hilt of my sword.

    As I wait for the enemy to come closer, I start to hear footsteps. The pitter-patter makes me think that the red dot is a quadruped, so perhaps it's a dog? Then I hear the sound of someone sniffing the air. It's smelling me. There's no escape now that it caught my scent; it's going to find me.

    A bush ahead of me rustles, then a small wolf-like animal comes out of it. It has a long snout that gets thinner at the nose, fangs coming out of its closed mouth, and a round body with spines covered in moss. What's not covered in spines is covered in grey fur. It's certainly not an animal that I know.

    I freeze for a moment as I'm still not used to the ridiculous things that happen to me, but that was a mistake.

    The monster has noticed me, and it immediately bares his fangs, then lunges at me.

    It's coming, it's gonna bite me, it wants to kill me, I'm going to die.

    "AAAAAAAH!" I scream in fear.

    The fight or flight instinct kicks in, and this time, I decided to fight.

    When the monster gets close enough it jumps, aiming at my face.

    Like the noob that I am, I forgot to draw my sword, so all I can do is aim the blade at the monster while it flies towards me, and it hits the side of its snout. This isn't a katana capable of Iaido, so I only manage to give it a mere cut, but at least I deflected the tackle.

    It passes by my side and falls two meters away.

    I turn immediately to face it, and the animal does a move that sends chills down my spine. It lifts the hind legs and lowers the front legs, then the spines move their pointy ends directly towards me and start to shake. In the next moment, they shoot out like arrows.

    Through some incredible reflexes or luck, I lunge to the side, hiding behind the nearest tree, but it isn't a perfect dodge. The side of my left leg is assaulted by a wave of pain as the mossy spines enter my skin.

    My heart was already pumping adrenaline a few seconds ago, so I manage to ignore the pain, but still panic and decide to use my trump card. I charge [Lightning Bolt].

    I hear the rushed footsteps of the monster chasing after me. It has to go around the tree, so it doesn't reach me instantly, but its speed is still faster than I can cast.

    I see it, and it immediately jumps again, its open, fanged mouth aiming towards my face, then the Bolt flies.

    The lightning roars and the animal screams. It tackles me, but it doesn't bite. I protect my face and manage to grab him by the snout. It isn't very heavy, so I manage to not fall back from the impact. Then I slam it against the ground in rage.

    Part of its fur is burned, there's smoke rising from its body, and its eyes are both cloudy and possibly fried, then it starts to convulse, but it's not dead yet.

    Anger runs through my body and I pierce its head with my sword, letting the skill do it all for me.

    The monster twitches for a few seconds, then it stops moving.

    I killed something, I actually fucking killed something…but the feeling of my sword piercing through flesh is disgusting.

    "You are now level one," a female voice echoes around me.

    "W-what? Who's there?" I question and look around, but there's nobody around. I blink as I process what I heard, and after a few moments, I recognize that the voice was inside my head, like a video game announcer.

    I stand still for some time, thinking about what just happened, but the adrenaline goes away and the pain of the spines piercing my skin starts to grow.

    I quickly pull the spines out, but it just makes the pain worse. Now, my skin trickles with blood and stains my clothes, then I notice that four spines got stopped by the leather jacket.

    I guess armor really is useful here, though it's a bit lacking in padding.

    I cast [Regeneration], and a ball of light appears, floating above my left palm. I push it against my body and it sinks like it was ethereal, and I remain still for some time as I feel my mana steadily drain, then I start to calm down as the pain slowly subsides, and a slightly pleasurable feeling courses through my body. It seems that this is a continuous or "channeled" spell.

    It takes ten minutes, but the blood stops completely, then the wound starts closing, and the pain goes away completely. I guess this magic isn't something you use during battle, but it remains in effect for a minute after I stop channeling it.

    My mana is now at twenty. I guess I really need that [Mana Efficiency] skill for magic.



    While waiting for my mana to recharge, I look at my stats, but disappointingly, they didn't change. Perhaps, like "Sanity," stat values change based on training or other conditions instead of level.

    Then I look into my skills and notice that I have four new Skill Points to spend. I use two for the [Mana Efficiency] skill and two for [Sword Use]. Even though I barely used the sword, it was because I made a mistake and kept it sheathed before the battle. The monster was fast and magic has a short delay to cast, so I need to defend myself with a weapon if I get into melee.

    I test a [Dismantling] skill, but it seems it just gives me "intuition" in how to butcher it, but at least it gives me the idea that the corpse of monsters might be valuable.

    I decide to put it into my "Items," and it shows as "Hedge-wolf? monster corpse." I don't understand why there's a "?" there. Maybe it's like the fruits and the naming is based on my knowledge, so it picked the most appropriate name I could think of.

    I also change my pants since the smell of blood could attract more monsters. The bloodied pants are put into "Items" and get named as "bloody black woolen pants."

    I take out the "spare clothes bundle." It's a neat stack of clothes tied by a small cord. Maybe it needs to be like this so that it can "stack" and be considered as one item instead of each piece of clothing being separate. The bundle also has some linen underwear, which is the same as the one I'm wearing. It's loose-fitting and a little uncomfortable for me.

    Now I start to think about this world. It's clear that there are monsters different from animals and that they're hostile.

    This one likely discovered me by smell, so I guess [Hide Presence] was a bit useless, but maybe there's some magic that can help mask my scent. The loud roar my [Lightning Bolt] made when I tested it might've also alerted it of my presence, so that could be why it came towards me, to begin with.

    But the main lesson here is that I need to fight and I need to kill what I fight, there's no other way to survive here.



    After recharging my mana, I start moving again. Now I feel a little more confident since I calmed my heart, but I'm still feeling rather stressed. The [Sense Presence] skill is taking its toll on me.

    After walking for what seems like half an hour, I get another hit on my radar. The red dot feels "different" this time, and it's not coming directly towards me.

    I hide behind a bush with a good vision ahead and wait until I can see it. After a minute or so, a bush rustles and the monster comes out of it.

    It's a skinny, little green man with an ugly, oversized bald head full of wrinkles, a large, pointy ear, and a curved nose. It's a goblin, a standard enemy of fantasy worlds. It's completely naked, and its disgusting genital is dangling around, waving as he moves. He's also wounded as I can see a few bruises and cuts all over his exposed skin that are lightly bleeding. In his left hand, he is dragging a long, thin dagger, probably used for piercing, not cutting.

    This is a golden opportunity. A single Hedge-wolf gave me one hundred and ten experience points and let me level up, now I need two hundred points, but every single point counts.

    Just a single level in [Electric Magic] was enough to be the difference between life and death, or at least life and a nasty bite on my face. If I want to survive, I need more skill points, so I need more levels, and, therefore, I need to kill this goblin. The chance of success on this is high unless I'm mistaking the strength of this little green thing. He's not even a meter tall, so he should be weak.

    Yes, that's it, I'm charging.

    I draw my sword and dash towards him, holding it high above my head. The goblin barely has a chance to react before I'm into range, and I chop downwards.

    The goblin's face instantly warps into a scowl as he raises his dagger and tries to deflect my sword with his dagger, but he's too weak in comparison to me. He's not fast or strong enough to parry, but he still moves my sword sideways a bit. What was supposed to be a single hit kill by a chop to the head becomes a deadly wound as the tip of my sword sinks into his shoulder. It passes through flesh and bone, entering his chest, then it gets stuck.

    "GYEEEEEH!" The goblin screams. A nasty scream so loud that it hurts my ears.

    With this, the color drains from my face. He could be calling for allies, and now I might be in a bit of trouble.

    With anger fueling my movements, I dislodge my sword from its body, then bring it back and slice horizontally. The skill helps me do a simple, but perfectly executed cut, and the blade smoothly slides along his neck sinking deeper and deeper until it comes out on the other side, decapitating him, and his head rolls away. This is an awfully sharp sword, though his neck was pretty slim.

    I don't have time to be stunned by the bloody scene. If a wounded goblin appeared, maybe there are others who just finished fighting. Even if they're wounded, I have no confidence in fighting more than one enemy, especially if they can just throw things at me, like spears.

    Leaving a corpse will attract more monsters sensitive to smell, so I quickly add the goblin's body, head, and knife to my "Items," then I dash into a right angle from where the goblin came from to maximize my distance from where I killed it.

    After a minute or so, I slow down and catch my breath. I look at the sword in my hand and realize I forgot to clean it, so it should've left a trail of blood directly towards me.

    Fucking…!

    I pull the already bloodied pants from "Items" and use it to clean the blood, then I resume moving towards my destination.

    This goblin gave me one hundred and eighty experience points, now I only need ten more for the next level. This is good progress.

    Just two more points into [Sword Use] allowed me to properly swing the sword twice and get a kill, so I'll soon be able to increase the skill some more. But this battle went so well because it was a surprise attack against a small monster armed only with a knife, so I hope I don't find anything worse.

    But I do, find what that goblin had fought.



    After another hour, I get another hit on my radar, and it sends chills down my spine. I feel that this red rod is considerably larger than the previous ones, and I estimate that its body size is as big as me, but much longer and thick.

    I immediately crouch behind a bush and hide in fear, then I make sure that [Hide Presence] is constantly on.

    The monster is just going to pass nearby, and there's no risk of it getting too close. It's slowly strolling around, and it seems like it doesn't even have a fixed destination, so I assume that it's not searching for me, specifically.

    After two minutes, I start to hear the monster walking. It's another quadruped with a very heavy body. Then I hear a small growl, an unmistakable bear growl.

    I start sweating cold. Even in my world, a bear is not something you fight with just a sword and a party trick spell.

    Then the bear suddenly stops.

    Did it notice me? How? I can't hear it trying to smell the air.

    Then I hear it turn in my direction. I wait for a few seconds, my heart trying to escape my mouth, then it growls again, and this time, it sounds angry.

    Yeah, it noticed me. [Hide Presence] must've failed!

    I should've walked away, I should've taken [Quiet Steps] so that I could walk away from any dangerous encounter, but I didn't think this would happen, I didn't expect that it could so easily detect my presence. I thought the Hedge-wolf was an exception, but I was naive.

    Now, what do I do, flee? I'm getting tired, the bear is in the way of my destination, and I'm not sure if I can outrun a bear. Maybe I should fight and test the waters, then flee if the situation gets worse. The problem is, if I get hit once, then maybe I'm dead, so there's no room for a mistake here.

    I need to at least look at what kind of enemy this is. The hedge-wolf was just bizarre, but maybe I can see something that'll help me defeat it.

    I get up and peek from behind the bush and regret doing so. The enemy is truly a bear, a frightening bear staring at me like a ravenous beast. It has five claws the size of my hand on each paw, fangs the size of my head protruding from its open, salivating mouth, and grey fur covering its body.

    But then I become surprised as I notice that it's wounded. I can see more than a dozen shafts of what seems to be spears stuck to its body, there's a strong trickle of blood dripping from its face, one eye is closed, and there are multiple bloodstains all over its grey fur. It's heavily wounded, so it's probably what the previous goblin was fighting.

    I think that there's a chance of victory, but I can't get hit. If I do, I'm dead, so I have to use everything I can to win.

    I draw my sword and start casting [Lighting Bolt], then the bear immediately starts charging. I don't want to use [Constricting Vines] because the spell is too slow, and I also have a feeling that simple vines won't stop the charge of something that big.

    He's fast, but so is my casting, I manage to cast my bolt twice before he gets into melee range. Each hit slows him down considerably and the smell of burnt flesh fills the air, so I successfully stop his charge.

    He gets on his hind legs and tries to use his huge paws to swipe at me, but they're too slow, so I jump backward and release another Bolt, making him roar in anger.

    Now he's angry. With a sudden burst of speed, he waddles a little closer and swipes with a speed that catches me by surprise. All I can do is defend myself with the sword as the claws hit the blade and its massive strength sends me flying.

    I hit my back against a tree and air leaves my lungs, then I feel a blinding pain that immobilizes me for a second.

    My vision becomes blurry, but I manage to cast the Bolt again. The spell hits the bear on the snout, then it stops its attack and starts convulsing.

    An opportunity! I could run away, but the bloodlust clouds my mind. Anger makes me move forward, and the sweet deal of getting a large amount of experience fills my thoughts with greed. I charge forward.

    How long are his convulsions going to last? I don't know, but since this is low-level magic, it's likely to be short, so I start casting again.

    A strong headache attacks me, so I think this is my last spell.

    The bear stops convulsing and roars again, then I finish my cast at point-blank range.

    The bear flinches in pain from the spell, then I let the skill take hold, and I lunge. The tip of the blade sinks through the eye and continues on until it reaches the hilt, then I feel the tip hitting the back of its skull.

    The bear twitches once, then his body gives up and it falls limp on the ground.

    "You are now level five," the female announcer reports again.

    I look at my stats, my MP is at minus four. A massive headache flares and my vision goes dark.



    I slowly recover my consciousness. My back hurts a lot, I'm shivering, I have difficulty breathing, and my head hurts so much I don't think I can even stand.

    While laying down, I look into my stats and see that my MP is at ten but my HP is at ninety.

    Even though I blocked the attack I got damaged. Scary.

    My "Magic Power" grew by five and my maximum MP by ten. I now have twelve new skill points, so I put them all on [Mana Efficiency] and cast [Regeneration] on myself.

    It takes another ten minutes, and I heal myself until I have only one MP left. The spell helps with the back pain, but the headache worsens, and I'm still feeling very tired.

    I simply rest on the ground until my MP reaches twenty, then I use [Regeneration] again and the back pain subsides enough to let me stand.

    I look around and see that the bear is dead with my sword sticking out of its eye.

    I did it, I fucking killed a huge bear, a monstrously large bear. Fucking hell.

    I take the sword out and clean it on the bear's own fur, then I grab a paw and store the bear on "Items. Now I need to properly distribute my points.



    I have thirty-one points total, so I put them like this:




    PRESS HERE TO CHOOSE Skill Report​

    Physical​
    Skill NameLevelSkill NameLevel
    Sword Use5Dodge3

    Magical​
    Skill NameLevelSkill NameLevelSkill NameLevel
    Mana Efficiency3Mana Recovery3Electric Magic4
    Nature Magic5

    Miscellaneous​
    Skill NameLevelSkill NameLevel
    Sense Presence4Hide Presence4
    I should at least be able to use [Lightning Bolt] five times without fainting, perhaps one more and then fainting. I don't know which is more efficient, [Mana Efficiency] or [Reduced Mana Cost], so I'm just going to bet on efficiency. I also don't have time to test them since it's way past noon now and I need to keep moving. I prefer to spread out my capabilities a bit instead of focusing on only one thing since no skill has a significant impact on my fighting capabilities because they seem to be heavily limited by my stats. I need to be versatile and adaptive here.

    With unsteady steps, I start moving again. I'm still hurting, my HP is at ninety-eight, and my MP is at forty, but I shouldn't linger any longer here lest another monster find me, attracted by the sounds of our battle.

    The range of [Sense Presence] is noticeably higher now and it makes me less tense to use it along with [Hide Presence], which is good since I still have a headache.

    I can see my MP gradually going up even while moving, so [Mana Recovery] is a good investment. Now I can heal myself again while walking, then the headache and back pain gradually stops, but I'm still feeling very tired.



    After another hour, I get another hit. This time, I know it's a goblin.

    It seems to be standing still, so I could test using [Quiet Steps]. I don't want to fight and I'm really tired, but I need this knowledge!

    In games, goblins usually attack in numbers to compensate for their lack of intelligence or equipment, so finding a single goblin is lucky. Maybe not so lucky since I also met what made them scatter, but still, this situation is a lucky find.

    I switch [Sense Presence] for [Quiet Steps] and activate it, then I sneak closer to the goblin. Like [Sword Use], [Quiet Steps] gives me "intuition" in how to move quietly, and my footsteps become noticeably softer. It seems that the skill isn't straight-up magic, but it's close.

    I manage to catch a glimpse of the goblin, and he seems to be looking downwards, distracted with something, so I circle around to get behind him and continue approaching.

    From an opening in a bush, I notice he's treating a wound. He has a nasty cut on his shoulder, and he's wiping it with a seemingly clean cloth.

    How smart is he?

    Then I notice that he's wearing a small leather jacket and that he has a wooden spear with a shining metal tip next to him.

    He's not the same as the previous goblin. This one is more experienced, seemingly smarter, and also has better equipment. I need to kill him with one attack.

    I carefully approach, inching closer, little by little.

    I must have patience.

    My heart beats so fast I can hear my own pulse.

    I inch closer.

    My hand shakes with anxiety and anticipation.

    I inch closer.

    He's barely within reach of my sword.

    "Gah?" He leaks a sound and looks behind, but it's too late.

    I lunge forward and stab his throat, then he immediately pressures the wound as he writhes on the ground. All he can do is garble some words and gasp for air while slowly dying from drowning in his own blood.

    He stares at me intensely. His beady little eyes don't contain anger but only surprise. Maybe he's surprised he got attacked, or just surprised he's going to die.

    I stand over him and stare back, but the bloody scene makes me feel nauseous. He's way too human for me to just watch him slowly die.

    Perhaps I made a mistake. Perhaps he's sapient and a person who belongs to a community in this world. Perhaps I committed a crime. I never allowed those two goblins to attack first; I ambushed both of them.

    I can't look at this anymore, so I decapitate the goblin.

    Shit, I feel even worse now.

    He gave more experience than the last goblin, but it's not enough to level up again. I look at my status and see that my "Crimes" section is still saying "NONE." This gives me a little comfort, but only a little.

    I put him and his spear in my "Items," then I turn around towards my objective again and see something frightening.

    A human skull, multiple bones, and a skeleton torso are laying at the foot of a huge tree. The bones are small, but they're definitely human, or at least I think they are. Goblin heads are seemingly much larger than this skull.

    Then I see something besides the skeleton, a ruined backpack.

    I now remember that the goblin's equipment was rather dusty and old-looking. The spear was clean, but it was chipped. It seems that the previous owner of this equipment was the skeleton remains. The goblin had just found it by chance.

    When I look inside the backpack, I see a small ruined notebook. I open it, and while it's mushy and the words are blurred, I can still discern some foreign characters every once in a while, so I remove one point from [Sword Use] and start adding it to each of the language skills in my "Miscellaneous" tab.

    After a few minutes, I finally find the language this notebook was written in, it's Norvok.

    I have to put five points in the language for me to be able to make sense of what's written. Also, it seems that the maximum for language is ten.

    This notebook is a diary. A dwarven young man was traveling to the other side of the continent and writing about his travels. There are tellings of what was eaten, killed, who he talked to, and minor random details. I can't absorb anything from the culture just by reading this, but it helps me discover that the language used by the locals is called Andraste.

    There's no identification in the backpack or notebook, so I don't know the name of this dwarf. I feel like I should bury him, but I don't have a shovel and neither the energy nor the time to waste here, so I just put all his bones in a pile and continue on towards my objective.



    After another hour of walking, I finally see something glittering beyond the trees. It's grass, grass touched by the sun. I've finally reached the border of the forest.

    I start to run. I don't care if I find another monster, I just want to see what's ahead. If it's really a town, then the last stretch of my journey is close, and with that, comes safety.

    The view opens up, and the forest finally ends. I'm now in a grassland, and I see a beautiful sight. The green tall grass reaches my waist and waves with the wind, painted with the gold of the reflected sunlight. It's a calming picturesque view that makes me wish to just lay down and relax, but the most beautiful sight is beyond the grassland.

    I see the stone wall, around twenty meters tall, with towers double its size behind it. Very far away, to the left of where the wall ends, there's a cobble chest-high wall, and behind it, I see a few wagons with dozens of people walking around them. Beyond the chest-high cobblestone wall, I see plantations, so they must be farms.

    Finally, civilization!

    I remove [Quiet Steps] and [Hide Presence], and reduce [Dodge] by two, then I add ten points to [Andraste Language]. With preparations done, I start running towards the wagons.

    Suddenly, my energy runs out as I realize something. I haven't thought of a story to tell them yet. Even if I can communicate, it's best that I don't tell them I came from another world or tell a shitty lie like I lost my memories or something similar. There's a probability that I will be taken advantage of if I do that, so I need to decide on a believable story.

    I kneel and try to hide under the waist-high grass, then I take out my backpack from "Items" and fit a few things on it, like the sleeping bag, cooking pot, change of clothes, pieces of food, knives, and some coins. Now, my backpack is full and heavy, so I continue moving forward. I hope nobody noticed I didn't have it on me before.

    As I approach the wall, I attract attention from the people ahead, then some men with cloaks lean on the chest-high wall as they watch me.

    Then I get close enough to discern the details of the men watching me. They're all wearing a hauberk with a grey tabard on top, and a mail coif. A few have spears, but all of them have swords hanging from their waists and kite shields strapped to their arms. The tabards are black with a simple white kite in the middle, which has a golden sword and a rose crossed over it. This must be the heraldry of the town's lord.

    Is this really Earth? It looks like I'm in a medieval fantasy world.

    When I get close enough, I count four male and two female soldiers watching me.

    "Ooi, are you okay?! Are you an adventurer?!" Shouts one of the men.

    Adventurer? No, that sounds dangerous, I'm just a traveler.

    Their speech sounds really odd to me. I hear foreign words, but in my mind, I perfectly understand what they mean. This must be the effect of the language skill.

    "N-no, I'm just a traveler. I got lost in the woods and got attacked!" I answer in the same odd speech as them, clearly not English.

    The soldiers start murmuring with each other, looking slightly surprised and confused.

    Once I get close enough to properly see their faces, one of the soldiers starts talking out loud as he frowns, "Uh, you're too small to be traveling by yourself, and you don't look like a dwarf, but I guess the forest should be calmer right now since the last culling was just two days ago."

    The other soldiers snort and chuckle.

    "Kids are always looking for a cheap way to get levels, even if it's dangerous," another comments, and the soldiers hum in agreement.

    I tense up, unsure what to say, but if they think I'm just a dumb kid then I guess it's acceptable.

    "Anyway, are you going to enter the town?" The first soldier casually asks.

    "Yes, please. I'm tired, and I really need some rest," I quietly answer.

    "Don't go out again, you got lucky this time, kid," a female soldier advises me with a reproving tone.

    Lucky? Pff. If that's being lucky, then please wake me up from this nightmare.

    The first soldier ignores her and continues, "Alright, I'll process your entry, come with me. Now everybody, back to your stations!" He barks as he glares at the other soldiers, and they all disperse immediately. I notice that this man wears a golden armband on both arms, so perhaps he's the leader of the watch.

    I could only look at them for a short time, but these men and women are all tall, burly, and have attractive faces. I'm rather surprised they aren't uglier.

    I jump over the wall and fall on a raised cobblestone road, then I follow the leader. We pass by two stopped wagons, and each has another soldier writing something with a… pen? It looks like a thin metallic cylinder with a very small jewel at the tip.

    Both the civilians and the guards that are talking are wearing such finely embroidered woolen clothing that makes mine look like rags. One even has a beautiful silk cloak. I guess they must be merchants.

    We walk through a long, wooden bridge lowered across a moat, then we pass through a huge portcullis, and we finally enter the town.

    Ahead of us, there's a short row of boring and bland buildings. After that, a spectacle of crooked, bizarre, and beautiful buildings starts. Perhaps the boring ones are barracks.

    The man leads me into a small office stuck on the wall. Inside, I see a few simple wooden chairs around a wooden table with a few sealed scrolls on top of it.

    "Alright, sit," he casually orders and motions to the chair. Once I obey, he continues, "Do you have any identification?"

    I sweat a bit. I don't even know what this "identification" is, so I need to lie here.

    "No, I lost it when I got attacked. I had another bag, but it got torn," I stiffly answer, doing my best to keep a poker face.

    He lazily raises a black eyebrow. "Right. Well, we'll just use the Inspection Crystal, then. Is that alright with you?" He sternly asks.

    I have no idea what this "Inspection Crystal" is so I'm just gonna go with the flow.

    "It's ok," I calmly answer and flash a shy smile.

    "Then wait here. Let me grab it in the other room," he replies and leaves without waiting for an answer.

    Perhaps this stone will see my status window. The name is obviously suggestive.

    When I open my "Status," I notice that I haven't written my name yet, so I hastily try to awkwardly write down my own name on the floating, touchless keyboard.

    Wait no, my name sucks. Fuck that shit. It's time to choose a cool name my parents were too boring to pick for me.

    I choose "Wolf Ryder."

    A few seconds later, the man comes back with a simple box that cushions a crystal ball and a tablet. It looks slightly expensive.

    "Alright, put your hand on the ball and keep it there until I say otherwise," he orders.

    I obey, and when I touch the ball, the transparent crystal tablet changes color to black, and white letters start to appear in a style that's exactly like the "Menu"'s, then I notice that the letters are in Andraste, but my "Menu" is in English.

    Curious.

    The man carefully reads the tablet, and I notice that my new name is written right at the top. I'm glad I took the time to write it.

    He knits his eyebrows and comments with a worried tone, "Hmm… there's nothing wrong here, but you're awfully low level for someone of your age, and what's up with those skills? No Conjuring, Fire, Space, or even [Light Magic]? Also, no life skills, and though you have a language skill, you don't have [Writing] like a scribe should…" -He raises his head and looks at me bemusedly as he stifles a laugh- "What kind of sheltered child are you? I've never seen a combination of skills like yours."

    "Well… uh, I’m…" I desperately search for an answer and look away.

    Well, he's not lying. My life on Earth could seem sheltered in comparison to the people of this world. Also, I could come up with an excuse, but that would just give more rope to the conversation. Even if he looks down on me, I shouldn't speak carelessly.

    "I'm a bit sheltered, yes," I admit and blush in embarrassment.

    "Hah! it's kind of a miracle you survived the Sea of Trees… Well, anyway, since you have some combat skills, go to the monster hunter guild or the dungeoneering guild if you want to survive here. The Sea isn't like the Mainland, so don't go out there alone or without preparation again," he talks down at me with a tired tone as if I was a stupid kid, which he knows I am since he saw my age in my "Status." Then his tone instantly shifts into a commanding one as he adds, "Now, let me see what's in your backpack."

    The way he said Sea of Trees makes me think this is the true name of that forest.

    I open my backpack and show all the things that I have inside.

    "Alright. The ball says you don't have an [Item Box], so the tax is just going to be one silver coin for entry, and five copper for using the status stone."

    [Item Box]? Perhaps it's different from my "Items" ability. There was something called [Space Magic], so perhaps [Item Box] could be found there?

    I silently pay him the amount.

    He advises me like one advises your little brother, "The guilds give free IDs, so go register there, and you don't need to pay tax depending on which ID you show." Then a subtle glint appears in his eyes. "Also, is this your first time here? I can sell you a map for ten copper coins," he offers with a grin that shows a set of very white teeth.

    "Alright, I’ll take one."

    I pay him and he hands me a sealed scroll made from roughly textured paper.

    He shows a business smile and says with a practiced tone, "Then that's all. Welcome to Rabanara, the great fortress on the shore of the Sea of Trees."

    I ask for an inn recommendation within the middle price range, and he tells me to go to the Resting Spring's Inn, then he waves me away.



    The map is quite crude and lacks beauty, but it gives the location of all the important locations. The Bazaar, the Flea Market, the Farmer's Market, the Guild's Corridors, the Crafter's Corner, the Gambling Den, the Theater, the Carnival Field, the Colosseum, the slums, the commoners' area, the Nobles' Quarter, the multitudes of inns, and the brothel district. After some searching, I find the Resting Springs.

    As I walk through the streets, I see a large amount of weird-looking people. People with animal ears, tails, claws, snouts, patches of fur, animal-looking digitigrade feet, and hands that almost look like paws in any sort of combination imaginable. People with horns, tails, wings, and plenty of other weird body parts. Skin colors of all the colors of the rainbow. Most wearing very revealing clothing, and plenty are floating around or flying slowly. Their clothes go from delicate togas and kimonos, to rough and boring medieval clothes, and some even use straight-up animal pelts like stereotypical barbarians. It's a carnival of people with mismatched armor and weapons, and with body types ranging from big, burly, and tough, to small, cute, and scrawny.

    Not only is the populace interesting, but the town itself is also fascinating. It's like someone partially demolished a cobble building, then used whatever wood they had to rebuild it but also used a different architectural style. It's like the town is a patchwork.

    All of the buildings have odd, crooked shapes, and they're made of a mix of a dark and light wood with white and dark-blue cobblestone. They don't look hastily made, though, as both the stone and wood are full of relief, details, and decorations. Some buildings have heavily jettied floors, giving it a comfy look as they "lean" towards the street, and others have an assortment of statues and other decorations on supporting pillars, and some even have vines growing directly from the beams.

    Truly an odd town.

    All those things in combination with the bizarre architecture makes me feel like I'm actually the normal and well-dressed one. I see even a few small animals that look a bit human-like in their behavior. They run around like children, appearing and disappearing out of thin air.

    Surprisingly, the town looks clean and doesn't smell even though horses are everywhere. Behind nearly every wagon, there is a floating yellow broom that sweeps the floor by itself without even lifting dust, it's like it just makes shit disappear. Perhaps these are spells that keep the roads clean.



    The inn is close by, and there are still a few hours until sunset, but my body and mind are exhausted. All I want is to rest for a little while.

    The inn is a large building. It isn't as crooked as the other ones, and it's made entirely out of cobblestone. It has three floors and gives off a rustic feeling. There's no spring, though. I've been lied to.

    Once I enter, a middle-aged man with a small chin, brown hair, and small circle glasses greets me from behind a desk while he writes in a book with an ink quill.

    "Welcome to the Resting Springs Inn. Would you like a room?" He asks with a kind tone and a gentle smile.

    "Yes, please. What kind of rooms do you have?" I calmly reply.

    "We have a only few single-bed rooms on the third floor, but on the second floor, there's still a lot of space in the communal room."

    The communal bed might be one cheap room where multiple people sleep together. No, thank you.

    "Single bed, please," I politely request.

    "That'll be one silver a day, would you like to reserve the room for multiple days?"

    Uh… my brain is not working properly.

    "Ten days…" I come up with a random number.

    He nods and smiles again. "We also give breakfast and dinner, five copper for each meal. During dinner, the public bathhouse is open, and the bath is included with the meal, but personal bathing rooms can be reserved by ten copper. There's also a magician responsible for the bath that you can rent personally for fifteen copper at any time."

    Food is cheap, a bed is not...

    I (try to) think for a moment, then I answer, "I'd like both meals for each day. Also, what's the exchange rate for silver and copper coins?"

    He stares blankly for a moment, likely surprised at my question, then he recomposes himself and answers in his usual gentle tone, "Avgi silver coins are equal to ninety copper coins."

    Perhaps this is not something people normally ask him. Also, now that he said "Avgi coins" I notice that there's something written on the coins. It's written in the [Andraste Language], but it's only a few letters and some numbers, so perhaps it's some identification?

    I pay the innkeeper and he gives me a key with the number 304 on it, and a smaller black key.

    He assumes a practiced tone and recites, "Here it is, room four on the third floor. The smaller key opens a safe. Once you leave, give me the room key, but keep the safe key, and don't leave anything valuable outside of the safe. The safe can only be opened by us after your stay ends. Finally, would you like to be called for breakfast and dinner?" He gives me a business smile.

    I don't have a watch or an alarm clock. I'll never get up at the right time without them.

    "Yes," I awkwardly respond with a nod.

    He turns the book around and hands me his ink quill, then points to a blank line. "Please write your name here."

    I start to write my name and my hand just moves by itself. It's a very odd feeling, like I'm doing things by reflex only. I don't really know what I'm writing until it is done and the language skill tells me that I've written "Wolf Ryder." The squished characters are a bit difficult to tell apart, but something tells me that my calligraphy is perfect.

    "Thank you for your patronage," he adds and bows slightly, then I nod and walk towards the stairs.

    The inside of the inn is made entirely of light brown wood. It's simple and a little cramped, but perhaps they just wanted to maximize the number of rooms. I notice that shining jewels on the ceiling are illuminating the inn; they're basically weak light bulbs.

    I enter my room and lock the door, then I take off my sword belt, boots, and jacket. I sigh in relief, then I drop on the bed and fall asleep.



    I dream of the unpleasant sensation of cutting flesh with my sword.



    A knock on the door wakes me up.

    "The dinner is ready, and the bath is hot," the muffled voice of a young woman reaches my ears.

    I don't know what the bed is made of. It's not hard, but it's not really good for my back. I might need to search for a proper bed if I'm going to stay here for a while.

    I put my clothes back on and go downstairs.

    On the first floor, there's a communal hall with a few square tables and chairs. A small number of commoners are sitting about, waiting for the food, and I see more people are coming down the stairs.

    I sit and wait, and soon, a plate comes to me. Vegetable stew, a piece of roasted mutton with spice and herbs, and a piece of fluffy, white bread. It tastes okay, the stew lacks some spice, but the mutton is well done. Perhaps due to the prominence of woolen clothing sheep are a staple food.

    After eating, I go through the back door and reach the baths. Contrary to every single fucking medieval novel, baths aren't that rare. The Romans loved baths, you know, bathhouses were a thing throughout history, you know.

    I ask the attendant at the front about how it works. They use the heat of the kitchen coupled with the help of a mage to heat the water of the bath, so that's the source of the mist coming out of the doors ahead. It makes me quite happy that I'll be able to get some hot water to sink in and not just a towel bath.

    For four pieces of copper, I'll get a towel, a very small piece of rough soap, and a sponge. The bath is divided into three parts: men, women, and mixed. Using the men or women's costs another piece of copper. Curiosity gets the best of me and I enter the mixed one, which is free for the patrons of the inn.

    Let's say that some light prostitution is going on over there. I immediately leave and pay for the men's bath. I'm not a puritan, but seeing sex live is too awkward for me right now.

    The etiquette is that you first gather a bucket of water, then use it to wash away all the dirt with the sponge and soap, then you're allowed to relax in the pool of hot water.

    So I start washing, but I start to feel conscious of my body. Most men here are somewhat handsome. I'm not ugly and I have a cute baby face, but damn, are all the people in this world at least somewhat attractive?

    When I get out of the bath, it's already night, and the people are either going to bed or to a tavern to drink. I don't really drink, so I go to bed early today.

    I lay down on my not so comfortable bed and spend some time reflecting on what happened today. I got sucked out of my wedding into a painful, dangerous, magical, insane, and ridiculous world. I killed two humanoid beings in a very gory way, I killed a bizarre animal, and I killed a huge bear that almost killed me. If not for [Regeneration], I think I would be dead now.

    What kind of god would throw me here at this precise timing? Fuck you, God. Or help me, help me because I want to go home, I want to see my wife, I want to hug her, kiss her, and have sex with her, then have her fall asleep in my arms and wake up seeing her smile. Fuck this world. Either help me, please, or get yourself fucked, God!

    I feel something "change" inside of me. I open my "Menu" and look at my "Status." My "Piety" increased from zero to two.

    I break down and cry myself to sleep.
     
    Last edited: Oct 29, 2021
  3. VesperNyan

    VesperNyan Well-Known Member

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    You got me at yuri.. say no more
     
    Tanyia and Manasong like this.
  4. runsing

    runsing status : bleeding, health -10/s Novel Updates Staff

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    @Manasong

    while it is not resizeable, you CAN actually use table
    https://forum.novelupdates.com/posts/3400199/

    Item NameQuantity
    Spare clothes1
    Dried meat10
    Firewood10
    Silver coin50

    Code:
    [table][tr][th]Item Name[/th][th]Quantity[/th][/tr]
    [tr][th]Spare clothes[/th][th]1[/th][/tr]
    [tr][th]Dried meat[/th][th]10[/th][/tr]
    [tr][th]Firewood[/th][th]10[/th][/tr]
    [tr][th]Silver coin[/th][th]50[/th][/tr][/table]
    TR indicates the start of a new row. /TR ends it
    TH /TH is the content. each couple indicates a column
    don't put a space between Table and TR / TR and Table.
     
  5. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

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    Thanks, I have added tables, look kind of ugly but I guess they serve for now.
     
  6. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

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    A knock on the door wakes me up.

    "The breakfast is ready," the muffled voice of a young man reaches my ears.

    The nightmare didn't end. I'm still here, stuck in this world.

    I didn't sleep well because my back hurts, but since I went to bed soon after sunset, I've at least managed to sleep for a long time, so I'm not that tired. I had a few nightmares, though, and one of them was simply me staring at the goblin drowning in his own blood. That scene was way too brutal for me; it still creeps me out.

    I look at my stats and see that my "Strength" increased by 1 (now 8). I guess yesterday's effort was rewarded.

    My mouth feels horrible. I have to buy a toothbrush, a hairbrush, some soft sleeping clothes, a better blanket, a proper pillow, more spare clothes, and underwear. I also have to clean the bloody pants.

    I saw that there's a well outside for cleaning, so I can just buy soap from the bath attendant yesterday, then I can pay her to use magic to instantly dry my clothes. Sounds convenient, but also not.

    Now that I have a "Piety" of two, [Light Magic] seems to work, and its first spell is called [Clean], but even that spell isn't powerful enough to completely clean my clothes or my mouth, so I still need some utensils.

    I spend long minutes staring at the ceiling, trying to muster the energy to get up. Even though the bed is uncomfortable, getting up and facing reality feels like a worse deal than staying here, cooped up in a dark room.

    But my survival instincts are seemingly stronger than I gave them credit for.

    I'm not going to wither and die of depression. My "fuck you" to this world will be to die of old age!

    With a tired groan, I sit up, then I put on my clothes and go downstairs to eat breakfast.

    Today, the main course is bean paste, which reminds me of the Brazillian staple, though it lacks rice. There's also roasted vegetables and a loaf of slightly sweet bread. I realize sugar might be expensive so this bread is actually high quality, but, as a sweet tooth and a chocolate addict, the only thing I can call this is "boring."

    While eating, I think about what I should do next. The guard said to get an ID at the guilds, and depending on what ID I have I don't need to pay customs tax. But first, what exactly should I do in this world?

    I want to go home, but to do it I need knowledge. I saw that there's a magic university here, so perhaps they have a library that I can use, but I don't think it's going to be free. I think that, historically, religious buildings like churches could have people knowledgeable about the world, so perhaps I could go to them for advice. The map shows that there's a temple in the middle of the town.

    Regardless, I'm going to need to find a job and acquire money for a steady living. With my skill system, I could start a crafting business, but factories in this age might not have good workers' rights laws, which might make it easy for others to exploit me. Also, I'm more of a creative type, I'm not good with manual labor.

    Perhaps I could bring technology from my world here, but that's risky and it's really going to call attention to me. Inventions take a lot more than just being the first to do it, I need knowledge of economics and security to safeguard the profits of my inventions, and I know nothing about either of these.

    If we're going to assume this is an adventure and role-playing game, the most straightforward method of acquiring money is killing monsters. The map shows that there's a dungeoneering and a monster hunters' guild, so adventuring might be a risky but also valid way of work. Seeing how my skill system works, I have an incredible advantage in combat.

    I also need Experience to increase my level and get more skill points. I don't know how to acquire Experience besides killing monsters, but perhaps there's another way to acquire skills like training or taking an apprenticeship, though I need connections and a proper career path for that.

    So, in the end, my first move should be to go to the monster hunters' and dungeoneering guilds. But first, I'll buy a hairbrush and a toothbrush. My breath still feels a bit bad.



    Now that I'm rested and much calmer, I notice that this city is bizarre but also kind of inspiring. The different architectural styles are all very interesting, and even the contrast between them has a charm of its own.

    The people also have their own sense of fashion. It's like this town is a hub for travelers from all around the world, and they all bring their own piece of home with them. Some alleys are dark and ugly, others are comfortable and calming, some have vines and unidentified plants growing all over, others have lights and moving metal parts that remind me of steampunk. The people are all energetic and positive interactions are abundant.

    Maybe it's just that I'm in the good part of town, or maybe I'm just feeling lonely.

    Yeah, let's go with lonely.

    After some walking, I get to the monster hunters' guild, and my first impression is that it looks menacing. Fangs and bones decorate the protruding pillars, skins and scales of all kinds decorate the walls, and an even bigger carnival of colors than the rest of town makes me question the sanity of the architect. A large skull with a long snout and huge teeth but lacking a jaw is hanging over the entrance with the teeth sunk on the wall as if the skull is biting the building itself.

    I cross the tall double doors and I'm greeted by a large number of people chatting around tables decorated with the same ridiculous style as the building's walls. Most of them are drinking unknown liquids from tankards, but there's no way it's not alcohol, and it seems like some people are drinking it like water even though we're still in the morning.

    The first floor of the building is one large hall filled with tables. Over one wall, there's a set of large boards with pieces of paper stuck on them. If this follows the traditional game template, those are the bulletin boards and the papers are requests for extermination.

    On another wall, there's a row of booths filled with men and women wearing a dark blue velvet uniform with some simple yellow embroidery to make the uniform prettier, and they also have a badge on their chests of a crossed fang and sword. That's the symbol of this guild, and it's the same one on the double doors.

    I walk towards one of the booths.

    "Welcome, how may I help you?" A middle-aged female attendant greets me. She's a beautiful short-haired brunette that shows an air of experience.

    I smile gently and answer, "Hello. I'm a traveler and I just got into town. I came from a small village, so I'm rather ignorant of the way things are done around here. Can you explain this guild to me? What I was told might not be fully correct."

    The attendant opens her eyes in surprise. I guess this is something that's unusual to ask.

    "Well, this guild is very simple," she starts with a kind tone, then her eyes gloss over and her voice becomes robotic

    Oh, here it comes…

    "This is a place for people that hunt monsters to gather, party up, and trade or sell their spoils. The Townsguard does regular cullings to keep the monsters in check, but they also sometimes employ hunters from the guild to help with it. Outside of the culling, other parties also hire hunters to catch monsters for their ingredients that can be used to create valuable items, potions, and food; as escorts for a merchant caravan; for expeditions inside the Sea of Trees or dungeons; or to simply protect something. Every once in a while, a special and dangerous monster appears, and hunters specialized in tracking are then sent to hunt it down. In cases of emergency, the hunters are also called and duty-bound to help defend either the city, the people, or the buildings in the vicinity of Rabanara. Those are the main functions of hunters on this guild."

    She takes a breath and immediately continues, "On our side, we buy any monster corpses or organs, intact or not, then we evaluate them and give out the proper rewards. The advantage of selling to us is that we have experts in dismantling and evaluation of monster parts. We do not haggle and only buy at a fixed price. We also buy parts without the need for a buyer since we're able to stock them. If you were to go to the merchant guilds you could sell for higher, but there might not be anyone buying it at the moment.

    "On the second floor, you can use the meeting rooms to discuss things with your allies, and we guarantee a [Silent Room] enchantment on each room; on the third floor, there's the administration personnel that you can consult for more serious matters; and behind this building, there are the training grounds, and for ten copper, you can use it and train with our instructors for a full period."

    I assume period means from morning till noon or from noon till dusk.

    "We're a sister guild to the dungeoneering guild, but we're the ones who manage and organize the hunters. We also help assess the danger of monsters and the ability level of hunters to minimize death or harm. The dungeoneering guild holds all records of dungeons, monsters, and they help acquire the tools necessary for expeditions.

    "People who register at the dungeoneering guild are called explorers, those that have registered at both guilds are called adventurers. Finally, registering at either or both of the guilds allows you to enter or leave any town without paying tax as long as you don't hold any export good on you or in your [Item Box]. If you acquire the favor from the guildmaster or someone with equal or higher authority, then you can pass the gate without having the contents of your [Item Box] read." The woman finally finishes and takes another breath.

    She seemed surprised at my question, but she was able to answer it perfectly. I guess they're prepared for ignorant people like me, and it's just that I'm a rare find.

    "Hmm… So, how do I register?" I shyly ask.

    "Two silver coins, a drop of your blood, and we give you your crystal ID tablet. Also, during registration and afterward, we periodically ask to inspect your tablet. This is to make sure that no criminal and no person who learned forbidden skills are using our facilities."

    I frown and ask reflexively, "My blood?"

    She smiles sweetly and soothes me with a motherly tone, "[Slavery Magic] needs you to ingest the blood, and there's nothing a Blood mage can do with your blood that'd affect you."

    "Oh…" I mumble awkwardly. I guess I just made myself look like a superstitious dolt. I quickly move on to another question, "Forbidden skills?"

    She diligently replies, "[Necromancy Magic], [Bloodwork] and [Undead Creation] are the only ones whose names we're allowed to mention. [Slavery Magic] and [Blood Magic] are also forbidden unless you're registered."

    Registered? So slavery is also sanctioned in this world.

    "Alright, I'd like to register."

    The guard already saw my entire "Status" when I entered the town, so there's no problem here, but I need to be careful of which skill I choose or I might accidentally pick something forbidden. There are tons of skills with dangerous or suspicious names.

    I turn around and fiddle a bit with my skills as I pretend to look for my coins. I put one point into [Space Magic] so my usage of "Items" is less suspicious. The crystal tablet the guard used for customs didn't show the level of my skills, so this should be fine.

    I pay the price, then the attendant gets a transparent crystal tablet and a needle from below the table. She pinches my finger with dexterity and lets a drop of blood fall on the tablet.

    She picks it up, spends a moment to read it all, then turns to me and reports, "I'll register this at our books. Please wait here for a while." She leaves the booth and disappears deeper into the building.

    I turn around just in time to see a fight break out. Two drunk-looking men start punching each other with unsteady postures, then two large attendants with clubs at their waists immediately jump in and forcefully break the fight.

    They hold the men in position while they scream abuse at each other, and after a minute or two they tire out, then the attendants drop them in place. They both fall down on the floor like boards and the hall resounds with laughter.

    This is a very ruthless but surprisingly friendly atmosphere. Still, I don't really feel comfortable here.

    Soon, the attendant comes back and gives me the tablet. It's a small rectangle made of a transparent crystal that fits well in my hand, like a mini smartphone.

    She shows me that all of the entries can be hidden by touching them, but that's just a convenience in case I want to show something to someone. The customs guards will reveal every entry and look at all my skills in case I've learned something forbidden.

    I'll just put it in my chest pocket for now, then I'll store it in my "Items" later.

    "How do I register at the dungeoneering guild?" I ask.

    "Just show them your ID and they'll register your name for free."

    I knit my eyebrows in confusion. "What, if it's free, then why do I also need to register there? Can't it be done automatically?"

    She answers with a perfect business smile, "It depends on the town, so not every hunter and dungeoneering guild is integrated."

    I scratch my head in confusion. "Oh, well… Anyway, now I want to sell some monsters I killed."

    Her smile becomes gentle and genuine. "Oh? You already killed something? Well then, please follow me to the disassembling room."

    Ah, fuck, I made a mistake, I forgot my "Items" is a special thing. I know that [Item Box] probably works similarly, but I've never actually seen it in use.

    I need to make an excuse so that I can remove all my points and put them into [Space Magic] to see if I get an [Item Box].

    The attendant takes me into a room with multiple cushioned chairs along the walls and a closed door with a sign "In use" hung on it.

    "There's someone disassembling a monster. Wait here, and when they're finished, you'll be called," the attendant quickly advises then leaves with a small wave.

    I just got a life jacket. I sit and immediately put all my points into [Space Magic]. The first point gives me the [Telekinesis] spell, at 10 points I get [Gravity Crush], and finally, at 20 points I get [Item Box].

    I immediately cast it, then a little mana goes away, and it opens the exact same menu as "Items," but now there's nothing inside of it.

    Well, then.

    At least now I know the truth, so I put all my points back how they were.



    After a good thirty minutes, the door opens and a big, bald, and burly man with a bloody apron and gloves greets me with a smile.

    "Good morning, young man. Are you here for dismantling?" He energetically asks.

    "Yes, I am," I obediently reply with a nod.

    He pats his apron with pride. "I'm Gordon, the chief butcher. We're ready now, so please come in, and sorry for the wait."

    I nod silently and follow him across the door, then we enter a large, cooled room with a large number of metal tables where a few are still bloodied. There's another person with a bloody apron and gloves that's scrubbing the blood off of everything.

    "Now, pull out on the table anything you want to sell," Gordon instructs.

    I pull the monsters out of my "Items" one by one, and neither of the men comments anything. I notice that the monsters are still warm and bleeding, so this means that whatever is in the [Item Box] or my "Items" gets frozen in time. When I pull out the bear, the two men freeze and let their jaws hang open, then the assistant stops scrubbing and mutters a soft "Wow."

    "Yo, call Sonny. This one is valuable," Gordon requests to the assistant, then smiles creepily while staring at the corpse.

    Gordon touches his palm with his indicator, and a large knife materializes in his hand with *poof*, then he ignores the other monsters and starts removing the pelt of the bear.

    "You killed this one alone?" He asks while vigorously slicing the monster.

    "No, I found him weakened. I think he was fighting the goblins that I killed," I confess.

    His laugh echoes across the large room. "Hahaha, now that's a jackpot. You see, this one also has a bounty on him, so when we get Sonny here you'll get a bonus. Also, did you kill it by stabbing it through the eye? That's some creative method you got there." He glances back and shows me a bloody smile as some of the bear's blood has squirted on his cheek.

    Do they have poker here?

    "Creative? How are you supposed to kill him normally?" I curiously ask.

    "Crushing the head. His skin is too hard to kill with an axe or spear, and magic ruins the meat and the pelt too much. I see you used something like [Electric Magic], yeah? That's good to stun him, but it still damages the pelt a little."

    The door suddenly opens and I see Sonny come into the room. He's a small man with yellow eyes, white hair, pasty white skin, white spiral horns on his head, and a thin, white tail with a pointy tip. When he sees the bear, his eyes shine behind his oval glasses, his lips curl into a creepy smile, and he excitedly whispers, "Ooooh, excellent."

    Thankfully, he ignores me and goes towards Gordon. He examines the butcher's work and starts talking to him, then the assistant comes back and helps Gordon.

    After Gordon finishes the bear, which they tell me is called a Grey Berserker, Sonny says that the reward for killing him is two gold pieces while the body is worth another seven. If the hide was more well preserved it could be sold up to ten coins. Each goblin's body is worth forty copper. The "hedge-wolf", which is called Mossy Fangpine, is worth one silver coin.

    Since the money isn't excessive, they give it to me immediately, otherwise, it's necessary to wait for the money to be transferred to the guild.

    Sonny turns to me and comments with a subtle smirk, "So this is your first hunt, eh? Starting your tally with a surprise. But don't let other hunters use you, now. They might be too easily impressed by a lucky kill on the Grey Berserker."

    I awkwardly smile and reply, "Well I don't plan on bragging about it, so nobody will know."

    He holds back a chuckle. "Oh, no. We publish hunt results, so people will know your name pretty soon."

    I wince and look away. "Argh… Is that so?"

    Even this I have to be careful about so that I don't stand out too much.

    Gordon's laugh echoes again through the cold room and he asks, "Hehehe, you don't want fame? What kind of hunter are you?"

    "It's rather troublesome to be too famous too quickly," I tiredly answer.

    He points the bloody knife at me like a finger and nods. "Haha, the boy got a good head on his shoulders."

    "Anyway, we'll be waiting for your next surprise," Sonny politely adds and gives me a small bow.

    He seems to be a delicate man as he moves with measured movements that give him an air of dignity.

    I say my goodbyes and leave. Now I need to go to the dungeoneering guild since they might have some interesting information about monsters and dungeons.



    Since the two are related, the dungeoneering guild is close by, so I quickly get to my destination.

    This guild also boasts an extravagant facade. Black bricks reflect little dots of light from the sunlight, ceremonial blades slowly swing along the wall through magical means, and exposed clockworks show a very familiar clock above the double door. This clock is exactly the same as the ones on Earth, with twelve hours and sixty minutes. Maybe I can buy a pocket watch somewhere and cosplay as a steampunk Victorian British noble.

    On each of the large double doors, there's an engraving of a gear and an upside-down bardiche. The symbol probably represents the cliche of a trap of swinging blades in a corridor being activated by a mechanism. The dress code for the uniforms of the attendants is exactly the same as the hunters' guild except that the badge is different.

    The door is on a corner of the building, so when I enter it I'm faced with a rather small hall with a few cushioned chairs and tables. The rest of the building is separated by a chest-high wall, and past it, I see rows and rows of bookcases, tables, and chairs. There's also a considerable number of people studying there. It seems that I have to put a coin in a booth to enter the library area.

    The small windows let little light in, giving it a moody illumination, and couple that with the almost absence of any sound, and the atmosphere is one of calmness and seriousness. All in all, this place seems much more refined than the hunters' guild.

    I approach a booth and ask to register. The attendant takes my tablet away and comes back a few minutes later.

    "How do I enter the library?" I ask.

    The attendant responds in a low and serious tone, "There's a toll of two copper coins, and you have to put a deposit of one gold coin. If you damage a book, then your deposit is forfeit."

    "What kind of books are there here?"

    His tone seems more detached than the previous attendant's, but at least he's not unwelcoming to questions. "Strictly magic, traps, dungeons, monsters, and artifacts. Anything else you need to go to the temple or the university."

    "Artifacts?"

    "Rare magical items with dangerous uses."

    O~h… that sounds interesting.

    My imagination runs wild for a second, but the attendant's stoic stare prevents me from daydreaming, so I ask my last question, "I also heard you sell supplies for expeditions."

    "The item shop is through that door." He immediately points to a closed door.

    How's a room full of shops so silent even though it's right next to a library? I'm going to bet on magic.

    I'm not interested in buying items right now, so I just leave the guild. Next, I'm going to the temple.



    The temple is in the middle of the town, so it takes quite a while to walk there.

    It might be a few hours before noon, but the food stalls are already opening around me, and soon, the smell of simple, roasted and fried food fills my nose.

    I'm actually kind of hungry, and I'm too curious to let this chance pass by, so I buy a cheap stick of goblin meat. It's quite a lot of meat for a single copper coin so it makes me a bit anxious to eat it because it's probably bad-tasting meat that the poor eat.

    I bite into it and barely feel any taste, though I'm not really surprised that it's this bland. The only real flavor on it comes from the spices: a mix of garlic and oregano with salt. Still, I thought spices would be expensive for a middle-ages society, so to see it wasted on this meat stick gives me a small amount of hope for the future.

    After finishing my stick, I throw it in a "garbage hole," which seems to lead to the sewers, and I'm surprised again with how clean the town is.

    Nothing else catches my attention, so, after a long walk, I finally arrive at the temple.

    The temple lot is a large square divided into four smaller squares with four thin towers rising at the corners, and the temple itself is a gigantic half-sphere made of what seems to be white marble at the center of the lot, taking up nearly half of the land available.

    Two divisions of the lot have buildings on them that look like living quarters, and one of those buildings is full of children, so perhaps that's an orphanage while the other one is the priests' dormitory. The third sector is a grass garden with a dirt field, and the last is a small but lush plantation full of weird plants.

    I notice that while the orphanage and the dormitory have a lot of charm, the temple itself doesn't seem to have any sort of decoration, giving it an air of austerity.

    I cross the stone path and enter the temple proper, leading me into a huge circular hall. Along the outer wall, I see sixteen statues, each depicting a different human-like bust, and in the center of the hall, there's a single huge statue depicting a sphere, which is the biggest statue of them all.

    It seems that the entirety of the first floor is a place for prayer, and it's divided into two rings. On the outer ring, there are benches spread all over that point towards the outer statues; and on the inner ring, the benches are pointed towards the spherical statue. Beside each entrance, there's a large stair that runs along the circular wall in a clockwise manner and leads to the second floor.

    I see all kinds of people praying in a variety of manners to the statues. Some are on their knees, some have their hands up in the air, some are holding themselves, some are clasping their hands and have their eyes closed. I can even see a few people crying, and those are all accompanied by a person that I assume is a priest. They wear a loose white robe with a colored vertical line on the side of the arms and legs.

    This scene stuns me for a few seconds. It seems that this is a polytheistic world, so it might be a good idea to learn about the gods and choose one to pray. Since "Piety" exists as a stat, might as well use it. I'm a pragmatic agnostic, so, if there's a benefit, then I might as well convert.

    I look around and go for the closest priest that's not doing anything. A woman with tied black hair, tanned skin, and full lips. On Earth, she could be called a "Latina."

    "Excuse me," I call her attention a little awkwardly.

    She turns to me and smiles kindly. "Oh, hello," she greets back.

    I lean on my awkwardness to make my words more believable. "I'm a traveler, and I just came to this town from a small village where I could barely learn about the world. Could you spare a moment and teach me about these statues?"

    She spends a moment in silence looking at me with a mix of confusion and amusement. "Oho… an inquisitive person. The Gods favor minds like yours." She nods gently, then motions to the stairs. "How about we go to the second floor to not bother the commoners praying? There are plenty of rooms for private consultations over there."

    "That sounds good," I softly reply.

    "My name is Ciel, what's yours?" She asks with a smile.

    "Wolf Ryder."

    She nods respectfully. "Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Ryder. Follow me, then."

    "Mr. Ryder"? Feels weird to hear that.

    The second floor seems to have consultation rooms along the outer walls while administration rooms are in the center. Small holes in the ceiling and shining crystals on the walls light up this building, reminding me of hospitals due to the sterile white everywhere.

    I look down a corridor that leads to the center of the floor and see a spiral stair that probably leads to the third floor.

    She takes me to an empty room, and like everything in this temple, it's made of white marble slabs with black cement on the seams. There are a few simple cushioned chairs and a table. Ciel sits at the other side of the table, then motions for me to sit on a chair in front of her.

    "Now, then, what would you like to know?" She kindly asks.

    I scratch my head in thought.

    I didn't think this through…

    I just shake my head and go for the most basic thing I can think of, "Well… could you start from the beginning, like, the beginning of the world?"

    She looks at me with eyes open in surprise, and I blush in embarrassment.

    Goddammit, she's looking at me like I'm a weirdo.

    "I think what I know is full of holes, so let's start from the beginning. This way, I won't miss anything important," I hurriedly add.

    She chuckles then smiles kindly at me. Honestly, her smile is quite charming. Then she stares at the ceiling in thought for a moment and accepts, "Understood. Let's see… the Tale of Creation starts like this.

    "The Overseer is the most powerful god that has ever been, but even with all his power, they desired 'something.' They, with their immortality, didn't know what it was to live and die, they always existed. To observe how it would be to not be immortal, they created 'something,' and to govern that 'something' while the Overseer observed, they created two gods: the God of Beginning, and the God of the End. And so, that 'something' would be born, live, and die, becoming the first living being, the Original Life.

    "But the Overseer wasn't satisfied. 'It was a waste to let that Life die and disappear,' they thought, so they created ten gods that would govern over that Life. It lived and died inside one of the governing gods, then moved on to the next one, and so on and so forth. Thus, that Life wasn't wasted and lived in a cycle, which was called the Original Cycle of Life.

    "But the Overseer wanted more. The Cycle repeated again and again endlessly without change, so the Overseer created the God of Change, whose purpose was to alter that Life little by little, making it different every time, and thus, ensuring that no two Cycles would be the same again. But that was dangerous as the God of Change didn't know restraint, so Change could eventually break the Cycle with their power. To prevent that, the Overseer created the God of Order, whose purpose was to restrain the God of Change and to prevent them from breaking the Original Cycle of Life.

    "But Change also wished for more. The Cycle was changing and its integrity was secured, but there was only one Cycle, one Life, and now even the God of Change wanted something 'new.' So the God of Change created a new subordinate god, the God of Creation, whose purpose was to create new Cycles for Change to exert its power upon. Since the new god was a subordinate, they didn't have the authority to interfere with the Original Cycle of Life, so there was no risk of the new god breaking it.

    "But Order was there to restrain Change. The God of Order was displeased with the new creations, so they copied the God of Change and created a new subordinate god, the God of Destruction, whose only purpose was to stop the God of Creation. And so, the four gods battled for an incalculable amount of time.

    "But even their battle grew stale. As they were immortal beings, they couldn't kill each other, so they used the only thing that could die, the new Cycles of Life birthed by Creation. The Gods wielded them like weapons to create and destroy, spawning an endless sea of Cycles as their battle raged on, and inside each Cycle, uncountable battlefields were created.

    "But creating was easier than destroying. As Change used their power to alter the Cycles, they grew and became increasingly complex, and even the Life inside them was affected. When our Realm was created, Life had become what we now call 'mana,' while the Cycles that governed over it turned into the ten base elements of everything: Light, Darkness, Earth, Water, Wind, Fire, Electricity, Nature, Space, and Spirit. And so, as the Gods battled using mana, they created our land, our sea, our skies, our souls, our plants, our animals, our sun, and our night. The battlefields inside the Cycles became the Realms.

    "But now it was Creation's turn to yearn for more. They wanted to repeat what his superior god did, they wanted to create something that could create things themselves and change the flow of their battle. After much thought, Creation realized that simply creating another God wouldn't do, they needed something that had the unlimited potential to grow stronger, smarter, and spread their existence far and wide. They created humans and the Genderless God of Existence to watch over us, bringing forth the Dawn of Mankind.

    "But Destruction was there to restrain Creation. Destruction created humanity's worst enemy to counter Creation, the monsters. They're beings specialized in killing humanoids, and their only purpose is to grow stronger and kill. In response to the monsters, the God of Creation changed humans into different forms to act against the monsters. They created the other races of humanoids: the halflings, elves, dwarves, gnomes, pixies, beastfolk, wereanimals, merfolk, dragonkin, chimeras, and finally, the demon race, bringing forth the Dawn of Civilization.

    "But this time, Destruction had the upper hand. The people the God of Creation birthed were smart, but they couldn't grow fast enough to counter the monsters, beginning the Age of Oppression where humanoid life was almost wiped out. To save the humanoids, God of Creation gave us the power of improving our soul by killing monsters and absorbing the fragments of their souls to create new layers, which we call 'levels.' With more layers, our soul expanded and allowed us to grow further and faster.

    "But Destruction had to answer that. They cursed the land, making it so that the free mana in the environment would be used to create monsters. With this, any sort of abandoned land would birth hordes of monsters, which could eventually overrun all civilizations.

    "But Creation would not give up yet. Seeing the power of the 'levels,' the God of Creation gave us another boon, a way to share our greatest advantage, our greatest gift, our knowledge. They created the 'skills,' which allow us to quickly learn what others had already learned if we train our bodies in similar ways. This was the decisive move that allowed us to push the monsters back and kill Ender, our Nemesis. And with that, the land was safe, bringing forth the Age of Glory."

    Share the knowledge? Then the skills aren't decided by the gods, but instead, by the mortals? I see. This way, skills can be modified and new ones added, otherwise, the progress of society would be almost entirely dependent on the Gods.

    "But Destruction was relentless in accomplishing its job. They took their time, but they managed to create something that would rival the power of civilization: the immortal Monster King, a copy of a humanoid that has high intelligence, the capacity of growth, and the power to command monsters at will. With this, civilization was pushed back again, and the endless battle with the Monster King started, which continues to this day. Currently, the battle could be said to be in a stalemate; we keep the monsters in check, while the Monster King pushes us back whenever we gain some ground."

    In the stories I've read, this type of villain would be called Demon King, but since there's already a demon race I guess it would cause confusion to call him that.

    "The creation of the Monster King started Age of Discord, where the races fought each other all over the Realm as they couldn't agree on a way to unite and fight the Monster King. Then came the first emperor of Avgi, Ajax Doxa, who united our continent, Gilios, and presented a front strong enough to prevent the Monster King from taking over the Realm. After the emperor's death, he Ascended and became the first Humanoid God, the God of The Sun. Thus, he brought forth the Age of the Sun.

    "As a response to the creation of the Monster King, the God of Creation enabled the birth of dungeons, sky fortresses, and monster ships. When the mana gets too thick at a certain area, a mana storm is born, but its destructive power did nothing but help the God of Destruction. Thus, to control that, the God of Creation blessed the land so that whenever a mana storm occurs, a dungeon is created to absorb its power. If it happens below the ground, it's called a dungeon, if in the sky, it's called a sky fortress, and if below the sea, it's called a monster ship."

    I suppress a smile.

    And finally, the most standard element of any fantasy story, the dungeon, has finally shown its face coupled with the reason why it exists.

    "These dungeons are manifestations of our culture coupled with the power of the nearby monsters. This contains the power of the mana storm with the drawback of creating powerful monsters, but considering how dungeons are limited spaces, dungeons are the perfect training grounds for civilization. With the creation of the monster hunters' guild and the dungeoneering guild, we manage the monsters and the dungeons so that we can acquire power and items in ways we never could before."

    "After that, the God of Creation left this Realm to continue their job, and he created many other Realms along with ours in this Cycle. Though we don't know their names, we do know that the name of our Realm is Rupegia, and the name of our Cycle is Reigurando."

    "Wait, what? Can you explain a bit more what Realms and Cycles are?" I interject.

    She smiles kindly. "Well… see it this way: a different Realm is a place where the laws that govern Life, or mana, as we call it, are different than ours. Perhaps it's a land where you don't have a ground to fall to, perhaps it's a land where you fall up instead of down, perhaps it's a land where monsters and people changed places. Do you understand what I mean?"

    So, in essence, it's a different "reality."

    I nod and answer, "Yeah, I think so. And what about Cycles?"

    "Cycles are the collection of Realms as well as the path of mana. When things are destroyed, like our spirit, the earth, the flame of a spell, or anything else, the mana doesn't just 'dissipate' like some would believe. It simply moves on to the next step of the Cycle as all Life is preserved eternally. In the case of our spirits, they move on to be born again on the next Realm of our Cycle."

    So my soul kind of moved on through the Cycle but I retained my memories?

    I grab my chin in thought and question, "You say there are different Cycles, but how do we know this?" -An idea enters my mind and it makes me quite excited- "How do we know there are other Realms? Can we see other Realms? Can we move between them?"

    She smiles and lifts her hand, gesturing for me to slow down a bit. "Woah, calm down, that's coming on the next part of the tale."

    I lean back on my chair and smile embarrassedly. "Ah, oh… sorry. Please continue."

    "After the God of Creation left, certain humanoids started to acquire immense power. They were called heroes during their lives, but their time on the Realm eventually ended, like all things should. The God of Creation took notice of such souls passing through the Cycle, and they didn't want to waste the experience of these honorable heroes that achieved so much, so Creation turned them into subordinate gods, and thus, the Humanoid Gods started to Ascended. Counting the first emperor, we know of sixteen Humanoid Gods so far.

    "These gods give us Blessings and Messages to us when necessary, and this is how we know about the other Realms as they occasionally give us bits and pieces of information. They can see beyond our Realm and told us a bit about what's out there, but even they can't leave Rupegia.

    "We think there are other Cycles because it fits the teachings of the God of Creation to always grow and expand, and the Humanoid Gods tell us the God of Creation is not currently in any Realm of this Cycle, so there's bound to be other Cycles. Also, this means that, fortunately, the God of Destruction isn't here as they should be chasing after Creation, which brings stability to our Realm.

    "That's the total of the Tale of Creation," she finishes with a smile, then she pours water into a cup and wets her dry throat.

    I blink blankly as my brain returns from "story mode," then I blurt out, "Wow, that's a lot of information. Is this written in a book? Do you have other books with tales about this world that I could read?"

    She looks at me curiously. "You know how to read? Well, we do have books, but they require special permission. Though, if you join the temple, you can read them at any time."

    I narrow my eyes in suspicion. "What do you mean by joining the temple?"

    "Working as a priest. There's always the need for more people helping in the orphanage, or cooking the meals, or spreading the word of the Gods in the streets."

    That doesn't sound like easy work, or work that pays a lot. I need to acquire money for research and to get a lot more power so that I can live an easier life, and I don't think I'll get either by working here.

    I frown and respond, "Hmmm… I don't think I want to become a priest. Is there any other library that I can access?"

    Her mood slightly sours for a moment as she becomes a bit disappointed, but then she returns to her gentle and genuine demeanor and answers, "If you help the temple, maybe you can catch the attention of the head priest, and he's the only one capable of giving special permission, but our books are rather limited. Besides that, you can try the library at the magic university. It has a much wider variety than ours, but it costs a lot just to enter, and the books available to non-members are also limited…" She plays with her hair adorably as she reflects on something for a moment. "Are you perhaps a scholar? By your clothes, you look just like another commoner or starting adventurer, but you are way too smart to be either. You also can read and your curiosity is rather impressive."

    Well, I guess this was unavoidable. I needed information, and there was no other way besides stumbling in the dark. Time to lie a little.

    I give her a gentle smile as I lie, "Well, I'm from a very far away land, and I had to give up a lot just to come here, but I'm no scholar, I'm just a naturally curious person."

    Half-truths. It may sound mysterious, but I don't have the knowledge required to craft a well-built lie where I give information such as birth-place, family names, and etc.

    "Hm? Hahah…" She tilts her head and laughs awkwardly. "Well, I'm sorry for trying to pry into your business, but I can say one thing for certain, you're an interesting person."

    It seems she understood I don't want to talk about my origins in detail. A person who hides his past is suspicious and untrustworthy, but I think I acquired enough goodwill that she can just let this pass.

    This talk gave me some comfort, so perhaps I can keep coming here and asking more questions. It seems that the God of Creation encourages the sharing of knowledge, so I can ask questions more freely than I had imagined. The priests also don't seem oppressive, so I feel like I don't have much to fear from them.

    Right now, I've heard enough about religion, and I still want to go back to the dungeoneering guild to look for info about the monsters around here. I've decided I'll carefully hunt as a primary way of making money until I'm more accustomed with crafting and the laws. I'm not a fighter, but I also know very little about trade and economy, so I'll need a lot more knowledge to get into that area, and fighting seems easier in comparison due to the skill system having so many combat skills in comparison to everything else.

    I may not be a warrior, but I have a bit of knowledge about tactics and warfare, so at least I don't feel completely helpless when I think about where to start.

    "Well then, I think I've heard enough for now," I announce and nod respectfully. "Thank you for your time. I really enjoyed this talk, so, can I come back another day and ask for more?"

    She nods emphatically and replies, "It's part of our job to inform those who listen, so I would enjoy talking to you again. If I'm not at the temple, just ask for any other priest that's on standby."

    "Well, if it's not too much, can I continue talking to you, specifically?"

    I'd rather not talk to different people, and she looks much better than the wrinkly old priests I saw around.

    She twitches in surprise, then smiles gently as she accepts, "O-okay, that's not a problem. During the morning, I either work at the clinic or the orphanage, and I help prepare lunch and dinner most days. Every two days, I rest during the afternoon, so I'm not at the temple every day."

    I return the smile. "Alright, then. I don't know when I'm coming back, but it's going to be soon. Until then."

    "Goodbye, Mr. Ryder," she gracefully says her farewell.

    "Goodbye, Miss Ciel," I reply with decidedly less grace.



    Since it's almost noon, I look for some cheap food. It seems it's the bean season, so most stalls are selling a variety of bean dishes.

    I enter a restaurant and eat a green bean soup that reminds me of green peas. All they have here is goblin meat, though. Previously, I felt that my inn was expensive, but after tasting this meat, I feel like the price is justified.

    I'll postpone going to the university for a while until I have a better grasp of magic and the life around here, so now I'll go to the dungeoneering guild to gain more knowledge of the area.

    I still feel it's dangerous to say I'm from another world, so I'll avoid places where they might ask my background. If I told them the truth, I'd certainly cause a lot of ruckus, and in no novel would that end well.

    As I'm walking back to the dungeoneering guild, I have some time to reflect on what I learned. Ciel said that the Humanoid Gods give blessings and messages, so there's really no question about the presence of gods here, therefore, being an atheist is just idiotic. Some "God" sent me here, but simply reneging all Gods would be an infantile decision, especially because I'm dealing with fucking Gods. It's just not something to take lightly.

    I saw that there are sixteen gods, so maybe I should learn more about them and start praying to one. Since they also communicate, and they were once people of this world, then perhaps they're reasonable. It also gives me a little comfort in knowing there's a being that could help me if I show a little faith.

    I notice something change within me. I open my stats and see that my "Piety" has increased by 1 (it's now 3).

    It seems that the peepers in the sky can even read my mind.



    I enter the dungeoneering guild and ask for the section with information on monsters and dungeons around this area. The attendant guides me to the second floor and shows me a section with dozens of cloned books. This seems to be a common inquiry around here, so the guild prepared a large number of copies of the books: "Monsters of Rabanara," "Dungeons of Rabanara," and "Advice for New Adventurers". The creativity in naming is heartwarming.

    After taking a look at them, I learned that I'm one lucky motherfucker. The Grey Berserker is the most powerful type of monster in the region, and I met one when it was at its weakest. There's always a large bounty on them because they're smart enough to avoid the culling, so they're always a danger in the forest. The advised strategy to defeat it is a group of at least three fully armored people and one healer. The aim is to use blunt weapons to break the bear's bones since they're much more fragile than the hide, which makes most cutting or piercing weapons useless.

    Goblins are like in any other game. They grow like weeds and require constant care so they don't choke your plants, which means your life. They give little rewards, but it's possible to sell a whole corpse for a considerable amount of money. The problem is that most people don't have enough carrying capacity to bring a lot of corpses into town. Goblin meat is tasteless and sinewy, but it's the base meat for the poor so they always sell, though most hunters don't bother with the corpses and only bring a proof of extermination, which is the right ear.

    Mossy Fangpine is another dangerous enemy. There's a chance the mossy spines will poison the person; another evidence I'm actually lucky. They hunt in packs of three or more, and the one I fought was alone only because of the culling. The strategy is to hide behind a shield and wear at least leather armor, then counter stab it in the face after it jumps to bite, or just use magic since they are vulnerable to it. Arrows are okay to use, but they are fast and the spines can deflect arrows if you're unlucky. They have extraordinary noses, so they're likely to appear whenever a monster is killed because of the blood.

    Another enemy is the Rabid Rabbit. This one, like the Fangpine, only charges and bites. The bunny acts alone and is extremely vicious. Their bites are poisonous and can even make a person go berserk. The meat tastes delicious and is considered a delicacy while the saliva glands are used in potions, so this monster is always hunted, making it hard to find.

    In the sky, there's the Dragolite, a small dragon that doesn't have a fire breath. Their meat is somewhat hard to cook and has a strong taste, but it's still valuable. The farmers hate them since they like to kidnap the sheep around here but they don't kidnap the children and instead just try to kill them, so everyone who lives in a farm around here is trained in archery the moment they can hold a small bow.

    The last part shocks me a little. This is really a brutal world. Also, this is the enemy that captured my summoned bird.

    There's also the Giant Dragonfly. It uses its legs as spears and attacks with high speed. The easiest strategy is to just use a spear longer than their legs. They're weak but annoying to deal with because they are agile, and it's difficult to dodge or escape them, so it's advised for hunters to always carry a simple, disposable long spear in their [Item Box]. Due to the monster's nature, they mostly appear along rivers or lakes, and they don't fly too well among the trees, so that's why I haven't met one yet. Their wings and eyes are valuable crafting items, so they sell quite well.

    The occasional migrating flock of wyverns is a threat. Different from dragons, who have wings on their back, a wyvern's forelegs are their wings. Also, this monster looks more like velociraptors with wings, while dragons are lizards with wings. Wyverns attacks are the most common threat to this settlement, so, sooner or later, I'll be called to defend the town against them.

    They only fly as a way of long-distance movement since their huge bodies and low magical capability makes flying awkward for them. Unlike dragons, who can manipulate the wind with ease, wyverns tire easily if they have to be agile during flight, so fighting against them is always done on the ground. The best strategy against them is to fight behind shield walls using pikes and ranged attacks. Finding and destroying wyvern nests is heavily rewarded since this means that the attacks on the town reduce in frequency.

    These are the common monsters that are born here, but the thing is that migrating monsters are extremely common, so the chance of meeting a random monster is quite high, which means that a monster hunter really needs to read a lot about their prey to be prepared for anything. This discourages me a little about hunting monsters in the forest for money. I also have little experience in tracking, so I think that looking at the nearby dungeons might be a better choice for now.

    Dungeons have a lot of variety. There are some that are maze-like, whose floors can be many times larger than entire towns. Others are just large underground environments where monsters roam around copied fragments of the world above. Some even have artificial lights, allowing them to sustain some form of plant life. Plenty are mere dimensional doors to some unknown space, possibly full of traps, randomness, and constant change. The most popular among hunters are the small labyrinths, especially the ones that create a floor exclusively for a single party, which guarantees that no other party will influence your progress, but unfortunately they're much rarer. Most dungeons have some sort of "elevator," which allows adventurers to move to any floor they've previously explored.

    Dungeons increase in depth the more they're allowed to remain undisturbed. Damaging the core forces the dungeon to reduce in depth to repair itself, while destroying the core makes it fall apart. The nobility is the one responsible for culling the forests and managing the dungeon depth, and in the book, it is implied that a noble that doesn't fight doesn't deserve their title. It sounds quite interesting, so I need to ask more about this later.

    In the book "Advice for New Adventurers," there's some simple info about "Stats" and magic, which is extremely valuable to me. It says that the average stat for a commoner should be ten and that anything below that is concerning.

    "Strength" is self-explanatory, but it says that the number represents overall muscular power, so the book advises adventurers to train their entire body instead of just a few muscles because the "divine system" gives people a little power boost every time the stat increases.

    "Endurance" is like physical stamina, but it also helps with resisting magic or poisons. To increase it, I only need to do aerobics, and the book advises to never try training [Poison Resistance] without an authorized healer.

    "Dexterity" pertains to the precision of muscular movement. It's the main stat for sharpshooters, but it also helps quite a lot with martial arts, so it's a secondary stat for warriors. There's no mention of a "thief" or "rogue" fighting style, though.

    "Speed" is self-explanatory.

    "Intelligence" is said to help with the speed of learning skills, which is excellent news to me since mine is pretty high. It's also a main stat for mages since they need a lot of skills to be effective, so the faster they learn, the more powerful they can become.

    "Wisdom" is more mysterious, but it generally correlates with life experience, so mine is at the appropriate level for someone of my (counting Eath's) age, but I'm a bit of an odd 16-year old for Rupegia standards. This is the main stat for mages because the subconscious of their brain uses their knowledge of magical theory to do all the minimal adjustments and calculations that a spell needs to work, so I guess I might be kind of a good mage?

    "Willpower" is all about mental endurance, and while I was never a slob or sedentary, I'm also not a super disciplined person. This stat helps with resisting spells that affect the mind and is also used by mages to "brute force" their spells, supplementing their lack of theoretical knowledge with pure will.

    "Charisma" is a very mysterious stat and not much is known about it, though someone with high "Charisma" is instantly recognizable. The book also advises that adventurers should always be wary of merchants with a honeyed voice.

    "Piety" is another obvious one, but it also tells how well divine power can channel through a mage's body, so that's why [Light Magic] didn't work when I had zero "Piety."

    "Perception" is simply attention to detail. It seems to help with detecting spells and illusions, the "light-bending"-kind and not the "mess with your mind"-kind. I'm a bit surprised mine is considerably high, but I guess it's because I'm quite attentive and reflective.

    "Sanity" is too complex for a simple book to explain how it's calculated, but all I should know is that it provides a good gauge of one's mental health along with their susceptibility to mind-affecting spells. Twelve is a good number for a well-adjusted citizen, and the book advises one to talk to priests if it's lower than that.

    There's no way I can tell Ciel about my problems, at least not yet…

    Since it's actually viable for someone to learn magic on their own, the book explains that "Magic Power" is simply how much one can alter reality with a single point of mana. It's advised to keep it at half of the max MP because, otherwise, the spells either become too weak and ineffective or too powerful and hard to control. My MP and "Magic Power" are still both too low to affect me like that, though.

    There's also a short description of the magic skills. [Sense Mana] is self-explanatory, but the book says that all spells leak mana, which is what the skill picks up once the particles touch the senser's skin; [Mana Control] allows a mage to put more or less mana and modulate the spell's power, making it mandatory for powerful spells; [Mana Recovery] increases natural MP regen; [Mana Efficiency] helps with the natural mana leak and reduces the cost of continuous spells; [Reduced Mana Cost] affects only the initial cost of casting a spell, so it doesn't overlap with Efficiency. There's also some info about mana overuse, which happens when a mage uses too much mana too fast, and blackout, which is when a mage's MP goes negative, but the book only says to avoid these conditions because they're unhealthy even if someone has the Resistance skills to deal with them.

    Lastly, the book gives me a small formula to calculate one's "soul potential." If the total number of skills (and their levels) some has is less than four times the person's level, they have "positive soul potential," and it's easier to learn skills; if the total is higher than that, then they have "negative soul potential," and it becomes increasingly harder to gain skills, the deeper into the negative numbers the total is.

    I'm not sure how this relates to my cheat since I can just zero my total skills at any time, effectively giving me a positive soul potential any time I want.

    It's quite tiring and time-consuming to keep reading all this information, so I don't really have time to go out of town today. I decided to go to a nearby dungeon tomorrow, Royd's Kerfuffle, a labyrinthine dimensional door dungeon that has an "elevator." The adventurer that discovers a dungeon gets the right to name it, and most of them have quite an eccentric naming sense.

    This dungeon in particular isn't that popular since the monsters there do not reward much, but it could be a perfect training ground for me. Only at the lower levels that I need to be careful and look out for traps, and the worst of them teleport their victims to a random place on the same floor, so things only start to become difficult after the tenth floor, but the floor traps are always on the same spot, so it's easy to avoid them.

    It's also a good place to train "Willpower" due to the monsters that spawn there, but they're pretty physically weak, and I have a cheat that lets me counter them.

    Right now, I still have some free time until sunset, so I decide to go do some physical training.



    The hunters' guild training grounds is a large dirt field. There's a large area for sparring; an archery range; a wide, long, and secluded place where I can see some mages throwing some flashy spells; a place where a few freakish; floating pieces of armor fight some people; a small building with barred windows; and a small fountain for people to drink.

    Is that fountain magical or is there plumbing in this town?

    I pay the toll to enter and approach one of the idle men with the symbol of the hunters' guild engraved on his leather armor.

    "H-hello, I'm new around here. Could you tell me how I can use this place?" I stiffly ask him.

    He's not big or burly, but he has a menacing gaze. He sports a buzz cut, his face is full of small scars, and his posture is intimidating.

    How does one get scars in a world with magical healing?

    He replies in an eerily calm voice, "Hm? Well, the archery range is free, and we can lend you a bow and arrow, but you'll pay for anything you break. The magic range is free, too, but you need a safety briefing so you don't hurt other people. The Living Armors are rented, and the manager deals with that. I'm an instructor, and I can give you training with weapons, but you can't monopolize me, so we have the students spar with each other once you're at a proper level." I listen intently and remain tense under his unwavering gaze, which makes me want to spontaneously look away, but I manage to resist it.

    "Then, could you teach me the sword?" I anxiously ask.

    He nods energetically. "Alright, let's spar so I can measure your skill. Put away your sword, and I'll give you a wooden one."

    He goes into what I assume is the warehouse while I put my sword in my "Items," then he comes back with two wooden swords and throws one at me.

    "What's your name?" He casually asks.

    "Wolf Ryder."

    Now that I've said it again, I think that I've made a mistake. This name certainly doesn't suit me. My parents were right, my original name was better.

    He taps his chest with a closed fist and replies, "I'm Toga. You make the first move, and I will start attacking after a while."

    So I start my session. I rush and attack, but I have no idea what I'm doing. Because the skill system takes over some of my movements I'm at least confident that I know how to slash and thrust.

    Toga effortlessly blocks, parries, and dodges my attacks. It feels like I'm a child throwing a tantrum while he holds me back by simply holding my head. Then he starts attacking and in three strikes my sword falls out of my hand.

    "Well, your technique is a mess, who taught you the sword?" He questions with a deep frown.

    "Self-taught," I answer meekly.

    "Mystery solved," he responds and laughs out loud. "You know how to attack, but you're lacking a 'flow,' so it's easy to find openings to counter, which means that the first thing you should learn is how to defend yourself. Now, what sort of training do you want?"

    "How many types of training are there?" I reflexively ask back.

    He sighs softly and gives me an odd look. "Depends on what job you want. Adventuring warriors want any 'Physical' skills that they can get their hands on, and their role in a fight depends on which skills they have an affinity for; soldiers train to have a balanced selection of weapon and defensive skills like [Block] and [Parry]," -he scans my body up and down- "but they need 'Stats' more than they need skills, which you're lacking; and knights train mostly their weapon skill and other enhancement skills like [Muscle Explosion] and [Enhanced Strength] since they use enchanted weapons and wear heavy armor, so they don't need defensive skills as much. Archers have it easy, though, since all they need is [Bow Use] until they're high level."

    "I want to work as an adventurer," I immediately confess.

    Then he smiles a bit creepily. "I see. So, do you want to train the proper way, or the easy way?" And his words give me a chill.

    I know what's coming. It's going to be painful, but this is an opportunity to see what true sword fighting is like, and what kind of man or boy would say no to that?

    "The... proper way," I weakly answer, starting to waver.

    He grins evilly and commands, "Then defend yourself like your life depends on it, because it does."

    Then he beats me up.



    My body is bruised and bloody. I didn't imagine that a blunt wooden sword could make such a cut. Toga crushed me and he's barely out of breath. He's certainly a scary man. Did I choose the worst instructor by any chance?

    While I'm sprawled on the ground, Toga calls for someone. Another instructor comes by and touches my arm, then he starts singing something like a prayer.

    "[Heal]," he softly sings after finishing the strophe, then my body suddenly hurts a lot less, the bruises return to normal color, and the cuts stop bleeding then close up, all in just a few seconds.

    This is [Light Magic], and it's much faster than my [Regeneration] spell.

    Oh wait, was that a chant? Do people normally need to sing something so that the spell activates? I don't know anything about that, but it's a common trope in video games to balance magic, and they make it so that powerful magic takes a long time to chant.

    I get up and notice there's a small number of people watching me, and quite a few of them are grinning, then embarrassment fills my heart and makes me blush.

    What's so funny?

    "Good job surviving, boy," one of the grinning men praises me half-ironically.

    I fail to hold back a small smile. They're making fun of me for getting beaten up, but I just can't deny it must've been a spectacle.

    Toga stops in front of me, and I notice a hint of kindness in his tone as he reports, "Your body is weak and your technique is poor, but you got enough 'Willpower' to withstand the training. Keep coming and you'll be a proper swordsman in due time."

    I had noticed people greet each other with a clear nod, so I mimic that and politely state, "Thank you for the session, teacher. I'm very tired now, so I'm going to retire."

    I'm not sure what's the etiquette when dealing with the instructors here, so I just call him "teacher" instead of saying his name.

    "Goodbye," he calmly replies with a nod.

    I turn around and wash my face in the fountain, then I leave. Now I'm just going to pass by the hunters guild for a quick look.



    Near the entrance, I notice something I had ignored the first time I came here due to nervousness. On one of the walls, there are two large black boards where I can see something written in white. The first board is named "Notable Hunts," and it displays a magically scrolling list of hunter names with monster names next to them, and I get a chill when I see my name with "Gray Berserker'' right next to it. The second board is named "Confirmed Kills,'' and it displays a list of the hunter names coupled with the number of monsters they've killed that scrolls much faster than the first one.

    I walk towards the notice board and see that most of the notes there are about the prices for the bounties or corpses of the common kills around here, like the goblins, Dragolites, or monsters from the dungeons, while the rest are bounties on specific monsters sighted. Some contain a rough drawing, but they all contain the name, the last seen location, a short description of the monster, and a threat level.

    From what I understood by reading monster books, the threat level goes from 0 to 10, the numbers have the following meaning: 0 = harmless, 1 = capable of killing a child, 2 = capable of killing an untrained adult, 3 = capable of killing the common soldier, 4 = capable of killing a soldier squad, 5 = capable of killing a knight squad, 6 = capable of killing veteran hunters, 7 = capable of killing a soldiers company (100 men), 8 = capable of killing a division (10,000 men), 9 = capable of destroying a fortress, 10 = unkillable.

    Why are knights ranked lower than veteran hunters? Is it a matter of specialization? I see that there's a permanent bounty on the Grey Berserker, and his threat level is four. Dragolites are threat level one and Mossy Fangpines are threat level two.

    When I decide to leave, I notice that there are a few people looking at me, then I recognize that at least two of them were here in the morning when I sold the bear.

    Do these people do nothing besides sit here and drink?

    It's probably what Sonny said: other parties will be interested in me since I killed a Grey Berserker all by myself. It doesn't matter that it was half-dead, they don't know that.

    I decide to quickly leave and go back to the inn to rest.



    Dinner is a red bean paste with minced meat and spices to put on the bread. Feels like it's spiced with paprika and cumin, so now it only needs some spicy pepper for it to be just like chilli.

    After dinner and a bath, I go back to my room and reflect upon today. I look at my skills and see that they all have two numbers on their level separated by a "plus" sign. [Sword Use], [Dodge], [Parry], and [Block] all have a 1 on the right side of the plus while the rest have a 0.

    The fuck?

    I try to manipulate my skills, but only the number on the left of the plus sign changes, and I seemingly can't remove the skills with the 1 on the right side.

    Did I "learn" these skills? Does this mean that trained skills are different from the ones assigned with the system?

    I guess this also means that I can't learn [Parry], then remove the skill, then learn it again, and repeat as a way to accumulate skill points.

    No exploits in this game eh? Mine not included.

    This is how my skills are right now:




    Wolf Ryder Skill Report​

    Physical​
    Skill NameLevelSkill NameLevelSkill NameLevel
    Sword Use5+1Dodge2+1Parry0+1
    Block0+1

    Magical​
    Skill NameLevelSkill NameLevelSkill NameLevel
    Mana Efficiency3+0Mana Recovery3+0Electric Magic4+0
    Nature Magic5+0

    Miscellaneous​
    Skill NameLevel
    Andraste Language10+0

    Info​
    NameWolf RyderAge16RaceHuman
    HP100MP110Magic Power180
    Level5

    Stats​
    Strength8Endurance8Dexterity9
    Speed10Intelligence20Wisdom15
    Willpower11Charisma10Piety3
    Perception15Sanity9

    Other​
    Status Effects'NONE'
    Titles'NONE'
    Affiliations'NONE'
    Companions'NONE'
    Crimes'NONE'
    After that, I almost doze off thinking about the Tale of Creation. The name "Reigurando" keeps coming back to my mind, as it reminds me of something, but I just can't put my finger on what.

    Then something hits me. The Japanese language lacks some things required for them to pronounce foreign words properly, and their way around it creates an accent that some even find funny. After a while, I've started to notice the patterns in their speech and now it's become easy to understand what foreign word they're trying to say.

    The Japanese way of pronouncing the English word "Playground" is "Pureigurando," while RPG, Role-Playing-Game, is pronounced "Arupegi," which is incredibly similar to Rupegia.

    Oh, no.

    I'm truly stuck in a fantasy video game, and it's made by the Japanese. Then it also hits me that "Demon King'' is a very common trope in Japanese light novels.

    I really am an "isekai" protagonist…
     
    Last edited: May 15, 2021
  7. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

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    Many thanks to reader q00u for switching the dashes (-...-) dialogue notation for the quotation ("...") dialogue notation.

    I'm not really shocked, you know? My "Sanity" didn't go down, so I guess this is proof I'm adapting to the situation. It also didn't go up, so I guess this is my limit. I'm just fated to remain half-sane in this shitty world.

    Being introduced to magic and monsters so abruptly certainly shocked me and didn't help with my mental state. Though the biggest shock I had so far was the message from God. It was incredibly cryptic and suspicious, but there's nothing I can do about it besides dealing with it and moving on.

    Oh wait, it's morning already? Did I sleep? I don't remember sleeping, so maybe I just fainted and then suddenly woke up.

    My thoughts are drifting endlessly, preventing me from reflecting upon anything important. I simply can't focus because my mind is swimming with the possibilities.

    It's like I'm living inside an isekai novel. There are so many tropes being thrown at me that I can just predict what's going to ha-…

    I hear a knock on the door, then a muffled female voice reaches my ears, "Breakfast is ready!"

    That must be the innkeeper's daughter. She's a really cute girl with blonde hair in a ponytail and a very feminine small face. She seems to be very bubbly and kind, and she looks like she's my age, by that I mean this-world-age, not original-world-age. She has a brother, and they kind of look like twins. I've caught a few patrons and even myself staring at her absentmindedly, but did she notice our stares? She's just a bright spirit, and she always comes to us with a warm smile, ma-…

    No, wait, I can't run from this, I need to finish that train of thought. If I think this world is like a novel, I can predict some developments about my reason for being here and what could happen next. Ciel said that the God of Creation is not in this Cycle, so the God of Destruction must've followed him, and because of that, this realm is more or less stable. This means that, if in the future, The God of Creation comes back, or if something calls theirs or the God of Destruction's attention, then shit will hit the fan.

    So, I think I need to prepare and get stronger while not messing with the balance of this world. But am I really supposed to be a "hero"? The message that "God" sent me is suspicious, why not tell the reason I'm sent here? Why apologize? Did something go wrong? Was I not supposed to come here?

    I guess that doesn't really matter in the end. In the isekai stories, a "hero" is sent for whatever bullshit reason just to create a story. It's used as an impetus to return to the previous world or save the current world, but in the end, the "why" doesn't matter, what matters is what I do next.

    There are too many possibilities and zero answers or evidence. The best I can do is simply prepare while trying to keep the balance of the world. There's a possibility that I might have to fight the Monster King, so information on him is essential.

    The possibility of a realm transfer is another thing I need more information on. Maybe my original world is part of this cycle, so it might be best for me to raise my "Piety" and communicate with a humanoid god.

    Lastly, there's a possibility that this is all just an ultra-realistic VR game. If I die, will I return to Earth? Well… there's just no way to test that, so I think I should ignore this line of thinking.

    Now, let's get back to the present. Training at the hunter's guild is going to take a long time to yield results, so I want to enter Royd's Kerfuffle to quickly gain a few levels. Those skill points can turn me into a master swordsman whenever I want, so I need levels more than anything right now. But before I leave town, I'm going to buy some equipment and supplies, then take a look at the dungeoneering guild for tools.



    Today, breakfast is a simple vegetable soup with a small piece of mutton and some sweet bread. Honestly, it's kind of nice.

    After eating, I go to the Crafter's Corner. Walking around town is rather tiring, but I'm not a sedentary person, it's just that I'm not used to this amount of exercise. Yesterday, I fought until I collapsed, so my muscles are still a little bit sore. Maybe I should rest, but I can't stay still due to my anxiety. I need a stable source of income before I can relax properly.

    I see a few pieces of Gray Berserker leather armor on the market. They're, unsurprisingly, gray, and they're three gold pieces each. It seems expensive, but considering how that bear is known for being tough, I decide to part with my money. I get a jacket and pants.

    The armor is quite flexible and well-padded, so I feel snug and safe in it. I do have to moisturize then oil it so that it doesn't dry and harden, but the cost of doing that is nothing in comparison to how much more I'd have to pay for metal armor.

    I notice that good padding is quite expensive, and all of the stronger ones come from monster fur. It seems that cotton is rather flimsy in comparison to monster-based textiles, but it's still more expensive due to a variety of reasons.

    There are more expensive pieces of leather armor I could've bought, like Hell Wyvern, Kite Dragon, troll, ogre, and Dragon Lord, but I feel like this one should do for a small dungeon.

    I let the merchant appraise my old armor, and he tells me that it's made from Hobgoblin. It's a good low-budget armor, but it doesn't last long, so an adventurer shouldn't bet their life on it.

    After observing the merchant, I switch my skills to Armor and [Weapon Appraisal], and they give me two spells each, [Appraise] or [Appraisal Eyes]. The former is the more commonly used one since it's cheaper, but it's flashy, and I don't want people to know I'm using it. The latter shows me the information of the equipment on the usual black screen of the "system" after I stare at it for a few seconds, though the spell continuously consumes mana, so I can only use it for a very short time.

    With 10 points in Appraisal, it seems that it only shows me the "Material" and "Quality" info of the equipment. There are still a few instances of "???" on each piece of equipment.

    I choose a "high" quality steel one-handed sword with the same design as my current one, which is made of iron. I also choose a "high" quality small, round, iron shield iron painted entirely in black. I'll use it by holding a handle instead of strapping it to my arm so that I have more flexibility with it.

    Finally, I pick a pair of Hobgoblin leather mittens, a Hobgoblin cap, the cheapest bow, a quiver, and twenty arrows. Even if I don't know how to use a bow yet, I can put some points in archery once I level up.

    All of this costs me three gold. It's a bit pricey, but I can't skimp on my safety. I also see a few, much more "fashionable" versions of the same equipment I'm buying, but they cost a lot more, of course.

    Then I go look for supplies like blankets, cloth, cutlery, plates, bowls, rope, lantern, food that's easy to eat, spare clothes, whetstone, and finally, oil for equipment maintenance.

    There is straw pail that can be used as toilet paper, but it seems like even children are trained to learn [Conjuring Magic] and [Light Magic] level 1, which give them the spells [Conjure Water] and [Clean], respectively, so they can clean themselves after heeding the call of nature. I guess this is what the entrance guard meant when he said I had no "life skills."

    I also buy a few of the lowest-grade health, mana, and antidote potions. They aren't for use during combat since they only act after five minutes and work up to thirty minutes. I notice that the HP and MP potions have a small shine to them, so I guess that the standard way of knowing if something is magical or not in this world is to see if it shines.

    The potions all come in glass flasks, so I can't carry them in the pockets of my armor. Because of that, the merchant advises me to buy a few metal flasks so that they can survive melee combat. It wouldn't be funny if I passed out and died due to poison because I couldn't focus enough to pull an antidote out of my "Items," so I get three of these "battle potions."

    Then I go to the dungeoneering guild for tools for the expedition. All adventurers need items that keep them safe from monsters while they sleep, eat, or answer the call of nature, especially if they're alone. The most common item is scented candles to keep monsters away, but there's the danger of the wind snuffing them while someone sleeps, which would make them vulnerable to being attacked while sleeping, so at least a [Monster Repellent] magic tool is necessary. This magic tool is a crystal that uses mana to reproduce the effect of a scented candle, so there's no risk of it being snuffed out, but the downside is that it's more expensive and requires mana to recharge. To use it, I need to put 1 point into [Mana Control], then I can turn it on or off, or recharge it.

    Another important tool is the Escape Bomb. It's a more concentrated version of the scented candle and it's used to run away from monsters. The seller tells me it stinks horribly, so I should throw it on the monster or at the ground and not on myself if I don't want to pass out from the smell.

    Talking about smell, there's an anti-scent powder that's commonly used by explorers since a lot of monsters hunt humanoids using scent. It's basically a magical deodorant since it removes any smell. There's a magic tool version, but the powder is very cheap, so I can save some money until I'm more comfortable with my income.

    Then there are the [Proximity Warning] crystals. Thieves occasionally prey on adventurers, so monsters aren't the only danger in a dungeon. If I'm going to sleep inside the dungeon alone, then I need something to warn me if something or someone is getting close.

    And finally, I buy a map of only the ten first floors of Royd's Kerfuffle. I don't plan on going to the eleventh floor anytime soon.

    The stone and crystals are expensive, five gold total, but it's something I'll never have to buy again.

    A huge hole opened in my funds, and more than half of my gold coins are gone. I still have the rose coin, but I have no idea what is the exchange rate to gold coins. I'm also afraid to exchange it because I still haven't seen anyone use it, so I might get scammed. Perhaps another day I should go to the merchant guilds or bankers and see if there's a place for money exchange.

    The dungeoneering books mentioned that Space magicians normally ferry people between the dungeons' entrances and the town. I already noticed a few huts spread around town with "[Gate] services" written above the entrance, so I guess that's where I can get a teleport. But teleportation gets more expensive depending on the weight of the contents of your [Item Box], so I don't want to expose that I have nothing in my [Item Box] to random people. It's suspicious to walk around without an [Item Box] because this spell seems to be another thing that everyone learns when they're a child so that they can at least carry coins in it.

    I don't think everybody has level 20 [Space Magic], so it must be possible to learn spells before you have the required level. Must be why the [Item Box] starts small and why magicians are normally the ones that carry the most supplies. Even if the magician isn't an offensive one, the dungeoneering book always recommends having one just for the [Item Box]. They're basically human pack mules.

    I don't want to hire a magician yet, so I'll go to the dungeon on foot with the crude map that I got from the dungeoneering guild. It shows me that the Sea of Trees is to the south of the town, the farms are to the north, and to the northwest is the entrance to the dungeon. It takes one hour on foot, so I'm going to arrive there around two hours before noon.



    I put all my points in [Space Magic] so that I can use [Item Box], then I put in it my silver coins, copper coins, and some things like the sleeping bag and some food.

    I walk to the west gate, the same one that I first came in from, then I start customs. I show my ID and the guard at the gate uses a crystal ball to read the contents of my [Item Box], but at least I don't have to pay for anything because of my adventurer ID.

    I take a look at his crystal tablet and notice that at least they can't see the number of coins that I have.

    I assume customs are just an anti-smuggling measure. Since trade goods are taxed, they don't let people just put anything they want in their [Item Box] and then travel to wherever.

    I walk out of town and see a line of multiple wagons with groups of people in between, all waiting to enter the town, and by their worn armor and weapons, they seem to be mostly adventurers. It looks like this is quite a busy town.



    After I'm a little ways away, I put everything back into my "Items" and spec my skills for fast movement and stamina. I have 31 points, so I put them like this:




    Wolf Ryder Skill Report​

    Physical​
    Skill NameLevelSkill NameLevelSkill NameLevel
    Sword Use5+1Dodge2+1Parry0+1
    Block0+1Sense Presence3+0Enhanced Stamina5+0

    Magical​
    Skill NameLevelSkill NameLevelSkill NameLevel
    Electric Magic1+0Nature Magic5+0Blessing Magic10+0

    Miscellaneous​

    Nothing​
    With 10 points in [Blessing Magic], I can use [Swift Foot] on myself, and with [Enhanced Stamina], I can walk much faster without tiring.



    Though the Enhanced skill drains my mental energy, I can still enjoy the sights as I follow the cobbled road west. To my right, there are the farms, endless fields of green that wave with the wind; and to my left, there's the Sea of Trees, an ominous wall of huge trees where dangerous monsters lurk within.

    I recognize that most plantations are of beans. The plants are short sprouts with uncountable bean pods hanging from them, the short height of the plantations giving me an unimpeded view until deep within the farmlands.

    I recognize water wheels near the edge of my vision, so there must be a river that runs close to the town. I also can't see any sheep from the small amount of livestock in my view, so maybe they're deeper in because this area is more dangerous due to being so close to the Sea of Trees.

    Very, very far away, beyond the plantations, I see the snowy peaks of a mountain range. I know that at the bottom of the mountains there's a valley with quite a few dungeons, so I might go there one day.

    On the side of the Sea of Trees, the trees are so tall that I can't even see what's beyond them. The area around the town is a plateau surrounded by mountains, but nobody fully mapped the Sea of Trees, so it's unknown what's out there.

    After a long walk, the road turns north, which means I'm close to my destination, then a few minutes later, a small forest starts to peek above the farms as I come for the final approach. The trees surrounding the dungeon's entrance grow very fast, so this area is a source of cheap lumber.

    As I approach, I see that a small wall surrounds this forest, and a single squad of guards protects the entrance to the small grove in the rare chance a monster comes out of this dungeon.

    When I get close, they just nod at me, uninterested in the common adventurer passing by.

    Then I finally reach the entrance to Royd's Kerfuffle. It's an ominous black vertical rectangle that glows faintly, a dimensional door. I change my skills towards combat and make them as follow:




    Wolf Ryder Skill Report​

    Physical​
    Skill NameLevelSkill NameLevelSkill NameLevel
    Sword Use5+1Dodge3+1Parry0+1
    Block4+1Sense Presence5+0

    Magical​
    Skill NameLevelSkill NameLevelSkill NameLevel
    Mana Efficiency4+0Mana Recovery4+0Electric Magic1+0
    Nature Magic5+0

    Miscellaneous​

    Nothing​
    This way, my main attack is the sword, [Lightning Bolt] is a backup, [Entangling Vines] is for utility, and [Regeneration] for healing. Since [Parry] already has a good overlap with [Sword Use], I chose [Dodge] and [Block] to give me more options.

    With that, there's only one choice here, I step inside the black door, and I suddenly find myself standing in an eerie black void as even the door that I came from is now gone. Curiously I can see my own body though I can't find where the light comes from.

    Suddenly, a small, black window appears in front of me as if I opened my "Menu." It has only two lines of writing on it: "1st floor" and "Exit." I touch "1st floor."

    A familiar feeling strikes me. Like when I first got transported to this world, the ground vanishes under my feet, then I feel like I'm free-falling, but this time, I remain conscious. After a long second, the ground reappears under me, then the darkness is lifted instantly.

    I'm now in an empty room made out of gray square tiles with black seams. There are two exits out of this room, one ahead of me that takes me to an unremarkable corridor, and one behind me, the same ominous black door that I came from.

    Every few tiles, there's a small gem that glows faintly, illuminating the dungeon with a weak light. There are areas and even entire levels without light higher up, so it's another reason to keep on the low levels for now.

    There are three types of enemies around here. The first are the goblins, which carry a variety of conjured weapons that disappear when the monster dies. The goblins are so weak that even a greenhorn like me can take them down in a duel.

    Though it's annoying that the goblins' weapons equipment disappears, finding loot in a dungeon is actually rather rare as most of the items inside them are fakes created by the dungeon.

    Anyway, the second enemy is the Mandrake, a small walking root that looks like a baby. It'll scream while attacking to disturb the enemy, but it's a very weak monster. Its feet are used for potions or cooking, but the rest of the body isn't valuable, though the more mature ones have leaves growing out of their heads that have some value for potions.

    The third enemy is the Bush Baby. It's not the animal bush baby, but an actual baby-looking monster that has a bush on its head. It's a relative to the Mandrake that doesn't scream. It attacks with piercing vines, and there's a chance to be poisoned by them if the wound is deep enough. It's even less valuable than the Mandrake, but it's more dangerous.

    These are the enemies on the first ten floors. They're horrible for making money, but I'm here only to acquire Experience and levels.

    It's time to start exploring.

    After locating myself on the map, I start walking around the labyrinth while keeping a close watch to where I'm going. It'd be very embarrassing to get myself lost in the first dungeon that I've entered. I also don't want to stumble upon one of the stairs to the next level, so I keep near the border of the maze. But the size of this floor actually surprises me, it's about half as large as Rabanara.

    The mazes in this dungeon are made of multiple corridors and small rooms, with most of them leading to dead ends with a monster waiting, but there's still plenty of paths that I can take to navigate the floor. Occasionally, there's a monster roaming the paths, but they generally don't enter a path that leads to a dead-end, so the dead ends are the most common safe spot for resting after killing the monster waiting there, though it's possible to be corned in them if one's not careful.



    I detect a goblin ahead of me with [Sense Presence]. There's no way for me to sneak around it in these tight corridors, so I decide to face it from the front.

    I first hear its footsteps, then it comes around the corner, and I wrinkle my nose in disgust. The first thing I notice is that it's naked, and it's a male. He's a green ugly thing around one meter tall wielding a crude spear. He doesn't have any clothes or armor, so his genitals are exposed, freely dangling about. I feel sick just looking at him.

    Once he notices me, he immediately charges forward and braces his crude spear, but he shows no emotion.

    There's no room for hesitation, I have to fight him, to kill him. My sword is shorter than his spear, so I decide to fight cautiously.

    He seemingly doesn't know how to use his weapon as he simply thrusts with dull movements and continues to advance, getting within the range of my sword.

    I easily deflect his attack with my shield then counter, and the blade sinks into his chest with little resistance.

    He drops his spear and tries to grab my sword, but I kick him with the sole of my boot and he falls on his ass.

    He tries to grab his spear again, but it's too late. I chop downwards and my sword gets stuck midway through his skull.

    He immediately goes limp, and the red dot in my [Sense Presence] fades away. He's dead.

    I use my foot to dislodge my sword and brain matter drips out of the wound.

    Fucking hell.

    Now there's blood on my boots, but just a quick [Clean] is enough to remove most of it.

    That was easy. This sword cuts cleaner than the previous one, so it's like a hot knife through butter. I'm also not afraid anymore of taking a hit after Toga taught me how to defend myself. The wonders of healing magic may be affecting how I think about wounds, though.

    I'm getting kind of hot with the leather mittens, cap, and pants, but considering how safe I feel, I can't complain.

    I cut the ear as proof of extermination and wipe my blade on a piece of cloth. The reward is only five copper if there's no corpse, but I can't really appear with dozens of goblin corpses in my [Item Box]. Showing the Gray Berserker might have been a mistake, and I won't repeat that again so soon, though I think that Sonny and Gordon were so happy with the Berserker that they've ignored my strangeness.

    In a few minutes, the dungeon will completely reabsorb the goblin corpse, but I think it'd be a waste to leave it there, so I'll just store it as emergency funds, and I also want to try to find the limit to my "Items."



    As I explore a dead-end, I encounter another naked goblin, this one wielding a dagger. I kill it before it reaches me with a single chop to the head and move on. A second appears soon after, and this time it's a female with small breasts. She also wields a dagger, so I dispatch her with ease.

    The gore coupled with the free nudity is making me feel sick.

    Then a fourth goblin appears. It has a spear and a loincloth.

    Finally, some decency. But does this mean that he's more experienced?

    He charges at me and his spear slides off my shield. I try to counter, but he keeps his distance this time.

    Question answered, he really is smarter.

    It takes a few hits, but I manage to deflect his spear with my shield in a way that he opens up his guard, so I lunge forward and slash his face.

    He trips and falls, then tries to bring his spear back, but I put my foot on his arm, and I stab his heart. With his free hand, he grabs the blade of my sword and his face distorts in pain.

    "Grah…" He lets a small groan and dies.

    That was odd, the first three didn't show any emotion, but this one did.

    I'm getting creeped out by the flashbacks of the goblin drowning in his own blood.

    I cut the goblin's ear and store the corpse, then I quickly move on.

    Soon after, I meet another naked goblin, this one with a sword. I want to try something out, so I let him hit my shield with his sword, then I riposte and kill him.

    The hits don't hurt, but they tire me out. The spear doesn't have much weight behind it, but the sword does. If I want to last in this dungeon, I can't let myself get tired after every fight. Just because I can block, doesn't mean that I know the most efficient way to mitigate the weight of a weapon, so I need to be careful since I currently have low physical stamina.



    I wander about without meeting anything for a while, then I finally encounter a Mandrake. It's an ugly thing about half a meter tall, just like the books said.

    Immediately after seeing it, I get dizzy and almost fall as my ears get attacked by an extremely high-pitched buzzing, then I hear a horrific scream in the background. It's not just my ears that hurt, this thing is also magically attacking my mind.

    This is fucking terrible I don't want to meet this little shit ever again.

    The monster immediately charges, and I can see it pointing its two spear-like arms towards me.

    I barely regain my footing in time to desperately slash at it before it collides with me. I feel the sword sliding along its chest, but it doesn't sink as deep as before. Its skin is much tougher than a goblin's.

    With the slash, I send it back to the ground, then a greenish, transparent fluid starts pouring out of its chest wound.

    The little fucker is tenacious, it immediately gets up again and points its arms towards me. In my rage, I do a savage chop, and my sword gets embedded into its head, then it goes limp.

    "You are now level six," the familiar female announcer's voice echoes in my mind, then I quickly get to work and chop off the monster's head.

    "What the fuck…" I whisper as I stare in horror at the decapitated baby head in my hand that drips greenish blood on the dungeon's floor.

    Then a sigh escapes my lips.

    Fuck this world.

    I suck it up and cut off its two ugly distorted yellow feet because they're valuable as ingredients, then I open my skill window and put my four new 4 points in [Mental Resistance]. This way, the next Mandrake will be more bearable.

    I could put these points in [Sword Use], but the difference each point makes seems to be decreasing drastically. Just knowing "how" to swing a sword won't help me if I can't physically swing it the way I want. I have to raise my "Stats" some more, I think.

    I continue forward and meet another goblin with a dagger. This time, I test my [Lightning Bolt] on it, and it takes four hits before it dies.

    Took too long and used too much mana. I need to put more points into magic before I can use it as a main source of damage.



    A few hours pass, so I start to become hungry. I sit down and pull out some meat and vegetable sticks to eat.

    After that, I heed nature's call. The dungeon absorbs anything I leave around, so it's going to be okay. It's really embarrassing to be so vulnerable in the open like this, but with [Sense Presence], I know when someone is coming.

    I temporarily put a point into [Conjuring Magic] and [Light Magic], then I use them to clean myself. It takes one-fourth of my mana since I want a much "deeper" cleaing, so the mana cost is kind of high.

    After moving a good distance away, I decide to sit down and wait for a little until my mana is back to full.



    While resting, a wandering goblin appears. This one has a loincloth and a sword.

    He screams while charging, but his skill can't compare to mine, and I easily decapitate him. I wasn't fully rested, so I change resting places again.

    I notice that the enemies are giving less experience than before, so I guess I'll have to go to the next floor once I level up.

    The next monster that I meet is a Bush Baby. Its vines are long, about three times the length of a spear, so the strategy is to cut the vines multiple times until I can approach it safely. If I rush it, the vines will bend and pierce me from the back.

    This monster is quite annoying to deal with. The attacks are fast and start to tire me out. My [Block] isn't good enough, and neither is my "Endurance," so my body complains from the exertion. It's taking me too long to cut the vines, so I cast [Lightning Bolt] three times, and after the third spell, it gets stunned.

    An opportunity!

    I jump forward and cut off the first vine, but the second escapes my following attack. At least now I just have to deal with one vine until its body is in range of my sword.

    The vine slams against my shield once, and I slash the air, then it slams a second time, and I miss again. On the third slam, I get the timing right and cut it off in a perfect counter. Now I can reach it with my sword.

    I dash towards it, then I slash across its face, opening a long and deep cut. It loses its balance from the pain, and that's enough of an opening for me, so I chop, and my sword gets stuck midway into its head.

    It's a bit of a shame that the leaves got damaged, but I have no time to care for it. I cut off its head and apply [Regeneration] to myself, easing my tiredness.

    After a minute, my muscles feel relaxed again, and I move on. I go towards the stairs to the next floor because the monsters around it are stronger.



    Two Mandrakes appear side-by-side, then I'm forced to my knees by their combined scream.

    Fuck!

    I was overconfident. Even with [Mental Resistance] I'm just barely able to remain standing up. This is a problematic situation.

    I instinctively cast [Lightning Bolt], and it hits one of the monsters, slowing down its charge. The other jumps and aims for my heart with its pointy arms.

    Good thing that they're dumb. I just slash at the first one, then the second comes right behind, and it slams against my shield. Its attack packs more punch than the Bush Baby, so I grit my teeth and hold my ground.

    The first one falls back due to the push from the slash, and the second one falls by my feet. Feeling the danger, I kick the second one and it flies away a few meters. The little shit is tough as fuck, and it hurts my toes even through my thick boot.

    The first one gets up and jumps again, then I bash its head with my shield. It falls backward on the ground, then I pierce its face with my sword, right through the forehead. It wriggles for a few seconds then stops moving.

    I look forward and the other Mandrake is mid-jump, so all I can do is block with my shield. The impact makes me step backward, and I lose the grip of my sword that's still stuck on the body of the dead Mandrake.

    This is bad.

    I kick the Mandrake again and feel an immense pain on my toes. This time it doesn't fly far.

    I cast [Lightning Bolt] twice, and on the second time, it gets stunned. That's enough of an opening for me to wrench my sword free from the corpse.

    The Mandrake stops convulsing after a short moment, then it charges again, but it's too slow. I chop down with all my strength before it can react, and my sword sinks into its skull until it touches the nose.

    I dislodge my sword and sit on the ground while trying to avoid looking at all the gore. My head is spinning, my right toe hurts, and my arms are tired from my savage chops, so I cast [Regeneration] again.

    That was brutal. My heart is racing and fear courses through every inch of my body.

    Mandrakes are a weak enemy, but two at the same time is no joke. I need to go back to near the entrance and keep killing goblins. If it wasn't for my [Mental Resistance], I think I would have been forced to use my Escape Bomb.

    I harvest the enemies and notice something change within me. I open my "Skills" and see that I got [Dismantling] level 1.

    That was easy, shouldn't I need to practice more? Or was it because I had already acquired some knowledge through books? Eh, whatever…



    I store the bodies, then I hurry back to the entrance and hunt goblins. After the sixth one I hear, "You are now level seven."

    I put all my points in [Sword Use] (now 9+1). Even though the skill isn't increasing my combat effectiveness as much as before, it's still the most important one for me to raise.

    I decide to rest, but my break is interrupted a few minutes later as I get three large hits on my [Sense Presence], and they aren't monsters.

    Soon enough, I start to hear footsteps, then I see three adventurers coming towards me from down the corridor, so I quickly put points in [Andraste Language].

    "Oh? Greetings," the man at the front politely greets with a smile. He seems young, perhaps slightly older than me. He has neatly combed brown short hair, giving him a refined air. He carries a shiny short sword, a pristine large kite shield, and he's wearing some really-well made black leather armor with thick padding. He seems wealthy.

    On his right side, there's a rough-looking man wearing chainmail and a bastard sword. He looks a few years older than us, and I see short light brown hair peeking from below his chain coif.

    Behind them, there's a woman in a dark blue robe wielding a simple wooden staff with a blue gem at the tip. She's a fully grown woman with straight brown hair that reaches her shoulders. She has a cute and calm face with a button nose and a small chin.

    "Hello," I answer in kind, then I get up and nod as I believe this is the standard neutral greeting.

    "You're here for training?" The young man gently asks.

    "Yes, I'm practicing my sword," I respond calmly, then I eye his companions, but they seem mostly uninterested in me.

    He flashes a smile. "Well then, be careful when you meet more than one monster. It's easier to just run away because it's really hard to fight while alone. Be well." He waves and moves on.

    "T-thank you. Goodbye," I answer meekly, then I roll my eyes at my own awkwardness.

    What an odd exchange, but I also wish had I met him about an hour ago.

    Are they planning on staying here for the night? It's going be dusk soon, so starting to explore now isn't efficient time-wise.

    I shrug and continue hunting goblins.



    I meet another Mandrake, and it's alone this time, so my current level of [Mental Resistance] is enough to make this fight bearable. I'm no longer dizzy, but my ears still hurt a lot.

    It seems that the extra points in [Sword Use] make it much easier to slit its throat in a single slice. This takes some aim, but at least this way it's much harder to get my sword stuck in the body like what happened last time.

    Then I meet another Bush Baby. This time, I make steady progress and shave away its vines until I can bury my sword in its head. It's still tiring to fight them, but at least I don't need to use magic.

    This is considerable progress for just one day. It's very motivating, but I have a feeling that the people of this world don't level up as fast as I do.

    I kill two goblins and rest again.

    The Experience they're giving me is very low, now, so the diminishing return is painfully obvious. I need to kill forty goblins just to level up, so the best way to grind Experience is to find Mandrakes or Bush Babies, but it's already late, and I'm way too tired to continue hunting.

    I go back towards the dimensional door, then I exit the dungeon, and I'm teleported right beside the entrance. I see that it's already night, so at least my sense of time wasn't completely screwed by staying so long inside the dungeon.



    The squad of guards has changed. There are five of them and they mostly stay inside their small hut while a single one stays outside, near the entrance to the dungeon.

    We trade a nod, then I go towards the grove to find a secluded corner. I find a pair of adventurers making a tent in a small clearing, so I move away from them and set up my own camp.

    I pull out of my "Items" a ready-made meal. Near the Crafter's Corner there are plenty of stalls that sell small boxes with food that's easy to eat, so I bought a few. This one has a loaf of bread with bean paste inside, a handful of a vegetable that reminds me of broccoli, and a few pieces of fried Rabid Rabbit meat. I feel a little uncomfortable with eating anything with "Rabid" in the name, but it actually tastes really good. It's slightly marbled, which surprises me with how cheap it is.

    I brush my teeth, put a lot of points into Conjuring so that I can fill a bucket of water to wash, turn on my [Monster Repellent] crystal, position my [Proximity Warning] crystals around me, bring out my sleeping bag, and finally, I try to sleep. Let's put emphasis on try because this bag is really uncomfortable. I should've bought a tent and a better sleeping bag.

    The dungeoneering guide says to sleep with your armor on, or at least have leather armor if you can't sleep in your plate or chain. So I guess this can't be helped, adventurers are just fated to sleep badly.

    I stare up at the sky, but I only see clouds, not even a single star. Eventually, my tiredness overwhelms my anxiety and I fall asleep.



    I dream again of the goblin drowning in its own blood.



    The sun wakes me, and I feel that my body is sore and stiff. This was a terrible night.

    Fuck, is this going to become a trauma? I'm already uncomfortable sleeping in the open like this, I don't need recurring nightmares screwing with me.

    I break fast with a goblin meat stick. It's very salty and dry, but I only have water to drink. I need to buy some fruit juice when I go back to town.

    I miss coffee, I miss chocolate milk, I miss tea, I miss soft drinks (diet only).

    I look at my "Stats" and notice that my "Magic Power" and MP have risen by 5. It seems that using spells slowly builds up your mana and power. Unfortunately, no other stat has risen, so I guess I need to nearly kill myself every day to raise my "Strength" or "Endurance."

    I stretch a little, recover my crystals, store my tent, and turn off my repellent stone, then I get ready to go back inside the dungeon.



    I decide to get closer to the stairs again. Mandrakes or Bush Babies are too rare, and it's taking too long to level up, so I'm getting greedy.

    I meet two Mandrakes in sequence and easily dispatch them. I'm really getting used to handling their shrieking. My strategy to deal with more than one is also ready, but I'm a little dubious about how to deal with two Bush Babies.

    My theory-crafting is cut because I detect a goblin coming towards me. I meet it head-on and see that it's wearing a full set of padded leather armor: jacket, pants, mittens, boots, and a cap. It wields a small round metal shield and a shortsword.

    I need to aim for the neck or face, trying to cut through that armor just won't be possible.

    "GYEEEH!" The goblin screams and charges forward.

    I deflect the first blow and attack with my sword, but it dodges backward and evades. I try to follow up with an upwards slash, but it blocks my attack with the edge of his shield.

    It tries to slash sideways towards my face, but I evade by jerking my body backward. The goblin is short, so his sword barely reaches me, but still, it was dangerously close.

    The goblin overcommits and swings wide, creating an opening for me. I bash its shield and it loses its balance, then I follow up and thrust at its neck.

    It jerks its body and avoids a fatal wound, but I still manage to inflict a nasty cut on the side of its neck, and blood starts pouring profusely over its shoulder.

    It jumps backward and tries to regain its balance, but I cast [Lightning Bolt] and immediately slash towards its face. The bolt hits and its entire body twitches. The goblin didn't get stunned, but its reaction is dulled enough that my slash cuts at its cheek deeply.

    "GAAAAH!" The goblin screams and loses its balance again.

    This time, its guard is fully open, so I lunge and jam my sword into its eye socket. It groans as its body twitches, then goes limp and dies.

    "You are now level eight."

    Now, what do I need, exactly?

    I clean my sword and sit down to think.

    Perhaps more [Mental Resistance]? The two Mandrakes were rough to deal with, but maybe there's another way to deal with them that doesn't involve Resistance. Mandrakes are vulnerable to fire, so maybe one point in Fire and then the rest in [Mental Resistance]? Also, [Blessing Magic] level 1 sounds good. I'm not using a lot of spells, so maybe I could spare some MP for a self-buff.

    Hm… Blessing will be left for later. I'll put one point in [Fire Magic], and the other three in [Mental Resistance] (now 7). The biggest threat to me right now is reduced mental capacity during a fight with a Mandrake leading me to make a bad decision. There's also what the wealthy adventurer said, I can just run if I meet two dangerous enemies, but I have to be capable of making the correct decision. In the lower levels, monsters don't generally work together, so it was a coincidence that I met both at the same time.

    With that done, now I need a target to test my [Fireball].

    The first guinea pig to volunteer is a naked goblin with a dagger. I cast [Fireball] and I hit it right on the face, then he falls backward and screams in pain.

    Weren't the naked ones supposed to be emotionless? I need to revise this theory.

    Ah, exposed flesh is more vulnerable to fire than lighting, so [Fire Magic] is more useful here than lightning.

    If the stunning effect of [Fireball] on the Mandrakes and Bush Babies is stronger or equal to [Lightning Bolt], then I'll take the point in [Electric Magic] and put it in [Blessing Magic].

    I thought that fire damage only did more damage to enemies in comparison to [Electric Magic], but I ignored the physical aspect of burning something alive. I didn't think about it because the book spent more time talking about harvesting and the fact that the monsters are vulnerable to [Fire Magic] was only mentioned in passing. Perhaps it's because it's an easy enemy. Magic seems pretty powerful here, so I find it difficult to believe mages would spend their precious mana killing such small fry when the front line could effortlessly hack their way through.

    I think this sort of information would likely be found in magic books, but I didn't look too deep into the ones at the guild because they were a bit too esoteric. I need to go to the university's library for that.

    I continue grinding monsters, and after half a dozen goblins, I finally find a Mandrake. Its scream was really painful before, but now it's easily bearable, so I think I'm ready to fight two Mandrakes without much risk.

    I immediately cast [Fireball] at the monster.

    The ball hits its face and the screaming reduces in intensity. It's super effective! The Mandrake slows down and almost stops, then it pats its head with its pointy hands in a desperate attempt to stop the small fire that the spell created.

    A perfect opportunity. I charge forward and easily decapitate it.

    Also testing this spell on a Bush Baby might be prudent, but I'm feeling confident it's going to be even more effective. The Bush Baby's leaves seemed very dry, so I believe them to be a weak point against [Fire Magic].

    I remove [Electric Magic], put a point into [Blessing Magic], and cast [Wind Armor] on myself. The magic creates a ball of light on my palm, then I touch myself, and the spell is cast on me. This magic creates a sort of wind-based "kinetic shield" that protects my entire body, slowing down physical attacks by using air resistance. Every few seconds, I can see small distortions around my body and also feel a slight breeze whenever that happens.

    Unfortunately, the spell has a huge cost, and half of my MP is gone. Coupled with the two [Fireballs] I used, I barely have any mana left, so I spend some time resting.

    I notice that meditating really does increase the rate that my mana recovers, but I need to make sure that I don't fall asleep since I have to keep my eyes closed.



    I get up and move forward. I think I'm ready for the next level, so I move steadily towards the closest stairs and kill a few goblins on the way.

    The stairs are just a simple downward set of steps that ends in the same ominous black rectangle like the one of the entrance and exit. I cross it, and the floor select menu appears, but now it has a "2nd floor" option, so I press it, and I'm teleported to the new floor.

    It looks exactly the same as the previous one: drab and boring. The goblins aren't naked anymore, but the Mandrakes and Bush Babies are still the same.

    After a few kills, I notice that even the Mandrakes and the Bush Babies are giving little experience. So it seems that the enemies ramp up in power little by little.

    I'm thinking that now that I have [Fire Magic] I'll be okay on the third floor.



    After a few more kills, I find another armored goblin. I think it's a male, the females seem to have a slightly smoother skin and fewer wrinkles.

    He's wearing the same leather armor as the one from before, but the shield is bigger and he's taller, so now he's just a little bit shorter than me. I'm 165cm, by the way. Yes, I'm short, I know, it's hard to forget.

    I'll have to be more careful with this goblin since it looks like he has much more skill and intelligence than the others. Just to confirm my theory, he smiles before he charges towards me.

    We trade even blows, but his attacks are heavier than the Bush Baby vines, so I have to focus on deflecting more to tire me less. This leaves me with little openings to strike back, so I start to get pushed back.

    I have to do something.

    I notice his attacks follow an obvious timing, so I prepare myself, then I bash his shield right before he winds up his slash. He wasn't expecting me to counter with such power, so I manage to break his posture.

    I bash again, putting all my body into it, and he loses his balance then falls on his ass.

    I strike his shield while he desperately tries to crawl away backward. His sword hand is busy supporting his body while he defends himself with his shield, so he can't get up, and his smile turns into an angry frown.

    I step on his sword hand, making him drop it, then I drop my shield, grab his, and open his guard. He tries to wrench free, but I have the physical and mechanical advantage, so I stab him in the face until he dies.

    This one tired me out, so I need time to catch my breath and apply [Regeneration] to my arms.

    Curiously, his shield doesn't disappear like the rest of his equipment did. I put some points into Appraisal, and it tells me it's a simple iron shield. It has no painting or decorations on it, and it's of "medium" quality. Average at everything, but I guess it might be worth something, so I put it into my "Items."

    I have to kill at least another ten of these goblins to level up. My Experience gain seems to be dropping really fast, or is it actually my growth that is too fast? Perhaps killing the same monster has diminishing returns, rewarding me less Experience each time I kill them.



    I eat my lunch away from the goblin corpse, then I move on and reach the entrance to the third floor. I'm getting a little nervous, but I decide it's worth the risk.

    On this new floor, I meet my first mature Mandrake. It has valuable green leaves on its head, and it's nearly a meter tall. The pain from the scream is slightly stronger, but only slightly, so I'm still okay. It's a good thing that their power seems to increase slowly, or else I'd have to put all my points in [Mental Resistance].

    It charges forward like the other Mandrakes, but it's faster than the younger ones. I spread my legs, grit my teeth, and ready my shield.

    Like I had predicted, it jumps towards my chest with its pointy arms aiming towards me. Once it's in the air, I wait for the perfect moment to bash it with my shield.

    Pain flares in my hand as my whole shield resonates with the strike, but my attack was perfectly effective. The Mandrake flies far away, one arm broken, and the screaming stops, so, I guess I succeeded in stunning it.

    I give chase and slash at the downed Mandrake. Its defenselessness allows me to execute a perfect slash, and my sword slices clean through its neck, then its head drops from its shoulders, and a fluid greener than the one from the younger Mandrakes spews out.

    I look at my shield and notice that the tip of one of the Mandrake's pointy arms is stuck in it while the other arm left only a small dent.

    Holy shit, I guess I need a better shield now.

    That bash sure packed a good punch, but I don't think it's the best choice. If they charge and jump, the best option still seems to be to just slash.

    Maybe a spear is the most effective tool here against these charging enemies, but if I meet more than one, I need a backup weapon in case it gets stuck in an enemy. Thinking about this, I pull out a dagger I got from a goblin, then I hang it on my belt behind my back. Considering it's my life on the line having a few backup weapons doesn't seem to be excessive.

    I feel something change within me, so I open my status screen and see that I've gained the skill [Shield Bash] with 1 point.

    Hmm. Shield bash seems to be effective at stunning enemies, so I guess this is another skill that's nice to have.



    I move on and notice that the goblins are now stronger and require more effort to kill. They all graduated from loincloths and are now using basic woolen clothes. A few even have one or two pieces of leather armor.

    So, the ones fully armored are rare occurrences? The dungeoneering book didn't tell me much about these abnormalities, and the only thing I remember is that monsters can go up a level of the dungeon in rare instances. Maybe they're from a lower level, then? "Lower" as in a level deeper "down" that has stronger monsters. The fact that the stairs go "down," but the floor select screen goes "up" is a bit confusing.

    The mature Mandrake is still rare, and the Bush Babies didn't increase in power, so my experience gain isn't increasing, making me rather frustrated. The speed of my progress is dropping sharply.

    It's annoying not having an idea about what's the proper rate of growth in this world. There's a skill called [Inspire Growth], but it doesn't seem to be very useful with such an ambiguous name. I don't really have the time and the points to test it, either, so I just ignore it.

    I can't remove my mana enhancements because I'm starting to use [Fireball] more often to make the fights less tiring. I can't remove my physical combat skills, otherwise, I feel like I'll lose the skill advantage against the goblins.

    Is my best choice to just find a partner? I've only sensed pairs of adventurers coming here, and no solo explorers like me. The problem is that I can't really trust anybody to pair up. I think that my adaptability and rapid growth will be extremely suspicious.

    My body gets increasingly tired, and I decide it's time to leave the dungeon. My legs are aching, my arms are hurting, and I feel like my body is swaying. I've been fighting all day, after all, and at the rate that I'm gaining experience, tomorrow before noon I might get another level.

    When I get out, I see the sun and understand that there are still a few hours until dusk.

    Now, what do I do while I wait? I don't really want to talk to the guards, and adventurers normally don't interact with others.

    I should've bought a book. There's no internet or computers here, so my two main sources of entertainment are gone. Can I maintain my sanity without my games? This might be the true trial of the hero in this world.



    I pass the time by maintaining my weapon and exploring the other magic skills, making a note of every spell, but I don't have the MP to test all of them. "Notes" is a rather terrible interface to use, so I think I'll keep most of my notes on actual paper.

    Most of the magic skills only show me spells up to 15 points, but after that, I can only see "???". The only level 20 spells I can see are [Item Box] from [Space Magic] and [Purify Body] from [Light Magic], so I guess I'm missing something. Is it mana pool? Is it "Intelligence" or "Wisdom" stats?

    The spells are mostly self-explanatory, and while some sound useful, I lack the MP and "Magic Power" to make them impactful enough to justify using them in combat.

    From [Fire Magic], I can use my "cheat" to cast the spells: [Fireball], [Fire Whip], [Fire Arrow], and [Firestorm].

    [Earth Magic] has the spells: [Earth Bullet], [Earth Wall], [Dust Storm], and [Soul Sand].

    [Water Magic] has: [Torrent], [Water Wall], [Water Blade], and [Water Breathing].

    [Wind Magic] has: [Wind Blade], [Wind Hammer], [Wind Wall], and [Perfect Arrows].

    [Electric Magic] has: [Lightning Bolt], [Shocking Touch], and [Rush].

    [Light Magic] has: [Clean], [Spirit Light], [Heal], and [Inspire].

    [Dark Magic] has: [Torment], [Ghost Images], [Inflict Pain], and [Soul Siphon]. I got chills just from putting points in this magic school, and I don't want to do it ever again.

    [Space Magic] has: [Telekinesis], [Gravity Crush], and [Item Box].

    [Summoning Magic] has: [Summon Small Bird], [Summon Dog], and [Summon Small Golem].

    [Blessing Magic] has: [Wind Armor], [Sharp Blades], [Swift Foot], and [Rainbow Shield].

    [Nature Magic]has: [Constricting Vines], [Vine Weapon], and [Grow].

    [Conjuring Magic] has: [Conjure Water], [Conjure Bland Meal], and [Conjure Dirt].

    [Spirit Magic] has: [Spirit Eyes], [Spirit Link], [Soul Touch], and [Materialization].

    [Illusion Magic] has: [Ghost Lights], [Double Image], [Ignorance], and [Pacify].

    [Cursing Magic] has: [Weaken], [Sap Power], [Befuddle], and [Demoralize]. This one makes me uncomfortable to put points in, but nowhere near as bad as [Dark Magic]

    These are the only ones that give me actual spells, and the other magic schools don't, for some reason. Aside from [Torment], there doesn't seem to be any simple spells that can compare to the stopping power of [Fireball], and I really don't want to use [Dark Magic], so I'll stick with my little stove flame.

    As I theorycraft and play around with my magic, dusk comes, and I suddenly feel a small breeze run against my whole body. I look at my "Status Effects" and see that the entry "Wind Armor" has disappeared, so my [Wind Armor] has run out.

    I decide that I'll put four points into [Blessing Magic] the next time I level up so that I can get the [Sharp Blades] spell. It might help me with cutting the armor of the goblins or ensuring a one-hit kill on the Mandrakes and Bush Babies.

    Night falls, and I look up, but I only see a cloudy sky again, and I can't see the moon.

    Wait, is there even a moon here? I think there are stars, but I didn't pay attention to the moon.

    I turn off my lights, but it takes a few hours of restless tossing and turning until I finally start to feel sleepy. The uncomfortable sleeping bag makes it harder to sleep, but I'm going back to town tomorrow, so I'll just deal with it again today.



    This time, I don't see the Gargling Goblin again, but I have a very unpleasant dream. I only remember the disturbing sensation of slicing flesh with my sword.



    I wake up feeling stiff, but at least I don't wake up as tired as yesterday. I get up, stretch, eat breakfast, recover my things, brush my teeth, and put on some anti-scent powder to mask my growing stink of sweat. This powder is essential to prevent the monsters like the Mossy Fangpine from tracking someone's scent, so my first meeting with it was just inevitable. Curiously, there's a magical anti-scent powder that has a faint perfume, but of course, I wouldn't waste money with that, I can still endure the smell of leather.

    I wash my dirty clothes with magic, but I don't think that this was a good idea. With the [Mana Control] skill, I can hold a [Fireball] in my hand and slightly change its size, so I use it for fast drying, but it seems that the spell has damaged the fabric.

    After that, I return to the dungeon at the same time as another adventuring duo. They kind of look like a couple, and I start to feel very uncomfortable.

    I feel so lonely… I don't even want to think about how things are back on Earth. I just… don't want to think about it.

    Whenever I think about Earth, I start to feel depressed and I lose my motivation, so I think that it's best to bury those thoughts until I can deal with them better. Doesn't sound like a healthy thing to do, though.

    I slap my cheeks and enter the ominous black rectangle, then I choose "3rd Floor." I appear in the same drab room as before, but I'm completely alone. Fortunately, it seems that the couple didn't go to the same floor as me.



    Progress is smooth but slow since I don't encounter any armored goblins or mature Mandrakes for bursts of Experience.

    "You are now level nine," the announcer finally says after half of my morning is gone.

    I put my new four skill points all in [Blessing Magic] (now 5) and cast [Sharp Blades]. Like [Wind Armor], a glowing ball appears on my palm, so I push it into my sword. The blade subtly changes and now looks like it's been polished, but at least it doesn't shine ridiculously.

    I touch the edge with my finger and feel that it's dangerously sharp. It's impressive, really.

    I take a short rest because the spell used half my MP, then I move on again and butcher my way through the monsters.

    It makes me happy how easy it is to decapitate the monsters now. I can basically kill anything with one good hit. I even manage to cut a goblin in half at the waist!

    Ok, the sight of his guts spilling on the floor is gruesome and traumatizing, and now there's just blood everywhere, but holy shit, I cut a goblin in half.

    Fuck, am I enjoying this? I either have a mental problem or a natural talent, depends on which world you're from.

    Unfortunately, the experience gain continues to drop. It becomes a waste to fight monsters on this level, so I decide to go to the fourth floor.

    The mature Mandrakes are much more common now, though not all of them have leaves that can be harvested, which is a shame since it's their most valuable part. Unfortunately, the goblins and Bush Babies didn't get stronger, so I decide to keep going down levels until at least the goblins give me good exp again… or is it "up" a level…?

    After lunch, I get to the fifth floor, but it isn't much better. The Bush Babies are now one meter tall and hit harder, but my strategy is polished, and I easily cut my way through their vines.

    I decide to risk it and go to the sixth floor.



    Finally, the goblins are now giving good Experience. Since they're still the most common enemy by far, they need to worth killing or else it's a waste of my time. Now most of them are wearing at least two pieces of armor.

    It seems that monsters evolve in a very predictable pattern.

    The rate of Experience gain is steady, but I'm getting tired much more often now, so I have to take multiple breaks.

    While I'm waiting at a dead end, I get three familiar hits on my [Sense Presence]. I immediately remove [Mental Resistance] and trade it for [Andraste Language]. I need to research the difference between each level of the language skill, I always go for 10 but 7 will have to do this time.

    The three adventurers enter my room and notice me.

    "Hoho, greetings again. You progressed a lot haven't you?" The wealthy adventurer casually asks.

    His party is still the same, but now I see dirt, blood, and tired eyes on the three of them, though the woman is the only one without a drop of blood on her clothes.

    I respond with a faint smile, "Yeah, I got the hang of dealing with these monsters. They're quite dumb and weak, so I had to come to this floor for a challenge."

    He nods and smiles back. "Indeed, my teacher instructed me to come to this level because anything below is just too weak. We went much deeper into the dungeon, but after this level, the goblins got stronger much faster, so we came back here for an easier time." He puts a hand over his chest as he politely introduces himself, "I'm called Nour, what's your name?"

    "Wolf Ryder."

    He nods respectfully and asks, "Then, Mr. Ryder, would you mind if we take a rest with you? Is this area safe?"

    Again with the "Mister." Also, he didn't say his last name, so was it a blunder to say mine? Do normal people not have a second name?

    I get a little nervous, but I decide to be friendly and reply, "Y-yeah, no problem. I killed the monster at the dead-end."

    The three of them sit down near the wall, Nour sits by a wall facing me while the woman and the other man sit at the corner, then they pull out canteens and start to drink.

    Nour introduces his companions as he motions to them, "This woman is my sister, Rania, and the man is my slave guard, Liam."

    "Hello," Rania greets in a monotone.

    "Greetings, Grand Ryder," the man follows with a more diligent demeanor.

    "Grand" Ryder? That feels even weirder, but I assume this is how a slave respectfully addresses others.

    The words that I hear are foreign, but because of the language skill, everything is being translated to its closest meaning in English. The words they speak also sound slightly garbled, so I need to focus to understand what they're saying. This must be the effect of not having 10 points in the language.

    I wave my hand to them and smile.

    Then I feel a faint breeze, and Nour narrows his eyes as he inspects the visual distortion of my [Wind Armor]. "You know [Blessing Magic]? I didn't see you using [Wind Armor] the first time we met," he casually inquires.

    Oh, shit. Quick, time to lie.

    I force a smile and answer, "I didn't want to… train with enhancements on. I thought it'd be best to train my sword without using magic first until I got a few levels with it"

    "Bahahah!" Nour suddenly laughs out loud, then he looks at his companions. "That's the exact same advice that Teacher gave us!"

    "Told ya it's good advice," Rania replies with a wry smile.

    "Agreed, master. The path to glory is a long journey," Liam adds with a serious tone.

    He sounds like a sage.

    Nour raises his hands and lowers his head in defeat as he admits, "Alright, alright. I'm not going to rush out into a dungeon or anything like that. I learned my lesson…" Then he lifts his head and crosses his arms as he stares at me. "But anyway… exploring dungeons alone is uncommon, why don't you partner with somebody? [Blessing Magic] is valuable for any fellowship."

    The advice book said that fellowships are like parties.

    "Don't pry into the business of others," Rania warns him.

    He flinches and smiles wryly. "Geh... I'm sorry. Mr. Ryder just piqued my interest."

    Rania turns to me and smiles wryly. "Forgive my brother, Mr. Ryder. He's far too curious and carefree."

    "That's not a problem… " I answer and awkwardly rub my neck. "I don't mind answering. I'm traveling alone because I'm new around here, and I… pick my partners carefully."

    "Rania, I think he's Teacher's son," Nour teases and chuckles softly.

    "That just means that Teacher's mentality leads to a longer life," she replies flatly.

    There's nothing I can do but smile at this exchange. Nour might be a little nosy for me, but it's hard to be mad at him because he seems good-natured.

    Nour rolls his eyes at his sister's teasing and turns to me again. "Well, okay… but Mr. Ryder, have you thought about buying a slave as a companion? Blood Slaves can be more loyal than even sworn knights," he suggests with a subtle smirk.

    "Blood Slave?" I blurt out a question, but then Nour raises a curious eyebrow at me, so I try to salvage my question, "I mean, how can a Blood Slave be that loyal?"

    He smiles subtly at my awkwardness and answers, "Well, you can use [Slavery Magic] to make sure that they always obey, but that doesn't inspire loyalty. The important thing is that the Gods watch over the Blood Slaves, so you can be certain that they're always the best servants. Just like my companion, Liam."

    So, is it related to [Blood Magic]...?

    "Hmmm… can you ex-…" My question gets cut short. I get two hits on my [Sense Presence], one small and one huge, both monsters.

    Just what the hell is this.

    I instinctively get up and draw my sword. "Monsters are coming," I somberly report.

    All three of them look confused, but they stand up and draw their weapons. Liam looks at me suspiciously.

    "I didn't hear anything," he states, but I ignore him as I recognize what's coming at us.

    Oh no... This enemy is dangerous, extremely dangerous.

    The monsters suddenly start sprinting as they've seemingly detected us, then we start to hear a jingling in the distance.

    Liam turns his head towards the noise and questions in confusion, "Chain mail?"

    "Run!" I shout and dart towards the corridor. It dawns on them what's coming, and they immediately follow me.

    I run as fast as I can, but it's too late. When we get near the entrance to the corridor, the monsters are already at the doorway, trapping us inside.

    We stop and our blood runs cold as we see the two figures coming to kill us. These monsters are the reason I don't want to go to the eleventh floor: the Orc Headhunter and the Swamp Goblin.

    There's a trap on the eleventh floor, a roaming duo of monsters much more powerful than the ones normally found in the area. They hunt weaker adventurers and prey on them, so this is why nobody spends any time on that floor. The worst thing is that the Escape Bomb doesn't work on the orc, its endurance is too high. The duo is a terrifying combo.

    The Swamp Goblin is a brown, filthy goblin that wears simple rags. It uses a blowgun that shoots poisoned darts that weaken the physical capabilities of adventurers. It's physically weak, so it's the priority target.

    The orc is a green ugly monstrosity around two meters tall. It has a pig snout, large eyes, and huge tusks coming out of his mouth; its strength is superhuman; it wields a claymore that he uses with a single hand, and a large kite shield; and it wears a hauberk with a metal cuirass, vambraces, schynbalds, and cuisses. I'll be lucky if I survive a single strike from this thing.

    "MASTER! RUN!" Liam screams while he charges the orc.

    That was the wrong move. Nour and I have shields, so we can defend against the goblin and dodge the orc while Rania snipes the goblin, but we never agreed on cooperating, so Liam must be thinking of sacrificing himself instead of betting on us defeating him.

    I just can't let him commit suicide, so I charge behind him. I cast [Entangling Vines] at the goblin's feet and hide behind my shield.

    Lucky for us, our timing is accidentally perfect. The orc is occupied with Liam, so its reaction is slow, and I manage to duck under the quick slash it sends at me, slipping past it without a hitch, but as I pass, I feel the orc's gaze on me. I think it knows what I'm doing.

    I ignore him and completely hide behind my shield, blocking my vision of what's ahead, then I hear a soft *ptoon* as a dart hits my shield and bounces off.

    Good, now that goblin is dead.

    The vines grab both of its legs and hold them in place. It fired its blowgun and didn't dodge, so now I'm going to make it pay for it.

    The goblin screams in terror and anger, then I reach it and savagely slash down diagonally. My sword slides through its skull and lops off a part of its head.

    I stop and stare as the life in the goblin's eyes is snuffed, his brain matter exposed by my attack, then he collapses, and I immediately turn around, just in time to see Liam getting blown away several meters.

    "NOOO!" Nour screams. He's attacking the orc, but the monster is just effortlessly defending with its shield.

    The orc has one big weakness, its metal armor, which is vulnerable to electricity. I frantically remove a point from [Sword Use] and put it into [Electric Magic] while I pray that Nour doesn't die in the next attack.

    Now with a free hand, the orc savagely slashes sideways. Nour defends with his shield, but he gets splattered on the wall and all the air from his lungs is forcefully expelled.

    The orc doesn't finish him and instead dashes towards Rania. I cast [Lightning Bolt] at the orc's back and it immediately stops moving, then its body starts convulsing. It's stunned, but for how long?

    I do a mad dash towards it and prepare to strike. I try to slash its neck, but it turns towards me at the same time, and I only wound it as it gets out of my reach. His shield suddenly comes towards my face, and all I can do is meet it with my own.

    A loud noise of metal hitting metal fills the dungeon, then pain flares in my shoulder as I feel it almost gets dislocated from the impact.

    I'm forced to take a few steps back to maintain my footing, then I cast [Lightning Bolt] and the orc gets stunned again.

    "[ICE LANCE]!" Rania screams with a cracked voice.

    I see the orc jerk away with a speed I didn't think was possible, then a spear of ice suddenly pierces the orc's shield shoulder. It's a complete penetration right at the bone joint, and the spear is a good 10cm wide, so the orc drops the shield as its arm is now completely useless.

    From behind the orc, I see Rania fall to her knees.

    Was that an advanced spell? It certainly did a lot of damage to the orc.

    Maybe she's inexperienced and is now suffering from mana drain like I did once, so this means I can't rely on her anymore. I need to kill the orc myself.

    The orc roars in pain and anger, then he grabs the lance and pulls it out without hesitation.

    I get up and cast [Lightning Bolt] again. The monster twitches, and even though it doesn't get stunned, that's enough of an opening.

    I stab the orc in the groin, and I feel my sword sinking into flesh. It seems like this is a vulnerable area where the chain and plate mail don't have proper coverage.

    The orc screams again and gives me a weak blow with his claymore that I defend with my shield, but it's enough to push me backward.

    My sword gets jerked around, but I don't lose my grip on it, so it does even more damage to the orc as it's violently ripped out of its body.

    "RAAAAAAH!" Liam screams his lungs out as he charges.

    A dagger flies towards the orc's face, but it deflects it with its claymore. Liam reaches the orc a second later and slashes at it. The orc parries the attack, but that's another opening for me.

    I jump and slash towards its throat, but it evades again with an impossibly high speed, so I only manage to wound it.

    The orc is bloody. Its chest is completely stained from the blood that's pouring from its two wounds on its neck, its legs are red as a large amount of blood flows from its groin, its shoulder has a large gaping hole that bleeds even more than the other wounds. But even with all this, it's still fighting like a barbarian.

    It kicks Liam again, who seems to be too slow to react, and he gets blown away a few meters, then the orc tries to counter my attack with its claymore, but I manage to parry it!

    Is it losing strength? It did counter from an awkward angle, though.

    "[SHOCKING TOUCH]!" Rania screams again with an even more cracked voice. That's a level 10 [Electric Magic] spell.

    Suddenly, the orc starts to convulse, now completely defenseless as the spell wracks through its body, and I see Rania collapse behind him. She must've run out of mana.

    I'm too far to immediately slash at its neck again, but it's enough for me to aim for the groin. This time my sword pierces deeply, and I quickly try to pull it out, but it's stuck.

    The orc roars while still convulsing from the spell. I give up on the sword and grab my dagger, then I jump and aim for its neck.

    The monster is stinky and filthy. My right hand grabs onto the back of its huge head, and it gets coated in something sticky, then its smelly breath hits my face. I ignore my disgust and savagely stab his neck. The skin is incredibly tough, and the dagger's blade isn't sharp enough to penetrate deeply, but I keep stabbing into the previous wound to widen it.

    The orc stops convulsing.

    Oh no, he's going to hit me. Is it going to be a punch? Or a stab? Or a slash? Or is he going to just grab my head and crush it?

    I have no time to get away, so I just have to bet the lack of blood pressure will save me!

    "STOOOP!" Nour roars, and with the corner of my eye, I see him throwing himself on the sword arm of the orc, then hugging it with all his strength.

    Thank you, Nour. You've bound the monster for me, so I'll use your opening.

    I stab the orc's neck even more savagely, causing blood to spurt all over my face and chest. The orc's roar starts to die down as I split its neck open, then it falls on its knees. Its angry expression goes blank, and it starts to fall backward.

    Oh no! Not that way, you'll crush Rania!

    Both Nour and I pull the monster towards us, then it falls face down in a pool of its own blood.

    "You are now level ten."

    Nour and I stare at him for a few seconds as we catch our breaths, then reality comes back to me, and I rush towards Liam.

    I kneel before him and apply [Regeneration]. He's alive, but unconscious. I have no idea if he's bleeding internally, so I'm just going to heal him until he wakes up, then I should try to wake up Rania next. It's best that everyone is awake, even if in pain.

    Nour kneels beside Rania and pours a glowing blue potion into her mouth.

    Isn't she going to choke on that?

    She suddenly wakes up and coughs a few times, then she opens her eyes weakly and starts swallowing the potion properly. After she finishes drinking, her body starts shivering, and Nour hugs her tight.

    Oh, okay. I guess that worked.

    Liam wakes up a few seconds later, but he's too weak to get up. He slowly turns to me and mutters, "Poison…"

    I think he got hit by the Swamp Goblin. This is why that monster is killed first while everyone hides behind their shields. Liam got poisoned during the fight and lost most of his physical strength.

    I pull out a battle potion from one of my chest pockets and pour the thick dark liquid into his mouth.

    I got a little scared of the Mossy Fangpine and the Bush Babies, so I have three. It's going to take around ten minutes for it to work, though, so I'm going to continue healing Liam meanwhile.

    After a minute, I drink a mana potion as my MP steadily drops. My shoulder hurts, and Nour could be wounded too, but Liam is much worse, so he gets priority.

    Rania stops shaking and Nour helps her sit, then he comes over to me.

    "Is that [Regeneration]?" He weakly asks.

    "Yeah. I don't have a lot of mana, and I'm not very experienced, so this is going to take some time," I softly respond.

    He shakes his head gently. "Oh no, you already did a lot. Here, let me give Liam one of my potions." He kneels and helps Liam drink a red potion. I see that its glow is much stronger than the ones I have.

    Nour returns to Rania, then a few silent minutes pass, and Liam gets strong enough to sit. "Thank you, kind Sir, but it's enough for now. Please heal yourself," he pleads.

    I don't want to argue since my shoulder is hurting, so I just do as he says and use the last of my mana to ease my pain. The potion is still acting, so my mana is recovering faster than normal.

    Once I stop healing myself, Nour turns to me, his face still pale, and praises me with a weak voice, "Thank you, Mr. Ryder. You could've run after killing the goblin, but you didn't, you saved us, and most of all Liam, who was going to sacrifice himself for us."

    True… throwing myself on the orc's chest was certainly reckless.

    I awkwardly rub my neck and reply, "I just… I didn't think I should run away."

    "You have a noble soul," he whispers with a smile.

    "Indeed, I owe you my life," Liam affirms solemnly.

    "Thank you..." Rania chimes in with a hoarse voice.

    I'm getting a little overwhelmed, and I have no idea how to react, so I just smile weakly and nod.

    But then the adrenaline starts running out, and the reality sinks in. The orc should be on the eleventh floor, and I don't know why it came here. I'm scared I'll meet another one, so I just want to go home as fast as possible.

    "We need to leave this place. fast. These two monsters shouldn't be here; there's something wrong with this dungeon," I nervously plead.

    "He must have entered the exit… multiple times," Rania supposes.

    "And crossed multiple floors?! That's insane, how could such a rare thing happen repeatedly?" I retort bitterly.

    A monster could indeed enter the exit door on a dimensional dungeon like this one and appear on a lower floor, but that's something rare to happen even once, so for it to happen multiple times is a miracle. We won the lottery of bad luck to find him.

    "Perhaps the Lord has been skimping on his duties," Liam suggests dispiritedly.

    The Lord manages the dungeons. If the monsters aren't culled often, then dangerous ones can appear, or like in this case, an extremely dangerous monster goes to a floor it's not supposed to be on.

    "We need to report this," Nour asserts, then he stares at me intensely. "Mr. Ryder, do you have space in your [Item Box]? We need to bring these corpses to the guild. Since you did the most, the least we can do is to let you take all the rewards for these kills."

    I raise my eyebrows in surprise and ask, "Is that really okay? I didn't kill them alone."

    Nour nods and insists, "Yes, it's the least we could do for now."

    I don't want to argue, so I just collect both corpses, then Liam and Rania stand up, and we start walking towards the exit, which is fortunately nearby.

    Since I'm the one in the best condition, I lead the vanguard with Nour at my side. Liam is still too weakened from the poison to lead.

    We kill two goblins on the way effortlessly. Having two people in the vanguard means that one tanks the attack while the other flanks. Our swords are also sharp enough that we can kill the goblins in a single hit.

    We get to the exit soon after that. The guard near the entrance jumps in place when two completely bloodied adventures and two exhausted-looking ones suddenly appear before him.

    Nour does the talking. He retells what happened, and the guards' faces pale. Meeting the Orc Headhunter is a nightmare for the people around here.



    Two guards escort us back to town, and we wipe ourselves while walking, but enough blood has seeped through our clothes that even a [Clean] can't remove it.

    Luckily, the customs officers don't ask to look into my [Item Box] since I made a blunder and put the corpses in my "Items."

    When we enter the hunters' guild, one of the guards runs towards the closest attendant and murmurs something, then they both hurry up the stairs.

    The presence of the guards and the bloodied adventurers attracts quite a bit of attention. Liam and Rania are looking better now, but they still seem very tired, while Nour and I look quite ghastly because we couldn't fully clean our armor.

    A minute later, an old man and Sonny come down. The old man is short and skinny, his pure white beard protrudes from his jaw and makes men envious with its magnificence, and though he lacks hair on the top of his head, the pure white hair on the sides is well maintained. He wears simple velvet clothing, the same color as the uniform, with only the guild symbol embroidered on his chest as decoration.

    The guards signal to us, and we all go towards the dismantling area. Over there, Gordon and his assistant are processing some meat and stare at us in surprise as we enter.

    "Well then, could you show us the corpses?" The old man gently asks, then he gracefully motions with his hand towards the large, empty tables.

    I pull out the bodies, and I hear a few gasps of surprise. The orc and goblin lost their equipment, but they're still recognizable as the dangerous duo because of their physique.

    Curiosity gets the best of me, and I take a look. The orc's genitals are completely shredded, and I feel pain between my legs just from looking at it.

    "So, it's true. We really need to send a complaint to the Lord," the old man mumbles, then he turns to me and smiles gently. "Now, then. My name is Silas, and I'm the guildmaster. Could you all take a seat and tell us the story in detail?" He motions towards the benches on the wall.

    We obey and retell our fight.



    "Quite the predicament, Sir Nour," Silas comments with a worried frown.

    "Sir"? So it's really true that Nour is an important person. I just wonder why he didn't use his last name.

    Silas turns to me and smiles as he adds, "And we all benefit from having someone like Mr. Ryder among us."

    I'm bad at being praised. Should I say something in response?

    Sonny smiles wryly and continues, "A Gray Berserker and now an Orc Headhunter. You're giving us a surprise after surprise, though I wish it was of a different kind when talking about the orc."

    I chuckle and reply with a tired grin, "I think I just have bad luck."

    The fact that I've been isekai'd should be enough evidence of my bad luck.

    Sonny glances at the corpses and ponders, "Depends on the perspective. Those two monsters are really valuable, and the prestige that comes from killing them isn't small."

    "I just want a calm life," I mumble and frown.

    Gordon laughs while butchering the orc, then Sonny murmurs something and casts a spell. I don't know what spell it is, but he starts talking towards nobody while looking at the orc. He suddenly turns around and reports, "The spirit confirms it, he was killed on the sixth floor."

    So mages can talk to monster spirits, too? I know that I only need a few points in [Spirit Magic] to be able to communicate with spirits, but a monster spirit being able to talk is new to me. I guess this is really useful for information gathering.

    "Have you decided how the bounty is to be shared?" Sonny asks us with an impassive tone.

    Nour shakes his head and immediately replies, "Oh, we aren't taking the money. Mr. Ryder saved us, so all the reward goes to him. Now, if the talk is over, we'll take our leave. We're all extremely tired, and all we want is to rest."

    "Oh, it's done. The rest is with us," Silas agrees with a nod.

    They didn't even let me reply.

    Nour turns to me and smiles gently as he says his farewell, "Then we'll be off, Mr. Ryder, but one last thing. Could you come here to the guild tomorrow before noon? I'd like to properly give you my thanks and reward you."

    I'm taken aback, and I stumble a little during my response, "I-Is that right? Sh-shouldn't the bounty reward be enough?"

    He gives me a warm stare. "That's just money. You saved our lives, so I should at least reward you a bit more. Please, just come tomorrow."

    I sigh and relent with a nod, "Alright then. I'll come."

    He grins, pleased with my response. "Thank you. Then I'll see you tomorrow. Goodbye, Mr. Silas."

    Nour and his companions give Silas a quick bow and leave.

    Sonny comes towards me and reports, "Now, then. The reward for a runaway monster of threat level five is five gold. His corpse is going to sell for three gold and the goblin for one gold."

    That's a huge amount because runaway monsters are a serious threat to everybody. The orc skin sells for a lot, and this one, especially, is way tougher than normal.

    I also take this opportunity and bring out all my remaining proofs of extermination but not the bodies I collected. It all sums up to four silver and a bunch of copper coins. A pittance in comparison to the orc, but at least I recouped the loss from the days that I didn't sleep at the inn.

    Silas spends this short time simply observing me. It seems that I've already caught the eye of the guildmaster, but I'll be laying low for the week, so no grand feat will come while I simply relax and train safe and sound inside these walls. I also don't believe in jinxing, so I can say this with confidence.

    After I take my money, I say my goodbyes and leave.



    It's almost night, so I go towards the inn's bathhouse and get a few concerned glances when they see my bloodied armor. I'll leave the cleaning of the blood for later, so I take out a fresh set of spare clothes after I take a wash.

    Today, I order a drink while eating. They only have something similar to apple cider currently since nearly all fruit juice ran out, and there's not much wine in the town.

    I eat my meal with happiness, not necessarily because it's good, but because I'm happy to be alive. Once I left the guild, I felt like a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders. All I want is some comfort and love, away from being in situations where I have to frantically stab a disgusting orc in the neck.

    The innkeeper's daughter seems to be extra lovely to me this dinner. I learn that her name is Selina, and she starts some small talk, but it doesn't last long because she's too busy.

    Once she leaves, I just decide to enjoy my meal: a vegetable salad with a lot of cooked beans and some chicken sauce. The vegetables of this season seem to be slightly sweet, similar to carrots and pumpkins. They go well with the beans and extra well with mutton, but today the meat is different. The inn is serving the delicious, marbled Rabid Rabbit meat, and it's of a much higher quality cut than the one sold at a stall.

    After eating, I drop on my bed and immediately fall asleep.
     
    Last edited: May 15, 2021
  8. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

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    A knock on the door wakes me up, then a female voice calls out, "Breakfast is ready!"

    My body is light, but my soul is heavy.

    I don't want to get up.

    I can still smell the orc's blood. It has been imprinted upon my heart.

    I didn't dream of the Gargling Goblin, but now I think I might have acquired a bigger trauma. The scene of stabbing the orc in the neck keeps flashing in my eyes when my mind wanders. The fear of something coming to attack me from my back assaults me repeatedly, giving me chills with each attack.

    If it weren't for Nour, the orc would've grabbed my head and crushed it…

    Eventually, hunger wins over fear, and I go down to eat.

    The meal is a simple vegetable soup with Rabid Rabbit meat and toasted bread. The vegetables are savory this time, so it goes well with the meat.

    Selina comes to my table and concernedly asks, "Say, what was all that blood you had on you yesterday?"

    I give her a slightly bitter smile as I answer, "It was from an Orc Headhunter. I had a very unfortunate encounter with it yesterday."

    Her jaw hangs in surprise, then she takes a seat and looks at me worriedly. "The one inside Royd's Kerfuffle? Why did you fight it? I only heard stories of people running away from him."

    I nod. "It was a runaway. I met it on the sixth floor."

    She gasps and covers her mouth with her hands.

    How cute.

    "Did you fight him alone?!" She exclaims, and I see a few customers start to listen intensely.

    Please lower your voice, Selina.

    I shake my head while smiling wryly and answer, "Heavens, no. I fought it with three other people. We were cornered and couldn't run away, so we were forced to fight it. I ended up being the luckiest one and got hit the least while one guy got poisoned, and I'm sure that he broke a few ribs since the Headhunter kicked him twice."

    "Wow. But to come back that bloody… did you have a knife fight with him, or something?" She giggles softly.

    Please stop being cute, I'm not in the mood to smile.

    My faint, involuntary smile gains a subtle smugness to it as I reply, "Actually, I did. My sword got stuck in its body, so I had to use my knife to stab it in the neck."

    I won't say that I got it stuck in his groin, that's a sight I want to forget.

    She lets her jaw hang loose again while she stares at me with shock in her eyes.

    Did I brag too much?

    I awkwardly massage my neck and explain things properly, "Well, the most important person was the magician woman. She cast [Ice Lance] and pierced the Orc's shoulder so it couldn't use its shield arm anymore, then she used [Shocking Touch] and fainted. With that, I had a good opening to stab it until it died. There was also another guy who helped by throwing himself onto the arm of the orc and holding it in place so that I could finish it. Then there was the poisoned guy who fought while weakened and got kicked twice. It really was a desperate fight."

    She closes her mouth and her eyes shine while she smiles. "Wow. That sounds amazing…" She whispers in wonder.

    I knit my eyebrows in worry at her sudden shift. "Really? Is fighting so interesting?"

    She nods repeatedly, and rests her elbows on the table, leaning a bit too close to me as she stares with dreamy eyes. "Yes! I know that I'm not strong, and I don't like fighting, but to think that there are people who work so hard, who can achieve so much to protect us, that makes me really happy."

    Oh, boy, stop, my heart is melting.

    Even the eavesdroppers smile at her innocence.

    I become awkward again and reply, "I-Is that so… well… your enthusiasm makes me a little happy."

    She giggles girlishly and gives my hand a comforting squeeze, surprising me. "Thank you for your story. I gotta continue working now, so come back later to talk." She winks then gets up and leaves.

    Honestly, that conversation healed my heart, just a little, but still healed.

    I guess this is why some people fight, because if it weren't for us killing that runaway, then someone else would have to suffer.

    I finish my meal and go back to my room.



    I have some time to kill, so I think about what I should do with my new skill points. I open my "Status" and see that my "Willpower" increased by 1 (now 12), my [Sword Use] also increased by 1 (now 8+2), my MP increased by 20 (now 135), and my "Magic Power" by 5 (now 190).

    How does this magic increase work? It just increases with use, or do I have to "exercise" something within my body like a muscle?

    I put my four unused points in [Reduced Mana Cost] because I need to be able to cast magic more often. Perhaps at the next level, I should get more [Mana Efficiency] to balance things, then later improve my melee skills again.

    I think I'll waste another hour here at the inn. Nour said to be at the hunter's guild just before noon, so there are still a few hours until then.

    I really have to steel my heart because that won't be the last time that I have to fight so desperately. I'm going for the life of a warrior, so my weak and soft Earth-born heart won't survive. This is a brutal world, and after thinking about Selina's words, I understand that there's a need for strong people who protect others.

    This skill system gives me the potential to grow quickly and become extremely strong, and I think that whatever god threw me here probably won't let me lead a peaceful life, so going for the crafter's route might not be the best idea. Besides, it's a bit "romantic" to be a warrior in a monster-filled world.

    My motto has always been: "do the thing you won't regret in the future," so, becoming a selfish hermit hoarding all this power to myself doesn't sit right with me.

    Well, saying is different than doing. Even after this period of reflection, I still feel pain and fear, which is a bit laughable. Perhaps I need some time to let the fear subside. I'd already decided I should take a week off, anyway, so there's no need to keep thinking about this.

    I spend some time massaging my sore muscles, and it actually feels good.

    Is there perhaps a massage parlor around here? I know that there's a [Massage] skill, so it could be a common profession. I'd definitely go there if I found one.

    After relaxing for a while, I decide to go meet Nour.



    The hunter's guild has its usual rough atmosphere, but the number of people around the hunt report boards is larger than what I expected. I quickly find Nour at the tables along with his companions. Liam and Rania are drinking something while Nour is simply chatting with them.

    They notice me and wave as I approach.

    "Good day, Mr. Ryder," Nour greets casually.

    "Good day, Sir," Liam greets formally as usual.

    "Morning, Mr. Ryder," Rania greets more energetically than the last time we talked.

    "Good day, everybody. I hope you all slept well," I respond with a smile.

    Nour grins and confesses, "I don't even remember going to bed, I just blacked out from drinking too much. We partied a bit too hard, and even Liam was quite drunk."

    "We have to let it out once in a while. It's not every day we fight so hard," Liam calmly defends himself.

    "Well, little brother, it seems that your next lesson is about how to hold your own liquor," Rania teases and shows her tongue cheekily.

    Nour's eye twitches, then he smiles with a faint pout as he replies, "That's… not true. I can hold it just fine."

    "You did just admit to the contrary a few seconds ago," I comment with a wry smile.

    He turns to me and exclaims in disbelief, "Even you…!" Then he grits his teeth and declares dramatically, "You know what, I'll drink every day until I learn my lesson!"

    "Please, don't!" Liam suddenly pleads.

    "I retract my previous statement," Rania calmly replies and chuckles.

    I let out a few shy chuckles along with her. Seeing them all like this makes me feel a little silly I got so scared.

    Nour calms down and his expression softens, then he continues, "But anyway… let's get down to business. I wanted to reward you, and I knew that you were going solo, so I prepared this." -He pushes a sealed letter towards me with a sly grin- "You see, I'm a stupid son of a wealthy merchant, and although I decided to take on adventuring, I still have my own connections, so I made a letter of reference. This will open the doors to you to the most expensive Blood Slave trader of this town, and I obtained a heavy discount for you there, so you might be able to choose among the best that they have to offer."

    I lift my eyebrows in surprise, then I tense up a bit as I awkwardly reply, "Oh, wow… that's incredible, but… I don't really know much about Blood Slaves…"

    I know that level 1 in [Slavery Magic] there's the spell called [Contract of Servitude], then at level 10 there's the spell [Mark of the Master], and at level 20 there's the spell [Tongue of Obedience], but that's absolutely all of the information that I have on it.

    Rania raises an eyebrow and curiously asks me, "Your parents didn't teach you about Blood Slaves?"

    I force a smile and look away. "They did… I just didn't pay attention," I lie and try not to blush in embarrassment.

    Nour and Rania chuckle, while Liam holds back a smile.

    "It's why I'm here. I'm a bit… 'free-spirited,'" I lie again and chuckle at myself. My own awkwardness and embarrassment only serve to improve the character I'm trying to sell.

    "I see…" Nour mutters while smirking, then he leans back on his chair and taps his temple in thought.

    Rania clears her throat and starts, "A Blood Slave is a specialized servant that you buy to perform a specific duty. Their performance is assured by the seller, while their loyalty is enforced through [Slavery Magic]. They ingest your blood, and then a spell is used to bind them to your Fate."

    "Fate"? What's that? Can I eat it?

    I hold back the urge to ask about Fate, and instead ask about something else, "What types of 'duties' do they perform?"

    Nour shrugs as he answers, "Anything. If someone thinks that they're skilled enough in something and that they're worthy of becoming a servant, then they could sell themselves as a Blood Slave. Take Liam, by example." He pats the older man's shoulder, then smiles at me proudly.

    Rania pats his other shoulder and continues, "Liam has a real talent for the sword and protecting others. He cost a lot, but he was worth every coin." She smiles warmly at him, and I get suspicious about these two.

    Liam stiffens for a second, then nods respectfully towards me and adds, "I was having trouble making money through adventuring, so I decided to sell myself for ten years. By the end of my contract, I'll have a small fortune, so I'll go back to my hometown in Faium and inherit my father's smith. If the smith fails, then I'll still have enough money to live comfortably for a while."

    "Contract?" I reflexively question. It seems slavery has some sort of structure or possibly laws behind it.

    Rania rolls her eyes at my question while Nour smiles. I believe they're thinking I'm a country bumpkin due to my lack of knowledge.

    Nour leans forward and happily answers, "The person selling themselves stipulates limits to what their duty entails and the length of their servitude. Usually, the fewer the limits, the more expensive the slave is, but few put strict limits because if there are too many, then it's easier to just buy a traditional slave, instead. A lot of women sell themselves as sex slaves, so the most common limitations are related to that."

    Uh… sex slaves…?

    I glance at Rania, but she's just casually sipping her drink, she doesn't show a single reaction.

    "With the discount in this letter, you can get yourself a young female warrior, if that's your thing, of course," Nour adds, then he smirks when he sees my awkward reaction.

    Holy shit.

    "You're pretty versatile yourself, but I recommend you think carefully about what kind of warrior will work well with your style," Rania casually advises.

    Nour nods and continues, "You got some good skill with the sword, you can heal yourself, you can sense monsters, and you have a spell you can cast chantless, so you can choose basically whoever you want and they'll still be useful to you."

    Ah, shit. I guess mages should chant before casting their spells, but I know nothing about that. At least now I know why it took Rania so long to cast her spells and why she screamed their names.

    "You're not very tall or physically strong, if you forgive my bluntness, so I recommend someone more robust instead of a mage like Dame Rania," Liam adds and lowers his head respectfully.

    "No offense taken," I reply and politely smile.

    Rania's gaze becomes slightly stern and measuring as she gives me another piece of advice, "Keep in mind that the Gods watch over the Blood Slaves, so if the master is being abusive, they can interfere and nullify the contract without the intervention of a priest. It's rare, but it happened before."

    I stiffen instinctively and nod.

    The 'Gods'? So it's god-sanctioned slavery? That's… a little concerning.

    Since they're already thinking I'm a dumb peasant, I'll just lean on it and ask whatever I'm curious about. "What's [Tongue of Obedience]?"

    Rania doesn't seem to have the patience for this, so Nour answers, "That spell prevents the Blood Slave from spilling your secrets. There are a few others, like one that prevents the Slave from hurting you, or another that gives you full control of their body, allowing you to even kill them with a word, but that's illegal, of course."

    Full body control seems worse than normal slavery, but my curiosity makes me want to ask questions like: "Can I control their intestines?" Can I control their eyes? Can I stop the blood flow of certain veins?" Maybe I can perform surgery without the need for anesthesia or blood loss if I can cut blood flow or nerve response at will.

    "That sounds a bit much," I comment with a wry smile.

    Nour shrugs, Liam chuckles once, and Raina nods in agreement as she takes a sip of her alcohol, then she explains, "Yeah, but it's really useful. Most aides of nobles and Lords are Blood Slaves because they're much more reliable and trustworthy than free men."

    Nour happily takes Raina's hook to interject, "Of course, there are loopholes to their contracts and these spells, but they're so roundabout and require so much effort that you need a slave who really hates their master for them to do that. It's easier for them to concentrate the effort in breaking the contract than for them to go around those limitations. Any contract can be broken by a slave that hates its master enough, by the way."

    "Which is why it's important to treat them well," Rania adds and glances at Liam, who nods subtly.

    So, leaving the moral question aside, I guess this is a really thoughtful gift from Nour. He put some thought into what I needed and delivered something that's really valuable.

    After allowing me a few moments to think things through, Nour gets to the final point, "I know that you got some good money from yesterday's rewards, so, with my discount, you can get yourself a pretty good fighter. You might even get lucky." -He shrugs- "Sometimes there are Blood Slaves with specific circumstances, and these sell for much cheaper than they would normally go for."

    Well, I got a trump card: my rose coin. It should be really valuable. Well, at least I hope it is.

    I nod in understanding and smile gently as I express, "Thank you, Nour, I really appreciate this. I think this will help me a lot."

    Nour gives me a wide smile, and even Rania seems pleased. He tells me where the slaver is, and I write it down on my rough map of the town.

    Nour loudly hits his palms against the table and announces, "Now, then. With this business done, I have a personal request for you." -His face turns serious- "How about you join us? A man with skills such as yours is a rarity."

    I smile bitterly. I knew that this was coming. I honestly would like to join them because they're good people, and even if I don't know what their goals are, I'd like to spend more time with them. But no, I can't. They already saw a lot of my skills, so I can't really show them more.

    "I'm sorry, but… I'd like to walk my own path," I politely answer and lower my head for a second.

    "Told you," Rania mumbles to Nour and they both smile bitterly.

    Nour shrugs, and his tone gains a hint of sadness as he replies, "Well, I had to try. It's a shame that we can't walk together, but I don't want this to be the end. I'm going back to my hometown for a short trip, but I'll come back here later and continue my adventuring. When I come back, I'd like to meet you again, if you wish."

    "Oh, yes. Please, let us meet again," I eagerly agree and give him a genuine smile.

    "I live in Hurfa, the capital of the Faium Principality. If we don't cross paths again, then come visit me. My family runs a magic tool shop, and we produce a lot of the Wind stones used in the country. My last name is Asaf, so you can search for my family with this. You... shouldn't have much problem finding the family shop there." He smiles awkwardly.

    I have no idea where Faium is, but I'll write it down later so that I don't forget to look for it on a map. Also, his last name sounds Arabic, but he's as Caucasian as they come.

    I nod and affirm, "Understood. If we don't meet here again, then I'll search for you. I don't really have plans to leave this place for quite some time, though."

    He taps the table loudly and gets up. "Then it's decided! I look forward to meeting you again. For now, we have to prepare for our trip, so we must take our leave. See you again sometime, Mr. Ryder." Then he gives me a quick bow.

    I immediately get up and return the bow. I have no idea if this is the custom here, but it seems to please them, so whatever.

    Nour grins and gives me his blessing, "One last thing, Mr. Ryder. I wish you good luck in the future. You'll need it since you seem to be making waves already." Then he points towards the small crowd near the hunt reports.

    I wish I wasn't, Nour, I wish I wasn't.

    Rania and Liam also bow and say their goodbyes, then I'm just left with a few curious gazes, a letter, and a head full of thoughts.



    I leave the guild and take a stroll along the streets looking for books while thinking about what they told me. A companion would certainly be helpful. If I had someone to watch my back, then there'd be no need to fear the Orc Headhunter crushing my head. If I had someone like Nour to help me, then for sure I'd feel much safer, and it's not because of his skill, but because of his actions. I might be considered the one who saved them, but the moment that Nour threw himself at the orc's arm was when he saved me.

    And it's not like Blood Slaves are completely miserable people. They seem to have their own rights, the ability to escape abuse, and they need to be treated well. Take Liam, for example, he seems pretty proud and content with his job, and he seems no different than a knight or a retainer with the task of protecting his lord. If I just hire someone for a few years, then it might be the same as hiring a bodyguard, or something like that.

    The concept of depriving someone of their freedom might put people off, but I'm a bitter realist. Blood Slaves are merely mercenaries that come with a magical contract. Hell, even the gods are monitoring us so that they're not abused.

    Oh!

    I found a small book telling the Tale of Creation. It even has a lot of cute drawings in it.

    It's just two silver, I'm buying it!

    Now that I think about it, I should ask Ciel about what the gods think of slavery. It seems odd to me they are getting involved with Blood Slaves, but if the gods themselves say it's okay, then who am I to go against them?

    But this also means that society won't really progress. This world might be safer by having the gods watching over the people, but it's like an overprotective mother. The people won't suffer, but they won't learn.

    Adding that to the skill system, and I think that the social progress here might be slow. I want to take a look at the chronology of this world, and I bet that it'd show how slow this world develops in comparison to Earth. This world's "Cycle" is called a "Playground," after all. If things change too much and too fast, the genre of the game changes to sci-fi while you're not looking.

    I think the best thing about Blood Slaves is that I can prohibit them from talking about me. This way, I don't have to worry too much about my abilities showing. I could even tell the truth that I'm not from this worl-…

    What the hell?

    I see a man flying around on a literal carpet, darting up and down the street repeatedly while making quick turns and barrel rolls.

    What's the matter Aladdin, looking for Jasmine?

    Once the passersby start to stop to stare at him, the man lowers the carpet close to the ground and stands up.

    "Good day, gentlemen and gentlewomen!" He exclaims in a loud voice that has the characteristic buzzing of someone talking on a microphone. He waits a moment to make sure that everyone is looking at him, then he continues, "I have shown you all just a small glimpse of the newest magic tool developed! The true [Fly] crystal! This gem is incomparable to that common fake jewel that only allowed you to slowly float around. Now you can fly as gracefully as a bird, turn so fast a dragon would be envious, and make tricks that could impress even the Emperor! This gem is the bleeding edge of technology. Even the imperial army is buying it in droves to construct a new generation of the dream of every adventurer: the airships!"

    Ooooh, airships, my nerd heart is pounding.

    "Come to the Quizzical Emporium at the Bazaar for the latest [Fly] gems. We have magic tools so big you can build airships that can hold as many as eight people! I hope to see you there, honorable citizens!" And he darts away, this time for good.

    The street starts buzzing with people excitedly talking, and I even feel like clapping my hands. I add this flying gem to my notes as research options. Airships and the [Golemancy] skill are the two things that I'm most eager to research.

    Wait what was I thinking about?

    Uh… oh yeah, I think that I could even tell the truth about my origin to the Blood Slave. It's risky, but if I make a contract of at least twenty years, it might be enough to get the trust or goodwill for them to keep quiet about it. At that time, I might even find a way to deal with it if the word gets out, and if I acquire enough power, I might be able to squash the rumors, too.

    But do I have to tell the truth…? It's not like a slave needs to know everything about their master, they're just there to serve. I also can't just tell them that I came from another world and leave it at that. If I tell them the truth, then I'll need to tell a lot more than just that to answer their doubts. It's not a kind of conversation that I'm looking forward to.

    Regardless, I see little reason to not buy one.

    I don't really have an idea of the price a good slave might go for, so I should go look for the value of the rose coin.

    The banker is near the Nobles' Quarters, so I need to go across the town. I'll first go to the temple, eat something nearby, talk to Ciel about the gods and slavery, and then go to the banker to see the value of the rose coin.

    I think I might visit the slave trader tomorrow morning. It's near the castle in the north, so it's another long trip there. It's a bit tiring walking everywhere, so maybe I should look for the price of that magic carpet. I also don't feel like paying for a Space mage transport; I always hated taxis.



    I look for a better restaurant this time, and I find one serving Great Boar meat. They aren't commonly found here, but a hunter expedition deep into the Sea of Trees found a pack there, so some restaurants have a lot of Boar meat to offer for the next few days.

    The beans are good, but I miss rice, too. I'm a Brazilian who immigrated to Canada, and I miss the staple food of my homeland once in a while: rice, beans, and Brazilian-style barbecued meat.

    I waste some of my time in a tea shop. They serve something similar to black tea with an unidentified citric fruit. Is this Earl Grey? It tastes similar, but it's closer to the average orange than the bergamot. They serve a few simple butter cookies that go really well with it.

    Then I go to the temple and search for Ciel. I take a walk around the outer ring looking for her while also taking a closer look at the statues, but she's not down here. I ask a standby priest and he tells me that she's at the orphanage. Luckily, today isn't her free day.

    The orphanage looks exactly the same as the priests' living quarters, with the only difference being that instead of priests, there are children entering and leaving all the time.

    The orphanage is a large, box-shaped white building with a brown tiled roof, which looks a little expensive for a religious institution. It has flowery carvings covering all of its walls, and the channels are filled with a gradient of colors. The orphanage and the quarters seem to be the only buildings where some decoration is allowed. It's quite pretty and makes me feel like I'm looking at one of these "trendy" and "artsy" places back on Earth.

    There's only a brown picket fence surrounding the orphanage and the priests' quarters, but is it really okay for me to enter uninvited?

    The orphanage is in the middle of the plot, covering most of the available land. At the front, there's a simple grass garden with a cobbled path towards the entrance, but I can see some sort of small flower garden behind the building. On this grass garden, there's a metal swing, a merry-go-round, and a raised goal where the children are playing some sort of game of hot potato with a small leather ball.

    I gather some courage and enter the area. A few boys look interested in my sword while the rest ignore me. Then I quickly enter the building and look around. The inside is made of gray square stone while the floor is made of light brown wood with the only decoration being some wooden pillars around.

    Just as I finish observing my surroundings, an old male priest walks by.

    "Oh, hello, can I help you?" The chubby priest asks as his small eyes look at me warmly. His voice is so gentle that it tickles my ears.

    "I'm… looking for Miss Ciel," I reply, a little mesmerized by him.

    His expression brightens and he smiles. "Oh! The sister is in the kitchen. I'll call her over for you. What's your name?"

    "Wolf Ryder. Uh, if she's busy, I'll just come another time; it's not an urgent business."

    He shakes his head gently. "She's not really busy, so don't worry. Wait here in the guest room while I call her over."

    Then he takes me to a really cozy room. There are a few simple sofas around a low coffee (do they even have coffee here?) table; a small fireplace that crackles with burning logs, yet I smell no smoke; and a "Last Supper"-style painting of the multiple Humanoid Gods hanging above it. I like this painting more than Earth's because it's full of different, colorful races and people, and has both genders instead of just boring, bearded men.

    After a few minutes, Ciel comes into the room carrying a tray with a tea set and cookies.

    Oh, no, I just drank tea, but I don't want to deny her hospitality, so I'll just pretend I'm not full.

    "Good afternoon, Mr. Ryder. I was wondering when you'd come back," she greets as she sits, then immediately pours tea for me.

    "I spent the last few days training in a dungeon, and I only came back last night," I respond with a gentle tone.

    She nods and smiles warmly. "I'm glad you're okay. Every day-cycle, we have news of someone disappearing inside a dungeon, so please, be careful."

    I smile awkwardly. "My motto is 'don't die,' so I have no plans of dying soon."

    She chuckles softly and lays back on her seat, then sips her tea. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

    I swallow heavily. There are a few things I want to ask, but I'm sure she'll be thinking I'm a weirdo after I tell her.

    Fuck it. Curiosity wins.

    I clear my throat and start, "There are a few things I want to understand better. The first thing is, what's a day-cycle?"

    She exhales loudly in amusement and raises her eyebrows in surprise as she replies, "Well, a day-cycle is a period of ten days and a half-cycle is five days. Every day-cycle you are advised to deeply bathe once, to pray once, and to make merry at least once; every half-cycle you're advised to make love to your partner at least once and to change the ingredients of the meals, and that's also the time between the monster cullings that the Townsguard is responsible for."

    "How about months and years? How many days a month has and how many months a year has?"

    "A month has thirty days and a year has ten months, so a year has three hundred days."

    So, a day-cycle is equivalent to an Earth's week. Perhaps ten days is chosen because of the ten "base elements" in the Tale of Creation. I don't know why thirty and three hundred are chosen, though. Maybe it was made this way just so it's somewhat similar to Earth. I don't think the Japanese believe there's anything special about the numbers three or ten.

    I look at Ciel and see that she seems both amused and confused by these questions.

    I nod in thought and reply, "Hmm, I see. In my homeland, we say weeks instead of day-cycle and it was seven days, not ten."

    She knits her eyebrows and holds back a chuckle. "How curious…" She mutters.

    I quickly change the topic to not let her think too much about it. "Anyway, I also heard about Blood Slaves, and I got curious about why the Gods would get involved with this matter."

    Her face softens as she starts thinking more seriously. "An interesting thought…" She spends a moment thinking, then assumes a teaching tone as she answers, "The Humanoid Gods are chosen to be our guides. They keep us on the correct path so we don't make a mistake so terrible that we destroy ourselves. We need to keep united and strong so we can always put a front against the Monster King. Therefore, it's their reason for existence to get involved with every aspect of our lives."

    I'm not sure how safe it is to push these sorts of questions to a priest of all people, but I need to get a "feeling" about how slavery is treated in this world. "But why do the Gods accept slavery?"

    She raises her eyebrows in surprise for a moment and asks back, "What do you mean by that? Why wouldn't they accept it?"

    I awkwardly scratch my head as I rethink this question.

    It's better to be direct.

    I breathe in and start my speech, "Isn't it cruel to chain innocent people into servitude regardless of the reason? Isn't it too much to have absolute control over someone's life? To be able to toy with their bodies, to force them to do anything and everything you want against their wishes? Even if it's not immediately harmful, why should anyone have this much power over others?"

    She leans forward and her face becomes serious as she asks, "Do you believe people should be able to sell their bodies?"

    I'm taken aback a little. "You mean… like… prostitution?"

    She shakes her head. "No, not just that. A bodyguard is someone who sells their sword and their health to protect someone or something important. A craftsman is someone who sells their hands to their employer. A slave is someone who sells their time and loyalty to their master."

    "But… are all slaves voluntary?"

    She nods, and her face softens. "Most are. Debt slaves, criminal slaves, and war slaves are involuntary, but they make for bad workers and they lack loyalty, so they aren't as popular."

    Wait… it's like this world's slavery is the inverse of Earth's chattel slavery.

    I blink blankly and immediately ask, "Why wouldn't they be popular? It's free labor."

    She knits her eyebrows in worry as she responds, "They're being forced to work in something they don't like and to a master they hate, of course they'd be horrible workers. Because of this, the masters have to spend more making these slaves happy than voluntary slaves."

    Make them… "happy"…?

    I awkwardly retort, a bit uncomfortable with what I'm suggesting, "Can't they 'motivate' the slaves to work harder with lashings? By that I mean, can't they punish the slaves if they don't work hard enough?"

    She frowns and her tone becomes slightly indignant, making me think that I might be pushing too far. "I sincerely hope you aren't thinking that slaves should be treated like that, Mr. Ryder. We aren't in Bestiaram; committing the Sin of Torture is punishable with death."

    I force an apologetic smile and quickly deny, "N-no, no. I was just asking to satisfy my curiosity. It's hard to truly understand things without asking questions from all angles."

    She opens her eyes wide in surprise and looks away as she coughs awkwardly. "I-I see. It's always good to be curious…" -She turns to me and lowers her head for a moment- "I apologize for doubting you. I didn't realize what you were doing, and it's bad form to assume the worst of someone during a discussion."

    I wave my hand. "It's fine, it's fine. I should've been careful with my wording." And we share an embarrassed smile.

    Her tone becomes more casual and amused. "Are you sure you shouldn't call yourself a scholar? I remember going through these same arguments when being taught about philosophy and morals."

    I blush faintly. I only have a surface-level understanding of philosophy, but it might be above the average for the commoner in this world.

    I shake my head and deny, "I'm not a scholar, I'm just a curious person."

    She smiles warmly and takes another sip. "Then continue as so. The Gods like people like you."

    I nod and bring us back on track, "So, why would anyone sell themselves voluntarily?"

    "To have a better life; to serve a better purpose; to aid a better person. The reasons are endless."

    I frown. "A 'better person'? What do you mean by that?"

    She assumes a teaching tone again as she explains, "We aren't all born as equals, but we all have a capacity to grow. Some people grow faster and further than others, so it's your duty to find these people and aid them. Those who can protect others, lord over those who can't, and the weak aid the strong, so that the strong can protect the weak."

    Okay, I like the last part, but…

    "Why is it our 'duty' to aid others?"

    She smiles smugly like a teacher about to lay unto their students a long lesson. "We are all children of the God of Creation. Regardless of where you're born and what you believe, our mission is to survive and keep the Cycle going. That is our main purpose, our reason for existence, but we're still subordinates of the God of Creation, so our second purpose is to create as many new and interesting things as possible. Lastly, we've also inherited the will of the God of Change, so our third purpose is to keep civilization moving forward and progressing.

    "Do you understand it now?" She kindly asks with expectant eyes.

    I nod confidently. "It's the will of the God of Change. If you can't aid others yourself, then at least aid someone who can."

    She smiles brightly like a mother who's proud of her son's school grade, making me blush again. "Perfectly stated."

    I cough and recompose myself, then I continue, "But what if we want to abolish slavery and institute a democracy?"

    She chuckles once, amused at my suggestion. "The strong serving the weak? That wouldn't work very well. The Gods won't stop you from trying, but you'll have to face the consequences if you fail."

    "'Consequences'?"

    She nods sternly. "The nobility exists to protect us, but if they fail, they have no reason to exist anymore, so they're deposed, if not outright killed as punishment. The same will happen to anyone trying to bring about change."

    Oof, that's harsh…

    She seems amused with my surprise and continues, "Remember that, just like the God of Creation is a subordinate of the God of Change, we are subordinates of the God of Creation, and the slaves are subordinates to us. To abolish slavery would be meaningless since we'll always be compelled to serve our betters due to our reasons for our existence. You can run and hide from that reason, but the gods will find a way to guide you back to the path or simply kill you. 'Slavery' is just a system to aid us in fulfilling that purpose."

    "What do you mean by 'kill you'?" I ask with a worried frown.

    Her tone becomes so gentle and certain that I feel a chill due to the contents of her explanation, "Exactly that. The Genderless God of Existence is a subordinate from the God of Creation that watches over us and kills those who stand in the way of our reason for existence."

    "What do you mean by 'stand in the way'?"

    And her tone becomes serious again. "Those who only want to spread chaos, those who cause the realm to wither, the Sinners who go too far, and the heretics that stand against the Gods. These are the kinds of people that are killed by the God of Existence."

    So, being smited by the Gods is a real possibility. I better not antagonize them… but wait…

    "If they can do that, why don't the Gods govern us like a king does?"

    She leans back on her chair, seemingly slightly amused by my question. "Because that goes against the main purpose of the God of Change: to keep things moving forward. If a God, who exists only for a single purpose, is given the power to govern us, then civilization will be forever bound to that God's mentality, impeding us from growing or evolving."

    "And that would be the wish of the God of Order? To have things stagnate and decay?" I question tentatively.

    She nods and smiles. "Indeed, but remember, the God of Order and Destruction are still Gods, so we can't ignore their wisdom."

    "Huh? What do you mean?"

    She chuckles softly at my confusion, then she assumes her teaching tone again and explains, "They may be trying to destroy us, but the principles they're based on are still very important to us. Just because our purpose is to create, it doesn't mean that we can't destroy. It's necessary to kill a monster or an animal before you can cook a delicious steak. Just because we are to cause change, doesn't mean it has to be in every single aspect of us. We're encouraged to kill bad kings, but a kingdom still needs peace to be allowed to grow and thrive. The Overseer created the Gods to maintain the balance on the realm so that the Cycle could continue, therefore, we must preserve this balance, too."

    Oh, I understand… they don't see the God of Order and Destruction as "evil," only as an "opponent."

    I grab my chin in thought and deliberate, "So it's all a hierarchy. No matter how we're pitted against one another, we're to keep the balance, not eliminate the other."

    She nods emphatically, very pleased. "Precisely. It goes from the Overseer, to the God of Change, to the God of Creation, to the Genderless God of Existence, to the Humanoid Gods, to the royalty, to the nobility, to the commoner, to the Blood Slave, to the normal slave, and finally, to the criminal slave.

    "The God of Order rules over the God of Destruction, who rules over the monsters. They're opposed to us, but that's just their nature, so we accept that their presence is necessary to force us to adapt and grow."

    Though there's a certain amount of freedom, the overall structure of this society is still controlled by the gods, and if I want to change it, I'd basically have to destroy half the gods in this world. Social progress must be truly stagnating because of this.

    "Going back a little, do the gods specify when they intervene?"

    She takes a sip and observes me intensely as she answers, "To prevent people from abusing the line if the criteria are known, we're never told exactly why someone received Godly punishment."

    This is a bit worrying, but I kind of understand the reasoning.

    "So, the only safe choice is to keep being as good as you can to avoid punishment?"

    She smiles warmly and hums, "Exactly."

    "But what does it mean to be a 'good person'?"

    She becomes quite happy and energetic, and I feel like her demeanor is quite cute. "Well, you basically follow the teachings of the Humanoid Gods. Don't waste food, don't hurt others against their will for pleasure, don't commit crimes like theft or extortion, help others whenever you can, things like that. It depends on the God, and there are many, many teachings, but you aren't required to follow them all perfectly. The Gods are reasonable and understanding, so you won't be punished just because you wasted a piece of food, but if you keep doing it, then the Gods will send messages and warnings, and if you still defy them, then you get punished."

    Alright, reasonable, but inflexible. Morality really is defined by the gods, but since they're chosen from the mortals, then, in a way, morality is actually defined by us. It just depends on the criteria of how the gods are chosen.

    "Are there any known criteria for the Humanoid Gods being chosen?"

    She shakes her head."That's not known to prevent it from being exploited, but we know that all Gods were once people who achieved something great."

    Eh, maybe it isn't so bad.

    I massage my neck to dispel some of the tension that has accumulated. Talking about religion to a priest where you don't know what their reaction to questioning will be is a little frightening.

    I finish my tea and start to wrap things up, "Well, I think that's enough about slavery for me today, but I have one last question: I want to choose a god to worship, so can you tell me a quick resume of the Humanoid Gods?"

    She suddenly brightens up and giggles. "That's a good idea! Most people choose around three that might help their lives the most, but if you have the time to study what they represent you could choose more.

    "Anyway, their names are quite self-explanatory, they are: Genderless God of Existence; God of the Sun and Sister Goddess of the Moons; Goddess of Fertility; Goddess of Piety; Goddess of Will; Goddess of Love; Goddess of Growth; God of War; God of Law; God of Festivity; God of Endurance; God of Luck; Goddess of Knowledge and Brother God of Intelligence; Goddess of the Plants and Twin Brother God of the Animals."

    "Moons" as in, there's more than one moon? I've realized I haven't seen the night sky yet. I had no reason to since I immediately went to sleep after getting dark, but now I have to remember to check the sky tonight, otherwise, my curiosity will kill me.

    "What does the Goddess of the Moons and the God of the Sun do?"

    "They were the first Gods, so their teachings are broader and more general because of that. These days, their focus is bringing happiness for those who work below the sun or the moons, but they aren't worshiped as much as they were before, though they're still the ones who talk the most to their worshipers."

    So, I guess I should choose one of them if I wanted to talk to a God.

    I hum in thought, then I lower my head for a moment and express, "Thank you for your time, Miss Ciel, this is really enlightening. I'll think about choosing one for now."

    She giggles cutely and replies, "Thank you for choosing me to talk to. I enjoyed talking to you quite a lot because you made me remember the basis of my faith and stimulated my thoughts."

    I smile back and get up. "Then I'll be off. I'll see you another day."

    "I'll be waiting." She waves goodbye, and I leave.

    As I make my way out, I see that the old priest I talked to when I first came here is in the room beside ours, casually reading a book. Perhaps he was eavesdropping? Well, it doesn't matter much to me.

    Now, I have to go to a bank and look at the conversion rate for the rose coin. The bankers are all over the noble quarters as a safety measure, and since it doesn't matter which one I go, I'm just going to choose the closest one.



    The walk there is quite long, but it allows me to observe the carnival that the adventurers wear gradually turning into the more delicate clothes of the wealthy, who at least have a better sense of style than them. It seems that cloaks, sleeveless velvet jackets, and thin cotton pants and shirts are in fashion right now, while their wealth is shown through lavish decorations on the side of the arms, flanks, and legs.

    I think about passing by the university's library, but after taking a look at my clothes, I realize that it might be a very uncomfortable experience. From what I understood, the university is either for the gifted, the wealthy, or the noble. I don't have any of these three to show, so I need at least a better set of clothing before I even try to go there.

    This thought gets reinforced when I enter the bank. This is a fancy, fancy place. I see spiral pillars with details in gold and purple, black floor tiles with a perfect shine, couches that make my ass tingle just from looking, uniforms that make the employees look as fashionable as nobles, and a large line of decorated booths where attendants wait with a perfect smile.

    I don't belong here. I need to finish my business as quickly as possible and then leave.

    I find the nearest attendant and shyly ask for the conversion rates of the coins. I feel that he looks at me coldly, but responds in a perfect tone without any hint of rudeness, then he points me towards familiar black boards hanging on a wall. They're just like the ones at the hunters' guild.

    These boards hold conversion rates for a variety of coins, and while most are for foreign coins, the board in the middle with the decorated borders is the one for the local coins. They explain the materials that the coins are made from, and the conversion rate between each of them.

    All coins are made with alloys, and their value depends on the alloy composition and weight. Governments might change their alloy and weight as economic measures, so it's important to always know the precise make-up of each coin. For example, they could reduce weight to save costs, introduce cheaper metals to dilute the alloy, or completely change the alloy when new mines are found or old ones are exhausted.

    To my extreme happiness, rose coins are very valuable.

    The normal exchange rate that the empire aims to maintain is that copper, silver, gold, and rose coins have a 1:100 exchange rate. This means that 1 silver equals 100 copper, 1 gold equals 100 silver, and so on. I guess this is to prevent high-value transactions from becoming cumbersome since coins can get quite heavy.

    The attendant explains that a few months ago, a mine that holds a massive amount of platinum was discovered, which is the metal used for the rose coin. This coin is just an alloy of gold and copper for color-coding the coin, giving it its rosy color, while a small amount of platinum is added to give it value because it's too small to make it into a coin by itself.

    This rose coin is also never used without someone who has the [Metal Appraisal] skill because that's the only reliable way to see the percentage of metal in an alloy, and if you're dealing with rose coins, then you have enough gold to hire an appraiser for the transaction.

    The current version of the rose coin is worth seventy gold, but the empire will soon mint a new coin with a higher platinum content to adjust the price. The attendant says the value is going to drop one or two more gold before it stabilizes, but my rose coin won't be as valuable as the new one once it's out, so there's little reason for me to hold it.

    I tell the attendant that I want to exchange my coin, and he looks at me visibly shocked for a moment. I just hope I don't get accused of stealing from somebody, but considering the price of some of the adventuring equipment, I wouldn't be surprised if an adventurer eventually finds something worth a rose coin or two.

    The attendant points me to the end of the line of booths where a few attendants deal with money exchange. There's no queue, so I go there, present my coin, and get the gold counted in front of me, then I take it and leave immediately.

    Once I get out, I start to relax a little. The lavish atmosphere was making me uncomfortable.

    There are still a few hours until dusk, so I kill some time by browsing through books. I buy three about random hero tales and one about romance. I'm not the romance type, but I feel interested in knowing what love is in this world. I also find a very fluffy pillow, which I'm going to use to sleep from now on.

    Then I decide to buy a middle-range set of clothes and a cloak. It's a dark-blue woolen shirt with golden lines running along the sides of the arms, black pants following the same design, black leather shoes, and a fashionable dark-blue velvet cloak. The cloak is a bit stylish. It has a bracelet that fastens its bottom to my wrist, so it reaches my waist, then turns to the side, covering only one arm. I've seen a few people using it, so I don't think it's too out of the norm, even if it looks weird to me.

    After that, I find a stall selling Dragolite meat on a stick. It tastes like chicken, but there's a strong lingering taste of something that reminds me of a herb. I don't know if it's the seasoning or if that's just its usual taste.

    Back at the inn, Selina seems cheerful as usual, but the innkeeper seems to be observing me.

    Shit, I'm not trying to steal your daughter.

    He doesn't seem to be cold to me, though.

    Then I relax and go to sleep feeling very content in my choice of pillow.



    I have a short nightmare with the Gargling Goblin that wakes me up in the middle of the night, making me feel rather frustrated. After that, I dream of killing goblins, but it isn't another nightmare, it's just a memory of the adrenaline rush of a fight.



    Today, breakfast has a salad with a dash of vinegar that tastes like apple, and this makes me want to look at the Farmer's Market for some fruit or something to make juice. If I buy some, I can just ask the inn's cooks to prepare it for me.

    After filling my stomach, I put on my new, more fashionable clothes and start walking towards the castle.

    Today, I see a few pamphlets advertising the Quizzical Emporium. They have a pretty detailed hand-drawn airship on them. They're going all out on the advertising.

    The airship design is that of a horizontal egg, and the top half of the egg is smaller, which creates a deck for people to walk on. At its back, I see what looks like a dozen propellers, so does this mean that this world has a concept of aerodynamics?

    I move on and look ahead. After a few minutes of walking down the main road, the castle starts to peek over the roofs of the houses, and I gradually see it in its full glory for the first time. It's made of blue-gray bricks and looks more like a super thick square tower than the usual medieval castle. It starts massively thick and gets smaller the higher it goes, towering twice as tall as every other building and tower in this town, then it ends with a huge flag hung from a pole.

    Even at this distance, it's possible to discern the details on the flag. It's the same as the heraldry on the tabard of the guards: a black background with a simple white kite in the middle, which has a golden sword and a red rose crossed over it.

    It takes a while until I can see the castle entirely since the streets are pretty crowded with crooked multi-story buildings. It only clears once I get on the main brick road that goes to the castle.

    The stores around here are of high quality and with a lot of variety. Restaurants, tea shops, bakeries, bookstores, magic shops, magic crafters, smiths, magical smiths, potion sellers, high-class inns, taverns that remind me of modern rustic restaurants, furniture shops, real estate, and the closer you get to the castle, the more perfume shops appear.

    I don't resist and buy the cheapest men's perfume I can find. Forty silver coins. It's damn expensive, but I need something to mask the smell of leather if I'm to enter a high-class establishment.

    Then I finally find the slave trader. It's a large white and black building with the words "Golden Necklace" written in gold on a sign above the entrance.

    I stare at the sign for a moment to gather my courage, then I get inside and immediately wish I had bought even better clothes.

    The slave trader is as lavish as the bank. It has an incredibly glossy dark floor and golden seams connecting the tiles, while the walls are adorned with dozens of crystal statues of naked humanoids. The building is large, but the lobby is small as the walls are covered with doors to other rooms.

    An old man wearing clothes that are strikingly similar to a suit and tie comes to me. "Welcome, Grand Sir. How may I help you?" He politely inquires as he bows in a right angle.

    I still have no idea how formal greetings are done around here, so I just stiffly respond, "Good day. I have a letter of recommendation here."

    I extend the letter to him, and he delicately takes it. He looks it over but doesn't open it, then he turns to me and gently asks, "Could you follow me? I'll take you to a private room and then take the letter to the Head so he can verify its contents."

    "Understood," I accept with a nod.

    He opens one of the nearby doors and leads me inside. The room is rather wide, but there are only two lavish couches around a glass table in the middle of it, making the room rather bare. There are no windows as the illumination is magical, coming from shining jewels embedded in the ceiling, and I see a small vent at one of its corners.

    Seems like they even have ventilation technology here.

    The old man motions me to one of the sofas and then leaves.

    I awkwardly sit there and wait. After a minute, another door opens on the other side of the room, and a middle-aged man comes out. His face is so manly and gentle that it makes me oddly uncomfortable. He's wearing a lavish, purple silk robe, and a jeweled ring on each of his fingers.

    The old butler comes after him, carrying a tray with a tea set and cookies, which makes me a bit excited.

    Are those chocolate cookies?!

    The man sits on the sofa in front of me and does a quick bow. "Welcome to the Golden Necklace. Your name is Mr. Ryder, as the letter says, correct?" He calmly asks, his voice is surprisingly deep and stimulating.

    "Correct," I answer with a nod.

    He shows me a handsome smile and continues, "My name is Ghulam Bhatt, and I'm the Head of this establishment. I'm surprised at the contents of the letter given to me. You've made a powerful ally, Mr. Ryder."

    He actually makes me blush, for some reason. This man has a perfect tone, the perfect face, and even the perfect body language. If I were a woman, I'd easily fall in love with him.

    "H-hello, Mr. Bhatt. I just did what I thought was right," I awkwardly reply.

    He nods slowly. "And a reward was given… Now, the letter says you're looking for an adventuring companion, is that right?"

    I swallow heavily and steel my nerves. "Yes, I have no real requirements. I only want someone who can help me fight, so show me your best."

    "Any preference on gender?"

    That's a dangerous question.

    "No…"

    He simply nods again. "Then excuse me as I have to leave to collect the best and bring them here. We'll start with the women." And I suddenly feel a bit uncomfortable.

    I nod and he leaves then comes back again in a few minutes with five women following behind him. They're all wearing a loose-fitting and small white silk dress that keeps their legs bare, showing up to half the thighs. It's also open at the sides, and two of the women are so well endowed that the breasts spill through the openings, and the cloth is so thin that I can even see the form of their nipples. This is way too dangerous and stimulating.

    What am I doing here…?

    When I see the last woman enter, I freeze completely.

    No, no… this is too much.

    A slender body that shows a hint of muscle, a light brown skin, slightly wavy black hair that goes a bit below the shoulder, and a small feminine face.

    That's Lily…

    No, it's not! It looks like her but it's not!

    I want to jump and hug her then kiss and make love to her.

    I miss Lily so much…

    I want to go home.

    The seller follows my gaze and turns to me. "That one is a mage with knowledge of Blessing and [Dark Magic], and an inkling of knowledge in the rare [Summoning Magic]. If you wish to study exotic magic, she's the one you need. She was also trained in simple [Potion Brewing]. She's not a front-line fighter, but she'll be a perfect support for you. Even in bed."

    A shiver runs along my spine.

    "Please remove her," I request with a flat tone, holding back my emotions.

    The seller gets taken aback, but he nods to the old man, who guides her away.

    "Was she not satisfactory?" Ghulam tactfully asks.

    I clench my fist and lock up again the emotions that are about to burst out. "It's not that… she just reminds me too much of someone."

    "I see…" He whispers in a soothing tone, then he continues introducing each woman.

    The first is a raven-type demon race woman. She's tall and well-endowed. Her skin is a beautiful pure black, her charming straight white hair falls on her shoulders like drapes, and her bright red eyes stare with interest. She can materialize a huge blade that comes out of the back of her hand, and she can even fly by summoning bird wings. She specializes in spear fighting and knows [Wind Magic] to support her flight. She allows being used as a sex slave.

    Oof, that last part is scary. I'm just going to ignore her for now.

    The second is a dwarf woman, but she looks like a short teenager. She has brown hair styled in a bowl cut, and a round, funny nose that makes her look rather adorable. She uses the traditional dwarven shield and hammer combo, and she has a racial skill that converts mana into "Strength," but without it, there's no way those thin arms of her would be able to lift a tower shield. She has a few levels in [Earth Magic] for utility and [Light Magic] for healing, so she's rather self-sufficient and lasts long in a fight.

    The third is a human woman. She's well-endowed, and her face looks mean but sexy at the same time, enhanced by her short boyish blonde hair. She's tall, strong, and can hold her own against a knight. She used to be an adventurer, and her body shows plenty of scars as evidence of her experience.

    The fourth is a human girl. She's average-looking but has pretty brown hair. She excels in Water, Fire, and [Wind Magic], but only that, so she's basically a glass cannon. I'm slightly interested in her since she has such a large magic repertoire.

    Then the women go away, and he brings three men.

    The first is a large dragonkin. A tall and rather ugly man with short brown hair. He has dragon wings that he can use to fly for a short amount of time, and small patches of sharp scales protruding from the side of his arms and legs. These scales can act as armor or even be used as weapons since the edges are sharpened. His specialty is that he can breathe a sand storm and blind his opponents, and he's also experienced with all sorts of melee weapons. Truly the greatest warrior of this establishment.

    The second is a dwarf man. He looks the same age as me despite his real age being double of mine. His skills are similar to the dwarf woman, but he can't use [Light Magic]. He may lack the healing magic, but he has his experience as an adventurer to his advantage.

    The third and final is a bald human man with a boring face. He specializes in [Blessing Magic] and [Light Magic], knows a little bit of [Wind Magic], and has some training in sword and shield. He allows being used as a sex slave, even for other men.

    Oh, boy…

    I blink repeatedly to clear my mind from the weird thoughts.

    All of their contracts are for either one or two decades, which is perfectly acceptable to me.

    So, who is the best: the girl mage, or the dragonkin? The dwarf woman is also attractive because of the healing magic. With the amount of money I have, I can buy more than one, but can I really take care of more than one person for now?

    I think hard and thoroughly, but I don't think that I should make a decision right now.

    Seeing my indecisiveness, Ghulam suddenly suggests, "Mr. Ryder, would you be willing to wait two days before you make a decision? I have a new shipment coming, and there are two great jewels there, even better than the ones here."

    This takes me by surprise. Who could be better than the dragonkin and the genius magician?

    "What about these ones, aren't they going to sell in the meantime?" I inquire.

    He gracefully shakes his head and responds, "I can hold them until the shipment arrives, and you have priority because of your recommendation. Also, the ones I've shown to you are my jewels, and slaves of this quality normally take a few months to sell. It's unlikely anyone capable of buying them is going to come so soon."

    I see no reason not to wait, and I was already going to relax for a few days, anyway.

    "Alright, I'll wait," I accept.

    I want to come back and eat these cookies again. The brown one isn't made of chocolate, but it's still a delicious mix of vanilla with a fragrant fruit that goes perfectly with the tea, which seems to be a mix of ginger and cloves, and it tastes really good.



    I leave the Golden Necklace and waste time until noon by window shopping on the main street, then I change back to my normal clothes and go to the hunters' guild for training.

    "So, you're still alive?" Toga sternly questions me, mildly surprised.

    Not even a greeting, just a mean gaze and straight words.

    "Uh, were you expecting the contrary?" I ask worriedly.

    He snorts, looking a bit peeved, then nods and answers, "You didn't come back for more training. That usually means you recklessly delved into a dungeon and got yourself killed."

    I chuckle self-deprecatingly. "Wow, that's not far from the truth, but I played it safe and went to Royd's Kerfuffle."

    He purses his lips reprovingly. "Even that was dangerous. Did you hear an Orc Headhunter was found at the sixth level? That could've been you."

    So, this means you care about me, Toga? Awn, I'm touched.

    I smile wryly and confess, "Well… t-that was me. I fought the Orc Headhunter with three other people."

    Toga doesn't even twitch, he just stares at me, judging my words, then he looks at one of the guys at the bench, the same one that healed me after the last beating I got.

    "Harper! Who was the guy that killed the Orc Headhunter?!" He yells.

    "I think it was some Wolf Ryder!" The healer yells back.

    Toga slowly turns his head towards me in a perfectly creepy movement, then he stares at me even harder, as if his eyes could pierce my soul, and I see a small smile forming on his mouth.

    "So, Mr. Slayer, are you here for more training?" He sternly asks, his voice sounding even more threatening than before.

    I avoid his gaze and tense up. "Y-yes… I would like to spar again," I meekly answer.

    He immediately throws a wooden sword at me. "Pull up your guard!"

    And then he beats me again, even harder this time.

    The other students and teachers start cheering me, encouraging me to not give up, crying in joy every time I manage to block, and flinching with every blow I receive. I think some are even betting, but I can't pay any more attention to them because my life and dignity are on the line.

    This time, Toga doesn't just beat me, he turns it into a marathon of a beating. He wears me down until I'm about to break, then he lets me rest for a precise amount of time, only to wear me down to my limit once again. He makes me last the whole afternoon and only ends it when I can barely stand anymore. The beating is so bad that I even get bloodied.

    Then he suddenly stops and lowers his sword. "That's enough. Today was a productive day, and I'm pleased with the results," he calmly states, and I swear his voice is tinged with sadism.

    More like pleased in seeing me suffer.

    "Thank you… for the session." Those are all the words I can say until I'm fully healed, and it takes two instructors to heal me back to full HP.



    I got back to the inn, and Selina cheerfully greets me.

    "Welcome back, Mr. Ryder, did you fight something fearsome again today?" She asks with a slightly teasing tone.

    "Just a bloodthirsty instructor," I answer with a wry smile.

    She raises her eyebrows in surprise, then immediately exclaims, "Ah! I-I'm sorry…" And covers her mouth with her hand as she giggles.

    I shake my head tiredly. "Don't be, it's training… it's a life I chose."

    "Thank you for your effort." She bows and sends me a wink, then walks away while smiling.

    When I get back to my bed, I take a look at my stats. My "Endurance" and "Willpower" increased by 1 (now 9 and 13), and [Block], [Parry], and [Dodge] increased by 3 (now 2+4, 0+4, and 2+4), which is rather impressive. Though I guess I just didn't have much of a chance to use my sword for attack during this beating.

    Then I remembered that there's a skill called [Shield Use], so why didn't I learn it, already? Is this an offensive skill like [Sword Use]? Do I need to attach a blade and kill something with it so it doesn't count as [Shield Bash]?

    Whatever. If it isn't increasing, then I'll just ignore it for now until I learn more about skills.

    This is my progress so far:




    Wolf Ryder Skill Report​

    Physical​
    Skill NameLevelSkill NameLevelSkill NameLevel
    Sword Use8+2Dodge2+4Parry0+4
    Block2+4Shield Bash0+1Sense Presence5+0

    Magical​
    Skill NameLevelSkill NameLevelSkill NameLevel
    Mana Efficiency4+0Mana Recovery4+0Reduced Mana Cost4+0
    Fire Magic1+0Electric Magic1+0Blessing Magic5+0
    Nature Magic5+0

    Miscellaneous​
    Skill NameLevelSkill NameLevel
    Andraste Language10+0Dismantling0+1

    Info​
    NameWolf RyderAge16RaceHuman
    HP100MP135Magic Power190
    Level10

    Stats​
    Strength8Endurance9Dexterity9
    Speed10Intelligence20Wisdom15
    Willpower13Charisma10Piety3
    Perception15Sanity9

    Other​
    Status Effects'NONE'
    Titles'NONE'
    Affiliations'NONE'
    Companions'NONE'
    Crimes'NONE'
    After that, I go to sleep, and I have a few confusing dreams about fighting, so I don't sleep very well.



    Today, my body is way too sore for training, and it hurts to even walk around.

    Since I don't have much to do, I wanted to talk to Selina, but she's way too busy this time. Our relationship is kind of awkward. It's not like we're close friends, and I can't call her anytime I want. Also, we only talk during mealtime, and I don't even know where she goes outside of that.

    Since I don't know what to do, I eat my breakfast and spend the morning in bed, dozing on and off until it's almost time for lunch, then I get the energy to walk around and search for some exotic food.

    I find a place with a super spicy Dragolite soup, and it has a hint of curry in it. The problem is, it's hotter than Satan's butthole, so it takes me some effort to eat it, but I do it. I'm not weak to spicy food, so I wonder what the hell was the cook thinking when he made this.

    Then I decide to go to the hunters' guild to train magic. People should already know I have Fire and [Electric Magic], so I'm just going to train my mana pool.

    I tell the manager that I'm going to train with [Fireball], and he gives me the ok, so I go to the furthest corner of the magic training area. Over here, people won't notice that I don't chant, and I can also stay far away from Toga's sadistic gaze.

    I observe the other mages as they cast [Fireball], and I notice that they can cast a very small one almost instantly. I think about putting points in [Mana Control] so I can change the size of the [Fireball] and mimic them, but I don't think it'd be necessary to go to this level of deceit.

    I put all my points into combat skills and start casting [Fireball] until my mana is exhausted. I can only cast it twelve times until my MP is gone, then I put all my points in [Mana Recovery] and meditate until I'm back to full. I try casting it thirteen times, but I nearly faint from the blackout, and due to embarrassment, I decide to not do it again.

    I feel tempted to put on [Blackout Resistance] to get used to the pain of casting spells with negative MP, but the adventurer tips book also said that this lowers one's lifespan since it uses the caster's souls to fuel the spells, so I think I might pass it.

    Training [Mana Overuse Resistance] might be more useful, though, since I only need to let my MP fall too low or use it up too fast to risk suffering from loss of senses, painful headaches, or sore muscles due to mana overuse. The tips book also advised that mages should exhaust their mana every day before going to sleep until they develop [Mana Overuse Resistance], but it doesn't seem like a lot of people follow this advice.

    If I keep practicing my magic like this every day, then maybe I could learn it in a year, but it'll take a lot of diligence.

    I quickly realize that this sort of training is really taxing mentally. A headache always flares when I start running low on mana, so it takes quite a lot of effort for me to concentrate on meditating, but I manage to keep a steady rhythm going until it's almost dusk, then I go back to the inn.

    I'm starving.

    It seems that using mana makes you more hungry than normal as I have to ask for a second serving of the already generous meal the inn gives.

    "What's gotten you so hungry?" Selina gently asks as she puts down the plate for me.

    "It seems training magic makes you super hungry," I quickly answer and dig in.

    She sits down and coos in wonder. "O~h? You can use magic, too? That's amazing. What spells can you cast?"

    I swallow hurriedly and reply, "Oh… it's nothing, just a small [Fireball] and support spells for myself, like [Regeneration] and [Wind Armor]."

    She giggles cutely. "'Nothing'? You're quite humble. A magician who knows the sword is such a romantic way of fighting."

    I stop eating and frown in confusion. "Uh… what do you mean by 'romantic'?"

    She cutely rests her chin on her hand and starts talking excitedly, "Most stories of heroes are about people like you: melee fighters with a trump card in magic. They live dangerous and exciting adventures that give them the wisdom to push their powers to the limit.

    "My favorite is about a mage whose entire strategy revolved around finding the chance to cast a single [Shocking Touch] on his enemy's most vulnerable spot. His way of fighting was all or nothing, and he bet it all on that spell when he fought a dragon. A huge, dangerous, and feared monster being brought down with a single, simple spell. He was so witty he convinced the dragon into getting close, even though it knew what the adventurer was capable of. I got chills when I read that book."

    Is this what a normal girl of this world thinks about or are you just special?

    "Indeed, it sounds like a poetic fight," I coolly reply and chuckle.

    Selina gives me a smile that melts my heart and continues telling her stories excitedly.

    But then I remember Lily…

    It's hard to admit this, but I believe I'll have to live in this world for a long, long time. My growth is slow, transmigration is something unknown to the natives, and I have absolutely zero idea about why I'm here. I don't even have a mentor figure to guide me and then get killed in the middle of the story to give me an impetus to fight.

    I'm stuck here, and if "God's" message wasn't a lie, then it's for the rest of my life.

    What happened on Earth? Did time stop? Are they looking for me? Are they even still alive?

    The way Selina looks at me is quite obvious. The signs are there.

    I know that Lily wouldn't wait for me, and I shouldn't wait, too. We aren't idealists who believe in the existence of "true love," we're bitter realists who just found happiness with each other.

    The subtle glances, the brief smiles, the slow inching closer, the dozens of excuses Selina finds to touch me. I can't ignore it.

    Lily and I wouldn't want the other to spend who knows how long waiting for me to return. We love each other to the point we'd want the other to find happiness, even if it isn't together. We're just that pragmatic.

    Selina makes me laugh and lightens my mood, but there's nothing she can do to fix the storm of emotions brewing within my heart.

    I can't just do this all by myself forever. I need someone to rely on… but I'm too scared to get close to anyone.

    Then I remember the raven-type woman and shiver.

    I'm so goddamn fucking lonely I think that's what keeps my "Sanity" so low.



    I drop on my bed with a sigh, then I curl up into a ball.

    It hasn't been even a month, and I'm already breaking down, but to be fair, in just a few days I've already gone through enough life and death situations to last an entire lifetime on Earth.

    I need to think only about myself, otherwise, I don't think I'll last long. I'm the only thing that matters right now! I should think only about my survival!

    I clench my fists in anger.

    This world will have no mercy for someone delicate like me, so I need to change, but I don't want to.

    Silent tears run along my cheeks, and I cry myself to sleep.

    Lily, I'm sorry…



    I have a nightmare of the Headhunter staring at me with his beady little eyes. It does nothing to me except stare like an ever-present threat.



    Today, I wake up with my body feeling better, but I'm still not good enough to be beaten into pulp again. My "Strength" didn't increase, too, so I think I should start a muscle training regimen. I can just do some quick exercises before bath like I did on Earth, but I need something to replace dumbbells.

    I look at my MP and see it increased by 30 (now 165). That's a nice amount. I can certainly cast [Fireball] one more time now. No "Magic Power" increase though, so I wonder what's needed for that.

    Breakfast is bean salad with not-corn crumbs and a leg of Rabid Rabbit. Honestly, the cuisine around here is not bad, but I just really miss rice.

    Now, what do I do today? I'm not really in the mood for exploring the town since my head is still heavy with the thoughts from last night.

    I feel like I've mentally cornered myself. I'm stuck in a dilemma caused by two conflicting parts of my beliefs. Any decision I make will end up hurting a part of me, so how should I even start to make this choice? It's easy to find the logical path to follow, but it's hard to actually go through with it.

    I try to pick up the romance book to read, but I can't concentrate, so I just absentmindedly turn around the pages without absorbing anything.



    After wasting my morning, I just pick a random stall and eat lunch on the street. I barely even pay attention to what I'm eating, I just know that it's bland.

    After that, I decide to hurt myself and go to the training ground to increase my MP again.

    This time, Toga doesn't stare so much at me. He seems satisfied with the amount of pain I'm giving to myself.

    Besides forgoing shame and losing my senses five times from blackout, nothing really happens, and I just robotically repeat my training sequence with [Fireball] followed by [Mana Recovery]-enhanced meditation. It gives me a bit of a headache from overuse, though.

    After dusk, I come back and absentmindedly eat my dinner. Selina isn't serving today, and I don't ask why.

    I go to sleep with my mood worse than when I woke up.



    I dream of the Gargling Goblin again. This time, I tell him to fuck off, but it doesn't help, and I wake up in the middle of the night sweating cold.



    Selina wakes me up, and I immediately look at my MP. It increased by 50 (now 215). It's quite a large amount, so I believe I did well on yesterday's training.

    Now, it's finally the day to buy a slave. I anxiously eat my breakfast, then I go to the Golden Necklace.

    I don't even know what I want from it anymore…

    The same butler-like old man greets me with a bow, "Welcome again, Grand Sir. Would you like to go to the meeting room immediately? I'll call the Head; the new shipment is ready for inspection."

    "Sure, please do," I whisper back, a bit aloof.

    The moment I enter the room, I remember the heavenly cookies and tea, and my sweet-tooth aching takes some of the edge off.

    The not-butler comes a few seconds later with a tray of cookies and tea, then leaves me alone to devour them, and I notice that there's double the amount than the other day.

    Did he notice I liked them?

    Then Ghulam comes in and does a quick bow. "Welcome again to the Golden Necklace, Mr. Ryder. I'm glad you waited. I'm sure that you'll be pleased with the new shipment, they're astounding."

    He sits and claps his hands, then the not-butler opens the door.

    Two women come in, two beautiful women. I suck in a breath and freeze.

    Astounding indeed.

    The first is a fox girl. She has light brown, almost orange hair styled in a cute bob cut, a diamond-shaped jaw, thin lips, a small nose, round, orange eyes, and pointy orange fox ears on top of her head. Such an incredibly cute face.

    When she walks, I see an orange fox tail dangling about, and it even has a white tip. It looks so soft I want to hug it.

    The second is an elven girl. She has silver straight hair that's so glossy it almost shines, an adorably short stature, skin as white as snow, an oval face, upturned blue eyes that look almost Asian, a small and pointy nose, small red lips, and the unmistakable long pointy ears of the elves protruding at a right angle from her head.

    That's honestly not what I thought he meant when he said the new slaves would be even better than the previous ones. I imagined a bigger monster than the dragonkin would appear or something like that. And judging my current state, I don't think I should be in this room with these two girls.

    Ghulam smiles at me with grace, making it hard to look away from him as he announces, "These are my two new prizes. The werefox is Alissa. She's an offering from an exclusive deal Rabanara has with the Misty Low Forest. They raise and train a slave every five years, then sell them to us. It took me a lot of luck, but I managed to acquire her.

    "She has been taught since she was a child that her destiny is to be a combat slave, and due to her beauty, she has also been trained on how to serve a man. She's the most skilled archer and hunter of her clan, and you won't find someone better than her outside of a Lord's retinue. Her 'Speed' and 'Dexterity' are very high, which gives her pinpoint accuracy and high lethality. Her olfact and hearing are extremely sharp, and she even has the rare [Sense Presence], making her the perfect scout. She was also trained in the traditional lifestyle magic, so she's ready to live even among the nobility.

    "The other one is called Silvane. She's the daughter of a fallen noble from the elven lands of Elaria, so she has no relation to the elves on this side of the continent. Her father, mother, and brother were executed as punishment for failing to fulfill their duties as nobles, so she hopes in finding a master who achieves heroic feats to regain her honor, and perhaps even her noble status. Like all nobility, she was trained in serving men and women, and how to care for and manage a house or a business.

    "Her skills are in [Light Magic], [Blessing Magic], [Wind Magic], [Nature Magic], [Earth Magic] and [Fire Magic]. She has an amazing mana pool since she was training to help her family in managing the dungeons in their territory. She's guaranteed to become an amazing magician in the future, if you train her right.

    Then his tone becomes deep and husky as he adds, calling forth feelings I'm not proud of having, "Both accept being sex slaves, and they're virgins. They also have contracts for life."

    Oh, boy.

    I need to leave this place. I'm not in the right mindset to make a rational decision right now. Only one of the women from before talked about being a "sex slave," so I tried to not think about this, but now, seeing these girls who are ready (and willing?), my body aches for comfort. This craving fights against my fragmented will and my guilt from my love for Lily.

    What am I supposed to do…? Wait, there's a way out! They must cost an exorbitant amount, so there's no way I can buy them, right?

    "W-What's the cost? They must be too expensive for me," I stiffly ask, barely containing my anxiety.

    Ghulam whispers honeyed words to me, "With the discount from your recommendation, sixty gold for the elf, seventy for the werefox."

    NO!

    He chuckles softly and gently adds, his silky tone causing his words to slither into my ears, "There's no rush. If you want to talk or observe them closer it's allowed. Such an investment shouldn't be done hastily." Then he grins perversely.

    He noticed how I'm desperately holding myself and trapped me here. Now there's no way I'm leaving without buying one of them now.

    I force myself to breathe deeply, managing to calm down a little.

    I'm weak… I'm sorry, Lily… but I'm far too weak. Being alone in this world hurts too much, and I'm far too scared that I'll die to pass on the chance of some happiness.

    There's a devil disguised as a man that's tempting me. He threw two wonderful women in front of me and said: "Here! Pick one, grab her, fuck her, make her yours. She will be your thing, your toy, forever. No strings attached, no messy relationships, no love dynamics, no anxiety from rejection, she's your perfect woman. Even the fucking gods tell you it's okay to do it, now fucking choose!"

    I'm sorry Lily… I'm a horrible husband. I'm sorry you fell in love with me, and it's okay to not wait for me.

    An undercurrent of anger rises to the surface, clouding my mind further.

    I'll do what I want in this fucking world because there's no one fucking else that'll help me! I was abandoned here without care, so I'll abandon whatever is holding me back from my previous world! This world will be mine…! Wait no, too far.

    "I'll take Alissa."
     
    Last edited: Sep 15, 2021
  9. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

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    "Now, please cut your hand with this knife and fill this with your blood," Ghulam asks, then he gives me an adorned dagger and a small bowl. "If you can't do it yourself it's not a problem, Sebastian will do it for you and immediately heal you."

    Nah.

    I cut my hand.

    FUCK! IT HURTS!

    My face cramps, but I manage to retain my dignity and hold back the tears of pain.

    I fill the small bowl with my blood, then Sebastian chants something and touches my hand. A faint pleasing cold covers my wound as the pain stops, then he releases me, and it looks goods as new.

    Is this a thing that all butlers must be called Sebastian?

    The old man Sebastian gives the bowl to Alissa, then she immediately brings it to her lips and drinks my blood while Ghulam chants something.

    "[Contract of Servitude]," he whispers and touches Alissa's head. "Now, point the location where you want the symbol of slavery to appear. It'll be a small circle with your name on it, but If you don't want to show your name I'll hide it."

    "It's okay to show. Put it on her left wrist," I respond.

    She's right-handed, so it shouldn't show too much.

    Ghulam gently grabs her wrist and chants. "[Mark of the Master]," he casts, and a faint light shines from between his fingers.

    He releases her and shows to me that a small black circle has appeared, and I read "Wolf Ryder" written in Andraste with small letters. Around the black circle, there are a few letters from an alphabet I don't recognize.

    "Now, do you want any additional spell? For you, it's for free," Ghulam offers with a gentle smile.

    "Only the speech limitation."

    He touches Alissa's throat and starts chanting again. "[Tongue of Obedience]," he casts, then a small orb of light comes out of the tip of his finger and enters her throat.

    He smiles graciously and turns to me. "There, now she won't be able to tell others about anything you consider a secret. Anything else?"

    I smile back. "No, thank you."

    He gently nods and says, "Then it's done. I really appreciate doing business with you, Mr. Ryder. Though the letter only allowed for a discount this one time, I'll gladly do business with you again." His charming smile now seems like the devil's.

    "I'll certainly come back," I happily admit. I've crossed the point of no return, so there's no reason to say no anymore.

    He makes a signal with his hand, and Sebastian comes forward. "Here's the gift we give to anyone who buys one of our women." -The butler hands me a ring- "It's a Ring of Fertility. Put some magic into it, and the man or woman that wears it won't be able to impregnate or get pregnant." Ghulam smiles kindly, his words cause a chill to run down my spine.

    He stands up and nods respectfully, then Sebastian picks up the documents I signed and the gold, then they both leave me alone with Alissa.

    "Master, may I change to my other clothes now?" Alissa respectfully asks and looks at me with a neutral expression. Her voice has the perfect pitch to my ears, not too high, not too low.

    "Y-yes, please do," I respond awkwardly.

    She immediately pulls up her one-piece, and she's not wearing anything below.

    GAH! Too much stimulation.

    Even though I want to see, I'm not in the right state of mind to stare at her.

    She changes into the normal clothes Ghulam gave to her: a white and slightly loose shirt, black pants, and some cute looking black shoes. I could only stare at her feet, and god, even they are cute.

    "I'm ready now," she says in a low tone.

    "Then let's go."



    We silently make our way towards the inn, and she walks slightly behind me, but still pretty close. She maintains a neutral expression, but at least she doesn't look sad.

    I don't know what to say. Am I supposed to make a conversation? I guess not since I'm her master now, so I don't need to be her friend, but it'll be lonely if I'm not friendly. I guess there's no need to rush or force anything, we'll get used to each other with time.

    We get to the inn, and I talk to the innkeeper.

    "I'd like to change rooms. I need one for two people, now," I request.

    "Single bed or double bed?" He asks, then he glances at Alissa and fails in containing his smile.

    Please, stop. I'm already embarrassed enough.

    "Double," I respond nervously.

    He nods gently and hands me two keys. "Second room on the second floor. Remove all your things from the safe, then return the key to me, please."

    "I don't have anything in it, so here's the key."

    After that, I immediately go towards my new room.

    It's almost mid-day, and I'm starting to feel hungry, but I want to talk to Alissa in private first.

    We enter the room, and I just fall face-first onto the bed. My nerves are killing me.

    What did I just do…? I'm a slave master, now…

    I turn around and look at her. She's just standing there, looking at me with her calm and neutral expression. I guess she isn't going to do anything unless ordered.

    I clear my throat and say, "We're going to be living here… and we'll be sharing the same bed. You can come, sit, or lay down if you want. I don't want you to tire yourself by standing all the time."

    She nods respectfully and obediently responds, "Yes, thank you, Master." I notice that her tail is standing still.

    I pat the bed. "Then come and sit beside me."

    "Y-yes."

    What was that?

    She has been calm and collected so far, but that voice just now wasn't congruent with her expression. Is she a master of poker face?

    She sits beside me in a lady-like way and starts observing the room.

    I sit up and gently grab her hand, making her twitch in reaction, then she looks at me curiously.

    I knew it, she's tense and scared, but she looks so cute I feel like teasing her. Oh god, my shyness already went away, and the sadist is coming out.

    "Well then, what have you heard about me?" I politely ask as I enjoy the softness and warmth of her hand.

    She obediently responds, "Seigneur Ghulam said that you're a powerful and upcoming adventurer. You've gained the favor of someone with influence after saving them and showing your valor. Now you're in need of a companion for fighting, and that's likely why you bought me. I'm sorry, but he didn't say more than this."

    Nour, please, that's too much.

    I release her hand and massage my neck awkwardly as I say, "There's… no need to be sorry." -I shake my head in tiredness- "Well, then. The first thing I want to talk about is that I have a lot of secrets. That's why I bought a Blood Slave: I need a companion that can keep a secret."

    She turns her body to face me, and her orange eyes stare onto mine with her full attention. "Then there's no need to worry about it, Master. Please use the [Tongue of Obedience] as you wish, and your secrets will be safe even during torture."

    "No, no, no, no" -I look away for a moment as I cringe slightly- "There's no need to go that far. My secrets are just things that will attract attention, and I don't want it, at least for now."

    Those were dangerous words, Alissa. Nobody is going to get hurt because of me.

    "I see… I think I understand." She looks away and puts a finger on her chin. Cute. "Master is powerful, and other people might want to try to use you or interfere with your business, so you want to hide this power. Is that right, Master?"

    I smile at her cute expression and nod. "That's right, it's like that. Now, we aren't leaving the town for two days. Today, I want to buy your equipment, and tomorrow, I want you to train at the hunters' guild to get used to it. If I'm lazy, we'll rest for a third day, and then on the fourth, we'll work again."

    "I'm alright with whatever you wish, Master." She smiles back.

    Oh, god, that's even cuter, please stop.

    "Also… there's something I'm dying to do… can I touch your ears and tail?" I childishly ask her with puppy eyes.

    She stiffens, making her fox ears perk up, then smiles shyly. "Y-you don't have to ask… but please be gentle, they're sensitive." She blushes and lowers her head for me.

    Her fox ears are on the top of her head, and she doesn't have human ones. It looks weird if you pull back the hair, so I guess that short hairstyles aren't really a thing with wereanimals.

    I rub her ears and I get filled with bliss. They are made of a very soft cartilage, and along with its furry parts, they're very comfy to touch.

    Her hair makes even me envious. It's so soft to the touch and glossy. It flows perfectly when she tilts her head just slightly.

    After getting enough of her ears, I tell her to turn around so that I can play with her tail. I notice that it has vertebrae, so she can move and wag it the same way a dog can, and its fur is even fluffier than that of her ears.

    I want to hug it! Animal ears, animal tail, kemonomimi! This is really a Japanese game.

    "A-ah… Master. Gentler, please," she whispers.

    "Sorry, does it hurt?"

    "No, it's just sensitive, and it tickles a lot," she responds while squirming.

    Thank god it isn't an erogenous zone… Wait… some people also do erotic things with places like the armpits or earlobes. Just because it isn't immediately erotic, doesn't mean it can't become erotic.

    I stop playing with her tail and say, "I'll get you a very good brush. We need to keep this tail and your hair as beautiful as possible."

    She nods respectfully and shows a small smile. "Thank you, Master. I'll take good care of them."

    I hug her from behind and pat her head. She freezes, then gradually relaxes, melting in my arms.

    "I'd also like to help care for it myself. It feels good to touch," I whisper in her ear.

    I used to brush Lily's hair once in a while. I liked to help keep her pretty for me.

    I keep patting her head and ears for some time, and it seems to help us a lot in calming our nerves. I also can't deny that it feels good to hug a girl like this.

    Her perfume has a faint fruity scent that feels slightly nostalgic, and my heart tightens as I try to grasp onto this nostalgic feeling.

    I have to buy her more perfume.

    After a few long and comfy minutes, I stop the patting and release her, then she almost falls down on her own. She must've gotten sleepy.

    "Nah?" She lets out a small sound in surprise.

    Stop with the cuteness.

    "Let's go out and eat lunch," I gently suggest, and she nods silently while blushing.



    I find a nearby restaurant and ask for a table for two. I sit down, but she remains standing by my side.

    "Please, sit," I motion. "We'll eat meals together from now on."

    This must be standard slave behavior that I need to nip in the bud.

    She blinks in surprise for a moment and asks, "Is it alright, Master? I'm a slave, so I don't need to be treated equally."

    I purse my lips and respond sternly, "Well, I want a companion that I can trust, not just a slave to order around, so I'll treat you equally."

    She stares at me for a moment, then nods and smiles gently. "Thank you, Master. You're very kind." As she sits, I see her tail sway a little.

    Being called "Master" is making me feel uncomfortable, but it also tickles a part of me that I didn't acknowledge before. Is it alright to let it come out of the dark?

    Bah, screw it. I already said before that I'd abandon things that were holding me back.

    I don't want to deal with her choosing a simple meal because she's a slave, so I order the same for both of us, but when the meal comes she hesitates.

    "You also don't have to wait for me to start eating," I promptly say.

    And so we dig in.



    After our meal, we go out and talk as we walk.

    I start counting with my fingers as I enumerate what we need to do, "First, let's buy you a pillow, some proper blankets, spare change of clothes, a hairbrush, a toothbrush, and spare shoes. We'll go to a first-hand store because I don't want to see you use hand-me-downs."

    She seems slightly concerned with the amount of stuff we have to buy and frowns as she questions, "Is it really alright to treat me like this, Master? I'm a slave, and I'm trained to have strong endurance, so treating me softly might… negate this training."

    I can't resist and entwine my arm with hers because I'm starved for skinship, then I pat her hand as I answer earnestly, "Yes. I'm sorry if your training ends up wasted or dulled, but we'll lead similar lifestyles, so I don't need you to retain your 'endurance'… Think of it like this: giving you hardships makes you tire more easily, which means you're more likely to die in battle. If you die, I'll be wasting the money, the huge favor I used to buy you, my feelings will be hurt by losing you, and my time training you will be wasted. So, this is why we need to keep you happy and well-rested: You need to be always at your best performance so you don't die or disappoint me.

    "I'll give you two rules: the first one is 'don't die' because I don't want you sacrificing yourself for me; the second one is 'let's never get into a situation where someone needs to die' so you won't even have to think about sacrificing yourself for me if we don't even get in a situation that needs it. Now, do you understand your value to me?"

    She turns her face away and reflects on my words seriously.

    We continue walking in silence for a minute, then she turns to face me again and nods energetically. "Thank you, Master. I understand," she finally responds with determination.

    Did that make you emotional? Well, I don't think that my philosophy makes me a "good person" because I still bought you… and I'm going to abuse you tonight. Might be even earlier if you don't stop acting cute.

    After getting the essentials, I decide to buy her a simple but cute white, frilly dress. I'd like to buy her more, but money is short, and I need to buy her equipment.

    I thank the God of Luck because I find a cheap perfume that I can give to her. Later on, I'll definitely get her a more expensive one like mine.

    Damn, I feel like I want to dress her up like a doll the same way I used to do with Lily.

    This time, I grit my teeth and don't buy a high-quality sleeping bag, but we buy a larger one for both of us.

    Then I get her Young Ogre leather armor. It's a red-brown color, it's tougher than Hobgoblin leather, and it's also very flexible, which is good for an archer.

    We get her a cheap iron short sword as a personal defense weapon, then we buy a good composite bow because it's compact and deadly. On the matter of bows, we can't hold back because archery is her main way of killing.

    Warbows or longbows are a bit difficult for her to use. Sure, the penetration is unparalleled, but she has problems fully drawing them. She isn't a standard army archer that fights at long distances and whose job is to cover an area with arrows. She's a hunter, which means she needs to draw fast and accurately, so penetration isn't that important.

    I sell my old equipment, but it's pretty shitty, so we don't get much money in return. I buy an upgrade to my shield: a black heater iron shield. It's slightly bigger and of a higher quality iron than the previous one.

    My previous shield has three dents and a nasty scratch from the fight with the Orc Headhunter, so we'd need to spend money to repair it, anyway. The damage makes the smith curious, so I tell him how that happened, and he gives me a small discount in sympathy.

    Alissa's [Item Box] isn't big, so she only keeps her arrows there and some small personal items, like the toothbrush and hairbrush.

    Now that we bought what we need, we go back to the inn, then I reserve a room for us to take a bath, together.



    We enter the room, and I lock the door behind me. The reserved bath is rather small, and it only has a simple wooden bathtub for a maximum of three people.

    "I'll wash you, Master," she volunteers, but I see that her tail is stiff.

    She starts taking her clothes off, and I just stare at her. No man should ever look away when a woman undresses.

    Her nakedness is instantly arousing. Her body is very athletic, and she's slightly more muscular than me. Her breasts are a bit small, but I don't know the size. Perhaps it's C? I just know they're perky and cute, and they'll fit nicely in my hand. Her bush is actually orange, and I see that it's well kept.

    She comes to me and her steps become awkward once she notices my stare.

    She grabs my shirt and pulls it up, then she unfastens both my belts and pulls down my pants. She hesitates for a moment, then leaves my sword on the ground and undoes my shoes.

    "You don't really have to do it like this, I can undress myself," I say, slightly amused, but also feeling a bit awkward.

    "I want to do it, Master," she diligently responds.

    Oh, boy, don't say things like that. I'm already excited.

    Then she pulls down my underwear. She's crouching, so it's right in front of her face in its full glory. She stares at it for a few seconds then gets up.

    She leads me near the tub and grabs a bucket of water, then she makes me sit on a stool and starts to wash my body with the soap and sponge the receptionist gave us.

    Her hands are delicate and she moves with certainty, eliciting a faint groan of pleasure from me as I close my eyes and enjoy it. She certainly knows how to wash.

    She washes my face with such delicacy that it's almost like she's just gently patting it, but I can still feel it's effective at cleaning my body. This is heavenly.

    Then she washes my front. There's no way around it, she has to come in front of me, and she touches my dick.

    "E-excuse me, p-please tell me if it hurts," she stutters, her voice trembling from the nervousness.

    She pulls back the skin and rubs the sponge on the head with even more delicacy than my face. It's so stimulating I have to control myself from pouncing on her. I imagine her tightening her grip and giving me a handjob, and my dick twitches in her hands.

    Suddenly, it finishes, and now she's done washing me.

    "Now it's my turn," I say with a husky tone.

    She swallows heavily. "You don't need to concern yourself with me."

    "But I'll enjoy it." I smile mischievously.

    She immediately nods, and we switch places.

    "Sorry if I'm not as delicate as you, I'm not trained in washing others," I wryly inform her.

    "No need to apologize for it, Master. You're allowed to enjoy yourself," she replies earnestly.

    Ohohoh! Then don't mind if I do!

    Her skin is soft, and there's absolutely no hair on her arms and legs, so my hand just glides along her perfect skin. I can feel the hint of muscle in her athletic body as my fingers trace her abs. It's a mix of toughness and softness.

    Seriously, what is going on in this world? Nearly every person I've seen can be considered beautiful. It's just… "weird."

    Now, look at her. Her skin is so perfect it makes me worried. Where are her veins? Does she even have veins? It's like she's artificial, and it's unsettling me.

    She tilts her head adorably and innocently asks, "Something wrong, Master?"

    I wipe away the stupid thoughts, then I smile mischievously. "Nothing… it's just that your skin is too perfect."

    "Don't exaggerate like this, Master…" Her voice seems a little sad, but her tail twitches.

    "I'm not exaggerating, but whatever…." I shrug and continue washing her.

    As I slowly caress her skin, I leave her tail and ears alone. I don't know how to wash them, I'm sorry, Alissa. But I take special care of her hands and feet. They're just so small and cute.

    Then I start working on the best part that I left for last. Her breasts are soft and bouncy, a delight to my hands. Lily had small ones, so I don't know what bigger breasts are supposed to feel like. I guess this is like jelly? I can't describe them perfectly, but I sure can enjoy them. Flat is justice, anyway, so size doesn't matter.

    I work on her nipples, and I feel them poke against my palm, showing me that she's aroused. I just rub them gently, avoiding pinching them, for now, then her breath starts to get heavier.

    Good…

    I pull her closer, hugging her from behind.

    She feels so warm, and I realize how much I've been missing this feeling. I want her to hug me, to make me feel safe… No, that'll come later. Right now, I need to show her my sensual touch.

    My hand glides downwards, reaching her neat little bush, and I start to play with it. It feels good on my hand since the hair is a little thicker there.

    I don't want to waste any more time, so I pass my hand over her entrance, and her breath immediately becomes haggard.

    Her pussy lips are small and slightly wet, so I just delicately rub them until they start to feel warmer, then I penetrate her with my finger. She flinches backward, and I pinch her nipple at the same time.

    "Ahn…!" She lets out a cute little moan. This is a holy sound that men hear when the gates of heaven open, and I shall never forget how hers sounds.

    I slowly move my finger in and out, and I feel her legs quiver. With one hand, she grabs the side of my head while I breathe down her neck, and with the other, she grabs my hand on her breast and squeezes it.

    My hand pleases her with steady movements, and I increase the speed little by little. The typical lewd sounds and smells of sex come out, then she closes her eyes and lets out her voice. It's a piece of beautiful music to my ears.

    I bite her neck, I lick it, I kiss it. I keep going for a few minutes until she arches her back and her body tenses, then she slowly relaxes and nearly collapses in my arms.

    "What… was… that…?" She asks, out of breath.

    "You don't know? That's a... climax," I mischievously answer with a smile.

    She looks away, a little embarrassed. "Oh… that was much… stronger than I imagined."

    I smile a little sadistically and caress her cheek. "There's still more, but I'll let you rest until later."

    She grabs my hand and nods while smiling, then she looks at me a little anxiously. "T-thank you… Master… but, I haven't done anything for you."

    I get an idea that makes my dick twitch. "Do you know how to use your mouth?"

    She needs a little stiffly. "Yes… I was taught that."

    I wonder how.

    I release her from my hug, and she leaves the stool, then I sit down on it, and she gets on her knees.

    She stares at my cock and blushes, then resolves herself and grabs it delicately. She opens her mouth wide, revealing her four cute canines, then slowly swallows it all. That was slightly scary, but she seems to know how to keep those teeth away from my skin.

    Her mouth is warm and soft, but to be honest, the feeling isn't special, it's the view. A cute woman with a dick in her mouth is one of the most erotic sights I can imagine. You shouldn't watch too much porn, it'll rot your brain and make you fantasize wildly about sex, only to be disappointed at reality when you finally get laid.

    She starts to carefully move her head, and I feel her tongue moving around. Now that feels good.

    "Rougher," I whisper, and she moves her tongue with more vigor.

    What a good girl.

    She grabs the shaft and moves her hand along with her head, which just adds to the eroticism.

    The pleasure; her face; the tension of these past few days fading away; my fears and guilts surfacing; my dark desires that I'm forced to face; my wish for comfort and skinship. All these things contribute to me just wanting to let it out, so I don't last long, barely two minutes. This is the fastest I've ever came.

    "I'm coming," I warn her.

    She doesn't pay attention and chokes on it. She only partially swallows, and the rest is wasted on the floor.

    "Sorry, Master," she apologizes, sounding disappointed with herself.

    I laugh and pat her head as I respond, "There's no problem, you were perfect."

    I see a white trickle coming from the corner of her mouth and smile. This scene is just so erotic.

    Oh, shit, I still haven't kissed her yet. What kind of gentleman am I if I got the order of things wrong? Now there's no way I'm kissing her like this.

    I awkwardly ask her, "Sorry, but can you brush your teeth? I want to kiss you, but I don't want to do it like this."

    She widens her eyes for a second, then pulls out her toothbrush with a *poof* and starts brushing her teeth. After a few seconds, she murmurs something and casts [Clean] on her mouth.

    Now that she's ready, we finally get into the bath together. She sits on my lap, and I hug her tight, then she relaxes her body against mine.

    I look into her large orange eyes lustfully, then I finally kiss her.

    She doesn't move her tongue much, so I work for both of us. I explore her mouth and cautiously avoid her sharper-than-normal canines. I'm really glad she's trained because those four teeth could've given me a nasty cut and a new trauma that I don't need.

    She slowly gains confidence and starts moving her tongue energetically, rubbing it strongly against mine, asking for more pleasure. Our tongues wrestle for a long time until they finally tire out. Kissing inside a hot bath is truly therapeutic.

    I break the kiss, then she hugs me tight and leans her head against my mine. It feels so good that it warms my heart, and I almost cry. This is honestly the thing I needed the most: a hug. I just want to fall asleep like this.

    I'm not alone anymore.



    My eyes start closing in sleepiness, then I hear a knock on the door. Our time is up, and we have to leave.

    While feeling like I'm lifting a ton of concrete, I break our hug. She suddenly twitches and wakes up.

    Oh, fucking hell. How're you so cute?

    "S-sorry, I fell asleep," she sleepily says and rubs her eyes.

    Is she blushing or is it the hot bath?

    I yawn and pat her head. "No need to apologize for that," I whisper gently.

    We quietly dress ourselves and go back to the inn to have dinner. She hugs my arm as we walk, then sits right beside me. I missed cute acts like this.

    Selina comes into the dining hall, and she sees us both. I instinctively freeze as if I was caught red-handed, and I clearly see her mouth move into an "ohoho~" kind of laugh, then she smiles and goes back to work.

    What was that…?

    I shake my head and stop thinking about it.

    I don't have the mind to think about it right now, and I don't even know what I want my relationship with Selina to be.

    Basking in a post-orgasm glow, we don't talk much and just enjoy our meal, then we go back to our room for round two.



    I lay down on the bed first and smile at her. She skips forward, then lays on top of me, and we start kissing.

    We spend long minutes just kissing while my hand slowly explores every centimeter of her body, then I finally reach between her legs and start moving the same way as before.

    Her tongue moves with a new thirst she hadn't shown yet, then she suddenly breaks it and motions to take my clothes off. I stop playing with her, and in a flash, we're both naked again.

    I suddenly grab her and switch positions, putting her below me. She looks at me in surprise and freezes from my sudden action, then I smirk, and she relaxes again.

    Sorry, I'm the one in charge for our first time.

    We immediately resume madly kissing, and I feel her down there. Lewd noises come out as her wetness sticks to my fingers.

    I untangle her from me and sit so that I can pull out my Ring of Fertility, which I promptly wear and turn on.

    I like this name.

    Then I pull out a towel, and put it below her because you never know. She just patiently waits for me, but her body fidgets with anxiety.

    I smile suggestively, and she spreads her legs for me, and her pussy lips part, showing their wetness to me.

    I look her in the eye and scooch closer so that the tip of my dick touches her lips. She stares intensely at it, then her tail starts wagging slowly.

    I whisper sultrily, "I'm putting it in, okay?"

    "Okay…" She responds shyly, her eyes glued to my cock.

    I like how she's straightforward and doesn't hesitate. I guess this is the result of her "training," which makes things so much easier.

    I control the sadism inside me and softly add, "If it hurts, tell me, please. We'll do it slowly."

    She nods, then I push my hips forward and I slide in. She's tight, so deliciously tight I almost grunt with pleasure.

    She lets out a faint moan, then I feel some resistance. I put a little more strength in it, and I get through.

    She makes a pained face, so I stop and apply [Regeneration] on her.

    "W-what? Magic?" She asks, completely surprised.

    I nod and caress her cheek. "Yes, I don't like seeing you feeling pain."

    She puckers her lips cutely, a little embarrassed. "Thank you. It's alright now."

    I feel her vagina relax, reducing the tightness just a little.

    I lean forward until I can feel her hot breath on my face, then I whisper sultrily, "Tell me if it hurts again. I can apply [Regeneration] for a long time."

    "Regen-... that's okay." She nods repeatedly and smiles.

    I push until I'm as deep as I can inside her, and we both moan, then I start moving my hips, and she doesn't complain about discomfort. It seems the spell did a little more than just healing and helped her vagina get comfortable with my thick cock spreading her small flower.

    I don't try to hold it in to last longer. It's her first time, I'm tired, and I just want to enjoy myself, so there's no pressure for me to perform.

    Alissa's cute moans gradually become voiceless as the pleasure builds up inside her. She starts writhing, then she closes her eyes and hugs me, digging her nails deep on my skin.

    I cast [Regeneration] again on her just to be sure, but she gets so consumed by the pleasure that she doesn't even notice it.

    She starts to move her body to impale herself harder on me. Her desperate thirst for cock is just delightful. I want to burn in my memory her cute, moaning face. I want a painting of it.

    She bites her lip, then she turns her head away and opens her mouth, letting her moans freely escape. Her pretty little red lips are so captivating that I feel like biting them.

    She opens her eyes, and her two pretty orange irises stare deeply into me, then she grabs my head, and we kiss wildly.

    You're my precious treasure.

    I don't last much longer and release it all inside her, then we let the embers in our hearts slowly cool down as we just stare at each other's eyes. Our hot and quickened breaths slow down, then we kiss one more time.



    Alissa conjures some water into a bucket to clean us both. Her finger turns into a faucet as a substantial trickle of water comes out of it. I guess this is what Ghulam meant when they said she's trained in "lifestyle" magic. She knows enough magic that it's useful in the day-to-day.

    I take a look at the towel and see a small drop of blood on it. She notices it a moment after and quickly snatches it to give it a wash.

    After she washes us both, we go back to hugging on the bed and sleep together naked.



    This time I don't have a nightmare. I just dream that I'm back on the bath, hugging her.



    Someone knocks on the door.

    "The breakfast is ready," I hear Selina's voice.

    I open my eyes and see Alissa's face. Her pretty orange eyes stare lovingly at me, then her ears twitch, and she smiles adorably. Cuteness, first thing in the morning.

    "Good morning, Master," she whispers, and I see her tail swaying from behind her.

    "Good morning…" I whisper back, then I cup her cheek, and she closes her eyes in delight from my touch. "Were you awake for long? You don't have to keep hugging me if you were uncomfortable."

    Her arms push me closer, and she pouts. "I wasn't uncomfortable. I've never slept like this before, but I enjoyed it a lot."

    I nod gently and caress her. "We'll always sleep like this from now on. I don't want to sleep alone ever again."

    She smiles and nuzzles her face on my chest. I want to close my eyes again and go to sleep like this, but hunger wins. We get up and start getting dressed, then I stretch and yawn happily.

    I slept like a baby. I didn't toss around my sleep, and my back doesn't hurt. It seems the best medicine for sleep is Alissa.

    I turn around to put on my pants, and she gasps.

    "Master, I'm sorry about this," she apologizes worriedly.

    I look at her and raise an eyebrow. "What?"

    "Your back is scratched," she mutters, then looks down, and her posture shrinks.

    I chuckle softly. At least whatever compels her to not "harm" me isn't that sensitive. Then I shake my head and reassure her, "That's proof that a man did his job, so don't worry about it."

    She nods, still worried, but lets it go.



    We happily eat our breakfast in silence, but I just want to stare at Alissa eating, though.

    Did they put extra spice? The soup tastes better today.

    Once she finishes it up, I say, "If you're hungry, it's okay to ask for more. If you get malnourished, your performance will fall."

    "Understood, Master," she responds with a happy nod.

    Good girl.

    "Also, are you okay?" I probe and watch her intensely. "Thinking of last night, are you uncomfortable or feeling pain somewhere?"

    Her ears stand up in attention and she shakes her head emphatically. "I'm fine. Your spells eased any pain I had. Thank you, Master."

    We smile at each other like two silly lovebirds and finish our meal.



    After breakfast, we go back to our room. I'm starting to feel like doing it again, but I need to take it easy with her. She was a virgin just yesterday, after all, and we also have to talk about something serious.

    We sit on the bed facing each other, and I assume a more serious tone as I ask, "Now, then. Can you open your own status window?"

    "Yes, Master," she diligently replies.

    I open my own "Status," and see that under "Affiliations," there's the entry: "Alissa (Blood Slave)."

    "Then tell me every-…" I stop mid-sentence.

    Ho-ho-ho, Christmas came early.

    There's a new button below all the other "menu" options I have, it's named "Followers."

    I click it.
    Info
    Name:AlissaAge:16RaceFox-Type Wereanimal
    HP:100MP:125Magic Power:24
    Level:24Experience:245/6500
    Stats
    Strength:11Endurance:18Dexterity:22
    Speed:20Intelligence:11Wisdom:12
    Willpower:16Charisma:10Piety:15
    Perception:17Sanity:15
    Other
    Status Effects:NONETitles:NONE
    Affiliations:Blood Slave (Owner: Wolf Ryder)
    Companions:NONE
    Crimes:NONE
    Damn, girl. Those are some high stats. I'm jealous.

    I also have the option to look at her skills and magic.
    AlissaSkill Report
    Physical
    Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel
    Sword Use9Bow Use20Parry4
    Dodge2Sense Presence5Hide Presence3
    Enhanced Olfact5Enhanced Hearing3Pain Resistance2
    Hawk Eyes1Muscle Explosion1Quiet Steps3
    Quiet Action2Tracking 2
    Magical
    Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel
    Sense Mana1Mana Control1Fire magic1
    Light Magic1Space Magic1Conjuring Magic1
    Miscellaneous
    Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel
    Housework3Cooking2Cleaning2
    Washing 5Riding 2Oral Technique4
    Hand Technique2Fox Transformation (innate)4
    OBS: Level means (free point)+(trained point)
    Holy shit girl, you're strong.

    [Tracking] is a skill that goes up to level five, so I guess it's not a bad thing she's at level two. Miscellaneous skills like [Cooking], [Cleaning], and [Housework] go up to level ten, so she's not inexperienced in them. Oral and [Hand Technique] are clearly sexual. Also, now I know why she's so good at washing. And what's that (innate) skill? I never saw it on my skill list. And finally, I'm really worried about how she got that [Pain Resistance].

    Her magic is:
    Spells
    CleanSpirit Light (weak)Conjure WaterConjure Bland Meal (weak)FireballTelekinesis
    tem Box (weak)
    I guess that "(weak)" means she learned [Item Box], [Conjure Bland Meal], and [Spirit Light] even though she doesn't have enough skill points for it.

    I see she has four unassigned skill points, and I can edit them, just like I can do for myself. I can add and remove points, but I can't remove from trained skills, and I can't add to that (innate) one.

    Still… This. Is. Fucking. Amazing!

    "Master, what is it?" She innocently asks and tilts her head cutely. Heart damage.

    "Hmm…" I rub my chin in thought and tentatively ask, "Is it possible for someone to see someone else's status screen?"

    "You mean, like the Inspection Crystal?"

    "More like seeing someone else's screen like you see your own."

    "Huh…" She mumbles, and her ears flick. "Never heard of it. Only the Crystal should be able to look into someone's soul."

    "Well. Here's a secret you have to keep." -I smile excitedly- "I can see your status screen like it's my own."

    "Wha-wha-what?!" She stutters and stares at me incredulously.

    I shrug. "That's how it is. To prove it, let me tell you something personal: you have four skill points in [Oral Technique]," I teasingly say with a smirk.

    She gasps and her eyes widen, then she starts blushing heavily.

    I tease her further, "Tell me, how did you learn that skill?"

    "I-I didn't!" She suddenly exclaims and her arms twitch in exasperation, her tail goes stiff, and her voice cracks, seemingly about to cry. "I mean, it wasn't real… I swear! I-it's wood…! Please!" She's in a full-on panic.

    I grab her shoulder and look straight into her eyes. "Calm down! That's not what I meant."

    She freezes completely and starts to control herself again. "Y-yes… that's right… I'm sorry, I lost my temper, Master. I-I deserve punishment for this." She suddenly bows and keeps her head low.

    "You don't deserve punishment," I flatly respond, slightly annoyed at her behavior. I grab her shoulder and gently pull her straight, but she still keeps her head down.

    "Thank you, Master," she mutters.

    "Now, you said wood?" I ask, trying not to giggle.

    She raises her head and looks at me nervously, then her eyes shift about. "Y-yes… The Chieftess brought wooden penises for us to practice on. She showed me the act, and I copied it. It was so embarrassing…"

    I wonder how she'd feel if she had to show her skills during customs. Well, anyways… I at least have to give my thanks to this "Chieftess" for her thoughtfulness. Alissa's blowjob felt really good.

    I simply smirk at her, and she starts pouting from my teasing, then something dawns on her, and she asks, "But, Master, how are you doing it? I've never heard of such a skill."

    I awkwardly massage my neck and look away.

    I don't want to tell her the truth yet, and she doesn't need to know everything, so I'll just tell a small part of it.

    I turn to her and answer seriously, "It's only possible with you because you're my slave, but I can't tell you how I do it. Also, remember that this is a secret, so don't tell anyone."

    "Understood," she nods energetically. Even her nods have their own charm.

    Fuck, I'm way too crazy about her right now.

    I clear my head of these silly thoughts so I can focus on continuing the questioning. "Now, how did you learn [Item Box]?"

    She hesitates for a moment, then she responds unsurely, "I copied the Chieftess' mana manipulation until I was able to cast the spell." My questions may be confusing her, but she's not comfortable enough in asking what the fuck is wrong with me, yet.

    "Hm… let's start at the beginning. How is magic learned, in general?"

    She nods slowly, and her voice becomes even more hesitant. "It's common to start learning spells while one's still a child. In my case, I hugged the Chieftess while she practiced magic until I learned [Sense Mana], then I copied the feeling I had when hugging her until I learned [Mana Control]. After that, I trained to increase my mana pool until I had enough mana to use [Item Box], then, finally, I copied her mana manipulation until I was able to cast it. It went the same way for [Conjure Bland Meal] and [Spirit Light]. It's essential for a hunter to have those spells, so I trained more intensively than a normal child to learn them."

    Then I'll do the same thing with her until I learn those skills and spells. Possibly at night, before I abuse her body.

    I rub my chin in thought. "I see… Now, what is [Muscle Explosion]?"

    Her voice now becomes completely robotic. "It's a skill that lets me do a really strong or really fast movement for a split second. It's useful in avoiding a fatal strike that you can't avoid entirely."

    I guessed so from the test I did on the skill, and it also seems to be how the Orc Headhunter might have been able to dodge the [Ice Lance] from Rania.

    "How did you get [Pain Resistance]?"

    "That's…" -She looks down worriedly and her ears go flat- "Please understand that I'm the one who insisted on it." If she wasn't talking in such a serious tone, I'd be squealing at her cuteness.

    I frown in confusion. "What…? What does it mean?"

    "I asked for the Chieftess to torture me."

    Wow.

    I let my eyebrows shoot up and stare at her very worriedly. "Uh… and why would you do that?"

    She straightens her posture, and her ears perk up, then she puts her hands on her lap in a lady-like way, and proudly declares with a practiced tone, "I'm supposed to be a tool. I'm to be used in combat or as a sex slave as you see fit, so I can't afford to fail because of pain. It would bring great shame to my clan if the soldiers they train can't reach the utmost of their potential due to such a simple weakness. The Chieftess was too soft, she didn't want to do it, but I insisted until she gave in, so please, don't think she's a bad person. It's just my duty to be strong."

    That's excessive. She really takes her duty seriously, but I'm starting to feel bad about her. That Chieftess also sounds like a mother, but I don't think I should ask her about that right now.

    I straighten my posture, too, and assume a more serious tone. "Well, again, I must say I'm sorry because I don't plan on putting you in any sort of situation that will require you to have that skill."

    She stays still for a few seconds, then lowers her head, bites her lip, and clenches her fist. After a few seconds of emotions building up, she leans forward and rests her head against my shoulder.

    The composure from before is completely gone as she softly whispers, "Thank you, for being so kind. I… am glad you bought me. I know it's my duty to be a tool, but I'm still glad you're my master."

    Even if she's brainwashed into wanting to fulfill her "duty," it doesn't change the fact that she'll feel better if she's treated like a human… werefox, I mean.

    I hug her and pat her head, then we stay like this for a while. This position is a little uncomfortable, so I turn her around and adjust myself so I can hug her from behind.

    My cheek rubs on hers, and I can clearly smell the perfume I bought for her. She slowly recovers from her emotional state, and I feel her cheeks burn against mine.

    After a while longer, her embarrassment subsides, so I continue, "What is [Fox Transformation]?"

    She turns her head to the side and sends me a subtle confused glance. Then she speaks and her breath tickles my neck, "It's the racial skill of all wereanimals. My type is fox, so I can turn into a large one, and I'm really proud of its size" -she smiles excitedly- "and since you're small, you can even ride on me."

    Argh, emotional damage. I'm conscious of being small and thin, but still, that's cool as fuck.

    "That's amazing, I really want to see that," I approve and give her a warm look.

    She smiles back, then faces forward and returns to our previous hugging position.

    "Master… do you allow me to ask one question?" She asks tentatively.

    I pat her head. "Yes, you may. You can ask anything you want, actually."

    I'll likely lie because I still don't want to explain everything to her. I also don't feel like talking about home because explaining my background might be really hard and not that important in the end. Creating a rather believable lie might even be useful in the future if I have to explain myself to others, so I can determine its believability by her reactions.

    She frowns slightly and her ears twitch cutely as she asks, "The questions you ask me are… odd. Forgive me for saying this, but why haven't you learned these things? Even a commoner's child would've learned from their parents a simple spell like [Clean]."

    I gently caress her head and calmly lie through my teeth, "Think of it like this: I'm a foreigner from a really, really far land. The common sense here is just way too different from the one in my homeland, so I've been trying to get the general sense for how things are done here to not stand out."

    Her ears perk up as it dawns on her. "Oh! I understand, Master, but how far is it that you never met another wereanimal?"

    I look away and think for a moment. "I'm… well, it's difficult to give you a sense of distance since even I don't know because I teleported here. My origin is another secret, so let's just say that I come from somewhere far and poor when asked. Also, it's okay to say I never told you its name."

    Her tail stops swaying as she mutters, "I see…" And I feel a hint of disappointment in her voice.

    Can't let the awkward atmosphere settle, so quickly I move on. "Next topic. Do you pray?"

    Her tail starts swaying again, and she answers earnestly, "Yes, I do. I pray to the God of War for glory in battle and the God of Endurance to allow me to fulfill my duty." -I'm not really surprised with her choice of gods- "Do the people of your homeland not know about the Humanoid Gods, Master?"

    "Correct. Which is why I think I should start praying to them, but how should I do it?"

    She tilts her head cutely and I pat her harder. "Hm… just ask for help? The gods may have lost their mortality and bonds with the land, but they still have their own personalities, their likes, and their dislikes. The God of War and the God of Endurance were simple men during their lives, so I just ask them for glory in battle and the power to keep standing after."

    I scratch my head as I think. "Do you like, hold your hands to pray or do some sort of ceremony, like, get on your knees? Do you give them offerings or something like that?"

    "There's no need. Praying is the way you tell them how you wish to be helped, and they're gods who focus on results, so they'll help you when you need and become happy when you succeed."

    How practical. I like these gods.

    I pat her head absentmindedly. "Hm… I'm thinking about praying for the God of the Sun, the Goddess of Growth, and the Goddess of Knowledge. What do you think?"

    She sends me a curious glance. "God of the Sun? I don't know why people would pray for him unless you're royalty."

    I smile wryly. "Yeah, well, I have my reasons."

    "Okay…" She mumbles, still a bit awkward with my ignorance. "Then the Goddess of Growth is a good one to pray to if you're training hard. She's also known to help the Goddess of Fertility and the Goddess of Plants."

    I guess the interpretation of "growth" is quite liberal, then.

    "But why the Goddess of Knowledge? Wouldn't the God of War be better for an adventurer?" She continues probing. Her curiosity has led her to forget her slave training, which pleases me greatly.

    "I'm actually more of a mage, so I want to improve my magic, and I also think knowledge should be helpful in understanding this place since I'm a foreigner." I smile wryly.

    Her ears twitch again and I almost squeal. "Oh! You're a mage who can use the sword? Ah, yes, you did use [Regeneration] on me last night. But that's amazing, Master!" She looks at me wide-eyed. That's enough praise, please. "Then I think the Goddess of Knowledge is a good choice. If we please the God of War enough, then he could bless you even if you don't pray to him."

    What a nice guy.

    "Then how should I pray for them?"

    I pat her head more intensely, and she closes her eyes for a moment to enjoy it before answering, "I don't know much about the God of the Sun, but maybe you should ask for a hard day's work? For the Goddess of Growth, you have to wish to improve with all your willpower; that's how the priest taught me. The Goddess of Knowledge is very fickle, so you should ask a scholar about it. From what I understood, you need to wish to seek knowledge without 'cloudy eyes' and to always write a book about what you know."

    "Cloudy eyes"? Is that bias? I guess I should talk to Ciel about it.

    I give her a little squeeze in appreciation. "That's all I had to ask. Do you have any questions about me?"

    She grabs my hand on her belly and also gives it an appreciative squeeze. "Not right now, Master."

    "Then let's form a fellowship."

    A fellowship of the rin-... nah. Anyway, it's like a game "party." It allows us to share experience and to always know the position of each other. The dungeoneering advice book said it's the first thing a group of people working together should do. Also, I feel like I don't want to ever break this fellowship with her.

    We interlace the fingers of our right hand with each other and recite the phrase in unison, "We swear to share our war and our soul and to always keep each other's company."

    On my menu screen, under "Companions," the entry "Alissa" appears. If I concentrate and think about her, I should be able to sense the direction and her distance from me. But since she's too close right now it doesn't work properly.

    I release her hand and crawl close to her. I caress her cheek as I say to her, "Let's go to the hunters' guild after lunch. Right now, I want to savor you." I suddenly hug her tightly and throw us onto the bed.

    "YAH!" She screams in surprise at the sudden attack.

    I kiss her deeply as my hand explores her body, then her tongue starts to respond.

    I've always considered myself the "clingy" type, and it was so bad that I'd hold myself back because I always wanted to touch and hug Lily whenever possible. I feel like Alissa won't say no to me, even if she doesn't want to cuddle, so I'll have to learn her limits with skinship, too, even though I don't want to.

    Shit, thinking about Lily makes me feel guilty, but I told myself I'd enjoy this world, dammit. I'll do whatever I want!

    The kissing escalates, and soon we're naked again.

    I lick her nipples, suck on them, pinch them lightly, worship them. This time, I take my time caressing her body until I make her wet without even touching her down there.

    I stop and stare at her with a grin. Her thighs rub against each other and she pants softly, getting out of breath already.

    "You want it?" I whisper in a husky tone.

    She doesn't answer, but she licks her lips.

    "Tell me what you want," I press her further.

    She looks at me with a mix of a pout and a shy look on her face. Her delicate whisper makes my cock twitch as she pleads, "P-please put it in, Master."

    If a phrase could be considered art, that would be it.

    This time she's more relaxed, so she's not so tight, and she doesn't make a pained face when I slide in.

    She keeps her eyes open, locked with mine, and we enter a trance as our bodies move on their own, fueled by the mad desire to fuck.

    I don't try to hold it in, and soon, I splurge all over her taut belly.

    I'll slowly increase the time I last to match her own sexual stamina. Doing too much and too hard might hurt her for now, so I have to ease her into the world of sex.

    After a quick wash, I hug her, and we doze off.



    I wake up feeling hungry. By the position of the sun, it's not even noon yet. I slowly detach myself from Alissa's body and get up, then she also gets up immediately after. She must've been sleeping lightly.

    This time, I have her teach me how to brush her hair and tail. I'm a little bit afraid of damaging her fur or hurting her, so I let her finish the job after learning the basics.

    We get up, and she cringes again at the new set of love marks she left on my back.

    We go downstairs, and I see something that melts my heart.

    "What is that… animal?" I point to the cute little creature.

    I see a forty centimeters tall cute little squirrel with a cute little apron and a cute miniature broom. It sweeps the floor of the inn while humming in a cute little voice and smiling cutely. It has a slightly oversized cute hand with rather long fingers that let it grip things easily.

    Alissa hums mirthfully and assumes a teaching tone as she educates me, "That's a nature spirit. They're souls of people who didn't want to leave the land, so they fused with the souls of nature and materialized like this. If you give it something it likes, it might help you. Also, it's a good omen to see an inn being able to make one happy…" -She squeezes my hand and lowers her voice- "But, Master, they're everywhere, how come you never saw one?"

    I scramble to search for another lie. "Erm… perhaps the souls in my homeland never linger long. I guess our priests are just good." I shrug.

    She gives a look of wonder. "I see, so it must be a place full of good Spirit mages, then."

    I grin and whisper, "Can I pet it?"

    Her expression becomes a bit pitying. "It'll just dematerialize if you try. You have to win its trust first."

    Awn… let's just move on and have lunch.



    Every so often, we find a minstrel on the streets, singing about something random. This seems to be a profitable job since most of them have quite a bit of coin in their tipping hats. Though, for me, they sound kinda bad. The instant translation inside my brain prevents me from enjoying the poetry, and the instruments they use, mostly lutes or harps, are rather crude.

    "Curious about the minstrels, Master?" Alissa asks, failing to hold back a slightly smug smile.

    I smile wryly. "Uh, yes. Seems profitable to sing on the streets."

    "Only because it's the month of Song. Because of the Festivals of Seasons, the temple encourages us to tip the singers."

    "Huh, curious…"

    Alissa smiles at my innocence.

    Money is short, so we buy a cheap meal with some Rabid Rabbit meat, then we go to the hunters' guild.

    I'll register Alissa because that gives the guild a paper trail that she's with me. This also marks that she's reliable so she can do business in my stead in the future.

    The attendant raises an eyebrow when she looks at Alissa's ID card.

    It's the sexual skills, right?

    I also register the fellowship. It's just a courtesy, but the guild likes it because they can better organize the hunters in times of crisis.

    For some reason, you have to name your fellowship. I think about naming it "Fellowship of the Ring," but I worry about copyright laws in this game, erm, world, so I try to think of something more appropriate.

    Alissa tilts her head in confusion and questions, "Master… why are you looking so serious? It's just a name isn't it?"

    No, little one, this is my banner, my heraldry, my legacy, my legend. I can't screw up and end up like I did with my new name where I feel uncomfortable when people call me Wolf Ryder. I need a strong name that instills pride when it's uttered.

    "You wouldn't understand," I wryly answer.

    Alissa gives me a troubled look while the female attendant shrugs. She has seen this scene more than once.

    Honestly, nothing feels appropriate, but it's not like people are going to laugh at this name, so I'll just pick a reference to something I like. I kind of like astronomy even though it's not my area, so I pick something in reference to that.

    "Helios," I write down the name. Maybe the God of the Sun will get the reference.

    The attendant takes the papers away, and under "Affiliations" on our status screen, the entry "Helios (fellowship)" appears.

    With that, we move towards the training grounds.



    I give her hand a gentle squeeze and state, "I want to see you train the sword and the bow a bit to get a feel for your strength. I also want to spend the afternoon here so that I can train my magic."

    Her ears point up and her tail sways faster as she gives me a slightly proud smile. "Understood, Master. I'm sure you won't be disappointed with my skills."

    We enter the grounds, and Toga's gaze immediately finds me.

    Nope, not today. I'll be training magic on my corner veeery far away from you.

    But first, I watch Alissa spar with an instructor, and thankfully, it isn't Toga. It's a much gentler man, but he's no less skilled.

    Alissa flows with the sword, making dodging and parrying seem effortless, then she smoothly weaves in attacks with blinding speed. She's truly fast, though the instructor is still faster.

    I'm actually curious why she's so good at dodging and parrying since her level in those skills are lower than mine. Perhaps it's the "Speed" and "Dexterity" that combine with the skill and work as some sort of multiplier, so she doesn't need a high skill to be effective.

    A few men stare at Alissa intensely.

    Shoo, go away, that one is mine. There are other women here that are also training, so go bother them.

    After a few minutes, I go to my corner and continue watching from afar. I ask the Goddess of Growth to help me increase my MP so I can always have mana to heal and support Alissa, then I start my [Fireball] routine.



    After an hour, Alissa switches to the bow and she quickly starts drawing a crowd with her archery skills. Her speed is comparable to the instructors, but her accuracy is unmatched. She's my own female Legolas.

    She looks ferocious as she fires arrow after arrow, her eyes staring towards her target like a hawk does to its prey. It's a complete reverse of how she is in bed, kind of the inverse of me.

    Alissa keeps taking my concentration away with her beauty and magnificence, so my training routine is sloppier than before. But it's okay since I enjoy watching her very much.

    When dusk starts to come, we go back to the inn and reserve another bath. I'm way too tired for anything, so we just cuddle and kiss in the hot water.

    After dinner, I ask her to use her mouth, and she happily gobbles it up, eager to show her skills.

    She gives me a constant and smooth pleasure, and I close my eyes to enjoy it to the fullest. This time, she understands my warning and doesn't choke.

    Then we sleep together while hugging each other again.



    I dream of Alissa shooting goblins while I laugh and drink tea.



    I wake up quite well-rested and get a deep kiss from her as a greeting. I think this should be a morning routine.

    My MP increased by 40 (now 255). That's kinda high since I didn't train very well yesterday, so could this be the result of prayer?

    I decide to look at the extermination requests at the hunters' guild. With Alissa's tracking, we can hunt for some of those juicy bounties.

    We walk along the streets with our arms entwined. She's a few centimeters taller than me, so it's a bit awkward at first until we get used to each other's rhythm.

    We enter the guild and start looking at requests, then I hear footsteps approach.

    "Hello! Are you Wolf Ryder?" A chipper and gruff male voice greets me. We turn around and see a short and wide man in full chainmail armor. He has black hair and droopy eyes that make him look like he's always thinking. "I'm Targua, from Honest Shield." He adds after a moment and gives us a diplomatic smile.

    "Uh… hi, hello, yes, I'm Ryder," I confusedly return the greeting.

    Another voice comes from further back in the guild, "Oi! don't listen to him, join my fellowship, instead!" A blonde and lanky man with a bow slung over his shoulder comes running and interjects. His face seems a bit roguish, and he sports a considerable nose.

    "What?" I mumble, dumbfounded.

    Stop, rewind, and start from the beginning this time.

    Targua facepalms and chides him, "Bug off, mate. I haven't even asked him yet and you just jump in the middle."

    The lanky man stops in front of me and gives me a business smile while extending his hand for a handshake. "I'm Simon, from Swift Wind. Pleasure to meetcha, yeah? How about you join my fellowship?" He quickly introduces himself and immediately announces his offer.

    Where did you two even come from?

    I hesitantly shake his large and rough hand, then Targua sends us a strained smile and continues, "Uh… sorry, but yeah, how about you join my fellowship instead?"

    I frown in confusion and sincerely ask, "Why are you guys asking me to join?"

    "No shit we're looking for you, mate," Simon grunts and snorts. "A magic swordsman who can kill and carry a Grey Berserker or an Orc Headhunter is no joke. And then yesterday, everyone at the training grounds was raving about your new companion who's a crazy pretty lass with an extremely deadly bow."

    His speech sounds weird. Is this the effect of the [Andraste Language] skill trying to translate casual slang?

    I look at Targua and he shrugs.

    The thing that annoys me is how they want us to join their fellowship. No, thanks.

    I shake my head and reject their offer, "Sorry, but I prefer to keep walking my own path for now."

    "Ehh. Really?" Simon frowns reprovingly, and I nod at him. "Well, that's a shame, mate. We could make a killing with you and the girl."

    I feel Alissa's grip tighten in subtle anger.

    Targua takes a step closer and clasps his hands in a subtle pleading gesture. "Is that so? Is there no room for negotiations? We could always search for a good deal that'd benefit both of us."

    I kind of like your attitude, but back off, you're too close to Alissa.

    I look at them sternly and stand my ground, "No, sorry. It's not a question about money, it's personal."

    Simon shrugs and makes a sour face. "Well, I tried," he mumbles and walks away.

    Targua gently nods in understanding and accepts, "Sorry to bother you, then. Be well Mr. Ryder" Then he also leaves.

    "I fully agree with your decision, Master," Alissa whispers while sending a mean gaze to the two men walking away. "Those men would exploit you. It's almost always what happens when getting scouted by veterans. Fellowships are bonds made of trust, and those which are made of money are weak."

    How romantic.

    I nod in agreement, then we turn back and continue searching for a request.

    There's a good one. It's a bounty for an Oodogloo which was found yesterday. This monster is a threat level three. It's a large, transparent slime with a human skeleton inside. Because it can walk with the skeleton, it's faster than normal crawling slimes that move like caterpillars or worms. It should have a distinctive ammonia scent, so it's easy to track with Alissa's nose, but it's a very annoying enemy to catch because it runs away from everything and preys on livestock. It was last found half a day away northwest from here, at the farms past Royd's Kerfuffle.

    Alissa follows my eyes and sees the request I'm interested in. "I can take you there on my fox form," she suggests.

    Oh, yes.

    I smirk and reply, "Want to go there right now?"

    She smiles brightly and her tail sways. "Yes! I want to test my bow. The Oodogloo is good for target practice because it's so nimble."

    "Then let's go."

    I want to go not because I'm excited to fight, but because I want a reason to ride Alissa. We already have all the requirements for sleeping outside, so we're completely ready.



    We pass through customs with ease since we're both adventurers.

    A few meters away from the crowd trying to enter the town, Alissa turns to me and excitedly says, "I'm skilled enough to absorb my clothes after transforming, but you'll have to hold my weapons, Master."

    I hold them for her, and she turns around.

    Here comes the trademark of magic in this world: she starts to shine. Her skin turns black, and her armor disappears inside her body, then orange fur starts to grow everywhere and her limbs warp. In just a couple of seconds, she turns into a one-meter tall orange fox.

    Her big orange eyes look at me, then she opens her mouth and talks, but her jaw doesn't move, "Master, get on me, please." Seeing her speak like this is really weird.

    "Uhh… shouldn't we get a saddle?" I question.

    "There's no need; just grab my fur. This form is made of mana, so I don't feel pain."

    I shrug. "If you say so."

    I awkwardly mount her and delight myself with her incredibly soft and warm fur. I immediately notice that a big part of her body is pure fluffy fur and that she isn't very muscular.

    I nuzzle up to her neck and secure myself.

    Once I'm comfortable, she starts walking forward and explains, "I'll increase speed slowly, so tell me if it shakes too much."

    "Alright, let's go."

    Then she starts running, and I start to feel weird from the rhythmic swaying. She's fast, though, so it's really advantageous for us to move this way. I've never ridden a horse, so I need some time to learn how to deal with this.

    During the trip, I keep thinking about what to do with her skill points. She has six free points that I can assign, and that's kind of a lot.

    It's going to be hard to explain this ability to her, though. I can just use the "it's a secret" excuse, but this is kind of a big and weird secret because it seemingly violates the laws of the skill system. She could even think I'm a demi-god, or something, and I'm not comfortable with that.

    I think I'll lie to her, again. I'll look into the skill she wants to improve the most and slowly put those points there. It's just the less messy way, I believe.

    Well, I could just do whatever I want and shrug if she notices something wrong. It's not like she's going to assume I'm the one doing it. But I'll tell her the truth, one day… just not now.

    To test things, I put one point in [Enhanced Stamina].



    The landscape remains the same all the way: long plantations on one side of the road, and a small wall on the other with the Sea of Trees behind it. It's a rather calming trip through a soothing scenery.

    It takes us less than half the time to walk there, and we reach our target location a few hours before midday. We stop in front of the farm that was attacked, Woodwick Ranch.

    Alissa slows down and stops under the shade of a tree by the road, then I drop down, and she reverses the transformation. She graciously gets up from being on her fours and looks at me, then I notice her posture seems a little droopy from tiredness.

    I sit down on the roots and pull out the old sleeping bag beside me. I return her weapons to her, then she ties the sword and quiver to her waist and slings her bow over her shoulder.

    "Lay down here, please," I ask and pat the bag.

    "Thank you, Master," she diligently obeys.

    She's so polite. She's always thanking me, but it does make me a bit uncomfortable, though.

    "This is odd, I'm not as tired as I thought I'd be," she remarks and lays down.

    So she noticed.

    I pat her head, then she closes her eyes, and her tail twitches under her.

    "Is that so? Didn't you miscalculate the distance? Or perhaps just by sleeping with me you got stronger?" I suggest with a grin.

    She opens her eyes in surprise and stares at me.

    "That was a joke, my body is no miracle drug," I add flatly and snort.

    She awkwardly looks away for a moment. "Y-yes. That's not what I was thinking, though."

    "Then what were you thinking?"

    "It's what you said about being happy increases performance. It could be true."

    So she's actually happy, now? I'm glad.

    "Well, I wasn't lying," I tease her with a pout.

    Her face warps with fear. "I'm sorry! That wasn't what I meant. I wanted to say that I just noticed it for the first time."

    I chuckle at her, and she immediately pouts at my teasing. "It's okay, I understand," I whisper and pat her head faster.

    She calms down and closes her eyes again.



    She gets up after a good half-hour, fully recovered from our trip.

    "Oh? I got a new skill, [Enhanced Stamina]," she observes and knits her eyebrows in confusion.

    I hold back my grin and respond, "That's great. It means you can stay longer in your fox form right?"

    "Yes, precisely," she mumbles with a puzzled face.

    "Something wrong?"

    Her tail lazily sways. "It's just that it was too easy. Like 'Endurance,' these sort of skills are hard to come by."

    "Maybe you put more effort than you thought. I think you're a serious and hard worker, so this isn't unexpected for me." I give her shoulder an assuring squeeze.

    She shrinks her posture, feeling a bit shy, but her tail starts wagging.

    "Perhaps…" And her voice trails off while she looks into the distance.

    Now that she has a better [Sense Presence] than me, I decide to remove it along with [Mental Resistance] since there's no need for it here. I increase [Blessing Magic] to level ten so I can use [Swift Foot] to give us a boost in speed. I increase [Electric Magic] to five and [Mana Control] to one so I can use [Lightning Bolt] more effectively to stun the Oodogloo because it's likely to run away.

    My skills look like this:



    Wolf RyderSkill Report
    Physical
    Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel
    Sword Use6+2Dodge2+4Parry1+4
    Block2+4Shield Bash0+1
    Magical
    Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel
    Mana Efficiency3+0Mana Recovery3+0Reduced Mana Cost3+0
    Mana Control1+0Electric Magic5+0Nature Magic5+0
    Blessing Magic10+0
    Miscellaneous
    Skill NameLevel
    Andraste Language10+0Dismantling0+1
    OBS: Level means (free point)+(trained point)
    Now I need to explain my skills to Alissa, it's time to lie… again.

    "Alissa, strategy meeting. Time to tell you another secret," I call her attention, and she sits down again obediently. I clear my throat and continue, "I have a power that basically allows me to use all kinds of magic, but it takes time to switch between magic types, and I'm not exactly proficient in any of them."

    "Wow… that's amazing, Master," she innocently coos in wonder. "So, you're actually a genius magician."

    Not true, but it's convenient that you think like this, so I won't tell you otherwise.

    I awkwardly massage my neck. "Well, err… perhaps it is so. I just know it's something I'm capable of. But like I said, I'm not very proficient in magic in general. I'm a jack-of-all-trades, master of none."

    "'Jack-of-all-trades'?" She tilts her head. Her confused face is adorable.

    "An expression from my homeland, it means 'a person who can do anything,' but I'm not particularly good in any of them, therefore, I'm a 'master of none.'"

    "I see…" She nods in understanding.

    "Then, for this hunt, I'm going to use [Blessing Magic] and [Electric Magic]. I'll give us [Swift Foot], and when we meet the monster, I'll use [Lightning Bolt] to try to stun it. You just turn it into a pincushion."

    "Pin… cushion. Ah, with the arrows. Another reference, I think." She looks puzzled, then smiles faintly once she gets it.

    The pincushion isn't a thing yet?

    "Ready?" I ask.

    She gets up and hums confidently, "Yes, let's start looking for the monster."

    Since Alissa has [Sense Presence] and the bow, she'll be basically assassinating every monster while I kind of do nothing until the battle, but there's no way around it, that's how trackers work.

    Still, we're going to search the Sea of Trees during the day, so we could meet something that won't go down so easily. That's when I'll have to protect Alissa from getting into melee.

    I cast [Swift Foot] on both of us, and two-thirds of my mana disappear.



    We'll search the Sea of Trees for the Oodoogloo during the day while it sleeps, then we'll return to the farm to protect the livestock when the night falls.

    This monster is the annoying kind that preys on large animals, but it isn't smart, just cowardly. It attacks the farms at random, so finding it before it leaves its nest is a better option than waiting for the night to come.

    I bought a small compass, which will help with navigation, but we're basically going to wander around until Alissa catches its trail. If a farm gets attacked tonight, then it might leave tracks for us to follow, but the reward will drop a bit if it kills anything, so we don't want to rely on that.

    As we make our way into the Sea of Trees, a familiar scenery appears before me: huge trees, damp air, dark atmosphere, unfamiliar fruits, gigantic entwining roots, hanging vines everywhere, and random patches of weirdly colored trees. I'm surprised there aren't more insects here considering how warm and wet this place is. Thank god for the Japanese devs who must hate bugs.

    I lead the way with the compass, and we go directly west, deep into the forest.



    After half an hour of walking, Alissa stops me. "Something is coming. Two small monsters," she whispers soberly.

    We hide and wait for them to get into visual range, then Alissa ID's them: two lightly armored goblins. They have leather jackets, loincloths, a stone-tipped spear, and a crude wooden shield.

    I give the order, "Fire at will. I'll block the second one if it reaches us."

    She nods vigorously. "Understood." Then she gets up and fires two quick arrows.

    Both goblins silently die with an arrow between their eyes before they can even react.

    "Well…" I shrug and smile wryly.

    I collect their ears and return to her.

    "Likely scouts. There could be a small group camping nearby," Alissa guesses.

    "Let's not get close to their camp."

    "Understood."

    Her demeanor has become as serious as when she was training, and I guess it's because she's fulfilling her "duty."

    We move west again, and only a few minutes later, we have our second encounter. This time, there are three enemies coming, fast.

    Alissa doesn't recognize what they are, and she doesn't believe they've detected us, but our paths are going to cross, and they're too close to safely avoid.

    I decide to ambush them, so I'll get the one on the right, and Alissa will try to quickly kill the two on the left.

    We patiently wait for them to approach, and I start to hear the pitter-patter of multiple small feet scurrying closer to us.

    Alissa gives me the signal, then we spring out of our hiding spot and attack. Our enemies are three Mossy Fangpines.

    I immediately cast [Lightning Bolt] at the first Fangpine, and the second receives an arrow on its head. A second arrow immediately flies towards the third Fangpine, but it's way too agile and manages to dodge, then it charges towards us.

    I cast another [Lightning Bolt] at the stunned Fangpine, then an arrow sinks into its forehead and it dies.

    I prepare myself to receive the charging monster. With my sword hiding behind my shield, I wait until the last moment, then I thrust.

    The Fangpine is stupid and jumps into my sword, which sinks into its body, then it falls on my shield and I nearly lose my footing.

    It starts to wriggle wildly, so I cast a [Lightning Bolt] with my shield hand right at its face and it goes limp, then I use my shield to push it off from my sword.

    It falls on the ground with a thud, but it doesn't get up.

    "Dead. You must've pierced its heart," Alissa comments.

    "Lucky strike, I guess," I respond nervously.

    "Perhaps… you could use a spear?" She suggests tentatively.

    I scratch my head. "Perhaps… I feel a bit more comfortable with the sword, though."

    She gives me a rather pitying look. "Your sword has a small reach, and I don't think you have the 'Strength' to use anything bigger."

    I feel like pouting, but I hold it back.

    I'm working on it.

    The Fangpines are valuable, but their price varies depending on the stocks of ingredients for the alchemists or meat for the restaurants. So far, I haven't seen their meat being sold, so maybe the stocks are low.

    "They must've sensed the goblins' deaths," Alissa speculates.

    "Then let's change our direction. Let's move towards the north a little."

    I collect all of their bodies and we move on.



    There are no encounters for another hour, so we decide to have lunch early.

    I spread a large cloth over the ground, and we sit down on it.

    Our meal is a bean paste and Rabid Rabbit meat sandwich on a not-baguette. Unfortunately, the crust is not as crunchy as I'd like, but at least it doesn't make a mess. I forgot to buy fruit for juice or to even bring tea, so the meal is kind of boring.

    "Next time, we should buy tea," I mutter.

    Her ears twitch and her tail wags. "Oh? You like tea? You didn't tell me."

    I smile awkwardly. "I forgot…"

    My mind was too busy with abusing your body.



    After our meal, I cast [Wind Armor] on both of us and [Sharp Blades] on myself. After the next break, I'll cast [Sharp Blades] on her. It's kind of annoying that I don't have enough MP to cast all my [Blessing Magic] in one go, but that can only be solved with more training.

    We get up and move southwest since there's not much sense in going north too far. The Oodogloo nests deep in the forest during the day, but it's not smart enough to move diagonally to purposely avoid those chasing him.

    We walk for another half hour before Alissa detects the next enemy.

    "This one is large. I don't think it's a Grey Berserker, but I don't know what it is," she reports.

    "Then let's observe."

    Alissa leads ten meters in front because I don't have [Quiet Steps].

    She makes the signal for me to stop, then sneaks ahead, circling a large root. She sights our target, then comes back to report.

    "It's a Young Ogre."

    A threat level 4 monster. It's capable of wiping a squad of soldiers, but we should be able to deal with him if we follow proper tactics. A simple plan is the most powerful power multiplier.

    They're becoming a common sight after the culling, it seems, and this must be why their leather is cheap. The new monster is emigrating into the empty territory. They'll likely remain a common encounter until the next culling.

    I store my shield inside my "Items" and give up on using a spear. Neither of these will be useful in this fight.

    "Standard formation. For your first arrow, aim for the eye," I order, and she nods in acknowledgment.

    Our "standard formation" is her being the damage dealer while I'm the bait and controller. She'll fire the first arrow, then I'll cast [Lightning Bolt] repeatedly and keep it busy while she aims for the vitals.

    She sneaks towards it again without making a single sound, then she draws her bow and releases.

    "UGOOOOH!" The ogre's scream makes the trees tremble. If this is a young one, then the adult will cause an earthquake.

    It rushes from behind the root with an arrow sticking out of its right eye. I observe it and wait until it gets into range.

    The ogre is a two meters tall red-brown skinned humanoid with ridiculously thick arms, legs, and a six-pack that makes bodybuilders jealous. He's bald and his face is round, flat, and deformed, making him look like a cartoon character that hit a wall.

    He's especially resistant against blunt force attacks, but his vulnerability is slashing and bleeding to death. His body is very thick, so he's not fast or dexterous. For me, the best strategy is to just avoid him and counterattack by slashing whenever an opening appears.

    Alissa runs past me and stops a few dozen meters away, then carefully aims her arrows. Even for proto-Legolas, she can't hit the eyes of a moving target, so she's aiming for the neck. The other vulnerable spot would be the groin, but I'm in the way, so the neck it is.

    I try to ignore it, but it's impossible, he's way too tall. The worst thing about this monster is that it's naked. A long, dangling, disgusting thing sways threateningly almost at eye-level as it comes towards me. Fuck this world.

    With [Mana Control], I can put a little more or less mana into the spell and control the discharge for a second or two, so I charge up the stronger version of [Lightning Bolt] while wrinkling my nose in disgust.

    I release it, and the Ogre grunts, then decrease his speed a little. It's subtle, but I noticed that the bolt is stronger.

    I cast it again, and his speed reduces even more, falling to more manageable levels.

    Because of my spells, he ignores Alissa, and focuses solely on me. He gets into melee range and tries to kick, but I jump sideways and slash his leg, drawing blood.

    He growls, then tries to do a sweep with his arm. I duck, and an arrow appears on his neck.

    Another kick with the other leg, another dodge and a slash.

    He tries to smash downwards with both hands held together, and this time, I dodge further away to get out of counterattack range.

    Once his hands hit the ground, a second arrow appears next to the first.

    I dash towards his blind eye, and he loses sight of me for a second. That's enough of an opening, so I charge forward and slash his flank.

    I immediately run away, and he sluggishly turns towards me.

    I realize this is not a good position for Alissa since the back of his neck and head are more protected than the front due to his spinal bones and thick skull. Ogres are built like tanks, it seems.

    I stop and let him approach, then he tries to do an arm sweep again. Since I'm further away this time, I easily dodge and counter with a horizontal sweeping slash.

    My sword sinks into his left forearm, opening a huge wound, but it's almost ripped from my hand as he yanks his arm away. I'm not sure I should do this again.

    He growls even harder, and now things might amp up in difficulty. Like the Grey Berserker, he becomes faster the angrier he gets.

    I circle him to give Alissa a good angle again. He remains in place while sluggishly turning, then a third arrow appears on his neck, and a considerable trickle of blood starts to seep from his wounds.

    I cast Bolt again, and he twitches in pain. It's enough of an opening for a fourth arrow.

    "UGOO-BLEH!" He tries to shout while punching but coughs.

    His punch comes too slow and sloppy, so he gets another deep cut on his other arm. The blood starts pouring faster than the other wounds, so perhaps I cut a large vein or something?

    I need lessons in anatomy.

    He protects his neck with his right arm and glares at me hatefully.

    It's kind of late now, you dumbass.

    Alissa can't act, but now his actions are more limited.

    He sweeps with his arm, using the back of his hand, and it creates a huge opening. I jump forward and cut near his armpit, drawing a spurt of blood.

    He kicks me in response, but the angle is awkward for him. I twist my body and block with my sword. The force of his kick nearly makes me trip, but I jump backward and recover.

    He becomes cautious and stops attacking.

    I cut his leg once and start to circle him.

    After a few laps, he sways slightly, seemingly becoming dizzy. I must've cut something important, so I'll just wait for now.

    After a minute or so, his skin gets covered with vibrant blood. His punching arm slows down to a laughable speed, and his kicks completely lose accuracy. His body starts to sway heavily, and he becomes out of breath.

    Then he finally falls on his ass. He's near death, but his eyes still spell anger instead of fear.

    An arrow pokes his last eye.

    "Ugooo…!" He lets out a weak scream.

    I jump forward and slash his neck where his thick fingers aren't covering. A large amount of blood pours, and then he falls on his back.

    We wait another minute in silence.

    "He's dead," Alissa finally announces.

    That was fucking brutal.

    As the adrenaline runs out, I start to get very anguished at the sight in front of my eyes. I clean my blade and quickly put his body on my "Items," Then I look away from the large pool of blood.

    "Let's move, quickly," I order, and we jog away from here.



    "Master, we shouldn't encounter anything this far…" Alissa points out, and I stop. She walks closer to me and lands a hand on my shoulder. "May I ask you a question?" She requests soberly.

    I turn around to face her and reply hesitantly, "Y-yes, what is it?"

    Her serious gaze turns to concern and worry. "Are you okay? Your expression changed, and your face is much darker now."

    I look away from her and stay silent.

    "Are you tired? Let's rest," she tries to comfort me.

    "No, it's… not that…" I mumble tiredly.

    "Then what is it?"

    "I just..." I sigh and frown. I just don't want to admit this, but I also don't feel like forcing her to stop probing my feelings. "I feel bad about the ogre we killed."

    "What?" She asks with a deliberate gentle tone to not hurt my feelings.

    "He looked too human, and I didn't want to make him suffer."

    "But he was a monster."

    "Still…" Another sigh escapes me. I didn't want to say it like this, but I have to now. I face her and confess, "My homeland was too peaceful, so I didn't have to fight there. I'm not used to seeing so much blood, to hear the death cries of things, of… living beings that look so human. It makes me feel sick and guilty."

    She stays silent as she reflects deeply on my words, but her gaze is still gentle and reassuring.

    After a few moments, she suddenly pulls me into a hug and whispers into my ear, "That's okay, Master. Forgive me for saying this, but I'll selfishly ask for you to continue being the way you are even if it makes you suffer. I think that the realm needs people like you, someone with a truly kind and merciful heart. I'll support you, I'll help you, I'll heal you, and I'll give you my all just so you can continue being like this."

    That was completely unexpected, and I don't know how to answer, so I just remain still.

    Aren't you naive? How long have you known me? It's been just a few days. No matter how close we are, or if we had sex or not, it's just not enough time for you to say things like that.

    But still… I want to believe this. I tried to throw away what held me back, but some things are harder than others. I needed someone to support and love me, so I changed, but now I want to keep this part of my humanity.

    I want to believe that she's right… No, I will believe in her.

    I hug her back and rest my head against her shoulder. I must not cry.



    After a few minutes, I start to feel better and awkwardly break the hug. She lets me go with a slightly smug but still adorable smile.

    I clear my throat and propose, "Let's go back. It's still early, but we should take another less direct route, so it'll take more time."

    "Understood. Please rely on me more, Master," she obediently responds, then clenches her fist over her chest.

    I nod and smile.



    We move southeast with a gentle jog.

    [Swift Foot] is a really nice spell. It lets us walk almost effortlessly, so we can maintain this pace for a long time. Even in this forest full of roots and bushes, we quickly cross the obstacles without any problem.

    Then Alissa gets another hit.

    "Four goblins," she reports.

    I knit my eyebrows in worry. "Hmm… they're increasing in number."

    "Perhaps there's a nest nearby?" She supposes again.

    "Let's observe them."

    We get closer so we reach visual range, and we see four fully armored goblins. Two use spears, and two use swords, but all have shields.

    I don't feel comfortable using a spear against shields while outnumbered…

    They seem very aware of their surroundings, but since we're hidden in the bushes, they can't detect us. They cautiously explore forward at a very slow pace.

    "They look awfully intelligent," I comment.

    Are they searching for something?

    "You think you can kill two if we ambush?" I whisper.

    She matches my volume, "Unlikely; they're alert for something. One is guaranteed, the other I'm not so sure."

    "We'll sync our attacks. You kill the one on the right, and I use a Bolt on the one on the left. It might stun it long enough for you to fire another arrow."

    "I'll use [Muscle Explosion], but I can't use it repeatedly."

    "It's alright. I'll be bait, and once the first strike is launched, you sneak around them until you have a shot. When I remove my hand from your shoulder, we attack."

    She responds with a steady and unwavering voice, "Understood."

    I charge the spell, then I get up and let it loose as I take my hand off her shoulder, and the forest resounds with the roar of the thunder.

    The first goblin doesn't even react, it gets hit by lightning and its body locks in place for a moment, then the other goblin falls with an arrow through its temple.

    The stunned goblin raises its shield to defend itself, then the brim touches the shaft of the arrow stuck through its face. It's already dead.

    The two sword goblins hide behind their shields. They're teardrop-shaped and taller than mine, and with a goblin's small stature, they can easily cover their entire bodies with it.

    I get in the open and wait for the goblins to come, then Alissa starts sneaking around them.

    Since they're not charging forward, I have time to cast [Lightning Bolt] again. The left goblin twitches and groans, but it doesn't fall. It's likely that the shield reduced the damage to its body.

    Suddenly, the right goblin falls with an arrow poking out of its forehead. The last goblin notices it, then turns towards where the arrow came from. That's enough of a distraction; I charge forward.

    I thrust towards the goblin, but it suddenly reacts and blocks, then counters. Our shields and swords get tangled in a messy battle, but we're both too cautious to score a hit on the other.

    It growls and gets into a rage, then wildly tries to stab me.

    Its ferocity gives me pause, and I fight defensively, but I keep it occupied so it doesn't notice Alissa.

    The goblin is smaller than me, so when it foolishly decides to hide its eyes behind the shield to dodge my attack, I follow with a kick, and it staggers backward.

    Its eyes lock with mine, then an arrow sinks into its temple. It winces for a second, then it goes limp and falls down.

    Alissa comes back, and we inspect the bodies.

    They may be armored, but it's all shitty, old, and tattered. The weapons must've been pillaged from some adventurers because they look relatively new, so they might be worth something. I grab the weapons and shields, then I cut the ears from the goblins and move towards Alissa.

    "Honestly, we make a pretty good team," I happily comment.

    She smiles faintly, but she sends me a worried look. "I'd prefer it if you weren't used as bait. We need another companion to act as the front line, Master. Preferably a spearman."

    "Yeah, well…" I shrug.

    She's not wrong. I don't really have the stats to be front line, it's just that I don't have the money. I used it all on her and her equipment, but I don't regret it, though.



    We keep moving forward and meet two other duos of goblins. The first duo one isn't alert, so Alissa kills them both with ease, but the second one is, and it takes a bit more effort. By that I mean I shoot lightning twice, stunning them long enough for Alissa to finish the job.

    If you don't have a shield, you're fucked against Alissa.

    Then we meet a group of four Mossy Fangpines. They aren't coming directly towards us, so this means that the anti-odor powder is working. But perhaps they're searching for the trail of blood we're leaving behind us?

    Killing monsters attracts more monsters, so being a good hunter takes a lot more than just winning the battle. You also have to survive the following encounters.

    I start debating whether or not to fight them when Alissa gets another hit: another two-meters tall Young Ogre.

    "Now, we wait. They aren't going to get too close to us, right?" I question.

    She nods and agrees, "Yes, we'll be safe if we wait here. No need to endanger ourselves unnecessarily."

    The two monsters end up meeting, and something interesting happens: the Fangpines attack the Ogre. We decide to move a bit closer so we can see.

    With his back against a huge tree, a red-brown ogre swings his arm around while fast and small monsters dash all around him.

    "Wow, can they really kill him?" I wonder.

    Alissa whispers in a teaching tone, "If they can avoid getting crushed, they can certainly poison him slowly until he dies."

    "Hm…" I rub my chin in thought as a dirty idea enters my mind. "Let's third-party this fight."

    "'Third-party'?"

    I scratch my head awkwardly. "Erm… Let's wait until the ogre is almost dead, then we jump in and kill the Fangpines."

    Alissa nods, content. "Oh, I see. Yes, that sounds like a good idea."

    "I want the Experience more than anything, so we need to be near the Ogre when it dies by the Fangpines."

    Her expression instantly turns serious. "I see. Once he starts to move slower, we should get closer and prepare for the ambush. I'll warn you once his movement pattern changes."

    "Alright," I agree and nod. Alissa has better eyesight, so she'll be able to notice this detail easily.

    The fight takes a while. The Ogre gets bitten multiple times, but he just can't catch the Fangpines as they're smart enough to let go before they're crushed. I see the ogre growing hair all over its body. It's stiff, slightly green hair, the spikes from the Fangpines.

    The fight could be said to be entertaining if I was into blood sports. The orc is surrounded, and the Fangpines maintain a continuous attack towards his blind spots. The small monsters get plenty of close calls, but none of them get hit even once, a testament to their nimbleness.

    The ogre stops trying to punch and kick them, then he tries to grab their heads when they come for a bite.

    "The Fangpines are salivating, I think they're starving," Alissa comments.

    Makes sense. The culling removed food sources, and the ogres are the ones who are moving in, so they became the new targets of the predators here. Though a huge monster like an ogre becoming "prey" seems "wrong," somehow.

    Suddenly, the Ogre stomps behind him, and the head of a Fangpine becomes mush.

    "Oh!" Alissa whispers in surprise.

    The Ogre managed to predict the attack, but I think it was pure luck.

    "The rest of the body is still valuable, so it's a good thing that it was only the head," I remark.

    It takes around ten minutes, but the Ogre's movements finally start to slow down.

    "It's time," Alissa reports.

    We sneak forward, and I manage to catch a better view of the battle. I can finally see the Fangpines, and they're all out of breath and salivating.

    Just how much saliva can they produce?

    "You take the one on the right, and I'll stun the one on the left. Same thing, hand on shoulder," I order, and she nods obediently.

    The ogre falls to his knees, then I charge my spell, get up, and take my hand off her shoulder.

    Thunder roars through the forest again, then a Fangpine rolls on the ground as smoke comes out of his body, and another dies with an arrow through its eye. The last one turns around and charges towards me without hesitation.

    Really vicious, these pieces of shit.

    The monster jumps towards me, and I skewer it with my crude goblin spear. The body falls heavily on me, but I can deal with it, just barely.

    With a grunt of effort, I throw the spear, and it falls a few meters away. While it writhes in agony, an arrow sinks into its throat.

    It screams like a wounded dog and writhes, then I draw my sword and dash forward.

    The zapped Fangpine weakly gets up, then an arrow ends its life.

    I kneel and stab down, and my sword sinks into the Fangpine's head, ending its life.

    I immediately get up and dislodge my sword, then I turn around and see that the ogre is still on his knees, but his eyes can barely maintain focus.

    "Ugoo~..." He lets out a faint moan.

    I dash and slash his neck. He doesn't even resist, and I open a deep wound that lets a stream of blood pour out.

    He falls on his back, then he dies after a minute.

    "You're now level 11."

    I collect the ogre and Fangpines.

    "I leveled up," I dryly say.

    Alissa grabs my hand and reassures me, "That's good. Our plan was perfect."

    "Indeed," I whisper and smile, trying to remove the image of the dying ogre from my mind. "Let's move. I have something to think about, so I'll just follow you."

    "Understood, Master," she obediently responds and takes the lead.



    My skills are like this now:

    Wolf RyderSkill Report
    Physical
    Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel
    Sword Use6+2Dodge2+4Parry1+4
    Block2+4Shield Bash0+1
    Magical
    Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel
    Mana Efficiency4+0Mana Recovery3+0Reduced Mana Cost3+0
    Mana Control4+0Electric Magic5+0Nature Magic5+0
    Blessing Magic10+0
    Miscellaneous
    Skill NameLevel
    Andraste Language10+0Dismantling0+1
    OBS: Level means (free point)+(trained point)
    The next level, I'm increasing my melee skills. Possibly [Block] and [Sword Use].

    We're past half the way back, so we turn towards the north-east. We're likely to exit the forest near our point of entry this way.

    The trees slowly thin out, and no more encounters are found, then we exit the forest.

    "I think we're a few minutes south of the farm," Alissa estimates.

    "Yeah, let's just go north along the road."

    "Want to ride me again?" Alissa suggests with an innocent smile.

    "No man will ever say no to that," I reply and smirk mischievously.

    She takes a moment to understand, then she starts blushing. "What…? Ah, M-Master!"

    I shrug. "You set yourself up, don't blame me for easy pickings."

    She whimpers softly and pouts.

    "Let's go," she mumbles embarrassedly and transforms into a fox.



    The farms are surprisingly orderly, so there's always a sign telling their names, and a road leading to the manor, making it easy to find the house of our employers.

    We find the sign for the Woodwick Ranch, then Alissa enters the trail towards the manor. It's made of packed dirt, so Alissa kicks up some dust.

    The large golden plantations of something similar to wheat pass by our sides in a blur as Alissa dashes down the road. Moments like these remind me of road trips, making me feel nostalgic.

    After a few minutes, we reach the manor. The plantation opens up, and I see a large blue and purple three-story house. It's timber-framed with purple beams and blue stone, which is a rather odd choice of color. The stones and the logs aren't painted, so perhaps they're found in the valley north of here.

    A large grass garden surrounds the house, and I see a not-apple tree with a swing and a clothesline at the front; far behind the house, there's an enclosure where the livestock grazes; like a golden wall, the plantations surround all sides of this open field.

    We make our way towards the porch, where a pale old man in simple clothes is dozing off.

    He hears Alissa's footsteps, and opens his eyes, then jumps out of his cushioned chair from the odd sight of a large fox being ridden by a young boy quickly approaching.

    "Oooh! Oh…? OH!" The man lets out multiple sounds as his brain processes what his eyes see. "YOU BE THE HIRED HUNTERS!?" He yells excitedly.

    Why yell? We are coming, so just wait for us to get near.

    Alissa slows down near the porch, then I dismount.

    I clear my throat and serenely greet him, "Yes, we're the Helios fellowship."

    The guild has a variety of ways of contacting people when someone accepts a request. Like magic stones, spirit messaging, telepathy, summons, and many others. Depends on the price paid.

    Our employers chose a homing carrier-pigeon, so they should've gotten word of us an hour or two after we accepted their request. We could've reached this place faster than the pigeon if we came directly without searching the forest, though.

    Alissa transforms back and I return her weapons.

    The old man grins and laughs excitedly, "Ohohoho. How nice, a wereanimal. Impressive, too…" -His excitement suddenly fades and he clears his throat awkwardly- "Erm, anyway, you're here to spend the night, right?"

    I nod and politely answer, "Yes. We were roaming the Sea of Trees, but we didn't find the Oodogloo."

    He clicks his tongue. "That would be some damn luck if you found it like that, but did you find anything interesting, instead?"

    "Two Young Ogres and a bunch of goblins. There might be a goblins' nest nearby because we found a squad of four that were well-armed and intelligent."

    He claps his hands and scowls. "AH! The little shits made another nest! You're going to report this to the guild right?"

    I twitch and almost recoil from his overly-energetic demeanor. "Yeah, but only tomorrow."

    He waves his arm dismissively. "Eh, that's fine. We can find a passing traveler to send word or something." Then he goes inside the house, and a scream suddenly booms through the entire house, "OI, BELTA! THE WHACKERS ARE HERE!"

    "I HEAR YE!" A female voice screams back.

    I knit my eyebrows and whisper to Alissa, "Whackers?"

    She obediently instructs me with her teaching tone, "Slang. Farmers always have to keep hiring hunters to kill pests that come back all the time, so they started calling it 'whacking' monsters instead of 'exterminating' them." She shrugs.

    A chubby, round-faced, and well-tanned woman appears. Then we see a girl which is a mini version of the woman and a pale-faced boy coyly hiding behind the stairs.

    The woman smiles brightly and greets, "Ah, welcome. You must be the Helios duo, am I right?"

    "Yes, that's us." I nod respectfully.

    She motions for us to come in and returns the nod. "Enter, please. I'll make you some tea and we can wait until my husband comes back. He's at the nearby farms sending word you came."

    The Oodogloo might attack a random farm, so the man must be warning the other farms to come here if the monster appears tonight. They'll likely stand guard all night, waiting for it.

    Belta lays out for us a simple weak tea with a little bit of sugar and some simple nice cookies. Alissa gracefully eats the snacks, showing more class than I do, and making me feel like a smelly adventurer. The tea and cookies are pretty good, though, so they're worth the awkwardness.

    As we tell the woman of our small survey of the forest, a small, wide, and pale man suddenly comes in. He seems to be a man of excess. Excess black hair on his head, excess hair on his chin, excess fat in his belly, and excess muscles in his arms. I see a shortsword hanging on his waist, which should be enough to keep the usual naked goblin away, but not much else.

    He doesn't want to make small talk, so we immediately discuss the simple plan for the night. We'll stand guard near the livestock and sleep in turns. The other farms have a bell alarm system, so when the monster is sighted, they'll sound the alarm. The monster will run from the alarm, but since we have a tracker, we can follow its trail.

    Then we continue our tale of the expedition until dusk comes. The woman lends her bathtub to us, and we're very thankful for that since bucket baths are quite awful, then she invites us for dinner, and we fill our bellies with a simple but tasty meal. After that, we leave the house to stand guard.



    I look up into the night sky and get stunned at the sight. I see a giant moon with a storm of colors raging all over its surface. Each blotch of color is in constant movement, changing every few seconds to another random color. They create waves and crash against each other, causing ripples upon ripples, like a lake's surface under the rain.

    Then I notice seven smaller moons, each a different color of the rainbow, orbiting the bigger moon at a visible speed. They seem to make a full turn every minute, which is blindingly fast for a celestial body.

    Are they even actual moons?

    "Hm? What is it, Master?" Alissa curiously whispers.

    Just what the fuck is this? Why a rainbow? Why is the moon… moons so different from the sun? I slept two days under the night sky and didn't even notice this? Oh, yeah, it was cloudy…

    "I'm just wondering why is the sun so simple and the moons so colorful," I casually lie.

    She laughs girlishly. "What kind of thoughts are you having? The sun is the same as the moons, but he gives us light instead of life."

    I blink repeatedly in surprise and look at her. "Wait, what? Remember, I'm very ignorant about things."

    Her ears go flat and her posture shrinks shyly. "Oh, I'm sorry, Master." -She quickly recomposes herself and assumes her teaching tone again- "Well, scholars have found that the sun looks the same as the moons. The God of the Sun gives us light to work during the day, but with that, we can't see him properly. The Goddess of the Moons gives us a blessing that replenishes our life, increasing our HP and MP recovery during the night. This is why we sleep when she's watching over us: it's so our recovery is even greater."

    Well, at least it ain't just some boring old rock.

    I look back at the moon and imagine what an acid trip would be to land there. "But why does the moon look like this storm of color, and why are these seven smaller moons orbiting it?"

    "That is the Goddess' avatar in our realm. We don't know exactly why it looks like this, and it's said that we can't really understand something that is above our existence. I think I heard that the smaller moons and colors are said to represent 'aspects' of the god. What 'aspects' are, I don't know, so you should ask a priest." She shrugs.

    I'll need some time to process this, so I motion for us to keep moving.

    The livestock grazing area covers a large corner of the backyard, and we set up camp as far as we can from it so Alissa doesn't suffer from the smell. Her nose is quite sensitive.

    I tell her that I'll switch [Blessing Magic] for [Summoning Magic], then I put ten points in it.

    The spells of this magic school give me a ball of light that I can throw to summon things, so it kind of feels like I'm using pocket monsters. If I put a little more "effort" in summoning when I press the "cast" button inside my mind, I can instantly call a summon in a small radius around me.

    I press the [Summon Dog] spell in my mind, then force a German Shepherd to appear beside me, and Alissa coos in wonder and claps.

    With that, half of my MP is consumed and my max MP is reduced by one fourth. This is quite an improvement in comparison to the bird I summoned for the first time.

    I keep the dog's hearing sense, and tell it to patrol the farms in search of the Oodogloo's scent, which is ammonia. If it finds the monster, then it should bark for a while to warn me and the farms, and also chase after it if it runs away.

    I take the first watch and put down an hourglass. It'll mark one hour, and once I turn it three times, I'll switch with Alissa. It's kinda sad to see her sleep alone, but it'll be even sadder when it's my turn.

    My watch goes without a problem, and I practice my [Mana Control] while staring at the moons, then I wake up Alissa and switch with her.

    This tent is cold, not physically, but it makes my heart feel cold. I just want to sleep hugging my cute fox.



    I wake up to the sound of angry barking. Through my dog's eyes, I can see it staring intensely at some weird, black humanoid outline frozen in fear. The dog's vision is monochrome and poor, but there's no mistaking it, that's the Oodogloo.

    "Alissa! The dog!" I exclaim.

    She's in front of the tent, maintaining my sword, and she immediately stores the oil in her [Item Box], then hands me our weapons and turns into a fox.

    In a hurry, I sheath my sword, strap on my shield, store the tent and sleeping bag on my "Items," grab her equipment, and mount her.

    "To the Jolly Ranch!" I command, and she darts forward.

    Even though Alissa can see well in the moonlight, I can't, so I add one point to [Light Magic] and cast [Spirit Light]. A small, light-blue, glowing ball appears above my head and illuminates the whole field with eerie colored light.

    This color really makes me feel like it's a "spirit" light.

    A minute later, Alissa casts her own [Spirit Light], but hers is white, and it reduces the spooky air caused by mine.

    The dog stops barking, and I start to hear the bells being rung from the farmhouses.

    I cut the hearing sense, then I turn on the olfact, and I immediately sense the ammonia.

    Suddenly, the shape turns away and runs into the plantation. The dog gives chase but keeps its distance.

    I take my melee skills off and put them on [Blessing Magic], then I cast [Swift Foot] on Alissa, and she speeds up a lot. We fly through the dirt roads between the plantations as she runs with the wind.

    She shakes so much that it becomes rather uncomfortable for me, but the trip only lasts a few minutes, and we reach our destination.

    The bells all around the neighboring farms quickly reach full blast, creating a painfully loud cacophony.

    Like a fellowship bond, I know at all times the direction and distance my summoned dog is, so I guide Alissa into the plantation.

    "I got his scent!" She suddenly announces.

    It's a bad idea to fight it in the middle of the plantation, so we slow down and wait until it enters another open field.

    I switch my points back into combat mode. I also won't be able to use the spear this time, not unless I want the Oodogloo to use a tentacle to steal it from my hands and use it against me.

    After a minute of painfully running through the middle of the plantation, we enter another backyard. We can see another manor to the side and a dark humanoid figure awkwardly running away with the dog chasing a few meters away.

    I dismiss the summon and see it instantly turn into a cloud of smoke that completely disappears in a few seconds, then I cast [Lightning Bolt] at the Oodogloo and hit its back.

    The figure falls, then Alissa slows down and keeps her distance.

    Not yet.

    The figure gets up and starts to run away. I cast [Lightning Bolt] again, now with the full power of level three [Mana Control]. The figure falls again, but it doesn't get up, and its shape starts to melt.

    "Now!" I give the signal.

    Alissa stops and I dismount, then put her equipment on the ground.

    As she shifts back to humanoid, I unsheathe my sword and jog towards the enemy.

    I hear a commotion near the manor, but I ignore it. They won't help us because they could get in the way, so they just leave it to the "pros." The farmhands can deal with the occasional naked goblin, but this monster is way above their level.

    I cast [Lightning Bolt] again to provoke it, then the now unidentified black mass comes in our direction.

    "OOOOO...duh… GLOOOOO!" It lets out a long and dull scream.

    This sound is what gave it its name. This ridiculous slime who wishes to be human tries to imitate our vocal cords, but it can only let out this silly sound. It runs away whenever it sees an enemy, but can it be enraged if provoked repeatedly, then it loses its human form and attacks with the bones it has inside.

    The slime reaches our Lights, and we see its transparent gooey mass sliding forward at a frightening speed. An amalgamation of human bones floats inside it, constantly moving in a wild storm, reflecting the slime's mood.

    An arrow sinks into the slime with a watery "thunk" sound.

    I cast [Lightning Bolt] again and it convulses wildly, stopping its advance for a second. Another two arrows enter it, and the slime starts losing liquid like a leaky water balloon.

    A tentacle shoots out like a bullet, and I block it with my shield, then my shield resonates loudly. Its attacks are tough like a hammer strike.

    I counter with a slash but it whiffs, the slime is just too fast.

    I dodge a few smaller and slower tentacles, then a third and a fourth arrow creates more places for it to leak.

    I see a thick tentacle is forming, telegraphing a massive attack. I grit my teeth and charge [Lightning Bolt].

    The next moment, a huge tentacle flies towards me, and I release my Bolt. The shield resonates again and I stumble backward as my shoulder flares with pain.

    I steady my feet, then I jump forward and chop without even looking.

    My sword sinks into the huge, convulsing tentacle and splits it in two, then a large amount of liquid and a variety of human bones drop from the wound.

    It uses a mass of bones like a sledgehammer, while the small, pointy ones are used as piercing weapons. Fortunately, the small tentacles aren't as powerful as the large one.

    Grievously wounded, the slime tries to run. It's leaking water from everywhere, and Alissa continues free-firing, increasing the number of holes.

    I cast a short [Lightning Bolt], stunning it again, and I take the opportunity to attack.

    I slash open an even bigger wound than the one before, then its whole body wriggles in panic, and an uncountable number of little tentacles appear on the surface of the slime.

    I dive backward and the tentacles absolutely fill the area where I just was.

    I immediately get up and start retreating, keeping my distance from it.

    The slime tries to chase, but it has lost too much water, and its surface has become wrinkly, greatly reducing its speed.

    For the next half minute, it tries a desperate last effort to hurt me, but it has trouble moving due to the number of arrows poking out of its entire body.

    The tentacles lose power and speed, then the slime finally stops moving.

    Everything becomes completely silent as the bells stop ringing, then I see seven heads peeking out of the windows of the manor.

    "Fuck yeah! It's dead!" I cheer and throw my arms up.

    Alissa laughs girlishly, then I hear cheering from the manor.



    We collect the bones and the remaining slime skin, then we give a short greeting to the family inside the manor, and the man of the house gives me a bottle of wine as thanks for dealing with this pesky monster. I don't drink, but Alissa whispers for me to accept it, so I try to do it graciously.

    Then we leave and return to the manor of our contractor. Belta is ecstatic, and her husband gives me a painful pat on the back then laughs with a booming voice. Alissa squirms from seeing my pain but says nothing this time.

    They let us stay the night in the guest room, which has two single beds, but we can't stand to sleep separately anymore, so we crowd on a single one. It's a little hot and cramped, but we manage to fit in.

    "Honestly, I don't see any problem with our teamwork. We do well together," I comment.

    "Aside from you being in the front," Alissa responds worriedly. "I can see you struggling to defend against the monsters' attacks. No shield-bearer should struggle so much."

    I awkwardly massage my neck."Well… I'd already decided to train my body and skills more. With this reward, we can spend a good time training without worrying about hunting monsters. Also, I'll level up soon, and that should help a lot."

    Alissa pouts and retorts. "Still, I don't think I'll ever be comfortable with you in the front line. Your talent is magic, so you shouldn't need to spend so much time training melee." She lazily traces her finger on my chest as she talks.

    I smile warmly at her. "Your concern makes me happy, but my real advantage is versatility. We just have to hold on and be careful for a while longer," I reassure her and kiss her nose.

    "A while longer…" She repeats, then she kisses my lips lightly.

    After some light kissing, she breaks it and turns her face away.

    "What is it?" I ask.

    "Hm…" She pouts again, and I see her tail is swaying.

    She stays silent for a few seconds, then she moves down, below the covers. I feel my pants going down, then something warm and wet wraps around my dick.

    She's really good at this, so I don't last long again.



    Intermission 1



    Now I'm sure that Master is someone special. He's a kind and calm, but a completely different person in bed; he has the knowledge and curiosity of a child, but the wisdom of someone much older; he has mercy and compassion for monsters, but the resolve to keep fighting. Those aren't things you find among the common man, but those are things that must be protected.

    Master is alone, that much I'm sure, but I'll do what I can to fill that hole. I'm already happy enough that he depends on me in battle and in bed, but I'll show him I can do much more. Even though I know he's letting out his lust on me, I'm content with being able to help with this. Once the lust subsides, his heart will be ready for a deeper bond with mine.

    He tries to look collected and composed, but I know he's anxious about something, and he has no one to confide on, so I can only try my best to lower his burdens. He doesn't trust me enough to tell me his secrets, but I'll support him regardless until he opens up one day.

    I thought that my endurance training would be wasted living such a lavish lifestyle, but now I know it's merely going to be used in a different way than what I'd imagined. His mind is fragile and precious, his will is so strong he's bound to hurt himself, and his code of honor will soon have him face the wicked, which will leave a wound on his soul. All I wish for is the ability to support him through whatever destiny the Gods have for him. I'll stay by his side, no matter what.
     
    Last edited: Jan 31, 2022
  10. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

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    The body of the slime is worth five silver; the Young Ogres and Fangpines are worth four and one silver each, respectively; and the reward for the extermination is forty silver, which is quite high because the Oodogloo is an incredibly annoying enemy to find.

    The usual strategy for dealing with this annoying slime is to have one person at each farm waiting for it, then use a signal flare when the monster is found. This is a dangerous strategy because a single person will try to engage the monster and keep it occupied until more people arrive. To defeat it in a single night with just two people is a commendable feat, and with that… my fame gets annoyingly higher.

    For two days, I do nothing but abuse Alissa after waking up and during the bath, train [Sense Mana] and [Mana Control] in the morning, and spar with someone who isn't Toga in the afternoon.

    I buy a tea set and try to teach Alissa how to make tea, but she's more of an expert in that than I, so I just let her do her own thing. We find the not-earl-grey I drank once in a tea shop near the temple, and then we get some cheap cookies to go with it, so my mood improves a lot in these two days.

    My [Block] increased by 2 (now 2+6) and [Parry] increased by 1 (now 1+5) from the sparring, but it's exhausting to fight so much, so I don't think I can keep up training like this for long.

    Surprisingly, I easily learn [Sense Mana] with 2 points and [Mana Control] with 3 points. I think the magic skills are easier because I already have a lot of contact with magic on a daily basis, so this is just a solidification of my foundations.

    Spending an entire morning hugging Alissa while she practices her [Mana Control] is heavenly, though. I wish we could do it every day, but today we need to go to the guild, and I notice that she seems a little disappointed when I tell her that.

    We enter the guild and start checking the requests, but "coincidentally," there's an annoying duo waiting for us. Something tells me that certain people have a second house inside the guild.

    "Yoo! Ryder!" A familiar and annoying voice calls to me. I turn around and see Simon, the leader of the creatively named fellowship Swift Wind. "Join me~, mate. There's an Orc Lord request 5 days away. With your girl, we can find him in a day or two, so it'll be eeeasy money!"

    This time, Targua isn't here but there's someone else to annoy me.

    "Do you want to kill him, Mr. Simon? Orc Lord is a monster of threat level six!" Dennis exclaims, astonished. He's a wealthy-looking, black-robed mage from the fellowship Thunder Storm. His normally disheveled black hair and beard look even more disheveled when he talks to Simon, making him seem "unhinged" to me.

    Simon is unfazed by the mage's intense glare. "We got enough firepower to deal with even a dragon around here, we just lack a tracker like the fox lass." -he points to Alissa and smirks roguishly- "You don't even have to do anything mate, just order her around and we can even carry your ass!" Then he laughs out loud.

    Dennis' eyes twitch, bewildered and annoyed, but he reigns it back almost perfectly. "Mr. Ryder isn't a greedy person like you, he has potential and I can give him the support he needs." -Then he spins on his heels and gives me his wild, intense stare- "Mr. Ryder, join me, and we can grow far together!"

    Dennis seems to have heard the tale of how I used [Electric Magic] to stun the slime during its heavy attack so that I could counter immediately. He has a "thing" for electricity, which means I'm like a flame to this weirdo moth.

    He wants to work close to me as a duo of sword and magic, but he has an annoyingly strong sense of duty and justice. He also wants to be the leader of the party, and by looking at his two tired-looking companions, I don't think that's a good idea.

    I hold back a sigh and try to be a bit diplomatic, so I gently apologize and firmly decline, "Sorry guys, I want to work slowly on my own with Alissa. I still have my own personal reasons to not join a bigger party, but one of these reasons is that I want to take things safe and slow."

    "What a shame, mate," Simon grumbles and shakes his head as he walks away.

    "Be sure of this, Mr. Ryder: stay true to the right path, and we'll surely meet one day in glory," Dennis states and bows, then also leaves.

    What…?

    I think he's a bit crazy. I have no idea what the hell he means by that. Alissa's still looking at the request board, but I can see she's discreetly facepalming.

    "Persistent…" She mutters with a hint of anger, her tail stiff and upright.

    I smile wryly and turn around.



    I think I'll take a day off from training, and maybe tomorrow we'll look again for work more seriously.

    An attendant posts a new request and it catches my attention.

    "Alissa, you know about the Moon Turtles?" I casually ask.

    She follows my gaze and reads the request I'm looking at. She seems mildly intrigued by it as she recollects what she knows. "I don't know where the Moon Turtles are found around here, but I know they're an easy kill inside a dungeon," she confidently states and starts recollecting, "They can only attack by pushing out spikes from their shells, but they move so slowly it's trivial to blind them, and then they're barely a threat anymore."

    I rub my chin in thought. "What about this request? Do you think it's doable?"

    "That's going to depend on luck. Not every turtle has Moonlight Moss."

    The request I'm interested in is a gathering one, where the requester wants an escort to where the Turtles can be found. It pays two gold coins as a reward, and since the Turtles are so easy to kill, so I assume that it's the journey there that's likely to be the problem.

    The requester is a mage, so they'll help fight monsters and kill the turtles, but we'll still need to keep the area secure ourselves since collecting the moss is a very delicate process.

    The kill rewards will be spread evenly among all members, and the pay is kind of high, but I guess our profits will depend on how long it's going to take to collect all this moss. Still, this is a pretty attractive request, so I better take it before someone else does.

    "I think it'll be okay," Alissa assures me and gives my hand a loving squeeze. "As long as we avoid being surrounded, no enemy inside the caves can catch us if we use an Escape Bomb to retreat. It's really rare to find a monster that resists it."

    Her words are a little bit reassuring, but just to be thorough, I'll research the cave monsters around this area. I haven't looked into them yet because I didn't think I'd enter a cave on the Sea of Trees.

    It's the dungeoneering library that saved my life so far. The Orc Headhunter, the goblin squad intelligence pattern, the Mandrakes, the Bush Babies, the Young Ogres, the Mossy Fangpines, and the Oodogloo. All these enemies I knew their attack patterns and their weaknesses, which allowed me to create strategies that maximized my safety and guaranteed a kill.

    The hunt for the Oodogloo was the prime example of that. My instant counter was possible because I knew it had a predictable heavy attack and that it was extremely vulnerable to slashing weapons. I could've assumed these things on the fly just from observing, but it's just waay easier when you know what to expect. Even the dance around the Young Ogre was only possible because I researched first.

    "Excuse me, when is the scheduled negotiation for this request?" I ask the usual older brunette attendant.

    On requests like these, there's a "negotiation" that will happen at a predefined time and place once the requester is informed that a hunter is interested in fulfilling the request.

    "Tomorrow morning. The meeting will be here at one of our rooms," she answers with a kind smile.

    So I only have one day to prepare. Also, it's possible that the requester will ask to depart immediately.

    I think for just a moment before I make the decision, "Alright, send the message that we're interested in this request." Then I turn to Alissa. "I'll go to the dungeoneering guild and research the cave monsters. What about you, do you want to do something by yourself?"

    "Hm…" She murmurs, and frowns gently, looking troubled.

    She has been glued to my side every day since I bought her. Not that I dislike it since I'm the super clingy one, but I think that it's best for her to do what she wants once in a while. I learned how important this was from Lily.

    I may have abandonment issues…

    She looks at me like an abandoned puppy, and I almost immediately cave in. Cuteness is my weakness.

    I pass my will saving throw and add, "If you don't ask you'll never ever leave my side ever again because I'm very clingy, but you should because it's good for your mental health to have some private time for yourself. Believe me, I have experience in this matter."

    "Experience…?" She asks confusedly.

    I look down and rub the back of my head. "Well it's… a matter I can't tell in detail." -I look at her and smile apologetically- "Sorry you'll just have to believe me."

    I don't want to talk about Lily right now.

    She pouts shyly and relents, "Okay… but I don't know what I could do by myself." Then she tilts her head, and like always, it melts my heart.

    I list a few ideas, "There's the juice that I always forget to buy, there are more tea and cookies that you could search for, there's the dress that I wanted to buy for you that might be better if you just choose something for yourself, there are the bookstores where you could find a book you're interested in, there's just sightseeing or looking into the Flea Market or those crazy magic tool shops. Oh, there's the theater, and I have no idea what's being played over there, so I'd like to know more about it. Well, two things are my requests, but there's plenty that you can do."

    Her ears suddenly perk up. "How about spending time in the training grounds?" She asks with an innocent smile, her tail wagging lazily.

    I frown worriedly. "That's… not relaxing though, find something to relax that isn't just training," I plead.

    You'll make me feel guilty from taking it easy if you're always training.

    She smiles a bit smugly. "But you're going to read books to prepare, isn't that considered work?"

    Ya cheeky…

    I narrow my eyes reprovingly. "Just barely, and I kind of enjoy the books. There are the combat reports, the beautiful drawings, and even a few anatomy lessons."

    "Ooh, is that so? Maybe I should also read them and help with the research!" She smiles and claps her hands, her tail is wagging.

    Heh, this girl…

    I relent and decide to just accept her submissiveness, "Then I'll at least ask you to buy cheap juice, tea, and look a bit for clothing before joining me, ok?"

    "Understood, master," she smiles and nods diligently.

    The juice and tea are for me, the clothing is also for me but also for her. Which middle-ages girl dislikes shopping for clothes?

    I actually wanted to go to Ciel and ask about the moon…



    So, I kind of don't want to go inside those caves. It's not like I have a phobia or something, I just fucking hate spiders…

    The most common enemy over there is the Giant Tarantula, so things start just peachy. It's extremely territorial, so there's no way we won't fight one inside these caves.

    They block the entrances with transparent webs, and once you get caught in one, the more you move, the more it wraps. The only fast way out is to set it on fire and possibly burn yourself to escape.

    The webs are very elastic and sticky, so swinging a sword is useless, but swinging a spare spear or just a long stick to get the web to wrap on it is the best way to clear the way. The progress will be slow, but it's better than nothing.

    A common strategy is to have the one in full plate to just walk into them with a torch in hand. Things might get hot, but only if they walk too fast.

    That's just to get near. The Tarantula itself is a heavy monster that pounces on its prey and injects them with a fast-acting venom that's difficult to dispel. The tarantula doesn't normally prey on people, so the venom isn't as effective as it is on the Tarantula's favorite food: goblins. Though a person's limb could still become paralyzed for an average of five minutes if injected with the venom.

    Both goblins and Tarantula's love caves, making the latter the natural predator of the former, and once the Giant Tarantula eats enough, goblins it evolves into the Arachne race of monsters, a half-human woman, half-spider monster. There is a report of a demon race who looks like the Arachne monster, but it's only a rumor. The only reason it's mentioned in the book is to prevent adventurers from accidentally killing a fellow humanoid.

    The Arachne is highly intelligent and cunning, but it's like a deranged human who can only torture, kill, and eat. It's even more frightening than the Tarantula because they toy with their prey. They are adept at sneaking and illusion magic, and they like to slowly poison the enemy from afar with things like small traps and thrown weapons, then attack when they're weakened.

    I'll need [Mental Resistance] for this, and I think that I should just tell Alissa about my skill system manipulation so that I can also give her [Mental Resistance].

    An enemy to look out for is the Sludge, a parent of the slime-type monsters. It's a mass of living feces, mud, and blood, it's basically the janitor of the caves. It's vulnerable to fire, and it'll harden when heated but slow down. This makes them more vulnerable to attacks, otherwise, they move too fast and can completely overwhelm a person by absorbing them inside their disgusting bodies. They're much bigger than normal slimes and even special ones like the Ooodogloo, so they're hard to kill and even harder to escape.

    Another common monster is the Giant Mole. They used to keep creating and destroying the tunnel system inside the Ant Hill, but when they broke into a dungeon they stopped digging, allowing the tunnels to be mapped. They destroyed the tunnels precisely to keep humanoids from doing that, but it's unknown why they stopped

    They're aggressive and move by sound, so while it's easy to deal with a lone Mole, they can call for more, which creates a chain reaction until the party is overwhelmed and wiped out. The usual strategy is to kill one and then retreat unless someone is capable of assassinating the Mole before it can call for its allies.

    Through the fellowship bond, I sense that Alissa has entered the building, so I go downstairs and see that she's at the lobby, carrying an earthenware jar and a cloth bag.

    When our eyes meet, she lets out a sweet smile that melts my heart.

    I get closer to her and smell something sweet and fruity coming from the jar. "Oooh. Is that the juice? What is it from?" I eagerly ask, then she hands me the jar, and I store it in my "Items."

    "Gorgon fruit. I didn't know what fruit you liked, so I got something that tastes mild," she diligently responds, then waits for my reaction.

    Gorgon fruit is a small blue berry with a white pulp that looks like an eye. Its taste reminds me of blueberry and lychee.

    I smile apologetically. "Ah yes, I actually forgot to tell you about that, my bad, but this is a good choice."

    She smiles proudly then becomes bashful, and her tail wags slowly. "And… I also bought some clothes…" She suddenly pulls me closer. "There's something for the night," she whispers into my ear, making my heart tingle.

    I did give her too much for a single dress, so I was wondering if she was going to bring an expensive dress or not. I guess things ended up just right for me.

    I pull her bag into my "Items," then I bring her to my research station. I'm looking through multiple books, like the dungeoneering advice book, the local monsters book, the local caves book, the local dungeons book, and two other monster books. The first gives more in-depth battle reports about the monsters and their anatomies, while the second gives dismantling tips to maximize profits.

    While Alissa curiously inspects the books, I continue my research.

    The Moon Turtles live inside the dungeon that the moles dug into, which is called Spiral Springs. The Turtles got this name because the Moonlight Moss that grows on their backs glows when the moon is full.

    They're slow but sturdy, they breathe jets of fire or water as offensive means, and they grow spikes on their flanks if attacked. The best way to kill them is to fire inside their mouth once they start breathing or to slowly chip away at their sturdy necks while being careful of the spikes. But since Alissa is such a good shot, it's going to be an eye-popping galore.

    The path to get to the Moon Turtles is a pain. First, there's the wall of tarantulas; then there are the hunting grounds where the arachnes like to prey, which are large open spaces where they can freely move above intruders and away from danger; third, there's the maze of mole tunnels, where even if we pass through the shortest path, we'll certainly have to backtrack when we meet a Mole; and finally, we have to cross the dungeon to get to where the Turtles are, which is filled with Spriggans.

    The last enemy we're likely to encounter are these Spriggans, devilish imps that inhabit Spiral Springs. They like to sneak about, play pranks, and set traps. They're one and a half meter tall, male-only, human-looking monsters who have green skin, thin arms, and bark that grows from a variety of spots, which serves as armor for them.

    The bark that grows on their head is even cut and fashioned as if it's a hairstyle. An elven tale tells of a Spriggan haircut contest where the elves would hunt Spriggans to find the one with the most ridiculous "haircut."

    They aren't the kind that immediately goes for the kill, they'll use hit and run tactics with increasing frequency the deeper we go until we reach the floor of the Turtles. The Spriggans and the Turtles hate each other, so they avoid meeting whenever possible, making the floor of the Turtles a kind of "safe area."

    The Spriggans will first try to steal, then they'll annoy and torment, followed by increasingly violent raids until they finally fight to kill once the party is tired. To deal with these imps, we'll have to be always ready to retaliate immediately with deadly force. The more Spriggans we kill, the slower they increase their attacks, and the less they'll try to torment us.

    They won't be that big of a problem since Alissa can easily keep them at bay, and I can just increase her [Sense Presence] skill if she's having trouble detecting them.

    So, the expedition will likely take three or four days. Starting from the entrance of the Ant Hill, it'll take one day for us to cross the caves and to reach Spiral Springs. After spending the night at the entrance, it'll take half a day to go down to the floor of the turtle and another half to do our business there, we hope. The turtles themselves will be easy to kill, but we don't know how long it'll take to collect all the moss. Then, on the third day, we'll make our way back with ease since we'll have an open path to follow.

    The shitty part is crossing the territory of the Moles, and it might be safer if we just leg it, otherwise, we could be backed into a corner with the Spriggans on one side, and the enraged Moles at the other.

    I trace a path for us to take and copy the maps. There are multiple routes to the dungeon that we can take and even more routes from there to the floor of the Turtles, but in the end, it's just luck if the route will be good or not.

    "Wooah," Alissa coos in wonder. "All these anatomy drawings are so interesting. Now I'm sure I can kill any Tarantula and Arachne that I find. I'm glad I came." She smiles and gently sways her head from side to side in excitement, making her hair and fox ears bob.

    What kind of girl gets so excited when talking about killing giant spiders and a giant half-spider, half-humans? No, not even the average adventurer likes spiders.

    I smile warmly and shrug as I say, "Well, I was going to share the info with you anyway, but I guess this is fine since now I don't have to explain things to you."



    Just as we finish eating our dinner at the inn, Selina comes to talk to us.

    "Hello, Mr. Ryder," she greets with her usual bright smile.

    I motion her to the free chair, then Alissa and I both greet her back in kind.

    She delicately sits down like a lady and asks with barely contained curiosity, "Father said you're going to leave on an expedition again, is that true?"

    I nod and explain, "I'll meet with the employer tomorrow to negotiate the terms, but we're likely to depart immediately."

    Alissa adds on, mirroring Selina's excitement, "Miss Selina, we're going to the Spiral Springs at the Ant Hill. We're going to meet arachnes and Spriggans!" She exclaims as her fox ears twitch and her tail wag. Selina and she shared a few conversations these last few days and have become quite friendly to each other.

    "Oh! Bring me a Spriggan head with a nice haircut, I want one for my room," she innocently asks and lets out the sweetest smile.

    Girl, just...What in the fuck.

    Alissa turns to me and gives me expectant eyes.

    "Uh… sure, you pick the one we bring back. I'll just store it in my [Item Box]," I respond coolly, trying not to show my disgust.

    I don't want to be the one to give to a girl the head of a humanoid monster as a gift.

    Alissa gives a quick bow. "Thank you, master." Then she turns to the cute blonde waitress. "I'll surely bring you a great one, Selina. I heard that Arachne eyes are also red and shiny, so maybe we'd encounter a nice pair."

    What is this conversation, I'm glad I already finished eating.

    Selina giggles girlishly, and hides her mouth with her hand. "Thank you, Miss Alissa. I'll be waiting eagerly. I'll also prepare something sweet for you two once you come back," she kindly offers.

    Alissa becomes uncomfortable when Selina calls her "Miss," but I already told her it's okay to be treated as an equal if her master is also doing it, so it only lasts for a second.

    Then Alissa starts telling Selina of the preparations we're doing, and I just watch with a warm smile, consciously ignoring the contents of the gruesome conversation. They talk so innocently they seem like two friends talking about toys or action movies.

    After that, we retire to our room and lay on our bed.



    Alissa cuddles up with me and I wrap an arm around her, landing my hand on one of her black-tipped fox ears, then I immediately start playing with it.

    "You have a good relationship with Selina," I comment amusedly.

    She closes her eyes in delight and smiles cutely. "She's always so eager to hear our stories, so I like talking to her," she explains with a whispery voice then sighs as she lets her body relax on mine. "She's also a good girl, and it's exactly for people like her that someone like me is trained to fight."

    I guess they just have perfectly compatible personalities. The girl who's eager to fight and protect, and the girl who's eager to hear and cherish those who do.

    I pull out the bag with the clothes she bought and inspect it. There's a frilly, flowing yellow dress that goes to her knees. Its color and design fit her well, so I just need to buy her some cute boots to make it perfect.

    Before I can inspect the other set of clothes, she nabs the bag and tells me to close my eyes while she changes. When she tells me to open them again, I start salivating like a hungry dog.

    She's wearing the one piece from the slave trader shop, barely covering her delicious curves; a pair of semi-transparent white thigh highs, teasing me by only partially showing their sexy, athletic shape; and on her arms she's wearing long-sleeved white gloves of the same material, like the ribbon on a gift, making it seem cute and special.

    It's just so sexy my brain restarts to load the "fuck.exe" program, making me freeze for a moment.

    The gloves and thigh highs are simple, they have no frills or special design, but they mix well with the simple silky one piece. It's the beauty of simplicity, and it makes her look angelical. The ears and the slowly swinging tail are just the cherries on top of this foxy cake.

    Like a starving wolf lunging for a slab of roasted meat, I grab her and throw her on the bed. Tonight, I won't be gentle.

    I kiss and grope her aggressively, but that's not enough, so I quickly shift my caresses downwards until my head is between her legs. She needs to be rewarded for bringing back such a precious gift.

    She lets a moan mixed with surprise that shifts into one of pure pleasure midway. It's good to know that I still got it in my tongue.

    I penetrate her with my finger and curl it upwards in search of my favorite spot on the whole body of a woman. I give it a rub, and Alissa squirms in a way she's never squirmed before.

    With the way her waist shakes, I have to hold her in place so that I may continue the stimulation, and her moans only become louder. Her high-pitched moans reach the highest level tonight. Thankfully, our room is sound padded. I would pity the neighbors if it weren't because there's no amount of complaining that would make me stop.

    I maintain the steady and constant rubbing and she quickly orgasms. Her whole body locks up and her eyes roll up as she almost passes out, making me smirk.

    I still got it.

    I stop to let her recover, and she doesn't even have the voice to ask me what I did, she just looks at me with slightly vacant and surprised eyes. Perhaps a bit of fear, too.

    I go back to kissing her slowly until she catches her breath again because I'm not done yet.

    "It's not over yet," I whisper in her ear. She twitches and looks at me with slightly worried eyes.

    I make her turn around, then I grab the back of her neck and press it down on the bed. I lift her waist up with the other hand, then I easily slide inside her.

    I do her with fast pounding at a low cadence so she can feel every thrust. She moans in sync with my movements, and the night goes on as I pound, and pound, and pound, and pound, and pound.

    I change the rhythm every so often, and I add some flair. I pull her hair, her arm, I put her on a chokehold, I put all my power, all my anger on my thrusts, I grip her tail and give it a tug. She takes it all without complaining, and she even perks her ass up to get me to tug her tail again once I stop.

    When I'm near the peak, I turn her around, look into her eyes, then I raise her dress and finish all over her body.

    This is your punishment for overly stimulating me.



    Today, the wake-up kiss is twice as long, followed by her giving me a wide smile. She's still wearing her clothes as she was too tired to take them off yesterday, though at least we cleaned ourselves before collapsing

    I wonder where she found this sexy lingerie, but I'll definitely have her go there again for more. The texture is just too amazing. It feels almost like a synthetic cloth from Earth, but it seems like it's way weaker, and it might only last a few more nights considering how aggressive it made me.

    "Did you enjoy last night?" I teasingly ask with a big grin.

    "Yes… but my back hurts a little," she shyly admits.

    I frown worriedly. "Oh, sorry, you should've told me it hurts."

    She blushes and assures me, "I know, it's just that I wasn't paying attention to the pain at the time."

    How can you still blush after what we did?

    I cast [Regeneration] on her, and she sighs in pleasure, "Oh… that feels better. Thank you, master." -Her ears twitch cutely- "Ah… Now that I think about it, you never chant, do you?"

    Ah, shit, now what do I say…? I guess it's time for another lie.

    "I was taught magic in a way that I don't need to chant, but it's like I said: my magic is weaker than the usual spell precisely because I don't chant," I come up with an excuse that would make sense if we were talking about the balance of a game. "But why do people chant, specifically?"

    I see no hint of suspicion as she answers, "It's to help with the mana flow. The words and the voice resonate with the mana, and it also helps the mind align with spell, improving its efficiency. Casting without chanting requires a lot of familiarity with the spell, but it's definitely less mana-efficient."

    Now that I think about it, chanting is the same as singing. Perhaps it's related to harmony, or something like that, I'm not too knowledgeable about sound physics.




    The Clothes of the Berserker are safely stored in my "Items," and we reluctantly get out of our bed to eat breakfast. The Clothes will be forever with me so I can always pull them out when Alissa requires a savage punishment.

    Selina gives us her blessing for the expedition, making Alissa even happier, then we set off for the hunters guild. Once there, the attendant guides us to the meeting room because the requester isn't here yet, so we wait.

    The room has multiple cushioned chairs surrounding a round table with a tea set, a magical heating stone, and a bunch of cookies all waiting for us. On one of the walls, there's a blackboard with plenty of chalk, and on the opposite wall, there's a large comfy sofa.

    I lay down on the sofa and put my head on Alissa's lap, then she runs her fingers through my hair, and I almost fall asleep.




    The door opens, and a woman walks in, so I immediately sit up.

    Black hair on a ponytail with two side bangs; small oval glasses; a diamond jaw; small lips; a pointy nose; upturned eyes; and a pale white face. My first impression is that she's stunningly beautiful. Then I see spiral black horns on her temples protruding forward, and a long black tail with a dagger-like blade at the tip swinging about. She's a demon race woman.

    She wears a long black robe and silk black gloves. The robe shows a few of her curves, and it has shining purple flowers embroidered all around it. I can see a pair of high-heeled black boots peeking from under it, and I believe they'd be perfect with Alissa's yellow dress.

    This woman is the definition of cool and sexy, until she opens her mouth.

    "Goo~d morning! I'm Roxanne, and I'm your client for today!" She happily exclaims as she clasps her hands under her chin and grins, then she tilts her head to the side and giggles girlishly.

    Alissa and I share a glance. It seems we both had a similar impression of this woman.

    Without waiting for an answer, Roxanne starts walking towards me with confident steps, a swaying body that tickles my heart, and a bright smile. The cool and sexy is back.

    Her approach cleanses me of my dumbfounded state, so I get up and shake hands with her as I introduce myself, "I'm Wolf Ryder, and this is my companion, Alissa. Our fellowship is named Helios."

    She nods energetically and responds with happiness brimming from every word, "Yes! I saw your record. Grey Berserker, Orc Headhunter, and the Oodogloo caught in a single day. That's so impressive!"

    Whenever she speaks, a cool and sexy voice comes out, but that impression is quickly ruined as her tone gets increasingly high-pitched and bubbly.

    I blink blankly and stumble to find words in my stunned state, "Uh… well, thank you… Should we sit and talk about the request?"

    "Yes, ple~ase!"

    Her hands move constantly and her body squirms whenever she speaks. While her demeanor contrasts a lot with ours, at least she's quite expressive and easy to talk to.

    We move towards the table and she sits right next to me. It's so close I can perfectly smell the perfume.

    It's kind of awkward to talk to her like this. She's beautiful up close, but her atmosphere burns my eyes with her bright smile.

    I tell her the route I had planned and she seems satisfied. There's not really much to complain about it since whether the route is good or not is based on luck, anyway.

    Then she shows me the jar she wants to fill with the moss. It's basically a small 200ml bowl. Looks small, but it's moss, it's something that doesn't have a lot of volume, to begin with, but she assures me it's doable to fill it with a dozen or so turtles.

    She also tells me that in the last report from a few days ago, an adventurer saw that the Turtles had a large amount of moss growing on their backs, so there should be enough for what she needs. The moss requires special care to extract it properly, so only a few people have the knowledge to take it. Since there's no Moonlight Moss on the market yet, then that means the report is still accurate.

    With that part done, I change the topic, "Now tell me about your abilities."

    She shows us a grin that I'd actually describe as evil as she excitedly gives us a rundown of her abilities, "I'm a Fire and Water mage! And I have two Unique Spells that I so dearly love: the first one is [Explosion]. If you hold an enemy in place for three or so seconds, I can blow them to pieces! Ah…" -Her excitement goes away and she suddenly cringes- "But if you're going to be on the front line, I'm going to have to say I'm sorry, but you will be drenched in guts and blood…"

    Hahahahaha, I can already feel my "Sanity" stat going down.

    Alissa and I are speechless. Apparently, she can also imagine what [Explosion] looks like as she's as stunned as me.

    Seeing that we aren't going to comment on it, Roxanne clears her throat awkwardly and continues, the happiness from before coming back in a split second, "Then the other one is [Melt Skin]! I can throw a ball of water so hot that their skin will melt! This spell doesn't do a lot of direct damage, but I haven't seen an enemy that doesn't writhe in pain when it hits, so it's perfect for support." Then she nods in satisfaction, proud of herself.

    "You definitely seem like a powerful mage," Alissa comments, seemingly impressed.

    Aside from the gruesome image, these are two interesting spells. Since she's a Fire and Water mage, is she using these two elements combined to create a steam explosion? That'd be actually impressive.

    I haven't tried manipulating two spells at the same time, but it seems taxing. I understand that with high [Mana Control], you can do plenty of crazy things, but to do it with two different magic schools at the same time seems a level above the rest.

    Roxanne giggles softly and continues, "But anyway, my second ability is [Alchemy] and [Potion Making]. Since the caves are filled with enemies that use poison or venom, I can supply us with antidotes and anti-venom. I can even make it on-site with the body of those Tarantulas."

    Yeah, she's special. Aside from the obnoxiously high level of happiness, she seems very useful. It's not going to be an escort job, it's gonna be a temporary fellowship kind of job.

    We discuss battle tactics for a bit, with Alissa taking the lead since she seems the most experienced in fighting alongside others.

    Roxanne easily agrees with everything, bringing us to the last question of this meeting. "Then, do you want to leave right now?" I ask.

    She nods vigorously. "Ah, yes! Just let me gather a few last things and close down my house, then I'll meet you at the east gate. Is that all?"

    I smile gracefully. "Yes, that's all."

    I haven't tried to bargain too hard on the pay. I don't think I can improve the situation since the reward is already high, and the spoils will be split fairly since she's going to be an active fighter. I'm also a terrible negotiator, to be honest. I have no heart for making a deal that isn't fair or that gives me the most benefits.

    Roxanne bows and leaves, then I turn to Alissa.

    "Alissa, there's something I have to tell you. It's going to be another secret." It's actually going to be another lie.

    Let's see how this lie goes, I'll gauge her reactions from this.

    She looks at me curiously and asks, "Oh, what is it, master?" She tilts her head cutely.

    I cringe for a moment before I steel my heart and start, "Well, on my homeland, there's a tale. It says that there's a special person who's born every few generations or so. This person has the ability to read the souls of people and guide them so they may fulfill their desires."

    "Hmm..." Alissa hums in thought and narrows her eyes suspiciously.

    Did she get where I'm going?

    I grab her hand and lie earnestly, "You see… I think I'm one of those people, someone who's called a 'Guider.'"

    "But what do you mean by 'guide them to fulfill their desires'?" She asks skeptically.

    I think for a moment and decide to confess, "Well, you know that skill you got, the [Enhanced Stamina]? I gave it to you. I can see you have some sort of 'unlearned skill points,' which I can turn into actual skills and then back to 'unlearned skills' again at will."

    Alissa opens her eyes wide and lets her mouth hanging in surprise. Oof, that's a little bit off from the reaction that I wanted, maybe I should have left it vaguer.

    "I can't give or take any skill, just the ones that belong to these 'unlearned skill points.' Their number increases with levels and decreases with each skill you actually 'learn,' but I can only take away skills that I gave," I add hurriedly.

    Her mouth moves wordlessly for a few seconds, then she suddenly grabs my hand and stares at my eyes with wonder as her tail wags wildly. "Th-th-that's amazing, master! I-imagine the things we can do with this!" She shouts excitedly.

    Shit… It's nice that you accepted it so easily, but you're a little too excited about it.

    "I-I can only do it to you though, so I think it only works with people close to me," I hurriedly add again, already regretting telling her anything.

    She stops and thinks for a second then resumes her wide smile. "Still, that's a powerful ability. You really are blessed!"

    I sigh and mumble, "Perhaps…"

    I don't feel that blessed though, more like cursed and then sent a consolation prize.

    I decide to reveal another secret and just be done with it, "My magic works the same way, I can move my own potential into different magic types."

    "Ooh, I understand," she nods as she coos in wonder.

    I smile wryly at her cute reactions. "So, you have six unused points that I can assign to skills. If I'm riding you, I'll put them into [Enhanced Stamina], but you'll need to tell me where to put them for when we're in combat. Though, for this expedition, I'll put them in [Mental Resistance] so we can resist the illusions of the Arachne."

    She nods again. "Yes yes, I concur. But for the average battle, I think you can put it all on [Bow Use] since there's no other skill that'll benefit me as much. I need to focus on my strong points… Ah, can you put them into [Fox Transformation]?"

    I check quickly, but I don't find it on the list. "No, I don't know why. Maybe because it's specific to your race." I shrug.

    She puckers her lips in thought. "Hmm… that's a shame. At higher levels, I could use the Transformation to fight in melee or to easily run away. I also think that if I increase it just one or two levels, I might be able to absorb my weapons inside myself, too, and that would be quite useful."

    I feel a little uncomfortable putting you into melee range. Wait, is this the same feeling you get when I'm fighting in melee? I think I understand you a little better now.

    I reassign her extra points and she grins when she notices it, then I wrap things up, "Well then, I think things will be fine the way they are for now, but keep in mind your extra points because they're a trump card for you."

    "Understood, master," she responds diligently.

    I smile gently at her. "Then let us be off."

    I'm glad she accepted and understood things so easily. I guess she trusts me even though I'm such a bad liar. Maybe because this world is so full of unknown and crazy things, me being just another unknown is okay to her.




    We cross the town and reach the east gate. It's closer to the Noble's Quarters, so the landscape is much more beautiful, and the buildings are way less crooked. It kind of loses the charm of the city, though. The clashing architecture was growing on me, and I miss the small, cozy, and rustic atmosphere of the inn.

    We get in line and wait for our turn at customs for a good then minutes, then we suddenly hear the characteristic sound of heels hitting the floor rapidly approaching. It's the cool and sexy Roxanne.

    She's wielding a simple black metal staff with a flat ring on the top, and a perfectly spherical gem in the middle of the ring, which slowly pulsates as it changes it's color from blue to red. She's also wearing a small backpack, and I can see multiple unknown plants and monster parts dangling from it.

    Once she sees us, she waves vigorously by swinging her arm high in the sky.

    "OOI! RYDER!" She shouts excitedly.

    Wh-what are you doing? I already saw you, just come here quietly.

    Alissa and I freeze on the spot, then Roxanne jogs a short distance and stops before us.

    She immediately unslings her backpack and starts rummaging through it. "Alright, then! Here are six antidotes and four anti-venom." She bubbles, then she hands us multiple small flasks in quick succession. The anti-venom are in the standard flat metal flasks for combat use. "Keep the anti-venom on a chest pocket because you won't have time to use it if you store it in your [Item Box]. Also, the anti-venom is magically enhanced, so it works instantly. And here are two of my own HP and MP potions. They're very valuable, so they're only for emergencies."

    Alissa and I silently receive the flasks, then we reorganize our inventories. After that, we wait until it's our turn for customs.

    When the guard sees that I have nothing in my [Item Box] he gives me a curious glance but makes no comment on it. Alissa has things in her [Item Box], so even if it's just me and her, we only look like a duo of adventurers less prepared than usual. Now with Roxanne carrying a backpack, he might have thought she's the servant carrying my things, or something like that.

    Once we get out of town, the landscape turns into the exact same as the west side: farms on one side, and the gigantic trees of the Sea on the other side of the road. The only exception is that, on the horizon, I can see a brown mountain peeking from above a small forest far away. That's the Ant Hill.

    The Ant Hill is a failed [Meteor] spell that didn't disappear, for some reason. This spell creates a huge flaming rock that falls from the sky, which is supposed to blow up when it hits something, but this one didn't, and it just got embedded in the ground. Eventually, nature grew around it, then the Giant Moles started making a cave system inside because the environmental mana is quite high and they love that shit.

    It's called "Ant Hill" because when attacked, the Moles would rush out like hundreds of ants. Then, the lord of Rabanara at the time got tired of it and properly subjugated the Hill, so now it's maintained as if it's a dungeon, which means that there are a lot of Moles inside, but it isn't an infestation that endangers passersby or even that particularly dangerous to the average adventurer.

    When we get a good distance away from the wagons trying to enter the town, Roxanne turns to us and strikes a pose.

    "Alright! So it's time to test this!" She exclaims as she messes with the system, which we can't see.

    She suddenly touches the ground with her finger, and a large carpet appears with a *poof*. It's dark red with lots of yellow geometric patterns, and it has a large, round, green stone near the edge with what seems to be a wooden bike handle coming out of the top.

    "A flying carpet?" I let out a question reflexively.

    She smiles proudly. "Mhmm. It's made with the new super-fast flying stone, and I'm dying to test it out! It can certainly carry three people, but it'll be slower than its max speed."

    How rich are you? This request already pays a lot, and now you just pull out the expensive new hot thing everyone is talking about so casually.

    Though I'm actually kind of concerned about the safety of this thing. Where are the seat belts…? I've now realized that Aladdin was an incredibly irresponsible guy.

    I smile wryly and try to find an excuse, "Erm… How about this: I'll just ride Alissa since she can transform into a large fox. This way it'll be faster, right?"

    Alissa immediately agrees with me as she eyes the carpet suspiciously, "Yes, master. My fox form is really fast, and it'll be more secure for all of us this way."

    Is she concerned for my safety or did this carpet hurt her pride as a runner?

    Roxanne adjusts her glasses and raises her eyebrow in surprise. "Oh, you can ride her? Well, that's fine by me since it's faster," she answers casually and jumps on the floating carpet. It looks as if it's as stiff as a stone floor. She grabs the handle and starts floating up as she shouts, "Then let's goo! Let's race!"

    "Who~a, hold on, it might be dangerous," I try to calm her down.

    Alissa's hand lands heavily on my shoulder. "No, Master, it's perfectly safe. It will be fine," she assures me, though I feel a little bit of aggressiveness in her tone. So, it really is a matter of pride.

    I shrug and give up, then Alissa turns into a fox.

    I grab her equipment and mount her, then I breathe in.

    "Go," I breathe.

    And we go. We go fast.




    "I'm sorry, master. I got carried away," Alissa apologizes with a heartbreakingly sad tone as she looks down at me.

    Indeed, you got carried away, but I'm not really mad since you won. Well, I can't say anything right now, I need to hold in my breakfast.

    "It's… fine…" I manage to let out a weak groan.

    It takes me a few minutes, but eventually, my stomach stops churning. I get up from the grass and see Roxanne trying to stifle a laugh. I try to be mad at her but she's such a happy-go-lucky woman I just can't.

    "I'm fine now, let's keep moving," I order.

    The trip that should have taken one or two hours was done in less than half an hour. The cost was my dignity as I had to spend a few minutes sprawled on the floor to hold myself back from puking.

    When Alissa goes all out, the shaking of her body rises to unbearable levels, which shows how considerate she is of my well-being, and I'm really thankful for that.

    The scenery has changed a little. We're on a slope at the border of a normal forest, not the Sea of Trees. The road we were on deviates south a bit to go around the Ant Hill, so we've just abandoned it. The normal-sized trees with a normal-sized canopy, the normal atmosphere, and the faint humidity all reminds me of the parks I went to on Earth. I'm not a nature guy, but it's actually pleasant here.

    The Sea of Trees is a fantastical and often beautiful forest, but it's very oppressive and filled with memories of battle. I think soon this forest will also have bad memories, but at least I'll enjoy it while it lasts.

    I put my skills like this:



    Wolf RyderSkill Report
    Physical
    Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel
    Sword Use6+2Dodge2+4Parry1+5
    Block2+6Shield Bash0+1Mental Resistance8+0
    Magical
    Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel
    Sense Manay0+2Mana Control0+3Mana Recovery3+0
    Mana Efficiency1+0Reduced Mana Cost2+0FireMagic4+0
    Light Magic5+0Nature Magic5+0Nature Magic5+0
    Miscellaneous
    Skill NameLevel
    Andraste Language10+0Dismantling0+1
    OBS: Level means (free point)+(trained point)

    I cast [Wind Armor] on all of us and [Sharp Blades] on my sword.

    "Ooh, [Blessing Magic]. I knew you were a magic swordsman, but this is really good," Roxanne comments while inspecting her forearm for the faint magical breeze that the spell produces occasionally.

    I smile gently at her, then I meditate to refill my mana.

    Once I get up, I remember something. "Ah, Miss Roxanne, can we make a temporary fellowship? It'll be good for us to share Experience."

    "Sure thing!" She responds cheerily.

    I grab her delicate, pale hand and savor its softness, but Alissa's feels better.

    Then we start moving.

    The trees around here seem to grow in any direction they see fit, and their trunks are so thin and long that multiple trees huddle together in a sort of oversized bush. There's also too many actual bushes and too much tall grass, making traversal through here very annoying.

    I pull out a spare short sword and use it to cut a path forward. It's fortunate my sword skill helps in cutting grass.

    The cave entrance is not far away, and in a few dozen minutes, we're already touching the brown rock of the failed meteor, but just before we find the entrance, goblins get in our way. Alissa detects a group of three barely dressed goblins with crude wooden spears appear.

    "Target practice," I whisper with an evil smile.

    Alissa lets arrows fly, and two are already dead before the third even notices.

    He actually gets scared and freezes on the spot at the sudden death of his companions, allowing Alissa to fire a perfect arrow towards his forehead.

    "I can feel the difference," Alissa to me as she plays with her bow.

    I put the six extra points she had on [Bow Use] just for this battle, so I'll put them back on [Mental Resistance] when we reach the cave.

    "Impressive," Roxanne praises as we walk past the dead goblins.

    Alissa looks away so I can't see her reaction, but I can still see her that tail swaying for a second.

    Just a few more minutes, and we reach the entrance to the cave: a round, ten meters wide hole. Its size is rather impressive considering the moles are normally only one meter tall. Perhaps they dug it so wide so they could flood out of their caves more easily.

    I pull out the spear with a torch tied at the blade. It's something we prepared beforehand.

    Alissa lights the torch, and we start moving forward while I lazily wave the spear ahead of us.

    Not even five meters inside the cave, a fire suddenly spreads through multiple lines in the air. We've hit the first transparent web.

    It burns for a few seconds before fizzling out, then we keep moving.

    As the natural light from the sun is left behind, we all cast [Spirit Light]. I imagine a white light, and this time it comes out just as I wished instead of the usual ghostly light blue.

    Our progress in these tunnels is slow. Once in a while, Roxanne or I cast a small [Fireball], but the webs have quite a lot of space between them, so sometimes the spell just hits nothing.

    It can barely be called a "net" or "web," though. It's made to imperceptibly cling to the body, adding layers upon layers the further the prey walks in, and when they notice the web, they're already deep inside the cave and partially wrapped.

    The cave is an unending boring brown maze. The tunnels twisting and turning, they go up, down, and over. It's a chaotic mess without sense or rhyme. Maybe someone could make a random number generator just by analyzing this cave system.

    The map is rather nightmarish to understand without 3D visualization. The tunnels end up in rooms that are either square or round, and there's no logic for their shape or location. The cave was just randomly dug in in random directions and rooms were randomly added in just to randomize the randomness further.

    After half an hour of progress, Alissa suddenly stops me.

    "Something is coming," she whispers sternly.

    It must be a Tarantula.

    I drop the spear and draw my sword, then I feel Roxanne start gathering mana behind me. This [Sense Mana] skill is quite interesting.

    I start to hear the sound of something scurrying about, and the many nimble, small feet are coming directly towards us.

    An arrow and a fireball fly ahead.

    "HISHAAAA!" Then a hiss comes back.

    Hard to believe a spider can make a sound like that.

    I see something reflect ahead, then, a few moments later, a many-legged thing enters our light, and it comes flying towards me.

    I steel myself and put my shield up, then I feel Roxanne release her spell.

    Two things hit the shield and my view is covered by eight furry legs twitching wildly. I push back and immediately slash as a counter.

    My sword breaks something hard, then cuts through something fleshy like butter, and I feel something wet and hot fall on me.

    The Giant Tarantula is split into two, and I'm bathed in its inner fluids. It's a mix of some transparent, sticky substance with red blood. It's fucking disgusting, disgusting, disgusting, disgusting, disgusting, disgusting, disgus-...

    "[Clean]."

    Oh, this feels nice…

    It didn't have enough time to soak into my clothes, so everything just disappears in the blink of an eye. I'm better now.

    "Thanks, Alissa…" I mumble with a weak voice, and she pats my shoulder in consolation.

    "Are you okay now, master?" She asks concernedly.

    I force a smile. "Yeah… I just fucking hate spiders…"

    "I'm sorry, Mr. Ryder, I understand your situation," Roxanne sympathizes.

    You don't really need to apologize but it made me feel a little better, so it's okay.

    This Tarantula is just half a meter tall, and it looks to be a young one, which means it's dumber. That's why it didn't even stop the charge even after receiving an arrow and a [Fireball] on its face.

    I cut a fang as proof of extermination and pick up the flaming spear, then we move on.




    "There's two waiting on the fork," Alissa cautions me.

    Not a good idea to continue. Tarantulas are very nimble, so we have to deal with one at a time.

    A simple scenario, so I come up with a simple plan, "We'll lure them out. Miss Roxanne, use [Torrent] on the one on the right and make sure you don't miss. I won't be able to keep both away if you do."

    "Yes, sir! Don't worry, I have perfect aim with my magic," she confidently states and puts a closed fist over her heart. Considering she uses glasses, I'm nowhere near as confident as she is.

    We move forward a little bit so we can see the fork ahead. The tunnel opens into a square room with two other tunnels at the end of it, so the spiders must be just around the corner if we can't see them.

    Do they sleep? Do they hibernate or something? The book didn't talk about these things. I'll have to make noise so they understand we know they are hiding, then they'll either retreat or charge depending on how smart they are.

    I throw a [Fireball] to clear any remaining webs nearby, and we move to around twenty meters from the fork, then I ask Alissa to get near the wall and a few arrows the furthest she can into the corner of the room ahead.

    Three arrows hit the stone ground and break near where one spider should be.

    We wait a few seconds, but nobody hears anything.

    "Nothing?" I whisper to Alissa.

    "Nothing," she responds in the same tone.

    I throw a [Fireball] where the arrows hit and we wait… but again, nothing.

    I grit my teeth in anger. "Well… FUCKING STUPID SPIDERS COME OUT YOU LITTLE SHITS!" I let out an outburst.

    "Oh…! That did it!" Alissa exclaims and nocks an arrow.

    Seriously? Whatever…

    I pull up my shield and prepare.

    Two, one-meter tall spiders come out of the fork and dash towards us with frightening speed. One charges towards me, and the other towards Roxanne.

    Once they're a few meters away, Roxanne fires her magic.

    The spider is hit in the face with a thick jet of water that pushes it all the way down the corridor until it crashes onto the wall of the fork ahead.

    That was actually a really strong spell; I'll be surprised if it's unscathed. I little more power and it would've been an instant kill.

    The other spider jumps towards me, and I remain immobile, just waiting for it to come.

    An arrow whistles past my right ear just as the spider readies its fangs, and an arrow sinks into its mouth.

    It's mid-flight and can't stop, but it starts writhing in pain, completely giving up on the attack.

    The back of the arrow hits my shield and goes deeper into the spider but doesn't kill it, then its legs hit me and it pushes itself away from me.

    I try to counter with a thrust, but it's too fast and my sword hits nothing. That's okay, though, as it's part of the plan.

    I cast [Constricting Vines] at the spider far away who's writhing about on the floor. It's honestly the first time I have a good opportunity to use it because it's kind of hard to time it right. Green vines burst from the ground and wrap themselves around every limb of the Tarantula, keeping it secure to the floor.

    This spell can be very useful, but it takes time to get a grip on the target, so most intelligent monsters are either strong enough to ignore the vines, like the Orc Headhunter or the Young Ogres, or it's smart enough to dodge it, leaving few situations where it's worthy of trying to combo a stun with this spell.

    The remaining spider backs off as it realizes I'm too hard to kill and tries to circle around me to jump on Alissa.

    Like hell I'm going to let you do that.

    I jump forward and slash towards it, forcing it to retreat as it hisses at me, then another arrow pierces its face, taking out one of its many eyes.

    "HIIIIII," it lets out a high-pitched scream in frustration.

    I retreat back to the middle of the tunnel, and now I wait.

    Roxanne releases a [Fireball] at the Tarantula, but the spell is too slow, so the spider jumps backward and dodges it. When it falls, it meets another arrow that pierces its mouth again.

    Shit Alissa, that was good. I didn't even tell you to combo with the [Fireball].

    I cast my own [Fireball] along with Roxanne's. The spider dodges one, but its leg gets burnt by the other, then another arrow hits it, though this time it hit the hard exoskeleton, so it only penetrates shallowly.

    "SHAAA!" It screams and charges forward. Now it's angry and making a suicide charge, so I start preparing a [Fireball] in response.

    I take the charge head-on, and I feel its two fangs hit the shield with power. It hurts my shoulder, but I stand my ground, then I open my shield and point the [Fireball] directly at its face. It has no way of dodging point-blank.

    It lets out a disgusting high-pitched scream as it pushes itself away from me and rolls backward on the floor.

    I feel the vines are dissipating, so we have to finish this now.

    The burned spider stands up, but it's blind and writhing in pain, making it completely defenseless. Another arrow hits its mouth, and it starts to get dizzy, losing its balance.

    I jump forward with a thrust, and my sword hits its head. I crush the exoskeleton and the blade enters the flesh, sinking deep into its brain, then it immediately goes limp. It's dead.

    In the distance, the other spider comes charging. Two of its right legs seem to be broken, so it's lacking in balance and its charge is slow.

    Alissa immediately fires two fast arrows, and it isn't even capable of dodging, so one penetrates an eye while the other enters the mouth. Meanwhile, Roxanne is charging another strong spell.

    Before the girls can attack again, the Tarantula reaches me and leaps forward.

    I receive its attack with my shield, but it's weaker than the previous spider. I easily push it back, and Roxanne lets out her spell.

    She swings her arm vigorously as a fire whip flares in her hand, and its tip whistles past me in the blink of an eye like an arrow.

    The fire whip wraps around the body of the spider, and the sizzling sound of burning reaches our ears as the spider desperately struggles to free itself from it.

    I take the opportunity and slash at its body. I miss the head, but I sever three legs on the right at the base, and now it can barely muster the strength to resist anymore.

    I slash again and the last leg on the right side is gone, so it turns upside-down and struggles to right itself.

    I pierce the soft head from below, then it goes limp and dies.

    I sigh and start winding down, then Roxanne approaches and inspects her work as she casually comments, "That was interesting. I rarely have the opportunity to use [Fire Whip], but it's always extremely useful when the opportunity for it arrives. It's like your [Constricting Vines]: it needs to a distraction to make it work, otherwise, they can dodge it, and these Tarantulas aren't very strong, so I can hold them all by myself."

    "I prefer that you save your mana for a strong [Torrent], but let's try [Fire Wall] next. I really want to see it suicide jump into that spell," I confess with a sadistic tone.

    Fuck these spiders.

    [Constricting Vines] is good as a follow up for a stunned Tarantula, but we lack strong openers. [Fireball] is too slow, while [Fire Arrow] doesn't do much damage and Roxanne needs Alissa-level accuracy to be effective with it.

    "Perhaps [Water Blade] could work?" Roxanne suggests.

    I nod in agreement and add, "Let's try it after [Fire Wall]."

    As we get near the fork, I notice the symbols on each of the tunnels. It's the system explorers developed so someone could locate themselves inside this maze of featureless tunnels. Each fork has a unique symbol, so if we get lost, we can just move to the next fork and then search for the symbol on our map.




    After a while, we reach another fork, a circular room with six exit tunnels.

    "Wait, master," Alissa stops me.

    "What is it?"

    She scans the tunnels ahead, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "There's a strong smell of spiders around here, but they're too far for my [Sense Presence], so let me investigate a little."

    "Sure," I whisper.

    She stops before each tunnel and sniffs the air with cute movements that really do remind me of a fox, making me get so distracted I almost drop my guard.

    "The smell is stronger on these tunnels and lower on these others," she reports and points as she points at the respective tunnels.

    "Let's take a detour and go through that one, then. Less spiders on the way," I order.

    As we walk towards the tunnel, I notice something odd at the entrance. The tunnels are all half-circles and the floor is normally rough and slightly curved, but on this tunnel, the ground is completely level for about ten meters, then it becomes round again.

    My spidey senses are tingling.

    "What's wrong?" Roxanne when we both suddenly stop.

    "The ground is suspicious," Alissa answers, reliable as ever.

    "Indeed," I agree.

    I crouch in front of the tunnel and hit it with my hand, and it makes a hollow sound.

    I pull out a small broom from my "Items" and bush the dust away, revealing right in the middle of the tunnel a small channel. The floor is actually two slabs covering a hole almost perfectly made to look seamless.

    "Oh, wait, the ground changed," Roxanne comments confusedly.

    I turn around and frown at her. "What do you mean? All I did was dust it a little."

    "Perhaps it was an illusion?" Alissa suggests.

    I snap my finger and exclaim, "Oh! An Arachne trap."

    "But it isn't their territory yet," Roxanne replies.

    I shrug and point out, "They're known to be cunning."

    Roxanne crosses her arms and thinks. "This tunnel is the one with the faintest smell of spiders? Perhaps the smell itself is a trap."

    Goddamn mind games.

    I tap my temple in thought as I consider, "We have a few options here: trigger the trap then find a way to cross it, though that could alert the monsters that we are here; try not to trigger the trap and cross, but I don't really know how to do that; go towards the next tunnel with the faintest smell, but the smell might also be a trap; or go to our original tunnel with the strongest smell of spider. Any opinions?"

    "Well, aren't you the leader? Do you really need our opinion?" Roxanne asks with a teasing tone as she smirks.

    I categorically state with a snobbish tone, "I take it upon myself to make the decision, but I want to hear the opinions of both of you before I act." Then I smirk at her.

    She smiles and coos, "Ohh, I like that."

    Alissa clears her throat and follows up in the same tone as me while smiling faintly, "Well then, Master, I prefer to risk fighting the spiders on our original path, that's where our strength lies."

    Roxanne nods repeatedly. "I also prefer that. I really don't like arachnes and I don't wanna play their games. I prefer when my enemies charge into my spells," she speaks her mind.

    I nod and grunt in acknowledgment. "Then it's unanimous, let's go," I order.

    We enter our original tunnel and walk for ten, silent minutes before Alissa notices something.

    "There's something ahead; a single monster," she reports.

    "Okay, I'll try to attract it," I reply and lower the flaming spear, then I release a [Fireball] forward.

    No response…

    So annoying.

    "COME HERE YA DICKHEAD!" I suddenly shout.

    "It's coming," Alissa warns.

    Do they really understand our language?

    A single Giant Tarantula appears. This is going to be easy.

    The Tarantula charges forward madly. It receives an arrow on one of its eyes and a [Fireball] on one of its fangs before it even reaches me.

    The Tarantula loses some of its momentum, weakening the charge, and only a single fang hits my shield. The attack is solid but weak enough that it's bearable, and I even manage to cut a leg during the counter.

    "SHAAA," It shouts angrily.

    As it retreats a short distance, an arrow pokes another eye, then it decides that Alissa is the bigger threat and tries to go around me, but I cut another leg and it backs away.

    With one way closed, it tries to charge past me towards Roxanne.

    "[Fire Wall]!"

    And the spider jumps through the wall without hesitation.

    "HIIIIII!"

    "Oh shit," I mutter.

    Somehow, the spider has turned into a bonfire.

    That's dangerous.

    "Back off!" I yell to Roxanne.

    The spider almost tramples me as it hisses and thrashes about from the pain, and I have to bash my shield onto it to keep it away.

    Roxanne releases a [Torrent] and it flies away as it's partially extinguished.

    The spell was hastily cast, so it isn't as too strong as the previous time. Add that to the monster's tenacity, and the spider manages to quickly get up again. This time, it charges directly at me while half of its body is still burning.

    "Try the blade," I order Roxanne, and I start to feel a lot of mana gathering behind me.

    Rage fuels the Tarantula's charge, allowing it to reach a higher speed, and even after losing another eye to Alissa it still doesn't slow down.

    I just defend from its attack, focusing on keeping my feet on the ground, then I slashing to force it back, but it charges again immediately.

    "[Water Blade]!"

    An incredibly thin blade of water shoots towards the face of the spider. In it's rage, the Tarantula doesn't even notice the spell and takes the hit head-on.

    The blade disappears inside its face, then its body goes limp, and it rolls on the floor. It's dead.

    Through an imperceptible small slit, blood pours out of its exoskeleton, and a few twinkles of moisture in the air show where the blade passed through.

    "Wow, that spell is deadly," I remark in amazement.

    "I think we were just lucky because it was completely enraged, so it didn't even try to dodge," Roxanne rebuts with a face full of skepticism.

    I rub my chin in thought, the rough texture of my gloves making this act not very pleasant. "Hmm… then let's try one more time. At least we know it pierces without a problem."

    Alissa suddenly voices her doubt, "Master, one thing: are my arrows helpful? I keep hitting their eyes, but I'm not sure if that's a very effective target."

    "Yes, they are. The ones in the mouth make them hesitate when they charge. The ones in the eyes make them slower to react, it's subtle but I can notice the difference."

    "Oh, I see…" She hums, a little content, but I can't see her tail right now.

    Then I turn to the half-burnt corpse that smells rather awful. "But now I want to know why it burned so much like this. Was its hair so flammable?"

    Alissa tilts her head cutely and asks, "Flammable?"

    I hold myself from gushing and nod. "Yeah, it means something that catches fire easily."

    "We'll have to examine the corpse," Roxanne points out.

    I shudder. I don't want to touch the spider.

    "Any volunteers?" I ask with a guilty smile.

    "I'll do it," Alissa immediately responds without hesitation.

    No, you're too pure. I have to do it myself…

    "But this corpse is all charred, let's find another one," Roxanne suggests, looking like she's pitying her a bit, and I agree with her.



    We walk for a short while and find another corpse. Five corpses, actually.

    "What is this?" I blurt out, bewildered

    The Giant Tarantula corpses are brutalized. Their legs are bent and broken, their sternum is open and dripping, their abdomen is crushed, and their fangs have been ripped and scattered about. They're all hanging in the air by thick white webs like some sick modern art display.

    Roxanne wrinkles her nose in disgust and questions, "Ugh… what would do something like this?"

    "Arachnes?" Alissa suggests.

    I snap my fingers and exclaim, "Yes! That's it. It's part of the trap to make us not come here. Arachnes are very violent and prey upon tarantulas occasionally, so maybe this is their handiwork."

    "Can we never fight an Arachne, please? This is way too brutal for me," Roxanne pleads, her pale face even paler from disgust.

    I agree wholeheartedly, "Yeah, I'll try to steer us away from them. Now, let's continue for a short while and then rest a little."



    We find a nice large room a good distance away from the massacre and sit down for some tea.

    I bring out the small broom from before and clean the dust around us, then I bring out a large picnic blanket. With multiple *poofs* I pull out sandwiches and a few berries Alissa brought along with the juice. She pulls out a tea seat, the cheap cookies, and starts warming the teapot with a small [Fireball] she holds at the tip of her finger.

    "This is adorable," Roxanne comments with a smile.

    "Master gets grumpy when there's no tea," Alissa shyly teases.

    It's kind of true, though.

    Alissa seems to love making tea for me, and she took it upon herself to always carry the tea set with her. I like coffee with chocolate more, but I'll take what I can get.

    Roxanne follows up with the teasing, "If you told me that you were a noble, I wouldn't be surprised."

    I simply shrug. I know I can be a bit snobbish sometimes.

    Roxanne pulls out a small red crystal and offers it to Alissa, "Here, use this magic stone."

    "Oh, thank you, Miss Roxanne, this is more efficient," Alissa gracefully accepts.

    Then we share our food with Roxanne. She only had a simple sandwich, so she enjoys our cookies quite a lot.

    She finishes her tea and exhales loudly, "Ah~! This is nice…"

    My heart warms up as it feels quite nice to share a nice meal with someone. "It can get even better if I find something high-quality though," I comment.

    She raises her eyebrows and smirks. "Oh? Now I'm interested."

    I look at my cup as I articulate, "Well, first I need to find it. I don't know where, but I know it exists. I've tasted it once, and I'll keep looking until I find it again."

    I still remember the tea and cookies at the Golden Necklace, those were as good as the ones on Earth.

    "Please share with me when you find it, then." And she lets out a cut giggle.

    The sandwiches are our lunch. Though we don't know the time since we're underground, we can still follow our stomachs.



    We move on and meet another lone spider.

    "[Water Blade] this time," I order.

    We keep walking until Alissa tells us it's moving, then we get ready for battle.

    It comes straight at me like the previous fights and loses an eye to Alissa before it even reaches me. Meanwhile, Roxanne gathers her mana.

    I receive the charge with practiced ease, then I counter and cut the tip of a leg. Since I didn't cast [Fireball], the spider is less cautious, and it immediately starts another charge, but Roxanne releases her spell before it hits me again.

    The Tarantula immediately stops in its tracks once it senses the spell flying, then it nearly falls over as its legs scramble, desperately trying to dodge, but the spell still hits.

    The blade opens its thorax and blood splashes all over the floor, but it isn't dead yet.

    This is so annoying; just fucking die!

    The spider stumbles, struggling to maintain itself upright, and Alissa takes the chance to pop two other eyes.

    The Tarantula switches to the defensive and becomes cautious, so I charge forward and slash. It doesn't react in time, and I manage to sever a fang.

    I feel Roxanne gather her mana again, so I just threaten the spider and then back off. Roxanne releases another [Water Blade], and the Tarantula's reduced vision causes it to fail to dodge in time.

    The spell enters its head and its body instantly goes limp. It's dead.

    I clean my sword with a piece of cloth, then I walk to the Tarantula to inspect it. "Well, I guess [Water Blade] really is the most effective way to kill these things," I note.

    "[Fireball] makes them wary, so they slow down their attack, but [Water Blade] does the most damage," Roxanne elaborates further.

    Without hesitation, Alissa walks to the spider's body and touches it.

    I squeak in surprise and pity, "Ah! You didn't have to do this."

    Alissa shakes her head energetically. "I don't mind it, Master. I told you before to depend on me."

    Does she mean what she told me after we killed the Young Ogre? Is this her way of taking care of my mental well being? Well, I'm just being a pussy, so I don't think she really needed to do this, but I don't have the willpower to stop her now.

    She turns to the Tarantula again, then pokes and prods it as she inspects it. "Hmm… the hair is stiff and rough, and it seems oily and damp, but it doesn't seem to be something 'flammable.' What's this…? It's sticky…" -She raises her head and shows me her hand as her eyebrows rise high in surprise- "Is this the transparent web?"

    I get closer to her and grab her cute hand. I can't see very well, so I grab the [Spirit Light] floating above my head and bring it closer to her hand.

    After taking a very close look, I notice a slight shine. It's the ultra-thin and nearly transparent web of the Tarantulas that we have been burning up until now.

    "Hmm… why is there a web on its body?" I wonder.

    Alissa turns to the Tarantula again and starts to feel its body. "It's not everywhere; only some parts of it are sticky like this," she notes.

    Roxanne scratches her horn in thought as she wonders, "Why did nobody know about this? It's kind of hard to believe that nobody used [Fire Wall] to stop their charge."

    "Yeah, that's very odd," I mumble.

    Nobody has anything more to contribute, so reach an impasse in our reasoning.

    I shake my head dismissively and suggest, "Let's just go. We can still inspect more spider bodies and look for anything different."

    "Let me burn this web on my hand first," Alissa says and starts to chant a [Fireball].

    I forgot the web is super sticky. "Hold on," I stop her and grab her hand.

    With subtle movements, I quickly remove her [Mental Resistance] and put it all on [Pain Resistance].

    "It's all good," I whisper.

    Alissa's ears twitch, then she turns to me and smiles. It seems she noticed what I did. And Roxanne just watches us with a confused face.

    Alissa casts [Fireball], creating a flame above her finger, and moves it closer to her sticky hand until the web catches fire.

    It burns for a few seconds, then I approach her and cast [Regeneration] as I return her [Mental Resistance].

    Once she's fully healed, I give her hand a kiss, and she returns a sweet smile, then we move on.



    We meet five spiders in succession, but only two had the web on their bodies. This time, I give Alissa a small piece of cloth for her to check the bodies.

    "Could it be a difference between the sexes?" I propose.

    Alissa tilts her head cutely. "I don't understand, Master."

    I adjust my non-existent glasses and start the lecture, "The male spider coats his body in the web because it's sticky, then uses the stickiness to help hold down the female for mating. I know there are quite a lot of animal species that basically rape their partner during mating, so they use whatever they can to help tie up their mate."

    Roxanne hums in wonder, "Hmm, that's interesting, but I don't know much about animals… are you perhaps a scholar?"

    Alissa nods earnestly, then shares some of her knowledge, "I also don't know much about this, Master. Though it's known that the spiders reproduce, adventurer knowledge doesn't go much further than that since it doesn't help in killing them faster." Then she smiles wryly.

    I just casually respond, "I'm not a scholar, just a curious person who reads a lot of books."

    "To me, that's a scholar," Roxanne retorts with a cheeky grin.

    I shrug, then we move again.



    Alissa suddenly tells us to stop and reports, "This one is bigger than normal."

    "Arachne?" I question.

    "I don't know, I don't recognize the signature." She looks ahead with a serious look on her face and her tail hanging low. Her ears twitch from side-to-side, trying to catch any small sound, but she hears nothing.

    The [Sense Presence] skill is like a radar. It tells the distance, size, and direction with a certain amount of precision depending on the level of the skill. Each type of living being has a "signature," so it's possible to differentiate the types of monsters by their signatures, but if the tracker hasn't sensed a certain signature before, then it's nearly impossible to know what it is.

    I start giving out orders, "Okay, standard formation. No need to worry too much because it's either a bigger spider or an Arachne. It's certainly not a Sludge because there's no disgusting smell." And they both nod in acknowledgment.

    We carefully move forward because we could still sneak past it or enrage even before we meet if we make too much noise. Most monsters are more cautious during the first meeting, but if they know there are humanoids close, they can work themselves into a bloodlusting rage just by themselves.

    We keep moving while still using the flaming spear and we slowly inch closer until we see an outline being revealed by our light.

    It's a two meters tall spider with a red bulge growing out of its head that twitches and pulses creepily. It's so enthralled in eating the corpse of another spider that it doesn't even notice us approaching.

    I give a signal and start to charge a [Fireball] while Roxanne charges her own spell, then the spider turns to us, attracted to the mana.

    As it turns, an arrow pierces one of its eyes.

    "SHIA!" It shouts in anger and pain.

    It scrambles to retreat a few meters in surprise, but it still manages to dodge all the following arrows as they hit its tough exoskeleton and don't penetrate. This one is seemingly smarter and tougher.

    Then it suddenly charges.

    I release my [Fireball] before it reaches me, and it hits the right side of the spider's face, burning one eye. Roxanne doesn't release hers yet, so it's a stronger spell than normal, which is good since this enemy will need more firepower to bring down.

    Then the huge spider hits me, and I'm pushed back a little. I try to counter, but my sword simply slides ineffectively along its legs, simply cutting hair as I struggle to find a fleshy opening to strike.

    I get an idea, then I brace myself and wait for the second charge. The moment it starts dashing forward again, I charge my mana and point towards the spider as if I'm going to cast [Fireball]. The spider falls for the bluff and dodges to the side, so the charge slows and its attack doesn't have the same strength, but I still cast something.

    I jump backward as it hits and cast [Constricting Vines] on the spot I was just at. The spider stops on it, then vines burst out of the ground and grab its multiple legs.

    It remains stuck there for a short while, which is enough of an opening for Alissa to put an arrow in its mouth, but it's also the perfect moment for Roxanne to end it all.

    "[Water Blade]!"

    A long and wide blade of transparent water erupts out of her staff and flies towards the monsters in the blink of an eye.

    The spider tries to dodge it, but it's still stuck in place, so the blade sinks into its flesh and exoskeleton in a diagonal, severing the red bulge and all its right legs.

    The spider falls to the side, then writhes in pain and desperation, but it's over. I lunge and pierce its head, killing it instantly.

    Then we all frown in disgust as the red bulge splashes on the floor, releasing a gush of a transparent liquid, then revealing the skinless top body of a woman

    I'm starting to feel sick.

    Alissa grabs the flaming spear and assertively hands it to me, her face completely serious. I sheathe my sword and grab it, then she silently pushes me forward, and we quickly pass the dead monster.

    After a few minutes, the disgust passes away, and I finally realize the obvious. "That was an Arachne being born," I blurt out.

    "Yes," Alissa answers tersely.

    And that's all we say about it. Even Roxanne has no jokes to tell.



    We walk for a whole hour without any other encounters. It seems that the previous almost-Arachne cleared the area for us. Then we reach a fork.

    "Master, there's a disgusting stench coming from that way," Alissa reports.

    I frown as I detect a faint smell of shit. "That's probably the sludge, let's not go there."

    This enemy I'll avoid with all my power. After reading the battle reports of this monster, I think it'd be a miracle if we don't puke when we get near.

    After that, we only meet one lone spider, so we must be deep in Arachne territory now.

    We start seeing suspicious mists, and Alissa catches unknown smells, then the occurrence of the invisible webs drops drastically, allowing us to greatly increase our pace.

    We find two bear traps and two other suspicious-looking floor designs that we avoid at all cost. We just avoid anything out of the ordinary, really. It's not confirmed that it's an Arachne trap, but why risk it? There's also no need to rush, we can just take another route if our path is blocked.



    "This is the third time you've sighed in just a short time," Alissa suddenly whispers, her voice showing some concern.

    I look back at her and raise an eyebrow questioningly. "Uh? Why are you counting?"

    "To understand your mood," she answers matter-of-factly.

    I facepalm and sigh again. "Is that… really necessary?"

    "Yes, Master," -she suddenly grabs my hand- "I'll protect your mind and body," she confidently whispers as her tail wags gently.

    Girl, you're too good to me, I don't deserve this. You're actually making me feel guilty, and I also want to sigh again.

    No, wait, even for me, this is too much.

    I stop walking and look at the other girls. "I'm starting to feel like this is not normal. The sighing, I mean."

    Alissa lets out a small smile and nods. "That's what I thought," she agrees.

    "Let's just take a break. I'm feeling really tired," Roxanne pleads, her shoulders drooped in drowsiness.

    This is suspicious; even Roxanne is downcast.

    We all immediately sit down on the dirty floor without much care to dust it first.

    I put twenty points in a skill called [Diagnosis]. It takes a token amount of mana to activate it, and I use it on myself.

    Roxanne notices me staring at my hand intensely and gives me a curious look.

    A floating black screen appears before my eyes, and it tells me that I'm suffering from [Lethargy (small)].

    So, we got poisoned or something like that?

    I turn my points back to normal and turn to Roxanne. "Miss Roxanne, do you know of a pacifying poison or something similar that saps energy or stamina?" I politely ask her, trying not to sound too suspicious.

    "Uhh..." She mumbles absentmindedly with a sleepy look. It takes a few seconds for her to process my words, then her eyes suddenly go wide. "Yes! There is a pacifying poison! It gradually lowers one's energy, reducing their will to fight. I believe we might be poisoned with it."

    I've read something about poisons, so I need to make a distinction, "Is it a 'want' or a simple 'can't' fight because the person is exhausted?"

    "'Want', it's a mental poison," she states confidently.

    A-ha!

    Then I remember something important that slipped my mind, so I question Roxanne, "Now that I think about it, did you bring something for [Mental Resistance], Miss Roxanne?"

    This was an oversight. I should've asked what her countermeasures for the Arachne were, but I couldn't tell her my countermeasure was "I will just learn a rare skill whenever I want," so I think it was best that I forgot about it.

    She nods happily and pulls a necklace hidden below her robes. "Yes. This is a small amulet blessed by the God of Endurance."

    So the Gods can also enchant objects; that's quite interesting. I wonder if he'd be mad if Roxanne ever sold it.

    I turn to Alissa and smirk. "I have an idea, so I want to test something, and I'll need your help, Alissa." Then I stand up and offer her my hand.

    "Anything, Master," she obediently responds and takes it.

    I pull her closer and hug her waist, then I turn to Roxanne and smile apologetically. "Also, I'm sorry if this looks inappropriate to you, Roxanne, but this is in the name of science… or rather, in the name of the Goddess of Knowledge."

    Roxanne looks at me confusedly, then I turn to Alissa and look her in the eye lovingly as I cup her cheek. She relaxes in my arms and smiles faintly as she realizes what's to come.

    I pull her face, then give her a deep kiss, and she immediately hugs me back. I start slow, but then our tongues entwine, and we start kissing passionately.

    Energy starts to fill my heart and I get anxious. I want more, more! I want to be warmer, I want to hug Alissa harder, I want to undress her right here and take her. I reminisce about her beautiful body being adorned by the Clothes of the Berserker, her body being caressed by its silky texture.

    My heart beats madly with love and excitement, then my muscles warm up and itch for action as I feel the poison being cleansed from my mind.

    I slow down the kissing, then we, unfortunately, break away.

    Alissa is blushing, her breath is quicked, her tail is wagging rapidly, and her eyes stare into mine with expectancy. What have I done, she's in the mood, but we can't do it right now. This is torture, I say.

    I clear my throat and smile as I report, "I feel like this confirms it, we can break a mind poison by stimulating each other."

    "Eh…?" Alissa suddenly makes a funny noise then immediately clears her throat and assumes a forced composed tone, "Oh, ah, yes. I feel much better now, which means the kiss really did counteract the poison." Then she looks away embarrassedly.

    "Hmm…" Roxanne lets out a mindless sound as she stares at us blankly.

    I smile guiltily at her and suggest, "Miss Roxanne, you're still under the mind poison, so perhaps you should try to stimulate yourself, like slapping your face."

    "Not fair…" She mutters dejectedly, then follows my suggestions and slaps herself, hard. This is the standard way of breaking spells that affect the mind, which really isn't pleasant, so I feel some pity for her.



    Here's a quick complaint. No hero story ever tells you how stressful and embarrassing it is to answer the call of nature in a dangerous place while in a group. You can't go too far too so you don't endanger yourself, but you can't do it too close, otherwise, it's embarrassing if your comrades can smell or hear you. Even if we have incredible conveniences like [Clean] and a portable bidet with [Conjure Water], it's still a horrible experience.



    We avoid another Sludge and a few more traps, then we finally reach the territory of the Giant Moles. We just passed the most dangerous part of the trip, successfully avoiding all adult Arachnes. It's quite a feat, and it's all thanks to Alissa's nose.

    We're sure we've passed the Arachne territory because the traps and mists suddenly stop, and soon after we meet our first Giant Mole.

    "If I use [Quiet Steps] and [Quiet Action], then it's possible for me to assassinate it," Alissa proposes.

    I thought before about the possibility of her becoming an assassin with her skills, but it makes me uneasy to put her in direct danger. She's my only companion, and I must admit that I'm rather possessive.

    I cross my arms and think.

    "Be happy that at least he cares about you," Roxanne comments with a kind smile after seeing my hesitation.

    Alissa nods and states confidently, "I know Master is very reasonable, so I know he'll accept it, eventually."

    I'm uncomfortable with how easy I'm being seen through, and it's also true I'm just stalling. I don't want to let Alissa go while I'm forced to wait here and twiddle my thumbs in the dark, but it will be so convenient if she kills it by herself.

    The Mole is a burly enemy with a weak skull, so Alissa should be able to kill it with a single arrow, but I'm a bit scared of being mauled by its huge, heavy claws. If Alissa can kill it before it can even call for backup, then it'll save us so much time while also being much safer. I just have to trust she won't get herself killed.

    I let out a sigh of tiredness and relent, "I surrender. Go kill it, Alissa."

    They give each other a brief smile, then Alissa walks away without making a single sound.

    I stare at the tunnel anxiously, my body too restless for me to sit down and rest.

    After a minute in silence, Roxanne suddenly comments, "You two are very close."

    I feel something off about her statement. "We don't know each other very long; I'm just clingy," I deny.

    Roxanne shrugs. "Still, your relationship is enviable."

    I turn and raise an eyebrow at her. "Even though she's a slave?"

    "Does it matter if she's happy?" She retorts with a cheeky smile.

    I knit my eyebrows in skepticism. "You can tell she's happy even though you've just met her today?"

    Roxanne nods happily. "She's been smiling most of the time, except when you're under attack. You're always in the front, so I guess this is why you don't see it."

    I suddenly start to feel insecure as I look back to the short time we've been together. I sit down beside Roxanne and facepalm with both hands. "What does she even see in me to be so happy?"

    "You should ask her that yourself," Roxanne responds with a troubled tone.

    I release my face and lean against the wall. "She's young and naive, so she might really be in love with me, but…"

    "'But'?"

    How do I say to her that in my world I would be called a pedophile in certain countries, a creep in others, arrested for slavery in most of the world, or be seen as two idiot teenagers in heat if we consider this-world-age as my real age?

    Seeing my hesitation, Roxanne gives me a piece of advice, "I don't know what is on your mind but you should at least accept her feelings."

    I cringe and try to put my feelings into words, "It's that... I'm from a faraway place. In my homeland, we'd be called idiot teenagers who don't know what love is. Slavery also isn't legal, so our relationship is even more absurd. What kind of thing is love between a master and a slave, anyway?"

    She raises her eyebrows high and adjusts her glasses. "Slavery isn't legal? I'd like to visit that place, one day. But still, I say it again: at least accept her feelings. It's not like there's anything wrong with either of you, so you don't need to be so harsh on yourself, and just enjoy what you have."

    I'm being harsh on myself? Heh, I said I was going to abandon what held me down, but it's harder to do it when I'm not thinking with my dick.

    "Perhaps…" I mutter as I reflect on her words.

    I like this cool, older-sister-like Roxanne, though. Why can't you be like this normally?

    Anyway, I think I've understood what's making me worry. If I don't change who I am, then I'll suffer, but I'll keep my humanity like Alissa pleaded, though it might hurt her, too, seeing me suffer. If I do change, then I won't suffer, but Alissa might lose her hope in me, so it might hurt her anyway. Now that's a dilemma.

    While I think, Alissa comes back silently like a ghost, scaring us both.

    "Ah-...!" Roxanne squeaks, but she immediately covers her mouth, muffling the sound.

    Alissa's ears go flat as she apologizes cutely, "I'm sorry, Master and Miss Roxanne, I forgot to stop using [Quiet Steps]. Anyway, the mole is dead."

    I quickly recollect myself, then I calmly question so she doesn't think I'm criticizing her, "Took you some time."

    Her ears shoot up and she becomes serious again. "It was wary, so I had to move very slowly or else it would've heard me."

    Even though these are weak monsters, they're still blind moles that rely on hearing, so it takes quite some skill to sneak up on one.

    I grab her hand and give her a kind look as I plead, "I know skills like these make you stressed, so please tell me if you get tired. There's no rush, so we'll rest as much as we need."

    She smiles sweetly and nods, making her ears sway. "Thank you for your consideration, Master."



    Alissa kills five more Moles without a hitch. She's my own little assassin.

    "You are now level twelve," says the soothing female voice.

    Finally, it took some time. The spiders and moles are annoying, but they don't give much experience. The only real good source of experience was the almost-Arachne.

    I put my new four points in [Sword Use] (now 16+2).



    Alissa assassinates two more Moles, and we finally reach one of the entrances to the Spiral Springs dungeon.

    The dungeon has a completely different atmosphere from the boring and unending dark tunnels of the Ant Hill. The walls and ceiling are made of cobble with patches of raw stone or exposed mineral veins; the walls are warped and full of curves; the ground is made of soft moss over raw stone, and it'd be nice to lay down on it if it wasn't so damp. We'll end up with wet clothes if we sit on the floor without a blanket to protect our asses.

    A weak blue-green light coming from mana crystals illuminates the dungeons. They're cheap crystals that shine when they absorb mana, and since the dungeon is a solidification of a mana storm, mana crystals shine faintly forever. It's against the etiquette to take or sell these crystals since they're a huge convenience to all adventurers that come here.

    We're currently at the top floor, and like the other dungeons, the floor is massive in length; possibly the size of a town. It's made of multiple large rooms randomly interconnected, and with the occasional shallow water pool occupying part of them. The top floor is safe, so we're going to sleep here.

    The stairs are what gives it the name. They're merely slopes with faded steps where a channel runs and water trickles through, creating a nice and continuous sound of falling water. The slopes are in a spiral, and there's no railing, so the inner part of the spiral is open. That's where Spriggans like to put traps to make adventurers lose their footing and fall down. Each stair is around twenty meters in height, so a drop could be fatal, and we have fifteen sets of stairs to go down through.

    I point to a corner, and Roxanne burns a large patch of moss, drying the floor. We sweep the ashes, and now we finally have a proper stone floor to sleep on. I pull out my tent while Roxanne pulls hers.

    She conjures water on a bucket and heats it by herself so she can take a bath. Once she's done, we stop our watch and switch places with her. Alissa conjures the water, then I heat it, and we take a towel bath together.

    I've found that the fastest way is to cast [Fireball] on my palm, then submerge it into the bucket. It wastes a lot of mana, though.

    Then I get to wash Alissa, and she washes me back, but, unfortunately, we can't make too much noise, so make her bite into a gag, and we use our mouths. There's no way I'm going to spend a night without touching her, so we have to do it this way.

    Then we pull out our dinner. It's fried chicken! I mean, fried Dragolite. After a few bites, I finally remember what Dragolite reminds me of: chicken with rosemary. Then we eat our hot vegetable soup with toasted bread. Thank you, "Items." The convenience you bring is unmatched.

    One of the more interesting parts of the meal, though, is that I have my first taste of juice in this world. Gorgon fruit tastes and looks a bit like blueberries mixed with a hint of lychee.

    "Ah juice, thank you. No alcohol though?" Roxanne asks with a cheeky smile.

    I shake my head. "I don't drink, and besides, we shouldn't drink on an expedition."

    "Alright, alright..." Roxanne immediately gives up and rolls her eyes dramatically, then she gives me a curious look. "Honestly I'm envious of how big your [Item Box] is, Mr. Ryder."

    Well, here we go, insert dick joke here. I can't really spend points for an actual [Item Box], though, and training with Alissa to learn this spell has been really hard.

    "It's a natural gift, so I learned it super fast," I casually lie.

    She snorts and remarks, "It's like you were born to be an adventurer."

    "That's true," Alissa agrees wholeheartedly.

    I give them a painful wry smile and deflect, "Well I'm envious of your [Mana Control], Miss Roxanne. This [Explosion] spell is the mix of Water and [Fire Magic] at the same time, right?"

    Roxanne opens her eyes wide and shouts, completely astonished, "My secret! How did you…"

    I smile proudly as my guess was spot-on, then I give her a smug answer, "Knowledge from my homeland."

    "Unfair!" Then she pouts cutely.

    Alright, I've teased her enough, now it's time to retreat a bit. "But I can't use two magic schools at the same time, so you still have one secret, right?" I politely ask.

    She crosses her arms and grumbles, "It's not like [Explosion]; it's something every expert magician would have to learn one day."

    That's interesting. Maybe one day I'll control all elements at will and become a demi-god? Well, anyway, it's time to change the topic. I'm curious about Roxanne's background.

    "Say, Miss Roxanne, can you tell me about your race or your continent?" I gently ask, no hint of teasing in my tone anymore.

    The pout fades away instantly and she brightens up. "Gladly! But first, I want to talk about the misconceptions a lot of people have about my race."

    I blink blankly in surprise. I still have no idea about race dynamics in this world. "Oh? What are they about?"

    She adjusts her glasses and assumes a teaching tone as she starts to recite, "Well, the first thing is that since we have 'succubus' as the name of our race, people think we're promiscuous, but that's not true! We were created based on the myth of the succubus, but we aren't actual succubi. It's just we just have a higher libido than other races, but we still choose our partners very carefully. Also, we're more carefree and open-minded than the other races, but that doesn't mean we are dumb and unreliable."

    Just by looking at her, I can certainly see how the last one might've come into being. Curiously, the demon race seems to be the most common adventurer race on Rabanara aside from humans.

    "The second misconception is that our horns and tails are sexual organs. Some have feelings when you touch those parts, but it varies from person to person and from type to type."

    I can see that causing some misunderstandings.

    "The third is less common, but some people think we're descendants from monsters. That's definitely not true. The God of Creation made us just like all other humanoids. They might've used monsters as the basis for some races, but we don't have a single drop of monster blood in our bodies."

    I see. Being lumped together with their biggest enemy might hurt their pride.

    Then she smiles, satisfied with our acceptance, and becomes more casual again. "These are the three things I always tell other people. Now, you do you want to hear something specific?"

    "What about your birthplace?" I start.

    She nods sagely and crosses her arms. "Ohh~… that's far away from here. I was born on the Maoka continent, on the west coast, in a small village inside our HolyLands. If you want a more precise location, it's at the west of the Death Valley, if you have heard of it."

    Nope, I haven't.

    I tilt my head like Alissa and curiously ask, "Holy Lands? Death Valley?"

    Alissa smiles awkwardly while Roxanne chuckles softly and answers, "Well, the Holy Lands are a place that no outsider can enter without a permit. It's not a large piece of land, but it's the place that our first ancestors were given by the God of Creation after their birth, so it's a sacred land for us. The Death Valley is a large piece of desert that's very famous among adventurers because there're a lot of very valuable monsters there." -Then she smiles bitterly- "It's also a dreadful place, so hot and dry nobody has ever crossed it, and all the monsters there are horribly dangerous."

    I think there's a place like that on Earth, too, minus the monsters.

    "So do you have kingdoms, too?" I question further. The idea of "Holy Lands" makes me think they're religious, so maybe it's a theocracy.

    She shatters my imagination with a shake of her head. "No, it's just a Council of Elders that's elected from among the aristocrats and clergy." -Oh wait, "clergy"? So they are religious, somehow?- "We do it the same as the elves, so we always had a good relationship with them. Human and dwarven nobility drama books are famously complex, and nobody wants any of that for our race."

    We all share some chuckles. I watched Game of Thrones and House of Cards, and I don't want any of that drama, either. I'm way too straightforward to survive on that backstabbing nightmare.

    Then I turn to Alissa and ask, "What about the wereanimals? How do you govern yourselves, Alissa?"

    Her tone becomes energetic as she seems happy to talk about her people, "We have a Council of Elders, too, but they serve as advisors to the Chief of the Forest that they elect, which is the one who governs all the other clans, though the position generally stays within the same family. The Council is supposed to be composed of the wisest among us, while the leader should be the strongest man or woman of the tribe, but the clans choose their own candidates, so it varies between them."

    I hum in thought. "The Chieftess you mentioned was that leader?"

    She smiles a bit cheekily and giggles softly. "Yes and no. She and the current Chief were the two best candidates for this generation, so they decided to marry and share the title."

    Roxanne laughs like a haughty lady and excitedly claps the tip of her fingers. "Hohoh, how romantic."

    Alissa's smile turns wry. "Well, yes. I wasn't born when they married, but the Council of Elders was very amused. They even made their story into a play, to the embarrassment of the Chiefs.

    "You think it could come to Rabanara? I'd watch that," Roxanne comments.

    Alissa shrugs. "I don't know about that, but you might have more luck if you enter my clan's territory."

    Roxanne leans forward, showing a lot of interest. "Oh, do they accept foreigners?"

    Alissa stares at her cup as she recollects, "Only adventurers and merchants, but I think there are ways to get permits for other types of business. I have little idea how that works, but I know that they don't allow those who aren't werefoxes to settle on the land."

    Roxanne nods in understanding. "Ah, then it'll be okay, I guess, so I might visit one day. Where is it?"

    Alissa's eyes become faintly nostalgic. "West, beyond the mountain range, it's called the Misty Low Forest."

    Roxanne brightens up. "I saw it on a map once. It's not far, so I'll definitely go."

    I think for a moment. Her homeland is actually really close. Though we have to go a bit of a roundabout way because there are only a few spots where it's feasible to cross, I think it'd take only a few days to cross the mountain range in her fox form.

    Would it be too cruel to make this question…?

    I'm not able to hold myself back, so I tactfully ask her, "Alissa… would you like to go visit your homeland one day?"

    Her ears go flat and her tail stops wagging as she thinks for a while, then she shakes her head in refusal. "Not yet, I'm not worthy of returning. I still need to work more, but… I'm really grateful you offered, Master." And she gives me a sweet smile.

    I release my breath in relief. I guess that wasn't a bad choice to ask this.

    Roxanne turns to me with a cheeky smile. "Ah, Mr. Ryder. I see you're reserved, but do you mind telling us more about your homeland?" She politely asks.

    Ah, shit, now that I asked about her homeland it's obvious she might ask about mine. There's no way I'm telling, though. I haven't prepared a proper lie for it yet, so I'm just going to avoid this.

    Even Alissa seems interested in knowing more, so it hurts my heart to do this.

    I take a sip of my juice to stall, then I gently shake my head as I apologize and explain myself, "I'm sorry, but I don't like talking about that place. It's not that I'm a runaway or a criminal, I just don't like talking about it."

    Alissa nods obediently. She respects my feelings about this.

    Roxanne raises an eyebrow in confusion, then she adjusts her glasses and returns to being cheeky. "Well then, if you don't wanna talk about your homeland, then let's talk about mine!" She exclaims with pride.

    Well, okay, her personality might not be that bad.

    Her stories are mainly comedies about the stupid things the people of her village do. They seem to share her carefree and positive mentality, and they also like to party a lot.

    We talk for a long time, and we eventually get tired, so we go to sleep and start the watch cycle. We'll do three-hour cycles, starting with me, then Roxanne, and then Alissa. Roxanne drew the worse one since she'll have to sleep, wake up in the middle of the night, and then sleep again. It can be bad for the body to interrupt sleep like that, but them's the breaks. I could put out a summoned guard dog, but I don't want to show that magic to Roxanne yet.

    They all go to sleep and I sit down outside the tents. Now that I'm all alone, I start to feel a little bit lonely.

    Hello, Goddess of Knowledge. How do you feel about today? I think it was pretty interesting. We found how a Giant Tarantula turns into an Arachne even though I want to forget that image; we found that the tarantulas are likely using the web as a way of mating, though I'll need to make an autopsy if I want to be able to discern their sexes and confirm this; we also found that love, or perhaps just plain sexual thoughts, or maybe even just masturbation is enough to break a mind poison, and we don't need to slap ourselves until we nearly bleed.

    I feel like this world is somewhat interesting, and I'm still thinking about the [Golemancy] skill. Maybe in a few levels, I could put some points into it and try it out. Perhaps that skill could start an industrial revolution in this world?

    I'm still trying to keep the balance, so I don't attract too much attention from others and from the God of Destruction, but I could leave my knowledge behind after I die or something. I do have a degree in robotics, so it's likely to be my biggest contribution to this world.

    What do you think about this? Isn't this your reason of existence?

    Suddenly, I feel something change within me, so I open my stats and see that my "Piety" increased by 3 (now 6), then I see that under "Status Effects" there's a new entry: "Blessing of the Goddess of Knowledge."

    Oh, boy.
     
    Last edited: Apr 23, 2021
  11. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

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    They both look excitedly at me, their eyes brimming with awe and respect.

    "That's amazing, master," Alissa coos as her tail wags excitedly.

    "Not unexpected," Roxanne calmly states with a nod.

    And I awkwardly rub my neck. "But what does this blessing do?" I shyly ask, a bit embarrassed about my own ignorance, but it seems they don't care or notice it this time.

    Roxanne assumes a teaching tone and excitedly claps the tip of her hands as she explains, "It means the Goddess has her eye on you and will influence your Fate to help you. If you continue to follow her path, then you'll certainly become a famous scholar one day."

    The way she said "Fate" sounded suspicious, as if it was a capital "F."

    Well, anyway, that's fortunate for me, I guess. Maybe now I should look to see if I can join the University. After this job, we'll have some money saved, so I can probably spend some time studying.



    We dismantle our camp after breakfast then move on, and in just a few minutes, we reach the first stairs. The sound of falling water tickles my ears, but the vertigo from looking down the hole in the middle of the spiral stairs makes me a lot more anxious.

    Like planned, I pull a metal spike, a spool of rope, and a hammer, then I hammer the spike on the ground and tie the rope on the spike. I use the bowline knot to tie the rope just like the dungeoneering book taught me.

    This dungeon "heals" itself, but it doesn't do so immediately, so the rope will stay here for at least two days if the Spriggans don't mess with it, but if the little shits do, there's always the alternative of using Roxanne since she can materialize two small bat wings on her back that allow her to magically float around, so she can fly up here and then put the spike and rope for us.

    We tie the rope to our belts and carefully go down, but the descent is slow because the steps are wet and worn. Roxanne also uses the rope because her wings consume mana, so it's better to preserve her MP.

    "What's that thing?" Alissa whispers as she points.

    I look more carefully and notice that there's a vine loop on the floor, and the rest of its length goes down over the edge.

    I pull a small wooden bowl that we use to eat soup and throw it on the vine. The loop immediately tightens around the bowl, gripping it tightly, then pulls it over the edge.

    "Well, first trap successfully dodged," I announce with a wry smile.

    We continue down and reach the floor unmolested, then we remove the rope from our waists and move on.

    This time, the rooms have no identification, so I have to pay attention to the map, forcing Alissa to take the front of our little column.

    We cross a few rooms, then she stops all of a sudden.

    "There's an enemy observing us," she announces with a chilling tone.

    "Can you take the shot?" I whisper.

    "Yes, but I'm sure the monster will dodge it."

    I give her shoulder an assuring squeeze. "I'll leave the decision up to you. We have to be aggressive towards the Spriggans, so killing them is the best option, but scaring them is also an alternative. We can't waste too many arrows, though."

    She nods diligently. "Understood, I'll wait until I have a better chance to hit."

    "That's fine."

    We cautiously move on, and after a few more minutes, Alissa suddenly stops and lets an arrow fly.

    We wait a couple of tense seconds in silence, then she reports without looking back, "I smell blood, but it must've done little damage as he ran away quite fast."

    I nod and smile kindly. "That's okay. Good work, Alissa."

    Her tail wags once then immediately stops.

    I should praise her more often.

    It's good that we engaged the Spriggan because if we'd ignored him, the little shit would've likely tried to sneak up to us to steal something.

    That's the only enemy we find on this floor, but we also find an iron bear trap, making me wonder where they'd get one of these.



    Another stair, another vine trap. Fourteen more levels to go.



    "Now there are two Spriggans," Alissa apprehensively reports.

    I grab my chin in thought as I ask, "Is it the same one from last time?"

    She nods positively. "I smell blood, so it's possibly the one I've wounded."

    "Let's wait until we can see them, then Roxanne will launch a [Fire Arrow] at them."

    From what I understood, the Spriggans are staying one or two rooms away from us. They can see in the dark, so they have no problem seeing us, and Alissa only knows about them because of [Sense Presence]. It's actually impressive she managed to fire an arrow accurate enough to harm a Spriggan while only using the skill to guide her.

    We cross three more rooms, then Alissa points to a small shadow peeking from the doorway ahead.

    I narrow my eyes in thought and hold back a grin as I point out, "Miss Roxanne, can you see that? On the right side of the doorway, there's a small head peeking."

    Roxanne squints her eyes and adjusts her glasses, but then she shakes her head as she denies, "I don't see it. Can you point my finger towards where I need to fire?"

    I get close to her and she crouches slightly, lining up my head with hers and our cheeks so close they almost touch, then I delicately grab the hand that grips the staff and point it towards the shadow. I sense a very faint smell of sweat and something sweet coming from her, the cheap anti-scent not enough to hide it all. Her pale hand is also very soft and thin, as if she never had to do a day of rough work in her entire life, though Alissa's is also like hers, so I believe magic might be involved.

    I have to hold myself back from inhaling deeply. Call me whatever you want, but I enjoy moments like this.

    Then I swallow heavily and focus back on the now. I make a stern expression and order, "Alissa, shoot your arrow the moment Roxanne releases her spell. Hopefully they're bad at sensing mana."

    Alissa nods obediently and Roxanne starts chanting the spell quietly.

    She grips her staff harder, and I sense mana gathering at its tip, then Alissa pulls back her bow.

    "[Fire Arrow]," Roxanne casts.

    A flame shaped like an arrow suddenly appears at the tip of her staff and immediately shoots forward, illuminating the room as it flies alongside Alissa's, but the magical arrow passes the doorway and continues on along the tunnel, a miss.

    "Got one," Alissa whispers, her tone with a hint of joy and pride.

    "Nice," I coo with a grin.

    "Impressive as always, Miss Alissa," Roxanne praises her earnestly.

    Alissa squirms and her tail shivers, threatening to wag.

    Ah, such cuteness.

    We move towards Alissa's quarry and find a thin green man collapsed on the floor with an arrow sticking out of his forehead. His eyes are of a pure white color with a green web pattern covering nearly half of it; his chest and arms are partially covered by pieces of mossy, dark bark, and, thankfully, so is his groin; his hair is made of a bunch of small pieces of bark protruding upwards; and the soles of his feet look disgustingly filthy.

    "Let's take his head," Alissa happily suggests, and I glumly nod.

    She draws her sword and grabs the head by the bark hair, then starts sawing the neck. Warm blood pours out as the meat splits open, but I find myself unable to look away. While Alissa calmly works, I glance at Roxanne and see her wrinkle her nose then sniffle.

    "I dislike the smell of blood," she admits and smiles wryly, but I'm too tense to reply.

    Alissa quickly finishes the job and I immediately store the head in my "Items." This is the proof of extermination, so I'll have to watch this horrifying scene again a considerable number of times.

    I'll be fine…



    We quickly move on again to distance ourselves from the pool of blood we left behind, and we soon reach another stair down. At least there were no bear traps on this floor.

    I pull out another spool of rope, and we do the same thing we did before.

    As we go down, Alissa suddenly stops and points out, "Master, this moss is suspicious."

    "What do you mean?" I mumble as I try to look over her shoulder.

    She kneels on the floor and touches the step. "The stone is cracked under the moss."

    I hum in understanding and suggest, "Oh~… Let's hit it with the hammer and see how it goes."

    With a *poof*, I pull the hammer out and hand it to Alissa, who immediately slams it on the mossy step, then we take a step back as a hole suddenly opens up on the steps.

    I pat her shoulder and smile. "Well, this trap wouldn't be dangerous since we have these ropes, but it'd certainly be scary. Thanks, Alissa," I kindly praise her, and she starts acting cute again.

    "Yeah. I'd rather not be thrown around by a rope. Thank you, Alissa," Roxanne piles on, just making Alissa even happier.



    We continue down the stairs and reach another floor. Only thirteen to go.

    I wonder what's below the ground in this world. Is it like Earth where there's the mantle and things get hotter the deeper we go, or is there impassable purple bedrock? Maybe it just "ends" at an infinite hole.

    Focus.

    On this floor, the shallow pools of dark, dirty water are much bigger, leaving very little dry land. There's barely enough room for one person to walk in between them.

    "I smell something funny in the water," Alissa warily reports.

    "Let's not touch it," I immediately caution.

    Roxanne sniffs the air and walks closer to one of the pools, unnerving me, then she crouches and ponders, "I guess the water is corrosive. I don't think it's poison because it'd be really hard to poison every single pool in this dungeon unless the Spriggans have an unbelievable supply of it."

    Corrosion is even worse than poison. It hurts my soul to even imagine something hurting Alissa's cute little feet.

    "And there's another vine ahead," Alissa points out.

    "Alright…" I mumble as I search my "Items" for the bowl again, then I pull it out and throw it on the vines. They immediately tighten around the bowl and pull it into the water, then we hear sizzling.

    Roxanne nods in acknowledgment and states, "Corrosive. It wouldn't kill us, but it'd hurt."

    We find no Spriggan on this level, so maybe the corrosive pools are dangerous for them, too.



    Another stair, another vine trap, and now the pools are back to normal size. Twelve floors to go.

    We cross a few rooms, then Alissa stops us again. "There's a small mound below the moss over there," she soberly reports.

    I remember something from the dungeon reports and frown worriedly. "I don't even want to trigger this trap, so let's just go around," I firmly suggest.

    We take a small detour around the room and circle the pool.

    "There's another mound ahead of us," Alissa reports, starting to sound worried.

    I let out an annoyed sigh and mumble, "Well, shit."

    I pick a spare iron spike because it's heavier than the bowl and throw it at the mound, then a white flash blinds us. I immediately push Alissa back and pull up my shield in front of us, getting ready for an attack.

    Only our vision was taken, not our hearing, so I focus on any footsteps approaching, but the only sounds we hear are the ones we produce ourselves.

    A few seconds pass, and our vision returns, but nothing else happens.

    I lower my shield and sigh. "They're just messing with us," I grumble.

    "Just like the book said," Alissa remarks, her tone a little tense.

    We encounter a few more mounds, which trigger a few more flashes, but we don't get blinded a second time. I wish I could dig the mound up, but I'm scared it might turn into an actual mine at some point.



    Another stair, another vi-...

    "It's moving!" Alissa exclaims warily.

    The vine slithers towards us like a snake, but it isn't particularly threatening, so Alissa and I awkwardly slash at the ground a few times to kill it. The vine stops moving after a dozen chops, but using a sword this way isn't good for the blade

    "The Spriggans can control vines, the first real attack is coming soon," I warn them, and they nod obediently.

    Then we reach the bottom of the stairs without another incident. Eleven floors to go.



    There are no traps, so we grow a bit restless.

    "Three hits, it's the Spriggans," Alissa suddenly reports.

    Finally.

    I immediately strategize, "One for each of us. I'll take the middle, Alissa the left one, and Roxanne the last."

    We continue forward, and when we enter the corridor, we see something blocking our way. It's a wooden chest-high wall.

    "They're behind that," Alissa whispers.

    We brace for battle and slowly move closer, but then I get an idea.

    I smirk and turn to Roxanne. "Uh… Miss Roxanne, [Fireball], please," I politely request.

    Her expression lights up and she grins evilly. "Yes, sir!" She energetically replies. She was rather quiet all this time, but now that there's an actual enemy in front of us instead of just traps she seems a lot happier.

    I turn forward again, then I feel a lot of mana gathering behind me as Roxanne chants softly.

    "[Fireball]!" She suddenly casts.

    A ball of fire bigger than my head flies past me, then it hits the wooden wall and explodes, leaving a large hole in the middle.

    "Erm… they're moving… downwards?" Alissa confusedly reports and cutely tilts her head to the side.

    "What…?" I grunt reflexively.

    Alissa scratches her fox ear. "Yeah, they ran away... downwards. There must be a stair or something there."

    "So, another feint," I whisper tiredly and drop my shoulders dejectedly.

    "Ugh~..." Roxanne groans and rolls her eyes.

    The numbers of stalking Spriggans are increasing, but they're not attacking. Scaring works, for now, but it won't last, so I want to kill some to set fear in them already.

    We walk up to the flaming wooden wall and see a dark hole in the ground behind it. There are vines hanging from the hole like ropes, which is what I believe they used to climb down, and the hole goes down a few meters, then opens into a dark room.

    "This must be how they sneak about the dungeon," I guess.

    The room below seems claustrophobically small, so nobody feels like exploring it.



    We move on and soon reach the stairs down. Another stair, another vine trap.

    "Master, the stairs are slippery," Alissa cautions me.

    We take extra care and reach the bottom of the stairs without a hitch. Just ten more to go.



    As we cross a narrow corridor, Alissa suddenly stops me, then she kneels and observes something close to the floor.

    "I see… oh, it's a wire," she curiously mutters, and only when she runs her finger along the wire that I finally notice it.

    Now, wire traps are a mind trap too. This trap could trigger something that makes the whole corridor collapse, or it could just be a faint, a dud to make us tense, or there could even be another, different trap right after this one as our mind becomes hyper-focused on finding wire traps. It's right up the Spriggan's alley to play mind games like these to tire us out.

    I look at the walls and narrow my eyes in suspicion. "Are those slits?" I notice.

    Alissa follows my gaze then nods in agreement. "Yes, Master. It's likely there's an arrow trap behind the walls," she concludes.

    Triggering this trap will cause uncountable arrows to come flying out of the walls. Don't ask me how it works, it's just "magic."

    I grab my chin in thought and guide her, "Alissa, look ahead of the wire, is there any other trap nearby? Like, a pressure trap, a mound, or another wire?"

    Her eyes carefully scan the mossy corridor. "Let's see… there's a suspicious square tile over there," she points out.

    Heh, I knew it.

    And I calmly order, "Then let's slowly move across this corridor. If you trigger something, immediately drop to the floor."

    We cautiously get past the traps, and Alissa spots a second suspicious square tile, then she suddenly stops.

    "There's one watching us," she tensely whispers.

    Just one? And this corridor is rather long… This is suspicious.

    I sternly order, "Alissa, shoot an arrow at him, then we should all increase our speed."

    An arrow flies, and I hurry us forward, then we feel a small tremor that lasts a couple seconds.

    "Run!" I immediately yell. I don't even care whatever it is, we just need to fucking run.

    I glance behind us and see the floor starting to split, opening into a deep, dark hole.

    "FASTER!" I scream and look ahead again.

    I can't see Roxanne behind me, so I just hope she exercises regularly.

    Alissa and I reach the end first, then I look back and see that Roxanne is still some distance away.

    Dammit, girl!

    I desperately open my "Items" and pull out a spool of spare rope, then Roxanne's footing disappears under her and she jumps.

    Bat wings suddenly appear on her back, then they lazily flap, and she starts to float. She crosses her arms and legs as if she was sitting in the air while she slowly flying towards us.

    I forgot about that. Thanks for the heart attack.

    "So… I'm really thankful I can float," she casually remarks while giving us an embarrassed smile.

    I facepalm and massage my eyes. "I'd have thrown you a rope if you couldn't," I wearily reply.

    She giggles softly as she steps on the floor before us. "That's a little reassuring, but I'm still pretty pissed at the Spriggans. That was some major trap! We evade a dozen of them, and then a little shit comes here just to trigger one last trap himself," she irritatedly remarks.

    I nod as I coldly explain, "That's why we need to brutalize them. If they attack, then we leave no survivors, and that puts some fear into them."

    She holds her waist and strikes a sassy pose. "Then I'll use [Melt Skin] to make them terrified of us!" But I shudder at the thought.

    Help me, Alissa, she's threatening my mental health!

    "Let's not deviate from the plan, effective ways of killing come first," Alissa soothes her.

    Thank you for being so reliable.

    Roxanne crosses her arms and pouts. "Hmph, alright," she grunts back.

    Then we reach the stairs down. Another stair, another… moving vine, and we easily cross it. Nine to go.



    "There's one on the left corridor and two on the right," Alissa tensely whispers.

    And I strategize, "Hm… If we chase them, they'll run away, and if we ignore them, they'll come from behind and ambush, so I want to force a fight..."

    But there's no time to think.

    "Master! Three coming from the front! Ambush!" Alissa frantically shouts.

    I grit my teeth and grip my sword harder. "Shit. Alissa, right! Roxanne, left! Kill sides, then support me!" I immediately bark orders.

    I draw my sword and ready my shield, then I charge a heavy [Fireball].

    I notice something being thrown. It's a crude wooden spear, but it just clangs against my shield, not sharp enough to pierce it.

    "Projectiles! Watch out!" I warn them.

    Roxanne is bad at dodging, so she's the one in the most danger. I need to kill that spear-thrower since there's no cover here.

    Shadows come into range of our light, revealing three skinny green men. Two of them are wielding crude metal swords and crude wooden shields while the third has a spear in his hand and a dozen more on his back. The shield users have a large amount of bark covering their arms and legs, but their chest is still vulnerable.

    I charge forward. The spear-thrower must die.

    The shield users stop and brace themselves.

    I bash the one on the left, and he staggers backward. A spear flies and hits my shield, but that's enough of an opening. I let out the [Fireball] towards the spear user and parry the incoming blow from the one on the right, then I hear a masculine scream. His voice is similar to a human's, but it's like there are two voices overlapping each other.

    My spell hit!

    The spear thrower's arm and part of his chest burst in flames, and he starts running around, too stupid to put out a fire in the middle of a damp room full of pools of water.

    I immediately back off and glance at the girls.

    Alissa is on the ground being pulled by a vine towards the pool, there's a Spriggan on fire near her, but Roxanne is sprinting towards them, dagger in hand.

    Fucking no, no, and no!

    I dash towards the one on fire, then he drops his flaming shield and moves towards the defenseless Alissa as her sword is on the ground, out of her reach.

    I don't have time to stop, so I tackle the Spriggan and my sword pierces his back, then we both fall on the ground in a messy way.

    He thrashes about, trying to hit me with punches and kicks, but I can't finish him off since my sword is stuck in him, so I draw a dagger from my back and stab his chest multiple times, right in the heart.

    After a few stabs, he slows down and quickly loses strength, then stops resisting entirely and becomes limp.

    "[Melt Skin]!"

    A chilling, guttural scream fills the room. I look towards its source and see a Spriggan rolling on the ground while white steam rises from his body while Roxanne stands near him, holding her dagger threateningly. Luckily, I can't see much more than that due to the steam.

    Alissa is beside her, clashing swords with a shield user Spriggan. His attacks suddenly slow down, and he starts to retreat, so I dash after him.

    Like hell I'm gonna let you go now, you shit stain.

    He's not fast enough, so we manage to surround him. Roxann's hair is disheveled, making her look very angry and stabby, while Alissa faces him with a serious, murderous look.

    I come from the side and slash at his flank. He doesn't react in time, and blue blood is drawn from his ribs.

    Roxanne starts chanting, so the Spriggan turns around to run again, and Alissa slashes at his back, making him fall from the pain, then I kick his face, stunning him.

    Alissa's boot presses down on his chest, then she beheads him with a clean chop. [Sharp Blades] can make swords become frighteningly sharp.

    I look around and notice that the spear-thrower is already far away, though he's still burning. There's also a Spriggan with an arrow poking out of his forehead, a carbonized body, and a passed-out one with his skin melted.

    I don't even want to look at the last one right now, but then Roxanne walks up to him, and I hear the wet sound of flesh being sliced open.

    Jesus.

    Alissa starts collecting the heads, but she stops for a moment to stare at one with a mohawk made of bark, then she laughs and stores it. I just spend the whole time staring down, cleaning my sword and shield while Roxanne pats her robes and brushes her hair.

    Once she's done, Alissa comes to me and regretfully apologizes, "I'm sorry, Master. I got caught in a vine trap and dropped my weapons."

    I shake my head and give her a kind smile. "Don't apologize for this. Mistakes happen, and we deal with them as a team. It was good acting by Roxanne to come and free you, but I was also a bit far, so it was partially my fault you were so close to danger."

    She frowns concernedly. "T-that's not-..."

    "Don't argue. We're companions," I assert with finality. I don't want her to apologize like this for every mistake.

    She bites her lip and nods. "… Understood, Master," she reluctantly relents.

    I store my rag and stand up. "Now let's go, I don't like this smell."

    It's the smell of barbecue.



    We reach the stairs down and take a small break to eat an early lunch. At least it seems so since we have no idea of the time.

    I drink my tea with my lunch, which isn't customary. Though I like to drink tea during the afternoon snack, there's no time to take another break after this, so it has to be right now.

    Alissa is content to make tea for us, which also soothes Roxanne's bloodthirst, so I guess this was the best choice, after all.

    We only hear the faint sounds of running water and our quiet chattering, making this place quite a nice spot for a picnic. The atmosphere is also nice, and the girls are happy, almost making me forget the imps planning our deaths nearby.



    Another stair, another vine trap. Eight to go.

    This floor has a few wooden walls blocking the way here and there, but no enemies, so we can just blow them open if they get in our way.

    It seems we scared them off with the last fight, which is excellent to us. Perhaps that attack was a test to see how we react, and it doesn't seem unlike monsters to sacrifice a few for the "greater good."



    Another stair, another two moving vine traps. Seven floors left.

    Mounds and bear traps appear again, and this time, I have a bad feeling about them, so we throw a spike from far away, then it blows up.

    Finally, the mines have appeared.

    We move extra carefully on this floor, but we reach the stairs without any dangerous encounter.



    Another stair, another… empty stair?

    No traps. Suspicious.

    Six floors left.



    Pitfalls, pitfalls galore. We have to keep looking for cracks in the ground and hammering anything remotely suspicious. Alissa has the best eyes by far, so I tie a rope around her waist, then Roxanne and I hold it from a bit far behind while she explores.

    Another stair, another no trap descent.

    Five floors to go.



    "A Spriggan is watching us," Alissa soberly reports.

    "Hmm…" I stroke my chin as I think of a nefarious plan, but the Spriggans are too slippery for what I have in mind. "I want to chase him and give him a scare," I tone down the evil.

    "There have been quite a lot of traps on these floors, so it's better that we don't rush forward and stumble upon one," Alissa counters.

    "Let me try a small explosion near him," Roxanne evilly suggests.

    "Isn't that a waste of mana?" I question her skeptically. I know this spell's mana efficiency is kind of bad.

    "If it's small, it'll only startle him, so it won't waste too much mana," she explains as she adjusts her glasses.

    And I shrug. "Fine, then."

    Roxanne claps the tips of her hands excitedly and turns to Alissa. "Please, point me towards the Spriggan, Miss Alissa."

    I savor the sight of a cute girl and a hot woman rubbing cheeks and holding hands. I want a picture of this scene.

    Roxanne grins evilly as she casts, "[Explosion]!" And I hear a boom, then I feel a faint breeze.

    "He actually got pushed away quite a bit, so I think the explosion wounded him," Alissa reports, sounding quite impressed.

    I nod in approval as I hum, "Hm, nice. We should use this spell more often, then, because it seems that he couldn't detect the spell until it was too late."



    Alissa finds another Spriggan, but he runs away immediately when we stop to aim.

    Heheh. They're scared now.

    A mix of traps appears on this floor, which is quite annoying since it slows us down.

    Then we reach the stairs. Another stair, another no vine trap descent.

    Four floors to go.



    Vines, vines everywhere. We walk forward slashing at the ground repeatedly, but I fear my poor sword will get ruined like this. Vines try to grab us from multiple angles, but they're too slow to be effective now that we're wary of them.

    They're not like the Bush Babies that can strike hard and with weight, these vines can only move and entangle us then push us towards the pools. If a vine catches us and we fall, as long as we have a sword or dagger at hand there's nothing else they can do.

    Honestly, this is the most annoying room so far. I almost feel like just running past all these vines.

    But we eventually reach the stairs.

    Then I look at Alissa, and she looks at me.

    "Something is odd," she points out.

    "Even I think so," Roxanne agrees, squinting as she stares at the stairs intensely.

    The stairs look… too well done. All the other stairs looked worn out and uneven, but this one? Every step is perfect.

    I ponder for a moment, but I eventually just give up, "Hm… If something happens, we always have the rope, so let's just go."

    We start descending, and we don't meet a single vine trap.

    But once we reach the middle, we hear a *clunk* sound.

    Ah, shit, here we go again.

    The stair suddenly changes into a slope, then a large amount of water gushes out from the walls in jets.

    There's no time to react, so we're pushed towards the edge and start losing our balance.

    I slip and slide down, so the rope pulls on Alissa, making her slip, and Roxanne follows a second after, then we're all pushed over the edge by the strength of the jets.

    The rope holds, and we dangle above the pit a good ten meters above the ground, but right under us, I see dozens of pointy shadows at the edge of my light.

    "These fuckers…" I grumble.

    "My robe…" Roxanne whines.

    "Annoying…" Alissa growls.

    We slowly crawl down the rope and land avoiding the spikes embedded on the ground, then we use [Fire Magic] to dry ourselves.

    Three floors to go.



    Another floor full of wooden walls, and it also seems empty.

    But Alissa eventually finds one. "One monster hiding ahead," she calmly informs us.

    "Hm… have they all not ran away?" I think out loud as I squint to discern what's up ahead. At the end of the corridor, I see the outline of a chest-high wall. "Well, whatever, he's behind that wooden wall?"

    "Yes, Master," Alissa obediently replies.

    I turn to Roxanne and grin. "Miss Roxanne, you can see that, too, right? Do you think you can cause an explosion right where his head would be?"

    She matches my grin and adjusts her glasses as she chuckles like an evil lady, "Ohohoh! I like that!"

    Then Alissa helps Roxanne point her finger again, scoring another hit on my heart. The two beauties together are truly a sight to behold.

    Oof.

    "[Explosion]!"

    I hear a boom followed by a wet, fleshy sound, making me giggle.

    We walk up to it and see a headless Spriggan laying on the ground with his back against the chest-high wall. The surroundings are completely covered in blue blood and small bits of brain matter and bones.

    Roxanne leans down to inspect the damage closer. "Ohoh~… I'm quite satisfied with the result, though it's a shame that I destroyed the proof of extermination."

    But then I start chuckling.

    "Master, what's so funny?" Alissa asks concernedly.

    I can't control myself, and the chuckling grows into laughter.

    I try to speak, but I'm so distressed that I can barely keep it together, "I'm not… ahahah… going insane… hahah… it's just that… hah… it's just so… AHAHA… ridiculous…"

    Both of the girls look at me worriedly as I bend over and wheeze, but then my stomach starts to hurt, making me even more agitated.

    "L-let's go, Master," Alissa hurries us, and the fit of laughter quickly subsides.

    I don't want to think about what just happened.

    Soon after, we reach the stairs.

    Oh, look it's back. Another stair, another vine trap.

    Two floors to go.



    We're thankful the journey across this floor is short. It's filled with even more traps, but the small distance to the stairs down means we only have to deal with them for a short time.

    Another stair, another vine trap.

    Last floor.



    "The smell of Spriggan is really strong here," Alissa warily points out.

    "Perhaps they actually live here?" Roxanne wonders.

    I look around and notice small mushrooms and bushes with fruit, so I cite, "This floor has food for them, so while it's not known if they actually live here, they do come often."

    There are forty more floors after the one of the Moon Turtles, and it's thought that the Spriggans are hunter-gatherers who don't live in a single place for long.

    We quickly move on, eager to reach the end of this stretch of our journey, but after a few rooms, Alissa stops us.

    "I smell burnt wood," she whispers, sounding puzzled.

    "Oh? So they do use fire," I mumble back.

    "Well, this means they're close by," Roxanne explains, and it puts my curious mind back on track.

    I smile wryly. "Yes, right…"

    Then Roxanne looks at me with an eager glow in her eyes, just waiting for the order to fight.

    "Let's not fight them," I stop her immediately.

    "Awn…" She moans cutely, contrasting with her sexy style.

    I give Alissa a worried glance, but she doesn't seem to understand. "You can only blow their heads if they're standing still, you know," I try to appease Roxanne.

    "I can still use [Melt Skin]," she casually replies, giving me a shiver.

    I'm surrounded by sadistic women.

    "Miss Roxanne, that spell is only for emergencies because it's too dangerous to be used so carelessly," Alissa warns her, finally coming to my rescue.

    "Hmm~..." Roxanne groans with a pout, seeming a bit vexed.

    Alissa isn't wrong. That spell has quite the short range, and I'm not letting Roxanne get close to another Spriggan again.

    "Oh! Master, there's nine of them right ahead!" Alissa suddenly exclaims.

    Then I notice that the room they're supposedly in is quite small.

    I suddenly get so giddy I start to grin evilly, "Heheheheh… Miss Roxanne, [Firestorm] please..."

    Roxanne's expression turns crazed and murderous. "Yes… yes… YES!" She shouts hysterically.

    The Spriggans thought they could ambush us again. They thought they could outnumber us. But they've underestimated our power.

    You don't fuck with a Fire mage.

    "They aren't coming, they're waiting to ambush," Alissa declares, confirming their death sentence.

    Even the kind and forgiving me is pissed at these imps, and if we can crush them from afar without even being able to see them, then my heart is safe. It's just more numbers on my experience bar.

    I hug Alissa's waist, and she rests her head on my shoulder, then we watch the show.

    "[FIRESTORM]!"

    In the distance, we see the room lighting up. Wisps of flame appear from nothing, creating lines in the air that twist into spirals. The number of flames suddenly explodes until they cover the entire room in just a few seconds, creating a hellish tornado of fire.

    A strong gust of hot wind blows on us, bringing the smell of burnt wood and flesh with it.

    "GET FUCKED!" Roxanne screams triumphantly, then she pants and leans on her staff.

    "They're all dead. Good job, Miss Roxanne," Alissa praises her cheerfully.

    The last stair is a few rooms ahead, so this was our last encounter with the Spriggans. After this, the journey back will be simple since the way is clear.

    We inspect the damage, but no corpses are left behind. The entire room is completely black and charred.



    Then we reach the stairs down. Another stair, another vine trap.

    And we finally reach the floor of the Moon Turtles.

    "MOONLIGHT MOOOOOSS," Roxanne lets out a long scream as she falls on her knees, her eyes watery, and her hands on her cheeks.

    Our prize is finally within sight. Shining in the nearly completely dark cave, a glowing patch of white moss covers the round back shell of a monster, illuminating the surroundings, and revealing the figure of the huge turtle.

    The Moon Turtles turtles are just literally giant turtles with a shell covered in either blue or green moss. They have small little spikes growing out of their shells, like a certain famous kidnapping turtle, that thrust out like a porcupine when it's angered. Fortunately, they aren't aggressive, and they'll only attack on their own if someone stands in front of them.

    We take a break to let Roxanne recover the mana she used for [Firestorm], and once she's ready, the massacre begins.

    This floor is damper than the others, and the pools of water are much deeper, but not wider. The Turtles like to hide in the pools, thinking they're safe since nobody wants to touch the filthy water, but that just makes them more vulnerable to ranged attacks.

    We move fast and ignore most turtles since only a few of them actually have the Moonlight Moss. Once we spot our target, Alissa uses [Muscle Explosion] to shoot two arrows in quick succession to blind it. Knowing that it's going to die, the Turtle becomes enraged and shoots fire everywhere in hope of scoring a lucky hit.

    Though it's lashing out wildly, it's still a slow-moving turtle, so I put on tall, thick boots and enter the shallow pool, then I carefully approach it from behind and slash its throat. Once I confirm that the bleeding is satisfactory, I return to Alissa to recharge my mental energies while we wait until the Turtle dies from blood loss.

    It dies after a few excruciatingly long minutes, then Roxanne happily floats towards it and starts working.

    The only problem is that all this blood is bad for my heart, making me queasy. I guess the stress of the trip and the danger of this dungeon keeps me sane, but it's not easy to watch the slow death of these Turtles.

    Roxanne's work is a bit fascinating, though. She first spreads a measured amount of a drying powder on the Moss and waits as it reacts until it becomes crumbly to the touch but not enough that it becomes like sand, then she finally pulls out a silver spatula-like scraping tool and collects the Moss.

    The Moss is quite corrosive to most materials, forcing her to use thick gloves. The only thing that can resist the corrosion is silver, which is absorbed by the Moss when they touch, creating a fine layer that shields it from touching other things. This layer is what allows the Moss to be safely transported, and it also helps that silver is already an ingredient she wants to use in her potions.

    The process takes a few minutes, and by running from room to room, we manage to kill nine Turtles in an hour. We work for three hours, rest, work another three hours, and Roxanne's jar finally gets filled.

    "Contract complete!" She exclaims and happily bounces around while holding her jar.

    "Uh… we still have to escort you back," I point out.

    She stops and grins embarrassedly. "Oh yes, that's right, eheheh."

    How can you be so carefree?

    Exhausted, we set camp in a quiet, empty room.



    Roxanne takes a bath first while we keep watch, and she happily hums a cute little tune as we hear the splashes of water.

    Alissa and I both smell of sweat, but we still sit on the floor right next to each other as we hold hands and stare out of our secluded room.

    "It feels like we have been so long down here," Alissa suddenly comments wistfully.

    I gently caress her hand as I admire how perfectly smooth her skin is and explain, "It's because we can't see the sun, so our notion of time is messed up. Now that I think about it, is there a shop where we could buy a clock?" I raise my head to look at her.

    She looks at her hand and smiles at my loving touch. "I've seen them a few times at the Flea Market. The Crafters' Corner should also have them, but the magic tool shops are more guaranteed to have it in stock."

    "You think it's expensive?"

    Her tail lazily wags as she thinks for a moment. "Yes, that's why not many people have it. Looking at the sun or the sun dials is enough for most commoners."

    I start to feel mesmerized by the movement of her fluffy tail. "We should have some good money after this, so we'll rest for a few days, and I'll use the leftovers to buy one."

    Her tail wags faster and I smile unknowingly. "A few days with only us would be nice," she whispers with a dreamy tone. "I want to learn more about the local teas, and I also want to practice cooking again."

    I raise my eyes back to her face and stare at her orange jewels. "Oh, yeah, you have the [Cooking] skill, but you haven't made anything for me yet. I'd love to eat something you made." -She gushes adorably and gives me a sly glance- "I used to cook, too, so let's do it together."

    She tilts her head cutely in surprise as she hums, "Oh? Yes, let's do it together." Then she squeezes my hand lovingly. "You also haven't told me what dishes you used to eat in your homeland."

    I hum absentmindedly as I reminisce about the past, about how Lily and I used to cook together…



    Bath time goes the same as before with gags, fingers, and oral only. Alissa holds her voice better this time, so I put a lot of energy into eating her out, gradually increasing my speed until she tells me to slow down, then she orgasms on my tongue.

    After having my taste of her, we eat the same dinner as yesterday and go to sleep again in turns. I get to sleep for three hours while hugging Alissa, but we have to do it while armored, which dampens my enjoyment a considerable amount. Well, Roxanne's robe can barely be considered armor, but I think she has some light gambeson under it.



    We wake up feeling a bit stiff, then we eat breakfast, and prepare to leave.

    Roxanne spends a long moment looking out of our secluded room, staring at the distant glint of more Moonlight Moss. If she wants to go, she'll do it alone because I just want to go home.

    Eventually, she snaps out of it and we move out.

    Once we get to the stairs, we see that the rope we used is still there. Being able to reuse it makes it worth having spent so much money on a whole spool.

    Then we move through the rooms at a hurried pace. We know where the traps are, and not only do the Spriggans take a long time to change the trap layout, they're also far too scared of us now to attack again.

    We blaze through the floors and leave the dungeon before it's even noon, I think.

    After a light snack, we wait a short while for digestion to do its thing, then we start to stretch. We're going to run, fuck sneaking about again. The moles won't chase us into the Arachne territory, so we can just run past them because they are way too dumb and slow to react fast enough to block us.

    I'll keep Roxanne in front of me because I can't let her sexy slow ass fall behind like last time.

    Then I have Alissa memorize the order of the markings on the tunnels to guide us through the path that takes us outside, and now we're ready.

    "RUN!"



    We simply run past four Moles. We throw a few arrows and spells at them the moment we meet, scaring them off and clearing the path for us.

    "Five more markings," Alissa reports, not even out of breath, but we still have about ten more minutes of running, then she suddenly stops. "Wait, someone's coming."

    I get in front of her and pull up my shield. "What is it?" I warily ask.

    "Three humanoids are coming towards us. They're likely just adventurers, but… they're running from something?" She questions, unsure herself.

    "Running from what? Actually, it's pretty obvious, get ready to fight an Arachne," I order as I glance at the girls, and they nod solemnly.

    Just our luck. This expedition didn't have any real incident so far, so it was about time something unusual happened.

    We wait for a few seconds, then we start to hear footsteps. I quickly become anxious, thinking that the Moles are going to come running from behind now that we've stopped, so I warn Alissa to keep an eye on our backs.

    Sorry you have to work so much.

    Then a line of adventurers comes from the tunnel ahead. The first one is a black man in a hauberk and chausses with a large kite shield and a sword sheathed on his waist; the second is a blonde bearded archer with black leather armor and a red feather cap that looks kind of tacky, and I see a white, thin, furry tail coming out of his back; and the last is a short-haired redhead woman with a black robe, a wand in one hand and a small, round, iron shield on the other.

    They all look deathly pale, their faces blank with fear, and their bodies glistening with sweat.

    "SYMBOL OF HATE!" The man in chain mail bellows and we all shudder in fear at the name.

    We're fucked, that's a threat level 7 monster.

    The Symbol of Hate is an aberrant legendary monster that appeared about two hundred years ago. She's a five meters tall Arachne with twelve spider legs, black human torso, and blood-red eyes. The hairs of her spider body are so stiff that they can puncture the skin with their sharpness; her spider exoskeleton is almost as hard as metal, making sword and spears nearly useless; her black human torso is her weakest spot, but it's still as tough as an ogre's, making my sword almost useless; her frightening large mouth has hundreds of sharp teeth that shred anything she eats; and her nails are as large and sharp as a dagger. Her appearance isn't exactly frightening, but what makes this monster so horrifying is that she has an incessant thirst for inflicting pain and misery.

    She literally feeds on pain. She captures any living being, brutalizes them, nurses them back to health, and brutalizes them again until their mind breaks apart, then she eats her prey alive. There's only one report of her nest and the only words to describe her are "a hell where the only sound is the cry of pain of tortured souls".

    She's the embodiment of misery. She's a berserking, cunning monster that eludes extermination task forces as long as she has lived. Her aberrant nature means not even the Monster King controls her as she's grown too powerful and too twisted to be considered the same as a normal monster.

    It's that fucking nightmare that's coming towards us.

    But we can't run or we're going to get sandwiched. We're still at the edge of Mole territory, so they might still be chasing after us, and we don't have the firepower to break through their horde if we fight them head-on.

    We can either fight one enemy right now, or we can run and most likely get sandwiched between more than one, so, to me, there's only one choice: we have to fight the Symbol head-on.

    "YOU THREE, STOP RIGHT NOW, THE MOLES ARE COMING AFTER US!" I scream back.

    They immediately brake and almost tumble, then the woman and the chain guy freeze like deers in the headlights while the archer grabs his own hair and falls on his knees, his face wracked with despair.

    Now's not the time to panic!

    "WE HAVE TO FIGHT!" I scream once again, and they turn their heads towards me. "You, mage! What are your spells!?"

    "Hiiii..." She shivers and lets out a small scream, but my imperious tone prompts her to stutter an answer, "F-f-fire, b-ball, arrow, w-wall. W-wind bla-d-de, ha-hammer, a-armor."

    I nod sternly and command, "Ignore wind! Focus only on [Fireball] and [Fire Arrow]. Don't miss, so take your time, and don't waste mana!"

    She nods in understanding while shivering like a rabbit before a wolf.

    I turn to the weremonkey man. "You, archer! Focus only on hitting the eyes. The skin is too thick for anything else!"

    "Y-yes!" He obediently responds and stands up.

    Good, he's not completely helpless.

    Then I turn to the last one. "You, shield! We stand in front. Block and protect, and cut legs only if we have a chance!"

    "YES!" He roars with a surprising amount of energy.

    I turn around and look at the girls. "Roxanne! Same as the mage, save half your mana for an explosion!"

    "Understood!" She soberly replies.

    She trusts me, that's good.

    And to the last one, I give an intense look that she mirrors back at me. "Alissa, same as the archer. We need those eyes popped!"

    "You can count on me!" She confidently declares and clenches her fist over her chest.

    Reliable as always. Marry me, please.

    Then we get in formation and wait.

    I think I'm actually fucking lucky.

    It was simply by chance that I saw the entry for Symbol of Hate, which spiked my curiosity, so I spent a long time searching for tales about her, and they told me the best way to deal with this fiend. Her skin is tough but it's still skin, so fire is extra effective, and if we burn her enough, she'll lose interest and run away. That's our only chance of survival.

    Then I notice that the chainmail guy is shaking.

    "It's okay, we'll survive," I lie, then I give him an exaggerated smile and a thumbs-up. Hopefully, this gesture means the same as on Earth.

    He lets out a nervous laugh, and his shaking reduces a little.

    A few seconds later, we hear a stampede coming, then a maniacal laugh fills the tunnels, and I grit my teeth

    The laughter quickly becomes louder, and the mages start charging their mana.

    I look around and wonder if this is the best place for this fight. We're in a large square room that's tall and long, but not very wide.

    Unfortunately, there's no time to think anymore. At the entrance to the tunnel ahead, a large shadow appears.

    The Symbol of Hate charges at us while grinning like a mad woman. Her twelve legs are as sharp as a spear, leaving small holes wherever they step on. Normal Arachnes have the human body replace the spider's face, but the Symbol has her naked human body on top of the thorax of the spider, so she has eyes on her human head and on the spider's face, which are quite a lot of eyes to pop.

    A second after I scan her body, two [Fireballs] and two arrows are launched towards her. She blocks one spell with her dagger-fingers while the other grazes the right arm, leaving a small scorch mark. The left arm deflects an arrow aimed at the face but the second arrow sinks into one of the spider head's six eyes.

    She easily deflects the following arrows while the mages gather mana for more [Fireballs], then she reaches us, the front line.

    She tries to trample both of us at the same time, but we face her with determination and hold back the charge. Her front legs slam against our shields, making a small bump in mine as she tries to crush both of us, but she doesn't retreat immediately, leaving her legs exposed, so we both counter with a slash, carving grooves in them.

    She pulls back and raises her two forward legs, then uses them like spears. Her arms block more [Fireball]s, but the spells still burn her skin. The center area between me and the shield guy is clear, giving the archers a perfect shot to her eyes, and another one on the spider's head is pierced.

    I dodge, parry, and block, slowly wounding the forward legs some more, but even my sword arm is quickly tiring from having to deal with the brute force of this monster. My [Wind Armor] is so weak against these attacks that the spell makes no difference.

    The shield guy is doing better than me, though, I just don't have enough "Strength" for this fight.

    But I won't fall first!

    The arrows miss and both [Fireballs] are blocked. The shield guy gets lucky and cuts off the pointy tip from the Symbol's leg, but it can still be used as a blunt tool.

    I start to lose my breath and my arms become heavy. I won't last much longer. The fire damage is too little, and the monster is too heavy.

    Another spider eye goes away, three more to go. The eyes lost are all on my side, so its attacks slow down and I can get a small breathing room, but I don't have the luxury to rest. I counter and cut the tip of a leg.

    "URAAAAAAA!" The shield guy screams. He makes the Symbol's forward leg even shorter, then a large [Fireball] hits her chest and one of her saggy, ugly breasts is completely carbonized.

    "AAAAAAH!" This time the spider is the one who screams, but then her face warps into a scowl as she becomes enraged.

    Her attacks become wilder and heavier, so we take a step back, and another spider eye goes away, leaving only two more and the pair on her human head.

    The Symbol is slowly losing her sight advantage, making it difficult for her to dodge or block all these simultaneous attacks, so she changes tactics.

    She jumps sideways, away from me, and she falls down nearly on top of the shield guy. With three legs, she does a sideways sweep, sending him flying towards the wall.

    This is bad, she turned around the situation, I can't hold her back on my own!

    I take the chance. I dash towards her and slash one leg at the joint, cutting it off completely.

    Heh, easy, only eleven more to go!

    She counters by doing another sweep, and there's no room for me to dodge. I receive the sweep against my shield and feel a shiver run down my spine as I fly away backward.

    I crash on the floor and roll, but I spread my arms and legs out, stopping me from flying further as I land on all fours, then the Symbol turns towards Roxanne.

    Oh fuck, no, no, no, and no. NO, YOU WON'T.

    I dash with my all, adrenaline pumping into my veins, and forget all about my tired legs and arms. The only thing I feel is the anguish in my heart while looking at Roxanne.

    A shadow appears in front of her as she merely remains standing still while muttering something, and completely defenseless. A spider leg pierces her stomach, and I can see the tip coming out of her back.

    The leg stops in the air for a second, then I jump and slash down, using my body weight to sever the leg clean through.

    "WAAAAAAAAAAH!" The spider screams, but not because of my attack. I look up and see an arrow coming out of the human head's right eye.

    GOOD, ALISSA!

    The spider thrashes about as it screams in pain, but it narrowly misses both Roxanne and I, then I see an opportunity.

    Her legs are open, desperately trying to find anyone close to her, too blind with pain to see properly. Once she sweeps her legs to one side, I dash forward and get under her, then I raise my sword and open a long wound along the soft part of the underside of the spider's thorax.

    Blood flows down and coats my arm, and even a piece of mangled intestine dangles out.

    Suddenly, my head bursts with pain, and I lose my hearing as the spider screams so loud it makes my body shake.

    I stumble and look back, only for my eyes to meet with the Symbol's last human eye, and fear fills my spine as the blood-red circle stares at me with evil intent.

    Behind the Symbol, Roxanne still stands, leaning on her staff as she mutters a chant and gathers a huge amount of mana. She's going to use her last card, and the Symbol is too enraged with me to notice her.

    I have to do something, I have to keep the monster still, but I only know of one way.

    I run away as I change my skills in desperation, then I hear the spider start moving.

    "STOOOOOP!" The shield guy screams. He reaches the spider and severs a leg, but then he immediately gets blown away again by another sweep.

    A [Fireball] hits the Symbol's human back, making her groan in pain, and she spins in place, now staring at the mage girl.

    Like I'm going to let you do that!

    They bought me enough time. I turn around and dash as I charge my spell, putting as much mana as I can into it.

    I'm ready. There's no other way, no second chances, this is my best bet and I'm going to see it through the end!

    "RAAAAH!" I scream in desperation to grab her attention again.

    The Symbol's legs are too wounded for her to be faster than me, so I catch up with her, then she stops to switch targets to me again.

    I jump and use one of her legs as a stepping stone to lunge towards her head.

    The spider swings her right arm at me as she turns, and the dagger-fingers slide across my shield, then I suddenly stop mid-flight and an extremely uncomfortable sensation penetrates my left flank.

    I look down and see her five dagger-fingers have penetrated through the left side of my torso cleanly, skewering me completely. The pain is so overwhelming I drop my weapons, and the left side of my body stops responding.

    The Symbol looks at me with a triumphant grin, and instead of throwing me away or finishing the job, she brings me closer, then she opens her disgusting mouth, and the smell of rot that wafts out makes me want to puke.

    Thank you, you cunt, now get fucked.

    I grab the top of her head with my only working hand and release [Shocking Touch].

    The chaotic lighting sparks crackle all over her head, and her whole body freezes, then she twitches uncontrollably as her brain is overwhelmed.

    I kick her body and slide out of her dagger-fingers, then I fall heavily on the hard ground, and the Symbol's dumbfounded face is the last thing I see before her upper body explodes.

    "You are now level fifteen," the comforting female voice announces inside my head.

    I close my eyes as I feel a rain of hot droplets splash against my skin, which is followed by a blast of hot wind.

    A splitting headache suddenly flares, then my ears start to ring, and I lose my hearing. I'm in so much pain I can't move, so I just wait on the floor for someone to come help me.

    After a long, agonizing moment, something soft touches my cheek, and I open my eyes, but my vision is blurry, then I cough blood.

    Something cold touches my lips and my jaw is forced open, then a warm, tasty liquid enters my mouth. I almost choke, but I try to drink it as best as I can. My throat is dry, anyway.

    Someone does something to my body, but I'm in too much pain to understand what's happening, then the ringing in my ears starts to lower and my hearing slowly returns.

    "Master! Can you hear me!?" I hear Alissa desperately call to me.

    "Ye..." I let out a rough sound.

    I focus my eyes and discern Alissa's crying face before me. The pain pulsates, but it quickly reduces, allowing me to move my right arm.

    I raise my hand and cast [Regeneration] on myself.

    After a long moment, enough of my awareness returns that I can take stock of my own situation. My leather jacket is open, my shirt has been ripped apart, and the archer guy is holding down a bundle of cloth against my left flank while Alissa pours a red, glowing liquid on it to heal me faster, but the cloth is quickly turning red with blood. I'm bleeding quite a lot.

    "Rox… an?" I croak.

    "She's still unconscious but… we've done all we could for her," Alissa solemnly replies, her face warped in a frown.

    Shit… Roxanne might be dying.

    I can't waste time with [Regeneration]. I hastily put my new twelve points into [Light Magic] and a sort of "internal pressure" tells me I shouldn't put any more.

    Let's see if those "Piety" gains were worth something.

    New spells appear inside my mind, then I cast [Heal] on myself.

    I see a flash of light, then my vision goes dark, and pain flares again in my head. It hurts so much my whole body tenses up.

    I hear a lot of muffled sounds, but I'm barely conscious due to the pain, so I don't understand what they're saying.

    I feel something cold touch my lips and my mouth is opened again. A different, warm and tasty liquid enters my mouth, and I drink it eagerly.

    After a long, tortuous minute, or less, pain warps the perception of time, my headache subsides, and I can hear what's going on again, but I only hear sobs.

    "Alis…?" I weakly ask, my voice coming out a little better than before.

    "M-Master?! You're awake!?" She cries back, her voice cracking from anguish.

    "Yes… what. Happen… can't… see," I mutter.

    "You overused your mana! WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!" She shrieks, her voice filled with rage.

    "Sorry…"

    "AAAH!" She screams hysterically in exasperation.

    I want to laugh, but it hurts too much.

    Oh shit, I can't laugh, I have to heal myself and then heal Roxanne before something bad happens!

    "Will… meditate…"

    "You want to meditate? Yes, please do that. You need to rest!" She exclaims, exasperated.

    No, I need mana. Roxanne is in danger, and no potion is going to close a wound like that fast enough. I can't let her die, not after she killed that nightmarish being, not after we went through so much trouble to get the Moss, not after I started to like her obnoxiously happy personality.

    I can't see, and I can't move, so now I'll block my ears. Meditating helps recover mana? Well, I'll meditate as hard as I can! But that might not be enough… I need something better.

    I can see my system with my eyes closed, but I can't move my arms to change my skills into [Mana Recovery]. I could wait until my body recovers, but I'm suddenly struck with an idea to fill the time while I wait.

    [Mana Recovery] and meditation are passive methods, so they aren't as effective as active methods, of which I know one. Dwarves can pull mana from the environment to strengthen their bodies, but unfortunately, that's a racial skill of theirs, so I can't learn it with my cheats, though maybe there's a way to replicate the skill's effects.

    When a mage lacks the knowledge to properly cast a spell, their "Willpower" is used to brute-force the mana to do what they want, so I just need to visualize what I want with crystal clarity and bend the mana to my will.

    The world naturally produces mana as do all living beings, and right now, my [Sense Mana] is telling me that there's a highly magical corpse next to me exuding quite a lot of it, so I just need to force that mana to come to me!

    I focus on my [Sense Mana] and wish really hard for that mana to be mine.

    I suddenly feel something stir within me, but I wasn't expecting anything to happen, so I stop in sudden fear and surprise.

    After a second of processing the feeling, I decide to resume what I was doing, but with more intensity.

    The stirring comes back and it feels incredibly similar to when I "scratch" the "itch" to activate things inside my mind.

    Come to me!

    I focus more on the feeling inside my mind and the stirring continues to grow, as if I was kicking up a storm within me, then I start to feel a resistance, like a smooth "force-field" trying to push me back.

    I don't understand what it is, but it means that something is happening, and it makes me too curious to stop what I'm doing.

    I push against the force field and it seems to gradually give in, then I start to feel it "stretch" as if it was like rubber, and an even odder feeling strikes me.

    It's like my head is expanding, ballooning out of control, yet my real body has not moved an inch since I started this madness.

    I have no fucking idea what I'm doing, but it's something! And since I'm "stretching" out of my real body, I aim this growth towards the Symbol's corpse.

    After a few seconds of this, my [Sense Mana] triggers as my "forehead" crosses with a thick stream of mana.

    This is what I need! Come to me!

    The stream stirs in a way that reminds me of a drop of paint falling in water, creating small vortexes of mana as it spins.

    Come to me!

    The stream stirs harder, turning into chaotic clouds that surround my ballooned head.

    COME TO ME!

    I open my mouth, trying to "eat" the mana, trying to force it to enter my body, then my MP suddenly ticks up, recovering ten points in one go.

    YES!

    Now it ticks up again, recovering twenty points in a single second, but then my body is wracked by pain, making me groan.

    I WON'T STOP NOW! THIS MANA IS ALL MINE!

    I "chew" the clouds of mana, and my MP skyrockets, recovering to the maximum in just a few seconds while my body burns with pain, complaining about what I'm doing, so I stop, and everything returns to normal, though the burning remains.

    "Roxanne...?" I force myself to ask through gritted teeth.

    "She is here. We brought her beside you. What do you need, Master?" Alissa unemotionally asks, a dash of concern in her tone.

    "Let me… touch her…" I order, mustering all my strength to speak.

    "What?! Master, you need to meditate to gather your mana!" Alissa explains, exasperated.

    "I got it… let me touch her…" I insist and scowl from the pain.

    "That's not possible, please rest, Master," Alissa tries to soothe me and lands a gentle hand on my forehead.

    Anger gives me the energy to put even more weight to my words. "Alissa… that's an order…"

    I can't see her because my view is blurred, but I can hear her squirm in anguish.

    "Wound…" I grumble sternly.

    She silently grabs my hand and moves it sideways, putting it on top of something warm, hot, and slightly sticky, which is right beside something cold, hard and prickly.

    "Remove… spike…"

    Someone fiddles with the cold thing, then it's pulled out with a disgusting fleshy sound followed by the dripping of a liquid.

    "Done…" A male voice replies.

    I press the [Heal] button within my mind and charge it with all my mana, then I release the spell and pass out for good.



    The first thing I feel is that I'm laying on something soft, then I weakly open my eyes, but my vision is blurred by the intense glow of a [Spirit Light] floating above me.

    "Hey..." I let out a weak groan.

    "He's awake," a man calls out.

    My view quickly regains focus , and I see the shield guy's upside-down face looking down at me with a frown, then I feel a soft hand touch my cheek, and I turn my eyes down to see Alissa's red-eyed and disheveled face staring at me.

    "How are you feeling?" She tiredly asks with a hoarse voice.

    "Better… my muscles are feeling heavy, but better," I answer and cough.

    She smiles softly, then her thumb caresses my skin. "Stay still, the bleeding just barely stopped."

    I cast [Regeneration] on myself, and Alissa gives me an exasperated look, but she doesn't say anything. She knows I have to do this.

    A few minutes pass, and I start to regain control of my body, then I detect a strong scent of blood.

    I look beside me and see that Roxanne is on a makeshift stretcher. She's unconscious, her robe is completely bloodied below the waist, and I can see a bloody bandage wrapped around her belly, but her breathing seems to be normal.

    "Is she still bleeding?" I ask Alissa.

    "The wound is almost closed but she's still bleeding," she anxiously answers.

    I heal myself a little more time until I can sit, then I cast [Regeneration] on Roxanne until my mana runs out. Her bleeding stops, but we'll have to hope that she doesn't have any internal injuries.

    I drink another mana potion and ask, "Can you bring me to the spider's body?"

    The shield guy looks at me dumbfounded, but Alissa nods and asks for help.

    They carry me on the sleeping bag and let me down near the Symbol, then I grab a spider leg, open my "Items," and store it. The body disappears, and only a huge pool of blood is left.

    "Carry us back," I tiredly order, then I lay down and immediately fall asleep.



    I wake up feeling a light shaking. I open my eyes and they slowly focus, then I see Alissa's back in front of me and recognize that she and the shield guy are carrying me in a makeshift stretcher through the brown tunnels.

    Alissa notices me stir and looks back at me, then she gives me a warm smile, and I try to smile back, but I'm still very uncomfortable.

    "Roxanne?" I softly ask.

    "Stable and sleeping. She woke up once, but now she's asleep again," she calmly reports.

    I move my points into [Mana Recovery] and start using [Regeneration] on myself again, then I notice that Alissa is wearing a dark-red cloth armband.

    "What's that cloth?" I question her.

    She diligently answers, "The Symbol's blood. It has a characteristic scent, and it seems to scare away the monsters, so I made one for everyone. It has worked well so far."

    I nod and smile at her. "Smart." And she gives me a brief proud smile. I'm glad she's back to being confident. Her desperate and disheveled appearance was heartbreaking.

    It's quite likely that the Symbol's blood is what made the Moles pull back from chasing after us. If there are no dumb monsters around, we might even be able to walk back to the entrance without a problem.

    We continue our slow trek in silence for a long time.



    I maintain [Regeneration] on myself and meditate twice to recover my MP until I can walk slowly again, but Alissa doesn't let me stand up yet, so I just meditate one more time and cast [Regeneration] on Roxanne to finish her healing.

    The health and mana potions used on me are still working, but they're slow, and they heal basically at the same speed as [Regeneration]. Drinking more potions could fasten the healing, but there's a risk they'll poison us if we overdose.

    After the last [Regeneration] treatment, my head starts to hurt again, and my body tires out. I must be using too much mana, so I'll need to rest a long time until I can cast magic without hurting myself again.

    We stop for a break and Alissa gives me bread, which helps give my body a small surge of energy. As I eat, I look at the others and feel a bit of fear from their ghastly appearances, but then I also wonder how I look if they're that bad. Roxanne is looking even paler than normal, but at least she's sleeping peacefully.

    After the short rest, I convince Alissa to let me walk so the others can conserve their energies.

    We move forward slowly, and I quickly regret my decision as my legs whine loudly about tiredness, but I endure and move on.

    All I can think about is putting one foot before the other and continuing forward in this seemingly unending tunnel, then my mind becomes hazy as I slowly become a walking zombie.



    After an eternity, I finally see the light of the sky.

    "AAAAAAH!" The mage girl and the archer guy let out a long, anguished cry, then the shield guy hugs the archer while Alissa pats the back of the mage. Roxanne suddenly wakes up, confused and scared, and Alissa scolds them for making so much noise.

    I sit down to rest, but I lack the energy to stand up again, so we rest again until I manage to force my body to continue marching.

    We meet a goblin duo in the small forest, but Alissa kills them before they even notice us. I use [Regeneration] on Roxanne just for a short time and stop before my body complains again, but it's enough to wake her up, though she still lacks the energy to say anything.

    Then we reach the road.

    Since there's usually a lot of traffic here, we wait for anyone to appear, and a simple wagon answers our prayers after a minute. It's a local farmer carrying a few barrels of alcohol towards the town.

    He turns pale when he sees how bloody and haggard we are, then he immediately agrees to help, and Alissa gives him a few coins for his trouble.

    Now the worst is over, and I doze off in the rocking wagon.



    When I wake up, I see two unknown robed men carrying me on a proper stretcher as we quickly cross a simple corridor, then I recognize that the men are wearing the temple's priest robes.

    Shortly after, I'm gently put onto a comfy bed with Roxanne put onto another beside me, then Ciel suddenly rushes inside.

    "S-sister!? What's wrong?" One of the priests asks in confusion.

    "I know him. Please, let me treat him," Ciel requests.

    "If you wish so," the priest defers and goes towards Roxanne.

    Ciel rushes to my side and exclaims, "Just what happened to you?!" Then she touches my wounded flank and starts chanting [Heal].

    "We met the Symbol of Hate," Alissa grimly responds from my other side.

    Ciel stops chanting and stares at her, her jaw hanging open in surprise.

    "S-sister… please continue healing him," Alissa begs worriedly.

    Ciel blinks and snaps out of it. "Y-yes! But can you say that again? Explain it to me, please," she pleads and starts chanting again as she inspects my chest wounds.

    While Ciel casts multiple [Heal]s on me, Alissa retells our encounter, starting from when we decided to run through the mole territory.

    After three [Heal]s I don't feel any more pain, just tiredness. With the treatment done, Ciel just stares at Alissa, dumbfounded.

    "Why was the Symbol there? That's way too far from its territory!" Ciel suddenly exclaims, bewildered.

    Alissa shakes her head and explains, "Gunther and the others don't know. They were investigating the report of a White Arachne when they suddenly met with the Symbol. They knew they had no chance to win, so they ran towards the Moles to possibly slow the Symbol down, then maybe hide inside the small rooms of the Spiral Springs."

    The White Arachne is a twisted version of the normal Arachne. It can possibly create undead, so both the temple and the monster hunters' guild pay a lot for any information on it. Also, the idea to hide in the Spiral Springs was sound until we came. If they had run towards the entrance, they'd likely get tangled in the Tarantula's webs, which would be their death.

    Ciel massages her temples as she shakes her head in disbelief. "Of all things, why-…" -She sighs tiredly- "Mr. Ryder, please pray to the God of Luck because your life is just too eventful."

    "Hah… I have a feeling praying won't really help, though," I wryly reply.

    Ciel stares at me in confusion. "Why would that be so?"

    I shrug weakly. "I'm still alive, right? For an adventurer, you could say it was only bad luck if I actually die."

    Ciel expresses a mix of laughter, anger, and defeat while Alissa just sighs, but I think she agrees with me.

    I hear a chuckle from the side and see Roxanne staring at us with a tired face, then the priest casts [Heal] one more time on her and takes his leave.

    Healing magic is so powerful that our treatment is done in just a few minutes, so now we just need to rest our tired bodies because the spells didn't replenish our energy reserves. There's the spell [Refresh], but at most it's like taking a short rest, and our muscles need more than that to fully heal. There's also the need to let the body adapt to the healed flesh, so no more strenuous activities for today.

    That doesn't mean Alissa can't use her mouth to give me some release.

    After the bath, the temple gives us a rustic vegetable soup with some tasteless goblin meat and as much toast as we want. Overall, it tastes quite nice even though it's such simple food.

    Then we're given a room with two beds to sleep for a night while Roxanne also gets a room for herself. Thankfully, they let Alissa sleep in the same room as me, but they don't have a double bed for patients.

    The treatment and the bed cost us merely two silver since much of the cost is subsidized by the Lord, which is surprisingly nice of him. For those who can't pay, the treatment is free, and I feel like there's few people who can be shameless enough to lie in front of someone as angelic as Ciel.

    With the day finally over. Alissa and I huddle up together in the small bed, and I finally get a good night's sleep with her in my arms.



    Intermission 2 - Roxanne



    How am I still alive? I have no idea how to deal with this situation. In a split second he made the decision to trust me even though I was wounded and half-dead. We barely know each other, yet he has the bravery to jump into the claws of the enemy and trust that I can finish the battle.

    The older and experienced me tells me that the young boy is insane, but my young and impressionable side shouts that he's a hero. In the end, all I know is that he's dependable and not someone you let escape because even though he's young, he's not a boy, he's a man. Now, imagine how much he'll grow in a few years…

    What I truly feel is hard to say. He acts like a newly-wed with her and yet he doesn't admit his love. What kind of relationship is that? Though, the trust and dependability that they show for each other actually made me jealous. If even after all this he's still unsure of his own feelings towards her, how am I going to be sure of mine?

    All I know is that I want to stay close to him.
     
    Last edited: Jan 31, 2022
  12. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

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    The morning light seeping in around the blinds wakes me up, and they illuminate our small room just enough to allow me to notice Alissa's orange jewels staring right at me.

    We smile at each other, but we don't make a sound or move a centimeter. We just want to enjoy this moment a little longer.

    I get the feeling that something changed within me, so I open my "Stats" and "Skills" while we rest.

    My "Endurance" raised by 1 (now 10), my "Willpower" raised by 2 (now 15), my MP raised by a whopping 100 (now 355), my "Magic Power" raised by 10 (200). My [Sword Use] raised by 2 (now 12+4), my [Dodge], [Block], [Sense Mana] and [Mana Control] raised by 1 (now 0+5, 0+7, 0+3, and 0+4). I learned [Light Magic] and [Mana Overuse Resistance] with 1 point. The most interesting of all is that I learned [Redirect Mana (creator)] with 1 point, and I can't add or remove points in that skill.

    My right hand instinctively searches for Alissa's furry ear, and I notice that my muscles still ache, but I let the hand do as it pleases.

    Her other, lonely ear twitches, and the imp within me suddenly takes over. I pull her into a tight hug and playfully bite her ear.

    "KYAH!" She lets out the cutest scream I ever heard.

    I release her and stare at her embarrassed expression in surprise. "Oh? What was that?" I hum teasingly as a grin slowly grows in me.

    She pouts and gives me a mild glare as she complains, "M-master! I told you my ears are sensitive!"

    My grin turns into a smirk. "But you didn't hate it, right?"

    "N-no… but be gentler," she bashfully replies.

    Ah, it's good to be alive.

    I nod in understanding, then I gently massage both her ears, and she closes her eyes in happiness.

    Suddenly, she opens her eyes and exclaims, "No-no good. I should be the one massaging you!"

    I open my arms wide. "Then by all means."

    She crawls up to me and kisses my lips, then she raises her chest, mounting me, but unfortunately it doesn't become sexual, and she only uses her hands to massage my muscles.

    It feels good because my whole body is still sore and the pressure is nice and stimulating. Alissa doesn't have the [Massage] skill, so I wonder how good it'd feel if I gave her the skill.

    While I'm enjoying a good massage, someone knocks on the door and tells us that breakfast is ready.

    Her stomach rumbles, and we both stop and stare at each other.

    "Let's go eat," I suggest, and she silently nods as her skin grows scarlet.



    We get dressed, then Alissa guides me to the mess hall, a very wide room with a dozen wooden tables and benches. There are a few priests about, coming and going with trays of surprisingly tasty-looking food.

    As we observe the area, the priest who started to treat me yesterday comes to us.

    "How are you today?" He kindly asks.

    I pat my own arm and wince. "Sore all over, but I'm fine. Seems like everything has healed already," I answer with a smile.

    He nods and hums, but then his expression starts to become worried, "Yes, that's expected… wait, no. The state you came in was quite stable considering how desperate your battle was."

    Well, shit. I used [Light Magic] to heal Roxanne and myself a good deal before coming here, so it's impossible to not notice.

    "Well, I fainted multiple times while using [Regeneration]. It really was by a thread," I try to make an excuse.

    He nods and soberly states, "Certainly seems so. You're a lucky man."

    Could I spend a day without hearing something like this? I'm not lucky, I know this now more than ever. Even if the universe is conspiring for me to be "rewarded," I don't consider that "lucky".

    I awkwardly laugh and look away, "Hahah, that is something I doubt a little."

    "Oh yes, I know some would agree with you." He wryly replies, then returns to being professional again. "But now, you should rest at least for a day-cycle. Also, make sure your body is ready before you begin training. Internal wounds like yours are difficult to see, and can continue to do damage in the future if you're not careful."

    I hum and give a quick bow. "Thank you for your advice. There's certainly nothing I want to do more than just rest right now."

    The priest gives us a brief smile, then leaves to get breakfast, and we also get some. Bread, a nutty spread, jerky, a not-apple, and some tea. Quite nice, really.

    Mid-way our meal, Roxanne comes in with Ciel helping her walk because she seems unsteady.

    They notice us and Ciel waves, then they take a seat in front of us.

    "Good morning, Mr. Ryder. I feel like the sunlight has never been so refreshing," Roxanne greets with a pained smile, then she takes a deep sigh while Ciel asks for one of the priests to get them a tray of food.

    "Your positivity is unbreakable," I remark, rather impressed.

    She cheerfully nods and readjusts her oval glasses. Her childish cheerfulness may look jarring against her sensual beauty, I'm starting to grow fond of her. "Of course, I couldn't be happier, I finally have the chance to use Moonlight Moss on my potions and grow rich and famous!" She makes a fist and begins to raise her arm, but then immediately lowers as she makes a pained face.

    "Miss Roxanne, please don't do that, your body is extremely weakened now," Ciel pleads and gently lands a hand on her shoulder.

    "You'll have difficulty keeping Miss Roxanne quiet, Grand Ciel," Alissa calmly states matter-of-factly.

    Grand Ciel? There's that weird honorific again.

    "Please, Miss is fine," Ciel replies with a smile.

    Alissa nods and relents, "As you wish."

    Then Ciel turns to me and gives me a stern, but caring stare as she cautions me, "Now, Mr. Ryder. You too should be resting, your wound wasn't any less worse than hers."

    I smile back at her kindness and reply, "Well, I lost way less blood than her because I could heal myself up to a point, so I'm mostly just sore, but don't worry, I'll take at least one day-cycle of rest. I have a lot of things I want to do in town, and I'd also like to talk to you again, Miss Ciel."

    Her gaze softens and she mirrors my expression."Certainly, I'd be glad to."

    Roxanne receives her tray, and she immediately goes for the tea, then she gives me a curious look as she asks, "Mr. Ryder, are you leaving today? If so, can you come to my house in a couple of days? I'd also like to talk to you and properly thank you for saving me. Do you have a pen? I'll tell you my address."

    Oh, how nice of her.

    I pull out a cheap magical fountain pen. It generates ink if you put some mana into it. Then I ask Alissa to write because my calligraphy with these pens is horrendous and my hand is kind of shaky.

    I softly exclaim as I suddenly remember something, "Ah, I still have the body of the Symbol with me, so I'll give it to the guild today, then I'll share the bounty with you."

    She opens her eyes wide. "Wha-well, that's… unnecessary. I owe you far more."

    I smirk as I casually slice my not-apple. "Say that again and I'll pinch you. You're the one who actually finished it, I just gave you the chance, so I'll follow our previous agreement: I'll negotiate our share, and you take one third of the bounty."

    She sighs and drops her head, and I get the feeling her spiral horns suddenly look oddly bouncy. "If you say so…"

    We chat a little longer, then I finish my meal.

    I stand up and announce, "We'll meet again in a few days, then. Rest well, Miss Roxanne."

    "You too, Mr. Ryder and Miss Alissa," she weakly replies and smiles.

    Ciel gives us a small wave. "Goodbye Mr. Ryder, goodbye Miss Alissa."

    Then we wave back and leave.



    The walk back to the inn is slow, but I feel that my body enjoys the light exercise.

    I'll sleep in for the rest of the morning, then we'll go to the guild during the afternoon. Silas sent word to Alissa when I was sleeping that he would like to talk to me as soon as I was able, I can just guess what it is.

    When I enter the inn, the innkeeper opens his eyes wide and simply stares at me for a couple of seconds.

    What's that about?

    "Mr. Ryder! You are back already?" He suddenly exclaims.

    "Uh… Yes, I finished my expedition," I awkwardly reply.

    "I think he means you were supposed to stay at the temple longer," Alissa whispers in my ear.

    I hum in understanding, "Ah, that? Well, I can heal myself somewhat, so it wasn't that bad for me. But no matter that, how did you know I was wounded?"

    "You're the talk of the town, Mr. Ryder. Everyone knows you're the one who killed the Symbol of Hate. I couldn't believe my ears when I heard the story."

    Oh fuck, the entire town knows, already?

    "Master is very tired now, and he still needs rest, so let's later," Alissa saves me.

    "Ah! Yes, certainly, please forgive me." He smiles embarrassedly and bows.

    You don't need to bow, though.

    We enter our comfy little room, and I just drop on the bed. Alissa lays down next to me and hugs my head, and I feel the softness and warmth of her breasts on my face.

    "You don't have to stay all day by my side, though. I'm going to sleep for a while, so you should do whatever you want," I declare, my voice slightly muffled due to where my face is buried.

    "I want to stay here," she asserts, and I leave it at that, then I fall asleep in her arms.



    I have a pleasant dream about golden fields and a blue sky, then I gently wake up, and once again the first thing I see are Alissa's orange eyes stare into mine as she plays with my hair.

    I smile like a fool madly in love, but she returns only a sad, anguished look.

    "I don't want you to do that again," she whispers sternly.

    "Do what?" I blurt out, caught by surprise.

    She frowns and looks down as she rests her hand on my chest. "To jump… To throw yourself into the enemy like that, to use your body and harm yourself."

    "You know that was our best shot at surviving," I calmly point out.

    She gives me an anguished look and exclaims, "I know! I just don't want you to do that again."

    I'm not the one to make empty promises, so I carefully word what I'm going to say next. "I can't say I won't do that again… but what I can promise you is that I'll do everything that I can so that we're never in a situation like that again. Remember my two rules?" I gently ask and smile.

    She obediently answers, "'Don't die,' and 'let's never get into a situation where someone needs to die.'"

    My smile grows wider, and I pat her head as I whisper huskily, "Good girl."

    She bites her lip, and then I see her eyes water. I'm thankful she cares so deeply about me.

    I kiss her hand, and she lets out a few silent tears.

    Looking back after the fact, it's easy to be calm and collected, but I dread thinking about what next trial will befall us. I have no intention of dying before we grow old together, but I'm sure our lives won't be easy, and that scares me.

    We stay like this until my stomach growls, making it my turn to blush.



    We go down the stairs, and I walk up to the innkeeper.

    "Excuse me, is Miss Selina around?" I calmly ask, but he subtly opens his eyes wider and then averts his gaze.

    Hm…?

    Then he looks at me again and flatly replies, "She's… not here today, but she's coming back tomorrow."

    "Coming back"? Suspicious.

    I smile politely. "Oh, I see. Then I'll meet her tomorrow." Then I say goodbye and leave.



    We eat some tasty fried Dragolite again with noodles! Unfortunately, noodles are not as popular as pasta, so only a few restaurants seem to be serving it. What a shame.

    Then we go to the hunters' guild.

    We enter the noisy hall, and the first thing I see is Targua is drinking with a group of rugged adventurers, then he notices me and mutters something to the people around him. As we walk in, the gazes of most of the guild slowly turn to us.

    Then I recognize the trio that we fought the Symbol with quickly approaching us, and so we wait for them.

    The first one to come is a wide black man with dark hair in a buzz cut, the shield-bearer. "Hello, Mr. Ryder. I don't think we were properly introduced, I'm Gunther from Hauberk," he politely greets with a bright smile. His face is oval and youthful, but his enviable stubble ages him up quite a bit.

    Then the mage girl cheerfully greets next, "I'm Minerva." She's wearing an average green dress today that goes well with her boyish, short, red hair and her adorable freckles. She's pretty, but nearly everyone in this world also is, so you could say she's "average."

    "I'm Lorthar, well met," the weremonkey archer soberly greets. He's wearing his tacky, red, feathered hat again, and coupled with his rather fashionable black and red clothes, he seems rather eccentric. His thin, white tail happily sways about, which makes him actually a bit charming.

    I nod and smile politely as I return the greetings, "Well met. Thank you for your help yesterday, we'd all have died if a single person wasn't there."

    They nod, except Lorthar, who looks away. I think he was literally useless during the fight, but he helped out by carrying back Roxanne and me, so he still saved us.

    "Everyone is staring at us; let's just go meet the guildmaster," I request, then the three awkwardly look around and quickly nod.

    We go towards the nearest attendant, and she leads us towards a meeting room, then we wait for a minute before Silas comes in.

    The short, bearded guildmaster greets with a wry smile, "We meet again, Mr. Ryder. Mr. Sonny is happy with the surprise you prepared for him."

    "Ugh… I just want a quiet life…" I moan tiredly, and Alissa gives me a sympathetic smile.

    "Fate says otherwise," he promptly replies and chuckles softly then takes a seat before us.

    I frown and grumble, "Maybe I need to change jobs."

    "I don't think that'll make a difference," immediately replies again and flashes a smile. "Now, let's talk business. First, I'd like to hear a retelling of the fight. I heard what happened, but I want all the details."

    And so we retell it.

    We all agree that the most likely reason the Symbol of Hate was there was because she was looking for the White Arachne too. It was known that the Symbol liked to hunt and fight, and she went after other Aberrant monsters or weak adventurers if they got too close to its territory, excet the Arachne was spotted far from the Symbol's nest. This means that it was just an "unlucky coincidence" that she went so far from her nest to hunt the Arachne, then switched targets to Hauberk, chasing them until they stumbled upon us, who had a train of Giant Moles behind us, effectively boxing us between two choices of death.

    Our only salvation was that the Symbol was actually a physically weak monster compared to others of the same threat level. She was just very cunning and brutal, and quite capable of running from subjugation forces, so everyone was quite afraid to deal with her.

    Considering how she was maniacally laughing while leisurely chasing Hauberk, she was just playing around until we faced her head on.

    Just the thought that we met such a sadistic being makes me shiver a bit.

    Once we're done, Silas eyes each of us as he announces, "Are we all in agreement that what has been said here is completely factual?"

    We nod.

    He hums and continues, "Then let's discuss the reward. The bounty on the Symbol of Hate is two rose coins, but price for the body is undetermined as there are no previous records to go by, so we'll need to bring all the interested parties here and auction the body parts."

    Holy shit.

    Everyone is speechless, and the gazes of the Hauberk trio even go blank.

    "We don't really deserve the reward, we barely helped," Gunther meekly declares, his face warped with guilt.

    "That's… dumb," I reflexively point out. "You'll get your part, too."

    It's honestly a good idea we met so soon after the battle. If we had waited, greed might've come upon their heads, telling them to demand more. I want my deserved share, but I don't want them to go away with nothing. They risked their lives for us, too.

    "For the bounty, how about ten gold for each of you?" I propose. That leaves us with 110 gold coins, which drop to 73 gold coins after Roxanne's share.

    Lorthar opens his eyes wide and nods. Gunther and Minerva take some time but nod too.

    "What about the body auction?" Silas questions me as he strokes his envious, protruding beard.

    "Twenty percent goes to them?" I ask out loud.

    They nod in agreement. It's possible they'll profit a lot more from the auction than they ever could from the bounty.

    Then Silas moves on, "What about Miss Roxanne?"

    And I happily answer, "We follow our previous agreement: one third of all we earn is hers. She did kill it, afterall. Without her magic, we'd all be dead."

    Silas waits a few seconds to see if we have anything else to say, then he brings the finisher, "Do you want the Guild's opinion on this matter?"

    The guild doesn't force the agreements, but it acts as the mediator since it's the one paying the hunters. They also prefer that hunters work together and build bonds, so in times of need, like in town defenses, there's way less drama. The guild offers their opinion on agreements, and it's generally a good idea to take it. The way profits are divided are generally made public, so, if you negotiate a bad deal, you'll get a bad reputation among the hunters. The world isn't perfect, and unpopular hunters die in "accidents" considerably more often than the popular ones.

    "Yes, please," I accept.

    "It's a fair deal," Silas announces with finality.

    Then we shake hands.



    Next, we go to the dismantling room, and I present the body. Alissa collected the arms and head that survived, which she promptly turned over yesterday to the guild as proof of extermination, so that's why they all already believe our story.

    Once we enter the room, Gordon's expression goes blank, then he swallows heavily and nods to me.

    Why are you so serious right now? I prefer teasing than silence.

    I pull the body out of my "Items," and everyone stares in silence.

    The silence is broken by Sonny, who barges into the room, almost breaking the door, then immediately stops and stares wide-eyed.

    "Mr. Ryder… I'm speechless..." Sonny whispers in awe.

    Even you! But, technically, you aren't speechless.

    Then Gordon chuckles and finally teases, "This is a bit much for a surprise, eh? But I gotta say, you got guts boy."

    A two hundred years old murder machine that gave the town nightmares while it lived is now finally dead and killed by a random young boy who just a few days ago was suffering while killing goblins by himself. Yeah, I agree, now I've done it.

    I just smile wryly while Alissa hugs my arm and pats my hand comfortingly.

    Then Gordon turns to Silas and gives him a serious look as he refuses, "Boss, I won't touch this. Who knows what's inside. I also don't wanna lose my ears hearing the complaints of some old quack who says I did my job wrong."

    Silas strokes his beard twice, then he nods. "Agreed. We'll just auction it off intact if no one has the knowledge or courage to do it." Then he turns to me. "Mr. Ryder, would you like to keep it with you or would you prefer to let us store it? For this monster, we'll store it in a way so that it remains intact until the auction."

    I immediately accept his offer, "Please store it, I don't want to touch this anymore."

    He flashes a smile. "Understandable."

    I look behind me and notice that a small crowd of attendants and adventurers have gathered at the entrance.

    Well, shit.

    Then Sonny walks up to me and soberly states, "Let me say this Mr. Ryder: you're unbelievably lucky."

    Alissa and I share a look. I think she wants to say she agrees with him, but only on the part that I was lucky to survive jumping into the Symbol's claws.

    Gordon laughs and joins in, "Hahah, that's true. What's up with that, boy? You got a good luck amulet or something? Grey Berserker, Orc Headhunter, and now Symbol of Hate. That's no mere luck you have."

    "He's a walking good luck charm," Sonny flatly adds.

    "The 'good' part is debatable," I awkwardly reply.

    Gordon hums and states, "That should be his nickname then, 'Good Luck.'"

    I immediately interject, "No. No, no, no, I don't accept this."

    He gives me a shit eating grin. "Too late, boy. That's your new name."

    Then I feel something change within me. I immediately open my status, and see that under my "Titles," there's the entry: "'Good Luck' nickname."

    I moan and close my eyes as my heart pangs with pain, "Nooo~… that's it, I'm going home."

    Sonny and Gordon say their goodbyes with a smirk while Silas keeps a neutral expression, then we quickly leave, walking past silent gazes of fear from the spectators.

    We've already received the bounty and split the money, and Roxanne's share will be stored until she comes to collect it, so there's nothing else for us to do here.



    I'm already feeling tired again, so we return to the inn. There are still a few hours until dusk, so I just play around with Alissa's body to pass the time.

    She slowly strips in front of me then lays down at my side. I wet her nipples with my tongue, then I use my fingers to play with these ping buds of heaven to my heart's content.

    I slowly trace her small areola with the tip of my indicator, occasionally giving it a lick or a short suck, then gently pinching and pulling, then I close my eyes and enjoy the music of her light moans as it grows louder.

    "Master... please…" She moans as her body begins to writhe.

    "What?" I huskily ask with a smirk.

    She gives me a pleading look. "Please…" She begs again and again.

    But I say nothing else and continue to play with her nipples.

    "Master!" She suddenly exclaims, starting to sound annoyed. "Please, give it to me!"

    I smile sadistically and get on top of her. Her legs are already spread, so I just slowly push my hip forward, the wetness covering her pussy lips making a lewd sound as I slide in, then I start pistoning.

    Her cute moans are just pure music to me.

    I'm still rather tired, so we eventually switch places, and she mounts me, then I just stare at her amazing body moving up and down as her tits jiggle until I reach heaven.

    I think about giving her the Clothes of the Berserker again, but I might hurt myself if she wears it. We're rich now, so another day I'll tell her to go back to that store and bring mor.

    When we bathe, I notice that my wounds left scars: five horizontal lines along my left flank. Healing magic normally doesn't leave scars, but since I mixed it with potions, different spells, intermittent healing, and a long walk without rest, it left imperfections, scars.

    I look a bit badass, though, and the way Alissa touches them makes me believe she's inclined to agree.

    Then we have dinner and go to sleep.



    I wake up feeling quite energetic and almost fully cured, so we fool around a bit more intensely, then go down to have breakfast.

    After we eat, I decide to train my [Spirit Light] with Alissa this morning.

    Ah, the feeling of hugging her while I sense her mana swirl around is just great… But anyway, I feel like I can cast this spell if I practice for a few more sessions. My one point in [Light Magic] seems to be helping me a lot in understanding this spell. I'm still just copying her, though, so it's not like I suddenly understand magical theory, just like how [Sword Use] works.

    Then someone knocks on the door. Alissa opens it and reveals a very anxious Selina.

    "Would you like to come in?" I politely ask with a smile, then and motion her to the chair in front of the only desk in the room.

    "Y-yes, please, excuse me," she shyly replies and walks forward, then she suddenly gives Alissa a tight hug. "I'm glad you are safe!" She cries out.

    Alissa is taken by surprise and freezes, but then she wraps her arms around Selina and starts to soothe her, "A-ah, yes. I'm happy you were worried for me, but I wasn't in much danger since I was always at the back."

    Selina disentangles and gives her an anguished frown. "T-that's not true, just by facing that monster you…" -She sadly shakes her head- "What horrible luck. I can't believe the things you two went through!"

    I smile bitterly and reply, "Luck is a funny thing. Some say I'm lucky I survived, some say I'm unlucky I met that monster."

    She lets out a nervous laugh while knitting her thin, blonde eyebrows, "Hahah… don't joke about such things, Mr. Ryder."

    And Alissa politely retorts, "That's the life of an adventurer. We have to look back and laugh to be able to move on."

    Selina stays silent. She still looks a bit sad but she's quickly calming down. She seems to have understood that we're past the point of being bitter or fearful of what happened.

    After a few awkward seconds, she decides to move on to the main topic, but she lowers her head and her tone gains a noticeable amount of guilt as she announces, "Mr. Ryder, I came here to tell you something… I was proposed to, and now I'm going to get married."

    Alissa raises her eyebrows high, and a hole opens in my stomach.

    Well…

    What do I even think about this girl? I just… don't know. She's cute and funny, and it makes me happy to talk to her, but what would our relationship be? This world is very different, people are marrying at fifteen while I was marrying at thirty. I can't just keep standing around, talking and being friendly, and slowly build a relationship like on Earth. That's not how things work here, and that's why Selina is being stolen away.

    But then again, what kind of relationship I would have with her. An inn girl that doesn't fight and will likely never leave Rabanara? Certainly wouldn't be a good match.

    Alissa gives me a pitying look, and it snaps me out of it. What the fuck am I even thinking? I have Alissa, why would Selina even accept me?

    Anyway, I have to focus on the now. A girl is telling me she's going to get married with a sad face, and that's just not how things should go. The fact that Alissa isn't jealous or angry just makes this scene even more bizarre. What, exactly, should I be feeling right now?

    A deep sigh escapes my lips. I still need to act like a man, an adult, and fix this mess. I can't make Selina unhappy, she's Alissa's friend.

    I force a pained smile and politely reply, "Selina, I give you my congratulations and my blessing. I just want you to be happy."

    She raises her head and shrinks her posture like a frightened small animal about to cry, then she looks at Alissa who nods at her.

    A bit of courage returns to her and she returns my smile. "Thank you, Mr. Ryder. I definitely will," she whispers and sniffles.

    "Please, be happy, Miss Selina," Alissa adds, and now she's the one who gives a tight hug.

    Selina lets out a girlish laugh and hugs back. "Thank you, thank you…" They remain still for a few seconds, but Alissa lets her go before things get awkward, then begins excusing herself, "That was all I had to say. Now, if you'll excuse me, I still have to go back to work."

    She bows, and we wave, then she leaves, and I plop down on the bed.

    Alissa kneels before the bed and gently lands her hand against my chest as she concernedly asks, "How are you feeling, master?"

    "A little bit confused…" I mumble tiredly.

    That scene of sadness is just too grating for me. I have to ask her.

    I turn my head to the side and stare into her beautiful eyes as I ask, "Alissa, don't you feel a little odd about my relationship with Selina? Even though I already have you, I was thinking about Selina, too."

    She opens her eyes wide and her face flushes. "Master? D-do you see me like this?" Then she inhales, but her breathing starts to become erratic, and she stumbles upon her words, "I-it'd make me very happy, if you w-would l-l-love m-m-me…"

    I just blink blankly in surprise.

    Okay… things are getting messier.

    I collect my thoughts and decide to confess, "I find it kind of difficult to separate sex from love, and thought it's not the same as a true, deep love, I do feel something very strong towards you."

    Her tail starts to wag uncontrollably as she grins like fool. "I-I-I-I also f-feel something v-very strong, Ma-Master," she stutters again, completely flustered.

    I sigh and get off the bed, then kneel and give her a tight hug.

    What do I even feel? Is this love, possessiveness, or lust?

    Does it... matter what I feel? Do I need to truly love this girl to make her happy?

    She closes her eyes and happily hugs me back.

    Relationships in this world are confusing. I barely had a grasp on them back on Earth, and now I learn it all over again.

    An impish thought appears in my mind, and I blurt out before I can hold it back, "What do you think if I were to bring more women?"

    "The strong s-should protect the we-weak. Y-you are very strong, Master," she happily replies, still stuttering a bit from elation.

    "I think you could easily kill me if you wished," I wryly retort.

    She pouts and exclaims annoyedly, "Not that! Your heart is stronger than any other."

    I frown and grumble, "What does that even mean?"

    And she just chuckles. "You don't have to reason everything, just accept it," she warmly affirms and hugs me tighter.

    I feel like I've heard something like that before.



    I don't feel like training anymore, so we go outside. I need to repair my armor and shield, upgrade my and Alissa's equipment, upgrade all my tools for ultimate comfort, buy better tea and cookies, and then visit Ciel. I want to send Alissa to the night clothing merchant while I talk to Ciel, but she seems to like the latina priestess, so maybe I should have her make a new friend.

    We end up spending fifty gold coins, but at least now Alissa has Grey Berserker armor like me.

    The armor and [Wind Armor] are what saved me, I think. The dagger-fingers didn't even fully penetrate my body, they just got stuck midway, and they'd have sliced me in half if I was naked. [Wind Armor] may be as if it was a small, flat reduction in damage, but it's better than nothing, and still, I had five punctures along my body, so it really was pretty serious. It was one in my shoulder, two in my lungs and two in my stomach.

    Alissa now has an enchanted, small, composite bow made of white wood with pretty, wavy, golden carvings. She thinks it's a bit excessive but it really is a good bow. It has a small enchantment called [Loosen], which lets her draw the bow easier, but it's really simple, so not really expensive.

    She needs to be rewarded for her good work and amazing accuracy. She actually hit one of the Symbol's main eyes and saved Roxanne from being fully skewered, so she really deserves it.

    And she actually blushes when she receives it, which just encourages me to praise and reward her even more.

    As a luxury, I get a perfumed anti-scent for her, which is oddly contradictory, but it's a magical perfume that disappears after a few seconds so that it doesn't leave a trail in the air. And for me, I got a pocket watch for one gold coin, which we both think was kind of expensive, but not having a clock on me at all times was making me feel very anxious and "naked."

    We also buy a comfy large tent, a comfy large sleeping bag, comfy clothes, comfy shoes, a high quality brush for her hair and tail, magic stones for warming tea, cooking, and roasting, and good knifes for cutting. Even though we can just (seemingly) put infinite food in my "Items," Alissa wants to cook.

    For me, I get a new steel kite shield covered in young Emerald Dragon scales; a white Young Emerald Dragon fang sword, which has a one-sided blade curved bulge to it. I thought about getting a magical sword, but those things are the cutting edge of technology, pun intended, which means they cost a few rose coins each, so nope, not today.

    It's kind of ridiculous the breadth of the level of equipment here. There's some expensive stuff being sold right next to the Gray Berserker armor, which is also right next to average, mass-produced stuff, all marketed to adventurers. It goes to show this is a proper "adventurer town."

    I notice there's a bit of a lack of metal equipment in comparison to monster-based stuff.

    "Why aren't there more plate armor around here?" I question Alissa.

    Her pointy ears flick cutely as she enters deep thought, but then she shakes her head as she replies negatively, "I don't know, Master. I passed by a mountain fort on the way here, and there were plenty of dwarves, but perhaps it's too dangerous to mine too deeply around here."

    Curious…

    "Do monsters appear inside mines?" I move on.

    She nods once and replies robotically, "Yes. The deeper it is, the more ground the monsters have to appear." I think she acts like this when I ask something too weird that's common knowledge for her.

    Anyway, I guess monsters sprouting from the ground must make mining much more dangerous than on Earth, and the abundance of monsters makes using them for equipment that much more common.

    We have twenty-three coins left from the bounty and a few more that I'd saved, but we'll also receive the reward from Roxanne's request, and there's still an unknown amount coming from the auction. It's enough to live comfortably for quite a long time, but I don't think that I should try.

    At 3 o'clock, we go to the temple.



    Inside the temple, we find Ciel on a bench talking to a commoner. She notices us and smiles, then she quickly finishes her talk and comes to us.

    Oh, we would've just waited…

    "Good day, Mr. Ryder, Miss Alissa," she cheerfully greets with a bright smile.

    "Good day, Miss Ciel," I politely reply.

    The two girls share a cheerful smile, and Alissa follows, "Good day, Miss Ciel. How's Miss Roxanne?"

    Ciel's smile becomes strained, and she answers with a rather defeated tone, "Prancing about, trying to turn her room into a lab because she doesn't know what 'resting' means."

    That sounds like her.

    I share a smirk with Alissa.

    "Tomorrow morning we're freeing her," Ciel adds wryly.

    Not releasing or discharging, "freeing" her.

    I hum in acknowledgment and continue, "Then I'll visit her in the afternoon. But anyway, I wanted to have another talk session with you, is that alright?"

    She nods repeatedly. "Oh, yes, it's fine. Let's go to a consultation room."

    We go up the stairs and enter an empty room, then Alissa pulls out the new tea set and the cookies.

    "Oh my," Ciel hums, pleasantly surprised, then she turns her eyes to Alissa. "So… is she…?"

    I know you're trying to be cautious since I'm a reserved person, but there's no need to stall, just ask it, already.

    "Yes? What is it?" I hum back.

    She awkwardly wrings her hands. "Well, is she the slave you were considering buying?"

    I hum and explain, "Ah, well. At the time, I was only considering the merits and ethics of buying a Blood Slave, and I only met her a few days later."

    She slowly turns to Alissa, and the two smile at each other. "I see. It seems it was the correct choice then."

    "Yes, she's extremely helpful." I caress Alissa's hand and notice her tail wagging a little with the corner of my eyes, then she blushes but retains her poker face.

    Cute.

    I clear my throat and continue, "Now, I want to talk about the gods again. Well, first I have to say I got a Blessing from the Goddess of Knowledge."

    Ciel raises her eyebrows in pleasant surprise. "Oh! that's surprising, well, not really considering it's you, but it's still amazing."

    I awkwardly look away for a moment at the sudden praise. "Hm, yes, well. What can you tell me about it? I know nothing about the Blessings."

    She nods and clears her throat, then begins her exposition speech, "A Blessing means that you've pleased a god. Whatever you did that pleased Knowledge, you should keep doing it, and she'll help you fulfill your wishes in the future. The Humanoid Gods have subtle powers to alter Fate, and there has been no hero in history who got there without a Blessing. Be it a simple arrow that misses its mark, to a lucky encounter that completely changes their Fate, Blessings are extremely powerful."

    I have a small suspicion that meeting the Symbol of Hate was her doing, or at least a small push into the correct tunnel. Isekai protagonist's rotten luck strikes again.

    After a small pause she continues, "Also, a Blessing is a symbol of trust in society. You'll quickly lose your Blessing if you do something evil, so you can trust the honor of those who carry them. Since yours is a Blessing from the Goddess of Knowledge, you'll certainly find it much easier to enter the magic university now. I don't know how they treat those who have a Blessing but that one isn't uncommon among scholars."

    High school slice of life arc, other world version.

    "How would they know I have a Blessing?" I ask.

    "A modified Inspection Crystal can show it. It's also how we verify Titles and those who received Messages from the Gods."

    How convenient, but it also seems that I won't be able to hide my new nickname.

    I smile to hide the pain and continue, "Seems like I have my next objective in sight. But there's something else I want to ask, what are the Humanoid Gods like? Alissa says it's a good idea to find out their likes and dislikes to better please them."

    Her gaze loses focus as she collects her thoughts. "I see, that's the correct idea. Well, about the Gods…" She clears her throat and prepares to give us another flood of information. "Let's start with the Genderless God of Existence. They're the only one who wasn't once a humanoid, and you can't really say they have a personality. They like those who cherish life and dislike those who kill carelessly. It's rare, but adoptive parents are known to receive their Blessing.

    "The Goddess of Fertility is similar to the God of Existence, and she works closely with the Goddess of Love and the Goddess of Growth, but her power is more broad. She's known to help pregnant women and animals, to increase the bounty of the lands, and even help those who manage the monsters and dungeons so humanoid life could prosper. People commonly pray to her to ask for the sex and race of their children to be what they want. She was born a human with a happy and carefree personality, and her biggest work was to spread her knowledge of farming, water wheels, and windmills.

    "The Goddess of Piety sees all prayers, and she helps those who seek guidance from the Gods, even those who are ignorant of the Gods, so perhaps she's the one who guided you here. Her Blessing is common among priests or others who guide people. She was born as a human who was known to be a kind but strict person, and she's responsible for creating the temple organization.

    "The Goddess of Will is a goddess that keeps the mind of humanoids intact. There are many horrors brought by the monsters, so, to keep the people united and strong, she Blesses the nobles and heroes so they, in turn, can inspire others. She was born a dragonkin, and contrary to how her race usually acts, she's famous for being a neutral and composed person. She's credited with creating the skill of [Mental Resistance] and [Poison Resistance] along with being a famous adventurer."

    Thank you, Goddess of Will, you helped me a lot in the Ant Hill and Royd's Kerfuffle. Maybe I should pray to you, too.

    Ciel's tone becomes noticeably more energetic as she talks about the next God, "The Goddess of Love rewards those who make others happy, not just in a sexual way, and she helps us create bonds with each other. Receiving her Blessing is very rare, but it was most often given to emperors or kings who have large harems, orphanage caretakers, and rarely to mere simple lovers. She was born a Pixie, and she was famous for being very touchy and extremely amiable. She also wrote the 'Treatise on Acting' and created the imperial orphanage along with the Goddess of Piety.

    "The Goddess of Growth helps not only the plants and animals to grow, she also helps humanoids who want to grow in any way. Be it physical growth, martial growth, magical growth, artistic skill growth, intelligence growth, or society's growth, the intent of her Blessing varies a lot. She was a dog-type wereanimal and she was a strict and serious person. She created the Nemesis, a group of one hundred elite soldiers that personally serve the emperor, and they're known as the best monster killers of the entire Realm.

    "The God of War is a straightforward god. Kill monsters, and he'll bring you glory; give it your all, and he'll reward you; challenge yourself, and he'll give you the tools to kill and protect. Obviously, his Blessing is most common among adventurers and soldiers." -Alissa nods diligently- "He was a typical boisterous and willful dwarf, and he became famous when he defended a fort with just five hundred men against a whole army of monsters for an entire month.

    "The God of Law is the god that keeps order in our society. He seeks the Wicked among us and strips them of their power. He doesn't do justice with his own hands because the law is for us to uphold, so we're also being judged by him while we do our own "justice." He has given his Blessing only to Lords and Judges so far. He was a golden elf, and his personality was of a perfectly stoic and calm person. He instituted our law system, becoming the first Judge.

    "The God of Festivity works closely with the Goddess of Love. Together, they spread the happiness that keeps us moving, and he also gives us the glory that the God of War promises, making sure all heroes have their own happy beginning, middle, and end. He has rarely given his Blessing, and only to famous artists or cooks. He was a krampus demon race who was infamously loud, but his happy demeanor made him loved. He used his fortune to create the coliseum and spread the Ten Festivals of Seasons.

    "The God of Endurance is the god that helps the servants, so they have the power to continue to serve their Lord. He's a god that helps those who don't have the power to reach glory but can help those who can. He's the one who gives the most Blessings among all of the Gods, and it's usually to good workers, indicating to their employers that they're quite valuable.

    "Then Alissa will surely get her Blessing soon," I state, and Alissa blushes a little again.

    Ciel smiles and continues, "He was a gnome, though quite solemn and thoughtful considering his race. The work of his life was to create darksteel through much toil and effort, which is an incredibly useful alloy since it can resist even dragon fire.

    "The God of Luck is a very misunderstood god. He doesn't like gamblers or those who abuse luck, and he gives luck only to those who deserve it. Not much else is known about him, and his Blessing has never been recorded."

    Maybe I should actually pray to him? He sounds… reasonable? Though he's a little too mysterious.

    Then Ciel smirks. "I have a small suspicion he's the one helping you, Mr. Ryder. He was a halfling, but little else is known about his life, except that he's known for killing an ancient dragon by using [Shocking Touch] on its eye."

    Oh, I see it now. He must be the one who sent the Symbol of Hate to me, so now I'm conflicted about him. Also, I think I heard that story about the dragon somewhere before.

    "The Goddess of Knowledge is a goddess who likes to spread knowledge, and she helps those who write down any sort of knowledge to then share it with others. The commoners also call her the Goddess of Books, though plenty of priests will be displeased if you say that." -She flashes a smile- "She usually gives her Blessing to prolific scholars. She was a silver elf, and she's believed to be a stoic and curious person, though there's little information about her personality since only scholarly articles mention her. She created the first magical university and became the Head of Magic of the empire.

    "Her brother is the God of Intelligence, who has helped anyone trying to unveil the mysteries of life, be it understanding monsters, the land, the plants, or magic, he's the one who seeks answers to everything. He gives his Blessing quite often to inventors and researchers, and he occasionally works together with the Goddess of Growth. He was also an elf and he was famously inquisitive and innocent. Your personality seems similar to him, Mr. Ryder, so perhaps you should pray to him."

    Huh? Innocent? Do I give that aura?

    "He was a prolific researcher in his sister's magical university, being credited as the one to finish most of the system magic schools we now use regularly in our daily life.

    "The Goddess of the Plants and her twin brother the God of the Animals are very obscure Gods. They work with the Goddess of Growth and the Goddess of Fertility, but they rarely give their Blessings, and only botanists and animal caretakers have ever received them, but none of them seemed to have done anything special. There was a legend of a monster tamer who received a Blessing but he died before achieving full potential, so our knowledge on monster taming is lacking. These Gods were lizard beastfolk, and the only thing known about their lives is that they were hermits. They're credited with creating the first HP potion and creating the spell [Animal Tongue].

    "The God of the Sun is the one who gives us light so that we can work. He's the one who has sent us more Messages than all of the other Gods combined, and we speculate that's only possible because his Avatar, the sun, is always watching over us. But, on the other hand, not much is known about his Blessing. He was a human whose jovial personality charmed everyone, and his hard-working mentality led him to rise further than anyone else before him, which gave him the tools to conquer and unite the continent, becoming the first emperor of the Avgi Empire."

    He's the sun?!

    "How did the world look like before he ascended?" I ask, suddenly dying of curiosity.

    "The days and nights were not stabilized like now, they were dependent on the forces of Light and [Dark Magic], or deliberately manipulated by extremely powerful rulers. The more wars and death that happened, the longer the nights were. It was a very chaotic age, but because of such influence, the magic power of everyone was greatly increased. After the God of The Sun ascended, he took control of the multiple suns and stabilized our cycle of day and night. His sister ascended later and took control of the moon, then she stabilized the flow of mana across the Realm."

    "Multiple suns?"

    "The sun is the same as the moon, it has many smaller ones orbiting it, but the light that the sun gives hides that from our view."

    I nod as I hum, "Ah, right. Moving on, isn't the sun necessary for plants to survive? I know that if animals and humanoids live in caves and away from the sun for too long we can get sick."

    Vitamin deficiency happens without sunlight.

    Ciel raises her eyebrows and smiles faintly, seemingly pleasantly surprised. "Well, not all plants need the sun, and though plenty will lose their color and grow weaker, only some of them actually die without the sun. On the matter of animals and humanoids, I don't know anything about that. Is that common knowledge in your homeland?"

    "Somewhat. There were plenty of people who lived indoors and worked only from their homes, and they'd often get sick."

    Talking from experience.

    She leans back on her chair, deep in thought. "Hmm… curious but it's something quite 'difficult' to test and find evidence of…"

    I wave my hand dismissively. "Well it's nothing important, let's continue."

    She nods and moves on, "The Goddess of the Moons is the sister to the God of the Sun. She's the one who helps us heal and gives us mana, and her Blessing is given to accomplished healers and magicians. There's a lot of speculation about what exactly are the smaller moons orbiting her Avatar, the 'aspects,' but it's all mere conjecture. She was also human, and contrasting with her brother, she was extremely introspective, but also quite selfless. She was the first Lord of the capital, and through her brilliant management abilities, she brought forth a golden age for the empire."

    Oh, now I know why meditation helps with mana recovery.

    "But what exactly is known about her 'aspects'?" I interject.

    She smiles faintly at my question, as if she already knew I was going to ask this. "The leading theory is that since the moons are the Avatar of the Goddess, they must be some internal 'organ' of her soul or her mind since she doesn't have a physical body anymore that can be exposed. There are many theories about what those seven moons represent, but the most popular one is that the moons are all parts that make up the basis of her personality, and the multi-colored moon is the combined result. Each color represents an aspect of a humanoid's personality. Red is irritability, orange is sociability, yellow is presence of mind, green is friendliness, blue is openness, indigo is otherwordlyness, and purple is wickedness."

    I raise an eyebrow in confusion. "'Otherwordlyness'?"

    "It's the unknown, the deeper parts of our mind that makes us move. Some say it's our 'creativity,' but since it's so close to purple, which is wickedness, the true nature is somewhat darker."

    I smile as I pompously state, "Even art can draw upon our wickedness."

    Alissa and Ciel chuckle softly, then the priestess slowly shrugs as she replies, "Perhaps, but I don't participate in these discussions, so I can't argue on that matter. If you want to know more about it, I can guide you to one of the priests who holds debates about this."

    I wave my hand with a smile. "No, thank you. I've heard enough about it."

    "Suit yourself." And she flashes a smile. "That's all I have to say about the Gods, unless you want to ask me something more specific."

    "No, I have no more questions for today."

    Alissa suddenly leans towards me, then she shyly whispers, "Master, may I speak with Miss Ciel for a bit?"

    I put my hand over hers and reassure her, "Alissa, you can always speak with whoever and whenever you wish. Do you want to speak with her in private?"

    She smiles, looking a bit excited. "Y-yes. I only want to ask questions about the Gods, but I feel a little embarrassed sharing that."

    I pat her hand and announce, "It's fine, I'll leave you two alone."

    "Also, fine by me," Ciel kindly chimes in.

    I go out and wander downstairs, then I take a look around, and notice that the statue of the Goddess of Knowledge is close by. It's a bust of a woman who has a really sexy air, which is actually quite similar to Roxanne's, but the Goddess has the iconic long elven ears, giving her a more heavenly look in comparison to Roxanne's demonic horns.

    Being around so many people fervently praying makes me rather uncomfortable, so I go outside to kill some time.

    I still haven't broken the fellowship with Roxanne, so I know she's nearby at the clinic. I think about visiting her, but she's likely tired and in need of rest, even if she doesn't want to.

    Then I decide to walk around the building of the priest's living quarters.

    Behind it, I see a small flower garden with a few wooden chairs and a table below a glass porch, which is quite lovely and irresistible to me, so I sit on a chair and stare at the garden while my conscience slips away.



    "Master..." A gentle voice tickles my ears.

    "Hmm…?"

    Do that again…

    "Master, I'm back," the voice tickles my ears again.

    I open up my eyes and see Alissa is sitting beside me, a beautiful smile on her pretty face.

    "I'm still a little tired," I hum and yawn.

    She grabs my hand and gives it a reassuring squeeze as she remarks, "You don't seem to like taking a rest, Master, which is just like Miss Roxanne."

    More like I'm anxious about the future and just want to level up.

    "I guess…" I reply noncommittally with a shrug.

    After I bought Alissa, I thought about just training for some time, but the Oodogloo request was too tempting, and then after that, Roxanne's request was also too good to pass up.

    "Let's go back," she suggests, and I nod, then we both stand up and she entwines her arm with mine.

    We begin walking, and I take a look at my watch. It's five o'clock now, so dusk will begin in a minute. They talked for quite some time.

    Alissa sees me raise my eyebrows in surprise, and she gives me a guilty smile as she explains, "I'm sorry, Master. We took a long time because we started talking about our adventures, and I got carried away."

    I wave my hand dismissively to soothe her. "It's no problem; I had a pretty good nap here. But anyway, is Ciel interested in adventuring?"

    "Somewhat. She seemed to have become worried about how you were doing after she learned you killed the Orc Headhunter."

    I smile embarrassedly. "Oh, she told you about that one?"

    She nods happily and her fluffy tail starts to wag. "Yes. Master's growth is amazing. From training at a low level dungeon, to killing the Symbol in such an incredibly short time."

    "That was mostly Roxanne's work, I just used myself as bait," I immediately retort.

    Her gaze suddenly becomes warm. "Still…"

    Eh, whatever.

    Then her expression returns to normal as she remembers something, "Ah, Ciel said thanks for sharing the tea and cookies, and she'd like to know where you bought them."

    I snort. "Considering the price, maybe it's better she doesn't know." And she gives me a worried smile.



    We return to the inn and reserve a bath. This time, Alissa teaches me how to properly care for her tail and hair, which I enjoy thoroughly. It's something I used to do for Lily when we were winding down after a good night of playing games together.

    I put some effort into forgetting her to not ruin my moment with Alissa.

    Anyway, this new brush is really good. Alissa almost melts on the chair as she confesses to me all of her weak spots. Since she wants to be pampered, it'd be a crime to not give her what she wants.

    After the bath, we have a simple dinner, then I fall asleep while hugging her as I train [Spirit Light].



    I wake up feeling quite "breezy" down there, and I quickly notice that I'm naked, though I have no memory of how I lost my clothes. I don't have the habit of sleeping like this, but since Alissa seems to enjoy the view, perhaps I could indulge her.

    After our good morning deep kiss, we go downstairs, but then the innkeeper calls our attention and motions for us to get closer.

    "Good morning, Mr. Ryder. Two messengers asking for you just came by, and here are the letters," he politely explains.

    "Oh? Well, thank you," I awkwardly reply. I want to learn his name, but I'm too embarrassed to ask.

    Anyway, I just open the letters. The first is from Silas, and he says that the auction will happen in a half-cycle at the theater, which is quite fast, I think. Then I open the second one, and the contents give me chills. Ghulam, the slave trader, is asking me to come to his shop for he has a "business proposal" for me.

    "Oh, that's great, Master. Mr. Bhatt has deemed you worthy," Alissa happily coos.

    I raise an eyebrow at her. "Worthy of…?"

    "A special slave, most likely, one he thinks will serve you well," -her smile becomes coy and her cheeks start to redden- "and I believe his ability to pair masters and slaves is unquestionable."

    I also blush softly at her implication, so I immediately question to deflect, "But I don't understand why he suddenly thinks I'm 'worthy.'"

    "Your battle with the Symbol must've impressed him or one of the slaves, so they've decided to sell themselves to you."

    "Our battle," I sternly correct her, but she just smiles happily, so I shake my head and continue, "Can slaves choose their own masters?"

    "It depends on their contract. I could refuse anyone who I… didn't find attractive," she stiffly replies, her face twitching as she strains to remain calm and professional, but the color of her face betrays her efforts.

    I frown in concern. "Seems like selling Blood Slaves is quite the involved affair."

    She nods and hums, "It is. That's why they're so expensive or valued."

    I'm extremely lucky I managed to acquire Alissa, then…

    Then I let a sigh. I'm scared about Ghulam's "proposal," but I'm also interested. That man is a devil in disguise. He can see the darkest parts of my soul, and he uses that knowledge to abuse my weaknesses.

    My heart is not ready, though, so I make an excuse, "Would it be okay if I saw him tomorrow? I want to train this entire morning and then visit Roxanne after lunch."

    "Yes, it's not urgent, but it'd seem disrespectful to take more than a half-cycle to go."

    I nod and move on. We've already embarrassed ourselves enough in front of the innkeeper.



    I try to ignore the looming darkness inside my heart and focus on eating my breakfast. Selina is also busy today, but she sends a warming smile to us. Thankfully, things aren't awkward with her.

    Thenwe go back to our room, and I focus hard on [Spirit Light].

    "OOOH!" I suddenly shout in awe.

    There it is, a blue ball of weak light floating above my head. I open my info and see [Spirit Light (weak)] in my "Magic" window.

    Alissa looks back and whispers warmly, "Congratulations, master,"

    I grin like a child. "Finally! Next is [Item Box]!"

    And she gives me a surprised look. "What? Don't you already know [Item Box]?"

    Gah! My tongue slipped!

    I reflexively make up an excuse, "Actually… it's… not [Item Box], it's a different spell… from my homeland. I want to learn [Item Box] because of customs since it'll attract a lot of attention if people knew I can hide anything inside my different [Item Box]. This is another secret you have to keep."

    She immediately accepts my flimsy explanation, bless her soul, then hums in understanding, "Ooh… now things make sense. In any case, Master, I have to warn you that this one was very difficult, and it took me three months to learn it. Though, your progress with [Spirit Light] was extremely fast."

    Crisis averted. It seems I'm good at lying, but I'm not sure if I should be proud of this.

    I shrug and reply, "Eh, it's okay. I'm going to learn it, eventually."

    I thought about learning [Conjure Water], but it wasn't as inconvenient as having to waste 5 points into [Light Magic] like [Spirit Light] was, so it makes sense to choose [Item Box] next. Besides, I can just mess with my skills real quick whenever I need water.

    We fool around for a bit, and after that, Alissa starts to read one of the hero books I bought.

    I'll make a small library one day, Alissa, you just wait.

    We just chill for a while, but I'm still too anxious to just do nothing. I have to investigate [Redirect Mana], but right now, I feel way too attracted to [Golemancy], which I've never even put a single point in to investigate, so I lay down on the bed, then I take out my points in [Light Magic] and put them into [Golemancy].

    With one point in [Golemancy], I get a spell called [Infuse], and with fifteen, I get a spell called [Mold], but I can't add any more points past that. There are a few skills with low limits, like [Cooking], which tops at level ten, but I expected more out of [Golemancy]

    I decide to cast [Infuse], and my hand suddenly glows, then my mind gets hazy, and I begin tripping balls.

    I see geometric shapes that I can't even describe, colors that I've never seen before, and I even feel things that I can't explain, all constantly shifting and warping in a mad kaleidoscope that hurts my brain just to look at.

    I see a simple, boring square, something so mundane that I focus on it to anchor myself, and then I feel like I've "grabbed" onto it, somehow. I turn it around, and it suddenly becomes a cube, then I keep it still, but it shifts into a sphere, then warps into something that I can only describe as "insanity," then it goes back into being a boring square.

    I start to get annoyed at the chaos, so I try to "grab" onto things and force them to remain still, but I don't know how to actually do that.

    It's like there are multiple overlapping songs, and I'm trying to discern one from another, but I don't even know what the song is supposed to be like. It's noise, but I know that there's something below it, I just can't grasp it.

    My head starts to hurt, so I wish to go back, and the cacophony suddenly stops, then I feel like I'm returning to my body.

    My vision focuses, and I see Alissa's pale face a few centimeters away from mine.

    "Wow," I mumble, a bit stunned at what I've just gone through.

    Her orange jewels open wider as she grabs my shoulders and exclaims, "Master!? What happened?"

    I realize she was worried for me, so I guiltily admit, "I, uh… I cast a spell from the [Golemancy] skill, then I saw something really weird."

    Her thin eyebrows knit in worry, but she begins to calm down. "[Golemancy]? What's that?"

    I shrug as I sit up. "I don't know, but it's one of the magic skills that I can use with my powers."

    And she immediately becomes understanding again. "Ah, with your guide ability? I see, but please tell me before you do something like that again. You scared me!" Then she frowns and puffs her cheeks cutely.

    I pull her face towards me and kiss her forehead, then I earnestly apologize, "I'm sorry, I just had no idea it was going to be like this. By the way, did I do something while I was unconscious?"

    "Well, you lifted your hand, and it started glowing like a rainbow, then you froze up and stopped moving your eyes as if you were a statue. I poked you many times, but you never reacted, so I started to become worried."

    So, this explains the faint pain I feel on my ribs.

    I hum in understanding and continue, "Wow, well… I want to study this spell some more, so I'll do this again a few more times, but, unfortunately, it seems that I've used up all my mana in just a minute."

    But Alissa seems to become anxious as her ears go flat. "Hmm… it could be dangerous, Master. I've never heard of something like [Golemancy] before. What if it's forbidden magic?"

    Her cuteness makes me feel a bit guilty. "Oh, that could be a problem. Alright, I'll look into it at the magic university before I use that spell again."

    The name looked innocent enough to me, though.

    She smiles adorably and nods. "Thank you, Master."

    "Why are you thanking me?" I confusedly ask.

    Her tone gains an earnest kindness that just pulls on my heartstrings. "For listening. Forgive my insolence, but I don't want you doing dangerous things. I can deal with monsters, but I can't help you if you hurt yourself with magic."

    The way she acts just straight up appeals to all my weaknesses. I'm totally vulnerable near her.

    I grab her hand and appease her, "Oh, well… Don't worry, I'll be as careful with magic as I am with our expeditions."

    "After the Symbol, your words give me doubt," she quietly replies and lowers her head.

    "Geh!" I grunt exaggeratedly as her retort is super effective.



    I meditate and practice [Telekinesis] until 2 PM, then we get ready to visit Roxanne. I choose to wear my formal clothes while Alissa picks her yellow dress with heeled boots.

    Through the fellowship bond, I know exactly where Roxanne is, and it seems that she has moved somewhere close to the noble's quarters, so she must live in a relatively wealthy area.

    When we reach her house, the first thing we notice is that it's quite a bit excessive. It's a large, gated house with a tall metal fence, a wide grass garden with a flower patch under the windows, and a tree with a swing. It's made of dark brown boards and cobble for the pillars while transparent glass covers the windows. It has two floors, and a small veranda on the second floor where we can see two cushioned chairs and a decorated mono table.

    The house has a rustic style, but everything looks very well made, and its size is considerably larger than the average home in this town.

    We cross the gate and knock on the door, then I sese Roxanne coming down from the second floor.

    Did she not notice we were approaching?

    The double doors suddenly swing wide, and Roxanne throws her arms above her head as she yells, "Welcome!"

    She's wearing a body conforming black straight dress, and open high heel sandals, which makes her look like a model straight out of a runaway. She actually looks a lot more attractive like this than with her robes, which is impressive since she was already rather stunning.

    I pull my thoughts out of that place and force a smile. "U-uh, yeah. How are you doing, Miss Roxanne?" I awkwardly ask.

    She grins, once again ruining her sexy image with childish excitement, then she cheerily exclaims, "Perfect! I'm back to perfect health and fully working again, not that I wasn't working hard since I just couldn't stop thinking about the Moonlight Moss. I actually worked so much that Ciel got angry at me!"

    I actually feel a bit bad for Ciel.

    She stands out of the way and motions for us to come in. "Oh, yes! Please, come in."

    I sigh internally, and we enter, then we find ourselves in a carpeted dining hall with a large table that could easily sit eight people. On the wall ahead of us, there's a large painting of the town castle, on its right there's a door to another room, on its left there's a chest-high counter that reveals a nice kitchen, and on each of our flanks there are stairs going up, leading to the bedrooms.

    Aren't chest-high counters kind of a modern design?

    "Sit, sit, please," she requests and motions to the table.

    We comply, and she goes to the kitchen, then she opens a large, black, metal box, and I see a bit of fog coming out. She hums as she pulls out a metal tray that has a black with white frosting.

    Oh boy.

    She rushes back and deposits it before us, then she opens her arms wide and laughs, "Ha-ha~! I had this arranged to be made by the baker when I came back, so it was finished just yesterday. Since I kept it cold, it's still perfectly good."

    Alissa breathes in, taking in the faint and sweet smell of the cake, then her tails starts to wag.

    Roxanne wastes not another moment and pulls out three sets of plates and cutlery from her [Item Box], then she immediately cuts the cake, revealing that the filling has a suspiciously brown color.

    She hands the first slice to me and suddenly starts to act a bit shy and embarrassed as she declares, "This is a thank you for a job well done. I wish I could do much more for you since you saved me, but this will do for now!" Then she grins and returns to being the silly woman that I know.

    I smile embarrassedly and earnestly reply, "Thank you. I appreciate what you're doing for us." Then I eagerly take a bite.

    OOOOH~… this is… this is…

    I cover my mouth with my hand and shout, "CHOCOLATE!"

    "Yaa, what?" Roxanne mumbles, and the two girls stare at me in fear.

    I hold back tears and try to explain between sniffles, "I… missed this taste… so much… I couldn't find… chocolate… anywhere…"

    While Alissa pats my back to comfort me, Roxanne switches her frown into a grin and begins laughing like a lady, "Ohohohoh. I wanted to surprise you with something new, but this reaction is just as good."

    Alissa gives her a worried look, but then she also takes a bite of her slice and her tail starts wagging furiously. "This is delicious. Is this something from your homeland, Master?" She asks without looking away from her plate.

    I hold myself back from wolfing my slice down and answer, "Yes, it's the most delicious sweet ever made, 'The Chocolate'. Well, it wasn't created there, and I don't know where it comes from, but it's the best sweet I ever ate there."

    "Unfortunately it's not imported here, yet," Roxanne remarks and flashes an exaggerated frown. "A peddler caravan from the Faium Principality brought it here, and it all sold in an instant. It seems to be the new craze over there."

    Faium…? Nour… I'm coming…

    She takes a bite and eats it like a posh lady, then she adds, "Since they're still learning how to use it, only cakes like these are available, but they'll run out of ingredients soon."

    "What a shame…" I grumble.

    Then Alissa starts to wonder,"The fruit merchants commented how the first harvest for the elven sugarcane is coming. If chocolate and sugar gather here…"

    I moan in delight just from imagining it, "Ooh… all the sweets that will come… This is too much teasing!"

    Roxanne chuckles amusedly, "Hahah, I didn't know you were such a honey bee, Mr. Ryder."

    I think she's calling me a "sweet tooth."

    And Alissa factually adds, "I can see why Master gets grumpy when he doesn't have tea and cookies."

    I shrug. They aren't lies. I know my weaknesses, and chocolate is one of them.

    Alissa pulls out a mild and faintly bitter tea that goes well with the rather overly sweet cake. It seems she understands quite well the subtleties of tea.

    After we all take a sip, Roxanne assumes a serious expression and begins, "Now, there's something really important I want to ask you, Mr. Ryder."

    I blink blankly and hum, "Oh?"

    She lowers her head and clasps her hands as she begs, "Please, let me join your fellowship!"

    Honestly, I was expecting that.

    After buying Alissa, I've become a lot more confident in working with other people, and at least now I know that I won't be burned at the stake if some of my powers were made known, so I think I can risk it. I don't think Roxanne is the kind to look too deeply into my lies because she's kind of an airhead, and she already owes me her life, so it's unlikely that she'll blabber about my powers.

    "Oh, well. Okay," I calmly answer and smile as I take another sip.

    "Wha… that easy?" She mutters, flabbergasted.

    I happily nod. "Well, you're trustworthy and reliable. Also, people are praising me too much; you're the one who blew up the Symbol of Hate with a single spell, so you're a really powerful mage, and we'd certainly work well together."

    Roxanne actually blushes, and her unnaturally pale skin becomes a deep crimson red.

    That's a first.

    The rush of emotions coming to her makes her stutter adorably, "T-t-t-thank you! I have been looking for a fellowship for such a long time, but I rarely found anyone trustworthy, but those who were never let me join. I've been lonely for such a long time!" Then she realizes that what she just shouted is actually quite sad, and her posture shrinks in shame.

    Well, I can kind of guess why people wouldn't want her to join. Her carefree personality would definitely put off the more serious types.

    To prevent an awkward silence from settling in I immediately move on, "Well, but what do you mean by 'trustworthy'?"

    She frowns and readjusts her glasses as her eyes shine with anger. "Greedy, backstabbing, abusing, harassing, ignorant, and arrogant ugly little men and women. If you're an unknown hunter, it's really difficult finding someone good."

    "Even with your powers?"

    Alissa puts a hand on my arm to grab my attention, then she kindly explains, "Master, remember Dennis and Simon? Even if you are powerful, it takes a while to build trust. The first ones to come are most likely trying to use you instead of building a bond."

    I raise my eyebrows in surprise. "You thought Targua was trustworthy?"

    She shrugs. "Perhaps."

    I scratch the side of my head as I deliberate, "I guess I understand your situation now, Roxanne. But, what are your objectives? I plan on continuing adventuring as I learn more and grow stronger so that I can travel around the world. Would you be ready to come with us and leave this house?"

    She nods repeatedly, then readjusts her glasses as she exclaims, "Why, yes! This house is a rental, and I already crossed an ocean to come here, so I'm not too attached. I..." -She looks away and cringes- "don't really have a real goal yet. I just want to keep creating more potions, and I love all the incredible things I can do with this magic. I can heal, change, improve, and purify the body without even touching a person. I can leave my mark in the world without even being there." And she begins smiling innocently as she spills her heart out.

    But something catches my attention. "Wait, go back. This is a rental? Isn't it… super expensive?" I concernedly inquire.

    This is a large house with what looks like many bedrooms and a large kitchen. She was living alone here? How does she clean all this? I haven't rented a house yet because it's much more economic to just stay at the inn… Why is this a rental?!

    She freezes like a deer in the headlights. "Well… uh… I w-wanted to use this house as a benefit to-to recruiting me, but I never joined any fellowship, and I… I didn't want it to go to waste, so I kept the house." Then she gives me a shit-eating grin.

    That's a bit irresponsible. I think this would be a point against her instead of in favor when she asked to join other fellowships.

    I facepalm as I smile wryly. "Well, then. I guess we can use it, right? Since we're kinda rich now, we can live here for a while."

    Perhaps we'll have to find work again sooner than I thought, but at least this is a really comfy house, so it'll be a nice place to rest for a few days.

    Roxanne suddenly shouts as she remembers something, "OH! I'll give you the master bedroom. I feel a bit lonely on that huge bed. Also, all rooms are soundproof so there's nothing to worry about." Then she grins and winks at Alissa, who tries to keep her face as neutral as possible, but she can't stop herself from blushing.

    There's no need to be embarrassed after everything we've done together.

    Roxanne recollects herself and continues, trying to make herself look better, "There's a bath upstairs that fits six people. Whenever you want, I can easily fill it up and heat it for you. There's also no need to clean because I hired a maid to do this for me every half-cycle. I can even cook my own meals, so I can also cook for you, too."

    "No, I'll cook and clean," Alissa proudly states.

    But I interject, "I'll allow you to cook, but to also let you clean might be too much. We'll keep the maid for now, this is a big house, after all."

    She pouts, but those cute lips pursed together just makes me want to kiss her.

    "I want to spoil you to death, not overwork you," I kindly add, and she faintly blushes again as her tail wags.

    So easy.

    "I'll just move my things, and in an hour, the room will be ready for the two of you," Roxanne affirms.

    I nod and announce, "Then I'll go back to the inn and end my reservation. Alissa, you should help her and prepare things while I'm out."

    "Understood, Master," she dilligently replies.

    And Roxanne offers, "The hunter's guild might now be a bit too far for you to walk, so I can lend you my flying carpet if you need it."

    Eh, no, thank you. I feel like that thing is really unsafe.

    I frown and deflect, "I…think I'd rather start riding Alissa around town. It might attract a bit of attention, but I don't mind it anymore."

    Alissa smiles smugly and immediately accepts, "Please do, Master. There's no need to walk around so much."

    The feeling of her fluffy fur against my body makes me change my mind, "Actually, I'm already starting to feel lazy, so let's go to the inn together, Alissa. Also, you should say goodbye to Selina. You can visit her occasionally, but you'll see her way less often now."

    "Yes! Thank you, Master."



    I can see a few gazes follow us as Alissa flies through the streets. Wereanimals aren't exactly rare, especially with the werefoxes living rather close by, but to have a person riding a large fox is still an interesting sight.

    "Hello, I'm here to say I will be ending my reservation," I cheerfully inform the innkeeper. I really wanted to say his name right now, but I don't remember!

    He's taken by surprise and frowns worriedly. "Oh! Y-yes, at once. But… is Selina, uh…"

    I wave my hand dismissively as I interrupt him, "Ah, no, don't worry. I wish Selina happiness, but I recruited another member to my fellowship, and she's already renting a house, so we'll be moving there."

    He immediately calms down and lowers his head apologetically. "Ah, I see. I apologize for insinuating such things."

    "It's no problem. Is Selina here? I'd like to say goodbye for now."

    "She's in the kitchen, let me call her for you."

    The innkeeper hurries away and quickly comes back with Selina, who's wearing a lovely apron and removing a toque.

    Alissa explains the situation, and they hug each other, then Selina turns to me and respectfully bows. I'll surely miss her beautiful face.

    Then she says she's going to marry in a day-cycle and gives us the date of the ceremony. After that, she'll live with her husband and help his shop, a simple cloth store near the Bazaar.

    I keep quiet while they talk because I'm hurting a little. I really did start to like her.

    We leave soon after, and since we're nearby we pass by the guild to register Roxanne in our fellowship, and we also update our house address.

    It's not even five in the afternoon and the drinking here is already heavy, but it's not like adventurers have a time where it's appropriate to begin drinking.

    There's a minstrel playing some songs on a lute, and he actually makes me miss music from Earth because of how loud and crude his playing is. Some people obviously enjoy it, but it's not for me. Perhaps the theater will have shows with better music.

    The gazes on us are actually quite annoying this time, so we quickly finish our business here, then we return to our new home.

    The house has six bedrooms on the second floor, and a study with a large, but mostly empty book stand that gets a little bit less empty as I put my few books in it. Roxanne works in her own bedroom, leaving the study unused, so I decide to put my research notes on the desk.

    There's a basement, but it's completely empty. There's also a back garden where we could make a small plantation, but no one knows how to do it.

    I take all of my and Alissa's clothes out of my "Items" and put them into the large wardrobe, and it gives me a chill. This reminds me of when I started to live together with Lily, and the nostalgia makes me a bit emotional.

    This is no time for these feelings, so I shove them into the dark drawer where they belong. I don't want to keep wallowing in the "what could've been."

    Aside from the painting and some horizontal relief lines around the interior walls, there's no other decoration, which makes even I believe that it needs some sprucing up. The house is comfy, but boring.

    The lower floor has a kitchen with a large table, lots of cutlery, a large magical stone oven, a magical stone sink, and a magical stone fridge, and it looks quite modern and archaic at the same time. We have to refill the mana of the fridge every day-cycle, which is a bit of a heavy mana cost for the average person, but it's nothing for a mage like Roxanne. The bath and sink water go to the sewer below the town as only the poorest parts of town don't have a sewer exit. There's no plumbed water, though.

    The last room on the first floor is the living room, and it's quite large. It has a small, empty book stand, three really comfy sofas around a small table, and a magic tool fireplace, but there's still a chimney for real firewood.

    The back window gives a nice view to the garden, too. A small wall separates the end of our garden with the start of the garden of the back neighbor, which is another house very similar to this one. It seems this block is all rentals, which must be why I saw both nobles and wealthy-looking adventurers around.

    The bath is huge, which is a big plus in my book. It has a magical stone to fill it, but it takes a while to do it while Roxanne can just use [Water Wall] and a [Fireball] to make it ready in just ten seconds, and it seems she practiced that a lot. The toilet is a small little room beside the bathroom.

    Alissa will start cooking tomorrow, so today is still an "Items"-ready meal. After the three of us fill our bellies, I cuddle with Alissa in the living room while she reads a book. It's quite warm today, so we don't need to light the fireplace. Roxanne retires to work in her room, and once in a while I hear the twinkling of glass, metal hitting each other, and some mutters.

    I'm honestly somewhat bored in this world. The lack of games and internet makes me quite the pervert since it's the last big source of dopamine that I have available to me. I guess this is why people drank so much in the past.

    The book Alissa is reading is a bit boring. It's an epic, but I could find more interesting light novels on the internet in a few minutes back on Earth.

    I guess I should keep practicing magic, so I choose to train [Mana Control] while I think about [Golemancy]. The [Infuse] spell was such a mindfuck I'm still processing that experience.

    Our evening ends quite fast, and I suggest to Alissa some fooling around before we go to sleep.

    We eagerly enter the Master bedroom and drop on the bed, then I notice that it's actually enormous. I think three people could easily sleep here together. Ridiculous.

    Then we test the cushioning of the bed and the soundproofing of the wall with the Clothes of the Berserker.



    Today, I'm going to meet Ghulam, and I wake up feeling nervous. While I build the courage to get up, Alissa goes down to make breakfast, and I begin to hear Roxanne working again.

    I slap my face and power through my anxiety. I can't let Alissa do it all by herself.

    I help make ground meat dumplings while Alissa fries them and makes a salad with some cider vinegar Roxanne has here.

    Once the smell of good food starts wafting out, she comes down looking disheveled and sleepy, though even that isn't enough to make her not-gorgeous.

    We sit down to eat, and I curiously ask her, "Miss Roxanne, how often did you cook?"

    She smiles both wryly and embarrassedly as she answers, "Erm, rarely. There was no time, so I made a lot of steamed or roasted vegetables and stored them for the day-cycle, then I'd buy meat from nearby and eat it with bread."

    That's kind of boring, so I pity her a bit.

    Better not dwell on such a topic, so I change it to something more neutral, "I'll be going to the Golden Necklace today with Alissa. Will you stay home?"

    She nods slowly. "Yep, I still have finish my new work with the Moonlight Moss."

    "What are you trying to make with it?" I reflexively ask.

    Her face lights up with childish happiness. "Heheh. Secret!"

    I just shake my head and focus on my meal.

    But now it's her turn to curiously ask, "Ah, Mr. Ryder, are you going to buy another slave there?"

    I shrug. "I don't know. Mr. Bhatt called me there to 'conduct business,' but I have no idea what to expect."

    "It's a woman," she states matter-of-factly.

    I almost choke on my tea and give her a surprised look. "W-why do you say this?"

    She smirks suggestily. "What else would it be? You're the town hero for now, so you'd certainly be worthy of a powerful Blood Slave. Also, if he called you, it means he found someone really good," then she turns her teasing gaze to the quiet foxgirl- "and after Alissa, it'd be difficult to sell a man to you."

    That's… absolutely true. I don't want a man near Alissa, slave or not. I think I've become overprotective, but I'm happy! That's what counts.



    We arrive at the Golden Necklace at 8 AM, then we enter, and Sebastian greets us with a wide, polite smile.

    "Welcome, Grand Ryder. Would you like to meet the head now?" He calmly inquires without even glancing at Alissa once, which annoys me a little.

    I simply nod, and he leads us to the same room from before. Alissa wants to remain standing, but I make her sit beside me. After a minute, Ghulam comes in, wearing his wide and handsome smile. Sebastian follows behind him, and offers us the heavenly cookies and tea again.

    "Welcome again to the Golden Necklace, Mr. Ryder," Ghulam calmly greets with his deep and stimulating voice, then he takes a seat before ours. "I'm glad you came so soon. I thought that the reclusive hero would take a long time to leave his nest, but I'm happy that he has chosen to spend his precious time here."

    He puts so much emotion in each word it's almost like watching a play. How high is his "Charisma"!?

    "Uh… hero?" I concernedly question with a frown.

    He gracefully nods and amusedly explains, "Yes, you should know by now you're the talk of the town. There are even some voices asking for you to appear before the lord and get a commendation for your service, but it's rather refreshing seeing how you aren't that concerned about such matters."

    I snort. "I try to live quietly, so I don't want to get involved with nobility and neither do I need to bask in glory. I'll just embarrass myself greatly."

    He hums thoughtfully and categorically points out, "You have the guts to face the Symbol of Hate without hesitation, but not to face the crowd that's giving you glory?"

    Well, how am I supposed to answer that? I just stay quiet and smile, and I feel Alissa's hand twitching as she holds mine.

    After an awkward couple of seconds, he briefly bows and apologizes, "Ah, forgive me, that was rude of me. It's not guts you lack, but self-importance. It's good to live a quiet life, but unless you're a priest, it'll be helpful to be mindful of the importance of receiving your deserved rewards."

    I get what he means. You can't just ignore tradition in a warrior society. "Well… what you say isn't wrong, it's just difficult for me. I'm actually really shy."

    And he very kindly replies, "No shame in that, just make sure you live without regrets, Mr. Ryder." Then he flashes to me his unnervingly handsome smile.

    I chuckle. That's kind of my motto already.

    "I try, I try…" I mumble and sigh.

    Then he slowly becomes more serious as he continues, "Now, Mr. Ryder, you may not be basking in the glory others want to give you, but accept a little bit of mine. I know how your party is rather lacking in front line power, so I have the perfect addition to your party." Then he claps his hand twice.

    Oh, boy. I knew it.

    The door opens and a nearly two meters tall dragonkin comes in, and it's a woman. She has red, wavy hair with such volume it's almost a mane; yellow, lizard-like eyes with a naturally intense stare; a slender and sculpted body that'd make anyone envious; a large and perfectly round pair of breasts, too perfect in fact; a fearsome face and narrow eyes that makes her look like a model. The worst thing is that she has one of my weaknesses: faintly tanned skin.

    I shudder when I see the jiggle under her white silk one-piece that barely covers her body. She also has small, round patches of neatly-arranged, shining, emerald scales on the back of her hand, side of her cheeks, top of her bare feet, and at the side of her arms and legs.

    All the slaves shown so far, even Alissa, had their eyes and posture slightly lowered to show their submission, but this woman is different. Her eyes pierce me, her gaze makes me feel small, as if I'm a prey and she's merely toying with me, then a small grin appears in the corner of her mouth.

    She's not a slave, she's a man-hunting woman, and I feel like prey. Is this how women feel when men leer at them?

    I don't know how long we stare at each other as I lose myself in her striking yellow eyes, but then Ghulam's honeyed voice pulls me back to reality, "This is Hanafuria. She's a dragonkin with affinity for fire. She is twenty-three years old, and an experienced adventurer. But don't worry, she's still a virgin as certain types of dragonkin normally wait until they're past their physical prime to marry and have children.

    "Her skills are in the martial arts, and she's extremely sturdy even for normal dragonkin. She can use the spear, sword, bow, and pole arms with ease. If she doesn't know a weapon, she can learn it as she has a talent for learning new weapons. She has enough 'Endurance' to use full plate armor for extended periods of time, lasting even longer than lightly-armored soldiers, though she isn't able to fly with such heavy equipment.

    "Her magic skills are ordinary and forgettable, so her specialty is being the front line of any sort of attack. As she is a dragonkin, she can fly for short bursts, so this means she can also be used as a swift shield to protect anyone anywhere as long as it is within flight distance. Lastly, she can also use this power to charge towards enemies and empower her attacks."

    "Master… she's perfect..." Alissa whispers, her tone full of awe.

    You aren't supposed to say things like this. How is a man supposed to think rationally when there's such a meal in front of me…? I agree with you, Alissa, she's perfect, now come to me and strip!

    "W-why are you offering such a woman to me?" I stiffly ask, sweating cold.

    He answers with absolute calm and composure as he knows I've fully fallen into his trap, "Your party is extremely unbalanced right now. Miss Roxanne is weak in close combat, as the reports of your battle say, and if you don't bring a proper front line warrior, she'll be put in danger once again. I'm sorry, Mr. Ryder, but you aren't enough to protect her and Miss Alissa at the same time.

    I stare at him in fear. "How did you know that Roxanne had joined us?" I only registered her yesterday.

    And he gives me a perfectly innocent smile. "Fellowship records are public, also, extremely easy to learn this kind of information about hunters if you just ask a little. Since my job is to find the right clients, it'd be shameful if I did any less."

    And suspicion of him gives me just enough courage to question, "And you are offering her to me just because you think my party is unbalanced?"

    He shakes his head and soberly states, "It's only one of the reasons. Your subjugation of the Symbol of Hate demonstrates you have enormous potential, your behavior shows you have strong character, and Hanafuria herself is interested in serving you."

    "She can choose?" I blur out.

    She grins excitedly at me, making me feel a shiver, and Ghulam politely explains, "It's part of her contract. She's too powerful to be sold to just about anybody, and she needs someone with the potential to give her the future she deserves."

    I get a chill when I hear the word "sold." She's not a companion to join a fellowship, she's considered another object that will serve me, just like Alissa.

    "And if I don't do my job to my best, then the Gods will punish me," he chipperly adds, but I ignore his tone as a sudden realization falls upon me.

    The gods are indirectly telling me to create a slave harem.

    "What's her price?" I ask, suddenly feeling quite sharp.

    "One rose coin."

    Oof.

    "I don't have that money."

    He shows me his infuriatingly handsome smile again as he had already foreseen this. "It's no matter. The auction is coming soon, and the lowest predictions say you'll earn at least two rose coins, so we can defer payment until then."

    I don't have a way out. I'm cornered, and I'll be left alone with the man-eater as not even Alissa wants to save me from her.

    Why am I hesitating? I'm already past the point of no return.

    "Then I'll take Hanafuria."
     
    Last edited: Oct 25, 2021
  13. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

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    I silently sign the documents, and Ghulam peacefully smiles after successfully corrupting me further, then Sebastian receives them, and the devil in disguise calmly continues, "Then it's done. I'm certainly glad Nour sent you my way, and I'm also honored to have done business with you, Mr. Ryder."

    My morals have been thrown away long ago, so I just smile politely and reply in kind, "Thank you for choosing me, and I'll be forever grateful to Nour for sending me here." Then shameless takes over me and I add, "But, just one last thing. That silk one-piece, does it come in black?"

    I grin, and he grins back. I knew it, he's the devil.

    "Sebastian, please," he calmly orders.

    The old man goes outside, and after a few seconds, he's back with a beautiful black silk one-piece that he gives to Alissa, who folds it on her arm.

    And Ghulam graciously finishes, "That will be a gift, and if you don't have any other questions, then I'll be off."

    I silently shake my head, barely containing my excitement.

    "Until our next business, Mr. Ryder," he bids farewell and leaves.

    Then I turn to Hanafuria, and we stare at each other for an awkwardly long couple of seconds. She's "aggressively" beautiful, and I just want to drown in her yellow, vertical-slitted eyes.

    "You can change into those clothes," I stiffly instruct and point to the bundle of clothes on the table. They're the same design that Alissa got when she left, though bigger.

    Hanafuria doesn't even hesitate, she unashamedly strops then slowly puts on her new clothes in front of me, and this time I stare to my heart's content. The first thing I notice is that she has absolutely no hair anywhere aside from her head, then she bends over, showing me her perfectly round ass and pussy lips, and once she straightens her breasts bounce alluringly, making me wish to confirm their firmness.

    Once she's done, she stands proudly before me and gives me a subtle smirk, seemingly pleased with my wandering eyes.

    A domineering mood takes over me, and I assuredly announce, "I'm Wolf Ryder, and this is Alissa, my first Blood Slave. I'll call you Hana for short."

    "Understood, Master," Hana obediently replies. Her voice is powerful but still feminine, and it doesn't betray her intimidating beauty.

    I touch my fox girl's delicate hand and ask, "I'll walk home with Hana. Alissa, can you buy the basic necessities for her on your own?"

    She lowers her head as she complies, "Yes, I can, Master."

    Then we leave the building and split with her.



    We leisurely walk side by side while I begin laying down the rules, "Hana, I'm very clingy, and I love touching, so, if it isn't inconvenient, we should always walk holding hands or with an arm wrapped around the other's body."

    I'll be strict and decisive with her because I get the impression that if I'm not, she'll crush me with her domineering aura.

    Hana nods slowly as she accepts then politely explains, "Understood. My scales may look rigid, but I can control the hardness, so please, don't be afraid to touch them, Master."

    I grab her hand and feel her emerald scales. They're surprisingly soft and warm, so it isn't uncomfortable to touch. I also find the neatly-ordered circular patches of scales quite beautiful and fitting with her more "wild" aura.

    I ask her to show how hard they can get, and she flexes her arm, which raises the scales a little bit, then they suddenly become hard and rough. I also run a finger along the edge, and I believe that they could cut as easily as a blade.

    "Do you sharpen your scales?" I curiously ask.

    "Yes, but though they stay sharp naturally, they can become a secondary weapon during battle if sharpened even further."

    I raise my eyebrows in surprise. "That's impressive."

    She lets out a beautiful, boisterous laugh, "Hahah! Thank you, Master."

    I stop playing with her scales and interlace my fingers with hers, then we start walking closer to each other, allowing me to smell her faint perfume.

    I'm actually quite surprised with how feminine her hand is. It's big but soft, her fingers are very slender, and her nails are well done, so there's nothing that tells of her warrior background.

    "Why is your hand so soft? Shouldn't your skin be rougher from training so much?" I ask, trying to sound as genuine as possible to not offend her.

    But she seems happy to answer, "Dragonkin can harden skin at will, not just scales. Also, our skin never grows calluses and our nails never chip unless we wish so."

    I'm surprised once again. "I feel envious of you."

    And she lets out another uproarious laugh, then cheerfully exclaims, "You and every other woman in the world!"

    I like her carefree attitude; it makes it easy to talk to her.

    And so I happily continue my questioning, "Your wings, they're summoned like those of the demon race?"

    She adjusts her fiery hair behind her ear and casually answers, "Somewhat. Ours are actual physical wings while the demon race's are made of mana. Ours need 'Strength' and 'Endurance' to fly, and theirs need 'Magical Power' and MP."

    I'm fascinated by her race, so I promptly continue, "I see. Can any dragonkin fly for long distances?"

    She lets out a low chuckle, amused by my curiosity, then glances at me. "There are those who can, but they're rare. Real dragon wings control the air around them, but dragonkin wings can only faintly control it. Our bodies just aren't made for flying like a true dragon's is."

    A dragon's body isn't really made for flight, but whatever…



    We stop by a clothing shop and buy her some pretty casual clothing. She looks stunning in straight dresses, but not so much in frilly dresses like Alissa does.

    The man-eating eyes she gives me while showing off her clothes makes me feel things, man.

    "You like what you see," she teases with a grin then puffs her chest. The way the loose emerald dress barely covers her body is just amazing.

    "Very much," I huskily reply, then I smirk as my sadistic and domineering side starts to come out. "But what do you think of me? I'll dress you up and play with your body every day from now on, so, do you think I'll be a good master?"

    "I'm eager to service you," she breathes seductively, her yellow eyes staring unwaveringly at me.

    My smirk stiffens and I almost choke on my spit. "W-what?" I grunt, blindsided by her response.

    She laughs heartily and holds her sides, bunching up her luscious breasts, "Hahahah! Was that really unexpected?"

    "Yes, don't you just barely know me?" I ask, incredulous at her straightforwardness.

    She takes a step forward, almost shoving her almost breasts in my face. "Don't you also just barely know me, and yet here you are, telling me you'll 'play with my body every day'?"

    I stand my ground and look up at her face. "Touché."

    I was getting a bit carried on.

    But she just blinks blankly and confusedly mumbles, "What…?"

    I quickly recover my composure, then I shamelessly look at her cleavage as I explain, "Sorry, it's an expression from my homeland. It means 'you got me' or 'you scored a hit on me.'"

    She laughs heartily again. She laughs a lot, it seems.

    Then she takes another step, and now my face is just a couple of centimeters from motorboating her. "There are plenty of women, especially among the dragonkin, who enjoy small men like you," she seductively states and licks her lips.

    I stare at her again and her man-eating gaze gives me a chill. I'm not even going to comment on "small men."

    But I won't be bullied by a virgin!

    I hold on to the "Master" persona and cheekily retort, "If so, then why were you a virgin until now?"

    She smirks then looks away, seemingly faintly embarrassed, and I savor my small victory by breathing in deeply her scent.

    But she quickly recovers. "For the same reason why nobody bought me until now: I didn't find anyone worthy of it." Then she wrinkles her nose in disgust and frowns. "Haughty nobles or crude and stupid mercenaries. Bah! I knew I could do better…" -Her large hands cup my cheeks- "And I did."

    I'm starting to get used to her aggressiveness, so I calmly reply, "You seriously think I'm worthy?"

    "I think you're worthy of testing," she confidently states and releases me then takes a step back, reducing the strain in my pants.

    I tilt my head confusedly. "Oh? What if I fail the test?"

    "I have enough 'Willpower' to break the slavery and run away," she casually answers, then drops the dress, leaving her only in her small underwear.

    "Wow. That's impressive," I reply in kind as I stare, both meanings of the phrase intended.

    I don't really feel like I should fear that she'll run away. Breaking the contract isn't instant, and there's a lot of wiggle room between her deciding to run away and her actually running away.

    She picks up a red dress and easily puts it on. "Hah! I know! That's why I sold myself so easily," she cheerfully states then models for me.

    Should I ask the actual reason she sold herself? I feel like it's too soon, but her personality tells me she wouldn't mind.

    Screw it. I'll ask, but at least I'll be tactful about it.

    I stare at her face and solemnly ask, "This isn't an order, so you don't have to obey, but would you tell me the reason you sold yourself?"

    She stops presenting her ass then faces me while holding her hips and explains rather uninterestedly, "Well, it's no matter. My family were merchants, but they fell to a conspiracy, and to avoid jail, I had the option to either marry someone or be made into a Blood Slave so that I could abandon my family name."

    Were merchants.

    "I'm sorry to hear that," I solemnly reply.

    She shrugs. "Don't be, my father was a fool." Then a hint of anger seeps into her tone. "He fell for the trap and turned to crime to pay off the debt he accumulated, but because of that, the entire family suffered. I got off lightly, though. I was told I'd make a great Blood Slave, so I sold myself for cheap to make it easier to find a Master, then I just had to wait for you."

    "Cheap"? If that's cheap, I don't want to know Alissa's real price.

    What kind of discount did Nour prepare for me, really?

    I hum and continue, "I'll be taking a break for around a day-cycle so that I can focus on studying magic. Is that alright with you?"

    "I'm yours for life now, Master." She calmly affirms and spins, lifting her dress and showing me her shapely legs, then she gives me a sobering stare. "I'll be fine with whatever you wish. Now that I'm here, it might actually be best for you to focus on magic, too. I heard you made a small miracle when healing your companion, so you seem to have some talent for it."

    I cringe and look away. "Did everybody hear about my fight in detail?"

    She gives me a refreshingly hearty laugh, "Hahahahah! This is an adventuring town, Master! People around here live for this kind of story! The minstrels might garble some of the details to add more flavor, but the real story should be out there."

    I sigh and stare at her again, then she smirks and continues to seduce me.

    In the end, she successfully charms me, and I splurge a bit. I buy her the two dresses and a couple of spare casual clothes, but unfortunately, there's no sexy underwear, those are only luxury items.

    During the walk back home, we remain silent and just enjoy each other's presence with our arms and fingers entwined. My mind wanders to the image of her naked body, and I start to get impatient.

    I'm actually glad I bought her. There might be various reasons why her purchase makes me happy, but more than anything, it's because she seems like an amazing person.



    We reach home by 9:30 AM. Once we open the door, Roxanne immediately comes out of her room, then Alissa stops her cooking and also comes to greet us.

    "Oooh. Told you it was a woman," Roxanne comments wryly while examining Hana like one analyzes a beautiful statue.

    I clear my throat and introduce them, "Well, this is Hanafuria, Hana for short. Hanafuria, this is Miss Roxanne, a companion."

    Hana looks at Roxanne, then at me, then at Roxanne again and smirks.

    What…?

    "Well met, Miss Roxanne. It seems from now on I'll be your shield," she huskily returns the greeting, then grabs Roxanne's hand and gives it a gentle kiss.

    Roxanne's voice rises an octave as she laughs like a lady, "Hohohoh, I already feel safer. I'm happy to meet you, Miss Hana."

    The fiery warrior retorts with poise, "There's no need to use honorifics for me, I'm just a slave of Grand Ryder."

    And the succubus coyly waves her hand dismissively. "Nonsense. Mr. Ryder barely treats Miss Alissa as a slave, so there's no need to treat you any less."

    "Then I gladly accept it," she politely states with a bow.

    I stare at Hana in awe.

    Holy shit, this woman is majestic.

    "Excuse me, I have to go back to work," Roxanne bashfully announces, then walks back to her room, an alluring sway to her hips and thin black tail.

    While Hana and I stare at her, Alissa walks up to me.

    "Master, I bought more of that cloth that might fit Hana," she eagerly whispers in my ear.

    Now you've done it.

    "Give them to me. We'll be staying upstairs until lunch," I sternly state, feeling the blood go down once again.

    "As you wish, Master," she obediently replies and bows, but I see a mischievous smile grace her pretty face.

    Then I turn to the gorgeous beauty beside me. "Hana, should we wait for tonight?" I huskily ask with a suggestive grin.

    She notices my growing bulge, and her vertical pupils widen in excitement. "There's no need, is there?" She replies in kind.

    I grab her hand and lead her to our room. Once we're in, she immediately goes to the bed while I lock the door.

    She sits down and waits, so I approach her, then I grab her chin and pull her up into a deep kiss.

    There's no hesitation on her part. She receives my lips, and we share gentle kisses for a moment, but she becomes impatient, and her tongue parts my lips, then she eagerly explores my mouth.

    I hug her body, but she hugs me back harder, squishing my chest against her large, elastic mountains, and I notice that they're much firmer than Alissa's. Is this due to the dragonkin's special skin?

    My hands explore her muscular back, but then I move them to the front and grip both breasts. She moans softly in my mouth then lets out a chuckle.

    But touching just isn't enough. I pull her away to break the kiss and desperately lift her shirt.

    Don't tell the US, but I found two weapons of mass destruction.

    Her areolas are darker than lightly tanned skin, and I find them almost irresistibly luscious, but her nipples are already erect, begging to be pinched, so I immediately compromise and pinch one while I lick the other.

    She moans again, her lower voice making it sound almost like a growl, then she grabs my hair and pulls me towards her chest, asking for more, so I give her a small bite, and she yells in surprise.

    "Ahn~…! That's… that's so good…" She whispers with a heavy breath.

    "Did you ever touch yourself like this?" I teasingly ask and continue sucking.

    Her strong fingers run through my hair and massage my scalp. "Hahah, my nipples had never been touched before you."

    I bite the other nipple, and she moans delightfully. "Then I'll teach you a lot of things today," I soothingly whisper and kiss her breast, then I push her down and go for her belt.

    She raises her head and stares at me with her man-eating gaze while I pull down her pants, then I notice that there's already a wet spot in her panties.

    Jesus, how eager are you?

    She kicks off her boots, then I remove her pants, and she immediately spreads her legs for me, presenting herself to me like an appetizing meal.

    I gently pull her panties to the side, revealing her sticky pussy lips, then I cover them with my mouth and penetrate her with my indicator.

    "Yes…!" She breathes as her legs quiver with desire.

    I savor the sour taste of her arousal as I slowly rub my tongue between her lips, going up until I reach the small nub of her clit.

    She squirms and moans loudly in response, then grabs my head and pushes it further in, trying to get my tongue to penetrate her deeper. It seems she likes it rough and intense.

    I move my finger in and out of her and her voice grows louder. Her moans have a lower pitch in comparison to Alissa's, but they aren't any more or less sexier. Every moan of a woman is just perfect.

    I take my time with increasing the speed of my movements just to make sure she understands I'm in control. But after a couple of minutes, I curl my finger upwards in search of the sacred spot, and it doesn't take long to find it.

    She suddenly stops moaning and releases my head, telling me that I'm right on the mark, then she begins trembling and grabs the sheets.

    I rub my finger against the subtly rough patch, and she starts screaming in pleasure, then my mouth becomes wetter and wetter as she leaks even more lewd fluids.

    Now my tongue focuses entirely on her clit while I play with her G-spot, and she suddenly finds her voice again.

    "AAHN~...! YES…! YES…!" She shouts in ecstasy, her strong thighs quivering as she struggles to not crush my head.

    But soon she reaches the peak, and a massive orgasm takes a hold of her body. Her insides clench and her body convulses, so I hug her waist and hold on. I'll give her the best orgasm she ever had!

    I bask in the glory of my victory, enjoying how I've made this proud warrior into a shivering mess, but after long seconds, her voice begins to lower, so I decrease the intensity of my movements to match her, then her body suddenly goes limp.

    I release her and notice that my finger is now covered in a small amount of white cream from her climax, so I lick it clean while I wait for her to catch her breath.

    "What… was… that..." She mutters, her eyes open wide in amazement.

    Two kicks, two goals.

    I smugly explain, "I played with your 'G-spot,' which, as you can see, is a woman's greatest weakness."

    "That's..." She tries to speak, but she's at a complete loss for words, so I crawl up to her and come face-to-face.

    "Now then…" I whisper seductively then kiss her scaly cheek. "It's time for the main meal."

    Her fearsome grin starts to return, which is my sign that I need to continue before she tries to assume control of this situation.

    I pull a piece of cloth from my "Items" and slide it under her, then I pull down my pants and present my hard cock.

    She stares at it with anticipation and wiggles her hips towards me, but once my tip touches her entrance, I grab her waist and hold it still.

    She looks up at me and gives me an expectant look, but I take a moment to admire the view. A wild, powerful, ferocious, big-titted, red beauty is right before me, almost begging to be fucked.

    And she's all mine. She's my… property.

    I've been completely corrupted.

    I rub the reddened head of my cock against her entrance and she twitches, but then she becomes fascinated by my precum mixing with her lewd juices.

    I tease her again and begin pushing it in, but then I pull out and tease her a bit more before I enter her further. I'll penetrate her little by little.

    But she has other plans.

    She suddenly scowls angrily and grabs my hips as she impatiently shouts, "You tease too much!" Then she pulls me, and I easily slide in.

    I chuckle softly, but then the pleasant warmth of her insides gets to me, and we moan in sync.

    My penetration is stopped by some resistance, but she just pulls me more strongly and we break her hymen. She winces in pain, so I cast [Regeneration] on her.

    "What? You're healing me?" She grunts confusedly.

    I smile warmly and cup her cheek as I reply, "There's no need for you to feel pain. Also, I can keep this spell on all the time to help you adjust to me."

    "I like the pain," she growls defiantly while staring into my eyes.

    Ooh~? Then don't mind if I do!

    I pull out, cast [Clean] on us to clean the blood, then I immediately thrust again with all my strength. She releases my hips, closes her eyes, and grits her teeth as I inflict deliciously painful pleasure upon her pussy.

    I penetrate her roughly, again and again, our thighs smacking loudly against each other, and she squirms and grunts with each thrust.

    I pull her waist closer to the edge, and she gives me a confused look, but now I have the proper support that I need to give her the punishment she wants.

    I resume my thrusting with renewed ferocity, grunting in delight as my sadism gives me sweet sweet pleasure, then her jaw goes slack while her voice disappears.

    She rests her head against the bed and swallows heavily as she tries to regain her composure. The strong and proud, unbreakable shield of our fellowship is currently squirming as her defiance steadily crumbles by my hands and cock.

    She glances at me, her eyes filled with awe, the man-eating gaze and her domineering aura now nothing more than a joke. She knows who's the real man here, who's the actual Master.

    "Harder..." She softly breathes, and I raise an eyebrow questioningly.

    Are you serious?

    "Harder…!" She hisses, suddenly finding her strength once again.

    I snort and slow down. "You know what, one sec…"

    "What?" She growls, angry that I'm not giving her what she wants, but then she gives me a confused look as I open my "Stats" and move my points around.

    I put ten in [Enhanced Stamina], ten in [Enhanced Strength], ten in [Enhanced Sexual Stamina], and it only allows me to put one in [Enhanced Genital Control].

    I close the window and grin sadistically. "You fucking asked for this," I whisper huskily.

    Then I grip her waist and thrust with all my might.

    "AAAAHN~...!" She screams, but it quickly shifts into a moan, then she gives me a tight hug and digs her nails into my skin.

    She gives me a very stable leverage point to just unleash all my anger onto her pussy through wild, uncontrolled, rough fucking. But her nails dig so deep that I actually take a point of HP damage; she must be making me bleed.

    This position is amazing with her. We pant almost in sync, making our hot breaths mix, and we rub our sweaty bodies against each other for maximum penetration. The way she grits her teeth with every thrust, the bounce of her large breasts, and how her abs flex along with the tightening of her insides, it all looks amazing. It feels almost a pity to switch positions, but I want to assert my dominance by making her bend for me.

    I turn her sideways and fuck her while hugging her muscular leg, then I force her into doggystyle and wreck her pussy while gripping her nice ass.

    Then I hug her from behind, mounting her like an animal, but I'm still not satisfied.

    I grab her legs and spread them, then I pull her up with me into a standing reverse cowgirl, making me wish so hard that we had a mirror.

    She's tall and heavy, so while this position is amazing, I soon throw her back onto the bed, then I mount her again and pull her hair like reins.

    The way her pussy tightens on my cock tells me she enjoys that one, so I press her neck down and bend her spine backward, forcing her to perk her ass up to me as best as she can, and it allows me to reach so deep inside her even I feel amazing.

    But she takes it so well I start to feel like abusing her more, and just pounding harder won't do. I put her on a chokehold, and that makes her instantly orgasm, leaking fluids everywhere and increasing the amount of cream coating my shaft.

    I use Hana's body as I wish, doing all the hardcore stuff that I couldn't do with Alissa. I slap her ass until it's as red as her hair, I dig my nails into her skin and thrust with all my power, I bite her back to leave my (very brief) mark, I pull hard on her hair, and I bend her body to make her even sexier to me.

    Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and I feel my stamina finally beginning to decrease, so I take off [Enhanced Sexual Stamina], and my balls immediately feel like they're ready to explode.

    After a few last thrusts, I unleash the biggest load I've ever done all inside her. My cock simply pumps rope after rope for long seconds, and my muscles all tense up from the amazing orgasm, but then the pleasure quickly subsides.

    I slap her ass and push her onto the bed, then she simply collapses, her abused, reddened pussy slowly leaking from my massive cumshot.

    The dragon has been tamed.

    She remains still for a long moment, splayed out like a used doll, but she's also face down, which worries me, so I turn her around.

    Her eyes are simply glossed over, with a complete lack of focus as she gasps for air, so I just sit down beside her and caress her mane-like hair until she's back.

    She slowly gets her breathing back under control, and her eyes start to focus again, then she notices me, and we smile at each other.

    I conjure some water into a cup and offer it to her. She remains still for a couple of seconds, then summons enough energy to weakly sit up and drink it.

    "I may be… inexperienced… but that… wasn't normal…" She hoarsely states.

    "Yeah, you could say I'm a bit special," I smugly reply.

    She chuckles softly, then coughs. "If you do that… every day… I'll die."

    I let out a very amused laugh. "Hahaha, no I can't do that every day. It's just that you asked for it."

    She clears her throat. "I certainly did." Then she also laughs.

    We stay silent for a moment, just basking in the post-amazing-sex afterglow, but then I take stock of our situation. Our bodies are sweaty and reek of sex, the sheets need washing, and the cloth I put down has a rather considerable blood spot even though I had used [Clean]. Thankfully, her insides are quite resistant, so my dick doesn't look like a murder weapon.

    I lay down next to her and use her breasts as a pillow, then she starts caressing my hair just like I was doing to her.

    Then I wonder out loud, "Your breasts are quite firm and elastic; is this because of your dragonkin skin? Alissa's are much softer and squishier."

    She soothingly replies, "I don't know. I'll need to feel her breasts to compare."

    And a depraved idea comes to me.

    "Would you like to fondle a woman?" I question with a suggestive tone.

    "Hm? I don't have any particular desire to do it," she answers absentmindedly.

    "But do you feel disgusted at the idea?"

    "Hmm~... no." And I know she's smirking just from her tone.

    "Would you kiss Alissa if I asked?"

    She whispers huskily in my ear, "If it'd please you."

    Ho-ho-ho, Christmas came twice this year. This response almost makes my dick hard again, but the adrenaline is running out, so my muscles are beginning to complain.

    "Don't you feel any shame at being so lewd?" I teasingly ask her.

    And she answers without hesitation, "Of course, I do, but I don't allow it to get in the way of what I want."

    I grab one of her hands and give it a kiss. "Your straightforwardness is rather charming."

    She intensifies her scalp massage with her strong fingers. "Hah! Thank you, but I know I have two other things more charming than that." Then she grabs my head and presses it against her breasts.

    I just close my eyes and enjoy the boob massage, but then I turn around and start fondling these monsters, lightly teasing her sensitive nipples. She starts to get a bit excited again, but her pussy is still in pain, so I stop torturing her.

    Eventually, our strength returns, and I tell her we need to take a bath, then we walk out of the room, but Alissa immediately approaches us.

    "The bath is ready, Master," she obediently reports.

    "How thoughtful. Thank you, Alissa," I kindly praise her, then she returns an adorable smile and bows.

    Bowing isn't necessary, though.



    "Oh, what a nice bath. We could all get in together," Hana cheerfully remarks.

    And I emphatically affirm, "I'll definitely bathe with you and Alissa whenever I can."

    "What a luxury."

    "Thank Roxanne. Her magic makes starting a bath something trivial."

    She grins and cops a feel of my ass. "I certainly will."

    I'm not gonna let her peg me, so that's as far as she'll go.

    I cop her ass and push her forward, then I begin washing her, and she'll wash me next.

    I delicately soap her scales. They need to be hardened during washing, so I have to be careful not to cut myself. Hana seems amused at being cared for, but she doesn't try to stop me. This isn't how the usual Master-Slave relationships are supposed to go, but neither of us really seems to care to behave like it.

    After her delicious and muscular body is perfectly washed, I let her do me, but she's very rough, so I keep her away from my sensitive parts. Her eyes seem to be drawn to my dick, though, so after I soap my cock, I let her rub me off once, and she gets me to cum in record time.

    Then we soak in the warm water, but not for long because we have to help Alissa cook.

    The half-cycle has changed today, so the food should, too. My helpful fox girl was testing a few recipes while we fucked, and she has settled on something interesting: an orc meat pie with not-palm-heart and not-corn. There's also plenty of salad, and bean paste on toasted bread.

    It feels refreshing to eat something so elaborate, and now that we have a kitchen, we can prepare meals like this one all the time.



    Hana sits on the chair and grunts, "Oof."

    I touch her arm and give her a concerned look as I cast [Regeneration]. "Are you hurting? You should always tell me if you are; there's no need to be in pain when I can heal you immediately," I kindly plead.

    "It shouldn't be a bother, but I'm not used to pain in that place," she suggestively answers and flashes me a smirk.

    Roxanne grins while Alissa gives me a worried look, making me sigh.

    I clear my throat and lay down the rules, "Even if it's bearable, you should always tell me." -I grab her hand to tell how serious I am- "Here, let me tell you the same thing I told Alissa. Being in pain drains your mental stamina, tiring you more easily, which makes it more likely for you to die in battle. If you die, it'd be a waste of my money, a waste of such a strong companion that you are, and my feelings will also be deeply hurt because I'm not one to just treat you like a tool. So, this is why we need to keep you happy and well-rested: you need to always be at your best so you don't die or disappoint me.

    "I'll give you two rules: the first one is 'don't die' because I don't want you sacrificing yourself for me, and the second one is 'let's never get into a situation where someone needs to die' so you won't even have to think about sacrificing yourself if we don't ever get in a situation that needs it, to begin with. Now, do you understand your value to me?"

    Roxanne and Hana stare blankly and raise their eyebrows in surprise while Alissa nods repeatedly in agreement.

    Roxanne coos and agrees, "Hoo~, I guess that's why Alissa is so dedicated." And I start to feel embarrassed.

    "Obviously…" Alissa hums.

    Then Hana suddenly bows and passionately exclaims, "I-I understand, Master. I'll always remain on my best performance for you!"

    I awkwardly smile and nod, then we finally start eating.



    "Master, forgive my improper behavior, but do you have alcohol?" Hana timidly asks, but the question seems to irk Alissa.

    "A slave shouldn't ask for such things!" She scolds the junior slave.

    But I appease her, "I don't mind, Alissa. I don't drink, so I don't have any alcohol, but I can buy some for you if you want. Just don't drink too much, I don't like to deal with drunk people."

    Roxanne happily confesses, "Ah, there's some wine in the ice box. I was so busy working I didn't drink anything in a while." Then she runs to the kitchen to grab it.

    "Ice box" is the creative name the people in this world gave to the fridge.

    Hana smiles and casually remarks as she watches Roxanne leave, "For me, it's difficult to become drunk with human alcohol due to my 'Endurance,' but I still enjoy a drink once in a while."

    "Well, I don't mind, then," I hum.

    Roxanne quickly comes back with the bottle, then she pours for Hana and herself, and the two share a smile.

    They give Alissa and me an inquisitive look, but neither of us want to drink, so they just nod at each other and down their glasses.

    Roxanne takes it slower while Hana just drinks it all in one go, then the red dragon woman raises her empty glass and exclaims, "Seven months of boredom, seven months waiting for someone worthy, now finally over! I feel reborn!"

    "Considering Mr. Ryder's record, we won't be bored for long," Roxanne quietly states and gives me a cheeky glance.

    "But what can we kill that topples the Symbol of Hate?" Hana asks with a dangerous glint in her eyes.

    Roxanne sips her wine then casually suggests, "There's always the ancient dragons."

    Hana leans back on her chair and relaxes. "Ohh~, now that's every dragonkin's dream."

    The cheeky demon leans forward and excitedly shares, "Ah, I heard the last expedition into the City of the Damned failed again." Then she claps the tip of her fingers like a silly happy seal.

    Hana crosses her arms, deep in thought, also bunching up her massive breasts. "Hmm… the undead are an interesting foe. I never fought one, but how do you kill something that never dies?"

    Roxanne shrugs. "Don't know. You could use them for an endurance battle, though."

    "Seems so. It'd be the perfect enemy to challenge myself."

    And the succubus gently lands a hand on the dragon girl's muscular arm. "Ah, we could just gather them all in a single place and then I blow them all up! Hohohoh," -she laughs like an evil ojou- "there's no way they will revive if there's nothing to revive."

    "You can do what?" Hana questions confusedly, and Roxanne explains how [Explosion] works. "Diamond dragon scales! That's amazing!"

    "Of course, I'm amazing," Roxanne smugly replies, and the two chuckle loudly.

    Alissa seems rather impressed with this exchange, but I'm uncomfortable with these outrageous ideas and dangerous words.

    Though, I look forward to seeing how much more lively our meals will be from now on.



    After everyone is finished, Alissa cleans the table while Roxanne returns to her room.

    I'm eager to look at Hana's "Companions" tab, so I call her, "Hana, come to our room. I have to explain a few things to you about our teamwork."

    "Understood, Master," she chipperly replies and follows after me.

    We sit on the bed, then I open her stats window.


    Hanafuria Skill Report​
    Physical​
    Skill NameLevelSkill NameLevelSkill NameLevel
    Sword Use19Spear Use14Bow Use9
    Two-Handed Sword Use9Polearm Use6Dagger Use4
    Shield Bash6Block7Parry6
    Dodge4Tatesomu Style3Muscle Explosion4
    Battlefield Perception2Taunt3Intimidate2
    Enhanced Reflexes2Enhanced Stamina4Enhanced Strength2
    Enhanced Endurance4
    Magical​
    Skill NameLevelSkill NameLevelSkill NameLevel
    Sense Mana1Mana Control1Light Magic1
    Fire Magic1Space Magic1Conjuring Magic1
    Miscellaneous​
    Skill NameLevelSkill NameLevelSkill NameLevel
    Housework2Cooking1Cleaning1
    Washing1Riding3Pain Conversion1
    Dismantling4Fire Breath (innate)5Summon Wings (innate)4


    Info​
    NameHanafuriaAge23RaceFire-Type Dragonkin
    HP100MP28Magic Power10
    Level35
    Stats​
    Strength19Endurance24Dexterity10
    Speed13Intelligence8Wisdom9
    Willpower19Charisma16Piety11
    Perception9Sanity17
    Other​
    Status Effects'NONE'
    Titles'NONE'
    Affiliations'Wolf Ryder (Master)'
    Companions'NONE'
    Crimes'NONE'


    Spells​
    Clean | Spirit Light (Weak) | Conjure Water | Conjure Bland Meal (weak) | Fireball
    Telekinesis | Item Box (weak) | Fire Breath | Summon Wings

    Now those are some stats… but could her "Charisma" be affecting me? I did become fond of her suspiciously fast.

    Eh, whatever…

    I tell her my "Guider" lie, and she responds with an excited grin, but then she leans forward, our noses now almost touching, and she slowly whispers seductively, "Seems like there's no way I'm leaving you, now, Master. I'll marry you and have your children. Whatever you wish, I'll give it to you. This is too good of a gift to let it slip."

    No need to be so eager…

    I clear my throat to give me time to gather my courage, then I pat her scaled cheek and calmly whisper back, "There's no way I'm letting you go, too."

    I flash a smile, and she suddenly steals my lips, putting me off balance once again, then she smirks seductively and wraps her arm around my waist while straightening up her posture.

    I sigh at her endless eagerness, then I begin the questioning, "Now, what is [Pain Conversion]."

    She cringes and looks away for a moment, "Well… [Pain Conversion] is something I acquired one day after a long… long day of fighting. I can use it to feel pleasure from the pain, but I still feel the pain."

    I blink blankly. "What…"

    But she just shrugs while grinning.

    God, woman… can you be normal for one second?!

    I massage my forehead while mumbling wryly, "I guess… that explains some things..."

    And she awkwardly laughs, "Hahahah, I guess so." Then slaps my back.

    But an idea pops up in my mind.

    I stare her in the eye, and a smile slowly creeps up on my lips as I realize, "Wait, no, this is actually good. I can abuse you in any way I want and you'll enjoy it."

    She remains still and sustains my gaze, allowing for my words to sink in, then she slowly licks her lips…

    Oh boy, my heart.

    I grab her thigh and put a stop to this before we start fucking again, "Hold on, we have to stop here, we're getting sidetracked. Business comes first. Anyways, why do you have one hundred and fifty HP while I only have one hundred?"

    She clenches her jaw in irritation, but after a short moment she seems to get her wild tendencies under control, then she assumes a more thoughtful expression. "Hm, from what I understand, HP is only a loose representation of human 'health,' while dragonkin have a lot more resiliency than you humes, and we can also fight with wounds that would make any other race faint, so the system says we have more HP."

    "Wow, it seems like your race is really strong," I casually remark, actually impressed.

    She puffs up her chest and hits her fist against it as she exclaims, "Fuck yeah! Dragonkin are the toughest race and the bestest warriors! Only the dwarves can compete in toughness and the dog wereanimals as best soldiers."

    Her confidence is infectious and makes me smile.

    "But… we're kind of terrible at anything else," she hurriedly adds as she awkwardly scratches her emerald cheek scales.

    I let out a short laugh and move on, "Next one, what's [Tatesomu Style]?"

    "It's my fighting style. It revolves around bashing, countering, and trading my higher HP and stamina to overwhelm the enemy."

    I don't know much about fighting to make any insightful comment on this topic, but to me, she really does sound like a tank.

    I just continue, "Hmm… what is [Taunt]?"

    "I can yell curses at the enemy to make them angry and turn their focus towards me. I use it to make sure monsters don't attack the mages or archers, but it also sometimes works on humanoids, I think."

    Wow, there's aggro management here, too. Also, I guess this is why swearing at the spiders worked.

    "What about [Intimidate]?"

    She snorts softly. "It's a skill I can't really control. It just makes people afraid of me if I get annoyed, but it's quite useful because these two balloons have made too many men fall for me." -She casually fondles her breasts- "So I guess I developed this skill after crushing enough balls."

    O~ka~y… I don't want to hear that story.

    I clear my throat and quickly continue, "Alright, next, [Battlefield Perception]?"

    "It helps keep an eye on other people even when I have my back to them, but it doesn't work well when I can't actually see the person, like if they're behind a wall. My job was escorting, so I'm extra sensitive to when other people are in danger."

    Sounds interesting. Almost like a sixth sense, but perhaps it uses peripheral vision since it can't see through walls. I should add it to my build later on when I have room.

    "You say your wings are physical, but [Summon Wings] is a spell?" I question confusedly.

    "Well, it costs a little bit of mana to grow and use the wings, but it's still mostly stamina."

    "Alright. So, what skills do you want to improve with your spare points?"

    She turns her face away to think, and her hand on my waist starts to wander around my back, tickling me.

    After a good minute, she suddenly nods and answers, "Divide them between [Sword Use] and [Block]. Those are my most useful skills to help you."

    I smile warmly and pat her thigh. "Alright, this is all for now. Again, this is a secret, and even Roxanne doesn't know about it, though at some point I think I'll tell her."

    She gives me a bright, confident smile. "No problem, Master. I'll take this to the grave."

    I feel like I should correct her eagerness to die, but then I remember something, "Ah, I guess you don't know yet, but I got a blessing from the Goddess of Knowledge a few days ago. This is why I'm deciding to enter the university now."

    She gives me a hug and happily hums, "Oh~! Just another reason why choosing you was a good idea."

    I shrug and bury my head in her breasts. I'm not going to say no to a god-sanctioned harem.



    When 1 PM arrives, I put on my expensive clothes. It's time to go to the magic university. We'll buy Hana's equipment and register her tomorrow because I'm too eager to look for info on [Golemancy].

    I'll ride Alissa there while Hana will stay at home, so she'll clean the house and train a bit.

    But before we leave, we give the last piece of the chocolate cake to Hana, and for a moment, the man-eating woman disappears, replaced by a smiling little girl with a red mane.

    Adorable.

    Then I mount my fluffy fox, and it takes us only a few minutes to reach the university.

    It's hard to miss the entrance because there's a metal arch above it with the glowing golden words "Rabanara's Magic University" written in Andraste's greek-like alphabet. Then my eyes are attracted to the glowing symbols on each side of the gate, a vine staff with a trillion-shaped gem at the top.

    Why does everything magical needs to glow…?

    The grey brick walls are pretty high, hiding everything else visible, so I look past the open gate. Right ahead, there's a majestic rectangular fountain with water gushing around in rhythmic fashion. The jets slowly float from one tube to another, and sometimes they sync, creating pretty patterns in the air.

    Once the jets pass by floating metal rings, they produce cute musical sounds, and the melody reminds me of background music for sleep you could find on YouTube.

    Flanking the brick path that goes around the fountain, we see long patches of pretty flowers, and the occasional breeze brings about their gentle perfume. It's very faint, and I believe it's intentional so that you don't get sick of smelling it from coming here every day for years.

    There are plenty of students about, and they're all wearing a simple gray uniform that reminds me of British schools. Occasionally, we see someone flying in a magical carpet, magical chair, magical broom, magical bathtub, or just simply flying or floating around. I also find it curious that nobody goes over the wall, always choosing to pass under the arch, instead.

    What's most interesting about the students is the assortment of eye-catching staves and wands of all shapes and sizes, shining, glowing, or non-corporeal.

    Alissa notices my child-like wonder and cautions me, "Most of these staves and wands are just expensive decorations, really."

    I awkwardly admit, "I'll trust you to help me spot scammers, then."

    And she diligently replies, "Always."

    After the fountain, we're faced with a wide, rectangular building made of white bricks, and our eyes immediately fall on the glowing yellow words "Reception" above its entrance. Curiously, the roof is made of colorful and ornate tiles, giving it a bit of a whimsical air.

    We see the roofs of multiple other buildings peeking from behind the reception, and far in the distance, there's a thick, ominous, black tower rising into the sky. I'd like to just spend my time looking around, but we'd stand out too much, so we quickly move on.

    The guards look quite impressive with their black velvet uniforms, and I notice that they all have both a wand and a sword hanging from their belts.

    We do feel faintly underdressed for the location, so we timidly enter the reception and stiffly look around.

    We're now in a large hall made of glossy wood with a glossy counter where multiple attendants sit behind. A few potted plants near the walls give this place a rather modern air, tho.

    There are a few people sitting on comfy-looking chairs or sofas in the waiting area at the corner of the hall, but their attire doesn't seem too different from ours, so we start to relax.

    Then we approach one of the attendants. She wears a grey, velvet uniform with a golden pin of the university's symbol on her chest, and a cute grey beret to finish the look.

    The wealth being displayed is still a bit overwhelming, tho.

    The attendant notices me, so I clear my throat and begin, "Good afternoon. I'm a traveler who's researching magic, and I'd like to know the ways I can join the university. Just recently I acquired a Blessing from the Goddess of Knowledge."

    She immediately equips a perfect smile, then she puts on the counter a transparent crystal ball and a transparent crystal tablet. "Please put your hand over this crystal while I analyze your condition," she politely requests.

    I put my hand on the crystal, and the tablet instantly becomes black, then words in white slowly appear on it, and the attendant lets out a soft gasp. I made sure I had removed all suspicious skills, like those I used on Hana, so I don't know what she's surprised about.

    She looks up and slowly nods as she reassures me, "Everything looks good. I'll check if there's an advisor who's free right now, and if there's not, we can schedule an appointment. Please wait over there." Then she motions to the seats near the wall and scurries away.

    We just sit down like we're told, and I play with Alissa's tail to pass the time. After a few minutes, a robed, middle-aged, balding man with a nice belly and a very round face energetically struts into the hall, and I notice that he's holding the crystal tablet with my information.

    He spots us then quickly comes our way with a wide smile on his plump face.

    We stand up, then he introduces himself with a short bow, "Good afternoon, Mr. Ryder. I'm Mathias, an advisor for potential applicants. Would you come with me to a meeting room?"

    I politely respond, "Good afternoon. This is Alissa, my Blood Slave. Let's go, then."

    He nods towards Alissa, and she bows respectfully, then we follow him.

    Aside from the large entrance hall, this building is all offices, and we follow Mathias into a simple one with a few chairs, a tea set, a potted plant, and a tall document drawer. It feels oddly nostalgic as it's very similar to modern cubicle culture, but not quite there yet.

    Mathias sits heavily on his chair, then pours tea for the three of us, and it makes me quite happy to see that he doesn't ignore Alissa just because she's a slave.

    We all take a gentle sip of the flowery tea, then he begins, "Now, Mr. Ryder. The process to join is dependent on what the entree wants. You mentioned research, but what sort of magic do you intend to research here, specifically?"

    I clear my throat and make my case, "Well, I have a little bit of knowledge about [Golemancy], and I'd like to study it further, if it isn't forbidden magic."

    He makes a thoughtful expression and rubs his round chin. "[Golemancy], hm…? I think there might be some records about such magic here, but it's really obscure. I'll have to put up a query to the archivist. From what I remember, it isn't forbidden, so don't worry, but since you don't have the skill, even if it's forbidden, it isn't unlawful to be curious about it."

    That's very reassuring.

    Seeing my relief, he claps his large hands and continues with a business smile, "Now. We know that you have a Blessing, and we give a large discount on the tuition to those who have it. What other facilities do you intend to use besides the one for research?"

    "Can you tell me my options? I don't know much about the university after all."

    "Let's see…" He hums and pulls out a pamphlet from a drawer in his desk, then he reads it out, "We offer courses in all of the elemental system schools. Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Electricity, Nature, Light, Dark, Space, Spirit, Conjuring and [Blessing Magic]. We offer beginner, intermediate and advanced courses for all of these. There are also three levels inside each class difficulty, but it's unnecessary to complete all three as they serve only to help the slower learners.

    "We offer theoretical studies like astronomy, farming enhancements, monster anatomy, ancient languages, ancient history, lost knowledge, and many other, more specific classes, not to mention all of the crafting-related classes." -Then he pulls from a drawer a small booklet- "There are actually too many to count, so you better read this yourself."

    He pushes forward the little book, and I guess that it has about twenty pages.

    I take it and start browsing through it as I clarify, "I'm only interested in the magic schools for now. Do you offer classes on Illusion and [Summoning Magic]?"

    There are a few magic schools that he didn't mention, like Cursing, so I'll keep quiet about them for now.

    He shifts in his seat and gracefully gesticulates with his hand as he continues, "Those are fields under research, so there aren't enough teachers knowledgeable in them to create a standard teaching plan that ensures skill gain. If you enter as a researcher, you can look for those who research into that area and hire them if they're offering to tutor."

    I definitely will.

    He points his chubby finger to the booklet. "We also offer training courses in practical magic skills, like [Reduced Mana Cost], [Mana Control], [Sense Mana], [Mana Efficiency] and [Mana Recovery]."

    I raise my head and blurt out, "What about [Redirect Mana]?"

    He frowns confusedly. "The crystal says you're its creator, so only you have any knowledge about it." -Then I see an excited glint in his eyes- "If you share how you acquired that skill, it'd count as another point towards us accepting you."

    Oh, duh…

    I nod and accept, "I could definitely share that. What about [Mana Overuse Resistance] and [Blackout Resistance]?"

    He shakes his head negatively. "Those skills require inhuman effort to acquire, so hardly anyone has the courage to learn it. It's actually very impressive you acquired [Mana Overuse Resistance]." Then he flashes a sympathetic smile.

    Yeah… I did get that one after a near-death experience.

    And I gloomily explain, "I can tell you what I did to acquire [Redirect Mana], but it's similar to [Mana Overuse Resistance], I had to work so hard I think I nearly killed myself."

    Alissa turns her head towards me, looking slightly horrified. Too much shit was happening at the time, so I forgot to tell her about this skill.

    "Is that so…?" Mathias hum thoughtfully, seemingly surprised that I have two special skills, then he gently claps his hands and moves on, "Well, that's regrettable, but it'd still be a point in your favor if you told us what it does and how to get it."

    "I haven't properly used it, so I'll test it for a day-cycle and then tell you the results."

    "That'd be great," he chipperly replies.

    "Now I need to choose what courses I want…" I hum, then I glance at Alissa. I need her help.

    "Can we speak in private?" Alissa politely requests. I'm glad she's always so reliable.

    Mathias happily leaves the room, and we begin discussing my skills.

    Mages generally specialize in one or two magic schools, and since the number of skills they can reasonably get is based on their level, they balance access to the more impactful, higher level spells they can get from specialization, with the versatility of the lower level spells they can get from learning multiple schools at a low level.

    The problem with high-level spells is that they need a good amount of "Magic Power" for them to be effective, or a considerable level of [Mana Control] so that they can pack more power into it at the cost of MP.

    Unfortunately, I have neither MP nor MPower to go for this strategy, so the only choice left is choosing multiple schools based on the utility of their low-level spells. Considering how my power allows me to instantly cast any spell, having a wide enough repertoire of spells for every situation seems like the best way to utilize this cheat.

    But I can also increase the performance of this strategy further by using mana-enhancing skills. [Mana Control] is useless since I don't plan on increasing or decreasing the power of spells; I can put some points in [Mana Recovery] in between battles, so that's also useless to learn; [Mana Efficiency] is for channeled spells, like [Firestorm], or for long-lasting spells, like [Entangling Vines] and [Fire Wall], but I don't really need longer duration; and that leaves [Reduced Mana Cost], which affects the initial cast cost, and that's exactly where most of my mana goes to whenever I cast a spell.

    With this, it becomes easy to decide the best schools for me.

    "I want to enter a beginners course in [Reduced Mana Cost], Space, Blessing, Electricity, Light, and Nature," I request to Mathias.

    "Beginners?" He hums confusedly and lifts his eyebrows in surprise.

    "Most of my magic is self-taught, so I want to learn from the basics and solidify my foundation."

    He nods in understanding, making his round face jiggle a bit. "Oh, I see. Well, your attitude is commendable," he kindly affirms, but then his expression becomes serious. "Also, let me tell you that you can only learn the [Gate] spell from the [Space Magic] school if you want to become a certified 'Portal Master.' In the whole empire, the use of this spell is heavily regulated."

    "I see… I'll keep that in mind," I soberly reply.

    I still want to learn that magic school, and I can just remove my points in [Space Magic] if I come close to learning [Gate].

    Then he cautions me, "Also, that's quite a lot of classes. We recommend a maximum of five classes since we work with half-cycle teaching."

    "What do you mean by 'half-cycle teaching'?"

    "You have a different class each day, and after a half-cycle, you repeat your classes. After a day-cycle, you get a half-cycle without classes where you're supposed to deepen the knowledge of what was taught or to simply rest. The professors are all available for consultation during the rest days."

    I just need to remove one class, then. Though [Heal] is very useful, it's still expensive mana-wise for me, and the lower level spells aren't as useful as the ones of other schools.

    "Then I'll remove [Light Magic] from my list. How long do these courses last?"

    "Three months. The next course is to start in two day-cycles, but you could get some pointers from the teachers and start pre-studying until then."

    I hum in agreement. "That's fine by me, but what will be the price?"

    He smiles, a bit of greed tainting his expression, and starts writing down some notes while he happily deliberates, "With your Blessing, a full half-cycle of studying will cost two gold per three day-cycles, or rather, two gold per month. If you can show us the [Redirect Mana] skill, we'll lower it to two gold per four day-cycles. If you join right now, then in two days we'll have a small office ready for you so you can begin your research. The office is free for those with the Blessing, and the gold cost will only start counting once you start your lessons." Then he finishes and daintily rests his hands on his desk.

    Spicy, but we can afford my studies.

    "I accept these terms," I confirm.

    Mathias takes us to the treasury where I make the payment for the full course, and if I get the discount, part of the money will be returned.

    By the time my office will be ready, the archivist should have already finished my query, so I should be able to start working on [Golemancy] then.

    Today is the 10th of the 6th month of the year, and my classes will start next month, so we have twenty days to rest until then.



    We leave by 4 PM, and Alissa takes me home.

    When we arrive, Roxanne tells us that Hana has been diligently sweeping the entire house, and the fiery woman's bountiful chest visibly grows as she fills it with pride.

    Alissa offers to share the work, and Hana obviously accepts, then the two begin a casual talk as they sweep.

    Since everyone is working, I decide to start studying [Redirect Mana] now.

    I want to understand how I created this skill, so I have to mimic the conditions from that time. I couldn't see, I couldn't feel my body, and I decided to shut down my hearing, so I go to the bedroom, lay down on the bed, and meditate.

    But this is still far from enough. I was in a life-or-death situation, so I can't hold back on my efforts.

    I had used [Sense Mana] to locate a powerful stream of mana, then I wished really hard for it to come to me, but not a single particle of mana even twitched until later. The first feeling I had was a "stirring" within my mind, and as the feeling grew stronger, some sort of "resistance" pushed back, but then I managed to overcome it and felt my forehead start to "balloon" towards the mana stream, yet my body didn't move, and neither did my head physically inflate, so it was something else.

    What about my soul…?

    Since [Sense Presence] doesn't work on yourself, maybe I should recruit Alissa's help, but first, I need to properly grasp how that "inflation" works.

    Now that I think about it, the initial "stirring" feels awfully similar to the "scratching" that I need to do to instant-cast a spell. The "itches" that I need to scratch to cast also seem to have a specific position within my mind, so I choose the two furthest spells and try to scratch them without actually casting while I pay close attention to my internal feelings.

    After a few tests, I'm left with no doubt that there's a goddamn "cursor" in my mind that I use to press "buttons" which activate my instant-cast spell cheat. Thinking back on what I did to create [Redirect Mana], I must've pushed this "cursor" out of my body, and it allowed me to forcefully absorb mana, somehow.

    I focus on manipulating the cursor, but it's very difficult and tiring. It's a muscle I've never used before, like trying to raise an individual eyebrow. I know it's there, I can feel it now, but my brain seemingly doesn't have the correct synapses to properly control it, so it's sluggish and awkward.

    Eventually, it becomes so tiring that I have to stop, so I open my eyes and notice an hour has already passed.

    That didn't really feel like an hour.

    I guess I succeeded in shutting down some of my senses, like the sense of time. Maybe meditation has more mysteries and powers than I'd previously thought. I'll try to focus on killing my senses for now.



    A low, sensuous voice suddenly tickles my right ear, "Master, the bath is ready."

    I jump and grunt as I open my eyes, "Wh-what…?!" Then I notice Hana's amused face centimeters from mine and finally process what she said. "Oh, right. I guess I lost track of time again."

    She straightens up and raises a red eyebrow at me. "What were you doing, Master?"

    I feel my cheeks burn, but I still calmly answer, "Meditating and trying to kill my senses. There's a skill I want to train that needs it."

    "Ooh, sounds interesting," she warmly replies.

    I just chuckle, and we leave.



    Alissa is waiting for us inside the bath room, ready to wash our bodies.

    It's kind of fun taking a bath together because Hana makes things more lively, but I'm way too tired for anything sexual.

    Then Hana starts unashamedly fondling Alissa's breasts while washing her, and the cute fox girl acts scared at first, but she quickly gets used to it, though she remains a bit embarrassed by the intimate touch. I'm a bit of a pervert, so it excites me to think of Hana and Alissa together.

    So much that my dick hardens, and Hana instantly notices it.

    The majestic woman grins as she watches my cock twitch in excitement, then she gives Alissa's cute breasts a nice squeeze as she affirms, "I totally understand why you like our breasts so much, Master. While mine are firm and elastic, hers are so much softer and conform better to the shape of the hand."

    Her strong hands are deliberately avoiding stimulating Alissa's nipples, making me wish real hard to order her to pinch those alluring, pink, pointy bits.

    "I-i-is t-tha-that so?" The fox girl stutters as her breath rapidly quickens.

    "Alissa, if you don't like it, you can say it, do you understand?" I soberly instruct her. I'm not letting my lesbianism fetish override my morals.

    But Alissa reassures me, "I-i-it's o-ok-okay, m-master, i-it f-feels good." Then she makes to grab my hand, but actually grips my cock, instead.

    Oh, boy.

    The mind is willing, but the body is tired and bruised. Alissa starts to stroke me, but even with this erotic sight, my balls still hurt from the savage fucking I had with Hana, though I endure for now.

    I breathe in deeply to rebuild my composure and continue, "In any case, if you want it, it seems like Hana would be happy to comfort you."

    Alissa's stroking increases in intensity, but then she starts blabbering, "W-wha tha-n-w-u-as…"

    It seems that her mind broke.

    Fuck, I'm close…

    I feel my energy draining away, but I soldier on. "Alright… Hana, let's not push Alissa too much… That's enough for today."

    The molester pouts and moans, "Awn… her breasts actually feel really nice to play with."

    Then she releases the trembling fox girl, who also releases me, but now there's an erect cock freely dangling in front of a predator, so Hana immediately lowers her head and starts sucking me off.

    Fuuck…

    I quickly cum in her mouth, and then I push her head away before she starts draining my HP. She smirks as she swallows my small load, and her eyes tell me she'd seriously suck me dry if I let her.

    Alissa is a lot weaker in the legs than I am, so I grab her with a sigh and carry her into the bath.

    Hugging her tight in the warm water seems to calm her down quite quickly, then Hana comes in and hugs me from behind, creating a spooning train. It's actually quite comfortable because Hana's breasts are as good as pillows.

    This is Heaven.

    After a good soak, we get out and prepare dinner.



    Hana is a master of the knife, and she chops faster than a chef, which is a scary sight to behold. She doesn't know any recipes, though… or how to season, or any cooking techniques, actually, but she's a pretty good helper.

    We make orc meat dumplings seasoned with a faintly sweet and spicy root that I shall henceforth call "not-ginger." It tastes pretty good, and it'd feel right at home in an oriental restaurant.

    "Master, may I ask you a question?" Hana politely inquires.

    I casually answer, "Sure, you can always ask anything, and I'll judge if it's possible for me to answer."

    She nods obediently. "Understood. Well, I was wondering, are you a noble?"

    And I give her a confused look. "Why do you ask that?"

    Roxanne and Alissa remain silent because they seem very interested in hearing my answer.

    Hana's emerald cheek scales twitch as she thinks, then she hesitantly explains, "Well… you're smarter than the average adventurer, you have quite a bit of knowledge no commoner has, you have skills no commoner or adventurer normally has, you lack skills that commoners or adventurers should have, you speak too perfectly, and finally, you don't seem to mind that everyone calls you by your last name."

    Oh, wow. Busted.

    I awkwardly look away for a moment as I try to come up with an excuse, "Well… no, I'm not a noble. I'm just special, I guess. But only nobles have last names?"

    "A lot of people have a last name, but only nobles or rich families care about them."

    I shrug. "Oh, well. Since I didn't know this tradition, I always gave my full name, then everyone started calling me 'Mr. Ryder,' and I just went with it. Do you all have last names?" I shyly look at the three girls.

    Roxanne is the first to chime in, quite eager to explain, "In the demon race, everyone's last name is their race, so, while mine is technically 'Maneedeev,' which means 'succubus' in the [Southern Maokai Language], everyone just writes the translation in Andraste."

    "Why don't you have family names?" I ask confusedly.

    "Only important families are allowed to have one, and they're treated like the nobles from around here."

    That's quite peculiar.

    Then we turn to Alissa, and she stoically shares, "I had a last name, but I've known I was going to be a slave since I was a child, so you could say I never had it for long."

    I'll give you mine, then.

    Hana hums in agreement, "Same. I had one but abandoned it when I turned into a slave."

    I'm feeling quite curious about this topic, so I ask, "Are there other races that use last names like the demons?"

    "People in villages and small towns don't use last names, as far as I know," Alissa shares.

    And Hana asserts, "I don't know what the beastfolk do, but I think that most of the human, dwarven, and elven large towns require everyone to have a last name. Though, if you aren't a noble or a rich merchant, there's really no reason to ever say it. That's why I thought you were a noble."

    She seems well-traveled.

    I conclude, "Then maybe I should ask people to call me by my first name, I don't want to be confused with a noble."

    Roxanne indifferently chimes in, "I think things are fine the way they are now. You're already famous, and now you have a Blessing, so people will definitely respect you a lot more if you have them call you by your last name."

    I sigh and accept, but then I retort, "Well, at least you could call me by my first name since I do the same to you."

    She smiles sweetly and readjusts her oval glasses. "Is that fine?"

    I nod and insist, "We're companions now, it's fine."

    Her smile widens and she offers me her pale, delicate hand for a shake. "Well then, Mr. Wolf. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

    But I shake my head. "No need for 'Mr.'"

    "Alriii~ght." She pulls back her hand and clears her throat. "Well then, Wolf. It's a pleasure to meet you!" Then she offers it again and shows me a surprisingly charming smile.

    I swallow heavily and take it. "Uh… yes, it's a pleasure to meet you too, Roxanne." And I'm briefly mesmerized by her beauty. Because of the way she behaves I sometimes forget she has the body and face of a supermodel.

    I release her soft hand, then she turns to my slaves and cheerily adds, "Oh, you two can also just call me Roxanne, then. No need for 'Miss' anymore."

    "T-that's a bit much," Alissa stiffly replies then looks down meekly, but her tail starts wagging slowly.

    While Hana just shrugs and hums, "If that's a request that comes from her, then..."

    "Fine..." Alissa relents.

    I like this. I still think that Alissa is far too submissive, so I want her to be a bit more selfish.

    After dinner, we move to the living room to spend our evening. Alissa reads her book while I cuddle with Hana as I practice my [Mana Control], and her strong hands are so good at massaging my scalp that she brings me bliss.

    Once it starts to get late, the three of us go to sleep in the same bed. Good thing it's ridiculously large. Otherwise, Hana wouldn't fit.



    Today is the 11th.

    I wake up in heaven with breasts on my front and back, and I thank the Gods that we all sleep naked. It's warm, but it's worth the slight inconvenience.

    I get a gentle wake-up kiss from Alissa, and a stimulating storm from Hana. They feel so good that I start to feel peckish, so once we're all awake, I eat Alissa up since I didn't do it with her yesterday, and Hana leaves to prepare breakfast.

    The obedient dragonkin prepares everything herself, and when I finish Alissa, all we have to do is fry the dumplings and season the salad. Minced orc meat dumplings, bean soup, vegetables, and not-corn crumbs. A weird combination, making me think that we need more ingredients.

    Alissa will buy food while Hana and I go to the hunters' guild to register her and buy her equipment. Our destinations are close, so Roxanne lends Hana the flying carpet while I ride Alissa.

    Roxanne remarks that there are actually safer versions of personal flying vehicles, but she got the smallest and simplest one so that it could fit in her [Item Box]. Having something better than a suicide carpet will do us some good, so I guess I'll look for one that fits all of us after the auction if we have money left.



    Outside of adventuring, I want my women to wear their best clothing, so this time, Hana puts on one of her straight black dresses and simple sandals, but once we enter the guild, I kind of regret this decision.

    Well, at least the eyes aren't on me this time… Eh, fuck it, Hana is too majestic to not show off, so I'll proudly walk beside her.

    We quickly register her with the guild, but then I get an idea, and Hana responds with a menacing smile after I whisper it to her.

    We go to the training grounds, and she uses the small booth inside the warehouse to change to workout clothes.

    "Hello, teacher," I calmly greet Toga.

    "Hello, Mr. Slayer," he coolly replies. His gaze is as stern as always, but I see a hint of a smile.

    Then I gently grab Hana's hand. "This is Hana, my newest Blood Slave. Would you like to spar with her? I want to see her fight."

    He slowly turns his eyes towards her, and his subtle smile greatly widens. Hana takes his intense stare head on and grins fearsomely, challenging him with just her yellow eyes.

    "Sure," he hums, a dangerous edge in his tone. "You warm up first, then we'll have our 'spar.'"

    News spread like wildfire, and a small crowd quickly forms while they prepare

    Toga is a man of average height, but he looks small near Hana, making it seem like it's a David versus Goliath scenario.

    Toga picks a wooden longsword while Hana picks a bastard wooden sword and a kite shield. Her sword is at a length between a short and a longsword, trading reach for the ability to use a shield because it's really hard to use a longsword with only one hand.

    Then they assume combat positions, and their menacing gazes towards each other makes me sweat cold even though I'm just watching.

    Do they both have [Intimidate]? Is this the result of the skill?

    Toga strikes first. He goes hard, attacking repeatedly and immediately putting Hana on the backfoot. Their battle is so fierce that the sounds of their clashing fill the entire training grounds, attracting even more curious onlookers.

    Hana is a defensive fighter, so for her, it's just another day's work, and she blocks and parries repeatedly, waiting for the perfect moment.

    She suddenly deflects and counters, pushing Toga back.

    The experienced instructor effortlessly switches gears and fights defensively, seemingly not even feeling the pressure from Hana as he parries and dodges until he gets his chance and counters. This time, Hana has to work hard to dodge.

    Wooden weapons don't have an edge, and swords are used mostly with slicing rather than chopping motions, but even then getting hit hurts, and the vibrant red welts start to appear.

    A rhythm between attacking and defending starts to become clear, and Toga is the one setting pace of the song.

    Suddenly, their swords lock, and they both take the challenge, ignoring that they're in a battle just to have a small strength contest. They grit their teeth and push as they grunt and stare fiercely at each other, trying to overwhelm their opponent with both glare and muscle.

    Hana grins ferociously, greatly enjoying this situation, and seeing her like this with another man makes me anxious.

    This isn't cheating, right? This doesn't count as cheating, right?! Right…?!

    I, uh… I want her to look at me like this…

    Then they suddenly break the lock and resume their fight.

    Toga sweeps her leg, and she almost loses her balance. As a first, Hana is required to use both her sword and shield defensively in desperation as he begins to consistently find ways to sneak his blade past her guard.

    He uses a combination of quick and precise strikes, leg sweeps, and shield kicking to keep her off balance and clearly take the upper hand in the fight. He's expertly using all of his tools, and he even tries to audaciously grab her shield.

    Hana gets angry and starts bashing back, and the sounds of battle get even higher as her shield clashes with his sword. Then he takes a bash with his arm that pushes him back, but his posture is broken.

    This is it!

    With a movement that defies human speed, Toga dodges her strike and counters. His legs blur as he jumps, no, flies upwards, then his sword goes down on Hana's shoulder, and the flimsy sparring weapon breaks in half.

    The sudden development interrupts the spell cast on us, and the observers scream and cheer while I regret my idea and rush over Hana.

    She kneels and grips her shoulder while grimacing in pain, but once I inspect it I notice that… it's fine?

    "What are you made of? This should've broken a bone and you are just bruised!?" I exclaim, stupefied.

    She snorts defiantly, then grumbles between breaths, "I'm a dragonkin… Master… I hardened my skin… but if the sword was sharp… I'd be dead…"

    I put points into [Light Magic] and use [Heal] on her, but the spell bites a big chunk out of my MP as it's still very mana inefficient for me.

    Her grimace clears, then she stares curiously at the red welt as she hums, "Thanks… it doesn't hurt anymore, Master."

    "You got a proper shield this time, Mr. Ryder..." Toga calmly remarks. He's sweating, but he's not even out of breath. "Now you won't die if you meet something worse than that Symbol."

    Then Hana gives me a proud smirk that makes me a bit shy.

    "Heh… I guess so," I whisper warmly, embarrassed by her intensity.

    It makes me proud to see her being praised by Toga, but I'm still a bit jealous of how she glared at him.

    Once she's fully healed, a bunch of students come to try to spar with Hana, but we have other business to finish, so I accompany her to the warehouse's little bath so that she may wash her body.

    The way everyone was looking at her makes my spidey senses tingle, so I put on [Sense Presence] and detect two young men sneaking close to the warehouse. I won't let anyone spy on her, so I throw some scalding water over the high window.

    "FUCK!" I hear them whine as they run away.

    Now that she's back on her glorious dress, we go buy her equipment.



    There are a few things we have to be mindful of when buying heavy armor for an adventurer. Those things are defense, weight, mobility, price, maintenance, and convenience in more or less that order of importance.

    Plate armor would offer the best protection, especially against attacks like fire breath, but it reduces mobility because it's too heavy for Hana to use her dragon wings while wearing it. It also has an exorbitant cost as metal is seemingly quite an expensive material, and it requires specialized maintenance, which we don't have. Some adventurer groups employ a personal armorer for things like this, but we're still not at that level.

    Leather armor offers okay protection, and it's good enough to save your life against most monsters, like how my Grey Berserker armor was probably the difference between life and death for me, but it's disposable as it's not possible to "reforge" leather once it's been cut or torn. Mobility depends on whether it's hard or soft leather, but in general, it's still the best. The price is also very affordable since it's made from the hordes of monsters that are killed every day. Maintenance is cheap, but once again, it's disposable. It's also very convenient to have because it's much easier to sleep in than with other types of armor.

    I buy a Young Ogre set of armor for Hana to sleep in.

    Chain armor offers very good protection against slash but you need proper padding to stop pierce and blunt damage. Mobility is similar to soft leather, but it's more expensive. It requires specialized maintenance, but it's still easier to do than plate. It's kind of comfortable to sleep in, but it's rather noisy, so no sneaking.

    Scale armor is very similar to plate, but its advantage is its higher resistance to magic. It's more expensive than chain, but very popular among adventurers since it's cheap and easy to do maintenance on.

    Brigandine is in between (padded) chain and plate in all accounts, so it's a clear step up unless you require something specific from the other types of armor.

    Metal armor is overall just better made as it's more standardized and well-researched, but it's considerably more expensive since monster parts are overflowing all over the town, making scale and leather cheaper.

    Padding is also another concern as it's required in all types of armor to defend against blunt attacks, but there's a big difference in price between good and bad padding. The lack of space for wool and fiber crops is the main driver for its high price as there are actually few monsters that produce good padding.

    For now, we reserve a steel-lined brigandine with tassets, a hauberk with okay padding for the arms and thighs that will be used below the brigandine, schynbalds, metal vambraces, and a padded chain coif.

    As a tank, she needs good peripheral vision to keep an eye on everyone, so she doesn't like to use helmets since it reduces her vision, and the coif will ruin her hair, but we still get a padded one that I'll force her to use if she refuses.

    With this, she has perfect protection against slash, but protection against blunt is limited, so she'll have to rely on the shield, which we'll buy only after the auction.

    I wanted to get her scale armor, but I think that even with the auction money it'll be too expensive for now, so perhaps in the future I'll get it as an upgrade.

    I want the best armor for her since she's certainly gonna use her body as a shield if necessary, but I'll have to hold it for now.

    I also want to get her a longbow since she has a few skill points in [Bow Use], and the brigandine offers enough mobility to use it without a problem.

    And finally, we get her a plain iron bastard sword, a large kite shield, and a simple wooden spear with a metal tip. Later on, when we have the auction money, we'll upgrade her sword to an emerald fang and give the shield emerald scales… and I'm choosing these scales because it makes maintenance easier for all of us, not just because the color will go well with her scales.
     
    Last edited: Feb 1, 2022
  14. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

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    We reunite with Alissa then go back home to have a proper meal for lunch, orc meatball pasta with an oniony, creamy, white sauce. Alissa bought fruit, too, so we have not-strawberry juice and some wine that Roxanne asked for.

    After we eat, I hang on the wall a small clock I bought on the way home, and now everyone can look at the time, but I still want to give a pocket watch to everyone one day.

    Then I go back to studying [Redirect Mana], Alissa installs an archery target in the backyard for practice, Hana does physical training… and Roxanne returns to her room once again. I'm starting to get worried that the alchemy nerd only leaves her room to eat and take a bath.

    Anyway, I return to my bedroom and start moving my "mind's cursor." I feel like there's something more to it than just "move," and "push button," as if it was more like an internal limb than just a cursor.

    I don't make any significant progress with new "gestures," so I focus back on trying to find the border of this "inner mind" space, but after an eternity pushing the cursor away from my "buttons" in search of the border, I start to get the feeling that there's something missing. When I was half-dead, I was starving for MP and trying to forcefully absorb a mana stream nearby, so maybe I have to recreate these conditions.

    I waste all my MP by casting and dispelling [Wind Armor] on myself repeatedly, then I go back to meditating once most of my MP is gone, and I instantly feel a stark difference. My "mind's cursor" feels more like a mouth now, and it's thirsty for mana, so thirsty that the stray particles of mana released when I cast [Wind Armor] now feel… delicious.

    This is it!

    I focus on the thirst because I know this is the secret to [Redirect Mana], so I need to grasp this feeling as best as I can.

    I want mana, I need mana, but I can't reach the particles.

    Then my "mind's mouth" starts moving on its own, and after just a few seconds, it reaches the "barrier," the "edge" of my mind's space that prevents it from moving further.

    I need it… I need it. I need it! I NEED IT!

    The barrier starts to "stretch" as my "mind's mouth/cursor" pushes out of my body, giving me that familiar but still very odd sensation as my body "expands," ballooning out of control towards the streams of mana while at the same time I feel like I haven't moved at all.

    As my soul expands, I envelop the streams of mana around me, allowing me to feel their "taste" so much more clearly than before. Then I feel a weird tasting stream coming out of the wall. I can't explain what exactly it tastes like yet, but I know it's "weird."

    From the direction it's coming from, it's likely that its source is Roxanne's room, so I expand in that direction, but when I touch the wall, it blocks my advance.

    I stop to inspect what's going on, and another weird sensation strikes me. I can feel the air, almost as if I can control it, like it's a part of me even though I have no actual control over it, but this doesn't happen when I touch the wall, it… "refuses" me.

    Is it because the wall is solid?

    Air is just atoms floating around and colliding with one another while solid matter is a group of atoms bonded together, so this means that it's probably the bonds that impede me from getting through. I don't get why, though. It's not like my "expansion" is actually physical…

    "Master?" Alissa's sweet whispery voice tickles my ears.

    I open my eyes in surprise and smile at her as I hum, "Oh? What is it?"

    "The sun is setting, and Roxanne got the bath ready for us."

    Wow, I've completely lost track of time again…

    Then she becomes adorably shy as she boldly asks, "What is that thing you were doing? I felt your soul acting 'strange.'"

    But I'm overtaken by my scholarly curiosity. "Does [Sense Presence] detect someone's soul?"

    She nods diligently. "Body and soul, but since the soul is always hiding within the body, I rarely see someone's soul."

    I rub my chin in wonder, glad that Alissa helped me confirm one of my doubts. "Hm~… Well, to answer your question, I was using [Redirect Mana], and the skill allows me to 'move' my soul, somehow."

    But she only shows me a concerned frown. "Be careful, our souls are very vulnerable."

    I guiltily look away. "I'll keep that in mind…"



    This time, our bath has no groping of Alissa. I'm also saving myself for tonight because I want to use the special clothes Alissa got for Hana.

    Dinner is an orc meat pie and roasted vegetables. Orc is a staple here as it's fairly tasty and common enough that the price is always low.

    And then we do a bit of cuddling after dinner. I use Hana's breasts as pillows, and Alissa lays down on my lap while she reads, the sweet smell of their perfumes filling my nostrils with their intoxicating aromas. A heavenly moment.

    But after that, it's finally time for some fun.

    I lay down on the bed and cover my eyes while they change, but the wait is short.

    "Open your eyes, Master," Alissa coyly requests.

    A draconic succubus (but not an actual succubus-type demon) and a foxy angel (but not an actual angel-type demon), both of them staring at me with hunger. The sight arouses me so much that I freeze, overwhelmed with the desire to fuck.

    But the two waste not a moment before crowding around me.

    Black gloves caress my chest, white gloves pull down my pants, two mounds covered in thin silk bounce in front of me, a fearsome smile that makes me feel like prey, and a delicate pair of hands that grip my dick. These women are going to use me as they please, so I change my skills into what I call the "Sex Maniac" build.

    Alissa takes my cock deep into her mouth, smiling with delight as the little fox shows her naughty side, then her head goes up and down with incredible smoothness, her cute ears bobbing along with her movements.

    But my view is obscured as two, thick, tanned thighs clothed in a delicate black cloth that wrap around my head, then Hana's womanly lower lips press against my mouth, so I mentally say my thanks for the meal and immediately open my mouth to eat her out. The view of her tight, lewd, and sensuous body is amazing from this angle… any angle, really, but there's something special about a powerful and fiery woman caressing your head as she looks down at you with misty eyes while you eat her pussy.

    I savor her moist lips by rubbing my tongue along their length with all of the strength that I can muster, earning a sensuous moan as a reward while Alissa chokes on my cock. I also give those long and neat lips a good bite here and there for a change, and Hana enjoys that very much as her moans of delight grow higher than the grunts of pain due to [Pain Conversion].

    Her strong scent is so enticing that I start to lose myself in my pussy eating, and Alissa's blowjob skills are so stellar that I start to enter a state of bliss, but then she suddenly stops using her mouth, and I recognize the feeling of my cock piercing her pussy, pushing me closer to heaven. I instinctively move my hips to match her slow rocking, and I also use my hands to pinch and rub her sensitive nipples just the way I know she likes.

    But even with [Enhanced Sexual Stamina], I still feel it coming quite quickly, so I manage to free myself from Hana's pussy to tell Alissa, who unmounts me and swallows my cock whole just in time to receive my load down her throat.

    One done, another to go.

    "Time to switch," I order with a grin.

    Hana raises her red eyebrows high and matches my expression. "You still want more?"

    "No way I'm not fucking you tonight," I growl seductively. They're both so sexy that my cock gets hard again in an instant, so I better make use of it.

    She subtly licks her lips as her breath gradually becomes faster with excitement, then she unmounts my face and (as gently as she can) pushes Alissa out of the way so that she can slam her hips down on my cock.

    I grunt at her roughness, but I endure it because I won't let a little discomfort ruin my image as the Master. And now that Alissa has nothing to do, I motion for her to come to me. She doesn't immediately catch on to my meaning, but once she does, she gives me a shy but also quite excited smile.

    The cute little fox dressed up in white, frilly lingerie gingerly crawls up on my body, then she rests her hips on my chest, giving me a close view of her very much moist cunt.

    She gently grabs my head with her gloved hands and pushes me towards her pussy while moving her hips closer, so I eagerly begin my second meal while Hana destroys my hips.

    I'm confident I have enough remaining tongue strength to make Alissa cum. She's not the kind that specifically likes being rough and energetic so I can take my time, gently playing with her sensitive bits as her moans gradually grow louder and louder.

    But Hana makes my goal just a little bit harder with her astounding leg power. The bed creaks with each of her powerful hip slams, and even Alissa looks back in surprise. Hana's thick thighs move with bold determination, their glorious form caressed by a delicate black cloth, making her look like she's sculpted as the image of a goddess. Her body is just perfection.

    Her mane-like hair waves as she vigorously fucks my cock and tries to kill me with sex, showcasing the awe-inspiring power of a dragon woman. Then she even squeezes her insides and tries to wring out my cum, but that's not enough to finish me, so she grabs my waist to gain even more power and speed with her slams.

    "Y-you will hurt master," Alissa cautions her, looking amazed and worried at the same time.

    "I can… handle it..." I assure her through gritted teeth.

    It hurts a bit, but there's no way my pride will let me admit it. I've tamed this dragon lady, so a little bit of pain is on par with the duty to satisfy this monster. No, "monster" is too rude. She's a goddess, my goddess. And I'll pinch those divine dark nipples to assert dominance!

    I do my best to not get sloppy on my eating of Alissa's pussy, and I feel her legs begin to quiver from my tongue work, but then I notice that she turns her head around to stare at Hana, and she slowly starts to tilt her hips back and forth to increase the speed that my tongue rubs against her lips. From the lewd, spellbound look that appears on her face, I believe that something is awakening within her.

    The rocking increases in intensity until her body suddenly freezes, then she starts convulsing as an orgasm strikes her, and I feel her insides squeeze my tongue in sync with her spasm.

    She suddenly lurches forward, her eyes open wide and her jaw slack, and she stares at me as I continue to eat her out. Once the orgasm passes, she simply collapses to the side, dismounting my face, and I feel sad that her angelic, white, athletic thighs aren't squishing my head anymore, but then she snuggles up to my side and continues fingering herself while staring at the fiery dragon… or rather, at my cock piercing her.

    My hands tire out from playing with Hana's nipples, so I move them down and grip her muscular thighs. I put my nails into them for better grip and match Hana's rhythm, and smacking sounds grow even louder, but then I start to get angry.

    You won't finish me, woman; you're mine. I will finish you.

    I push her off of me, then I turn her around and do her from behind. I put into my thrusts all my strength, speed, and stamina just to destroy her pussy. I put her on a chokehold and force her to bend her back to make her ass stand out. I feel her insides squeeze me, but the fucking is so wild that I don't even know if she's cumming or not, but I don't care if she is, I just want to destroy her insides.

    I. Will. Fucking. Destroy. You.

    The white not-angel and the black not-succubus, my two divine beauties. I want to have a painting of me fucking both of them, but then I'll kill the painter so that their lewd states are known only to me. Those two are mine, and right now, I'm reinforcing the fiery succubus' place as under me.

    FUUUUUCK!

    I thrust like it's the last fuck of my life, but then I start to feel my strength leave my body, so I take out skills, and I suddenly feel it coming harder than I ever came before.

    The speechless Alissa, the white, foxy angel, furiously fingering herself to our primal fucking. The tamed, draconic succubus, who's so abused she has stopped begging for more. What is more erotic than this sight?

    "RAAAAH!" I roar as I pull out, then I cum all over her tanned, muscular back, and also the sheets, and even Alissa. Cum, cum everywhere.

    My legs and balls convulse as I achieve true bliss, but then I suddenly feel like I've woken up, and the post-massive-nut clarity brings me into an ascended state of hyper-awareness, allowing for the Master persona to assume direct control.

    "Clean this," I huskily order Alissa.

    Still expressionless, she obeys me and slowly licks Hana's sweaty back, scooping up each of the many drops of cum on the lightly tanned skin, then diligently swallowing them. I get hard again at the sight, but I patiently wait until she's done, then I grab her face and use her mouth as a cock sleeve. She's such a good cocksucker that I end up quickly cumming one last time down her throat.

    But when I lay back down on the bed, a sharp pain hits both my balls and dick with such force I fear I might've broken something, but it quickly passes away, leaving me quite confused.

    I guess I overdid it.

    I sigh and properly lay my head on the comfy pillows so that I can stare at my handiwork. "I'm surprised I still have my Blessing after doing things like this to both of you," I wryly remark.

    Alissa [Clean]s her mouth and crawls up to me with a confused look. "What do you mean, Master? You might actually receive a blessing from the Goddess of Love if you keep ravaging us like this," she replies with such pure honesty it hurts. If the Goddess of Love is like that, then count me in as a pious follower.

    This fucking world… or rather, this world is about fucking.

    Hana stirs and turns around. "Master… can you heal me up? My back hurts," she casually requests.

    I nod and give her a hand. "Sure." But Alissa's worried look reminds me that I didn't explain everything to her, "Ah, Alissa, Hana has a skill that allows her to turn pain into pleasure, so that's why I'm rougher with her."

    "Rougher…?" Alissa repeats with a conflicted tone, then she stares at me intensely. "Master, I thought you gave me your all when I had worn these clothes for the first time."

    I share a look with Hana, and she struggles to hold back a chuckle. "Well… uh… I kind of… go easier on you since I know you're more sensitive," I try to delicately tell the truth.

    "Oh..." She moans as her ears go flat, looking quite dejected.

    With my heartstrings pulled, I rush to appease her, "P-please don't look at it like this. I don't want to do it roughly all the time, and you've pleased me greatly."

    And Hana finds it in her to help me out, "Even I would die if he did it like this every day. My pussy will still be sore tomorrow." Then she gives Alissa's shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

    "I-I see… I'm happy to hear this," my dear fox shyly hums with a smile, and her tail starts slowly wagging again.

    Crisis averted.

    I give Hana a brief thankful look, then I happily move the conversation on, "Now, the Clothes of the Berserker are a bit too stimulating, so let's leave them for special days. I think I'll also be sore by tomorrow, so let's take it easy."

    "The wha-... never mind," Alissa stops herself then shakes her head while smiling wryly. "Master, didn't the priest tell you to rest from physical activity for a day-cycle?"

    I awkwardly laugh while I look away. "Hahahah… I'll apologize or whatever, but no way I'm abstaining from sex. You two are far too delicious to leave unfucked." Then I give her a suggestive look and she becomes a bit coy.

    Hana shrugs and chimes in, "Something tells me he'd go insane if he abstained for a cycle."

    That's a bit much, I'm not addicted… I'm not.

    "That sounds like a possibility," Alissa quietly agrees and avoids my inquiring gaze.

    Ah, whatever. I wasn't such a pervert on Earth, so it's this world's fault that I'm like this because of how thoroughly it screwed with my life. But I'll be damned if I won't enjoy it to the fullest until I die.

    I enter the acceptance stage as I casually reply, "Think it like this, I could die tomorrow, so I should just do what I want. This is one of the rules I live by."

    Alissa skeptically knits her pretty eyebrows. "Isn't the first rule 'don't die'?"

    But I just shrug. "Those rules concern decision-making, while living without regrets is a general life lesson. One is for future planning, the other is for present enjoyment."

    And her eyebrows unknit as she reflects. "I… kind of understand."

    Hana shrugs again and lays down beside me, then we cuddle for a bit to rest before we wash ourselves again.

    After that, I have another perfect night's sleep among naked goddesses.



    Today is the 12th.

    We break fast with some thick meaty sandwiches. I put in mine dried orc meat, Rabid Rabbit meat, and pickled vegetables, while I have some nice tea to wash it all down.

    Then I try to learn how to shave with a straight-edge razor, but Alissa and Hana have to help me out because I give myself enough cuts I need to use [Regeneration]. Luckily, my beard grows very slowly at this age.

    "Mom and I helped Dad shave once in a while…" Hana quietly comments with a wistful tone, so I give her hand a comforting kiss, and she cheers up again.

    I'm too tired to train, so I help clean the house, ignoring Alissa's protests. We also dismiss the maid now that Hana is going to help, and while [Clean] is useful, it isn't strong enough, so I quickly learn that heavy-duty cleaning is much harder here without all the chemicals we have on Earth.

    We send the casual clothing and rougher textiles to the nearby washer, and I notice that we seem to be going through the sheets quite quickly, for some reason. The washers have magic tools and a good variety of strong chemicals that help washing, so it's worth paying them to do it for us, but the sensitive clothing, like some of the more expensive underwear and dresses we bought, have to be washed by hand because the cleaning ladies charge too much for custom clothing.

    Hana is the one who volunteers to do most of the washing since her skin is tougher, so it won't be damaged as easily due to the chemicals, but I'll still cast [Regeneration] on her to not ruin the beauty of her feminine hands.

    Manual washing, sweeping the floor, cutting and preparing food, carrying loads, and etc., she really is the best for hard labor. Alissa has much softer, but also very dexterous, hands, so she does everything else Hana isn't as apt. She's the manager of the house and deals with the delicate things that would be better if Hana doesn't touch.

    I do my part and help, but it isn't much. My modern knowledge of cleaning isn't as useful in this world where things are either old school or solved by magic, though I do my best to learn how things are done.

    For lunch, Alissa blanches Dragolite meat. It removes a lot of the natural rosemary-like flavor it has, so it tastes much closer to actual chicken. We shred the meat then fry it in not-chicken dumplings, and all that's left is some Catupiry for it to be just like a Brazilian Coxinha.

    And once our bellies are filled, Alissa and Hana leave to retrieve my armor and scour the shops for a few more ingredients and tea. It warms my heart seeing them work together, and I have a very strong desire to see them kissing one day.

    I have no idea how to categorize my feelings for both of them, but I know they activate many of my fetishes pretty hard.



    I continue my [Redirect Mana] training while they're out. This time, my focus is on penetrating the wall, but while I quickly tire myself out, I make zero actual progress. It feels quite literally like banging my head against the wall, so I think I need a change of perspective.

    I focus on the air and how my soul expands through it by trying to move as slowly as I can while forcing myself to pay attention to as many details as possible. It's all just pure mental imaging, tho, so it's a bit hard to understand what's going on, but my senses don't lie, I hope.

    I feel… a breeze, the wind, the smells, even. It's… odd. I get the impression that all of the air that my soul is enveloping is inside my lungs, but I know it isn't.

    Then I have a familiar sensation. It's like when I cast [Entangling Vines], I have a faint "awareness" of where the spell is, and I can make the vines loosen or tighten their grip on my target with my will. But this isn't the only spell that acts like this, basically every spell is like that, it's just that it's easier to notice this "awareness" when the spell lasts long enough.

    Suddenly, an idea comes to me as I remember something, so I open my eyes and decide to try it out. I open up the window and cast [Entangling Vines] on the backyard, then I pay attention to the "awareness" that the vines give me. It's there, but what's more striking is that it reminds me of Roxanne's spells!

    I shift a few points around into [Earth Magic], then I press the [Earth Wall] button inside my mind and hold it. I feel a faint "awareness" form where I'm aiming, and it's very similar to what I sense when Roxanne points her staff and starts casting [Explosion]. It's almost like a red dot from a gun announcing that someone is aiming a spell somewhere.

    Once I release the button, a wall of dirt rises from nothing, then the "awareness" becomes clear as day. I own this wall, just like how I "own" the vines, and how Roxanne "owns" her spells, and it's this "ownership" that allows us to control them.

    I dispel the [Earth Wall], and the "awareness" fades, then the wall crumbles and gradually disappears into nothing again. This sensation is also exactly the same as when I dispel a summon.

    When I balloon my soul, I also get the sensation that I "own" the air inside it, so maybe the reason why I can't push into the wall is related to it.

    I return to the bed and focus again on how my soul expands through the air by moving my soul as slowly as I can.

    At first, I feel stupid for doing this, but then I start to notice that my "mental perception" of what's going on is becoming sharper, so I continue on this path for a long while, and I start to make out more details.

    The edge of my soul expansion isn't a straight or curved wall, it's a jagged or spiky edge made of hundreds of little cones that push it forward, dragging the rest of the soul with them. It's like there are uncountable little "cursors" pushing against the soul, giving it its pointy shape.

    But while this is interesting to look at, I see my goal in these cones. In one of them, specifically. I continue to focus on moving the slowest that I can, just now I also try to move a singular cone individually rather than all at the same time.

    My view perception continues to "zoom" in, impressing me with the amount of progress I'm making. Even though all I "see" is a blurry mental image, it's still impressive that I'm able to make out this amount of detail, unless it's my brain lying to me, but we'll soon find out the truth when I test this for real.

    The rest of the cones gradually disappear from my mind as I focus on an increasingly smaller number of them, then I notice something odd. It's like they're made of little pyramids of blocks, and they move by growing a new one at the tip, and then a cascade of blocks follow up, "growing" the pyramid further. It's a bit hypnotizing, and the usage of blocks gives me Minecraft déjà vus, but I don't waste too much time enjoying the view because I still have work to do.

    I return my focus to my whole soul, then I push it against the wall and reduce my control again to just a few "pyramids." If I can't push through the wall with all of the pyramids at once, then I'll try to pierce it with the smallest number that I can. A single pointy thing instead of a clumsy bundle of sticks.

    As the area that I control decreases in size, I feel the "resistance" of the wall change as it becomes more "rubbery." Then, suddenly, I push through.

    FUCKING FINALLY!

    I expand my soul into the other room through the small hole, and my "awareness" tells me that it's one of the empty rooms, but then I detect the stream of weird-tasting mana coming from the wall, and I push into the next room, then one more time, each attempt becoming easier than the one before, and I suddenly find myself "inside" Roxanne's room.

    This is the first time I "see" what's in her room. I sense her clothes spread on the floor, the multitude of glass flasks spread around the shelf, their unknown and very weird tasting contents, the smell of multiple unknown ingredients, the smoke that fills the air. The large amount of information is a bit dizzying, really.

    Then I finally sense her, working at a desk, holding a spoon in one hand and an ornate monocle against her eye with the other while staring at a beaker. She's working, and she's wearing only her panties.

    I'm not "seeing" her, I'm "sensing" her, feeling her, tasting her. I taste her cute, well-manicured feet; her soft thighs; her lacy, sexy panties; her shaved pussy; her flat belly; her tender, small breasts; her ghost nipples; her sensuous lips; her delicious tongue; her cute nose; her alluring eyes; her charming glasses; her silky black hair; her fine spiral horns; her thin and mischievous tail. It's so much information so fast that I feel dazed, and my cock hardens instantly.

    Then I regain my sanity and pull out.

    I slowly open my eyes and groan as I sit up, then I reflect on what I've done, but I barely have time to begin before I hear a knock on the door.

    "Hey, Wolf, did you do something? I felt some weird mana enter the room," Roxanne's casual and muffled voice comes out from the other side.

    FUCK, FUCK, FUCK. Now, what do I say?!

    I don't have a lie prepared, so I decide to tell the truth… only partially, "Ye-ye-yeah, I… am testing [Redirect Mana]. I saw… a lot of mana coming from your room… so I tried to redirect it, but I didn't think you'd be able to feel it."

    She coos amusedly, "Oh? It's that skill you used to get mana to heal me, right?"

    "Yeah, that's the one."

    "Hah. You have to tell me how it works some time. I felt a really nice tickle all over my body."

    No, no, no, no, and no. I'll take this secret to the grave.

    I immediately try to move on, "A-a-anyway, I don't know how it works fully yet, so I won't use it again on you."

    And her tone becomes a bit… intense. "Oh no, please do, it felt really good."

    I scream internally as my mind becomes overwhelmed with stimulation and greed, then I decide to take a risk and ask, "Is… that so? D-don't you think it's weird for me to make you feel like that?"

    She hums for a couple of seconds as she thinks, then she answers in her usual chipper tone, "Hmm~… if it's you, I don't care. Anyway, I'm going back to work."

    "Okay, work hard…" I flatly answer, feeling very overwhelmed, then I stare at my boner and frown.

    I don't really understand Roxanne, and I'm a bit scared of trying to find out, so I'll ignore this for now until my mind is in a better place.

    I could use this skill on Hana or Alissa, though… But I'm kind of playing with fire here. What will they say if they learn how I found out about this property of [Redirect Mana]?

    And the answer to that question scares me even more, so I just go back to meditation and focus on playing around with the mana streams. No more exploring for me today.



    I feel something warm wrap around half of my body, so I open my eyes and notice that Alissa has snuggled up on my side. I immediately give her head a pat, and I see her fluffy tail lazily wags.

    "How did it go?" I gently whisper.

    She closes her eyes and replies in kind, "We found a good charcuterie shop. Lots of good meat, so we filled half the ice box."

    I massage her ears, and she shivers from the stimulation.

    As I let my mind calm down from all the intense training, I remember that I have something important to talk to Alissa, so I calmly ask, "Tomorrow afternoon I'll go to the university, so, can you come and pick me up for dinner?"

    "Hm… can I stay with you there?" She bashfully responds.

    Oof, I knew it…

    I want her there, but she'll be bored, most likely. She also has other things she should do, like trying to be more selfish.

    I smile at her adorableness and soothe her, "No. I'd like it, but no. You and I need to learn how to be far apart from each other once in a while."

    She opens up her orange jewels and gives me puppy eyes that grip my heart. "I don't want to learn that."

    Okay, you are being more selfish, but that's not the way I wanted!

    I kiss her forehead and cry internally while I insist, "Neither do I… but we have to. Maybe if we had a way to communicate from long distances…"

    She promptly replies, "There are the Emergency Rings and Bound Lithographs."

    And I blink blankly. "What are these?"

    "Emergency Rings are a pair of rings with a small magic tool in them that you can use to send a signal to the other ring in case of an emergency, but their range isn't that great. Bound Lithographs allow you to make a small drawing that appears on the other lithograph and vice-versa, but they're very expensive."

    They sound so useful that I actually want one, so I immediately request, "Can you buy a pair of Emergency Rings for me? If we can have at least two different signals then it'd be perfect. Lithographs can be left for later since you said that they're expensive."

    "Okay…" She responds dispiritedly.

    What's up with you today?

    "Did something happen?" I soothingly ask and inch my face closer to her.

    She assumes a more impassive tone and replies, "Nothing happened, Master."

    But I knit my eyebrows in worry. "You're more… in low-spirits right now."

    She stays quiet for a moment and looks away, allowing me to notice a hint of tiredness and anxiety in her expression.

    "Say it," I command. I won't let her bottle up her problems.

    She presses her lips together in unease and hesitantly complies, "I just had a… thought. I… uh, I felt like I didn't want to fight again."

    I kindly reassure her, "That's normal. I think the same every day."

    She turns her eyes to me, and I see that they're full of conviction. "I trained my entire life to fight, I'm not supposed to think like this."

    I just sigh and slowly explain, "Even if you try as hard as you can to act like a tool, you'll never be perfect. You're still just a huma-… I mean, just a person, so it's okay to have some doubts."

    She looks away and stays silent for a long moment, but I don't know if she's reflecting or if she just doesn't want to talk about this anymore.

    I smile encouragingly and meme, "Don't believe in yourself. Believe in the me who believes in you."

    "What?" She hums and gives me a confused look.

    I laugh awkwardly and avoid her stare. "Hahahah… it's just another reference to my homeland."

    "I… think I get it." But her tone isn't very convincing.

    I grab her hand and rebuild my confident smile. "How about this, you don't have to reason everything, just accept it."

    She chuckles softly and gives me a sweet smile, then she buries her head on my chest, and I notice that her fluffy tail is starting to wag.

    This fucking world… You're still just a teenager, and you're already being forced to think about serious things like this. Our relationship isn't helping her state, it's totally unhealthy, but I don't think I want to correct it. You cling onto me, and I cling onto you.

    We stay like this for about an hour, then bath time arrives.



    Today, Alissa washes Hana, and the cheerful way they interact shows that our fox girl is back to her usual mood. Alissa touches Hana's body all over, making my heart tingle, but there's no real sexual tension as it seems that Alissa simply doesn't swing that way.

    During dinner, Roxanne pulls out another bottle of wine, and I notice that her drinking is increasing with each day while her appearance takes an opposing dive.

    "Roxanne, is everything okay? You look tired today, again," Alissa kindly asks, thinking the same thing as me, and even Hana gives the workaholic succubus a worried look.

    She looks a bit haggard, but since her normal skin color is already unnaturally pale white, I can't gauge how bad it is aside from the vacant look in her eyes.

    "I'm so close… I can feel it, and I can even smell it, but I just can't touch it," she mumbles absentmindedly.

    "What?" I hum confusedly.

    "The elixir from Moonlight Moss… I'm almost finished. It's so close."

    The weakness of her voice concerns me. "Don't you think you need a bit of rest?"

    "No!" She exclaims and jerks her head towards me, then her bloodshot eyes stare intensely into mine. "Not now. I'm so close that I don't want to drown at the shore. If I stop now, I'll lose my train of thought."

    I frown at her intensity and caution her, "Erm… I think you might be a bit too eager. Just be careful, Roxanne, you don't need to isolate yourself too much. It's okay to come to us and enjoy yourself a little."

    She sends me a suspicious glance, then she sighs.

    What was that?

    "Perhaps… I'll keep that in mind. Thank you all for your concern," the workaholic relents a little, and Hana pats her back reassuringly.

    After dinner, we have our normal cuddling session. Alissa as my smaller spoon, and I as Hana's smaller spoon. I try to practice some [Mana Control], but Hana has improved her hair stroking technique, quickly putting me to sleep.

    I wake up in her strong arms in a princess carry as she takes me to the bedroom, making me feel all giddy.

    She lays me on the bed and slowly undresses me, then she raises my legs and puts me in the amazon position. I just eagerly watch as she lowers herself onto me, and for the first time, we do it slowly to not break my back, but it still feels actually quite passionate.

    Once she finishes using me, I notice that Alissa is on the other side of the bed, masturbating to us.

    She totally awakened something.

    Since I'm fully awake now, I do her while Hana strokes her hair, but the second finish is enough to exhaust me as I'm still feeling drained from yesterday.



    Today is the 13th.

    I want these days to continue forever. This is heaven, no more, no less.

    We have sandwiches for breakfast with plenty of ingredients to choose from, but Alissa has a surprise for me, and I give her a deep kiss as I love it.

    "Cheese!" I happily exclaim as I pounce onto the white goodness. "I love cheese. What is this one from?" I eagerly eat a slice, and it tastes buttery and nutty.

    "Well, sheep," Alissa hums with a smile.

    And I absentmindedly comment as I take another, "I used to eat a lot of cow cheese in my homeland. Now that I think about it, why are there no cows here?"

    As the one who has lived the longest here, we all turn to Roxanne, who promptly explains, "The farmers lost their cows in the last wyvern attack a year ago, or so I've heard, but the cow ranchers didn't feel like coming back until they were assured that all nests were found and destroyed."

    I raise my eyebrows in surprise. "Oh, I heard that wyverns attack often."

    "Yeah, they migrate from deep within the Sea of Trees and create nests further north year after year. They eventually reach the town and attack regularly until all nests are destroyed, but then it's just a matter of time before they come back."

    For some reason, I feel a sudden urge to kill wyverns grow within my heart.



    After breakfast, Alissa approaches me.

    "Master, you should buy at least two more sets of good quality clothes for you to go to the university with pride," she advises with a serious tone.

    "Hm..." I awkwardly hum and look away, making Alissa frown subtly. I'm actually too lazy to go buy more clothes for myself.

    "You look well in good clothes, Wolf," Roxanne compliments, and even though she looks quite sleepy, there's no way that receiving a compliment from a beauty like her won't give me stomach butterflies.

    Oof.

    "Agreed, you look very handsome in good clothes, Master," Alissa adds with a diligent nod.

    Double oof, but still, laziness.

    "Thinking about dressing you up makes me very excited," Hana seductively states with her man-eating gaze.

    Oooooof.

    "Alright..." I concede.



    We go out to buy some clothes and a pair of Emergency Rings, but the Rings are popular enough that we can find them in any enchanted items shop, so we just go to the nearest one and take a look.

    The cheapest pair in this shop is a simple metal ring with a white stone on top. If I rotate the stone clockwise, the stone on the other ring glows green, and if I rotate it counterclockwise the other stone becomes red. Green will be the signal for Alissa to come to me, and red will be for emergencies or danger. A pair for one gold piece.

    I gently grab Alissa's hand and put the ring on her left ring finger, but she shows no reaction, making me slightly disappointed. I have to ask Ciel about how marriages work in this world.

    Then we buy clothes. The girls choose for me a black velvet vest and pants combo, and I actually find it quite nice, especially the purple rose embroidered on the chest. It seems that velvet is the current fashion, and both of them liked the style of Roxanne's clothes, so now we have matching outfits, which I don't know what to think about.

    They also chose a black cloak with small gray dots, but while the color is nice, the design is weird. It has a very wide hem, but it doesn't touch the ground, and one of the corners of the hem has a bracelet that goes on my wrist.

    The second set of clothes is a white, frilly, light wool shirt paired with black, straight, silk pants. It makes me look kind of pompous, but the girls like it, so whatever.

    At least now I have two sets of black shoes that I like.

    We spend the rest of the morning looking around, and we end up passing by magic tool shops. The items we find in them make me think that some modern inventor must be stuck in this world like me, but I eventually lose hope because all these tools are actually incredibly inconvenient to use, and none of them have the modern simplicity I'm so used to.

    For example, a simple bedside lamp could be enchanted to have the ability to change the color of the light, or play a little song while it's turned on, or random animations, or even allow the user to write reminders in the light. The problem is how the process to use these features is incredibly complicated, obnoxious, and abstract.

    To change the color of the light you have to dislodge the magical tool and spin it as hard as you can with your whole arm, then put it back on to confirm if the color is what you wanted; to play the song you have to play it very loudly for hours until it's somehow "printed" onto the tool; to change the animation you have to literally pray while holding the stone, and there's a considerable chance that the new animation won't be what you wanted; and to write in the light you have to feed the tool mana at different angles almost like using a 3D etch-a-sketch.

    It's just quacks trying to scam commoners by selling them junk they don't need.

    Then we go back home at 11 AM and prepare lunch. Roasted orc meat with fungi sauce, and a creamy soup of sweet vegetables to eat with soft bread.

    After the meal, Alissa takes me to the university, and then she leaves to deal with housework. Hana goes to spar in the training grounds, making me feel a bit jealous again. I know it's completely irrational, and I need to stop being so possessive, but still.



    I talk to an attendant in the university's reception, and she calls the chubby Mathias for me, then he takes me past a few buildings and deeper into the university.

    The designers of the university seem to love pools of water with squirting jets since they're everywhere. I also hear musical notes playing with each squirt, kind of like a wind chime, but some have a bit of melody to them, and I find these pools quite nice even though there are so many of them.

    There's also plenty of trees giving lots of fruit, but then I see a not-apple fall, and once it stops rolling, it starts shrinking until it disappears.

    Is that safe to eat…?

    The archivist building is nearby, so I don't get the chance to observe the view for long before we reach the large box of bricks that is the Archives. The windows are all very small, and they're covered up with thick black curtains, enhancing the boxy air of the building. The interior is very much a warehouse, and the strong smell of old books sets me at ease with how nostalgic it is. I've read my fair share of old books.

    We're greeted by the archivist himself, a man who's so old and thin you'd think he's using magic to stay alive. He has one assistant, a young man who's probably going to be succeeding him soon.

    And the walking skeleton talks in such a slow and soft tone that his voice almost makes me fall asleep. "There's only one surviving record about [Golemancy], it's from the diary of a mage who was also a philosopher. He was a famous researcher of [Summoning Magic] and he established many of the more widely accepted ideas of the inner workings of the soul. It's believed he succeeded in the creation of a single golem, but he died soon after of old age, and the golem he created seemed to have expired before his body was found.

    "Many summoners have tried to mimic his experiments, but none have succeeded, bringing doubt whether the claims in his diary are true or not. The investigators that inspected the expired golem noted that the corpse was indeed infused with a spell that had a signature very similar to [Summoning Magic], so he succeeded at something, it's just unknown in what, exactly."

    The old man finishes his long, long, speech, then raises his eyes and stares amusedly at me behind his small round glasses. "I hope you have more success than your predecessors."

    I blink blankly, waking up from my zoning out, and start processing his words, but his assistant saves me before an awkward silence settles in by pushing a roll of a rough scroll towards me.

    "Here is the transcript of his notes. If you need the original text, you'll need special permission from a head of department or higher," the assistant explains.

    "That's fine by me, thank you," I politely reply and take the scroll.

    Then Mathias takes me to my new office. It's pretty small, with only enough space for a desk that two people could have dinner at, a potted plant in the corner, and a tall document drawer by the wall, but the university provides all the paper or scrolls that I could need, and a better magical tool pen than the one that I have. He also hangs on the door a cute little wooden plaque engraved with my name, and under it, I see I have the title of "Junior Researcher."

    Honestly, this is so nice I almost feel like clapping the tip of my hands in excitement just like Roxanne. Back on Earth, I didn't have the time to publish anything under my name, so I couldn't really call myself a "researcher," but now I finally have the opportunity to fulfill my dream here.

    After I'm done daydreaming, Mathias gives me a piece of advice, "Mr. Ryder, one thing you should know is that these offices are protected from burglary by [Space Magic]. If you want to practice [Space Magic] inside, please warn the building manager first so your office's protection isn't impacted."

    I nod. "Understood."

    "That is all that I have for you. By the way, Mr. Ryder, is there any progress in [Redirect Mana]?"

    I eagerly reply, "Quite a lot, actually. I have a better understanding of the skill now, but the thing I'm most certain of is that it requires a tremendous amount of 'Willpower' to use it."

    He rubs his chubby chin in thought. "It's a bit unfortunate that it requires so much 'Willpower' as it greatly limits its uses, but there are a few people interested in seeing the results of your skill, Mr. Ryder, and I believe they'll still be happy to know that you're progressing with it. Well then, I'll be off, until next time." Then he nods respectfully and leaves.

    What? I barely entered the university and I'm already attracting attention…

    I sit at my desk with a sigh and start to read the query results.



    I flip through the more obscure theorizing until I find snippets of generalized thoughts, which help me understand the context of his experiments. Potro Phaustus, the mage who wrote this journal, was a summoning specialist who was studying the mysteries of the magic school, which mostly revolve around the inner workings of the soul.

    "Where does this conscience come from? The summoned beings clearly have a soul since they can be detected by [Sense Presence]. If that's not true, then a few hundred years of our knowledge on the soul is simply wrong, so I'd rather assume that summoning magic truly creates an actual soul, a very peculiar soul, actually.

    "I've been training my [Sense Presence] for years just to understand more about this summoned soul, so I have a little pride in saying no one else in this Realm has this skill as high as I have, and I've looked quite far for someone better. So believe me when I say that what I see inside the soul is something that does and doesn't make sense.

    "The skill [Sense Presence] can sense an entity's size, direction, distance, and the possible identification of the soul type. We unconsciously ignore the details of the identification information and instead immediately associate that information with known types of living beings, but with a skill level as high as mine, and with enough patience for extremely careful analysis, I can say that the identification information is actually a ‘shape.'

    "This ‘shape' is often incomprehensible, and it actually gives strong headaches just from trying to look deeper into it, so perhaps this is why we instinctively ignore the details of the identification information. I can say that the 'Willpower' required to be able to fully grasp the whole shape all at once is ridiculously high, and you can look into my status crystal, I actually do have a pretty high 'Willpower.' The fortunate thing is that not all souls are incomprehensible messes, and most of them have parts that are clearly defined 'shapes,' leading me to identify patterns.

    "I've looked into the souls of hundreds of different kinds of humanoids, and I managed to identify nearly a hundred patterns throughout my whole life. The most common pattern is 'cubes,' and curiously, every single summoned creature always has a cube in a specific location, their mind. Considering how the main characteristic that every single summon shares is that they're always unquestionably loyal and obedient, I believe this 'cube' shape is related to that. If we're to believe that the soul is a representation of the body, then these 'shapes' are mere organs, and the 'cube' controls a summon's loyalty.

    "From among the humanoids, I noticed how the same 'cube' patterns appear on their souls the higher their skill level with [Summoning Magic] was, but always in a different location from that of the summon. The two 'cubes' are obviously related, but I couldn't infer much from that. Other high-level and high-skill people also had prominent patterns within their souls, but I only focused on summoners due to practicality, so this could be a vector of research for anyone interested.

    "As every mage should know, all of the elemental magic schools have a spirit that you can summon, except for [Space Magic]. These spirits are commonly used as assistants to the mages, who also had this 'cube' shape in their souls the more they used the spirits, though it was nowhere near the same size as the summoners'.

    "But not only that, I also found that there are innumerable other shapes that the summon and summoner share, most of them found where I believe the 'mind' part of the soul is. We know that summons possess the memories and knowledge of their summoners, but why would it be limited to only that? What if they're copies of a summoner's soul?

    "It'd certainly be easier to copy the whole mind instead of just a part of it, and while studies of the brain have shown that it's possible to literally remove parts of it and remain living, it's extraordinarily easy to cause so much damage to one's HP that they die instantly, showing that we don't know enough about the mind to just slice it up on a whim. This, I believe, proves that the creator of [Summoning Magic] simply copied their own mind into an artificial body, then added the 'cube shape' that controls a summon's loyalty and obedience. [Illusion Magic] already has mind control effects, so one only needs to adapt them into the brain itself to make them permanent.

    "And now I can finally ask the question that has been burning in my mind for my whole life. If summoning creates a temporary body from mana and copies the summoner's soul onto it, can we simply create a soul and infuse it into a new, permanent, body? Considering how I'll be testing this on clay figures, I'll name this magic [Golemancy], in honor of the [Summon Small Golem] spell."

    The notes detail a bunch of experiments and other conjectures about summoning magic, but I'm not sure if they'll be helpful in training [Summoning Magic] due to how full of jargon they are.

    Well, at least I've solved the mystery of my acid trip when I used [Infuse]. I was "molding" a soul.

    But now the next mystery to solve is: how do I know what the changes are going to do to the soul I'm molding? Perhaps I could start by copying the soul of a summoned creature, but first I have to memorize the soul through using a high [Sense Presence], though maybe I can use [Redirect Mana] to help since it gives me some sort of "awareness" of what's inside my soul, so this seems doable, just time consuming.

    I summon a bird and begin meditating in my comfy chair. After a minute, I manage to move my soul towards the bird on the desk then envelop it completely, then I gradually start to receive information about the bird as my soul pushes against its feathers. I can feel them, taste them, and it's a particularly disgusting sensation. It only felt nice to "lick" Roxanne because she is a beautiful woman and I'm a pervert.

    Just because I'm curious, I decide to share my feelings with the bird, and oh boy, it feels really good, so good I start to get a boner. It's just… bliss, and for some reason it makes my heart beat faster, though it isn't necessarily a sexual sensation, so I only get a half chub.

    Ok, bad thoughts, I have to concentrate.

    I cut the sense sharing with the bird, and the pleasure instantly disappears, making me sigh in mild frustration.

    Anyway, I can certainly feel the bird, but I can't penetrate it, just like the wall back home, so I pull back my soul a bit and shrink the area that I control as I push it against the bird's chest.

    I share my senses with the bird again, and I start feeling a tickling sensation that gradually gets stronger the more I shrink my soul. It starts to get annoying, but not enough to distract me, so I endure it.

    Then I suddenly penetrate the bird. It tastes even more disgusting than its feathers, and I actually manage to discern the taste of raw meat, but the bird itself isn't feeling much besides a tickle inside its chest.

    Now that I'm in, I envelop the outside while spreading through the inside until I cover every single inch of the bird with my soul. I start to receive so much information from it that I can basically tell where every organ and major artery is, making me think this could be a good diagnostic tool.

    This is a bit frightening, really, but I can't stop myself. Now… where's the soul?

    I can sense everything about its physical body, but I get no sort of information that reminds me of [Sense Presence] or the geometrical shapes of [Infuse], though I do have a feeling that there's still more information that I can get from the soul touch. Potro did say that our minds instinctively ignore details about the soul.

    I need to concentrate harder. I'm starting to feel tired already, but I can still push myself one more time. The itching is also starting to annoy me, so I cut my senses and clear my mind, then I start to feel like something is… odd with this bird.

    I latch onto this feeling and continue to meditate, then I begin feeling like I'm gradually diving deeper, like there's something that's hidden from me, but I'm getting closer. I just need to force a bit more. A bit… more…

    Then I feel something starting to assemble in the darkness of my mind, like the pieces are rising to the surface. I instinctively press them together, but they resist and try to slip away, like magnets of the same pole, then they start to warm up.

    I'm so close that I ignore the heat and press the pieces together harder and harder. I know that they fit, I can see how they fit, but it's like a puzzle, I need them together to see the whole picture.

    The heat starts to grow too uncomfortable levels, but I'm close, I'm too close to stop now! I press them harder… and then they "click."

    Yes! I can see it! It's… well, shit, it's just a fucking cube.

    I let the pieces go, and a strong headache flares, making me groan in tiredness and pain.

    What I just did was super tiring even though I didn't move a muscle. My body is fine, but my mind is just done, like a day-long session of programming. I don't even want to think anymore, so I send the green signal to Alissa.

    Alissa, come save me.



    "Master, are you okay?" She kindly asks and grabs my hand.

    "Hm…?" I sleepily mumble as I raise my head from my plate and turn to her.

    "You're very absent-minded," she concernedly states then gives my hand a comforting squeeze.

    I just smile warmly at her, a bit happy that she cares so much about me. "Oh… I'm very tired. Working on [Redirect Mana] is very draining mentally."

    Roxanne chuckles and gives me a thumbs up. I guess I look just like her right now.

    Alissa sighs then releases my hand, and even Hana sends me a worried glance. Seeing both of them like this warms me up inside, and that awakes something that was sleeping.

    Oh, shit. I barely paid attention to them during the bath. That was shameful of me.

    Tonight, I need comfort. I don't let Alissa read in peace and keep her occupied with kisses while Hana massages both our heads, but once the dragon girl has enough, she takes me upstairs and abuses my body, taking from me what she couldn't during bath time.

    Of course, I take it like a champ and satisfy her completely, then it's Alissa's turn. The awakened peeping pervert is all wet and ready for me just from watching us fuck. I'm actually super drained today, but I endure and make her bend for me. Even if my balls and dick hurt, I will please my women. I didn't receive such glorious gifts from the gods to let them stay unsatisfied.



    Today is the 14th.

    I wake up in heaven, feeling very refreshed even though I was completely drained yesterday, and I immediately start to reflect on the soul experiment while I lay on the bed. The bird's soul was just a cube, but there's still more info below that, there are more intricacies that I can look for.

    Once the girls leave to make breakfast, I summon the bird again and repeat the experiment, then I grip the cube and keep it in place while I try to observe it further.

    The first thing I notice are intricate carvings on its surface, so I focus on them and feel my view zoom in like using a microscope. The first thing I notice is a simple circle, then I see a web inside it, then a grainy pattern appears, and the previous carvings become too large for me to see them.

    I continue to zoom in, and I gradually notice a new pattern appear, a circle, just like the first, and then the sequence of patterns repeat. This makes me feel weird, so I stop and ponder on what's going on. "Zooming" doesn't feel like it's actually getting me closer, so I need to change my focus.

    But I have no idea what to focus on right now, so I just observe the cube, and I notice that my mind seems to be slowly adapting to what I see, allowing me to sense more details from the cube. Then it suddenly strikes me that I don't even know what color this cube is actually like. It's not "black" or "transparent," it's like my mind simply doesn't register it.

    What a mindfuck…

    It seems like I'm making some progress, so I continue on this train of thought and continue observing the cube, but then my "eyes" start to hurt the more I look, as if I was staring at something too bright. But I have a feeling that there's actually something under the geometric patterns… something like a language…?

    I have to look harder!

    I force myself to look, the heat from the cube and the pain from "staring" rising to very uncomfortable levels, but I can't stop now. I need to solve this mystery!

    Progress is slow while the pain outpaces it, hurting so much I feel like I'm diving into a fire, but I can see it! There's something there! I just… need… to get… closer…!

    "Master?!" Alissa's desperate shout pulls me back to reality, and I find myself disoriented as she shakes me strongly.

    "What?! What?!" I cry back, completely confused.

    And she stops shaking me now that I'm responding. "You-… you were moaning and writhing about."

    "What?" I whine, even more confused.

    She releases me, then I notice that my whole body feels heavy like it's made of stone, and I let out a groan of pain as I try to move, but of course, she notices this, making her even more worried.

    "What were you doing?" She asks softly as she sits back, her pointy ears starting to go flat.

    I slowly sit up and try not to show my tiredness as I explain, "I'm trying to… unveil some knowledge about the soul, but it's hard to get to it."

    "You're hurting yourself," she replies, sounding anguished, which makes me feel a bit guilty."

    "I… yeah, I was forcing myself a bit in this experiment, but I don't know why my body did that. It just moved on its own."

    She frowns disappointedly. "Master… please be careful. This looks dangerous."

    Yeah, it does. My heart is burning, my body is heavy, and my head is spinning… but this is so exciting. I'm doing something nobody has ever done, or at least pushing past what Potro had seen.

    "I know, I'll stop pushing myself so much," I reassure her. I'll find a way to continue exploring without killing myself.

    Then I notice that Hana is at the doorway, and the worried face both of them are making breaks my heart. I have a feeling that even the Goddess of Knowledge won't approve of me hurting myself.

    After calming them down, I go downstairs and reflect on what I saw while we eat.



    That was feedback. My way of "seeing" inside the soul requires some sort of contact, and that was like checking how the bread was rising with my hand while it was still in the oven. I need a way to "see" the soul from a distance, or at least wear "gloves" that would protect my "naked" soul from feedback. But there's still the fact that our minds weren't made to see the inner workings of the soul, so I have to be careful not to push myself on that part, too.

    The mage managed to see a bit of the soul just with [Sense Presence], so maybe I can use it and even [Sense Mana] to aid my "sight." These two skills don't seem to be passive sensors, but at least they seem much safer than what I did.

    [Sense Mana], for example, is quite a curious skill. I can "sense" that there's mana in a direction, but I need to actually feel the particles go through me to find out what their "flavor" is. It's almost like a sense of smell, but I'm sensing the mana particles before I actually encounter them, so it isn't the exact same thing. Same goes for spells, I can sense when someone casts them even though they're far away from me, but the Spriggans couldn't due to being horrible at magic.

    I have no fucking idea how [Sense Presence] actually works, so I should ask Alissa about it sometime. It certainly feels like having a radar inside my mind, but I can only see other living beings, so, do I emit magical radio waves that only reflect on things with a soul?

    So many abstract concepts, and I want to somehow merge them all together into something like a [Sense Soul] skill. I have no idea how I'll do it, but I bet it'll be by accident seeing how things went with [Redirect Mana].

    And it kind of scares me how much progress I've achieved in just a few days. Why am I so good at this? Why has nobody managed to replicate Potro's research? There's also [Spirit Magic] that people could use to explore this area, so they could've just put a little bit of "Willpower" into it and done something similar to what I did, right? Is my analytical mind so rare here…?

    No… it was my instant-casting that allowed me to discover the "cursor" within my mind, and then I created [Redirect Mana] because of it, allowing me to breach a new boundary in magical research.



    "Your grin is a little creepy," Roxanne remarks with a frown.

    I hum and raise my eyes from my plate, "Oh? Sorry, I'm just happy that I made a breakthrough in my research, and now I'm digesting things…" -I frown back at her- "but your face is even creepier. You look like a ghost."

    "Hahahah…" She chuckles heartily, and her sickly appearance lightens up a bit. "I also made a breakthrough, but this means that I now have more work to do as I need to brew a lot of potions, so I'm feeling quite tired right now."

    I give advice that I'll soon follow, "You really should rest, I'm worried about you."

    She smiles sweetly and exaggeratedly bats her eyelashes at me. "Awn. Thank you, but I have gone through worse. I'm fine."

    "Yeah, but that still shaves off years of your life," I bluntly reply.

    "Ugh..." She grunts and flinches as my words strike a weak spot for her. "I… will take a break…"

    "Yes, do it, please," Alissa backs me up.



    After we eat, Roxanne lays down on a sofa to chill, so I tell Alissa to bring her some good tea and cookies, then I tell Hana to keep her company, and the dragonkin is quite happy to oblige.

    But as the girls start talking, I swear internally because I start to itch to touch another soul "bare-souled" again. I guess I'll laze around with them while I reflect upon what I saw.

    Their conversation quickly turns into bragging, and Hana mentions how she can make Alissa and I sleep with just her hands. Roxanne asks for a sample, and then promptly collapses on Hana's lap, fast asleep.

    Feeling indirectly challenged, I massage Alissa's ears, and she also quickly falls asleep, though there was no way it'd be as fast as Roxanne seeing that the former is well-rested, so I feel like it's a draw.

    And now that each of us has a beautiful woman resting on our laps, we're forbidden from getting up, so we just lay back on the sofa and spend the rest of the morning petting our respective "cats."



    For lunch, we have sweet bread to go with sweet vegetable soup, and more orc meat with fungi sauce.

    We gorge ourselves on Alissa's wonderful cooking, so we have to once again rest in the living room to allow our stomachs to properly digest the food in peace, but then a messenger appears, interrupting our lazy moment. Silas has invited us to participate in a subjugation force for a large goblin camp found a day from the town.

    "This could be the one we reported some time ago. Don't you think so, Master?" Alissa happily asks.

    "Yeah, it's possible. Wait… so this is a request we can't turn down?" I worriedly ask and look at the girls.

    Hana immediately becomes alarmed and pleads, "Please, Master. We have to go."

    "It's just a question," I calm her down.

    She flinches back and awkwardly adjusts her mane-like hair behind her ear. "Oh, sorry. Well, yes, we can't turn it down."

    And Roxanne cheekily chimes in, "Technically, we can, but we can be kicked out of the guild if we do that."

    "I see," I hum as I rub my chin in thought, then I sigh in resignation. "Well, what does 'shock squad' mean?"

    "It means we'll be the ones doing the slaughter," Alissa replies with mild enthusiasm.

    "We'll come in like a [Lightning Bolt] and then finish them off while they reel back from the shock, hence 'shock squad,'" Roxanne happily analogizes, and I'm surprised she didn't go for something even more gruesome.

    "Blessed with good luck," Hana remarks with a grin, her voice low like a purr.

    But my only response is to frown, so Alissa grabs my hand and squeezes it reassuringly, which brings me a bit of comfort.

    "We'll actually be in a good position since everyone will be watching us," Hana also tries to comfort me, but that makes things even worse.

    "I'm actually pretty shy among strangers, so I don't feel blessed," I whine.

    "That's no problem, Master. Stay near me, and I'll brush away anyone who tries to bother you," the reliable dragonkin tries to reassure me, then she displays her best dashing smile… which is a bit comforting. Having a hot beauty like hers protecting me like a bodyguard and keeping everyone else away sounds really nice.

    "Master, your strength is your kindness and wisdom. If you don't want to deal with problematic people, just leave them to us, we'll keep you safe," Alissa joins in, and I admit, it's starting to work.

    Then Roxanne smirks evilly and teases, "Even I understand that Wolf is a precious and fragile gem that needs protecting."

    Oh, please, that had the opposite effect.

    "Miss Roxanne! That wasn't something nice to say," Alissa scolds her, then hugs me protectively.

    Roxanne giggles like a child as she escapes to her room, and her antics make Hana laugh out loud.

    To be honest, I actually do feel blessed. Blessed to have these girls.

    The departure will be on the 16th at 1 PM, so we have plenty of time to collect our money from the auction and then get our reserved equipment.

    Since a big fight is coming up, everyone, except Roxanne, who we lock out of her room to force her to rest, goes to the training grounds to brush up on our skills.



    Alissa draws a crowd with her archery, and a line of students form to challenge Hana. I even hear some people betting on the girls, but they're too good, so there aren't too many fools who'd bet against them.

    I just go to my corner, where nobody will pay attention to me, and practice my fireballs, silently.

    After a couple of hours, I suddenly feel some big changes happening within me, so I open my "Stats" and notice that I gained 4 points in [Mana Efficiency], 2 in [Sense Mana], my MP increased by 100 (now 455), and my "Magic Power" increased by 10 (now 210).

    Wow, that's sudden.

    I guess this happened because my knowledge of magic gained quite a boost, but I hadn't actually practiced in a while, so all the level-ups must've accumulated until now. Or maybe this is the Goddess of Growth helping me prepare. Regardless, I guess I should thank her.

    Thank you, Goddess of Growth.



    We take a bath together, and Hana attempts to brush Alissa's tail, but it ends badly, and I have to do it to make up for it. Hana gets sad she failed at brushy-brushy the fluffy-fluffy tail, but I guess her talent lies in brain massages.

    Dinner is a sandwich with a fried orc meat patty, arranged in a sort of proto-hamburger. I use lots of leaves and squishy vegetables to make it as close to an Earth's burger as I can, and the girls love my selection. "Refreshing," they say. They were going to put some heavy sauce in it, which would make the bread too soggy and impossible to eat with just our hands, so they appreciate my reimagination of this common dish.

    Our evening is rather quiet as we all just chill while Hana and Roxanne drink lightly. I cuddle with Hana this time and brush her voluminous red hair, which makes her fall asleep, so I try to carry her back to our bed, but I fail, to my utter shame.

    I gently put her onto the floor before my arms fall off, waking her up, and she quickly realizes what I was attempting to do.

    She stands up and soothes me, "Awn, that's cute, but don't feel bad. I'll play with you lots today, okay?" Then she pulls my face into her massive breasts and runs her fingers through my hair.

    Maybe it isn't so bad.

    And she shows her appreciation by asking Alissa to teach her how to suck dick. She knows how to make a man happy.

    Alissa is the better dick sucker by far, but Hana makes up for it with enthusiasm, and she also doesn't have fangs, so there's no risk of her inexperienced blowjob from causing a traumatizing accident. Thinking about it, I'm glad the Chieftess taught Alissa how to suck dick.

    And with just a little bit of coaching, Hana starts sucking me off like a storm, her head bobbing up and down hard while her tongue plays with the head, and Alissa holds her hair so that we can stare at each other. Those yellow, vertical-slitted eyes stare intensely at me, eager to see me cum, and the stimulation is so great that I quickly release it all inside her mouth.

    She stops moving her head and simply rubs her tongue against the sensitive frenulum while my cock and balls pulsate, ejaculating rope after rope. Once she feels the orgasm has passed, she licks the tip, then pulls her head back and immediately swallows, all without missing a drop.

    "This actually tastes good," she casually remarks, and both Alissa and I don't know how to respond to that.

    "It kind of does…" Alissa shyly agrees and blushes.

    My cock twitches, already coming back to life, because how could it not when these two beauties can't stop being so lewd and sexy?

    And the moment it's hard enough, I have Alissa ride me while Hana uses my face, and I feel my balls start to shrivel.



    Today is the 15th.

    The first thing I notice when I wake up is that my cock is back inside Hana's mouth, and the moment she sees that I'm awake, she begins the storm, trying to suck my soul through my dick. I still haven't recovered, so I endure the pain in my cock and balls until she makes me cum again, then I feel something change within me.

    I gained the skill [Enhanced Semen Recharge].

    What the fuck.

    Hana laughs her way out of the room while Alissa assumes a poker face and freezes, staring off into the distance. Then I hear a loud, wheezing laugh as Hana tells Roxanne, too.

    You know what, fuck this. I'll wear it with pride. What kind of man has his balls drained every day for so long that he develops a fucking skill? Not a fucking weak man, that's what. I know that I'm a pervert, but I can become a sex god whenever I please, so why shouldn't I lean into it? This is my talent, and also my biggest source of dopamine, so I won't be shamed for the thing that makes me happy. Bow to me, unworthy men who can't even please your own women.

    I crawl up to Alissa, feeling my balls starting to recharge, already, and I pat her head as I sensuously state, "Rejoice, Alissa. This means you have to hold back less if you wish to do me."

    She turns her head to me, then to the wall, then to me again and opens her mouth as if to say something, but then she closes it and blushes.

    How can you still blush like this after everything we've done?



    After everyone calms down, we eat toast with pâté or butter accompanied by tea. Roxanne sends me a few teasing glances, Hana cheerfully eats her food, while Alissa keeps her poker face. I'm actually feeling quite fulfilled right now, so it'll take a lot more to ruin my bliss.

    The auction will start accepting bids at 3 PM, and we aren't required to be there at the start, but I'd like to. The whole thing shouldn't take more than a couple of hours, and then we'll immediately take our money after it ends.

    I start to get anxious, so I try to waste time by sparring with Hana. We also lock Roxanne out of her room again, and she decides to watch us from the window of the living room.

    I [Clean] my forehead from sweat, then I suddenly remember something, so I turn to Roxanne and ask, "Roxanne, did you ever get your share of the bounty from the Symbol?"

    She blinks once, then facepalms and readjusts her glasses. "Oh, shit, I forgot! Can we pass by the guild before we go to the auction?" She asks with a guilty smile, and I just shrug.

    "Sure."

    Then the airheaded succubus starts laughing at herself as she leans on the windowsill again.

    "How did you forget about so much money?" Alissa worriedly questions as she oils her bow.

    "I was… busy," Roxanne answers with a grin, but at least she has the decency to blush, which becomes very noticeable on her unnaturally pale skin.

    Hana frowns and earnestly advises her, "You work too much Roxanne. You have to clear your mind once in a while, or your thoughts will just hang, and you'll stop growing."

    The workaholic tilts her head to the side in confusion. "Hm? What do you mean?"

    "Mental training, skill training, and muscle training are all similar. You normally only level up skills after a day's rest, and the same goes for martial training and muscular growth. If you overdo it, you can hurt yourself, and that can even make you lose progress."

    Roxanne becomes pensive. "Hmmm… I guess there's some truth to that."

    "Hmph," the fiery woman grunts while she casually parries my attack, then she counters me without wasting a beat.

    "We all care about you, so don't overdo it, ok?" Alissa kindly states.

    And that finally gets the cheeky girl as she lowers her head in guilt.

    "Thank you. I… I don't know how to work as a team properly, so I guess I'm a bit hard-headed sometimes. Thank you for caring about me…" She timidly admits, her spiral horns looking weirdly bouncy and rubbery, for some reason.

    "Awn..." Hana stops the spar then runs towards Roxanne and gives her a sweaty hug through the window.

    "Eck!"



    The workaholic eventually joins us and practices her Water and Fire spells a bit. She shows she didn't go rusty by displaying her impressive control over her magic. She makes a few very small spells, which is actually hard to do without enough [Mana Control], and then also a few very big ones, though she doesn't fire the latter as they'd destroy the house. They take a while to make, though, so it seems like it's easier to just use the "default" spell settings instead of molding them at will, but her default is a lot bigger than all of ours.

    I also notice that her [Explosion] feels (to my faint magical senses) similar to her small [Fireball] and something else combined, so I ask Alissa about it.

    She hums thoughtfully, then glances at the lively succubus as she tries to wow Hana with flashy [Fireball]s. "Hmm…? Oh, that's likely why her [Explosion] is an actually viable spell in combat. Casting something directly in the body of another living being is extremely inefficient, so she might've gotten around it by decreasing the size of her spell, reducing the cost in mana, though it still seems to be expensive."

    "What do you think is her second spell?"

    "I felt some mana related to [Water Magic] leak from it, so I'm almost certain it's from that magic school."

    Roxanne's staff does glow both red and blue, and she's pretty good with [Water Magic], so it makes sense.



    For lunch, Alissa makes a meaty pasta sauce that reminds me of Madeira sauce.

    Then we all get ready to go, and holy shit, the women look hot. Alissa melts my heart with her cute, white, frilly dress and small, white shoes; Hana looks majestic with a risque, red, straight, silk dress open in the back; and Roxanne makes me uncomfortable with a black, slightly gothic dress with a huge cleavage, and black knee socks. Sometimes I forget she's actually a sexy woman due to her demeanor, only to be suddenly reminded that she's a literal succubus.

    Roxanne and Hana go by magic carpet while I ride Alissa, and because Roxanne asked, we pass by the monster hunters' guild.

    When we get to the entrance, I start sweating cold as I realize that three juicy pieces of steak are about to walk right into the middle of a pack of hungry wolves. Alissa also seems to tense up in distaste, but Hana and Roxanne unhesitantly walk in, and almost everyone in the hall stops to stare at the delicious trio.

    Thankfully, Roxanne doesn't waste time and immediately goes to the attendants, who quickly deliver her rewards as it was all ready for her, then we're finally off to the theater.

    We go to the far north side of the town, the high class area since it's far from the south wall, where the monsters come from. The houses grow to a few stories tall, but none are as high as the theater itself, so we see it far before we reach it, and once we do, I'm awed at its beauty.

    It's a simple half-circle, where the entrance is on the circular side, but the architecture has a strong Gothic air, and the blood red color of its bricks makes it even seem ominous. The walls are full of deep relief, like arches, flying buttresses, ornate columns, and statues of all kinds of humanoids in different postures. With a sword in hand, reading a book, shaking a flask, holding an orc head, putting on a crown, tilling the land, and many others.

    There are plaques under all of them, and they tell me that these statues are supposed to represent historically famous works. Alissa's gaze is attracted to a statue of a human offering a spear, and I give her a curious look.

    "Just a story I once read when I was a child," she whispers with a nostalgic smile, then moves on.

    But "The Tragedy of Vron" doesn't sound like something a child should read.

    We enter the theater, and the bricks turn yellow, giving a majestic feeling to the architecture. The statues by the walls become paintings on huge canvases, which depict the plays that are performed here, like old school, hand-painted movie billboards.

    It might be interesting to come here one of these days, but the luxury is putting me off a bit.

    We walk up one of the very wide sets of stairs that lead to the stands, but ours is to the top, so we put those legs to work. I do feel a bit bad for Roxanne since she's wearing heels, so we wait a bit after our climb to let her rest her thin thighs.

    We ask a guard for directions, and he takes us to the specific stand where Silas is. Since we're expected, we're allowed in, and I immediately recognize that we're in the exact center of the upper viewing stands, giving us a view of everything.

    Then I recognize Silas, who's sitting in the front row and talking to a majestic man in a huge, red, fur cloak. The black clothes he's wearing under it are also very lavish with the gold stripes and the jewels sewn into the fabric.

    "That is the Lord of Rabanara, Alaraste Anara," Alissa whispers into my ear.

    Oh fuck, oh fuck. It's the Lord!

    Silas notices us entering and points to chairs beside him. Alissa entwines her arm with mine then pushes me forward, and I feel my gait become robotic in tension.

    "Good afternoon, Mr. Ryder. It's good to see you here," the wrinkly old guildmaster greets me with a sly grin.

    "G-good afternoon, guildmaster. I was curious to see how it would go," I try to answer in kind as I sit down to his left.

    "It's just a small event, nothing special," he wryly understates.

    Alissa sits on my other side, and Hana and Roxanne sit down in the row behind us.

    Then he looks at each of the girls and greets them with a nod, "Good afternoon, Miss Alissa, Miss Roxanne, and Miss Hanafuria."

    The girls quietly greet him back, and I find a bit of comfort in also hearing a bit of tension in their tones.

    Silas then motions to the lavish man at his side. "This is the Lord of Rabanara, Alaraste Anara. My Lord, this is one of the fellowships who fought the Symbol, but Miss Hanafuria, the dragonkin, wasn't present at the battle. They're called Helios."

    Alaraste finally shows a reaction and slowly turns to look at each of us. He's a dark-haired man with a square jaw and a well-kept stubble. He has a deep, stoic demeanor, and the moment our gazes cross, I feel like his dark eyes pierce through my heart, and not in a pleasant way. Once he looks at the girls, I almost breathe in relief, but the way Alissa tenses up when he looks at her annoys me.

    The man is a prime specimen of a noble. He's so majestic it's like he has an aura of authority. But the effect is so noticeable I wonder if it's a skill or a spell.

    "Greetings to you all," he finally speaks, his voice as powerful and cold as his gaze. I mimic Alissa and give a small bow, and he continues with a faintly lofty tone as he stares at me, "I see it now, the man, the mage, the archer, and now a strong shield. You'll do well tomorrow. Look for my elite squad; you should work together with them."

    "Elite squad?" Alissa whispers, then nudges me.

    "Elite squad?" I repeat reflexively, and I notice that I'm sweating.

    Alaraste does a small nod. "Yes. They'll be the main power in the subjugation tomorrow. Your mage and your archer are very powerful killing forces, so have them work with my elite squad."

    "Say 'as you wish, my Lord,'" Alissa nudges me again.

    "Y-yes, as you wish, my Lord," I obey, then she gives my back a subtle push, and I do a quick bow.

    It's so fast I almost think I imagine it, but I swear I see the Lord smile for a split second.

    Then Silas promptly continues, "It's likely that a large number of goblins are amassing in that camp, but we couldn't find its exact location, so we're calling every reliable fellowship that has a tracker. We'll also require quite a lot of firepower to take it out, so we've called for the Lord's help, and he'll lend us a number of knights along with a genius magician. The elite squad, your fellowship, and two others will be the main killers of this operation. But let's leave the details for tomorrow."

    I simply hum and nod, so the short old man flashes me a grin, then turns forward again and starts whispering to the Lord.

    Alissa gives my hand a reassuring squeeze, and I sigh as quietly as I can, the tension finally leaving my body. I glance behind me, and the two little shits return a teasing smile.



    Silas politely makes some small talk with me when he isn't whispering with the Lord, but the latter doesn't, and I'm grateful for that as the Lord's presence is so strong it's draining.

    And after a good half hour, the theater fills up completely, then the lights in the audience dim a bit, and the auction starts.

    A mature man walks onto the stage, and I notice that his clothes seem like a neat proto-suit, but it's still far from the minimalist style of Earth as the people of Rupegia have a love for overly designing clothes and covering the textiles with a wide variety of decorations.

    "Gentlemen and gentlewomen…" The auctioneer begins and makes a dramatic pause, his voice echoing perfectly all over the theater, not too loud, and not too quiet. "Good afternoon to all of you, and also to our Lord Anara, who's watching over us today." Then he motions to the balcony.

    Alaraste gets up and waves once, then he promptly sits down. The lower floor can't see me when I'm sitting, but the other balconies can, and I can feel the gazes burning a hole through my face.

    The audience murmurs in response for a brief moment, but they respectfully stop, allowing the auctioneer to continue, "Tonight we're all here gathered for an auction of curious knicks, knacks, oddities, sundries, and other valuables, but pay attention for this session has a truly exceptional treasure, the body of a legendary creature, the Symbol of Hate!"

    The audience has an excited reaction, and the auctioneer milks it up perfectly, suddenly continuing the moment the whispering starts to die down.

    "This creature is an Aberrant monster that has lived for two hundred and three years! We know that its soul is so deformed that it wouldn't obey even the Monster King, and it preyed on every kind of monster, the average, the leader, the breeder, other Aberrants, and even the undead. Many of you surely have heard of this infamous threat that haunted the deeper parts of the Ant Hill, so I bet you're all curious to see the damage that was done to bring it down, but fret not for the jewel of this session will eventually have its turn. Until then, feast your eyes upon the treasures that were uncovered all over the Sea of Trees and Shore of Leaves!"

    The auctioneer claps his hand with a graceful motion, and the first item is brought up to him, a crystallized gargoyle head. Apparently, it's the only intact part from the corpse of a Crystal Grotesque, a fitting name for it's a fugly thing, yet it sells quite quickly, and Roxanne mutters something about "exotic ingredients."

    Once the bidding starts, it progresses with lightning-fast exchanges as the auctioneer switches from pomp to machine gun as he rapid-fires the bids in a way that'd make the Earth cattle auctioneers and even Eminem proud.

    More items are brought in quick succession, and I struggle to understand what they even are. There are plenty of rare monster parts, ingredients, and ornate weapons, but a good deal of the items are said to be "mysterious Artifacts" from dungeons, but the auctioneer describes them only with obscure jargon. A discreet question to Alissa reveals that he's likening the Aritfact's mana to "elemental magic," which I assume are the [Fire Magic] and other magical schools. It seems that the Artifacts don't do much by themselves, but they might be helpful to mages, like how the gem on Roxanne's staff likely helps her with her magic.

    I just nod and hum sensibly along with everyone else. The advantage of being introverted is that nobody expects you to freely comment on the spectacle, so my absolute ignorance of everything that's being shown is easily camouflaged by my personality, allowing me to focus on absorbing as much information as I can.

    Even though the biddings progress extremely fast, there are so many items that it still takes a whole hour and a half before the time for the Symbol comes.

    The auctioneer makes a dramatic pause after the last item, then he glances at each of the balconies with an amused smile, playing it up for effect. "And now, it's time for what you've all been waiting for, the Symbol of Hate!"

    With a flourishing motion, he points to the back of the stage as a group of men pushes forward a huge cube covered in a red velvet sheet.

    "This dreadful Aberrant reached an impressive height of five metri and twelve centimetri in a normal posture. It has twelve spider legs with a hair so sharp that it can draw blood from the naked hand. Its spider body is as tough as a plated knight while the human upper half has a skin as tough as an ogre's. Its mouth is composed of hundreds of small teeth that painfully tear and shred anything it eats, but don't try to smell them, you'll puke. Its hands sport such long, sharp, and tough nails that it used them in combat as a weapon similar to a dagger. They're so sharp that the hero who was stabbed by them barely survived his wounds."

    Oh, that's me… but don't call me "hero," please. Roxanne is the one who did most of the damage to it.

    "It is a being that literally fed on pain. It captured its prey, tortured it, wounded it, and then nurtured them back to full health like a caring mother, only to start the cycle of pain again. Only when someone's mind is truly broken is that mercy is given, and the prey is finally eaten alive. It was the embodiment of misery. It was so deviously cunning that it had eluded all who were sent to exterminate it… until it underestimated the destructive power and mettle of two humble fellowships…" -The men push the cube right to his side- "I present to you the corpse of the Symbol of Hate!"

    He pulls off the velvet sheet, revealing a floating cube that seems to be made of solid glass, and inside it are the remains of the Symbol, just like how we'd delivered to them the guild, though less bloody.

    What puzzles me is why did they need five men to push a cube that floats.

    Anyway, the audience explodes in murmuring, and even Lord Alaraste leans forward in interest.

    "Impressive carnage. What a fierce battle it must've been," he coolly remarks.

    "It was… it was…" I bitterly reply. I'd rather not retell it.

    Every single piece of the Symbol is there. The legs and the tips that we cut off, the bloodied and partially burned arms and head, the massive spider body, and the human half completely open like a gruesome, fleshy flower. The dagger-fingers on one of its arms are still stained with my blood while one of the tips seems to have Roxanne's blood, and neither of us seems particularly comfortable with that. The head has its mouth open to showcase the rows of teeth, but one of its eyes still has an arrow in it, the artwork of Alissa, and the intestines also hang from under the spider body, which is my artwork.

    I hear some shifting behind me, so I glance back and see Roxanne looking down, her expression blank as she tries to get over the painful memories. Hana reaches over and gives her hand a reassuring squeeze, just like how Alissa does to me, but Roxanne shows no reaction.

    I think she just needs some time, so I turn forward again as the auctioneer continues, "You can all see the damage required to stop such monstrosity: nothing short but complete obliteration. Not even the incredible accuracy of the arrow that went through its eye was enough to stop it, or the fearsome swordsmanship to cut off the legs or their tips, or the bravery required to open up its entire thorax, no. They had to unleash hell! The hero needed incredible courage to throw himself into these frightening daggers on its fingers to give the genius mage the chance to blow the Symbol up with a single spell. Fortunately for us, most of its body actually survived such a gruesome fate."

    Roxanne is being praised, but she still shows no reaction, keeping her eyes on the carpet. Now even Alissa turns around and gives her knee a comforting squeeze.

    "Indeed it was most fortunate for all of us that the more valuable parts survived: the human head, and the spider body. Even with an arrow in its skull the brain wasn't damaged very much, the innards may look mangled but most of them are still inside the body, and also, a large amount of blood has been recovered. A treasure trove for those who are looking for two hundred and three years old monster parts that have been soaking in mana and pain longer than most of us have been alive."

    And the "genius mage" who saved us all finally recovers, showing that she is, indeed, made of stronger stuff than her frail appearance indicates. She sighs, then readjusts her glasses on her small nose and slowly lifts up her head as she gains the courage to stare at the monster of nightmares once again.

    The auctioneer makes one last dramatic pause to rile up the audience. "Let us start the bidding! The body will be sold in its entirety along with all the severed parts. And the initial bid is one rose coin!"

    Then he enters "rap-God mode" as I almost choke in my spit.

    "One and ten!"

    "One and twenty!"

    "One and fifty!"

    "Two coins!"

    Oof… it's starting well.

    "Two and thirty!"

    "Two and forty!"

    "Three coins!"

    Oh, boy.

    "Three and fifty!"

    "Four coins!"

    It's getting spicy!

    "Four and twenty!"

    "Four and thirty!"

    Keep it going!

    I lean so far forward I get on the edge of my seat.

    "Four and forty!"

    I can even taste the money.

    "Four and forty-five!"

    It's slowing down. Oh, no.

    "Four and fifty!"

    The bidders pause, allowing the auctioneer to breathe.

    "Five coins!"

    The murmuring grows louder. Even the audience can't get a grasp on how much money that is.

    And the silence stretches.

    Oh…

    The auctioneer looks at each individual balcony with a very satisfied smile. "Is that all?"

    I shyly glance at the other balconies and see a few lavishly-dressed people looking quite annoyed they don't have enough money.

    "It's a one."

    "It's a two."

    "It's a three!"

    "SOLD!"

    Then a bell rings across the entire theater.

    177 gold coins for us. 107 after paying for Hana.

    I'm rich, bitches!

    I look back excitedly at the duo, but then I notice that "Hauberk" is a few rows to the side and behind us. I was so enthralled by the auction that I have no idea when they arrived.

    Gunther has his eyes closed, his face completely expressionless. Lorthar has his hands clasped, praying to the Gods above. Minerva is doing an ugly cry with snot dripping from her nose. It's quite a heartwarming sight. Twenty-two gold coins for each of them is still a lot, and from what little I understand of Rupegian economics, it's enough they could even retire and buy a farm somewhere.

    The Lord stands up and nods at us, his gaze making me briefly uncomfortable again, then he silently leaves.

    "Congratulations, Helios," Silas gently states as he strokes his enviously long white beard, then he motions to the door as he slowly stands up. "Follow me and we'll promptly deliver your rewards."



    Everyone follows the wrinkly old man into a nearby room, and we wait in luxurious sofas that grip our buttcheeks like heavenly hands.

    Soon after, a posh old man comes in, followed by two men in proto-suits, and he sits by the table while the two not-butlers wait by the wall, then he pulls out a thick magnifying glass, and I notice inscriptions in gold all over the lens and handle. He must be the appraiser.

    A couple of minutes later, a very old man walks into the room with a slow and wobbly gait, but a young man with a proto-suit holds his arm, keeping him upright. The old man wears a rather gaudy black and purple trailing robe and a ridiculously wide-brimmed pointy hat. He also carries a jeweled metal staff with a giant shining yellow jewel at the top, which is a lot bigger than Roxanne's, and Hana quietly teases her about it.

    "Grand Rizek. A pleasure to have you here," Silas cheerfully greets.

    "Hoh. It's a pleasure to be here, and I'm even more pleased that I lived long enough to see such a legend be killed," the old man replies in a raspy but very energetic voice. Though he looks physically frail, there's a strong vigor and savagery in his eyes and tone, and it's just so "magical," like the Lord's aura, that it also makes me wonder if he's using a spell or a skill to create this effect.

    Silas simply smiles back while grandpa Rizek is slowly walked to a chair, then he turns to us, his powerful stare catching me by surprise.

    "Hah. I wouldn't have imagined such squirts like you would bring that thing down. The tortured souls that were victims of that abomination thank you," Rizek politely states with a nod, then flashes us a grin.

    We don't know what to say, so we all sheepishly nod back, slightly overwhelmed at his vigor.

    And Rizek doesn't even wait for an answer before he prompts the young man, "Now, Sebastian."

    Another butler, another Sebastian. He pulls out five rose coins out of his [Item Box] with a *poof* then puts them on the table, and the appraiser inspects the coins with his enchanted magnifying glass. Quick thing, just a couple of seconds for each, and then he nods to Silas.

    "Then it's done," the guildmaster announces and snaps his fingers, then one of the not-butlers by the wall steps forward. "Please take Grand Rizek to the storage area."

    Grandpa and the two butlers leave, though slowly, giving enough time for the old man to flash one last grin at us.

    "Who was that man?" I quietly ask.

    "A famous mage that belongs to the Lord's court. He's a genius of [Electric Magic]," Roxanne answers, her usual cheerfulness completely held back now that she's in the face of someone important.

    Electric, eh…?

    Silas stores the coins in his [Item Box], then pulls out a huge sack of gold coins, another with silver coins, and a third one with copper coins. The last not-butler counts the coins and separates the parts for each of us, with the guild taking 5%.

    After everyone has their share, Silas stores back the rest and smiles politely. "Glad to do business with you. We'll see each other again tomorrow,"

    Gunther comes up to me and offers his huge hand. "I'm glad I met you. Even if it was because of a… desperate situation, I'm glad I met you," he remarks as we shake.

    "What are you going to do now?" I curiously ask.

    He glances at his companions and smiles, then answers with a dreamy tone, "Move to a calmer area. We can take it easy now and possibly find a nice place to retire. And you?"

    I snort. "Way too young to retire." And he snorts back.

    But it's not because I don't want to, I just don't believe I'll be allowed to retire for a long while.

    "Be well," I say my goodbye, and we finally leave.

    Tomorrow, we'll pay Ghulam and retrieve the equipment we reserved for Hana, then we'll immediately begin our next adventure.

    I'm actually a bit excited, but only a tiny little bit.
     
    Last edited: Jan 10, 2022
  15. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

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    Attention, 10/Jan/2022 edit: My writing skill improved a lot along the way I wrote this novel, and the early chapters have noticeably worse quality than the latest ones, so I'm reviewing the grammar, fixing small mistakes, and overall improving the earlier parts of the story. Please keep in mind that from this chapter on the story can seem quite clumsy, silly, weird, a bit cringy, and just badly written at times.



    Tonight Roxanne joined us on the sofas, she stole my breast pillow and cuddled with Hana, they seem quite friendly with each other. I played with Alissa's tail until she fell asleep, then I succeeded in carrying her to the bed and gave my all to both of them. With the expedition things might be harder for a few days so I have to enjoy it while I can. My new skill also helped a lot, I felt much more invigorated.



    Today is the 16th.

    This morning we only had a quick breakfast and we all left to buy the remaining supplies, we spent most of the morning looking for the last few things. Didn't even use my new sleeping bag and instead we bought a bed that fits us 3. We also bought an even bigger tent that you can stand on, a small table for us to eat inside the tent, a lot of different "Items"-ready meals, and a new flying vehicle for all of us.

    The vehicle was quite expensive, 30 gold, but it fits 6. It's a polished wood dinghy with wheels and a windshield. Looks a bit weak but the price was because the magic tool was quite big, almost the size of a basketball.

    The tool is a slightly green tinted polyhedron crystal. There's a handle that's stuck to it, it doesn't move but it responds to pressure, it controls yaw and pitch. To apply propulsion you have to manipulate your mana around the crystal, this means that you can fly in any direction, even backwards, but it's not advised. At most you should only switch between applying force upwards to float or forward to speed up. Roxanne and Hana have a little experience with it so they will fly if necessary, I will learn it in the future.

    I sent Alissa to pay Ghulam and after that we moved to the west gate where a row of wagons and a crowd of people are already waiting. It's 11 AM so we take an early lunch on a nearby stall. Then we see Silas coming with 5 knights and 2 robed figures.

    The knights wear black scale armor and on top a surcoat with the heraldry of the Lord. In the middle of the knights a familiar face appears, black hair, square jaw, the hint of a stubble and a piercing, stoic gaze. He's the Lord, or rather, a younger version of him.

    Behind him another familiar face, an elven girl. Silver straight hair, it almost shines. Short, skin as white as snow. Oval face, upturned blue eyes, nearly asian, small pointy nose, red lips and the unmistakable long pointy ears of the elves protruding on a right angle from her head.

    Silvane notices us and smiles at Alissa who returns it.

    Silas stops near the crowd and speaks.

    "Gather here hunters! We will begin role call! Bring your leaders and we will start the strategy meeting!" He yells, his voice has the characteristic distortion of someone speaking on a microphone.

    When the roll call begins we enter a nearby building and sit around a table. Burly men, scarred faces, wicked eyes, stoic gazes, threatening auras. Those are the adventurers leaders sitting on the table, and then there's me. Aside from Silas I'm the smallest and also the youngest here. I wanna run away, help me Alissa!

    Thankfully the strategy has been defined already, there's no need for me to speak. The Lord's son, Haaran, is the one explaining things. He's the leader of the expedition and the leader of the elite troops of the Lord. His voice is lighter than the Lord's but it's like he's a clone of him, I just wonder what kind of genetics is going on here.

    There will be one fellowship responsible for the vanguard, one for the rearguard, and 4 duo's responsible for scouting. Those are the ones who will protect the main forces during the trip. After we reach the place chosen as our base of operations all fellowships will contribute with tracking the base of the goblins.

    When found, our strike will begin. There are 2 artillery fellowships that will rain magic as the first strike. My fellowship, the Lord's elite troops and 2 other fellowships are the shock troops and will fight any enemy inside their base. The scouting troops will make sure as few as possible goblins escape, the vanguard will protect our backs during the attack and the rearguard will guard our base of operations.

    The plan is simple, swift and decisive. We will take half a day to get to the entrance to the Sea of Trees, camp there, half a day to move to our base, most likely half a day to scout, half a day to fight, and another day to get back. We will be back before Selina's wedding. The meeting ends and we are ordered to get up on the wagons.

    "Greetings, Mr. Ryder, I hope you remember me," Silvane approaches us and speaks to me, her voice is delicate and feminine.

    I actually do remember your curves, or the lack of them, when I saw you wearing that one piece.

    "Greetings, Miss Silvane, it would be difficult to forget a face like yours," I say. Damn I nailed that line.

    "Oh my," she smiles, oh my heart, "It is good to see you well Miss Alissa."

    "You too, Miss Silvane," she smiles warmly, "What happened to you? You are part of the lord's elite squad now?"

    "Oh yes. Lord Haaran bought me, I'm to marry him at the end of the year," she brims with happiness.

    "That's amazing! It means he will look to conquer a dungeon soon, right?" Alissa seems very happy.

    "Yes, I'm also under apprenticeship with the court magicians, I will enter the university the next month."

    Oh?

    "You might study with master then, he's also joining next month."

    "Ah, so he's the one with the blessing then?" She turns to me, "The skill you created, [Redirect Mana], caught the attention of many people."

    Ugh, I didn't really want to though. I smile wryly.

    "How's the research on that skill? ," she continues.

    "It's going very well but because of the subjugation I had to stop it for a while, it will delay me a little now."

    "That's unfortunate, but this is our duty," she nod with a serious look and Alissa follows, "We can't let that goblin camp get any larger, for the sake of our people."

    Then she's back to smiling faintly.

    "It seems you found your happiness," says Alissa.

    "And you did yours," answers Silvane.

    Alissa blushes a bit.

    "Let us go, we can speak more when we reach camp," Silvane says.

    "Certainly!"

    From what I understood Alissa and Silvane met in the Misty Low Forest when both of them were to be brought to Rabanara. They spent a day-cycle together and became friends. Their dreams and goals were similar, to find someone strong for them to serve so they could honor their families or restore the family's honor in the case of Silvane. They didn't say it but I noticed they didn't have any hope of finding love, they only talked about duty.



    The wagons use double horses and run on the road. It's a rather well built road, less well maintained than the one inside the town but it's still impressive engineering. It is made of large square blocks, there's some sort of cement holding them together; it is slightly curved and a small channel on the sides holds the rainwater that slowly drains away from the road. The wagons don't shake much but they make noise.

    We share our wagon with Akros, one of the shock troop fellowships. They have 4 members. A red skinned demon race man, he has a single horn coming out of his forehead, truly a japanese creation, he uses a tower shield. A large, tanned, and bearded man, he uses a two-handed sword the size of his body. A lanky white man with an ugly black bowl cut, he uses a longbow. A scrawny and cute dwarf girl with boyish black short hair, she uses a small composite bow.

    Honestly they aren't very pleasant. They are too crude, they keep talking about the ways they will disembowel the goblins and the dwarf girl wants to make a competition with Alissa on how many eyes they will pop.

    Hana saves me, she cuts in the conversation and they eventually ignore me. I just zone out and practice my meditation for [Redirect Mana]. It's quite hard to cut your senses with so much stimulation going on. It serves to shorten the trip though, before I notice it Alissa tells me it's time to leave the wagons.



    I stretch and feel how sore my muscles have become. We spent half a day inside that wagon and I spent all of it meditating, it's kind of amazing. I wish I had this sort of skill back on Earth, boring trips done in a second.

    It's 5PM. We left early and reached the border even earlier. Haaran tells us to start marching, the scouts run ahead first, then the vanguard goes, and we follow behind it. Behind us are 10 space mages, they have large [Item Boxes] and are basically humanoid pack mules, the rearguard is tasked with protecting them. I saw Targua leading the rearguard, he waved at us and kept to his business, what a nice fellow.

    The atmosphere of the Sea of Trees is always a bit fantastical to me, even charming. Now I know a few plants and fruits and we discreetly collect them. My "Items" is bottomless so I'm the only one who can afford to increase my load.

    I decide to lie and tell Roxanne I have managed to acquire [Summoning Magic] on the university, this way I can use my bird for scouting and my dog for guarding us.

    "So, Roxanne, my research of [Golemancy] is pretty close to [Summoning Magic]. So close that I have acquire a few spells on it already."

    "Hm?" Her eyes slowly regain focus as she looks at me, "Ah! Oh yes, There's a spell called [Summon Small Golem], right? Kinda obvious the two schools intersect somewhere."

    Not the angle I was thinking about but okay.

    "Y-yeah, well so far I have only managed to summon a small bird and dog. Also, I wanna tell Lord Haaran but I'm feeling a bit intimidate by him."

    "It's okay to not tell, master," Alissa says, "Not many hunters tell all their secrets. You can just use it whenever you wish and most people won't bother. Unless if you summon something really inconspicuous, like the elementals."

    Elementals sound interesting. I haven't updated my magic list yet, perhaps I can get more spells now. I don't know what level I need for elementals though.

    "But isn't it a rare magic? I don't want to keep calling so much attention to me."

    "You are already the town hero," says Hana.

    I look at Alissa and Roxanne and they both shrug.

    "Besides, the news of you having the blessing of the Goddess of Knowledge should be spreading too. You can't stop your fame anymore, master," Alissa smiles wryly with a hint of pity.

    This is bad, but also good, it means I can more easily say "fuck it" and do what I want. The problem is the ID checks, I need consistency, if I keep adding or removing skills it will be problematic if they are recording my skill progress.

    "Alright, I'm thinking about summoning 1 or 2 dogs and using them as guards, that way maybe we won't need to participate in the watch."

    "Oh-oh, that's a good idea, Wolf! Please do," Roxanne excitedly grabs my hand and squirms, "Mages need a good night sleep for full performance on magic, standing guard will only make me weaker."

    "Hm, yes, we will all be able to sleep together this way," Hana looks up for a second absentmindedly.

    Alissa says nothing but her tail sways. Nobody likes to stand guard in the cold, alone.



    During our walk suddenly a grey fox appeared, it ran towards the leader of the vanguard and turned into a grey haired man. He has claws, fox ears and a small snout in place of a noise but no tail. I felt like bragging that Alissa becomes a much bigger fox. It seems he's not part of Alissa's clan though, most of her clan is orange or black colored.

    The fox man talks to the leader and they rush forward, a minute later I hear the scream of a dying ogre. Then the leader, a short and wide man with a poleaxe, comes back bloodied and dripping.

    The sun sets at the sound of a dying goblin and the scouts come back. Haaran tells us to set camp. I sweat a little when people start bringing out tools and building their own tents. I breath in and pull out my large, square tent who was stored completely built. Then I hurry inside to hide.

    "This is actually nice, I should have bought one as big as yours," says Roxanne.

    The tent is roughly 5x10m, our bed fits in perfectly and near the entrance is the small table with 4 chairs. I won't let anyone see the inside of this tent though, this is rather excessive.

    "But you wouldn't be able to carry it yourself, right?" I say.

    "With your stupid [Item Box] it would be pretty easy. Now I don't even want a bigger tent, I wanna sleep on your bed too, the bag is pretty bad," she says while pouting.

    "Sorry, my bed is only for my lovers."

    I will not sacrifice my privacy even if you are a companion.

    Hana smirks at Roxanne who looks away and Alissa keeps her poker face but I saw that tail twitch, I saw it!

    "Now it should be okay to leave, master. Let's take a bath," says Alissa.

    Discreetly I leave and I pull out a foldable partition and put a simple wooden bathtub in the middle. Then Roxanne comes, fills it up, and heats it. Roxanne goes first, she can make the water disappear with magic and conjure it again pretty fast. With that I get to wash the girls and enjoy myself, I got a proper gag now and it muffles their moans almost entirely. The partition isn't excessive, it's something any fellowship with two different sexes brings, it's the bathtub that's the problem.

    Once we finish there's multiple tents already pitched, a bonfire crackling, a large wooden table with wood benches where people are eating on, and a large pot on the fire where one of the space mages is cooking something.

    Silvane sees us and waves for us to come sit besides her. She's not wearing her robe but a thick woolen red dress, it's not something that's meant to be fashionable but she still looks cute on it. We sit and I bring out our "Items"-ready meals, Silvane also seems to be eating something prepared beforehand and not the soup from the space mages.

    "Say Mr. Ryder. Were you the one who gave the info that the Giant Tarantulas were using the web on their bodies?" Silvane asks.

    I blink blankly a few times.

    "How did you know that?"

    "Only you and Hauberk were the only ones hunting there for the last half-cycle. Since I heard you have a blessing you are the most obvious candidate."

    "Hah, that makes sense. So, was it useful?"

    "Yes. We explored the Ant Hill after your battle to investigate the battle site and then we hunted the White Arachne. On the way we tested your info and burned to death half the spiders, it was quite the help. Though the smell is quite terrible," she lets out a wry smile.

    "Amazing, I'm glad that helped," I smile warmly.

    "Though I got a little interested on the second part. The info said that it might be only one of the spider genders that were doing this, with that we did a few autopsies and discovered that was true. We also found you can identify the sex of the spider by the pedipalps, the little legs that float in front of the spider. One sex has rounder pedipalps while the other has pointy pedipalps, the round pedipalps are the ones who burn."

    Silvane seems very content in telling us this. I'm a little impressed at her knowledge.

    "You seem very happy in telling us this, you planning on becoming a scholar?"

    "Perhaps one day. I like to think about the details, there are many small details that we overlook, this one detail you found helped us kill these spiders twice as fast."

    "But why didn't anybody discover this first?"

    "Perhaps it's mating season, the Lord is going to send a squad to investigate every half-cycle to see if that is true."

    "That's good news," says Alissa.

    "You telling them about the spiders, Silf?" Haaran comes and sits besides her.

    Silf? Is that kindness I hear in his voice? Kind of hard to imagine the stoic man with a piercing gaze being like this.

    "Yes, it was Mr. Ryder who gave us the info on the spiders," she gushes at him.

    "Hm. You have my gratitude Mr. Ryder," he gives a small nod, "It was quite the odd info but it turned out to be true"

    Silvane giggles and then she blushes.

    "Oh, the info about on how to break mind poison was also useful, we… confirmed it works," Silvane says and turns her eyes away. Haaran freezes for a second.

    I smirk. I also told the guild that the arachnes mind poison can be broken by "passionately kissing a loved one".

    Silvane coughs and changes the topic. She asks about my adventures with Alissa and then tells tales of her own adventures, me and Haaran just silently stare at them while we eat. Hana is talking to another fellowship nearby, she already got a beer tankard. Roxanne is by the fire listening to some story and she brought her own wine. I'm okay not talking to strangers but I still prefer to be able to talk to my women while eating.

    I gather some courage and talk to Haaran.

    "Ah, Mi-l-lord Haaran, about the watch. I can summon dogs to keep watch, I could summon two dogs and a bird. Do you think I can, uh, skip participating on the watch if I make them keep guard?"

    "One of my own knights uses a dog as a substitute for the watch, so I can't deny you. Just make sure it's one with a good hearing and smell."

    His gaze gives me chills but he's not ill-intended. I just bow a little and excuse myself to my tent.

    I saw him grab the hand of Silvane, then she said her goodbyes to Alissa and both entered his tent.

    I summon 2 dobermans and a small bird making all my mana go away, it's a bit risky to do this but the camp is safe so I have time to recover it. One dog stays at the entrance of our tent, Roxanne's tent is right besides ours so the dog protects her tent too, I share my hearing with this dog. The other dog patrols the camp and will bark and come to me if a monster is found and the bird does the same, I don't share my senses with these two.

    I spend some time kissing and stroking Alissa and then Hana comes back. When Hana drinks she doesn't get drunk, she gets horny. She pulls my pants and tells Alissa to continue her oral lessons. The feeling isn't the best but having two women lick your shaft is a perfectly erotic scene, their tongues touch once in a while and I feel tingling in my heart.

    They take their turns until I finish inside Alissa's mouth.

    "Don't swallow everything, give me a bit," says Hana.

    Alissa freezes and stares at Hana.

    "Come on, spit a bit on my mouth," she insists and smiles.

    I nod to Alissa and she moves over Hana. She opens her mouth and lets a white dribble out of her lips, Hana opens her mouth and lets it fall on her tongue, she comes so close to Alissa they almost kiss.

    "Holy shit, and I thought I was the depraved one," I say.

    Hana just smiles and cleans the tip of my dick.

    We all sleep with leather armor so no naked touching or breast pillow for me, but it's still a wonderful nights sleep.



    Today is the 17th.

    As soon as the sun comes out Haaran's knights wake everyone and hurry us to break camp and start marching.

    Since our tent is just a simple button press we take our time and again Hana starts her morning by sucking my soul through my dick.

    "Sorry, master. But this is my first battle in 7 months, I'm really excited," Hana says while playing around with my dick.

    "You really don't need to be sorry for this. The maximum you can do is give me another level on [Enhanced Semen Recharge]."

    Hana smirks and I spend a few more minutes kissing Alissa. Even Alissa seems to be in a good mood, is she eager for battle too?

    "I heard that men sh-… men or women should sleep with their loved ones before battle, no need for thoughts of regret or unspent desires on the battlefield," I say.

    "I agree with that. Unfortunately I never had someone to use my desires on," says Hana.

    "You are free to make up for lost time," I say.

    "Master, be careful, one day Hana will break you," says Alissa with a wry smile.

    If Alissa is saying sex jokes then the world is one step closer towards world peace.

    We get up and recover our tent. Roxanne is bored watching the others dismantle the camp while she sits in one of her stools. I see Silvane helping by storing a few things, she seems to be brimming with happiness. I guess in private Haaran is a fellow vigorous man.



    We keep our march and it goes the same as yesterday but the screams of dying goblins get more frequent, even two ogres are found. One time a group of 4 dumb Mossy Fangpines appears just to be zapped, burned, crushed, and shot by all the hunters around.

    Haaran makes us march fast but I cast [Swift Foot] on my party and I put [Stamina Enhancement] on the two girls so we have a pretty sweet time. I just wished I could help Roxanne a bit more, if she gets tired I will have Hana carry her.

    The landscape changes a little and it gets more inclined, we are passing by a hill slope. From between the cracks in the canopy you can see the mountain to our left. I decide to summon a bird and have it scout above the trees, I will try to avoid Dragolites this time.

    The breathtaking view above the canopies makes me wish I could share my senses with the girls. Flying fast and low over the trees gives me a sense of freedom I never felt before, I almost forgot I had to keep walking. The sea of green of the leaves, gold of the reflected sun and the random patches of colors all serve to lift my spirits.

    I can see a crack in the tree lines, there's a river nearby. We are going west so to my left is south, over there there is a hill covered in green with an eye catching tree at the top, its darker than the rest and a huge amount of vines hang from it the south. Behind the huge tree the Sea of Trees extends indefinitely and it's almost like it's calling, waiting to be explored, like an empty stage waiting for the first actor to enter the play. Far in the front the mountain range appears on the horizon, on the other side is Alissa's homeland.

    When I get back from my trance Alissa is smiling besides me. Was I showing a stupid face?

    "I saw a huge tree through my bird summon," I say to Alissa, "Makes me curious to investigate."

    She smiles wryly and speaks, "Not the best idea, could the the home of the forest's guardian."

    "Guardian?"

    "In some forests magical beings appear and fight to protect its home. It's hard to imagine the Sea of Trees doesn't have a guardian."

    Interesting, but now I'm a little more frightened of coming out here.

    We keep our pace, eventually we pass the hill and get near the river. We divert a little south because a scout reported Giant Dragonflies are over there. There's no need to fight them, to the disappointment of Hana.



    We climb another hill, steeper than the other one and some hunters start complaining. But the effort is paid and we reach the summit at 9AM. It's a plateau with a pretty good view of the surroundings, very difficult to be attacked by surprise here.

    We make camp, have an early lunch, and then the trackers are called for the meeting. Haaran brings a map of the surroundings and show the locations of goblin sightings, along with the 3 possible locations for their camp. Alissa is the fastest of them all so she will go the second location, which is the furthest, she will go alone since she can conceal herself. We will tie her bow, quiver, and sword with a belt and she will carry them in her mouth, she can control saliva so it won't get dirty.

    Alissa got 1 level from the Symbol and she increased her [Bow Use] by 2 (now 22), her [Quiet Steps] by 1(now 4) and her [Hide Presence] by 1 (now 4) so she still has 4 points left. I put 2 in [Quiet Steps] and 2 in [Hide Presence], she's quite the assassin like this.
    AlissaSkill Report
    Physical
    Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel
    Sword Use9Bow Use22Parry4
    Dodge2Sense Presence5Hide Presence2+4
    Enhanced Olfact5Enhanced Hearing3Hawk Eyes1
    Muscle Explosion1Quiet Steps2+4Quiet Action2
    Tracking 2
    Magical
    Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel
    Sense Mana1Mana Control1Fire magic1
    Light Magic1Space Magic1Conjuring Magic1
    Miscellaneous
    Skill NameLevelSkill NameLevelSkill NameLevel
    Housework3Cooking2Cleaning2
    Washing 5Riding 2Oral Technique4
    Hand Technique2Pain Resistance2Fox Transformation (innate)4
    OBS: Level means (free point)+(trained point)

    The other hunters can only rest so I decide to train my dogs in sparring with Hana, while I don't make them bite her enough to hurt they can still hinder her. It takes a bit of effort since I can only communicate with voice commands but it's doable, specially if I bring 2 dogs versus a single opponent. I can't call wolves but a huge Kangal is still dangerous. I attracted some of attention with my sparring so I started to feel a little uncomfortable.

    I wished these dogs had personalities. I miss my dogs, I had two. One reminds me of a taller corgi while the other a bigger and stronger orange beagle. One liked belly rubs and the other like being scratched near the tail, one was lazier and fatter, the other was energetic and thinner. They would play with each other once in a while and it was the cutest thing ever.

    At 3PM, while reminiscing during a break Alissa comes back. She turns back into a humanoid and she looks a bit pale. She immediately comes to me.

    "Master, this is bad. The camp is a full blown village."



    Monsters generally work in small groups or alone, once in a while a leader-type is born and manages to command large groups of monsters, like the Orc Lord. A leader can then evolve and become a breeder-type, these breeders are the worst nightmare of hunters, they capture men or women and use them to birth more monsters. Men are used as sperm donors, women are raped and forced to give birth to children. The children from both men or women humanoids are born with intelligence similar to their parents. The children from men are weaker but are born faster, the children from women are much more developed and dangerous.

    If a breeder-type captures humanoids, in a year or two depending on the monster race he might have an army. An army that could topple a town. These monsters are emergencies and all measures are used to kill them and make sure not a single monster should escape.

    The difficulty of this request just increased a few levels. That's just my luck, isekai protagonist rotten luck strikes again.

    A "monster village" is a very large gated camp where life is not so different from a humanoid village. The villagers have their own small farms and livestock, they build their houses, weave their cloth, smith their tools, hug their children, and make love at night. They train their guards and soldiers to stand watch and protect their fellows from attack. They sing and dance when they are at peace and curse and fight when attacked. But they still can't change that they are monsters, they will always one day grow enough that their leader will order an attack. There's no negotiation, no diplomacy, their reason of existence is to kill humanoids and ours is to survive and kill monsters. Such is life here.

    Alissa tells Haaran and he gathers the leaders for a strategy meeting. The village is small enough that they can pick their things and move if they discover we found where they live. They will disappear and they will know we are hunting them so they might only be found again when they are marching an army. This is a risky situation no matter what you do, if we leave we risk losing their location, if we attack we risk dying since the difficulty is much higher now.

    It's impossible for us to fail, but at what cost will we succeed. The hunters follow the guild but they are not sworn to the land like the knights are, we can still retreat and retain our honor. But Haaran doesn't want to retreat, neither does Silvane.

    "You ain't paying us enough to die," says one of the hunters.

    "So it's all about money? I'm the son of the Lord, I can bring you much more money, the town is rich. It's not about money, you know that. You are afraid."

    "Shit, of course I'm afraid."

    "Then say it from the beginning."

    The man cringes and does not talk back.

    "We are all afraid, all of the time. Just like how the population is afraid too," his stern gaze passes through every hunter, making them shudder.

    "If we don't fight here and we go back, how can we look at the people and tell them we did our best to protect them," adds Silvane.

    "We are not going to die here, this is not a suicide attack," continues Haaran.

    "For the first time we are actually in danger now. That's our situation, but it's also the situation of the town," helps Silvane.

    "They are far too advanced to be left alone, they need to be stopped. It's our duty as sworn knights of the town but so is the duty of the hunters who protect us. Even if you aren't sworn to die, you are sworn to fight," finishes Haaran.

    The posture of the hunters hunch over as they get intimidate.

    The hunters are at an impasse, they do not want to budge but they can't find the words. It's incredible how Haaran straight truths and Silvane's warmth backed us all into the corner, aside from admitting to being chickens, nobody can run away now. They need just a little push.

    Didn't I tell myself I would at least try? I'm not gonna throw my life away for these people but it's true I have a lot of power right now. I don't want to fight, but I feel like I have to. I can't see this world as a game, I can't see these people as NPC's, I can't see Alissa and Hana as just toys, even if I do occasionally treat them like that I still feel some sort of love for them. They are part of this world and so am I, at least for now. Nothing tells me they don't want to fight, even Roxanne wants to blow some shit up, but I'm the leader I'm here to make the rational sensible decision for the best of all of us. But there's no simple answer here.

    I look at Targua, I nod. He stays still for a moment, then he nods. We start looking for the other hunters, we stare at each other, gauging reactions, then we nod. A silent agreement is emerging.

    "We should fight, even if we are scared, even if we are forced into risking the lives of our friends. This is one of the times we should fight," one of the hunters says.

    Sighs are released and heads drop.

    "We should fight," I gather the courage to say.

    "We should fight".



    Alissa managed to get into sight of the village so she described the best she could the surrounding area. It's gonna be difficult to enter, but they don't have a place to escape to. The place is on the other side of a river, which means there's an open field you have to cross. It's on a raised plateau with a single entrance, the ground troops like us are fucked. The only good thing is that the hill on the other side of the river is higher than the plateau, giving us the opportunity to use artillery on most of the village.

    "Silvane, you can use [Earth Wall], right?" I ask.

    "Yes, I'm very proficient in [Earth Magic]."

    "I can also use [Earth Wall], what if we make a ramp?"

    I get a few confused eyes since nobody knows I have this magic, which I don't, technically.

    "You can use it too? Then it's a valid plan, with us both together we might reach the top of the cliff. But we might need to use all our mana…"

    "This is not so good of an idea, Silf is a healer, isn't Mr. Ryder also a healer?" Asks Haaran.

    It's true, if I use my mana I can't heal anybody, even if my [Heal] is inefficient it can still save lives. Silvane even more so since she's more experienced, but the alternative is storming that death corridor... Maybe if I use [Redirect Mana]…

    "I'm developing a skill called [Redirect Mana], I used it once to quickly recover mana, it was just once but I could do it again. If I get a guard I can meditate and forcibly recover the mana on the spot.

    "'Forcibly'?" Haaran asks.

    "That's how it is, I forcefully absorb the mana dispersed in the environment. It takes a lot of willpower, but it's doable."

    "Then will you have your companions wait for you?"

    I didn't think of that, they will be fighting without me, I feel really bad about this.

    "It can't be helped. I will keep everybody alive until then, don't worry about it, master," Hana says.

    I know it's the best decision but I just don't want to accept it. Fucking hell.

    I hesitate for a second but I make my decision.

    "I will only need one person, it doesn't matter who. I cut my senses when I meditate so you will need to shake me to bring me back if we are attacked," I say.

    "We will have one of scouts stay with you then," says Haaran.

    "Understood."

    "Then we will have to divide the squads. One shock squad needs to hold the real entrance so no one escapes. The scouts need to clear the area of any guards or returners and keep the watch. The vanguard will support the detached shock squad."

    "We also need a clear line of communication, this will be a bloody and long battle. We have to kill all of them, no one must be left alive, " his gaze sends shills to our spines again, those fucking eyes of his, "So the scouts need to be able to reinforce if necessary and even the artillery needs to rest and recharge so they can rejoin the battle."

    Haaran keeps going on about the plan, I'm not required to hear too much of it though. It seems he really is trained in warfare, he knows exactly what he's doing and he does it with confidence. He has a different atmosphere from the hunters and specially from me, the quiet, small and rather cowardly man.



    Tonight the atmosphere was tense, no alcohol also helped with that, but you could see much more constant talking. People getting to know each other, to know how they fight, what they like and what their history was, to know who they are so if someone dies by their side they will at least feel something.

    I sit by the fire to think. Hana is talking and laughing, Alissa is with Silvane, Haaran is with his knights. Roxanne is by me now but she's quiet, she seems to be practicing [Mana Control].

    Targua comes and sits by me.

    "You are pretty reclusive, it's quite hard to get close to you," he says.

    "I'm not very talkative."

    "So it seems. But still you can't stop bringing attention to yourself, it's quite a predicament. But I want to know, why do you fight?"

    "That I can't say…"

    I fight to go home, but I also fight for the people, I think. I'm not sure anymore.

    Targua gauges me with his eyes and then speaks.

    "Well, I fight for myself, because I enjoy it, because it's my talent."

    "You enjoy it?"

    "Some are meant to burn like a candle, some are meant to burn like a [Firestorm]."

    I can hear this conversation being repeated around me. Knowing why a warrior fights is knowing the heart of that person.

    "I fight for my women... because I love them, and they can't live without fighting," I confess.

    "Oh, I see…"

    Saying "love" makes me cringe, but there's no real reason to be picky with words.

    "I just want to keep the town safe so we can go back to our quiet days…"

    I was eager for this expedition, but now I'm regretting it. But if it weren't me someone else would be here, someone else would be fighting. I can't run from this world forever.



    Tonight I take them with all my heart, and they took me with all of theirs. It's different from just lust, we are risking our lives tomorrow, we have to live like it's the last. You have to show your love and your heart.

    Alissa was the first, she was eager, she wanted me, she needed me, she depends on me and I depend on her.

    Hana comforts me, she keeps me safe, she keeps me happy, the least I can do is to give my all to keep her happy too.



    Today is the 18th.

    We wake up at before dawn. The chilly air, the faint mist, and the darkness create a gloomy atmosphere. Everyone is quiet and serious, there's no time to waste, we move as the first sun ray hits our faces. Targua waves as we march.

    Hey, God of War, I guess this is the first time I talked to you but I really need your help. I don't want to fight, I don't want glory or spoils but I have some women that I deeply care about. I have a duty to this people with the power I'm given, even if I don't want this duty, even if I hate whoever brought me here, I will accept this power and ask for more. I want to protect, I want to fight, I want to kill, and I want to live after to enjoy my life. I know you are listening so that's why I know you can help me. I know what I want and if you know what you want you know you should give power to me. You should give me what I need to protect others, because I will, I will succeed.

    I feel something change within me, I look at my stats and see my "Piety" has risen by 4, it's now 10. Thank you, I will keep everyone alive.

    I feel like there's something more that changed. I check my magic schools again and now I can see up to level 20 and 25 on all magic schools. There's one spell that puts a smile on my face, [Summon Elemental].

    Ten choices of elementals, one for each of the base elements. I have a good hunch of how they might be useful, specially the earth one.

    I catch up to Haaran and he looks towards me.

    "Excuse me, Lord Haaran," I say, my excitement overriding my meekness.

    "Yes?"

    "For this battle I will be calling earth elementals if my mana allows. Is that alright?"

    A smile flickers through his face then he turns stoic again.

    "It will be a great help. Use them well," and he nods.

    I bow lightly and go back to the girls to tell the news.



    Along the way I cast [Wind Armor] and [Swift Foot] on all of us and [Sharp Blades] on me and Hana. My mana is not sufficient for casting everything all at once but my recovery is quite good so I can do it before reaching our objective.

    It takes us an hour of forced march but we need to use the morning laziness to our advantage, if they have personalities like ours they will also be weaker just after waking up.

    The scouts take out multiple sentries and we reach our target without being discovered. But now we are inside their territory, it might be only a matter of time until the enemy gets alerted.

    We see a small hill and when we get closer we hear the sounds of water. We reach the summit and see the village.

    A small river and a large sandbank. A large wooden palisade covers part of the village, it's there to make the only entrance corridor into a death trap. The cliff wall is unprotected, it's 8 meters tall, we will have to make a considerable ramp for us to be able to cross. The village itself is a collection of ugly, filthy, hastily-made wood huts, they lack any sort of fashion, but they are all neatly organized in a grid. Behind the village there's another huge cliff, this one is impassable even for us. There's only one way in and one way out.

    "Artillery, stay here. Wait for the signal," Haaran says.

    We run down the hill and reach for the point of the cliff that's furthest from the village. Everyone is fully armored, the Knights pulled their full plate armor from the space mages [Item Boxes] and helped each other put it on. Hana's armored figure is imposing, the red brigandine covers her breasts, unfortunately, but the armor makes her look even more majestic, even frightening. The hunters and their mismatched armors also look imposing, they fit well with their armor so they walk fearlessly.

    I have 71 skill points, I put 21 in [Earth Magic], 20 in [Mana Control] and 20 in [Mana Efficiency] and 10 in [Blessing Magic] so my blessings keep active. Engage maximum power.

    Me and Silvane stand near the river, I wait for her to gather her mana and start my spell the same time as her. A 10 meters wide ramp starts to form in front of us, it slowly inches forward. Little by little, centimeter by centimeter, it aims towards the cliff edge.

    My mana is going fast, I don't have a large mana pool because I didn't practice magic since I was a child. Even with this specific spec, creating a large and sturdy wall isn't easy or efficient. Silvane suffers but soldiers on, she's also young and inexperienced but we are the only 2 with earth magic, it's us or nothing.

    We hear a commotion, clinking of metal, footsteps, and weird throaty screaming. The watch noticed us. A knight ignites a wick, there's a small pouch stuck on the tip of an arrow. He fires the arrow and it explodes in the sky with a thundering noise. Immediately I feel mana gathering far from here.

    A few seconds later the wall finishes and a large group of armed and heavily armored men runs pasts us. Hana turns her head and sends me a kiss as she runs past me.

    Now it's their turn.



    My heart hurts but I hide behind a tree and sit down on the ground, a bowman stays nearby and keeps watch. Silvane went back to the Artillery position to meditate, she will take a long time to recharge, even if she didn't use all her mana like me she still lacks a lot of mana.

    I close my eyes just before a firestorm starts razing the village.

    Now I concentrate, those who are important to me need me. No matter how much I hurt I need to concentrate.

    I start the same process from before. I see a large amount of mana in the sky above the village, I go there, my soul moves with ease this time. I can feel the heat of the current, I can feel that delicious taste of mana that is just waiting for me. Come to me. I feel it twitch, good, obey, you will serve me well, I will keep everyone safe. Come to me. I will make you turn into all sorts of magic, from healing to killing I will reunite with my lovers. Come to me! I will keep living on happy after this, safe and surrounded by those who I care about, I will live in this world and be part of it, I will fulfill my wishes. COME TO ME!

    I feel like laughing, the mana is coming, it is obeying me and it's filling me up!

    I open my eyes, it's time to move.

    At level 15 I have 60 Skill Points to use plus 11 I got for free. I put my skills like this:

    Wolf RyderSkill Report
    Physical
    Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel
    Sword Use9+4Dodge2+5Parry1+5
    Block2+7Shield Bash0+1
    Magical
    Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel
    Sense Mana0+5Mana Control0+4Mana Recovery3+0
    Mana Efficiency2+4Reduced Mana Cost3+0Mana Overuse Resistance0+1
    Blessing Magic10+0Light Magic9+1Summoning Magic20+0
    Redirect Mana (creator1
    Miscellaneous
    Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel
    Andraste Language10+0Dismantling0+1Enhanced Semen Recharge0+1
    OBS: Level means (free point)+(trained point)

    I always wanted to try summoning more, but I didn't have the courage, the knowledge, or the opportunity. I can summon 2 elementals without sacrificing that much of my maximum MP. The best part is that if they don't get hurt then a lot of the MP used is refunded when I dismiss them.

    I rush over the wall and feel like I entered hell. The air is hot, the wood huts are all on fire, there's unbelievable amounts of blood on the ground, and goblin corpses are everywhere. My courage vanishes for a second, but only a second. Then I rush into the village.

    A large, 3 meters tall bronze skinned orc and 10 other smaller green orcs are in combat with the knights. It's an Orc Chief, he's wearing dirty full plate armor with only a few vulnerable spots. What the fuck is he doing in this village?!

    I look for Hana and she's fighting two orcs at the same time. One of her legs is slightly lowered, obviously hurting; her sword swings lack power, the arm must be very bruised. She doesn't have any cuts thanks to the armor but she's clearly being pushed back.

    Alissa is on close combat with a goblin, there are more goblins nearby rushing towards her. She has a cut on her flank, I don't know the seriousness but it's bleeding. Fucking hell.

    Roxanne is behind, safely charging her mana.

    I call an earth elemental. A storm of sand appears and from it appears a two meters tall man made of floating rock and sand, his hands are giant balls of stone. I tell him to charge towards the goblin and protect Alissa.

    Then I charge towards the orcs. These orcs are wearing leather armor and have a significant amount of cuts, but they are still too strong to take 2-on-1 even for Hana. One has a sword and shield the other a 2-handed sword. I slash towards the shield user and they both step back and observe the new opponents.

    "Hah! Things got interesting, master," Hana says on the small breather I got her.

    "Orcs? What the fuck?!"

    "I know, right?!"

    The orcs attack again, then we counter and slash towards them. Orcs are aggressive and anger quickly, they have stupid strength but not that much experience and speed. Their counter, is to counter them.

    I cut the side of the sword arm of the orc, he pushes his shield forward to bash me but I take it and use the push to dodge backwards. I slash at his forward feet he used to push me and cut his shin, I feel the bone being scratched. The orc roars.

    He savagely slashes downwards, I use my shield to deflect and jump sideways to the left, then I slash again at his exposed arm. He tries to swing again upwards but his angle is awkward and I deflect it again.

    "Eat shit you scum of the earth!" Hana yells.

    Hana pushes the left orc and gets closer to him so he can't use his sword's reach to his advantage, he has to contort himself to parry her attacks with his sword. Then he kicks her shield and pushes her back, Hana doesn't have enough leg power to withstand that kick.

    I feel a surge of mana coming, I jump backwards and a fireball flies towards the orc. He raised his shield and the ball was blocked but it was still an opening and I slashed at his flank. His shield was in the way so the wound was shallow.

    Hana steels herself. The orc charges and slashes, he tries to shoulder check Hana immediately after but she parries and takes the charge head on. Through the top of the shield shield she stabs at him and cuts at the shoulder, it was a clean hit. The orc retreats.

    I block a slash and now my arm starts hurting. The orc is going berserk, he's using his shield to bash instead of defending. I'm being pushed back.

    "MASTER!"

    I jump backwards and an arrow penetrates the upper left arm of the orc, his shield loses power. This gives me a breather and I distance myself from the orc.

    "Prepared to be fucked!" Yells Hana.

    Is she using [Taunt]?

    Hana summons her wings, beautiful emerald fleshy wings, the part where the bone is supposed to be there are emerald scales shining in the sun. With instant speed she flies at the orc, this time he's not strong enough to take it and he's blown away a few meters. In an acrobatic move Hana turns to me in the air and lands on the ground, then she charges the orc fighting me. She cuts his sword arm off and at the same time bashes him with her shield.

    The orc falls on the ground and I slash his throat. He rolls on the ground unable to breathe anymore, in a minute he will be dead.

    The remaining orc is charging towards Hana, he receives an arrow on the chest and slows down. Then a [Fire Arrow] on the shoulder and falls on his knee. Hana jumps and slashes downwards, his head is split open, his brain pours out.

    I look back and the earth elemental is a few meters from Alissa, crushing some small goblins. Her wound is not bleeding anymore, she must have drank a potion. Roxanne is coming closer and charging another spell. There are still enemies nearby.

    Haaran and his knights are holding back the other orcs, the other shock troop squad is farther away dealing with a swarm of goblins. There are still random goblins appearing near Alissa so that elemental stays there.

    I rush to Hana and cast two small [Heals], one focused on the sword arm and the other on the lame leg.

    "Better?"

    "Better."

    I summon another earth elemental and tell him to help the other shock squad. Then I point toward the remaining orcs.

    "CHARGE!"

    A normal and a [Fire Arrow] fly past me.

    The situation changed. It was 5 knights and 1 mage versus 8 orcs and 1 Orc Chief. Now there's a new killing force charging towards the orcs. The Orc Chief that was facing Haaran understands this and now he gets enraged.

    "KILL!" Screams the Orc Chief, the other orcs repeat.

    Wait what?

    "URAAA!" Screams back Haaran, his knights scream too and a new vigor also reaches them.

    An orc gets grazed by an arrow on his thigh, another orc blocks a [Fire Arrow] but loses his momentum and is forced on the defensive.

    The knights can hold on for longer, me and Hana charge at a single orc. She strikes him head on and I slide and slash his flank. He tries to move back towards his closest friend but Roxanne uses [Fire Whip] and holds his leg in place. The orc roars in pain, he pushes Roxanne and she falls on the ground. She releases the whip but that was enough.

    "Meet your death!" Hana yells.

    Hana strikes again and the orc is forced to kneel. I get enough time to move behind him and slash at his neck. He uses his sword arm to block the strike and it gets severed. His friend comes back to help and pushes Hana back but he receives an arrow on the shoulder when he lowers his shield.

    The knight he was fighting regains his footing and attacks but his sword gets parried. Hana lunges forward and the orc is forced to fall back further.

    The one-armed orc drops his shield and picks up a nearby sword. He receives an arrow on the chest for it but he still manages to attack. I receive the one armed orc and deflect it easily, he's weakened. I counter but I don't have a good reach and only cut his belly shallowly.

    Hana turns to the one armed orc and slashes, he parries but now he's exposed. In his anger he went towards me and left the safety of his nearby colleague, now he's occupied with Hana and I thrust into his chest. I feel his disgusting breath on top of my head, I missed the heart.

    Thanks to my blade being sharp I can pull it back. Hana kicks his foot and he loses his balance. Then she bashes him and he falls down. I jump forward and push my sword through the bottom of his jaw, the blade peeks out from the top of his head. 7 to go.

    The nearest orc is being kept back by Roxanne's spells and Alissa is firing at the Orc Chief, giving Haaran a breather.

    A knight is pushed down and loses his shield, he desperately defends against the slashes. One orc grabs his leg and pulls him in, the orc gets an arrow on the shoulder but shrugs it off. Another orc bashes his helmet with a sword. Then another arrow hits the arm of the orc and they both get pushed back by a helping knight. The bashed knight doesn't get up.

    The Orc Chief loses his pressure and starts attacking Haaran again. Haaran's white helmet is dirtied and bloodied but he stands tall and keeps on fighting.

    We charge towards the nearest orc, now it's 3 on 1, the nearby knight is holding the orc back. The knights energy runs out and Hana takes his place. The knight moves on to help his other friend. Currently there's 2 knights on a 2-on-1, 2 on a 1-on-1 and one incapacitated knight with Haaran fighting the Chief while we gang up on the last orc. Alissa and Roxanne are moving to help the knights that are disadvantaged as the mage seems to be running out of mana.

    "I fought goblins with a bigger dick than you!" Hana yells.

    The orc starts to berserk on Hana who takes it on without much problem, leaving me to slash at him. I slash his belly, his sword arm and then finally his leg and he slows down. Then Hana counters with a deep cut on his sword arm. His attacks lose power and he's forced to defend, his sword arm is weak so I hit his shield while Hana overpowers his sword until his sword slips and his arm is severed.

    He tries to fall back but his friend is also occupied and he can't help. He's being pushed shoulder to shoulder with the other orc until he falls and one of his legs is cut off. He starts crawling back towards the nearest sword, his friend stands in the way and receives attacks from the 3 of us.

    Hana and the knight overpower him, they push him until he gets out of balance and falls. For trying to protect his dying ally he gets a sword in neck. 6 to go. I jump forward and stab the crawling orc in the back of the neck, 5 to go.

    "UROOOOO...!" The Orc Chief roars and the ground shakes.

    He ignores a slash from Haaran on his flank and jumps towards the nearest knight. The chief strikes once and the knight is forced on his knees, the orc he was fighting stabs the knight on a vulnerable spot under his armpit, the knight loses the grip of his sword. With a second strike the Orc Chief's sword splits his helmet and his head in two down to his neck, the orc gets dirtied by blood and brain matter. 3 Knights fighting.

    Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck, he's dead! That stupid strength is not something you can defend from, if you get hit once you are fucked, we gotta evade all attacks.

    We try to help but the orc who stabbed the armpit stands in front of us. He receives the attacks and falls back near the Orc Chief. Haaran stabs the Orc Chief in the kidney but he ignores the attack. The Chief forces his way back and gets back in line with his other orcs. The knight near us goes to help one of his friends who's being pushed back.

    Now it's me, Hana and Haaran versus an orc and the Chief. The Chief is still enraged, he's ignoring attacks and using crushing attacks to kill, you don't want to get near him.

    "Alissa! Suppress the Orc Chief!" I order her. She can hit the chinks in his armor, if she holds him for long enough we can kill the orc near him.

    "Hana! Rush this one!" I order her. She throws herself into the orc.

    I try to slash while he's busy with Hana but he's good at defending. He starts to retreat and the Orc Chief comes in front of us.

    Hana is wary and moves back, she receives a strike with the tip of his sword but that's enough to almost make her lose her posture. The orc circled around the Chief and is fighting Haaran now. This is not optimal, we can't kill the Orc Chief just the 2 us.

    I circle Hana and move besides Haaran. The Orc Chief pushes Hana back further and on the opening he jumps towards me.

    Oh no.

    He slashes downwards and he pushes me down on the ground. I slip and roll on the ground, I pull up my shield and hold it with both hands.

    "Don't ignore me you worthless cum stain!" Yells Hana.

    A massive strike hits my shield and nearly crushes my chest. My shield arm is broken.

    "AAAAAH!" I scream.

    I roll to the side and crawl away. I look back and there's an arrow on his armpit and Hana stabbed him on his kidney. Hana has to jump back with the power of her wings so she doesn't get skewered by the counter. Multiple arrows hit the armor of the Chief and only leave a few dents, we don't have bodkin arrows and Alissa's bow does not have a strong draw.

    I crawl back and cast a strong [Heal]. Most of my mana is gone, I can cast only 2 or 3 weak heals now. My arm cracks once in a very unpleasant way and goes back to being straight, but it's sensitive and it's still hurting, it won't hold.

    I feel mana gathering behind me and a volley of [Fireballs] flies towards the orcs. The orcs are forced to defend and for a few seconds the battlefield stands still. The artillery team is back, they are not fully rested but they have some mana left.

    I feel a large amount of mana gathering, it's Silvane, she's casting something. The Orc Chief jumps with all his power backwards far from his line of soldiers. The next moment a large patch of the ground turns dark-brown and hands emerge from the earth, they grab the orc near us and holds him in place. It's the [Earth Magic] spell [Soul Sand].

    Hana doesn't hesitate and uses her wings to charge the orc stuck on the ground. He doesn't have the posture to receive her and bends backwards on his knees, his feet are being held in place by the spell. Hana flies high and drops down on top of him, her sword craves on his face and he dies. 5 to go.

    The 2 artillery squads have 2 melee hunters that were guarding them so now it's the orcs that are outnumbered and being pushed back. The earth elemental that is guarding Alissa is receiving a lot of damage but the new mages burn the goblins amassing nearby. The other earth elemental stabilized the situation and the hunters gather around him, they are crushing the goblins.

    Silvane runs to the unconscious knight and starts to heal him. Haaran gathers his breath and starts to move towards the Orc Chief. The ugly little eyes of the Chief scan the battleground and he gets a horrible idea. The purpose of monsters is to kill humanoids, whatever way it may be, so the Chief decided to kill, no matter what. He's gazing at Silvane.

    Feeling his gaze Haaran charges forward but the orc has one goal in his mind. Haaran's sword can't hit an opening in the armor so he puts his body on the way. He gets his foot stepped on and receives a shield to the face and he falls backwards, the Chief slows a bit. Hana charges one more time but her wings are losing power and she only makes the orc lose balance for a second.

    I recall the earth elemental protecting Alissa and call an electric elemental, my head explodes and I lose my hearing, my vision blurs. A floating globe of plasma and sparks appears, I tell it to stop the orc and it flies towards it, I charge behind. The orc can't stop the elemental and it's hand absorbs the attack, the elemental enters the armored hand and runs through the entire armor of the orc, shocking him. The out of balance Chief cramps his muscles and falls down on the ground.

    My vision is going dark, I can barely see anymore. I can't strike, but I can see the head of the orc. I drop my sword and shield and jump towards the head of the orc. I feel something hard, I pull it and after a small resistance it comes with me. I run back a bit and feel the round shape, yep, it's a barbute.

    I run back to where Silvane should be and drop on the ground. I can't see anymore, I can't hear anymore. I gotta concentrate again and regather my mana but I'm lacking in power. I can't pull the mana again, all I can do now is wait and rest. I trust the girls will keep me safe.

    I feel something cold touch my lips and a warm liquid drops in, it's a potion, MP potion. At least this time I can swallow without problem.

    I feel a warm hand hold my hand. I'm an expert in the bodies of my women, this isn't Alissa's or Hana's, it's Roxanne's. After a squeeze I feel something touch my cheek and then the hand releases mine.



    I stay in darkness for a while and my hearing slowly comes back. First a buzzing, then a murmuring, then a few words here and there and then finally a proper phrase.

    "How's his condition?" A male voice says.

    "Unconscious, his skull was cracked but he will survive," says Silvane.

    "Good, how much mana do you have?"

    "Enough for a single deep wound."

    "Understood, start meditating, I will guard you."

    "Thank you."

    I think things are fine for now so I will focus too on meditating. I dismiss the electric elemental.



    "You are now level 16."

    I put all my points into [Mana Recovery]. Even with my eyes closed I can still see the menu.

    The sounds of clashing die down a little and I open my eyes. Things are still blurry but I can see the outlines of people. There's a few people around me sitting down and two standing. I meditate for a few more minutes and I can see things properly right now.

    The artillery teams and Silvane are by my side meditating, the unconscious knight is besides Silvane, there's the two guards of the artillery team standing guard, and the surrounding orcs are all dead. The Orc Chief lost both his eyes to arrows and his head is a meter away from his body. The dead knight is a few meters away, there's a piece of cloth over his body.

    I stand up.

    "What's the situation?" I ask.

    "Wow, uhm..." One of the guards nearly jumps in surprise, "There's still goblins around so the shock troops are still fighting but the orcs are all dead, now it's just slaughter."

    I feel my earth elemental is still alive and killing. I share my vision with him and it's all red blood and pieces of goblin meat, I cut the vision. I feel the girls are ahead near the cliff wall at the back of the village.

    I'm a little unsteady on my feet so I sit down again.

    Another half hour passes and the sounds of dying goblins reduce a bit more. Silvane opens her eyes and looks at me surprised.

    "You can see again?" She asks.

    "Yeah, I have some resistance to overuse."

    "Let me just say it now, thank you. You saved me from the Orc Chief," she gives a tired smile. Still beautiful.

    "You are welcome," I nod back at her.

    Enough mana gathered so I summon another earth elemental and tell it to crush some goblins. My head starts to hurt, oops, I overdid it again.

    "You really should rest, the battle is won," Silvane says.

    "I can't just stand still while my women are fighting."

    Silvane shrugs. She uses her staff to stand up and starts to leave.

    "I will join Lord Haaran," she says and she goes off.

    I take a quick look around. The wood huts of the goblins were extremely simple buildings, they were also very weak. The initial attack blew off most of the buildings but there's some wood left which is still burning. The smoke isn't so bad here but it makes the air uncomfortably hot and hard to breath due to the ashes.

    I take a quick look at one of the elemental's vision. He's crushing goblins side by side with Hana and a knight. The girls must be behind Hana and I see an arrow flying towards a goblin's head. The goblins are making a shield wall but they are cornered and they look afraid. There's goblin women in simple clothing crying while hugging their children, there's old looking goblins clutching a spear and shaking.

    I feel sick, I cut the vision, there's no way I can join them now. I close my eyes and meditate to calm my heart.



    My head slowly stops hurting and the sounds of battle die down. Eventually there's silence and only the cracking of wood burning can be heard.

    A few minutes later I hear footsteps and I open my eyes. Extremely bloodied knights and Hana appear. A tired looking Alissa runs to me and hugs me.

    "You overdid it again," she says.

    "Yeah… couldn't be helped…"

    "I know," she sighs, "But it's over now."

    I smell blood, sweat, and ashes on her but I don't care. We are safe now, we did it.

    One of the hunters comes carrying a body covered in cloth. It's the guy from Akros, the red skinned oni. Akros was the shock squad holding down the death trap. There's another hunter being carried, he lost his right arm but a red skin covers the wound, I see a hand peeking out of a cloth bundle, [Heal] can still be used to reattach that arm. There's a mix of solemn and happy faces all around.

    Haaran comes, he's also bloodied. He removes his helmet and a bruised face appears. He takes off his gauntlets and holds Silvane's hand.

    "Let us move, there's nothing for us to gain by staying here," says Haaran.

    "I will use my elementals to carry the bodies," I say.

    A painful smile flashes over Haaran's face.

    "Thank you..." He says.

    I tell the elementals to carry the bodies and to follow me. They look a bit beaten and there's plenty of missing pieces of their original bodies but they could still easily carry a body. A single [Clean] was enough to remove all the blood from their bodies.

    I heal Hana and the unconscious knight until he awakes and Silvane heals all other wounds. The armless guy gets it reattached but he has little movement on it for now. My mana is spent again, my head hurts and I feel my energy go low.

    As we slowly move everyone brings out simple food like skewered meat and eat as we walk. It's 10 AM but we are all already hungry from fighting so much. The simple meals feels like a banquet and gives some energy to our bodies.

    The woods are clear, the scouts killed everyone, even some monsters who wandered about. Our journey back is uneventful.



    It's 11:30AM when a scout comes running towards Haaran.

    "The camp is under attack! Orcs!" He yells.

    Time freezes for a second. That's why the Orc Chief was there, he was commanding a group of orcs and visited the village, different monster types don't mix so easily so they negotiate. He could have even been a breeder-type too, we forgot to think deeper into this.

    "Ryder! Drop the bodies. Artillery, you will take them along with the wounded! Artillery will join the battle but will be responsible for the safety of the wounded! Everyone else, run!" Haaran barks orders.

    I obey.

    "I will go ahead on Alissa!" I yell.

    I grab her equipment and mount her. We dash towards forwards and the earth elementals run besides us with frightening speed while shaking the earth.

    In a few minutes we reach the camp. A few tents are burning and there's benches, tables, cooking wares, clothes, and food everywhere.

    Honest Shield is a group of 5 hunters, 3 shield users, including Targua, 1 archer and another archer who knows a bit of magic. They are fighting against 9 orcs, there's 3 orcs dead. The space mages are also fighting but they only have swords and leather armor, they are on the defensive and 2 space mages are already dead.

    I tell my earth elementals to protect the space mages and Alissa leads us behind the orcs. She transforms back then immediately draws an arrow and shoots the back of the head of an orc, 8 to go.

    I ready myself and raise my shield. 2 orcs come towards us, I'm tired, my body hurts, I can't counter them I can only defend. One block, two blocks, a parry and a deflect. I bash to push him back and thrust, he steps back and waits while the orc on the left takes the offensive. They want to surround me but an arrow on the flank of the right orc tells him to stop.

    One earth elemental crumbles, he was too weakened. The space mages form a line near the last elemental, he's their only hope, Honest Shield is too busy dealing with the remaining 4 orcs. I see Targua is barely holding himself, his posture is crumbling.

    I hit the arrow on the flank of the orc with the flat side of my sword. He squirms and roars then steps back, holding his flank. The left orc enrages and savagely slashes at me. My shield arm explodes in pain, it's gonna break again, I can't hold it. One arrow, two arrows, on the third arrow on his chest the orc calms down and protects himself with his shield.

    The other orcs quickly changed their line and are now partially facing us so no more chances for a quick kill with Alissa but at least they are split. There's 4 with Targua's group, 2 with the space mages and 2 with us. We only have to hold, no more deaths.

    I cast [Heal] on my arm, my head hurts again, my vision worsens a bit. No! I have to hold it in! I can defend again, I can't lose my sight now!

    In anger I slash at the left orc and he retreats, the right orc charges and tries to help. I meet his sword with mine and nearly crumble at his strength but I manage to deflect it and counter. I connect an upwards slash at his armpit then I dodge back and a sword slashes my left cheek, I feel it hit my armor but it's too tough and doesn't cut. Too close, but now the right orc is even slower and his attacks are more bearable. I feel blood run down my neck.

    The left orc is having trouble breathing, one arrow must have pierced the lung. I need to harm him a bit too, I switch to him. I deflect an attack from the right orc with my shield and lunge towards the left orc, I feel a slash at my left shoulder but it lacks power, I'm too close to him. I bash and thrust at the same time, I managed to enter his guard and thrust my sword at his chest, it enters a little then leaves. I should have pierced the lung, could have been more but his leather armor reduced the damage.

    The right orc slashes at me and makes a deep cut in my sword arm. If not for my armor and [Wind Armor] it would have neutralized my arm, possibly cut it off. I wince and jump back, another arrow appears on the flank of the right orc. He retreats too.

    We spend a few minutes staring at each other, weakly slashing and countering. Now we are all too weak to fight properly and Alissa keeps me covered from being trampled. I saw Targua on the ground, shit.

    "URAAAAAAAAH!" The scream that brings me relief.

    Haaran and his men charge from the trees. He and the knights are not wearing plate anymore, only the scale armor. The hunters come alongside him.

    Hana lands in front of me and I drop my shield. It's done, I'm safe now. I retreat and fall down near a tree, I drink a potion and just watch.

    "I'll butcher your shriveled dick for daring to hurt master!" She yells, the orcs twitch in anger.

    A [Fire Whip] holds the right orc, his posture crumbles for a second and Hana decapitates him in an instant. The other tries to attack but Hana blocks it effortlessly, then she thrusts and jabs the belly of the orc. He doesn't slow down and bashes Hana's shield but he's way too weak now, he's the one who loses his posture. Hana slashes and his sword arm flies, he retreats a few steps.

    He throws his shield at her and draws his knife from his waist. He jumps at Hana and she bends backwards with the orc on top of her shield. With herculean strength she recovers and pushes him away. The orc falls down on the ground and an arrow pierces his face. He still tries to move and a [Fire Arrow] pierces his eye, now he drops dead.

    The other knights and hunters make quick work of the remaining orcs, they were heavily outnumbered now. I recall my last elemental and cast a weak [Heal] on my right arm. I see Silvane rushing to Targua, then I close my eyes and let myself lose consciousness for a while.



    I open my eyes, it's a bit past midday now. Hana and Alissa are sleeping besides me. A few are also dropped down randomly around the camp, we are all exhausted. The ones still standing are cleaning the camp and making food. There's a row of 5 people sleeping down on sleeping bags, they have bandages all over, Targua is among them. There's not enough mana to fully heal all the wounded.

    My head hurts a lot and my muscles are all sore, I think I can barely cast a [Heal]. I close my eyes again and properly fall asleep.



    I wake up all stiff but feeling a little better. Alissa is awake by my side and Hana is eating on the half destroyed table. Roxanne is inside her tent.

    "Okay, now it should be over," I say to Alissa.

    I lay down on her lap and she strokes my hair.

    "I hope so. There should be no more loose ends unless if the orcs were even dumber and divided their last remaining forces for some reason," Alissa says with a tired voice.

    Her fingers are rough and her hand is weak. I cast a small [Heal] on her hands. Oh, my heart is tingling, overuse is stacking, I feel I shouldn't cast anymore magic for a while.

    "You should have saved that mana for the wounded."

    "Sorry, not sorry, I'm selfish. Also it was only a small [Heal]."

    She sighs.

    "Thank you, master."

    My stomach growls.

    "Oh… well, I guess I should crawl to our tent."

    Alissa has to help me walk, I'm unsteady on my feet. Luckily our tent was the furthest away and is undamaged, only Haaran's tent and another got destroyed. I weakly eat my meal, roasted veggies, mutton, and bread filled with bean paste. I take out my armor, drop down on the bed and sleep.



    Intermission 3



    I'm really glad I chose him. The story I heard of the Symbol was neither a lie, an exaggeration or a fluke, he's actually someone dependable. He gave his all to protect someone he barely knows, someone he has no duty to help, yet he goes to battle until the end, then he put his trust in me to protect him when he's vulnerable. If I don't follow him into the depths of hell and bring him back safe and sound then my life has no value, I wouldn't be appropriate as a slave to him, I wouldn't be worthy of serving him.

    Even though he's shy he needs me to save him from a conversation with a stranger. I don't find it to be a bad trait, it's actually really adorable that the hero brave enough to save strangers is such a small man with a weak impression on others. But it's all a lie, he's a scholar, a warrior, a mage, a kind man, and a hero. He's someone I want to protect with all my power, may the gods help me do as much.
     
    Last edited: Jan 10, 2022
  16. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

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    It's 3PM. I wake up and Alissa is besides me while Hana is stroking her hair.

    I still can't properly cast magic.

    "Is Roxanne okay? I wanna take a bath," I ask.

    "She was helping wash the wounded so I know she's at least way better than you, master," Hana says.

    "I'll go get her," Alissa says and gets up.

    I slowly move outside and pull out the bath items. I sit down next to the bath and wait. Roxanne comes over, she's disheveled, her robes are dirty and one of the glass lenses is cracked. I want a mirror, what do I look like if I'm worse than her?

    "Well, you look like shit, Wolf," she says.

    "Thanks… I way overdid it, I can't cast magic."

    "That's… just like you, right?" She gives me a wry smile.

    She casts [Water Wall] and then throws a single [Fireball] in the tub and the water is steaming.

    She leaves and Hana and Alissa help me take a bath. It feels immensely refreshing, much of the soreness goes away. Alissa shows me her hand technique while Hana kisses me. Honestly Alissa's hand is as good as mine but her hands are softer and more delicate, I feel like I will melt and pass out on the bath.

    We get out and Roxanne has her turn. After a while she finishes and I recover the equipment. Then I go back to bed and rest, I don't feel sleepy now, though.

    "That will leave a scar," Alissa says, she traces her fingers on my cheek.

    "Don't use [Regeneration] on it, it will make you more handsome," says Hana.

    At 5PM I crawl out of bed, I'm strong enough to use magic again.

    "Who's the worst?" I ask.

    "Targua," says Silvane. She's sprawled on a chair, she looks exhausted.

    "You should go rest and sleep. I can heal them until the wounds aren't threatening anymore," I say.

    "I won't say no to that..." Silvane gets up and leaves.

    There's still a knight here watching the wounded. Silvane goes to her spare tent, which is much smaller than the other they had.

    Targua is unconscious, he has a deep cut on his belly that's still bleeding a little, I think he got skewered. He has a few cuts on his arms and a nasty bruise on his ribs. I go for the cut and the bruise. I cast two heavy [Heals] and my head is back to hurting again. My mana is full, it's just that I have been overusing my magic.

    I look at the others, I heal the space mage with a lung puncture, I heal the head of the knight who got a concussion, I heal the space mage who had a diagonal cut through his entire front and I heal the broken ribs of the hunter who got stepped on.

    Done, they are all saved for now. My head is splitting and I need to rest again. I go back to bed and ask Hana for a head massage, it actually helps a bit.

    I eat dinner and go to sleep. I don't let Alissa participate on the watch, I'm afraid of nightmares, but Hana has to because I can't summon my dogs tonight.



    Today is the 19th.

    My charisma increased by 1 (now 11), was that because of the scar?

    We wake up and break camp. Targua and a hunter with a broken leg still need to be carried so we use a makeshift stretcher. Me and Silvane heal them more but we are still tired and our bodies overused mana. I have to cast [Swift Foot] on myself to keep up with the walking speed.

    Alissa participates on the scouting to help the tired scouts. There weren't that many monsters since we came through the path we cleared. A few naked goblins, a single Young Ogre and two packs of Mossy Fangpines. I have no energy to focus on fighting so I just make sure to keep straight and walking. Soon enough noon comes but Haaran doesn't tell us to stop, we are close to the border, we will rest once we are out.

    The trees open up and finally we see the short grassland. On the other side of the grassland is the road, beyond the roads are our wagons and a small group of city guards. They come running to us when we appear.

    Haaran explains the situation to them and their expressions go somber. We eat a quick lunch and I don't waste anytime and get on my wagon. The rest of Akros enter but they remain mostly quiet this time, it seems Alissa won the competition with the dwarf girl.

    "What happened to the bodies?" I whisper to Alissa.

    "A space mage must be carrying it, the bodies don't rot on the [Item Box] and it's also a more dignified way of carrying it," she answers.

    Well, that's interesting, but it makes me uncomfortable to think of a human body inside of my "Items".

    I rest my eyes and take a nap while the wagon rocks on.



    We reach the town by dusk. Silas, the Lord, and a group of priests wait for us at the city gates. They likely thought the worst since we are late in our schedule.

    Haaran, still with a bruised face comes forward and shakes the hand of his father. They gaze at each other so powerfully it even affects me who's just observing from far away, it's like seeing a Renaissance painting in real life. I see a faint smile form at the face of the Lord.

    Silas takes us to the barracks and an army of scribes wait for us. We sit in front of the scribes and they collect our reports. I'm so tired I absentmindedly answer their questions and retell our story. The scribe loses some of his composure when he hears about the Orc Chief and he frowns when we reach the part of the attack on the camp.

    When it's over it's already 10PM. I just pull out the flying dinghy and Roxanne pilots us home. We take a quick bath, then dinner and direct to bed. Today was blur.



    Today is the 20th.

    It's over. Another crisis, another nightmare, another fight. It's over and now we are safe. The scene of Hana being suppressed keeps in my mind, I don't want to see that repeat but I know I'll have to fight again. If it's not because of me it's because of them, I can't change that these women are warriors. I'll just have to enjoy the moments we have and make sure they never suffer, make sure they never die.

    I'm the one who wakes up first, I slowly wake up Alissa by caressing her ears. At the same time I caress Hana's arm scales with the tip of my fingers. Then Alissa turns and I kiss her deeply. I want you so much Alissa.

    Hana wakes and moves her hand over my body. I turn around and it's her turn for the kiss. I get on top of Hana and fondle both hers and Alissa's breasts.

    "You look energetic today, master," Alissa says while she grabs my erect dick and strokes it.

    "I'm just happy we are all here, together," I say, breaking the kiss, "I'm glad I have you two… I really am. I love you, both of you, a lot."

    I always believed love is something that grows on you with time, that it should be a deep feeling that you shouldn't rush. But the thing that I feel about these two women is not just lust or obsession, I trust them, I know I can risk my life together with them. I want to make them happy from the bottom of my heart and I know they are doing the same for me.

    Is this the "Suspension Bridge Effect"? I don't know, I don't care anymore all I know is that I'm happy and safe with them and I want to keep it this way.

    Hana grins and looks at Alissa, then back at me. Alissa is frozen and her eyes are wide open.

    "I love you too, master," Hana says without a hint of shame.

    "I-I l-lo-ve-ve y-you t-too, m-master!" Alissa stutters and shakes.

    "Then show it to me," I say.

    I push my hand between Alissa's legs, she pulls my head and kisses me. This time it's she who's eager and pushes her tongue inside my mouth. I move my body a little and push my hand on Hana's pussy too, she squirms and lets out a moan.

    Soon enough Alissa is wet and I waste no more time, I move her hips and start fucking her. I break my kiss with her and kiss Hana, my left hand moves with all my strength on her pussy.

    With my free hand I close Alissa's legs and apply pressure. It's the tightest I have ever felt, Alissa arches her back and moans loudly.

    After a while I stop my kiss, my hand is tired. I turn Alissa around and fuck her from behind, I bend her back and reach her ears and bite them.

    "HMNYA!" She screams amid moans. Hana laughs.

    I hug Alissa from behind and put my head besides her ear.

    "I love you, Alissa," I whisper.

    She squirms, her insides tighten and her tail freezes.

    "I love you, deeply within my heart, I trust you with my life," I whisper again.

    Her breath is erratic, she's trying to mutter something.

    "You don't have to say anything right now, tell me when you can," I whisper again and she stops talking, but I feel her insides tighten again.

    I enjoy her body warmth and I let it out, I finish inside her.

    I take a minute of rest and force myself to get erect again. Then I fuck Hana who's waiting for me, legs spread.

    She grabs my hips and helps me thrust. We touch foreheads and just stare at each other, those yellow lizard eyes stare into my soul.

    "I love you too Hana. You are mine, forever. I will make you happy and I will entrust you my life," I say.

    "There's nothing else for me to... say, master. I already said I would give... you my everything. I love you, master," she smirks amid moans.

    I pick up speed and violently smack her hips, I give all my strength. I grab her breasts and squeeze them, then I bite her nipples.

    My strength is going away and I feel it coming, I don't try to hold it in. I lose speed and kiss her. Finally I finish inside her too. I'm spent, my body strength isn't fully recovered yet. I flop down between Hana and Alissa.

    Alissa hugs me tight from behind.

    "I love you, master. I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you..." Alissa repeats and her voice dies down, she's almost crying. I hear hear tail hitting the sheets rapidly.

    Hana brings my face face to her breasts and kisses the top of my head.

    I let some silent tears, I wanna stay like this forever.



    After a long time Alissa breaks the hug, she and Hana have to go clean themselves and make breakfast, also another sheet needs to be washed. I stay to look at my stats.

    [Mana Overuse Resistance] increased by 1 (now 2), incredibly [Summoning Magic] increased by 5, is this because I have a lot of knowledge on [Summoning Magic] now? [Light Magic] increased by 1 (now 9+2), [Sword Use] increased by 1 (now 9+5), [Redirect Mana] increased by 1 (now 2) and [Mana Control] increased by 1 (now 0+5). My "Magic Power" increased by 5 (now 225) and MP by 35 (now 490).

    Wolf RyderSkill Report
    Physical
    Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel
    Sword Use9+5Dodge2+5Parry1+5
    Block2+7Shield Bash0+1
    Magical
    Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel
    Sense Mana0+5Mana Control0+5Mana Recovery7+0
    Mana Efficiency2+4Reduced Mana Cost3+0Mana Overuse Resistance0+2
    Blessing Magic10+0Light Magic9+2Summoning Magic20+5
    Redirect Mana (creator2
    Miscellaneous
    Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel
    Andraste Language10+0Dismantling0+1Enhanced Semen Recharge0+1
    OBS: Level means (free point)+(trained point)
    Now that I think about it, were there any humanoids at the goblin village? If it truly was a breeder village then it must have, but I didn't see anybody… oh… I don't want to think about this anymore. The hunter advice book says that people are considered dead the moment they are captured because they never come back, neither in body or in mind. There were no humanoids in that village.

    I get up and go help with breakfast, thinking about this will ruin my mood.

    We have a nice selection of cold meat cuts, bread, sheep cheese, and butter. With a few leaves and a mild herb sauce similar to ranch the sandwiches we can make are pretty good. Alissa also prepared a strong black tea, we have sugar now and we use it sparingly on tea.

    Roxanne seem very content this morning, she will go back to work on Moonlight Moss now.

    "Actually, I have an idea. I thought about an interesting way to process the moss," Roxanne says.

    "The brain needs time to rest so it can process information and develop. Regular breaks should always be part of your routine. Did you ever get an interesting idea during the bath or before sleep?" I ask.

    "Well… yeah, it happened a few times..." She says.

    "Same principle, take your mind off things for a while and your brain will have the time to grow."

    "Huh… No wonder you have a blessing. Alright! I will work hard and rest even harder!" Roxanne says jokingly.

    "Something like this would be on par with your personality," says Alissa.

    "Ah, Alissa. The wedding is gonna be at 5PM, how's it gonna be? I know nothing about marriages here," I ask.

    "There's a small ceremony where they say their vows towards each other in front of the priest and write their names on the registry. Then it's a party," she answers.

    I get a shiver.

    "I… don't like parties… ," I say.

    Hana snorts, Roxanne shrugs.

    "Well we don't have to stay long. Just enough for dinner and some talk."

    "I should leave early, you should stay longer."

    Alissa turns her head away and thinks.

    "Do we have to take some gifts?" I ask.

    "If you wish, but since we don't know how are the needs of the house we have to think of something special."

    "Perhaps a decoration? Or maybe some expensive tea that you like," Roxanne suggests.

    "Tea? Does she even like tea? Shouldn't it be something that's useful for her or something she likes?" I ask.

    "I don't know. But it's not about whether she likes it or not, a present should be something that you enjoy and wants to share," Alissa answers.

    I guess I'm too practical with gifts.

    "Then I guess tea might be okay. I would prefer if it was coffee or chocolate, though."

    "Coffee?" Asks Roxanne.

    "A bean that you brew and make coffee, somewhat like tea."

    "Never heard of it," she continues.

    "Anyway, let's go in the afternoon and get the tea," I say.

    "Ah, master. You should visit Ciel now then," says Alissa.

    "Really?"

    "Yes, she was interested in your adventures. If she hears you participated in the extermination and didn't even show up after she might get sad."

    Well, she's a good person, I guess.

    "Then, do you want to come?" I ask.

    Alissa thinks for a bit, she looks a bit worried. What is going on?

    "Alright, let's go together then," she answers.



    I ride Alissa to the temple, we ask for Ciel and she's healing at the clinic, it's a in front of the temple. We wait at the lobby for half an hour until she starts her break. Then she invites us into an empty room.

    "Sorry to bother you during your break," I say.

    "No bother, a break is to be used relaxing or talking to others," Ciel says with a smile.

    "Well, anyway. We just came back yesterday, we were on the goblin extermination request the guildmaster organized.

    Ciel opens her eyes wide and then sighs. She could have healed someone from the expedition yesterday and seen the damage.

    "Surprising, but not unexpected," she chuckles.

    I shrug.

    "Yep. I might have to really accept my nickname."

    "Nickname?"

    Alissa tries to contain a smile.

    "After the Symbol I gained the nickname 'Good Luck'. Nobody is using it but it's just a matter of time before it's known."

    Nicknames appear on the guild "Notable Hunts" and "Confirmed Kills" boards.

    "All heroes had nicknames, there's no option but for master to accept it."

    I cringe at these words.

    "I don't wanna be a hero."

    "Well, a hero is title given to others, there's no way you will have a choice in this matter," Ciel says.

    "Se-seriously, let's stop talking about this it's giving me chills," I ask.

    "Okay, okay. Tell me how it went, I only heard how the wounded got hurt, I don't know much else," Ciel relents.

    "Ok, but. Why are you interested in my stories?" I ask.

    "Well..." She looks away for a second, "I did say you were an interesting person, right?"

    I don't feel like probing her further. We retell the story of the expedition, Alissa seems excited and proud. We end up also telling her about how the research on [Golemancy] and my small talent with [Summoning Magic] is going.

    "Hohoh, you will get your 'Scholar' title soon enough," says Ciel.

    "What you mean? Does 'Scholar' appear on my status like my nickname?

    "Yes, there's a few titles like 'Scholar', 'Knight', 'Great Merchant' or 'Great Adventurer' and many other unique ones that appear once you accomplish something."

    "What does a title do?"

    "It's just recognition."

    I'm rather ambivalent about it then.

    "The story of your expedition gave me a bit of nostalgia," Ciel says.

    "Hm? Were you an adventurer, Miss Ciel?" Asks Alissa.

    "No, but I was warrior priestess. Once in a while we join the guard and explore the Sea of Trees. I also traveled for a little while with the Templar Knights."

    "Oh, now that's interesting. What weapon did you use?" I ask.

    "A glaive."

    Me and Alissa lift our eyebrows in surprise.

    "What's with the surprised faces? This robe doesn't show my figure, I'm pretty strong," and she lifts an arm and flexes, nothing can be seen behind the loose robes.

    "They certainly don't," I say.

    Ciel looks dejected.

    "I'm sorry. That was rude, it's obvious you are beautiful," I correct myself.

    "T-that's not e-exactly what I was talking about, but thank you."

    Damn, I'm smooth.

    Alissa smirks at me. What's with you today?

    "Do you miss those days, Miss Ciel?" Alissa asks.

    "W-well, no, I'm fine with healing people here," Ciel says while averting her eyes.

    "That wasn't a very confident answer," I say.

    Ciel shrugs.

    "Those weren't bad days, it was just a choice I made… well anyway, my break time is over. Thank you for visiting, please come again Mr. Ryder and Miss Alissa," she says with a smile.

    We say our goodbyes and leave.



    "Master, I know this is presumptuous of me but would you invite Miss Ciel to the fellowship?" Alissa asks.

    "Wha-what?"

    "You have seen it too, she misses the fight. She only needs a good reason to go back."

    "Ok, but what reason would she have to join us, specifically?"

    "Well. First, you are basically the town's hero, after this expedition the Lord should have his eyes on you and he will likely try to reward you with something special, which means you are a competent adventurer. Second, she's already very interested in your personality, you two have a good relationship with your religious talks so I'm she believes you are a good person. Third, you already have plenty of women in the fellowship, this means you are trustworthy around women. Fourth, she's unmarried."

    "W-wha n-no w-we, ah, oh, uh…"

    Alissa looks at me confused.

    "What made you confused?" She asks, tilting her head.

    "Why did you mention marriage?!"

    "Ciel is getting past normal marriage age, you could easily pursue her. I'm a bit surprised you didn't, even Roxanne would accept you."



    "Master?"

    "Yes?"

    "Are you okay?"

    "Yes."

    "You don't look okay."

    "Is that so?"

    "Can you pull a chair and sit down?"

    "Ok."

    I pull a chair from my "Items" and sit, it's quite comfortable.



    "Master…"

    "Yes?"

    "We really need to talk about this."

    "Oh, what is it?"

    "You should pursue Ciel and Roxanne."

    Hm.

    "I don't understand why you are so confident with me and Hana while you act like this with Ciel and Roxanne."

    Huh.

    "Perhaps it's because we are slaves? Now you are scared of the real thing?"

    "AH! NO!"

    "C-calm down…"

    "I'm not… a bad person… I'm not… using you…"

    "What are you saying? You are not a bad person, what are you talking about 'using you'?"

    "I…"

    Alissa won't let me escape, Alissa won't let me run. It's true, because Alissa and Hana were slaves I took their feelings lightly. It's why it was difficult for me to accept that their love is real, it's why I was feeling guilty of abusing their bodies, it's why I'm so scared right now, it's why I think I'm a bad person.

    I used Alissa and Hana as a way to find comfort and safety on this fucking scary world, then I fell in love with them, it doesn't change the fact that I used them before that. But now that we are talking about marriage, how a real relationship might start, I get reminded of what I did, of what love should really be. Alissa and even Hana do not see themselves as my lovers, even if they say they love me they are still my slaves and now we are casually talking about marrying and bringing more women to my bed while they stay as my slaves, below my wife.

    That still doesn't even touch how I already had a wife on Earth and I cheated on her with these two. That was just a problem I decided to forget, to push it away so I could remain sane and happy. Can I do the same to Roxanne and Ciel that I did to Lily? Could I abandon them if I found a way back to my world? Marriage means creating permanent roots here. Now even worse, I didn't even consider Alissa's and Hana's feelings, I still wished for a way back even while I was with them, even I didn't consider them to be my real lovers.

    "If I were one day to return to my homeland there might be a chance I can't take back you, or Hana, or any woman I marry."

    Alissa freezes.

    I feel like crying.

    "I just ignored it because I wanted company, I wanted comfort because I was scared and lonely. I bought you and Hana but I didn't consider your feelings if I were to ever abandon you. I'm sorry… I don't know what I should do," I lower my head and let the tears run.

    Silently Alissa hugs my head.



    I have a responsibility, I have a decision to make. Whoever I abandon will be hurt.



    God might have fucked me over but it's still my decision to make.



    I'm the weak one who cried for help, who then got saved and protected.



    I have to take responsibility over my actions.



    Neither choice is perfect, neither world is simple, neither outcome is desirable.



    There's no logical choice.



    I just have to follow my heart.



    And my heart tells me one thing.



    "I will stay with you. I won't go back, I will stay with you forever," I say.

    Alissa hugs me tighter.



    I don't know how long we stood there. I don't care how many eyes looked at us, all they saw was a young couple crying and hugging. All I know is that on this day, I become a different person, I cast out my old name. From this day on, I'm Wolf "Good Luck" Ryder.

    I don't really know why I never told Alissa the truth. I guess I was just running from it, trying to forget Earth, trying to forget what I did to Lily...

    "I will tell you the truth of my homeland."

    "W-what?" Alissa says in a hoarse voice.

    "Why I left, why I don't talk about it, why I don't know anything about this world, why I'm so different, and why I won't go back. I think Roxanne should hear it too and if we want to invite Ciel she will also need to hear it. Let's go back home."



    We reach home at 10PM and call Hana and Roxanne to the dining table.

    "Master, your eyes are red. What's going on?" Hana asks, worried. Roxanne looks the same.

    "I wanna tell the truth."

    They stay quiet and sit down.

    "First of all, the thing that explains me the most is that I might come from another realm."

    "What do you mean by that?" Asks Roxanne.

    "Exactly that, the gods can see other realms, right? Well, my realm is different. There's no magic, humanoid gods, other races or monsters, there's only humans there. My realm is called Earth."

    I tell them my life story. I was born in 2019 in Brazil, I grew up playing games and reading stories, I entered the university and graduated with a robotics degree, then I immigrated to Canada and married Lily at 30. During the ceremony I was transported here. I explained games as board games but much more advanced, they kind of understood it, there's magical board games that are similar to table-top Warhammer 40k. I explained robotics as similar to [Summoning Magic] and possibly very similar to [Golemancy].

    It was very hurtful to talk to them about Earth, my past life. Remembering my few friends, my family, my Lily. All those people that I have decided to abandon, everything I built on Earth will remain unfinished. I will never be able to feel the happiness of those whom I loved, or the things I loved to do. I'm sorry Mom, Dad, Sis and Bro, Tito and Lala. Goodbye.

    Then I told them how I appeared on this world and survived, my strange abilities to manipulate skill points and how I can change Alissa's and Hana's skill points. How my world has an entirely different common sense and how I was as careful as I could to keep a low profile. How I might be cursed/blessed to be a hero or to live an "interesting life", even though I want none of that I can still see and predict the "isekai hero" tropes. How I had nightmares about the monsters I killed until I slept with Alissa, this also explained why I'm so attached to her. And now that the talk of marriage appeared my emotions that I kept locked reappeared. I didn't tell them that Alissa suggested pursuing Roxanne and Ciel, I have no idea how to deal with that yet.

    "A hero from another realm..." Says Hana.

    "A hero indeed..." Says Alissa.

    "OHOHOH! How exciting!" Says Roxanne, clapping the tips of her fingers.

    "NO! I'm no hero, please… I don't want this kind of life..." I plead.

    "It's not for you to decide, you are already being guided by the gods," says Alissa.

    "And we will support you," says Hana.

    "Certainly!" Roxanne agrees.

    I feel like crying again but I don't want this kind of support, be indignant with me and help me escape this fate! But that's what I get, I surrounded myself with warrior women.

    "I don't want to be a hero…"

    "You kinda already are, I'm almost sure you meeting us might be part of your hero's 'reward'," says Alissa.

    "I agree, it's difficult to think we would find a master so perfect for both of us and even as a companion for Roxanne," says Hana.

    "Ugh… I can't really deny that."

    I also agree they are perfect to me.

    "But you are a total cheat. Infinite inventory? I will make you carry all my stuff now! Any skill at any time? That's insane, you will be a demi-god if you keep increasing your level!" Says Roxanne excitedly.

    "But I don't wanna be that powerful… also, I won't carry everything, it will be a bother to have to keep all the stuff of everyone."

    "That's fine, but you will carry most of my clothes now. Anyway, this also means you really are a scholar! A scholar from another realm, at least."

    "Yeah, well, I can't really deny that also."

    Alissa coughs.

    "Hm… I'm sorry about your wife, master," she says.

    "Yeah, it's quite an experience, we understand your pain. That also explains a few things..." Hana says and looks at Roxanne who nods.

    I accepted my place in this world now.

    "But you said you will remain?" Asks Alissa with expectancy in her eyes.

    "Yes, I will live my life here to the fullest, I can't abandon you both now."

    "What if there's a way to take us with you?" Asks Alissa.

    "That will be difficult, it's a different world, or rather, a different realm. You and Hana will call attention with your bodies and there's no magic, you will have a hard time adapting."

    "Perhaps, but it's not like it's impossible. For you we would do anything."

    "Even give up fighting? There's no monsters to fight in my realm."

    "Well, first, I'm quite sure the gods won't allow you to return to your realm until we save this one, so we'll be fine as long as we are with you," Alissa says with a confident smile.

    That's comforting, but not the part about "save the realm".

    "There's also no polygamy in there, we would have to hide our relationship somehow."

    "That's not a problem," Alissa shakes her head.

    "Agreed," Hana nods.

    "Yeah, also, now that we know this you definitely should invite Ciel to the fellowship," says Alissa.

    I shudder, it's coming.

    "You should also pursue her for marriage," Hana says.

    Oof.

    "What, even you...? Marriage is something different in my world, it's a pledge for life and we take years to choose someone as we can only choose one. I don't know how to deal with it in this world. Everything here happens too fast, I'm still adapting, I know that I lost Selina because I'm slow, it's just... everything is a bit confusing."

    Roxanne props forward.

    "Hmm… Marriage here is a partnership, in a sense it's a fellowship between lovers where they form a team to work together. A team isn't forced to have only 2 people, neither it is required for love to already be there before it starts. There can be more people on the team as long as everyone agrees with it. In the end, teams can be broken too if it's not working out. The Humanoid Gods ask only that the married ones do their best to work together to keep each other happy and raise their children properly," says Roxanne.

    There's even divorce here, how progressive.

    "So in a way, it's like I'm already married to Alissa and Hana then..." I say.

    Alissa freezes, her gaze goes to the distance.

    "Hah! That is certainly true," Hana grins, "A Blood Slave for life is too similar to a marriage if there's love."

    "Well, it's not like you are going to ask Ciel to marry you immediately, you know. You would have to invite her first," says Roxanne.

    Marriage is talked so lightly here it makes me uncomfortable, it's difficult to accept it since it's conflicting with my values from Earth. But still, I keep remembering Selina, even though we weren't a good match, if I lose because I was slow...

    "Talking about that..." Hana mutters and stares at Roxanne.

    Roxanne shudders, she turns her head away. Hana sighs.

    Oh boy.

    "H-Hana, d-don't s-..."

    "I'm sorry, Roxanne but I think this shouldn't wait any longer, now's the best time. Master… do you wish to marry Roxanne?"

    "Hana?! As a slave you shouldn't say such things!" Alissa strikes the table in anger.

    Oh... boy…

    "She's not a virgin but I don't think you are the kind that will not marry her just for that. Also, there's one last thing…"

    "HA-HANA!" Roxanne is desperate.

    "I have to ask, it's master! It would come up eventually!"

    Roxanne's mouth moves up and down without making a sound.

    "Master, I ask that you share me with Roxanne."

    OOOOH BOOY...



    Oh, the image, those two, together. NO! Now is not the time, gimme back my blood, other me, my brain needs to think.

    Okay, breathe in, breathe out. Calmness, it's time for logic.

    Marriage is definitely something more casual here, more practical, the high death rate of people must have some influence of that. Roxanne also is not denying Hana's words, she's only shaking in fear, she was unprepared for this.

    "Is this normal?" I ask after a minute in silence.

    "What do you mean?" Hana looks at me worried.

    "Well, on Earth marriage would only happen after a few years of dating, I know things are different here but is it normal to ask for marriage like this?"

    "A slave would never ask for such thing, at least not in the way Hana did, without any tact..." Alissa says and glares at Hana who grins back, "But if you are talking about time then some would say you are slow, that you took quite some time to look at Roxanne in this way."

    "Still, isn't marriage a big decision, what if we end up hating each other?"

    Alissa smiles, then she corrects her posture and cleans her throat.

    "'It's best that you show your love and try and fail to make something instead of wallowing in the what could have been'. That's one of the teachings of the Goddess of Love," Alissa says.

    "'It's best that you leave your mark in the world, even if for a little bit, even if only on a single person instead of being forgotten the moment you die'. That's one of the teachings of the Goddess of Fertility," she finishes.

    I chuckle, no, of course it's not fast, I'm actually slow. People have to live without regrets here, of course they would end up being somewhat immediatist. Anyway, me and Roxanne? I could have a chance with Alissa since I managed to snatch Lily on Earth, Hana is just winning a lottery since she's a freak in bed and has a fetish for small men. But Roxanne? Holy shit.

    "Why me?" I say after another minute in silence, "Aren't you too beautiful for someone like me? Couldn't you find a tall, strong, handsome man for you?"

    "Master… you need a bit more confidence on yourself," Alissa says with disappointed face.

    "I know small men are very self-conscious, that's why I told Roxanne to be aggressive. It worked for me, but she was too reserved," says Hana.

    "W-wha-what? Since when have you two talked about this?" I ask.

    "Since the first day. She has no courage, this woman!" She looks indignated at Roxanne, "It frustrated me that she didn't do a move yet!"

    Roxanne hunches over a little more.

    "I… think I'm somewhat perceptive of these things and didn't notice a single signal from her, only very ambiguous reactions," I say.

    "I was… a bit scared to move," Roxanne says, hugging her arm, "Your relationship with Alissa intimidated me a little… if even her you wouldn't admit you loved, would you have accepted me then?"

    Alissa looks concerned.

    I told them I didn't know what I considered my relationship with Alissa and Hana to be, but now I know I love them.

    "That's true... I think I would have denied you if you asked me then…"

    "And now you changed?" Says Hana, leaning forward with expectancy.

    "Yes… I would have hurt someone no matter what I did, so I chose to be happy here and not hold a far away hope to return to Lily. I think Lily knows I would come to this if she knew I was here."

    I look at Roxanne, her beautiful face looks worried. That charming smile and her bright personality, it's growing on me. She's someone reliable, someone you can trust your back to even though she's a bit of an airhead. She's someone I desire. There's no reason anymore to say no.

    "I would like to marry you, Roxanne. Would you accept me?"

    A rare sight, Roxanne is blushing.

    "Y-yes! Yes!" Her face brightens and she claps the tip of her hands.

    Dear god, I'm greedy. I have 3 women now.

    "S-should I say something like vows right now? I-I'm not sure how to ask someone in marriage on this world."

    "If you wish," Alissa says with a smile.

    I get up from the chair and move towards Roxanne, she's sitting still, frozen for a moment. I grab her hand and kiss it. I can smell her sweet perfume. I spend a moment to think on my words, can't disappoint now.

    "I will protect you, I will keep you happy, I will fight with you and defend with you, together we will adventure far. I will entrust you with my life. Do you wish to do the same for me?" I ask.

    She smiles and gets up.

    "I will protect you, I will keep you happy, I will fight with you and defend with you, together we will venture far. I will entrust you with my life," she repeats.

    Should there be a ring here? I don't know.

    I put my hand on her chin and pull her downwards. She's 170cm, I'm 165cm, she's even higher since she wears heels all the time.

    I kiss her. A sweet taste on her lips. I kiss her again but harder, I push my tongue and her mouth opens, I hug her and she hugs me. We explore each others mouths and the tingling feeling of her tongue makes me excited. I still remember the taste of her body, it's even better when it's the real me.

    We break the kiss and look at each other. She's blushing again, she looks incredibly sexy. This face is mine now.

    "Ah, Master. So… how about… ,e?" Hana asks bashfully, now that's another first.

    I nod.

    "It's okay, I'll accept the relationship of you two. I admit I'm a pervert, I, uh... I wanna watch…"

    Hana smiles, Roxanne squirms a bit in my arms. Then Hana slaps the table.

    "We have to celebrate! Bring the alcohol!" Hana yells and laughs heartily.

    "Oh, I still have that wine I got from killing the Oodogloo."

    I pull it out with a *poof*.

    "Yes! That's a good wine! Let's open it!"

    "Wait, we still have Selina's marriage to go to. It's 1PM, we have to eat and then leave soon," Alissa says.

    Ah, that's right.

    "Anyway, let's celebrate another day then. The day after the ceremony is good, let's buy a cake too," I say.

    Hana sits down a little disappointed. Roxanne hugs me tighter and rubs her cheeks on the top of my head.

    "Yes! Cake for the celebration! Finally! Also, I'm gonna get married!"

    Your priorities in celebration are a bit off.

    "I admit, this household is interesting..." Says Alissa, she's chuckling and her tail is swaying slowly.

    "Is that a bad thing?" I ask.

    "No, it's like I said, master. You are likely to gain a blessing from the Goddess of Love like this."

    I shrug. I won't complain.

    "What should I do now? On Earth we use rings to signify someone is married, there's also the ceremony, how should we arrange that?"

    "We use matching rings, pendants or bracelets. A few use piercings but that's somewhat unfashionable," says Alissa.

    "The ceremony could wait for Ciel," says Roxanne.

    "I-I'm sorry, w-what? Already talking about adding another?" I say, stupefied.

    Roxanne shrugs.

    "Hana told me a lot of things, I may have a higher libido than the average human but we might need another woman for you."

    "Wha-what, Hana?!" I look at her and she shrugs, "I'm not a monster, I don't need sacrifices or something, I can control myself. I-I wasn't like this on Earth you know, this world messes up with my libido."

    "Yes, yes. But still, what reason is there to wait?"

    "I'm the kind that thinks calmly and slowly."

    "But you are just gonna accept this in the end, right?"

    I desperately search for a counter argument. There's none. It's true, I like Ciel. If I'm gonna be like this and accept the speed people marry here then there's no reason for me to not go for Ciel too…

    I sigh.

    "Let's just ask her to join first, then... I will deal with it if she actually likes me."

    "That's reasonable, master."

    "No problem, master."

    "Sounds good… husband."

    I shiver. What am I doing...? I feel guilty since not even Lily called me "husband".

    No! It's too late to go back, I already know these women are my life and I can count on them, I will make them happy!

    I hug Roxanne harder. All this time I didn't release her, she feels too good, her body is actually softer than Alissa's, who has an athletic body. Hana's body is the sculpture of a goddess, but aside from her breasts she's not very soft.

    "Let's eat something quick, we have to go soon," I say.



    We go out and buy the tea and cookies I ate at the Golden Necklace, these are heavenly, I hope Selina will like it.

    This time the dresses are cute but contained, no reason to steal the show with the 3 goddesses. We reach the house just before 5PM, we used the flying dinghy so we didn't get sweaty from walking around.

    Selina's husband-to-be is a cloth shop owner, it looks simple but it's still quite a good house. It's a 2-storey timber framed house with blue bricks and dark wood. The second floor is jettied and a small veranda on the corner of the second floor can be seen.

    We enter the building. The shop is cleared, there are plenty of benches and chairs on the walls and a group of 20 or so people are around. There's a clear division in types of people found, the first type are light-blond smaller framed people while the other is tall black-haired people. I recognize one brown-haired man, it's the innkeeper.

    We approach and introduce ourselves, I stutter a little but introduce Roxanne as my fiancee. The innkeeper and his family are surprised with us, they recognize we are the ones who killed the Symbol. One of Selina's uncles, an athletic looking but short blond man, is a hunter who knows we participated in the latest goblin extermination request. I'm uncomfortable here, as the questions start being asked about us Hana and Roxanne save me and I slip from the conversation.

    I'm still a bit shocked I introduced Roxanne as my fiancee, I decided to live my life with the Goddess of Cuteness, the Goddess of Sexiness and the Goddess of Sexuality. It's all happening so fast.

    As I day-dream for a while a priest appears on the hall along with the betrothed couple. Selina is wearing a yellow silk cloak and a gold and white frilly dress embroidered with symbols of wine, grapes, wheat, and bread. Her hair is braided and decorated with a crown of leaves and wheat.

    The groom is a tall, black haired man with a square and handsome face, I'm jealous. He looks to be between 17 to 20 years old. He wears a black velvet jacket and straight velvet pants. His cloak is like it's made of feathers, each feather made of a different cloth.

    "Is there some symbology going on?" I whisper to Alissa.

    "Sometimes people make their clothes represent their occupation," Alissa whispers back.

    So bread and wine represents the inn?

    The priest stands in the middle of the hall while the couple face each other. Everyone gets up and surrounds them.

    "Today, this couple, Selina Ludor and Thomas Hymel are to be married. From this day forth they will work together for the sake of each other's happiness and safety. They will work together to further prolong the gift of life given to us by the God of Creation, they will work together to fulfill their duties as members of the humanoids and create a family, be it of blood or not. They decided their lives together hold more value and so, we will listen to their vows."

    "I, Thomas Hymel, swear loyalty to you Selina Ludor," his voice is confident and unwavering, "I swear to give my all to keep you happy, safe and secure. I swear that I will give my all to provide for us a life worthy of you, that I will give my all to provide the place for our children to grow and gain their place in this world. I swear I will fulfill my duties as a member of the humanoids."

    "I, Selina Ludor, swear loyalty to you Thomas Hymel," her voice is as soft as always and her smile is endearing, "I swear to give my all to serve your needs, to help you achieve your goals. I swear that I will give my all to keep a safe haven for you to come back to after your daily labor or any hardship that appears, I will give my all to ensure our children grow and gain their place in this world. I swear I will fulfill my duties as a member of the humanoids."

    With a *poof* the priest pulls a large book, a table, and a white pen from his [Item Box]. Thomas writes on the book followed by Selina. The priest chants and casts a spell while touching their foreheads.

    "No evil is present on this ceremony, no lie was spoken between these two. Those present accept this wedding as valid and now the gods will watch and judge as you progress. May happiness and success befall the two. You are now husband and wife."

    Selina and Thomas stares at each other while the priest speaks. Once he's done Thomas grabs Selina in a princess carry and they kiss, then everyone claps. I'm jealous again.

    But I realized Selina really wasn't the best choice for me, she is a traditional housewife, she will work and serve her husband from home. Her vows are completely different from mine, I swore my life to Roxanne and she swore hers to me. I wouldn't be able to bring Selina with me on my adventures if I had chosen her, it would be a painful marriage. This eases the pain in my heart.

    Alissa was staring at them intently. I grab her hand and she quickly wipes a tear forming on the corner of her eye. She's still a girl behind all the bravery and servitude she shows to me, I need to acknowledge her feelings.

    A few tables are pulled out of [Item Boxes] while a group of people go into the second floor and bring out a banquet. A roasted Dragolite the size of a medium dog, 4 different meat pies, 2 are sweet fruit pies, a large pot of bean paste that reminds be of chili, a selection of breads and toasts, roasted and cooked veggie salads, croquettes and dumplings, a variety of fruits and berries, lots of wine and cider, and Selina's own vegetable stew that I ate a few times on the inn.

    After eating Alissa manages to bring us to Selina.

    "Hello Mr. Ryder. I'm glad you came," she says with a smile and a small bow.

    "T-there's no way I wouldn't come."

    "Master is shy but he still makes the effort to please his friends," Alissa says.

    I smile wryly.

    "You have to tell me of your newest adventures you two, I heard you fought in the goblin extermination!" Her eyes gleam.

    "Certainly, I know Alissa is eager to talk to you. Anyways, this is Roxanne, my fiancee. She's a mage."

    "Ohoho~."

    "Hohohoh."

    The two greet each other with a smile and a weird laugh. Just what?

    "This is Hana, another Blood Slave, she's the main front line of our group."

    Selina is dazzled by Hana, I don't even have to try to slip away from the conversation, Selina only has eyes for Hana now.

    I greet Thomas, he seems a cheery person but when he greets me I sense a sharp gaze. I know, I know, I would do the same but I have no intention of stealing her now. Though after the greeting Thomas seems interested in hearing about us, I'm not the best at conversations like this but I force myself to answer his curiosity for the sake of Selina.

    Alissa brings our gift to Selina and she loves it. Thomas is another tea drinker, we nod to each other from a distance. After that I recuse myself to a corner and soon Roxanne sits by me to keep me company.

    "Their vows are completely different than ours," I say.

    "Each marriage is a different deal, each team works on different conditions," she says.

    "Why do you know so much about marriage?" I ask.

    Roxanne looks away.

    "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked."

    "I would have to tell you one day… I had a fiancee once," she says in quiet voice.

    "Fiancee", not "fiance", since it's in Andraste there's a difference in pronunciation.

    "She… was a hunter. She died of venom from a monster of the Death Valley."

    I wait for her to gain confidence to continue, there's no need for me to interrupt.

    "It's a venom too powerful, nobody could have done anything. I decided to leave the continent after that, I looked for a cure for that venom."

    "Is the Moonlight Moss that cure?"

    "Hah… no, I never found the cure. The Moonlight Moss has incredible properties, but even that would not work," she looks at me and lets out a half-smile.

    "I'm sorry for your loss."

    "Thank you… but I'm over it now, she wouldn't want to see me wallow in a pointless quest for too long," she hugs her arm.

    "Searching for a cure is not pointless."

    "It is when I let the search have a bigger priority than my life. Moonlight Moss was the first thing that I got interested on after abandoning the search. If I hadn't abandoned it I wouldn't be here, I gotta thank the gods for that..." She lets out a pained smile and grabs my waist.

    "Since when… did you start to like me?"

    "Well," she scratches her cheek in shyness, "Kinda after the Symbol, I thought you would propose to me after all you had done to save me."

    "I… was just following my code of honor, I couldn't let you die."

    "I understood that after a while, it actually… made me like you even more, you are someone I can truly depend on. While on my search for the cure I had my fair share of bad encounters, you are a rare find. Then I saw how you treated Alissa and Hana and, well I got envious. What about you? When did you come to like me?"

    "Well. At first your personality was obnoxious," -she makes a pained face- "but it grew on me. There's no way to not see you as a woman, you are the embodiment of sexiness and coolness, even though you don't act like it most of the time…"

    "Wow, 'coolness'? Hmm… you are warming my heart like this!" She rubs her cheek on the top of my head.

    Just going to ignore the last part, eh?

    "Then I saw you were reliable and a good companion, life with you around would be fun. I didn't want to separate from you, I knew we could work together and keep each other safe. But at first I didn't think you would like someone like me, I thought you were way out of my league."

    "'Out of my league'?"

    "Ah. It's an expression of my world, it means that you are too beautiful for me. On Earth people try to find partners with a similar level of beauty. It may sound vain but that's how it is."

    "Yeah, it's vain, there's much more that you have to look at for a partner than just beauty. It's nice to have a beautiful partner but your value is much more than just your cuteness."

    I can't avoid blushing at this.

    "It seems this world needs reliable and powerful people, compatibility of lifestyle also seems much more important than beauty. On Earth life is pretty simple and there's not that many hardships, so beauty becomes much more important."

    "Oh, I see. It's like a realm made of vain nobles."

    "Hahahah, sounds like it."

    Even though on this world the nobles have the duty to control the monsters and dungeons they still have the tendency to grow lazy and hedonistic.

    "To be honest, I think I was forcing myself to be happy," she sighs and leans on me, "I just thought I was losing out so I had to 'catch up' on all the time I lost brooding. But now I'm calm, I'm happy with this and I don't feel like I need to force myself anymore."

    I just smile and hug her more.
     
    Last edited: Nov 21, 2019
  17. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

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    We stay until 8PM and then we fly back home. Hana became the soul of the party and Selina got a new friend.

    Now we can all take a bath together. I eagerly wait for Roxanne to undress, most of her underwear is lacy and cute, she's the one who uses the most delicate clothing, I will ask her to buy the casual clothes for the other two. She looks a little nervous but at this point I completely switched my attitude, the meal is ready.

    Roxanne is thin, she could be a model on Earth with that body, she shows no muscles and a bit of bone even but that's her charm, her neat patch between her legs is just as well kept as Alissa's. Even Roxanne's collarbones look sexy, with her small breasts, smaller than Alissa's, and her pale skin she looks so frail. Her tail is something mostly ignored, it doesn't sway like Alissa's and Roxanne makes the crime of keeping it below her robes most of the time. The tail tip stands still in the air while she walks, giving it a rather mesmerizing feel to it. The only imperfection is the circular scar on her belly...No! That was a sin, the scar is not an imperfection, she's perfect as she is.

    "Why do you hide your tail so much?" I ask.

    "It's bothersome, it serves no purpose, and only calls more attention to me."

    "And your horns don't?"

    She shrugs.

    "It reduces the attention."

    "But I find it very sexy."

    She looks down and fails to hide her smile.

    "Please put it out more, also let me touch it."

    "F-fine… b-be gentle, it's sensitive."

    It's thinner than her little finger, its texture is of rubber and the consistency is that of jelly, the tip is a sharp dagger the length of her hand and could be used for cutting. It's a mana solidification, it will grow back if cut.

    I run my fingers through it. I cover my hand with a bit of soap, grab the tail and run my hand through the entire length.

    "AAHN~!" Roxanne lets out a loud moan.

    "What…?"

    Alissa and Hana were washing each other but they stop.

    "It's… sensitive..." Roxanne mutters.

    "Roxanne… this is an erogenous zone, right?"

    She does not answer, her expression is frozen.

    "Are your horns like that?"

    She squirms and looks to the side.

    "Hana… you work on her tail."

    "Yes."

    "N-no, w-wait!"

    "Why wait? This is the perfect situation," I smirk at her.

    Roxanne seems scared but she doesn't move. I move in front of her and grab her horns and push her face towards mine, I caress her horns just as I did her tail. She kisses while moaning, I wonder if I can make her orgasm just like this. Hana works her tail but Alissa comes and teaches Hana how to use her hands better.

    Roxanne hugs me and kisses me harder. Suddenly she grabs my dick and pulls it forward. I break the kiss and bring her to the edge of the bathtub and fuck her. I hold her horns as support while thrusting on her. Her face is amazing, the cool and sexy is back and her moans are the perfect pitch and loudness, it's like she's made for sex. I guess it's somewhat expected of a succubus.

    She grabs my hips and pushes it harder. She twitches and I can see the white of her eyes. Is this okay? Is she okay?

    "R-Roxanne, are you okay?"

    "Don't stop!"

    I guess she's okay.

    I let out her horns and Hana takes it over. Alissa got excited and rubs Roxanne's tail with vigor. I pinch and lick her nipples, they are barely visible since they have the same color as her skin.

    Her back arches and she convulses, her insides tighten so hard I flinch. I can barely hold it in and cum just as she gets out of her orgasm.

    "W-wow, what was that tightness?" I say.

    "Hohohoh…"

    Roxanne waits a few moments for her breath to normalize.

    "That's the succubus secret," she says, she gives a wicked and sexy smile.

    "I'm a bit spent now. Hana, she's all yours."

    Hana turns Roxanne around and eats out her cum-filled pussy. Alissa and I just relax at the bath, she was masturbating so I use my fingers on her until she cums, then I have her ride me slowly while she watches the two. The other two girls put out a show, they kiss, they finger, they eat each other, two goddesses having sex. The spirit is willing but the meat is in near coma. This is so much depravity I'm speechless, I just want to put my dick in something until I pass out.

    After finishing Alissa and getting hard again I go for Hana and fuck her from behind while she eats out Roxanne. I quickly release another shot and fall back on the water. Alissa keeps my mouth occupied with hers, eventually I get hard again. Hana looks at my new erection and decides to mount me. She contorts and kisses Roxanne while slapping my waist and making the water spill all over the floor.

    When I'm about to cum Hana sucks it out of me with her mouth and she shares another cum-filled kiss with Roxanne. They don't stop, these two are drunk with depravity. Just by watching them I get up again and have Alissa suck me, she's too tired and doesn't want anymore fingering.

    I grab Roxanne's tail and rub it while they fuck each other. Then Roxanne pushes Alissa and mounts me again. My dick hurts, my balls are shriveled but this woman is gonna suck the soul out of me. I have to put [Enhanced Stamina] and [Enhanced Strength] to keep up with her, Hana helps me move my hips while Alissa kisses me. I just close my eyes and cum for a 4th time, I feel like my soul is shrinking.

    Roxanne digs out my cum from inside her and shares one last cum-filled kiss with Hana. Then she drops back into the water and relaxes on Hana's arms.

    "Ro-Roxanne… that wasn't normal… right?" I ask.

    "The tail… you rubbed the tail too much. It's… my weak point, it makes me unleash the succubus nature," she says bashfully.

    "If I ever want to die from sex I will just ask Alissa to rub your tail again then."

    Hana laughs and even Alissa is smiling.

    I feel something change in me. I gained another point in [Enhanced Semen Recharge]. Succubus indeed.


    We crawl to bed. I kind of feel sad but we have to rotate the women on the bed, tonight is Hana and Roxanne. Maybe if we get an even bigger bed we can all fit together, the room will be a little cramped but the benefits make up for that.

    I close my eyes and sleep as a man who's completely satisfied with life, at least for today.


    I see an ugly goblin woman, she's wearing a simple and dirty woolen dress. She's laying down while holding her throat, it's bleeding profusely, she's gurgling and choking on her own blood. She stares at me with fear in her eyes. A child cries, it's an ugly goblin child, it's holding the woman's dress.

    "MAMA…! MAMA…!"

    The goblin repeats, cries and sobs.

    A sword decapitates the child.


    I wake up sweating and out of breath.

    "Wolf? Wha-what's wrong?" Roxanne asks.

    "Master?" Hana grabs my arm.

    "A nightmare…"

    "Didn't those stop?" Says Roxanne.

    "They had."

    She shares a look with Hana.

    "Could it be…"

    "That's ridiculous," I say, "Why would it be like this?"

    But it makes sense, this is the first time I'm spending an entire night without Alissa. What kind of trauma is this that I need her, specifically, so I don't have a nightmare?

    "We will have to test it for at least another night," I say, "I'm just gonna go back to sleep."

    And I slept, badly.


    Today is the 21st.

    I wake up stiff, my shoulders hurt, my muscles are sore, my head hurts, and it's not just because of the yesterday's orgy.

    I crawl to the tabel to have our breakfast.

    "Master, are you okay?" Alissa says. She's already awake preparing breakfast.

    "I had a nightmare…"

    She keeps quiet and looks at me with eyes filled with worry.

    "After this, can you lay with me for a while? I didn't sleep well…"

    "Okay, master..." She answers me in a soft voice.

    We eat and then I take a nap, a warm and comfortable nap. This isn't good.

    Is this trauma? Is this a curse for not taking her feelings seriously until now? How ridiculous it is that I can't sleep without Alissa. What are we gonna do if Alissa has to stay away from me for a few days? This is too much…


    I wake up at 9AM, Alissa was stroking my hair. She smiles when I wake up.

    "I slept well this time…"

    "I will always be by your side."

    I cringe a little.

    "But I wish you didn't have to. Also, it's not confirmed, let's sleep apart again tomorrow."

    "Okay..." She says on a sad tone.

    "Master, a message came to you," Hana comes inside and says.

    We go downstairs and sit on the table.

    "I, Alaraste Anara, True Noble, Enemy of Wyverns, Lord of Rabanara, ruler of the Shore of Leaves, invite you, Wolf ‘Good Luck' Ryder, leader of Helios, and your companions to a rewards ceremony where your deeds of bravery and skill will be recognized and rewarded."

    "Enemy of Wyverns" must be because the wyverns attack regularly but he must really have butchered them to get a title like this. Shore of Leaves is the name of this piece of land that borders the Sea of Trees. And finally, since the lord himself used my nickname it's probably going to spread.

    "Now it's time for some recognition, Wolfy," says Roxanne while hugging me from behind.

    "Indeed, about time, master," says Hana.

    "Agreed," says Alissa.

    "Wait, what's up with 'Wolfy'?" I ask.

    "Well, 'husband' is too boring, 'love' is a bit embarrassing, and to keep calling you as usual wasn't right, so I think 'Wolfy' is much cuter," Roxanne chuckles, she rubs her cheek on the top of my head.

    I shrug. I actually like it.

    "Actually, I think you 2 don't need to call me 'master' anymore. It doesn't feel right, just call me 'Wolf'... or 'Wolfy'," I say.

    "N-no, that's n-not right, we are your slaves," Alissa stutters.

    "We are kind of a bit more than that now," Hana says.

    "Just marry everyone already!" Roxanne says and throws her hands in the air.

    You know what? Fuck it, I don't care anymore, I want these women and they want me, I feel it, I know it, that's all the motivation that I need. Let's do it.

    "Well..." I get up and cough, "Alissa, Hana... would you like to marry me?"

    Noo, that sounded lame, I screwed up! REDO.

    "No! Not yet!"

    "W-what…"

    Everyone looks at Alissa dumbfounded.

    "I… still have to complete my duty," Alissa says, she looks down and her voice tells me she's about to cry.

    I steel my nerves, I have to get to the bottom of this.

    "What is that duty?" I ask.

    "To be used as a tool, to serve my master for life, to fight until I'm dead, to bring honor to my clan, to help my master achieve great deeds," she forces herself to not cry.

    "Does that means you are not allowed to marry?"

    Her face remains unmoving.

    "Does that means you are not allowed to be happy!?"

    Her mouth twitches and her eyes narrow in a sad expression.

    I'm angry at Alissa, her submissive behavior, her denial of her wishes, I don't want it. I know what you want, even if you don't want to admit it. Even if I'm scared of this future, scared of commitment, I won't let you run away from your happiness, not you. You have been brainwashed into being a tool, I won't let you keep like this!

    "Alissa, tell me what you want."

    "To serve as a tool-..."

    "Tell me what you really want, don't make me order you," I interrupt.

    Her face turns into stone again.

    "Alissa, please… you know I love you…"

    "I… want to… marry you..." She starts to tear up and sob.

    I get up and hug her.

    "I am yours and you are mine," I say.

    She sniffles and her expression breaks into tears.

    "Repeat after me, I am yours and you are mine."

    "I am… Y-yours and yo-you a-are mine…"

    "There, those are our vows, there's nothing else needed."

    Alissa lets out all her remaining tears.

    I will take care of you, Alissa.


    Hana and Roxanne hug us both. We stay like this for a while until Alissa's tears dry. I play with her ears and she almost falls asleep.

    "We will be together, forever," I say.

    "And ever..." Hana finishes.

    "You don't have to worry, you will fulfill your duty. Just because you marry, doesn't mean you are abandoning it," Roxanne says, she grabs Alissa's head and kisses her forehead.

    "Thank you, everyone. Thank you..." She finally says.

    We break the group hug. I sit down next to Alissa and hold her hand.

    "Wolf..." Hana says.

    "Yes?"

    Hana is standing besides me with a serious face. She grabs my hand.

    "I swear to you my body and soul, my sword and shield. I swear to protect you and keep you happy forever."

    Quick and direct.

    "I swear to you my body and soul, my sword and magic. I swear to protect you and keep you happy forever."

    She kisses me lightly. There's no need for a deep and passionate kiss, we already confirmed our passion to each other.

    After this, there's no mood to work. We just cuddle in bed, the sofa is not big enough.


    Three proposals in two days. And there's the possibility of more coming. This is crazy, what the fuck is going on.

    "We should all have one ceremony together," Roxanne says.

    "Yes. Perhaps we can wait until Alissa is satisfied with her duty, then we can all break the contract together," Hana says.

    "Hana! We shouldn't ask these things, we are slaves," Alissa rebukes.

    "There's no need for my wives to be also slaves, it is mutually exclusive," I say.

    "Is that so..." Alissa resigns.

    "Would becoming a noble be enough for you, Alissa?" Roxanne asks.

    "Eh?" I'm confused.

    "Destroying a dungeon gives you the title of 'True Noble', it allows you become a lord.

    "That… would be acceptable but it's not required, if mast-… Wolf, doesn't want it then we could do something else," Alissa says.

    "Hmm… I was thinking of regularly going into a dungeon to gain power anyway. If we reach the end then perhaps we could… but I have no intention of becoming a lord."

    "The dungeons that are allowed to be destroyed aren't many, they don't last too long too since the current lord would deal with it," Roxanne says.

    "I heard there was trouble at the High Forest. Seems the nobles are slacking over there, there should be plenty of dungeons to explore there," Alissa says.

    "That would be a bit far for us," I say.

    The High Forest is a land of the elves north of here, it's a few days away. I want to go to the dungeon in my spare time from the university.

    "Actually… if I learn [Gate]… I can't see [Gate] in the [Space Magic] school yet but it should be soon. I don't know what allows me to see more advanced magic but it should increase with my power, I believe. If I use skill points to learn [Gate] then I can hide it when necessary."

    "Hmm… I could make some strong MP potions and with your power you could change your skills to pure mana enhancements," Roxanne says, "Then you should be able to transport us by [Gate], we can even put all our equipment on your 'Items' just for a moment"

    "I haven't tested that [Gate] does not considerate my 'Items' as extra weight, I just assumed it would because 'Items' is not influenced by any skill on this world."

    [Gate] costs more mana the more weight you have, that includes the items inside [Item Box] spell.

    "Well, it sounds we have our next goal then," Roxanne says with a smile, "Ah, the Moonlight Moss has some MP recovery properties, if I finish working on it we could use the potions I make from it. But they would also sell for a good price…"

    "We aren't really in need of much money right now. We are going to get bounties from the dungeons and we could always look for a subjugation since Alissa is good at tracking," I say.

    "Hm, sounds like a plan!" Roxanne hugs me harder.

    "Agreed."

    "Yep."

    I feel like I have my small piece of heaven when I'm with these women.


    We cuddle until lunch and I take another nap since I need it. We have plenty of perishable food now but with my "Items" we just put there anything close to going bad.

    Alissa found a good amount of Dragolite eggs, they are twice the size of a chicken's egg but they taste the same. With that and flour we make some good Dragolite Milanese that goes well with simple pasta and a sweet veggie salad. Most of the time I don't let Alissa make lunch or dinner without at least a salad, it's not healthy.

    After lunch we clean the house.

    "Ma-... Wolf, we should visit Ciel as soon as possible. There's no point in waiting," Alissa says.

    Inviting Ciel with second intentions makes me a little uneasy, but… I'm getting greedy.

    Me and Alissa go to the temple together. We enter the priests quarters and find an old man.

    "Ah, it's you," says a priest with gentle voice that tickles my ears. His face is familiar, his eyes look at me warmly.

    "Ah, sorry, I don't remember your name," I say.

    "We weren't introduced. I'm the head priest, Arantos," The priest says with a bow.

    He's old and chubby with folds on his neck. He has barely any hair, black or graying, on his balding head. He has a ball for a face and a round nose. His face, his half-circle glasses, his small eyes and his voice overflows with kindness, I feel like he's releasing an aura.

    "P-pleasure to meet you, I'm Wolf Ryder and this is my fiancee Alissa," I bow back and Alissa twitches but also bows.

    "Hoh?" He looks at Alissa and coughs, "I only saw you in passing but Sister Ciel told me you are an interesting fellow and you two have been having enlightening conversations. Ah, wait, you are the fellow who killed the Symbol, right?"

    "Ah, yes, that's me."

    "Now that's even more interesting," he lets out a chuckle, "You are looking for Sister Ciel?"

    "Yes, if it's not a bother I would like to talk to her again."

    "Today is her free day, she could be on her room, otherwise I don't know where she would be. Let me look for her."

    He takes us to the same guest room I was on the last time.

    After a minute or so Ciel appears wearing a blue flowery dress that reaches her knees. This is the first time I saw her without the priest robes, she has quite a voluptuous body, I see no large muscles but also no hanging fat. Wide hips, thick legs, a protruding ass and large breasts that get accentuated by the belt tying the dress to her ribs. Her face was always pleasant, round and cute with fleshy lips, quite baby-faced. Also, it's the first time I see hair loose, it's straight and well kept. I'm much more conscious about her right now, she looks beautiful and cute on these clothes.

    "H-hello, Mr. Ryder, Miss Alissa," Ciel says with some embarrassment on her voice.

    Shit, I stared too much.

    "H-hello, Miss Ciel."

    "Good day, Miss Ciel."

    With a *poof* Alissa pulls tea and cookies."

    "Thank you Miss Alissa."

    "Ah, so," I cough, "I have a proposal for you, Miss Ciel."

    "Oh? What is it?"

    "Would you like to join our fellowship."

    Ciel finishes her sip, she looks at me, then at Alissa, and then her gaze wanders. After almost a minute frozen she says.

    "Why… me?"

    "First, you are quite the skilled healer, second you have good support skills with the glaive and [Wind Magic], third you are a person with quite the knowledge about gods and m-… Wolf is looking to get closer to the gods, and finally, we know you miss adventuring," Alissa says with confidence, she practiced those lines.

    "W-wow. This is…"

    And she falls silent again.

    "You don't have to answer now, we will be staying here a long time since I'm entering the university," I say.

    "I see… I understand."

    "In any case you should know that… me, Hana and Roxanne are… going to marry Wolf," Alissa says while blushing. Refreshing cuteness.

    Ciel looks at me with wide eyes, I can almost hear her saying a sassy "really?". Then she twitches and averts her gaze. Is she blushing? I can't tell due to skin color. Perhaps she understood there could be second intentions on the invite.

    "But really, t-three women, Mr. Ryder, you are quite the man to manage to snatch those three so quickly," Ciel looks at me with a mix of reproachful and amused eyes.

    "Roxanne says he was a slow..." Mutters Alissa.

    I just shrug and let a wry smile.

    "Can't control the heart, if it's love then I will accept it," I say.

    "Still, three women, and now… anyway, I guess it's actually an interesting proposal but I won't be able to answer you now, it's another big change in my life."

    "I understand, if you have any questions about our fellowship and our objectives I will answer you."

    "Hm..." Her gaze wanders again, "What do you plan to do to make money?"

    "Dungeon exploration, we are also going to look for extermination requests since Alissa is a good tracker. But we do have quite some funds already stored, Roxanne is also a potion maker who can make money by herself."

    "Do you have plans to leave town?"

    "Yes, I have a plan to become a noble one day so I will search for a dungeon to conquer. After that I also want to explore the world a bit so I will look for interesting places to enjoy and to also grow stronger."

    "What role do you want me to take?"

    "Support for Hana, you have a good reach with [Wind Magic] and the glaive. We will both support Hana and protect Alissa or Roxanne."

    "Where will we live?"

    "We have a luxurious rental near the nobles quarters," I try not look embarrassed since our house is a little excessive, "Alissa and Hana clean and cook and I help with cooking. Roxanne helps with steady income with her potions."

    That is, once Roxanne finishes the Moonlight Moss she will have enough time to make standard potions to sell.

    "Division of spoils?"

    "All equal, no questions asked."

    "What if we find a useful item?"

    "We will likely not sell then, we are not strapped for money. You should know by now that I'm also a very reasonable person too, if we discuss things we will reach a proper solution."

    The biggest danger to dissolve a fellowship is deciding who gets what item and what gets sold. Since we are unlikely to sell useful items we will just discuss who gets it.

    "I have very little money saved, I don't have equipment to compete with your emerald fang sword."

    "We can give you, no strings attached. We want you alive to help us, after all."

    "Wow, that's quite generous."

    I shrug.

    "That would be least we should do since it would take quite some time for you to earn enough money for good equipment."

    She crosses her arms and chuckles.

    "So I guess in the end it's a question of whether I feel like changing my life again or not."

    "Seems so."

    "Let me just add this," Alissa interjects and smiles at Ciel, "You know Wolf's life is bound to be interesting, he already has a blessing and I would wager he will get another one at some point."

    I cringe a bit, I wouldn't consider this a plus. Ciel laughs.

    "Interesting indeed."

    The conversation dies down.

    "Well, anyway that's all we have to say. We will leave you to your rest then."

    "Thanks for visiting again, Mr. Ryder, Miss Alissa. Congratulations on your engagement."

    Alissa blushes again. I think I don't want you to ever not blush at things like this.

    "Thank you," I say.

    We say our goodbyes and leave, that was quick which is good since it was rather nerve wracking for me. Then we go back home.


    I drop on the sofa. What a day. Today is the 31st day I'm in this world and I already have 3 fiancees, a fortune and I'm considered a town hero. Please slow down, world.

    My research on [Redirect Mana] got interrupted, I gotta catch up. This was supposed to be the day I presented my results to the university. I leveled it once so it should be easier to use again.

    I close my eyes and focus on expanding my soul again, it's getting easier. I see a small mana stream passing by, it's not Roxanne's. I keep flying my soul around it, it's a rather pleasant feeling, this free-flowing mana.

    I stop and repeatedly cast [Wind Armor] on myself to use some mana. I meditate again and go back to play around the mana stream. I notice it changed a little, like slowly stirring a soup it starts to follow my soul. This mana has some attraction to my soul but why is it so difficult to command it to enter me?

    This mana has a different feeling to the Symbol's, Roxanne's stream, and also the stream above the goblin village. It's subtle but now I can feel it, the symbol's felt "spicy", Roxanne's felt "sweet", the goblin's felt like "dirt" and this one feels "tasteless". Is this some sort of identification? The mana from someone holds a bit of the previous owner's "essence" on it? It's plausible since this mana is the "spill" from bad [Mana Efficiency], perfect efficiency makes the spell invocation imperceptible.

    This mana stream is actually not resisting me, I don't think it's the skill level. Perhaps it's mana generated by the environment so it doesn't have a previous "owner"? Then how do I "break" the owner barrier more efficiently?

    I move my soul upstairs and find a stream of mana from Roxanne. I wanna "taste" her and the others with this. Ok, back to work. Her stream is resisting me now, I can feel her "sweetness", it's hers alright. I have an idea, I know that moving my soul is not everything I can do with it, my soul can change in various ways that I can't really explain, it's like trying to raise only one eyebrow, it's a muscle that's there and you know it exists but you don't have proper control of it.

    I keep trying to change my soul and notice a small change in the stream. Ahah! So I can do it, I have to keep trying. Move it, this… way… just a little bit… Closer. It twitched again. I gotta… bend it, like this. Open up… like this? Oh, another twitch, it's bigger. Yes, like… this.

    Oh! The stream is not resisting, I have to hold it like this. I feel pain, it's pulsing. It's like a cramp, my soul isn't supposed to be like this. But the mana keeps coming. I could only last a little while but it came, without forcing myself it came to me spontaneously. This could be a powerful skill if I can develop it, it's somewhat scary. Like holding a gun without the safety and without knowing how to fire.

    I try to relax. I also need to create [Sense Soul] to properly copy a soul and create a golem. [Infuse] is basically infusing an object with a soul that I create during the acid trip, but I don't know what any of that does so it's very dangerous to go with trial and error. I'll keep [Sense Presence] and [Sense Mana] on all the time, maybe I can come up with an idea if I combine them both, they work in similar ways to what [Sense Soul] should be like.

    I feel a kiss on my lips.

    "Wolf, Roxanne wants to take a bath. Let's enter together," Alissa says.

    I kiss her back.

    Roxanne washed Hana and then both of them put on a show for us. Hana will be sleeping alone tonight so we gotta compensate her. I will buy a bigger bed after the award ceremony, hopefully we can all sleep together then. Nobody dared to touch Roxanne's tail.

    At night we were all tired and uninspired, emotions flew too much these last days. I did Alissa slowly and lovingly in missionary, we spent all the time just kissing and caressing until I came. Then I did Roxanne the same way, she spices things up a bit with unexpected bites, kisses and pinches. She's not the raw power fucker that Hana is but she likes to use her charm. I got excited and asked for a double blowjob. Roxanne needs teaching, she never had a dick in her mouth before.


    Today is the 22nd.

    I slept like a baby. I wake up with Alissa nibbling and licking the tip of my dick. She wants to copy Hana's wake up blowjob. Nothing makes me happier than to wake up to those orange eyes looking up on me while her cute face bobs up and down. Roxanne was hugging me from behind but she's a heavy sleeper, only when I got up she woke. I make sure to give them all a deep kiss when waking up, it lifted Hana's mood from sleeping alone.

    We will probably spend the whole day in negotiations. All the hunters are healed and ready so we will discuss payment and who takes what spoils. I'm not that interested in it so I selfishly asked Alissa to keep me company, she actually volunteered first but it's still selfish to accept it.

    I decide to summon a bird and keep it always at home. I will share sight and touch so if someone wants to say something to me it's very convenient, it also serves as training so I don't get dizzy when my view increases.If I'm to be a summoner then being capable of sharing the senses with multiple summons is very advantageous.

    We get to the guild meeting room and there's already an argument. The artillery team is having trouble discerning who killed what since there's only carbonized bodies and some even got carried away by the [Wind Storm].

    The guild attendees had to recount the number of dead bodies, estimate the number of houses, then estimate the number of total goblins, and finally deduct from the dead bodies the number of kills attributed to the artillery team. Then they compromised and split the rewards evenly.

    The counting of the other kills was easier since the bodies are present and we already gave a detailed report. I didn't bother to argue the number of kills of the girls and neither of my elementals, the orcs were the most valuable ones and the Orc Chief kill was attributed to me while Hana was the one who decapitated it. From the shock troops Alissa was 4th in number of kills, Hana was 7th and Roxanne was very low on rank since she was mostly supporting us.

    I spent the entire time discreetly stroking Alissa's tail until she fell asleep in my arms. I also kept playing around with her soft hands. I'm completely intoxicated by her, this level of attachment isn't healthy for both of us but I don't care.

    We had to stop the meeting and have a fast lunch nearby because the meeting took us until 3PM. Then we finally went back home.

    At some point both Roxanne and Hana were petting the bird so I managed to keep awake during the entire meeting and felt way better than I thought I would.

    I have my afternoon tea and go back to working on [Sense Soul]. I will keep [Redirect Mana] like this for now, I explored much of the mysteries and I think it's enough to give a good outline of how this skill works.

    Keeping both [Sense Mana] and [Sense Presence] on is tiring, [Sense Mana] works passively but using it actively gives it much more sensitivity. I truly think now that the combination of both these skills is the key to [Sense Soul]. I bring the bird to the living room and focus all my efforts on sensing it.

    Little by little I gain more control over the abilities. They are like a focal lens where you keep changing the field of view and it gets you a better image. I'm starting to be able to see the details that I could only see by using my soul, but unfortunately the focal point is very, very small.

    I can see how the soul "patterns" repeat, then they lose its form and it becomes an abstract mess. I try to look inside but it starts to shift as I look, is this the "brain"? The constant learning and changing and synapses being created and broken? It's useless to look deeper I have to focus on the outside patterns.

    "Wolf? I'm sorry to interrupt but it's getting late, let's take a bath together," Alissa says.

    "It's no problem, my wives take priority over work."

    Alissa blushes.

    She did interrupt but there's no hurry, I want to enjoy these days until we are dragged by the gods into the next conflict.

    Today I did Alissa in the bath until she came. I didn't cum too because I will destroy Hana tonight, I used a combination of dick, tongue, fingers and g-spot to make Alissa scream.

    The meals keep getting better, Alissa controls the menu and I just happily help, it's therapeutic. Tonight we have a large roasted Dragolite that Alissa wanted to copy after Selina's wedding.

    "Is this… basil? Ohh…"

    "What is it Wolfy?" Asks Roxanne.

    "One of these herbs is basil, I need to know which, I love basil."

    We can make pesto and if we find tomatoes we can make caprese and so much more. Italian cuisine revolution incoming!

    Alissa smiles, she loves when we find something that reminds me of Earth.

    Then we go to bed and I do Hana, then Roxanne, then Hana again. This woman is a complete freak, she might be even more degenerate than me. I won't suggest anal to her because I don't really like it but I think it might be just a matter of time with the way her masochism is progressing, she's having me choke her and spank her.

    Hana doesn't want to let me finish inside her, she likes to take it in her mouth and share it with Roxanne. Roxanne is actually embarrassed with it when she's not on her "sex demon" mode but she obeys, Roxanne is Hana's plaything. I just don't wanna imagine what she would do to me if she were my master instead.

    I have to put points into strength and stamina to keep up with Hana, I slap her face as she sucks the soul through my dick. It's just a matter of time for her to get the oral skill like this.

    Exhausted, I go to sleep.


    "YOU FUCKING MONSTER!" The goblin woman screams.

    Her spear stabs my belly. She pulls it out and thrusts again, I try to hold it and my hand is cut. I don't have the power to stop and my belly is stabbed again.

    "AAAAH!" The goblin kid screams and stabs my chest with a knife.

    I try to grab the knife but the spear stabs me again and I lose power.

    It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. Stop, I don't wanna die.


    Today is the 23nd

    I wake up stiff again.

    "I don't want another nightmare again," I say.

    I feel sick and afraid. These nightmares are too real, this is not a trauma, this is a curse.

    "It's okay, we will find a way to deal with this," Roxanne says and hugs me, she looks worried and Hana looks even worse.

    "I'm sorry, Wolf, I don't know how to deal with the matters of the soul," Hana says and looks down.

    "You already protect me enough. It's like Roxanne said, we will find a way to deal with this, it's not that serious," I console her.

    Feeling sad we go have breakfast, Alissa looks worried too. After that I ask Alissa to stay with me for a little while so I can get a nap in the morning. At 3PM is the ceremony in the castle, I don't want to look bad in there.

    At lunch Alissa makes me a strong and cold black tea. If we find lemons and peaches then I can get ice tea, just need guarana and matte tea to complete the set.

    Then the goddesses get ready and we go to the castle.


    Alissa wears a cute silk orange straight dress with flowers at the top, Roxanne wears a dangerously short gothic lolita black dress and Hana wears a simple red velvet dress with a large cleavage. The sense of fashion in this world is all over the place, it seems it mixes quite a number of time periods. Not really complaining since they all look perfect to me.

    Once we reach the castle gates we lower our flying dinghy and show our invitation to the guard. A proto-butler appears and leads us inside. I can still feel the gaze of the guard on Hana. She smirks, she likes the attention.

    The castle is a large square tower. It wasn't made to defend against land sieges. It's a simple tower in the middle of the grassland built to defend against aerial attacks and intercept migrating flying monsters. Each floor of the castle has at least one line of anti-air siege engines, floating metal scorpios and balistae.

    The castle has defended against innumerous wyvern attacks, a considerable number of harpies and other monsters and even against house sized dragons. The castle might be a bit more effective if it was rounded instead of a square but then the floor plan wouldn't have been so perfectly made. The Anara family governs this town for a few hundred years and their fame of pragmatism and simplicity shows at every step.

    After passing through a second gate and a large garden we reach the entrance to the caste. A large double door decorated with the lord's heraldry. Crossing it we are inside a large hall full of columns. There's lavish chairs in the middle of the hall pointing towards the throne and benches on the walls.

    We are oriented to sit on the chairs and we recognize the other hunters are also sitting with us. On the benches a large amount of well dressed people are coming and sitting, possibly nobles and other important people. The throne is above a small set of steps, it's a large black cushioned chair decorated with golden swords and roses.

    After a dozen or so minutes it seems all hunters have gathered. I see Targua is completely fine and walking with pride, he has a nice set of velvet clothes with a short black cloak. He waves at me and I nod. The nobles also stop coming from the entrance.

    Then Silvane, Haaran, and his knights appear from a side door, they are wearing their combat clothing but no one is wearing a helmet. They stand in front of the chairs and kneel. After that the lord Alaraste appears from behind the throne, he's wearing lavish black silk clothes and a black and gold cloak that drags on the ground. He goes up and sits on the throne. Everyone gets up, bows, and sits back down.

    "People of Rabanara! Today we are gathered here to reward the deeds of bravery and skill accomplished by this group of hunters and knights," The voice of the Lord is being magically amplified.

    "As you should know we discovered a large goblin camp to the west of our town, deep in the Sea of Trees. To exterminate them, we assembled an expedition composed of experienced and talented fellowships, lead by a group of hand picked knights and mages and whose leader was my own son, Haaran Anara.

    "As the expedition found the location of the goblin camp, a shocking fact was discovered. It was not a camp but a full-blown village with nearly 200 goblins and a small fortified gate."

    A few gasps could be heard. A normal monster leader doesn't create wood huts and fortifications, only breeders do.

    "Even though some were afraid, even though some wanted to leave, even though some were skeptical of the safety, even though some wanted reinforcements. They didn't back down, they didn't retreat, and they all were convinced that risking their lives for the safety of the town was the best choice."

    Not sugar-coating it, are we?

    "They attacked the village with great ingenuity. Two mages created a bridge that passed by the natural wall that is the cliff the village was located on. After a massive magical attack that put the village in chaos, our brave warriors charged and started the slaughter. But alas, there was another surprise, a group of orcs lead by an Orc Chief was there, he was possibly another breeder."

    More gasps and now murmurs.

    "But they didn't retreat! They fought! And with great effort, paying with the lives of one of my knights and one of the hunters, the whole village was massacred and not a single goblin or orc survived!"

    The crowd cheers but the lord raises his hand to stop.

    "When they were exhausted and retreating they heard that there were orcs attacking the camp, there were orcs that didn't follow the breeder to the village and went berserk after their leader died."

    The crowd gasps again.

    "The rearguard defended the camp with fearsome resolution, even though they suffered great injuries they defended the camp. In the end, only 2 attending space mages were lost. Now finally, the huge threat of two breeders was destroyed," he raises his hand and the crowd cheers.

    "Now it is time to reward their efforts."

    He grabs a long scroll.

    "Haaran, my son. As a leader of the expedition I thank you for your achievements. As a knight no reward is given to you."

    Haaran gets up and bows then he goes back on his knee.

    "Silvane, my son's betrothed. As the expedition's healer and support mage, I thank you for your achievements. As a knight no reward is given to you."

    Silvane repeats the movements of Haaran and one-by"-ne the other knights do too. Then they move to the side and stand by the columns near the benches.

    The lord starts calling the name of the fellowships and giving their leader a small shining metal medal. It holds the heraldry of the town on one side and a small goblin and orc head on the other, on that side you can see written "exterminated" and the date, 23/06/68,599. Then he names the other members of the fellowship.

    "Torgua, leader of Honest Shield, rearguard and protector of the camp. For your bravery in defending the camp and your sacrifice by receiving a grievous wound, I thank you.

    "Wolf 'Good Luck' Ryder, leader of Helios, shock troop. For your great skill in creating the land bridge, for your timely help to my son and his knights, for your great effort in defeating the Orc Chief, for your great skill in summoning the elementals to support the other hunters, I thank you.

    "Come see me after the ceremony," Alaraste whispers when he gives me the medal.

    "Yes, my Lord," I respond reflexively.

    In a blink I'm already sitting down, I don't remember getting up or coming down, I just remember the moment Alaraste gave me the medal.

    "Alissa, member of Helios, shock troop and scout. For your great skill in killing innumerous goblins with your accurate archery, I thank you.

    "Hanafuria, member of Helios, shock troop. For your bravery in defending your allies with your shield and your skill in cutting down your enemies with your sword, I thank you.

    "Roxanne, member of Helios, shock troop. For your great skill in supporting with your magic not only your own fellowship but also my own son's knights and other fellowships, I thank you."

    The naming continues.

    "And now, to honor the fallen. Faaran, knight of the town, died in battle in the hands of the berserking Orc Chief. Your effort will be remembered, your family will be rewarded, and your honor in the afterlife is guaranteed.

    "Tarsuan, attendant space mage, died in battle defending the camp from orcs. Your effort will be remembered, your family will be rewarded, and your honor in the afterlife is guaranteed.

    "Cartaan, attendant space mage, died in battle defending the camp from orcs. Your effort will be remembered, your family will be rewarded, and your honor in the afterlife is guaranteed.

    "Ornstein, member of Akros, shock troop, died in battle in front of the village's gates, hit by seven spears on his chest. Your effort will be remembered, your family will be rewarded, and your honor in the afterlife is guaranteed.

    "And now, the reward for this extermination was supposed to be a single gold coin for each participating member. But seeing how much more dangerous the battle was and to reward the sacrifices of all participants, each member will receive 10 gold coins as reward!"

    A few awestruck sounds.

    "The names of all involved will be spread by the town criers for two days so your bravery is recognized by the populace. And thus we conclude the ceremony, enjoy your gathering and small party created for you, brave hunters."

    The lord gets up and leaves the room, a large amount of proto-butlers and maids pull out long tables and plenty of simple dishes. They are all to be eaten by hand and standing, self-service buffet seems to be a thing here too.

    My stomach, which felt it was made of steel, starts to loosen and relax. I hated this ceremony, I feel some pride but I still hated it, stage fright. The reward was given by the guild yesterday so this is the last we hear about this expedition. I still have to talk to the lord though.

    I see a considerable number of the adventurers talking to the nobles. I guess this is the point of this ceremony, give a foot in the door for the adventurers to become knights. I try my best to keep to myself, I don't want to get involved with the high society yet.

    After eating a bit I see in the corner of the room the lord appears, now wearing much more discreet black clothes and no cloak.

    Alissa grabs my hand and takes me to the lord. Oh boy, I can already feel his gaze burning through me.

    "Mr. Ryder. It's a pleasure to meet you again," he flickers a smile and goes back to his stoic expression.

    "I-it's my pleasure too, my lord," I say what Alissa taught me in a hurry.

    "As I heard the reports you not only saved my son's beloved but you also worked well with him and possibly saved his life. I don't think even him could take on the Orc Chief by himself."

    "Y-you think so? I-I was ju-just doing my d-duty," I stutter.

    "And duty needs to be rewarded. Tell me, do you wish for something? I would like to reward you."

    I freeze. Oh boy, not even Alissa prepared me for this, what's a reasonable thing to ask from a lord. There's only one thing I want right now.

    "T-then perhaps a-a town pass? I-it's very bothersome to keep passing through customs all the time."

    The truth is hiding my lack of [Item Box] makes me very nervous whenever I enter or leave town.

    "That can be arranged, you won't be able to avoid the regular check of your guild card, you understand?" His gaze pierces me even more.

    "Y-yes, I j-just want to waste less time o-on customs," I manage to spit out.

    "I see. I can arrange the pass to work on the entire empire, that would be a more fitting gift. Also, if you are found smuggling a single item, no matter what it is the pass is revoked immediately, you understand?"

    "Yes! Perfectly!"

    "Then it will be arranged," he flickers another smile and leaves.

    I feel like collapsing from the released pressure. What an odd man, I never thought he would interact with me in such a straightforward manner

    "That's a wonderful gift, Wolf," Alissa says, trying to cheer me up.

    "Can you call me 'Wolfy'?

    "A-ah… yes… W-Wolfy…

    Oof, my heart, my mood is back.
     
    Last edited: Nov 29, 2019
  18. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

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    We take a bath together and this time there's only light playing. We need to establish a proper rotation on my bed, we have to switch Roxanne and Hana since Alissa can't leave but Hana and Roxanne also wanna sleep together once in a while. So tonight is Hana and Alissa, then tomorrow it's gonna be only me and Alissa. Good luck, Roxanne, I hope you survive a night with the freak.

    Hana is satisfied so we only do it slowly and lovingly while Alissa masturbates, then I use my fingers on her until she orgasms. I wonder when I will get [Hand Technique], I know I'm at least competent with it since Alissa already came many times from my hands.

    I slept well again.



    Today is the 24th.

    I wake up to a double blowjob, I think this should be a morning routine.

    I feel like trying one last time to sleep without Alissa but I'm scared of the nightmares.

    In the morning me and Alissa go to the dungeoneering guild to search for dungeons to explore. Alissa slips out for a bit and goes to look for basil and more spices to bring. I know there's cinnamon, cloves, and curry around so maybe she can find something good.

    It's rather lonely without her, she's quiet, unlike Hana and Roxanne, so I don't mind always being near her. I delve into the books and focus on the descriptions. I find one that piqued my interest, it's the Roulette of the Morning Dew, a dungeon with a large variety of monsters, mostly huge animals, mutations and the base magic elements. Monster Hunter story arc begin!

    The dungeon is a variety of forest and mountain environments and rather pleasant to walk through. The monsters are a variety of large predators which the corpses fetch some good money, we can even use them for cooking since the meat here is a little limited. There's a minotaur that we can kill for meat and the female version we can extract milk, weird to think it like this since it's a half-person but everyone in this world does it so when in Rome do as the Romans do.

    The plants are mana solidifications, unfortunately. There's plenty of interesting plants there but they disappear quickly after you cut them, you can taste them briefly if you eat them as soon as you cut them, though.

    The dungeon is another dimensional door with an "elevator" but the levels are even more massive than Royd's Kerfuffle's and have quite the height variance too. The ceiling is filled with enough mana crystals that it looks like day at most of the floors.

    "Hana will like this dungeon," Alissa says.

    "Yeah, she will likely be the one working the hardest since the monsters all have a lot of strength."

    "Which will make her like this even more."



    We go back home for lunch. On the trip I hear my name being screamed around town, the criers are already divulgating the names of the fellowships involved in the subjugation. Well, now everyone around town will have heard about me, nothing I could have done about that one except failing on the subjugation.

    After lunch Roxanne went to the bakery and ordered a cake that will get ready at the end of the day. I spend the afternoon sparring with Hana and Alissa, as we get tired the sparring turns into mere play and even Roxanne joins.

    "Oh, actually I forgot to look at your status Roxanne," I say, "I will put some of your extra points into [Sword Use] so we can play."

    "I guess these days were just a bit hectic, eh?" She says.

    I take a look at Roxanne stats:
    Info
    Name:Roxanne SuccubsAge:21RaceSuccubus-Type Demon
    HP:100MP:1105Magic Power:359
    Level:30Experience:7059/9000
    Stats
    Strength:8Endurance:8Dexterity:11
    Speed:8Intelligence:18Wisdom:17
    Willpower:14Charisma:15Piety:10
    Perception:10Sanity:12
    Other
    Status Effects:NONETitles:NONE
    Affiliations:Helios (Fellowship), Wolf Ryder (Fiance)
    Companions:Wolf Ryder, Alissa, Hanafuria
    Crimes:NONE



    Roxanne SuccubusSkill Report
    Physical
    Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel
    Dagger Use
    Magical
    Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel
    Sense Mana3Mana Control24Reduced Mana Cost3
    Mana Efficiency9Fire Magic22Water Magic20
    Ligh Magic1Space Magic8Conjuring Magic5
    Alchemy3Potion Brewing9Poison Brewing2
    Miscellaneous
    Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel
    Housework1Cooking1Cleaning1
    Washing1Riding1
    OBS: Level means (free point)+(trained point)
    Spells
    ExplosionMelt SkinFireballFire WhipFire ArrowFirestorm
    Fire WallTorrentWater WallWater BladeWater BreathingDrown
    CleanSpirit Light (weak)SynthesizeExtract IchorExtract PusConjure Water
    Conjure Bland Meal (weak)Telekinesistem Box (weak)

    "Oh, it shows here that you are my fiancee already. Even on the other girls."

    "Even the gods recognize us," Roxanne says with a smile.

    "You are quite the high"level, you are close to Hana.

    "I spent most of my time escorting caravans, they don't give that much experience," says Hana.

    "And I spent most of my life hunting monsters for ingredients," says Roxanne.

    "Huh, you have quite a high [Mana Control]."

    "That's my talent! Without it I can't cast my explosion magic," Roxanne looks proud.

    "I guess [Extract Nectar] and [Extract Pus] is from [Potion Brewing] and [Poison Brewing], right?"

    "Yeah, kind of an unpleasant name."

    "Agreed."

    I reduced my points in [Sword Use] and we had some fun playing around. I need to setup a strength training regimen, I ask Hana to help me train my muscles, I need more strength to last a proper amount of time in melee.

    When the sun was coming down we all took a relaxing bath together, too tired for anything sexual. Roxanne went to get the cake and we roasted a large rib of Grey Berserker that Alisa bought, we ate it with garlic bread. After we were done we took out the cake, a meringue and not-strawberry cake with a very sweet and creamy filling.

    "To glory in battle!" Hana raises her cup.

    "To great achievements!" Alissa raises her cup a bit tipsy.

    "To happiness!" Roxanne raises her cup and laughed.

    "To a long life!" I raise my cup.



    I'm a bit dizzy.

    "Waaait, what's this, iit's… lemon?"

    "The cake? There should be a hint of Tonsel in it," Roxanne says.

    "Aaaah, Alissa, buy Tonsel and put it into black tea, it's gonna be great!" I say.

    "Tonsel? Okaay, we put it on fishh tooo, heh," Alissa responds, her voice is garbling.

    "Yes! Fish! We should eat fishhh! Fish with lemon, now we need shoyu too!"

    "Masteeerr-he-he-he-herr~… I love youu, I-I will do anything, because... be-because I love youu! Ok?" Alissa hugs me, I can see tears in her eyes.

    "That's enough drinking for you two," Hana says and grabs out cups.

    "Thanks Hana, wine sucks, I want my chocolate miiilk!"

    "Okay, okay we will get chocolate one day, alright?" Roxanne strokes my head.

    Alissa starts crying and hugs me harder.



    My head hurts, I'm still dizzy. We are in the bed and Alissa is hugging me hard, she drank waay more than me. I hated the taste so I just drank a few cups but that's enough to make me dizzy since I never drunk before, literally.

    I wanted to watch Hana and Roxanne doing it on the table, Hana gets more even more hornier when she drinks. Next time they drink I will join, I just wanna cuddle with Alissa now.



    Today is the 25th.

    I wake up first and Alissa goes for the blowjob immediately once she awakes.

    "So, could this be a morning thing for us? I really like it."

    Alissa smiles with my dick in her mouth.

    "Okay," she says after taking it out.

    She didn't feel like doing it so we stopped at this. I kinda feel bad that I abused her so much when it was only the two of us but she says she never felt like she was forced, but I'm still conflicted.

    Roxanne walks slowly and without energy, Hana is the opposite and she seems even more energetic.

    "How was it Roxanne?" I ask.

    "She rubbed my tail and outlasted me," Roxanne answers with a sigh, "I would be in bliss if my muscles didn't hurt. I also have a hangover, that's the only reason she won, I get weak when I'm drunk."

    Not even magic can heal that, I just smile and give my thumbs up to Hana who grins with pride.

    "Hangovers are caused because you didn't drink enough water, alcohol steals water from the body and the lack of water causes the headache."

    "Oh, is that knowledge from your Earth?" Roxanne asks.

    "Yes, you can trust me on that one."

    "Heheh, thanks, now I can drink more without problem," Roxanne gives an innocent smile.

    I facepalm but I know she's joking, I hope. Thankfully Hana and Roxanne don't drink much because I don't really like it.

    Alissa had a few Tonsels she wanted to use in a salad but she put it in the tea, it really is lemon. It comes from the High Forest so the supply varies, it seems it's not part of the culture here to drink it cold.

    At the morning we clean the house, Roxanne is even worse than me at cleaning but now that they are all (soon to be) wives Alissa organized us all to work together and clean.

    I have some free time and so I analyze the summoned bird's soul again. The patterns are really complex and I'm trying to find a way to write and describe them more precisely but it's almost insanity, really, the soul is a complete psychedelic mushroom trip. How the hell did that mage manage to complete an experiment without trial and error? His research notes on the soul were lost, unfortunately.

    I spend all my time just scanning the soul little by little, maybe I can make some sense out of the madness one day.

    We have some simple lunch, yesterday's dinner was a little too heavy on our stomachs.

    At the afternoon there's not much to do. Alissa and Hana go out to buy books and see what's new, even Hana enjoys shopping around. I want Roxanne to go with them but she wants to finish her work with the Moonlight Moss. I keep scanning the bird's soul, no real progress.

    "Wolf, a letter came to you," Roxanne whispers.

    I snap out of the meditation and open my eyes. I reflexively kiss her since she tickled my ears with her voice and her face is so close. She chuckles.

    "The town pass is gonna be ready tomorrow, the guildmaster will deliver it to me," I say.

    "Oh, that's amazing, let's go explore a dungeon tomorrow then!"

    "What about the Moonlight Moss?"

    "I did it!"

    "What?!"

    "I did iiiiiiit!"

    She jumps and hugs me. We cuddle and kiss until the other girls come back. Then there's more kissing coming from Hana.

    "So what does the potion do?" Alissa asks.

    "It's a performance enhancer. It boosts speed, strength and endurance for a whole hour, I believe, gotta time that. It also doubles as a strong health potion. There's also another potion that I made with it that heals a massive amount of MP but it seems it makes the person unable to move..." She looks away and cleans her throat.

    "Well. That's interesting, when we can use [Gate] the second potion will certainly be useful," I say.

    "Yes, right now it's not that great but maybe until then I can refine the potion."

    "We should all carry the booster potion, in case of emergency a boost of speed is a life-saver," says Hana.

    "Understood, I will prepare at least 2 for each of us. The MP super-potions use a lot less ingredients so they will last a while, but if we keep using the booster a lot I think I can make only 30 more potions out of the moss."

    "I don't think we should be relying on the booster a lot, it should only be kept as a trump card so you shouldn't have to use all the moss on it," I say.

    "Yes, consumables like this aren't reliable for long use," Hana adds.

    "Ah, when we get [Gate] we could teleport directly to the floor of the turtles," Roxanne says.

    "Another good idea," I say, "Well, then. With the pass let's go to the Roulette of the Morning Dew. Tomorrow in the morning I will report my progress to the university then after that let's prepare in the afternoon and depart after tomorrow."

    We all agree to the schedule.



    The bookcase is getting a few more books. Alissa and Hana found a few tapestries to put on the walls and windows. We only had black curtains to cover our diamond-shaped leaded panes windows. Now there's a few with single colors like crimson red and a few embroidered with simple patterns. We are putting a carpet in every room and 2 potted plants on the entrance to the living room, they are peace lilies. I suggested to Alissa to get some ivy-like plant to put on the walls.

    Tonight again I go to sleep with Hana and Roxanne but I call Alissa to play in bed. Since the two exhausted each other last night it's just me relaxing in a sea of breasts, tongues, and hands. We need oil for some proper tit loving, but still, this is heaven.



    The goblin woman and her child killed me again. Twice, I woke up from the nightmare and then had it again.



    Today is the 26th.

    "Alissa, today it happened again, it was worse."

    "I told you I don't mind, we will just keep sleeping together."

    I cringe. This stupid curse.

    "We will find help one day for this, perhaps when Ciel joins she could help, the priests help with problems in the mind too."

    That's true, Ciel might help.

    Today I can't take a nap in the morning. I drink a lot of lemon ice tea hoping for a caffeine boost and go to the university with Alissa.



    "This is amazing, Mr. Ryder, if you can create your [Sense Soul] skill I believe we can fully remove the need for your tuition fee," Mathias says.

    Now that Roxanne is pooling her money with ours we have even less money problems, but I guess this is nice.

    "I will focus on [Sense Soul] for a while, I want to at least be able to use [Infuse] successfully once."

    "Yes, yes. Your progress is great and your skills are very interesting, at this point you are free to research as you please. I will report this to the council but I see no reason they will ask you to prove yourself further."

    I waste no more time and come back home to take a nap until Alissa wakes me for lunch. Simple vegetable soup with fried not-potatoes and blanched Dragolite milanese.

    Then we all go to the guild, in there they inspect our crystal ID tablets. I made sure I removed any odd skill first but I still saw the attendants mouth twitch for a moment. Then she pulls a flask and let a single drop of ink fall into each of our tablets.

    Now when we touch that drop of ink the tablet changes and some writing can be seen: "The adventurer named Wolf Ryder has gained the favor and trust of the True Noble Alaraste Anara, Lord of Rabanara, and therefore has no need to stay in line or pass by customs. If known that the adventurer in question is smuggling trade goods from or to a town then this pass is to be immediately removed".

    "Congratulations to you all," Silas says, "This pass works on the entirety of the empire so there's no need to worry about how other towns will react. In any case it also works to prove your reputation, if you show it to any other guildmaster they should know you are a reliable person."

    That's good and that's bad, if we are known to be reliable more people are going to come running asking for help.

    "Thank you for your help, guildmaster, we will not misuse it."

    We take our leave and go back home. Hana and Alissa are going out to refill our traveling necessities while Roxanne stays to replenish our potions. Honestly, there's so many potions that Roxanne can do that it's amazing how well prepared we can be now, "a potion for every occasion" she says.

    I work into [Soul Sense] without much progress. There's so much information it's like trying to rewrite a book just from memory. I can't reproduce the birds soul using [Infuse], it's too much info to write at once. I need to find the overall pattern on how this soul is constructed.

    "It's time," Hana whispers.

    I reflexively kiss her since Hana tickled my ears with her voice and her face is so close. She stops for a second then kisses back. I have to stop her, it's time for my strength training.

    We start with jumping jacks then jogging. She prepared dumbbells and makes me do the usual biceps, triceps and forearm, then legs and calves, then abdominal, and then I don't even know the name of the muscles that we are exercising. I just know my muscles hurt and they are sore.

    Hana makes my exercises be fast and heavy. Right after it we take a bath and Hana rewards me by sucking my soul through my dick. I have to teach her how to use her breasts though.

    Lots of meat for dinner for my muscles. I cuddle with Roxanne this time and Hana puts Alissa to sleep with her gift of stroking heads. Then I go to sleep with Roxanne and Alissa.

    "Well, uh. I can't really move too much right now," I say.

    Roxanne grins. She throws her clothes away and jumps, my view is obscured and the typical smell of a woman invades my nose.

    "Careful not to suffocate him like this," Alissa says.

    I can barely move right now so I use my last functioning muscle, my tongue. I put it out and soon my whole face is covered in saliva and nectar. I feel my dick being touched followed by the comforting feeling of being inside Alissa.



    Today is the 27th.

    Wake up blowjob by Alissa and deep kiss by Roxanne, heaven.

    I'm a little sore but it's okay. We have a quick breakfast and we close the house. This time I'm flying the dinghy.

    If an aircraft engineer finds the one who built this dinghy he will kill him. The biggest problem with this dinghy is how ridiculously over-maneuverable it is. What's the point in being able to do 2 barrel rolls per second if you are going to destroy the structure of the vehicle with this amount of force? You can easily destroy the entire boat if you fly at full speed because a small change in pitch will suddenly increase the air pressure and it simply will break a part.

    Bottom line, this world has no concept of aerodynamics. It's not my area but now I feel like I will have to be the one to jump-start it.



    We pass by the castle to our right and reach the north gate. You are going to get shot down if you fly over the gate so we land and show the new function of our ID's, the guard reads each one and escorts us outside immediately. I wonder what's the literacy rate of this world.

    Once we cross the gate we pull out the dinghy and start flying again. The environment is a little different, I can see the water wheels and the large river crossing the farms, it comes from the north, turns to the east and disappears in the horizon. The farms continue for a long time until they reach the horizon. There's barely any guard patrols over this side but we see a lot of archers around, it seems this area is most often attacked by the Dragolites.

    I concentrate on flying. Slowly the mountain range on the horizon gets closer and the end of the farmland appears. We reach the edge of the valley at 11AM.

    The valley is called The Smirk, it is a deep scar in the land. The well-made road we are on suddenly stops and only a beaten serpentine path goes downwards until it disappears into a Sea of Trees. We can see the mountain range so close to us, on the other side of that range is the elven wetlands, much further than that is the elven High Forest.

    The valley is not wide but it's deep and long. The ground level the Sea of Trees is completely dark, it's normally a dangerous part of the forest but we will walk only a small distance to the entrance of the dungeon. To our left and right the valley goes on until it disappears in the horizon, eventually the valley ramps upwards and the land returns to normal elevation.

    Sea of Trees is both the name of the area south of Rabanara and a type of forest, it's a land so filled with mana that the trees themselves also use it as a form of energy.



    We lower the dinghy and fly close to the ground on the serpentine path. There's a small fortification there with a squad of 10 guards at the entrance lazing about, very rarely something comes out of that path, but when it does it's always something really bad. The lord takes great care in keeping this valley always culled so the farms nearby aren't in danger.

    We nod towards the guards and I feel an envious gaze on me. Yep, stare all you want you will never get something close to my heaven.



    I put my skills like this:

    Wolf RyderSkill Report
    Physical
    Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel
    Sword Use10+5Dodge4+5Parry4+5
    Block2+7Shield Bash0+1
    Magical
    Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel
    Sense Mana0+5Mana Control0+5Mana Recovery7+0
    Mana Efficiency3+4Reduced Mana Cost5+0Mana Overuse Resistance0+2
    Blessing Magic10+0Light Magic9+2Summoning Magic15+5
    Redirect Mana (creator)2
    Miscellaneous
    Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel Skill NameLevel
    Andraste Language10+0Dismantling0+1Enhanced Semen Recharge0+2
    OBS: Level means (free point)+(trained point)
    The remaining 5 points will be left for magic resistances.

    We reach the entrance of the Sea of Trees and get out of the dinghy. We all cast our [Spirit Light] and move on. We still need to go lower on the path until we reach the ground, the total height of the valley might be around 100 meters.

    This Sea of Trees is damper, stinkier and has no small plants, only the trees and a moss covered ground. The complete darkness and our magical lights makes the scenery very creepy.

    Another 20 minutes walking and we find the dungeon entrance, it's a simple floating ominous black rectangle. There's no point waiting, we are safer inside, so we cross.

    All 4 of us enter the dark room and the familiar menu appears with the options, "1st floor" and "Exit". I see the girls disappear in front of me, then I press "1st floor".



    "It looks like a starry night sky," Roxanne says with wonder.

    "Yep, it's quite beautiful," I say.

    The sky looks black with innumerable little shining points, these mana crystals that give so much light it seems we are under the sun. We are in a boreal forest, there's coniferous trees, hints of snow, freezing cold wind, and two extremely steep mountains, one blue and the other red.

    We take out our winter clothes and put them on, Hana only needs a jacket since her brigandine is quite hot already.

    The dungeon drops us randomly into one of the dozens of random exit points. Now we have to find ourselves in the map by first using the two landmark mountains and then we move towards the nearest stair. There's no exit behind us.

    Roxanne had supplied the mana for the dinghy while I flew, I had enough time to cast most of our buffs so now I just finish casting the last ones and we both meditate to refill our mana. I still have 10 points in [Blessing Magic] so we all have [Wind Armor], [Sharp Blade] (except Roxanne) and [Swift Foot]. Then we have lunch.

    Not even 5 minutes into the dungeon and Alissa detects the first monster. We sneak close to it and take a look.

    It's a Zinotue, threat level 3. A nearly two meters tall bengal tiger with spikes on his stripes, this is an electric type monster. It's much more muscular than a normal tiger. I put all of my wives extra points in [Electric Resistance], I have 5 unused points that I put in resistance.

    Hana takes out a spear and stands in front of Roxanne while I summon an earth elemental and have it guard Alissa. The training with the bird went well, I can still use the bird's and the elemental's sight without making me dizzy, it's all about focus. The bird is currently on Roxanne's shoulder.

    The Zinotue is on a small clearing walking slowly towards us, Alissa fires the first shot from the bushes and it goes directly to the eyes. This monster is incredibly fast, it's reflexes allow it to dodge the shot but it still hits the side of its face.

    "I'll thrust my spear up your ass!" Taunts Hana.

    It gets up on its hind legs and roars, with that I can already feel a slight tingling in my body. Its base attack is making the air electrified, small shocks occur on the body regardless of where you are as long as the Zinotue keeps pumping mana to its fur.

    A normal arrow hits its chest, Roxanne is casting magic.

    It leaps and lands near Hana, it tries to charge but a quick jab on its face gives it a wound deep enough for it think twice. It tries to swipe the spear but it misses, the second swipe gets closer but just slides off the scale shield. Meanwhile I jump forward, slash the front left leg and jump back near Hana. Alissa puts two arrows on it's lower flank.

    The monster turns towards Alissa and leaps. It receives a stone mace to the face and stops midair. The elemental's hand-mace is inside the Zinotue's mouth, you could hear the sound of rock being scraped by the monster's fangs. Then the elemental kicks the monster and it flies away a few meters.

    At that distance Alissa's arrows can be dodged. The monster starts charging mana and keeps its distance. Roxanne jumps on Hana's back and dragon wings appear from the slits on Hana's brigandine.

    The monster stops for a moment and opens it's huge mouth towards Alissa. Alissa dodges and on the place she was a lightning bolt hits, it wasn't at the speed of a normal lightning so it's dodgeable.

    Then he turns to Hana and she uses the wings to dodge the bolt. Then he looks at the elemental and the bolt hits it right on but it causes only a small scorch mark on the chest of the elemental.

    The monster gets angry and roars again with much more strength. Roxanne drops from Hana's back and then the monster charges Hana. He doesn't care about the spear and jumps towards her.

    "[Water Blade]!"

    The entire left flank of the monster gets a deep cut. It doesn't stop and crashes on Hana, she uses her wings to counter the momentum but she still gets her feet dragged on the ground. The monster huge mouth bites the shield and he gets a spear deep on his right side. Hana is splashed with blood.

    I jump and slash at the neck, the wound is shallow. The monster disengaged from Hana to dodged me but he still received two arrows on his flank for this. He runs away to the trees. Enraged monsters don't run away, he's preparing something. His spikes point up.

    "Roxanne! [Drown]!" I yell.

    We scatter. Hana and the elemental go forward, I stay still and Roxanna and Alissa run back. Water droplets start appearing floating around the monster. Sparks appear from the spikes. The water droplets all congregate and surround the monsters body in a bubble. The sound of thunder can be heard.

    "AAH!" I scream, I got shocked heavily but it's only pain, it didn't burn or even decrease my HP.

    That was [Lightning Strike], that one is instant and can't be dodged. But [Drown] surrounds the target with water so it can't breathe, this water disrupts the strike and lowered its power greatly. Only I got hit, luckily or rather, unluckily I got chosen.

    The monster is twitching, the water caused it to also get shocked. It turns towards us and an arrow enters it's eye, the monster twitched and falls, it's dead.

    I cast [Clean] on Hana.

    "W-what? That's the first thing you do?" She asks, amused.

    I shrug.

    "I would rather not let my wife's clothes get stained with monster blood," I say.

    Hana laughs.

    "I would do the same," Roxanne says and shrugs.

    Alissa seems in deep thought, I don't know if she agrees or not with me.

    We pick the fangs of the monster and help Roxanne harvest the best spikes. The meat of this monster tastes ok but it's not too valuable. We still have to be cautious and selective with the corpses we bring back so people won't suspect of my infinite "Items".

    I feel something change within me, [Dismantling] increased by 1 (now 0+2).



    I guess skills are a combination of technical knowledge and real life experience, that's why just reading the books on anatomy won't increase my skill immediately.

    I dismiss the earth elemental then we stop for me and Hana to rest a bit. The elemental costs a considerable amount of mana but it's the perfect defense against this kind of monster. I don't have enough strength like Hana to take on a charge and keep standing so Alissa needs better protection than just me.



    We start moving again and Alissa steers us away from the smell of an adventurer party. This place is somewhat popular for hunting so it's not uncommon to meet others but it's just unnecessary to get close to each other.

    After an hour of walking we reach the end of our plateau and we are faced with a gentle slope of a valley, we are going towards the river at the bottom. Alissa senses a group of small enemies.

    "Wysalites," I say.

    The Wysarie is a large but thin velocir-... Wyvern. It has feathered wings and a scaled body but it does not fly, it uses the wings to increase it's land speed and mobility. The Wysalite is a smaller version of the Wysarie.

    "I'll get them," Hana says.

    We can't hide our approach, there are no bushes this time so they notice us from afar. We stand in place and let them come towards us, charging upwards is less effective.

    There's 6 half-meter tall Wysalites approaching and letting out high pitched screams. Hana lowers her shield and puffs her chest, I hear the sound of someone breathing in.

    *FOOOM~*, Hana breathes out and flames violently spew from her mouth. The fire covers a large area in front of us, dozens of trees go up in flames, the high pitched screams of rage become even higher-pitched screams of pain. A terrifying barbecue happens in front of us.

    One survived the hellfire and Alissa ends its misery. They are the goblins of this dungeon so it's barely worth it to get their proof of extermination. We just move on from the bonfire we created, the snow and the good distance between each tree will make sure the fire doesn't spread on this forest.

    "Isn't your [Fire Breath] tiring?" I ask.

    "Not really, I can use once every 2 hours or so, if I used less then it would recharge faster," Hana says.

    "I think it was a good use, [Firestorm] is somewhat inefficient," Roxanne says.

    "It seems so," I finish.



    We reach the river and move along the valley, we will be reaching the stairs soon. The advantage of going through the river is the higher encounter rate, we are here to fight monsters, the more the merrier.

    Soon enough we find another Zinotue, it's smaller but I still summon an earth elemental again. Same strategy. We move closer to it and fail to sneak attack first, it was wary of something and spotted us from far away. Immediately it casts the lightning bolt.

    The monster is quite far.

    "Hey! Hide behind the elemental!" I yell.

    We all share a "why not?" look and shrug, we form a line behind the elemental and keep walking forward. The elemental takes 3 bolt hits like it's nothing, it didn't even flinch. Earth is rather strong against [Electric Magic], [Fire Magic] is much more effective at melting earth and metals than electricity.

    The monster immediately enrages and charges at the elemental. We just keep hiding behind it and Hana readies her spear from behind the elemental. As the monster jumps and bites the head of the elemental it hugs the monster and doesn't let it escape.

    We stab and slash and shoot at his throat until Roxanne finishes [Water Blade] and decapitates it.

    "Pff…" I let out a chuckle.

    "Guess it was young and dumb," Roxanne says.

    We move on.

    We meet another group of 7 Wysalites and Hana creates another bonfire, it wasn't full strength so Alissa finished 2 of them. The smell is that of roasted chicken and it opens my appetite, but the meat isn't good, so I have heard.

    We reach the stairs, it's like a ruin in the middle of the forest. A half"ruined mossy arch stands alone in the forest and past it is a set of stairs the leads to the expected rectangular black barrier. We cross it.



    We reach the 2nd floor.

    This floor is another boreal forest but the mountains are many and not easily identifiable, I bring my bird to the sky and survey the area. We are at the foot of a snow covered mountain to our east, there's a v-shaped valley without a river to the west of us that turns around and goes south, a prairie surrounded by mountains to the north, and to our south is a steep and impassable mountain. Again the best option is following the valley and then going south.

    The prairie is infested with Wysalites, it's not worth our time. The snow-covered mountain has strong monsters but no stairs. These lower floors don't have many strong monsters so we have to use a balance of progress speed and encounter rate to test our strength on the new level.

    We start moving again and meet 2 even smaller Zinotues.

    "Probably siblings, they work together until they are strong enough to be independent," says Hana.

    "Don't taunt them, Hana, I will take one."

    "Is that really necessary?" Alissa says.

    She does not approve, they are still 1-meter tall monsters.

    "Not really, but I wanna test coordination with a dog, you can fire an arrow at it and it will disrupt the charge."

    Alissa pouts.

    "Fine..." She mutters.

    We move forward and they spot us. I start to feel bad for them, until I see them both stupidly charge towards us with their fangs bared. I summon a pitbull and steel myself for the charge.

    The small Zinotue leaps at me and hits my shield and my arm explodes in pain. Shit they are heavy. I try to counter stab during the defense but it's quick enough to dodge my sword.

    It's quick but not enough to dodge everything, a second after it hits my shield the summoned dog leaps at it's throat and latches on. The monster is strong but it can't get out of the bite, it thrashes about and gives me enough of an opening to split its head open, ew.

    I look at Hana and she's playing whack-a-mole with the other monster. The smaller it is the faster it becomes, that's the advantage they have to compensate for their stupidity and inexperience. It retreats away from Hana's reach, she changes grip on the spear and throws it at the monster. It hit its flank and pins it to the ground. Hana dashes with her wings, then draws her sword and slashes it's head off in a single movement.

    "Ohohoh, that looked so cool!" Exclaims Roxanne.

    I nod.

    "Say that again during the bath," Hana responds.

    "No, thank you," and she smirks.



    We move along the valley and encounter a group of 5 Wysalites, no fire breath this time. I bring out a fire elemental, it's weak physically but it has good ranged magic. The fire of the elemental burns in a very specific form that resembles the shape of tall, busty woman with mane like hair. Hana smirks at me when she sees this.

    I pull my shield besides Hana and we wait for the charge. The bottom of the valley has very little trees so we spotted each other from afar.

    1 monster already falls to Alissa, they get wary of the accurate arrows and focus on evading them. But that means they don't focus as much on the magic and a fire arrow pierces one, who falls to the ground and receives a normal arrow as a follow up. 3 left.

    They enrage and increase speed.

    "Whips!" I yell.

    "Here, chicken-chicken, heeere chicken-chicken," taunts Hana while hitting her shield with her spear.

    As they are getting close 2 [Flame Whips] grab 1 Wysalite each. They fall and trash around trying to undo the burning whip. I dash and stab the heart of one, the other one receives an arrow to the chest. 1 left.

    I look at Hana and she's proudly waving about her chicken on a stick.



    The light from the mana crystals is dwindling, it must be sunset on the surface. We move away from the valley and find a place to camp, we settle on a small clearing with a thicker amount of trees around us that provides good cover for us. I pull out the already-built tent and the bathtub with the partition, then I summon 2 dobermans and tell them plus the bird to patrol. I'm actually feeling safe with these dogs around me.

    We got a new bathtub, it's just a wood tub with a step so we can sit. We all enter and Roxanne brushes Hana's mane, it's my request because otherwise she might let that glorious hair get ruined. Alissa mounts me and we slowly enjoy each other.

    "Hey… Are you two fucking?" Hana asks.

    "Well, yeah," I answer.

    "Alissa, finish him soon, I want my turn."

    She closes her eyes and pouts.

    "Don't wanna," she says, bashfully.

    And she didn't, until the end she rode me slowly until she clenched her insides and wrung it out of me.

    We have dinner then we cuddle inside the tent, Roxanne pulled out her personal magic stone air warmer so it's kinda cozy inside but a little stuffy.

    Alissa reads her book while Roxanne cuddles me and strikes my hair and Hana rides me twice. The skill is working, I'm barely tired.

    Hana grabs me on one side, on the other I grab Alissa and we go to sleep. Unfortunately this bed only holds 3 people but we managed to fit a smaller bed for Roxanne to sleep besides us.

    I summoned another bird and made it guard the entrance to our tent.



    Today is the 28th.

    I wake up to an awkward triple blowjob. There's too many heads and too little space, but Alissa and Hana teach Roxanne how to do it and I finish on her mouth, she doesn't like the taste.

    We eat breakfast and break camp. The stairs are nearby, only an hour to reach them.



    We reach the 3rd floor.

    This floor is the last boreal forest for a while. We exit on the shore of a fjord, two mountains cover our surroundings. There's only one way and it's to go between the mountains. Behind us there is only a dark sea that ends on a black cave wall.

    Most exits end here and since it's a cramped space it doesn't have many monsters so this ends up being a popular camping spot. For us who are searching for enemies while delving deeper, this fjord is just a waste of time. We change Hana's brigandine for her spare leather jacket and start jogging, with [Swift Foot] we can clear this fjord in an hour.

    Alissa leads us away from crashing into 3 adventurer camps and we finally reach the valley. There's only small hills and a dense forest ahead, we have to follow the compass closely so we can find the stairs.



    "This one is huge, it's another Zinotue," Warns Alissa.

    I think for a moment.

    "Means lots of experience," says Hana.

    "We can go all out once in a while, maybe we could give the Moonlight Elixir to Hana?" Says Roxanne.

    "Agreed, let's go with the Elixir, it's gonna be a trial run. First sign of trouble and we use the Escape Bomb, understood?" I say.

    "Yes, yes," Hana surrenders.

    "Alissa and I will hide behind the elemental, I will make it heavier. Alissa, can you hit it through the trees from this distance?"

    "Yes, but I can't guarantee where it will hit."

    "That's enough for a first strike."

    Roxanne gives a glass flask with a shining silver fluid for Hana to drink.

    I concentrate and start casting [Summon Elemental]. The summoning can be influenced by your [Mana Control] skill and your will so I imagine this one has a lead metal core, with this it's extra heavy and can hold on against such a huge monster. It's not gonna be super agile but it will have enough strength to not be crushed in a single strike.

    A heavy *toon~* sound is produced when the earth elemental appears.

    "Do it," I say.

    An arrow flies, a roar is heard and the uncomfortable little shocks start.

    Heavy footsteps are approaching. Hana readies her shield and her spear, her wings are spread wide in wait. She looks fearsome in this posture, her gaze has a mix of anger and amusement. I hide cowardly behind the golem, Alissa is to the side so she can fire an arrow, Roxanne is gathering mana.

    "WROOOO~!" Screams the monster.

    A 3-meters tall Zinotue leaps from the trees, it has 50 cm long spikes coming out of its stripes and they are already letting out sparks. It has an arrow on it's left flank.

    "HAAAAAAAAA!" Hana screams back. Her scream makes my bones tremble.

    What is this? A battle between monsters?

    Mountains collide. Hana didn't bashed its snout so it so he couldn't eat her shield. She didn't even flinch and her feet got dug into the ground. What is this elixir? Her spear comes out of the chest of the monster completely bloodied, it didn't even care.

    It steps back once and swipes at Hana. She bashes the huge paw and it flies backwards, her feet dig deeper into the ground. She thrusts again and the spear cuts the skin of the cheek as the monster tries to dodge the stab.

    It goes in its hind legs and strikes Hana downwards with both paws. She blocks both and is forced on her knees but she gets another stab, this time below the mouth but it was not enough to reach the brain.

    Meanwhile Alissa put 4 arrows on it's flank and it just ignores it, I slashed at the left paw but it barely cuts through. Then I jump and try to slash at its neck but it's too massive, my sword won't reach for a proper wound. It's all on you Roxanne.

    The monster jumps backwards and start charging a lighting strike, my muscles start to cramp a little just from the increased power to the shocking aura. This one is going to hurt.

    "[Water Blade]!"

    A massive cut appears on the monsters body, it's right ear is cut, it's shoulder bleeds profusely, and the cut goes up to his back. The electricity it was charging disperses, it shocks and burns anything nearby, luckily we are far away.

    It roars, it gets ready to charge again and this time it's aim is Roxanne.

    I have an idea.

    "Roxanne! [Explosion]! We will hold it!" I yell.

    I tell the elemental to stand besides Hana while I stand on the other side. The monster charges. It's gaze is so powerful it sends chills to my spine. Hana readies herself again with all her might.

    "WROOOOOAR!"

    "HAAAAAAA!"

    They compete in who can hurt my ears the most.

    This time Hana jumps and her wings make the air behind her kick up a storm. She meets the monster and stabs him in the mouth just as an arrow also pierces him there, now it can't close it so it just uses its snout to tackle Hana's shield. They both stand still mid-air, then they fall down with perfect posture.

    The monster prepares its legs to jump over Hana, she won't be able to stop it. The monster jumps and falls back to the ground.

    The slow elemental threw itself into the body of the monster and grabbed it, its massive weight doesn't allow the monster to run. An arrow pierces its tongue, ensuring his mouth doesn't close down so soon.

    I slash at its right side while Hana stabs it in the face. It tries to wiggle out of the grip but it's failing. I feel the mana level reaching dangerous levels.

    "Back!" I yell.

    "[EXPLOSION]!"

    I go back a few steps and my vision goes red, my body gets hit by something wet and warm and I hear a loud explosion half a second later, I lose my hearing after that.

    I cast [Heal] on myself and I get my hearing back, I rub my eyes and now I can see again. The Zinotue's body was divided in two, one part has the hind legs and the other has the forelegs and the head. Much of its midsection is gone, it's entrails are all over the place. I turn around immediately.

    I cast [Heal] on the women so they can hear again and move behind a tree so I can clean myself. It's actually so much blood [Clean] doesn't cut it anymore. I call them and we get Roxanne to throw hot water on all of us so we can remove the blood. Walking around with bloodied clothes is not a good idea and we don't have time to remove it and wash it properly. Doing it like this it's much faster but rather unpleasant.

    A few minutes of frantic scrubbing and many heavy [Clean] spells and Alissa tells us the scent of blood is gone from us. Alissa guides me towards the body while I keep my view down and I store both parts inside "Items". There's no comment from them towards my weak stomach but I'm still quite ashamed.

    "Wolfy, it's okay," Alissa says and grabs my hand.

    Oof, calling me that makes me happier.

    "Thanks..." I say.

    We leave the horrifying scene of blood and gut stained trees and move on.



    Once we get far away enough so that Alissa can't smell the blood anymore we sit down and rest.

    "That elixir is insane, Roxanne," I say.

    "Praise me more," she responds.

    "I felt invincible," says Hana.

    "That's a bit much..." I mutter.

    "More!" Roxanne asks.

    "It looked glorious seeing Hana fly, even she looked small against that monster and she stopped it mid-air," Alissa says.

    "Hohohoh, yes, glorious indeed!" And she hits her cheeks with her palms.

    Of all of us, Hana seems the most happy in this expedition while I'm still feeling sick. I remember the fight with the Symbol and I think Alissa must have cleaned the place, it wasn't as horrifying as this.

    Alissa hugs me from behind while I meditate. A few seconds later Hana hugs my left arm and Roxanne my right.

    "Uh… sorry Wolfy, my spells make you ill," Roxanne mutters with a hint of sadness.

    "Don't be sad for me, go back to being happy for your elixir. I have to deal with this, it's a problem that I have, not you."

    She hugs me tighter and I get a kiss on the cheek. I really didn't wanna bring down the mood.



    We meet a group of 4 Wysalites going towards the smell of blood.

    "I'll make each of you give a blowjob to my sword!" Yells Hana.

    They all enrage and charge blindly towards her, it seems this one was a critical success.

    "[Fire Wall]!"

    The 4 of them start burning and running around like headless chickens, target practice for Alissa. I didn't even do anything, I was going to call a fire elemental but they all bunched up like this so it's pretty much Christmas for us.

    We keep moving and finally reach the stairs, it's another ruin.



    We reach the 4th floor.

    This floor is divided into a jungle on one side and a volcano on the other. The jungle has plenty of Giant Dragonflies so I don't want to go there and the volcano has an interesting enemy we have to fight.

    The jungle is simply a large are covered by thick jungle and a few hills, rivers run between the hills so there's plenty of space for the Giant Dragonflies to live around. The volcano is a series of canyons and caves surrounding the very steep chimney, the map is quite serpentine and we will have to be careful not to get lost.

    We are on the border of the jungle, a few steps and we touch the hard volcanic soil. A minute of walking and we reach a cliff with the first cave.

    The cave is dry and hot, very unpleasant. You see bones and feces scattered about every 10 meters or so, this cave is the nest of monsters.

    I put Roxanne's 5 free skill points in [Water Magic] and that allows her to cast [Filling Waters]. It recovers mana, stamina and gives a small regeneration, but the best is that it prevents us from getting our cavities too dry.

    The Wysalites turned into Wyqualites, smaller versions of the Wyquasy. These are slightly bigger than Wysalites, they don't have feathers but they spit out fireballs and cook their prey alive. They are red colored because color-coding is a thing for monsters it seems.

    We meet a few of them but since they aren't fast enough me and Hana simply block the fireballs, Alissa uses them for target practice, and Roxanne knocks them out with a simple [Torrent].

    We find a relatively safe and not smelly cave and have our lunch. It's a proto-hamburger again, a piece of a cheesy not-eggplant casserole I taught Alissa and a large not-pear.

    "I don't praise you enough for being so good at cooking," I say.

    "You don't," Alissa mutters and then looks away.

    Getting sassy, eh?

    "I don't. You are an amazing cook Alissa."

    She blushes, so easy.

    "Agreed, I never ate such good food during my trips," says Hana.

    "I feel like I should have proposed to her too," says Roxanne.

    She gets silent and fidgety, she's holding her tail still deliberately.

    "Alissa, you are perfect, the perfect wife," I whisper to her.

    She starts shaking, her eyes lose focus, and her tail wags uncontrollably.

    "Too far, you broke her," Roxanne smiles.



    We continue our journey and Alissa smells something peculiar.

    "There's only one other enemy here," I say.

    We all let out a smile. We are close.

    Alissa follows the smell and soon enough we find the monster. Alissa sneaks into its nest and confirms it, it's the Burkanolf, threat level 4, almost 5. This monster is a 2-meters tall black wolf with a very long snout and very thin, sharp fangs. It's tail is made of fire like a fire elemental and its claws are magically made of lava.

    "Alissa, you are in charge of the Escape Bomb," I say, she nods.

    I sit down and concentrate, this is a powerful enemy and I need a good elemental against it. It needs to protect against fire breath so I make it extra wide, the body itself will be a shield. On heat resistance I make it so it has a titanium coating so it protects against melting, followed by a cement layer so it insulates against heat, and the bones I make them out of onyx for hardness.

    The weight of the body is carried by the skeleton, if the bones break it loses its power. If the entire body is considered "bones" then it moves faster but it also gradually loses power with every crack or piece of rock that gets scraped off. If I make only the internal parts considered bones then it can maintain performance while losing pieces of the outer layer at the cost of speed. The onyx is much more costly mana wise than the titanium or cement so I have to use it sparingly.

    "Bring it," I say.

    Alissa sneaks into the next cave, shoots an arrow, and comes running back. I hear a yelp, a growl, and the footsteps of something heavy coming. Roxanne is already charging mana.

    The tunnel lights up in red light and out of it comes the Burkanolf with it's mouth already open, I see an arrow sticking out of where his genitals should be, wow Alissa.

    We line up behind the elemental and a huge fire breath flows around us. It hits the chest of the elemental, and it didn't even flinch. A whole minute goes by and the breath dies out. The elemental is red hot but completely unharmed, I can feel that not a single point of HP dropped.

    Immediately the monster jumps and bites the head of the elemental.

    "[Torrent]!"

    The monster is hit on the shoulder and flies backwards while spinning, it lands on its legs perfectly. The elemental only has small dents where it was bitten. Alissa lets out an arrow.

    A fire wall appears in front of the monster, only its amber eyes are visible behind it. Alissa's arrow gets burned and disintegrates when it touches the fire wall. The monster stops and starts circling around us, its firewall moving along it.

    "Hana, bait," I say.

    She moves away and gets ready to receive a charge. Roxanne gathers mana.

    "Hahahah, what a little candle, I can extinguish your tail with my spit!" She taunts.

    The monster howls, critical success. The fire wall extinguishes and he charges. Hana meets his charge with a bash and stab, she pushes his huge mouth sideways and tabs his chest. An arrow appears on his flank and then he jumps back.

    The fire wall appears again and his eyes gaze at Hana with malice.

    "Oooh, doggy is scared? Come here, let me pat your cute ears," she taunts again.

    The fire wall extinguishes and he charges again. This time he goes low and Hana has to use her wings to fly upwards and away from his bite. An arrow appears on his neck and he jumps backwards again.

    "Bad doggy! No biting allowed!"

    The flames of the fire wall grow uncontrollably, he's enraged now.

    "Roxanne," I whisper.

    He charges.

    "[Water Wall]!"

    He leaps and his whole body meets a huge, thick wall of water. He gets stuck in the middle of the whirlpool, his flame tail extinguishes, his lava claws crumble, and he writhes about trying to escape the wall. The water stops gushing from thin air and the monster jumps back to regain its composure.

    Without its tail it can't create a fire wall, Alissa pumps arrow after arrow. The monster starts feeling the pain and gets desperate. I sense he's going to attack so I make the elemental shed its outer layers, now only a thin, strong, and fast black onyx skeleton is visible, I tell it to charge.

    The monster tries to bite the bones but they are made of onyx and withstand it easily. This was a mistake for the monster, now the elemental grabs it and does not allow it to run. The arrows on its flank are making it harder for it to breathe and it chokes on blood.

    "Now!" I yell.

    Hana draws her sword and flies. Her long sword is raised high and without caring for her own safety she slashes off half the neck of the monster and crashes into it. Now again she's covered in blood.

    The monster trashes but quickly loses power and gets choked by the elemental. It slows down, weakened allowing Alissa to finish it off with an arrow through the eye and into the brain.

    "[Clean]!" I cast.

    "Thanks," Hana says with a bitter smile.

    "Oh, I leveled up," Roxanne says, "I got 1 point into [Potion Brewing] and 2 in [Water Magic]."

    "You got the points now?" I ask while storing the body of the Burkanolf and quickly moving away from the small blood lake, "Now that I think about it, when does the skills level up, exactly? I know it's not instant most of the time."

    "Yeah, most of the time it happens when you sleep, sometimes it happens after you level up or you reach a certain condition. Perhaps it's part of your knowledge that resting helps the brain develop?"

    "Could be," I shrug.

    We continue moving and soon we find the stairs.



    We reach the 5th floor.

    This floor has a huge cliff in the middle where a waterfall feeds into a river, along this river are a large amount of hot springs and a few lava lakes. Since we take a hot bath everyday thanks to Roxanne we don't waste any time on the springs.

    Roxanne was a little disappointed, she heard that dungeon-created hot springs have special properties that help with beauty, as if they all already didn't have perfect skin. Wait, was the hot spring for me then?

    We move along the river towards the closest stair. This also means we have to face a considerable number of Giant Dragonflies.

    "This is a bit ridiculous," Said Roxanne while throwing a [Fire Arrow] through the body of a Dragonfly.

    "What do you mean?" I ask while putting a dragonfly body inside the [Item Box].

    "It took me a huge effort to find a fellowship big enough to handle a hunt for the dragonflies, then it took us hours to dismantle everything and the profits were so disgustingly low," she says and starts to charge another arrow.

    "And now we are just casually strolling around through them," I say while collecting a Dragonfly body with 2 arrows pierced through it.

    "[Fire Arrow]. Exactly! It wasn't even two months ago!"

    "All thanks to our precious little Wolfy," Hana says, she didn't even draw her sword.

    "Well… it's just that the elementals are too effective," I say, a little embarrassed.

    "A little..." Alissa mutters and fires another arrow.

    Another Giant Dragonfly appears and darts forward with his pointy legs aimed at us. 2 Semi-transparent green women with fox tails, fox ears, and a bob cut graciously floating around swing their arms, causing the Dragonfly to veer of course. It ends up stuck on the ground, then an arrow pierces its body and it dies before it can get itself free. I go towards it and collect the body.

    "We still have to dismantle them," I say.

    "But we can do it at our own pace, safe and sound. This is ridiculous, there's barely any danger in hunting anymore," Roxanne says and throws her hands in the air.

    "Don't say such things, we shouldn't grow overconfident," Alissa says while a staring at the elementals, "Wolfy… aren't theirs bigger than mine…?"

    "N-no… also, I'm not controlling their appearances, this is not my fault!" I hurriedly answer.

    I can control the appearances of the elementals to a certain extent but they cost more mana if I do so.



    We continue casually strolling until the Dragonflies stop appearing. Then we meet a group of 4 Wysalites. Hana uses [Fire Breath] and we start a small forest fire.

    "What's this smell?" I say, feeling nostalgic.

    "There's some aromatic fruit burning," Alissa responds.

    "Yes… it's… it's… coffee," I say with pleasure.

    None of the girls ever felt this heavenly smell.

    "Smells kinda good though, if you ignore the smell of burnt flesh and plants," Roxanne says with a wry smile.

    I look around us and find an unburnt bush with small red berries hanging. I grab one and open it up, the characteristic 2 little coffee beans are inside.

    "Wow, it's really fucking coffee," I say as the fruit melts and disappears on my hand.

    I eat one and it tastes sweet but very acidic, doesn't taste like coffee…

    "Alissa, remember this smell. If you ever find it again in town follow it until you find the source.

    "As you wish, ma-Wolfy," Alissa responds, almost relapsing at my strong command.



    We reach the 6th floor.

    It's the last jungle before the roman-style overgrown ruins of the 7th to 9th floors. There we will find minotaurs and there we will… milk them…

    This floor is divided into a canyon that opens up and various mesa's appear, the mesa's are popular camping spots. They are safe since there's only one entrance and no flying monsters here but they can become crowded. With 3 women in this group I prefer risking a night attack so we can have full privacy.

    The sun is setting so we find a low-traffic area near a mesa and set up camp. Before noon tomorrow we will have reached the 7th floor. Our progress is amazing.

    After dismantling disgusting giant insect dragonflies Hana makes me do my strength routine, not as hard since we are still inside a dungeon but still hard enough that I feel like sleeping during the bath. But Hana doesn't let me, we exercised together and she got excited, she does the same as Alissa yesterday and slowly rides me during the whole bath. I kiss Roxanne and Alissa plays with my hair, this is my daily piece of heaven.

    Today Alissa decided to cook a few of the Wysalites we didn't burn. They taste like chicken but they have a note of something fresh, almost minty, deep on it.

    Near the bed Hana maintains our equipment, Alissa reads her book, and Roxanne slowly caresses my body, her slightly wet hair caresses my chest and the lack of ponytail gives her a new sensuality. Quiet moans fill the tent as I slowly tease my way inside her, Roxanne bites her finger and moves her hips up and down. She closes her eyes and enjoys all of it while her horns shake about uncontrollably.

    "Uh, Roxanne… your horns are a bit… soft?" I ask.

    "Hm? Ah… I can… ah… soften them…ah… and move them around..." She says between soft moans.

    I grab her horns and spin them around so they are facing backwards, they sway like they are made of rubber. I fail to suppress a chuckle. Roxanne punches me in the chest and kisses me to stop me from laughing.

    I finish inside Alissa's mouth to not make a mess and help her a bit since she was slowly masturbating while reading.

    Tonight Roxanne wraps her tail on my leg, I feel scared to touch it but she says it makes her feel safe.



    I wake up in the night, the dogs found Wyqualites roaming nearby. They are not strong enough to bypass my monster repellent stone but they can attract other monsters that could. This floor has the Burkanolf and a few rare Zinotues that can hunt at night, they could bypass the stone if old and strong enough so they could stumble upon us if they chase the Wyqualites.

    I wake them up and we spend an hour on guard until neither Alissa nor the dogs can smell the Wyqualites. We sleep until a little later to compensate.



    Today is the 29th.

    My wake up alarm is having my soul sucked through my dick, today Hana seems extra proud of my surprised reaction.

    Alissa cooks the remaining Wysalites again. She feels she could make a proper dish of it but they are annoying to hunt them on their own so it's gonna be a rarity.

    We break camp and move on, we avoid the adventurers coming out of the mesas and create another small coffee-scented forest fire with a few Wysalites. At 10AM we reach the stairs.



    We reach the 7th floor.

    We are on an overgrown city ruins. There's partially destroyed concrete buildings, arches, and domes, with an overuse of columns. There's also ivies, vines, and moss covering any still-standing wall. Tall grass everywhere that's not a paved road, pieces of rubble spread all over. This town is called Tigurum.

    At the distance we can see a very steep blue mountain surrounding us while a small sea is at the north of the town. On the outskirts there's an oak forest where the stairs of this floor lie.

    We could hunt for minotaurs at the town, but since most exits end up here many other adventurers also hunt on this place so I prefer to have some privacy. We move west where the oak forest is the thickest.

    We bump into a few fellowships on the way, these roads are tight and there's not many routes we can take to avoid them. All of these adventurers groups look like dirty brigands, they likely stay a long time here to collect valuable parts like proofs of exterminations and harvest organs. This dungeon is one of the easiest ones to overflow, if not for the constant number of hunters here there would certainly be a few Zinotues roaming The Smirk.

    When we pass by the hunters I can feel gazes of envy on my back. That's right, they are all mine.



    We leave town and enter the oak forest. It's quite beautiful. Large, mossy oaks and plenty of shrubs and flowers compose this forest. I feel like having a picnic here and enjoying the breeze and smells.

    "Oh look, it's the morning dew. The monsters are weakened on this floor," I say.

    This is why this dungeon got this name, the morning dew is the sign the monsters are weaker and slower, so people would pick a random floor and hope there's dew.

    We walk a little happy, but Alissa starts frowning the more we walk.

    "Ah! We are surrounded, nine people are coming," she exclaims.

    My heart sinks, you can easily discern monsters and humanoids with [Sense Presence]. Adventurers don't come surrounding people, that's an extremely threatening move, there's only group of people that do this, brigands.

    How do I deal with them? The advice book told me that thieves sometimes prey on smaller fellowships exploring dungeons, but a well maintained dungeon is rare to have thieves. The Orc Headhunter problem was a single mistake, they happen in every region. This doesn't mean that this is a badly managed region, we are just unlucky, again.

    The problem with thieves is that you never know what they have. Poison, archers, mages, berserkers, magic tools, whatever you think someone somewhere is gonna use it, they might have it. Thieves are the masters of ingenuity, a horrible surprise box. If they have a mage how do I deal with him? We are outnumbered and they are not orcs, it's gonna be difficult for Hana to hold off more than one. I have to protect Alissa, she doesn't have a shield but she can keep the enemy at bay. What if they have Spirit or [Dark Magic]? Those are incredibly nasty schools of magic, I never encountered a monster that uses it, actually I never even fought against a single mage, not even for practice. How do I deal with mages? Interrupt chanting? But some chant super fast. My shield is my best friend now, but I'm still not very strong, I could get thrown away by [Torrent] easily. If they have poison I will have to use [Diagnosis] to know which, or maybe I should just drink a few of Roxanne's potions and hope of the best, I don't have time to put points in [Diagnosis]. What if they have archers? Wind elementals work but [Wind Wall] would be much more mana efficient, what points do I take out for it? Support magic can't go, all my buffs are working and they are very useful. What if I just put a point into some magic? I don't have [Fireball], [Lightning Bolt] is useful and I can get them by surprise with [Entangling Vines], even [Dark Magic]'s [Torment] could work. But we are surrounded and outnumbered, I need something to hold them off, how do I judge when to help Hana or Alissa? Roxanne can't get into melee at any cost so she's easy to judge but if I make a mistake and a blade pierces a chest it's over, a decapitation and it's over, anything on the brain and it's over. How about our formation? Should we fight back to back or should we charge the enemy? Our flanks get exposed if we charge but if we stay we can be more easily crushed and we have no place to fall back. I don't have eyes on my back I can't deal with the-...

    "Wolfy," Alissa grabs my face and she looks into my eyes.

    I'm hyperventilating, my heart race is racing, and my mind is dizzy.

    "We will deal with them, Wolfy," Hana says.

    "Everyone, drink the Moonlight Elixir," Roxanne reminds us.

    "Wolfy, bring two wind elementals and give control to us," Hana says.

    I obey.

    "Block projectiles first and if there's an opening strike the enemy with the [Air Hammer] to disrupt them," Hana orders the elementals.

    "Wolfy, you have to stand in front of me, understand? You don't have to kill but you have to defend me, okay?" Alissa tells me while looking into my eyes.

    "Okay..." I mutter.

    "Take a point out of [Sword Use] and put it into [Electric Magic], Wolfy, you need [Lighting Bolt] for a surprise stun, okay?" Roxanne says.

    "Okay," I obey.

    I'm slowing down, things are okay, things will be okay. Hana dealt with thieves all the time, she used to do lots of escorts. Roxanne dealt with bad people once in a while, she will be fine. Alissa is here to protect me and I will protect her. Everything will be fine, everything will be fine, everything will be fine, everything will be fine.

    We drink our potions and draw our weapons. I'm facing east, Hana is west, Alissa north and Roxanne south. Alissa is close to me and Roxanne is closer to Hana. The elementals are in front of Alissa and Roxanne, I have to block arrows coming to me or they might hit Hana.

    I hear footsteps and soon after a man comes walking out of a bush ahead. He's a golden"blond man with a square jaw, disheveled hair, and a stubble. He would be handsome if he did not have dirt all over his body. He loosely hangs a shield and walks forward with his head down. He notices us and looks up, he freezes for a moment, he looks confused.

    "Ah! Uh… c-can you help me? My fellowship met a really strong minotaur and we lost. I-I wanna go find them but I'm alone and this floor is dangerous," he says, almost crying.

    "What about the other eight guys around us? Aren't they part of your fellowship?" Hana says with a mocking tone.

    The man frowns.

    "Well shit, I tried. Dunno how but they noticed us."

    "Oi! No one mentioned a summoner, these two elementals are trouble," Says another man coming from another bush in another direction.

    "It's the mage girl. She shouldn't have much mana left with two elementals out, she's scared," Says another man coming from another direction.

    "Whatever, just don't waste arrows on them then," says another man.

    "If you lay down your weapons and the whores spread their legs we won't kill any of you. We gotta cut the hands of the mage lass, though," Says another man.

    The last man comes forth besides the blond man. He is big and wears chain armor that barely makes a sound when he moves, he has a bastard sword and a round metal shield. His face is covered by a hood, I can see an ugly burn mark on the little skin he shows.

    Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. They are not here for money, a scout on the city must have seen us and caught their attention. 3 goddesses walking around with me? NAIVE, I was so fucking naive to think I wouldn't attract attention!

    "You dare try to rape adventurers? Is that really worth your life?" Hana says.

    Rape? That's right, that's what they are going to do. This is bad, bad, bad, bad, bad.

    "You might be strong but you can't deal with all of us. A single fucking dragon a fucking archer and a fucking mage, we killed worse," the hooded man answers.

    "You underestimate us, we are Helios and this is Wolf Ryder. You wanna blow up like the Symbol of Hate did?" Hana says and laughs.

    "No fucking way that little twat is Ryder."

    "You want him to pull out his ID?"

    "Like fuck the 'oh so glorious' town hero is going to let his women do the talking. Look at that fucking scared piece of shit."

    I can't speak, I just can't, my body doesn't move, I'm shaking. I can't control the shaking, my heart is in my mouth. I'm sorry, I'm frozen, I'm weak, I'm a coward. I won't let you near my women.

    "You pieces of orc cum, I will rape your asses with my spear and make you give a blowjob to my sword then I will peel the skin out of your dick and roast it to give it as a treat to the dogs! Come at me if you are men!" Hana taunts, "NOW!"

    I hear a sound of someone breathing in. I feel mana being gathered and the blonde man falls dead with an arrow on his head. The hooded man raises his shield just in time to defend himself from an arrow.

    I won't let you touch my women.

    "FUCK! GET THE MAGE!" The hooded man screams and charges towards me.

    Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck. Defend! I hear the sound of fire running loose.

    I block his slash, my shield arm explodes in pain. That was a bad block.

    "Fuckin whores…"

    He slashes again and again and again and again.

    I parry, I block, I deflect, and I block again. I hear screams.

    I won't let you hurt my women!

    "Just, fucking, die!"

    I parry, I bash, I deflect and I slash.

    I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU!

    I charge my mana.

    "You gotta be fucking…"

    "[LIGHTNING BOLT]!"

    "AAAH!"

    The hooded man twitches, I slash at his shin, I cut some bone. The men continues screaming and bashes my shield, I fall backwards.

    "DIIIIEE!"

    I block with my shield and my arm hurts again. I lose power in my arm. I throw my shield at him and kick the ground up.

    "RAAAAH!" I scream.

    I charge my spell and slash and slash and slash and slash and slash and slash.

    "[LIGHTNING BOLT]!" I scream again and use all the mana that I can on the spell.

    The man convulses and I cut one of his legs off. He falls on the ground and I jump and stab him with my sword, it goes through his chain mail and gets stuck on him. I grab my knife and stab and stab and stab and stab.

    "You are now level 17."

    "YOU WON'T TOUCH HER."

    And stab and stab and stab and stab.

    "I'LL KILL YOU."

    And stab and stab and-...

    Something held my hand. I lose the dagger.

    "Ah…"

    I get hugged from behind and carried. I want to struggle but it's too strong, the hug is crushing me. I need to get away, he's still alive, he's still alive! I GOTTA FUCKING KILL HIM!

    I struggle until my strength goes away, then I accept death. Just cut me down and end this, please.

    I get lowered on the ground and forced to keep down. A sweet scent fills my nose as another shadow gets up on my body and holds me.

    I can feel the shaking of my body, I can feel the pain in my shield arm, I can feel the dryness of my throat, I can feel the pain in my heart, I can feel the lack of air in my lungs. My breathing regulates and my heart slows down. I'm feeling dizzy right now, too dizzy.

    I force myself to the side and puke. I feel something pleasant on my mouth and the bitterness of the vomit goes away. My body is so tired and heavy, I close my eyes.

    Slowly my hearing comes back and I understand the words again. "Wolfy, calm down, I love you. Calm down please", I hear those words being repeated into my ear.

    "Yes…"

    I smell Alissa's hair perfume and see her nearly orange hair on the side of my vision, I feel the warmth of her body pressed into mine. I let the tears run through my face.

    "Wolfy, we have to leave, now," I hear Roxanne, there's hurry in her voice.

    "I'll carry him," Hana says.

    I'm lifted up and carried like a princess for a few minutes. I stop crying and my heart calms down. Then I feel like puking again.

    "Put me down… I'm feeling sick."

    I hastily struggle and nearly fall down, immediately I bend and retch but barely anything comes out this time.

    "[Clean]," Alissa casts and my mouth gets cleaned again.

    I walk a few steps and sit down besides a tree. Alissa comes and hugs me again. Hana sits besides me and strokes my hair. Roxanne gets on the other side and grabs my hand.

    A few minutes passes.

    "I'm sorry..." I mutter.

    "Don't be," Alissa responds.

    Hana sighs.

    "Didn't you say there were no monsters in your realm? No fighting, no killing, no wars? Even a scholar on this world would react worse than you, I saw men get cut down without even lifting a finger," Hana says.

    "Once I had to... kill a man who tried to push me down once, I exploded his head and don't remember what I did after that. My next memory was taking a bath back at home," Roxanne says, she looks away and Hana pulls her into a hug.

    "I had to train by executing criminals, I puked the first few times. Now I don't feel anything anymore," Alissa says.

    "Thank you..." I let out a weak voice, I'm holding back my tears.

    I feel dirty, disgusted, sick. I feel angry, I feel like killing again, I want to make him suffer. Those feelings bring a storm inside me, I killed a human, what if that was me? What if I was killed and my wives had to suffer? What if it were them that were killed?

    Why did you make me do this? Why did you have to be such a shitty human being that you just fucking had to try and take these women by force? How can such evil people exist? Why did you make me dot this!? Even though you didn't succeed you still hurt me so much. Why?!

    It's because they are evil, that's why. Evil people need to die, that's all that there's to it. That's all, they need to die.

    I look at the girls, I smell blood.

    "Are you all okay...? Do you need healing?" I ask in a weak voice.

    "You don't have to do anything, just rest."

    "I will… after. I smell blood."

    They break down the hug. Hana shows me her hand, it's reddish and swollen, it's broken. Her shield arm is hurting a lot and she has a bruise on her left flank. I remember the elementals are still out so I dismiss them and heal her.

    Alissa shows a slash on her left shoulder, it penetrated the Grey Berserker armor. Roxanne was unscathed.

    "I'm sorry… someone got near you Alissa."

    "Don't be!" She answers immediately.

    "I barely helped, if it happens again y-..."

    "We will deal with it again!"

    "I was useless i-..."

    "You weren't! Stop it! You aren't trained like us, you didn't go through the same things we did! It's unfair to think you would react well on the first time, we still love you and we will protect you."

    "I don't want to be protected like this."

    "Isn't this part of my vow?" Hana says.

    "So is mine," Roxanne helps.

    "Your body and soul is mine, I won't let you die," Alissa ends.

    I'm cornered, there's no way out. I'm blessed to be loved by these women. Next time I will protect them better, they keep me safe and I will keep them safer!



    Intermission 4



    We are a team now, we can't be selfish and childish, we have to put our pride aside and work together, to treat each other with respect and fairness. We all have a desire to monopolize him but we can't act upon it, Wolfy loves us all and to exclude one of us would only serve to hurt him, in the end it would just come back and hurt us all.

    More than that we know that we are not enough. We give our all, we do not put each other down, we know we are not useless, but still, we know, we agree. that we are not enough.

    Even our experience and effort combined is not enough to match someone with a life in a different realm. We need to understand the points in which we fall short so we can understand where he needs help and then accept whatever help we can get.

    We vowed to him to live together forever and help each other, and we will do just that, we will all rise together. We know he has the potential to go far and even though he doesn't want the tile of hero we vowed to each other we will do our best to help him achieve great heights.
     
    Last edited: Nov 23, 2019
  19. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

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    That man was strong, I was using the elixir and still almost went down, I seriously need more "Strength" and "Endurance". But he really didn't expect me to be able to use [Electric Magic], I was his worst opponent since he was wearing chain mail. I'm thankful for Roxanne.

    The girls told me how it went. Two of the men got caught unaware by [Melt Skin] and then the elementals finished them off. Alissa killed the blond man instantly but the other two near her weren't so distracted and she was forced into melee. She held on until Roxanne dealt with her side, then turned around and used [Fire Whip] on one and an elemental knocked down the other, then Alissa managed to finish them at the cost of a shoulder wound. She even had to use an anti-venom, she was going to get paralyzed.

    Hana burned 1 to death with her [Fire Breath] and dealt with the other two by herself until support came. One got an arrow to the eye and the other got stunned with a small explosion near his head and then skewered by Hana's winged charge.

    In the end the taunt didn't really work since they were frenzied by their lust and evil desires. Mentioning my name might also have had the contrary effect since I was far from being threatening to them.

    "Why did they attack us like this? They all threw their lives away..." I ask.

    "Their bounty plates say they did some pretty heinous things," Hana answers.

    "Bounty plates?"

    "A simplified ID plate. You put a lot of blood in it and it tells you the name, the crimes of the person and if they are still alive when the blood was taken," Roxanne explains.

    "They weren't mere thieves, they would have tried to extort us if they were. Only the wicked would throw their lives away so easily," Hana adds.

    "So it's my luck that strikes again…"

    "We all knew what you meant with 'isekai protagonist luck' and we don't regret it, don't think about blaming yourself," Alissa says with a strict tone.

    "Okay..." I let out a weak smile, "Ah… my 'Sanity' went down a point."

    "What value is it now?" Alissa asks.

    "Seven."

    They all look concerned.

    "Is it bad?" I ask.

    "Yes… you should seek guidance from the priests," Alissa says, Roxanne nods.


    We rest for a while and I feel hungry, my stomach is empty so we take an early lunch. I meditate to regain mana and it really calmed my heart.

    We move again in search of a minotaur. After half an hour Alissa finds one and we sneak close to investigate.

    I see a 2-meters tall monster. It has a black bull face with two large and sharp looking horns pointing forward, an incredibly muscular black human body that would make a bodybuilder blush, a disgustingly large horse penis dangling about, and muscular black horse legs.

    We immediately turn away, Alissa and Roxanne are blushing, Hana shrugs.

    "If it's too big it's no fun you know, pain is still pain," she says.

    After 2 more embarrassing encounters with male minotaurs we find a female. The embarrassment is not much better, the female has 4 large human breasts and a visible vagina between the legs, no pubes.

    "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," I say.

    "W-we can handle it. I-it's not so bad, we will get used to it," Alissa says while blushing.

    I breath in deeply and summon a very large and tough earth elemental. Once Hana and Alissa let out their arrows I let it charge and stay back.

    "MOOOOO!" The female bovine roars.

    The minotaur immediately charges towards the elemental with its horns pointed forward. The two clash and the horns get stuck in the chest of the elemental who grabs the minotaur while Hana and Alissa fill it with arrows.

    I cast a few [Lightning Bolts] and it helps stop the minotaur from struggling for a while. The minotaur can't escape, this is the strongest elemental I can make, it's made specifically to be used to bear-hug the enemies to death. It has arms made of lead and there's a hook on one hand and a loop on the other, once the lock is made there's no escape.

    The minotaur receives multiple arrows to the chest, flank, and neck. It starts to choke on blood and has difficulty breathing. The elemental hugs harder and ribs crack. After a few minutes the minotaur stops struggling and goes limp, it's dead.

    "That was easy," Roxanne says, stretching.

    "Well, it did use a huge amount of my mana. Also, the dew made it weaker," I answer.

    "Ah well, I guess I can't start relaxing yet," and she lets out a smirk.

    I store the body in my "Items".

    "Let's go home, I wanna rest tomorrow, the classes start at the 1st."

    They all nod and we move towards the town again. Alissa evades the monsters easily. We go back the way we came and enter the black door.


    We get out and the ground is incredibly wet and muddy.

    "It rained while we were inside," Alissa says.

    "I had actually never seen it rain since I came here," I say.

    "Dry season is ending," Roxanne says.

    We move away from the exit when Alissa senses an unknown monster.

    A cute little thing appears. It's a half-meter tall white bunny, its cute pink paws appear when it jumps forward, its cute little pink nose twitches when it smells us, and its cute little eyes look at us. Then it charges towards Hana and opens it's mouth, showing an impressive set of bloody and sharp teeth. Hana skewers it at the same time Alissa puts an arrow through its body.

    "Aaahh..." I let out a moan.

    "Ooh, a Rabid Rabbit, lucky we found one, they are always being hunted so much around here," Hana says while waving the body around.

    "Oh, I leveled up. A-anyway, just store it in your [Item Box]," Alissa says in a worried tone.

    Hana stiffens for a moment and stores the corpse, she cleans her spear and we continue moving.

    We finally reach the border of the Sea of Trees and we see a cloudy grey sky.

    "A bit depressing," Roxanne says.

    "I like rainy days. Specially with some calming music," I say.

    "Hm, I understand," Alissa says.

    I pull out the dinghy and we go back home, I just cuddle with Alissa on the back row while Hana and Roxanne cuddle on the front row. My heart still feels messy, I need some time to recuperate my energy.


    During bath I make out and enjoy Roxanne while Hana puts Alissa to sleep with her hands. Roxanne has something very alluring on her that I can't explain, when she puts in some effort she can look so sexy I feel intoxicated, is this the effect of "Charisma"? I just know she healed my heart a little more, when the airhead goes away she can be quite gentle and loving.

    It was nearly sunset when we passed the north gate. We are all tired so I ask Alissa to not make dinner, we just eat an "Items"-ready meal.

    I go to sleep immediately with Alissa in my arms, Hana and Roxanne are together tonight.


    Today is the 30th.

    I wake up moaning, I feel warm and happy and a wet sensation between my legs. Morning piece of heaven again. It reinvigorates me.

    My [Summoning Magic] increased by 3 (now 15+8), my [Mana Control] and [Mana Efficiency] raised by 1 (now 0+6 and 0+5) and my MP increased by 20 (now 510).

    Alissa gained 1 point in [Bow Use] (now 23), 1 point in [Sense Presence] (now 6) and 1 point in [Hawk Eyes] (now 2). She has 5 points left.



    "Wolfy, you should visit Ciel. Tell her about the dungeon," Alissa says.

    "You are not coming?" I ask.

    "No, you should talk to her alone. I wanna visit Selina.

    I smile, I like that she's wanting ro do things on her own, though right now it makes me a bit sad to be away from her.

    "I'll go deliver the bounty plates to the guards," Hana says.

    "Leave the minotaur in the backyard, I'll milk it," Roxanne says.

    "You can do it by yourself?" I ask Roxanne.

    "Yeah, it doesn't require [Dismantling] so I'll be fine, then you can take it to the guild later."

    "Thanks, you are all so helpful," I say.

    "No thanks needed, we are your soon-to-be wives," Alissa says a bit proud.


    Hana goes to the guards HQ with the carpet and I ride Alissa to the temple, she will get me back once I finish. Hana doesn't have much mana so she can't use the dinghy, it's not really mana efficient in comparison to the carpet.

    I get inside the temple and anxiously look for Ciel, not only I'm anxious to talk to her but I'm very conscious of her lately. I find her on the clinic and wait for a while until she has a break.

    "Good morning, Mr. Ryder. You wanted to talk?" She comes with a smile.

    "Y-yes, please…"

    She stares at me for a moment then leads me to an empty room. I pull out some cookies and the hot tea Alissa prepared beforehand.

    "Thank you, I love these cookies. Now, is something bothering you?" She asks.

    I tell her about my encounter with the rapists. She looks at me very worried.

    "You froze and then you went berserk. It's not uncommon but it's rather unfortunate for you I guess, though finding wicked scum like that is a bit of… Bad luck," she cringes, she knows my nickname, "But what are your concerns about this?"

    "I don't want to freeze again, I'm the leader and I'm supposed to call the strategy for how to deal with them."

    "Doesn't Miss Hanafuria have the most experience in dealing with these things?"

    "Still. I have my pride as the leader, I want to have a clear head to make the right decisions, I want to change and become someone capable of protecting them on all situations."

    "I understand. Then what did you feel that made you freeze?"

    Fear, anger, self-hate, disgust, the image of them being raped in my mind, it's such a storm of emotions I don't know what to say.

    Ciel understands I'm hesitating to answer.

    "Then let's think like this, what did you feel after you killed that man?"

    "Disgust. I felt dirty, I felt I did something wrong and I was afraid of something doing the same to me."

    "Even though that man was considered evil by everyone in the world and would be executed on sight?"

    "It's just… yeah, I feel bad even though I knew he was evil. I also feel the same with monsters, I don't wanna hurt them, I feel no pleasure in giving pain I just want to keep others safe."

    "Even monsters? Even though they have an unstoppable instinct to kill us all?" She seems a bit surprised.

    "Yes… I was born on a peaceful place, I never fought until I came here. I just can't let myself not feel guilty about it, I think I will lose a piece of myself if I don't feel like this."

    "I see..." She nods, "Then why do you fight?"

    I have been thinking about this a lot.

    "Because I can, because I would feel bad if I didn't try. I know I have talent so I have to help people to a certain extent, I won't throw my life away but if I don't at least try to fight I will feel bad about myself. And now I have something to protect, those warrior women depend on me and I depend on them. I have to fight and grow so I can be stronger for them."

    "Oh, so you are a peaceful man who realized your talent, your power. You fought for others even though it hurt, fought for your lovers even though you might fail. You have compassion for your enemies and feel no joy in giving them pain. You want to grow and fight more even though your heart wants to stop."

    I remain still, stunned.

    "I kind of understand why you have 3 wives now," she smiles, "You are someone worthy of protecting and who can also protect."

    "W-what? Why does that make me 'worthy'?"

    "Plenty of monsters are made mirroring some property of us, this is why many of them look humanoid. Our minds and those of breeder-types are extremely similar, the main difference is that they have the instinct to kill us while we have an instinct to survive. This is why there will never be peace between us. They will always try to kill us, no matter how intelligent they are.

    "So when we fight for our lives and exterminate with extreme prejudice some of us start to enjoy it. The feeling of your heart beating fast, the feeling of taking a life, the glory of winning, those things are addictive. But even the God of War wasn't like this. Those who revel in the pain lose what makes them different from monsters, they acquire the instinct to kill and lose the instinct to survive. Among the hunters it's difficult to find someone who's not like this."

    "I fight for myself, because I enjoy it, because it's my talent". I remember Targua's words.

    "To keep your humanity intact, to fight for others instead of yourself, to have a sense of duty in protecting others, to not throw away your own or your loved one's lives. These aren't really the marks of a hero, they are the marks of a great person. You don't have to, or rather, you shouldn't change to protect them, you shouldn't change the core of who you are, but you should learn to control your emotions."

    "Control…"

    "It means you have to continue feeling this pain, this guilt, you shouldn't look to discard it, you should look to control it."

    It's the same things Alissa told me after we killed our first Young Ogre. They don't want me to change since that's who they fell in love with, they want me to suffer, to continue this way and they will ease my suffering. They succeeded for the most part.

    "You will need willpower, meditation, self-reflection and self-control."

    Wait, one of these is a bit…

    "W-what falls under this 'self-control'?"

    "To not let yourself exaggerate on your hedonism to the point you hurt yourself. For this you need to be self-conscious about what is your limit, what is bringing you harm and what is actually that 'harm'."

    I cough.

    "I-indulging myself… in my women, would be… considered lack of 'self-control'?"

    Ciel stops for a moment, she thinks and turns her head away. She's blushing.

    "T-that would be for you to decide."

    "T-their love is w-what keeps me sane so… I don't think it's harmful."

    "I understand…"

    I sigh. This world is painful, it's full of death and grief. There's no way out and I already created my roots here, this is my choice, my path, and I will see it through. I will live here and die of old age and have a big family and many children with each of my wives. I will protect them and keep them happy and they will do the same for me. There's nothing else to be said, we will suffer yes, but we will do it together. Such is my vow to them and to this world, I will see it through!

    I feel something change within me.

    "My 'Sanity' increased by one."

    "Oh? If you don't mind can you tell me the value it is right now?"

    "Eight."

    Her eyebrows scrunch in concern.

    "It's good it's increasing but it's still low."

    I know that Roxanne, the one who lost a fiancee and wasted a part of her life has a value of 12, so mine really is low. Though it's a bit convenient that my mental health can be analyzed with a single number.

    "Whatever you did that increased it continue doing. You had a change of heart or something a moment ago?"

    "I renewed my determination to live in this world and remembered my vows to my fiancees."

    "That is good. Pray to the Goddess of Love then and she will help your loved ones in finding a way to support you better. Also pray to the Goddess of Will and she will help your mind stay together."

    "I will. Thank you. But my 'Willpower' is already 15, isn't my problem something else?"

    "Hm… perhaps. Since you are also a mage meditation shouldn't have that much effect, then your problem could be either self-reflection or self-control."

    I think its self-control, I already think to myself a lot.

    "Ah, why doesn't the God of Existence kill wicked people like those rapists?"

    "The humanoid gods aren't omnipotent, the God of Destruction is also interfering with their powers, so praying is the best way to catch their attention. Wicked people like these would eventually meet their demise, but unfortunately they will bring a lot of pain until they do. Pain and suffering is also a part of our core, a realm with only pleasure and happiness would wither like the God of Order wished. And finally the humanoid gods wants us to grow and find new ways to deal with the pain, not just depend on them for everything."

    "I understand. It seems there's no escape, this is just how life is."

    No matter which world or realm it is, evil will always exist.

    "But... how do people get branded as wicked?"

    "There's the Three Sins. Rape, sadistic torture and senseless murder. Perform any of these and you might get instantly branded. Branded as in, it will show in your 'Crimes'."

    Gotta pay attention to the wording here, "sadistic" and "senseless", which means it's not an absolute.

    "The Lord or the temple can also perform a ritual to mark crimes in their status. Though I don't know how it works, only that a Judge is the one with the authority to allow it to happen."

    Well, these things aren't really of my concern.

    "Thank you for your help, Ciel. I'm grateful for your guidance."

    She lets a warm smile that tickles my heart.

    "I'm only doing my job. Thank you for talking to me and bringing me these cookies, they are delicious."

    I chuckle and say my goodbyes.


    It's still early to call Alissa, I have to kill a bit of time.

    I go inside the temple look at the statue of the Goddess of Love. She's a half-meter tall woman with butterfly wings coming out of her back, a pixie. She has a round face, plump cheekbones and a round nose. She's smiling and looks friendly, like someone who overflows warmth out of her eyes. I should pray to her.

    Hello, Goddess. I never prayed to you yet but I think you are already helping me. The women that I met, those 3 that became my fiancees and even Ciel, they are wonderful people, aren't they? I don't think I could have met such people in such a short amount of time if it wasn't for someone interfering with my fate, my life is too good right now for it to be a coincidence.

    I found 3 women who believe in me, trust in me and are in love with me, even the flawed parts of me. I found a woman who has such a good heart and she even guides me on this scary world. Life is too good right now. Thank you for this and I hope you can help them, guide them, so we can help each other more.


    I go to the back of the priests quarters and enjoy their small garden again. I sit on a chair and start thinking.

    "Ah, so you were here," says a voice that tickles my ears.

    Arantos sits on a chair in front of me.

    "Good day, Mr. Arantos."

    "Good day, Mr. Ryder."

    He turns towards the flowers and observes them.

    "You were looking for me?" I ask, after a minute.

    "Yes. I wanted to ask you something," he slowly turns to me, his face is serious.

    "What is it?"

    "What are your intentions with inviting Ciel?" He says, expressionless.

    I freeze. This man is serious, he's looking at me intently, he's measuring my response, he's measuring my soul. I don't think I should lie to him, I don't think I can lie to him.

    "I think she would be really useful to the fellowship and also, if our relationship progresses… p-perhaps I could propose to her..." I say, sweating. I placed my bets.

    "Oh what a relief!" Arantos breathes out and smiles.

    "Eh…?"

    "If it's you perhaps you can make her leave this place."

    "Eh…?"

    "Hohoh, it seems you are completely unaware. Mr. Ryder, Ciel is 21, she's passing the normal marriage age, it's gonna be very difficult for her to find someone if she keeps running away."

    I blink blankly at him.

    "That girl… that woman, actually. She lived in the temple, then she fought for the temple, and now she lives for the temple. It's time for her to do something for herself."

    "You… think she would be fine with me?"

    "Yes, it seems you are the reason she found a new happiness and a new piety. But she still doesn't want to cut the umbilical cord. Because she's a priestess, if she doesn't find love then the Goddess of Love will be very disappointed in her."

    "Why would that be the case?"

    "The Goddess of Love is her favorite god, she prays for the children every day to give them happiness but she never prays for herself. It is very frustrating seeing her forgo her happiness for others, it is not fair no matter how virtuous she looks."

    "Self-sacrifice is not seen as a good thing?"

    "That's not self-sacrifice that's merely running away from happiness," he frowns.

    "If the head priest says this why doesn't she listen?" Now I'm curious.

    "Because she's running from her fears. This is her business so I can't tell you more, but if it's you she will come around and join you. I'll put in a little bit of effort," he winks.

    "So you really trust me that much?"

    "She told me you have a blessing. Who am I to mistrust the gods?"

    Wow, blessings really are convenient.

    "You may not be the best man there is, since you know, you already have 3 others," -I repress my urge to cringe at his sharp gaze- "but you should be the best for her right now. Now I only wonder if you are trying for a blessing from the Goddess of Love, Mr. Ryder, four women! That's a bit much, I sure hope you have the vigor to keep them all happy," and he smirks.

    Not even the priests are prudes in this world.

    "I can only thank you for your help and trust, head priest, I will certainly work hard to make her happy," I give a light bow.

    "Make sure you do. When she joins I would like for you to remember to have her visit once in a while, she's like a daughter to me, I will certainly miss her," he looks at me with warm eyes.

    "Understood."

    "I will be taking my leave, until later, Mr. Ryder," he waves and leaves.

    I stay there for a while, thinking. The head priest himself approved of me, ain't that lucky?


    At 10:30AM I called Alissa back with the ring. When we reached home I saw she was in a really good mood. I guess I wasn't the only one who benefited from a talk.

    Hana got a good bounty, around 80 silver for each head. These guys were really scum, they called themselves Red Smile. They were acting on another dungeon and stealing from adventurers but they started killing people, that's when the gods marked them as "wicked". Once the guards started hunting them they moved to this dungeon and got greedy. Bounty kills aren't publicized but the word still gets out, so our fame grew a little more.

    After a simple lunch we go out to buy some new things. I found a bed big enough for 5 people. It costs 1 gold, a little expensive but I'm already thinking of Ciel. It's called "Harem-sized". The vendor gave me a few smirks when he saw all of us.

    Alissa found an ivy to put on one of the outside walls of the house and 2 string-of-hearts to hang on the stairs to the second floor. We found a magic stone candelabrum, bedside lights and we also bought a few more books of children tales.

    Hana got a decoration sword and shield to put in front of her room (that she barely uses) and with that we decided to order pieces of embroidered cloth to put in front of our rooms, Roxanne's are going to be potion bottles, Alissa is gonna be a bow and arrow, and mine rows of elemental heads. Though the dark elemental is only a black circle, no one wants to draw that nightmare.

    Alissa got a few sets of tablecloths and I found a nice painting of the fantastical roots and color patches of the Sea of Trees that we will put on the second floor.

    Alissa brings us to a narrow street and Hana smirks. Alissa lowers her head a bit and I think I saw her blushing. We stop in front of a store and I widen my eyes. I see lingerie.

    "How did you find this shop?" Roxanne asks.

    "I was taking a shortcut when… these clothes called my attention. I knew that Wolfy would like them as soon as I understood what they were for."

    "Oooh yeah, we didn't get some for Roxanne yet," Hana says and chuckles.

    "What?" Roxanne looks confused.

    She looks at me who's frozen, then at Hana who has an evil smile, and then at Alissa who's blushing and looking away.

    "Oh..." She realized, then she looks a little nervous.

    "Nobody touches Roxanne today, tonight she will be mine. We better find some lotion for her tail too," I order.

    Roxanne squirms, fear and lust fight inside her heart.

    "Let's go inside," I order again.

    Lingeries, costumes, scents, oils and a separate section with toys that bring fear into my heart. Yes, this is a sex shop.

    "Buy panties for each one too," I whisper to Alissa, she nods and they all go to the lingerie section.

    I look around and buy a few scented candles and oils, they really help when you want something more comfortable and sensual. I go to the lingerie section and grab one of the not-synthetic pieces of lingerie.

    "Excuse me, what kind of cloth is this? How was it made?" I ask a female attendant who's wearing a uniform a little too revealing.

    "This is Snow Weave, it was made by the elves at the High Forest. It uses an extremely small needle moved entirely by [Telekinesis]. Since it's very weak it's not popular but its spreading among the nobility around the continent."

    No surprises there, nobles are gonna be perverts like me no matter where you go. But now I have another reason to go to the High Forest.

    "You heard that Alissa, if we go to the High Forest we gotta remember to stock up."

    Alissa's head rises from the clothing racks and she nods with a serious face. My fetishes are not something to be taken lightly.

    I don't see which clothes the women got so I'm getting anxious, I don't want to ruin the surprise though so we go back home.


    The bed took some effort to fit, we had to move the wardrobe and now there's barely room for the bedside lamps, we can't even walk besides the bed but at least we can all sleep together.

    After the strength exercise routine we take a rather quick and tense bath since nobody is touching anybody else and we have dinner. Alissa found not-cinnamon and introduced us to a very fragrant orc meat dish, it even impressed me, I only know one recipe with cinnamon and meat. Her cooking is improving.

    At the bed I turn on a fragrant candle and we wait for Roxanne to change. She comes out and I immediately put on my "Sex Maniac" build.

    She's wearing red, I realize maybe we should switch the colors of Hana and Roxanne. She has red gloves that reach the arm, a red and black corset, red laced panties, red stockings with a garter belt and delicate red high heels. With her tail and wings appearing she truly looks like a succubus.

    She slowly comes to me, her hips shake sensually as she walks, but I'm impatient, I grab her and throw her on the bed.

    "N~AAH!"

    I pass a bit of oil on my hand and I give Alissa the bottle, she puts it on her hand and grabs the tail. Hana grabs the bottle too.

    "HAH…! Aaaahn~"

    I stop her moaning with my mouth and we kiss passionately while I rub her nipples. Her body squirms with every stroke from Alissa and Hana turns her horns around to rub them too. As our kiss intensifies she lightly bites my tongue and pushes me away.

    "Fuck me! Now!" She orders.

    I obey, she's already wet. I thrust and she moans loud again, I go with full speed, maximum power. I pound into her with all my strength. She grits her teeth and her nails crave on my waist. Slowly I see her eyes turn white, it's, uh, a little frightening.

    As we are in missionary I close her legs and put all my strength on it, incredible tightness shortens my time to a few minutes even though I'm holding it in. As I start to get a little warmed up I finish inside her. I pull it off and immediately Hana starts her work, her long tongue disappears inside Roxanne's legs.

    I sit down and kiss Alissa and play with her body while I wait for round 2.

    I minute goes by and I push Hana away and turn Roxanne, this time is from behind. I put her on a choke with one arm and pinch her nipples with the other and start thrusting again. The delicious smell of her perfume fills my nose and it gives me a boost in lust. The frequency of her moans didn't slow down, she barely breathes anymore.

    Her moans go faint and I bite her shoulder. I slow down and she starts moving by herself. I enjoy a small breather but she squeezes tight, I can't hold it in, her pussy overflows.

    "Hahahah… I make you cum… whenever I want," she says between moans.

    We go back to the in between rounds position and I wait again. Hana now uses her fingers and they curve the same way I do, she easily reaches Roxanne's g-spot. Round 3.

    I grab her by her handles and skullfuck her mouth.

    "You need to learn a lesson, I'm the master here," I say.

    She chokes on my dick, she's not as skilled as Alissa. I enjoy her tear-filled yet defiant and smiling face as she tries not to suffocate. She starts to pick up the technique, the pleasure and sensuality of seeing her deepthroating me shortens my endurance greatly. This time I let it out and finish directly on her throat.

    I lay down to wait again. Hana never stopped, it's amazing Roxanne didn't pass out from asphyxiation, she's just a doll we are using while she convulses in consecutive orgasms. Round 4.

    I start fucking her again in missionary, putting all my power on speed while I pinch both her nipples. She grabs me and pushes me into the bed and starts to ride me.

    "Soon enough you will be begging me to stop," she says and looks at me with evil eyes that penetrate my soul.

    Oh boy this shaved off a dozen minutes of my endurance.

    That wicked body, the sexy smile, the soft laugh, those entrancing moves. I'm completely charmed by her, she's the only woman that exists on this world right now and my only reason of existence is to fuck her brains out.

    I grab her waist and match her rhythm, the cadence is slow but the power is immense. The sound of our thighs smacking is the loudest thing in the room. I play with her clit, pinch her nipples and Hana keeps her mouth busy. I feel she's getting close, she breaks the kiss and her moans intensifies until her body squirms. She arches her back and stops moaning, she squeezes me again and we cum together.

    Hana cleans her pussy again with her mouth and I enjoy another breather. Alissa is furiously masturbating as always, I help her with my tongue. Round 5.

    I grab Roxanne, lift her, and fuck her standing. We kiss and I sink my fingers on her small ass, I keep lifting it and forcing it down. Incredible momentum and the sounds seem to grow louder. I use all my strength and slow speed, but my physical stamina is decreasing and I have to drop her on the bed. Hana uses this chance and puts her tongue on her clit while I'm still fucking her.

    In a minute she cums again and squeezes another one out of me.

    I try to rest but I'm almost done. Hana and Roxanne are on a 69, Hana is the one who's losing, she slowly reduces her speed and barely manages to keep fingering Roxanne, now the dragon knows the real power of the succubus. Round 6.

    Once Roxanne sees my dick is up again she immediately mounts me.

    "Hah, you look like you are getting weaker," Roxanne says to me.

    She's squeezing me again, my balls hurt, I can't go on. I cum again.

    "Not fair. I'm… defeated," I say, out of breath.

    Alissa stops rubbing her tail. Roxanne jumps on Hana and dominates her. I just watch while I play with Alissa.

    Hana likes it rough so Roxanne is savage, if she weren't a dragonkin that pussy would be bleeding. Roxanne licks, sucks and bites, she moves her hands and slowly finds every weak spot on Hana. The proud dragon now bends and recoils from the touch of a frail woman.

    "FUCK!" Hana screams.

    She's getting attacked on her G-spot but she has no strength to counter, slowly she stops attacking and has to give her all to defend her dignity. But it's all in vain, after a good while Hana crawls besides me.

    "She… defeated us..." Hana mutters.

    "Truly a sex demon," I say.

    "She, ahn~, has infinite, ahn~, stamina," Alissa says amid moans.

    While Roxanne is catching her breath I intensify and finish Alissa.

    As I watch Alissa convulse in orgasms I feel a twitch. Roxanne quickly turns her gaze to me, to my dick, precisely. It's getting up again. Her smile gives me shivers.

    "Oh god," I say.

    Round 7.

    I felt like I was dying.


    Today is the 1st of the 7th month.

    Alissa wakes me up excitedly.

    "Wolfy, Wolfyyy! Hana! Roxanne!" She jumps on all of us.

    After making sure we are all not groggy anymore she tells us.

    "I got a blessing from the Goddess of Love! Also, 2 levels in cooking. But a blessing! I never expected this, specially from her!"

    Her tail wags excitedly and the others applaud in happiness. I'm dumbfounded.

    "Not even the gods see you as a slave anymore, Alissa. For them you are the loving wife who needs to support her soon-to-be husband," Hana says.

    Alissa freezes.

    "That's right! I thought it was a bit wrong for me to be the one to propose first, so I'm glad you got the recognition for your efforts, you are the one with the deepest connection to Wolfy," Roxanne adds.

    I just smile and hug her. I don't care what anyone might say, if even the gods recognize us then there's no doubt we have true love between us.

    I feel I changed too. My "Strength" increased by 1 (now 9) and my [Enhanced Semen Recharge] increased by 1 (now 3), my "Piety" increased by 2 (now 12) and most important of all, my "Sanity" increased by 4 (now 12).

    It's like I'm seeing more colors, the world is more vibrant and my mind is clearer, this is such a heartwarming feeling. I tell them what I feel.

    "The blessing..." Alissa looks at me with wide eyes.

    "It must be the blessing," Roxanne nods.

    "You are fated to be together," Hana says.

    I laugh, such a crazy world. We are bounded together and I think it's intentional. I have a curse that I can't sleep without her and now she has a blessing that helps when she's near me.

    "Well, thank you Goddess of Love. I prayed to her yesterday and she already answered."


    This morning Alissa and Roxanne are beaming with happiness while me and Hana are tired but satisfied.

    I use [Summon Small Golem] twice, it's a level 15 spell while the elementals are level 20. These golems are yellow clay dolls the size of a toddler but with the dexterity of an adult. I never used it before because they are useless in combat but now I understand they can be somewhat useful servants, we can use them to slowly clean the house and to help in preparing some ingredients. Our own little Roombas.

    This morning they are going to make mayonnaise for us, surprisingly people don't know about it here. Perhaps they are afraid of using raw eggs but I can use [Diagnosis] and level 20 [Light Magic] [Purify Body] if it really makes us sick.

    Me and Alissa go to the hunters guild first. We will report to them the blessing and then sell the monsters, after that we will report to the temple too. Even if it keeps attracting attention to me I learned it's good to let people know about blessings, doors open much easier with them.

    We enter the guild and we spend some time looking at the requests. It's busy right now because this is the time most new requests are posted and the hunters look for jobs. I feel Alissa stiffen and I turn to her.

    "Are you 'Good Luck' Ryder?" A raspy male voice asks.

    Alissa is glaring at a tall, muscular, tanned, and scarred man. He has a buzz cut and a jaw so sharp it could cut. His eyes glare at me.

    "Why do you ask?" My posture stiffens but I manage to maintain a poker face.

    "A small boy like you got the Symbol and now the Red Smile? Gotta be a joke," he scoffs.

    "Why do you care?" Alissa says in a cold voice.

    "Can't let the others get fooled by lies, if someone where to rely on a fraud they would only meet death," he takes a step forward.

    Alissa stands between us.

    "There's no need for master to prove himself or to waste time with low-life's like you."

    He takes forward another step.

    "You let your women do the talking for you? Do they also hold your cock as you take a piss?"

    "She's right, though," I say.

    He takes another step.

    "You should know I'm a magic swordsman, if you take another step I will sic a dark elemental on you."

    His scornful expression turns into a glare. The guards put their hands on their swords. Dark elementals are born out of nightmares, they attack by inflicting pain and suffering to others, they are especially strong against humanoids.

    The man stares at me, he's trying to see if I'm bluffing or not. The people around us already gave us a large space.

    I summon a large Kangal dog, he growls at him.

    "You still doubt me?"

    The surroundings gasp, I know summoning magic takes a while to chant but I can do it instantly, this should be enough to make me look dangerous.

    I notice a pang of fear in him but he quickly controls it and his fearsome expression returns. He laughs and shrugs, then he turns away and leaves, finally the guards relax. I let out a sigh and control my rapidly beating heart. After the rapists dealing with a bully seems easy.

    Using offensive magic is the same as drawing your sword, it's a serious offense, but magic is all mages have. Mages are bad in close quarters but fighting them bare-handed is impossible, so picking a fight with a mage is either suicide or you are about to do something serious. Summoning an elemental here would be right on the border of crossing the line.

    Still, if I didn't do it like this the other bullies around will think I'm easy pickings. Hunters are proud and competitive, they like to brawl and measure their dicks, this town is specially aggressive because of the Sea of Trees. I tried to avoid spending too much time here as this situation is something that could happen but I guess I got too famous too quickly. You have to nip it in the bud or they will come back.

    "Let's never come here alone," Alissa says.

    "Agreed. But I'm surprised he knew about the Red Smile so quickly."

    "Perhaps they had accomplices. Groups like these don't sprout from nothing," she whispers to me.

    Bounty hunting is a dangerous job, it attracts much more attention than hunting monsters.

    I see a request asking for confirmation of sightings of a dragon, I have a bad feeling about this.

    "Why did you call me 'master', though? You can call me by my name in public."

    "Ah… um. I slipped, eheheheh," she scratches her head.

    I shrug at her adorableness.

    "Let's finish things here quickly," I say.

    We find a female attendant and give her Alissa's ID, she inspects it and then frowns, it's the sex skills, right? Then her eyes open wide. The attendant hurriedly goes away and then comes back a minute later and returns the ID.

    We go to the dismantling room and enter since its open.

    "Oh, good morning Mr. Ryder. Should I call Sonny?" Gordon asks with a smirk.

    "Sorry to disappoint but I only got normal monsters this time."

    Gordon makes an exaggerated disappointed face.

    "But anyway, do you ever take a break? You are the only one I ever saw here."

    "Why should I since I can get a share of the meat the hunters bring? I'm getting my lunch and dinner right here, right now," he says with a smile and spreads his arms.

    I guess this job might be heaven if you are a meat enthusiast.

    I pull out the proofs we got, the needles and the bodies of the Burkanolf, the huge Zinotue and the milked minotaur.

    "You said 'normal' but these are quite the catch. Hahah, even you have your expectations warped by now."

    I shrug.

    There's nothing special so we take our rewards and leave. We get 20 silver per body.

    Every so often there's a priest about reciting some prayer out loud. There's always a few people praying along. Alissa tells me today starts the month of Prayer and this is one of the traditions of the Festivals of Seasons.

    We go to the temple and we find Ciel at the orphanage refereeing a game with the children. She looks at us with curiosity when we approach. We greet each other.

    "Miss Ciel, this is amazing, I got a blessing from the Goddess of Love!" Alissa excitedly tells her.

    Ciel opens her eyes wide and slowly gives a wide smile. Then she looks at me.

    "I can only guess why."

    We let out shy chuckles.

    "You want to register it? The temple would be very interested in hearing your story."

    "Yes, we came here to do this."

    Even though the story is personal since it's mostly about my mental health, Alissa will tell it without sharing too much of the embarrassing details.

    "I don't think the temple registered your blessing too, Mr. Ryder. Would you like to tell your story also?"

    I get a little uncomfortable. I got the blessing because I told I was going to help and bring some of the knowledge from Earth, this is not something I can tell the temple yet and I can't lie to them. Alissa knows this.

    "I can't, it's too personal for me."

    "I understand, there's no obligation to do it," Ciel hurriedly responds. She knows I'm reserved.

    Ciel calls another priest to continue as referee to this strange game and leads us to a consultation room inside the temple. She brings 2 other priests, Arantos and a scribe.

    Alissa starts her story. She was born as a slave and trained on how to be a tool, she abandoned her dreams of living a quiet life, of marrying and having children, of exploring the world in an adventure, of learning arts and crafts, of indulging in books and plays. She made peace in her heart that she will be forever a tool, a slave, she only wished to bring pride to her clan. She always prayed for the God of War and the God of Endurance to have the power to become the perfect servant. Then she was bought by me and started serving me with pride.

    She quickly realized I'm not someone who treats others like tools, which made her feel insecure in her duty. She found the kindness in me when she saw that I felt pity for monsters and hated hurting them. She pleaded to me to rely on her so she would keep my heart protected, which she believed it is something precious in this world and needs to be protected. She didn't need power to protect my body, she needed power to protect my heart.

    It worked, as I had no more nightmares about killing and felt secure near her. As I relied more on her and the other women, our love progressed and we decided to marry. She no longer simply saw herself as a tool, she wanted to grow her heart so she could share it with me. That's how she would help my heart keep together.

    But it wasn't enough and I felt a deep wound when I was forced to kill the Red Smile. So she guided me to Ciel again, she knew that only her love is not enough, she needed more help from the outside. Ciel guided me to pray, not to gather more power to myself, but to the ones who helped me. As I acknowledged the effort of my lovers and prayed to the Goddess of Love, she saw we understood each other and granted Alissa her blessing. This blessing wasn't just the Goddess showing her appreciation, it was a true gift that now helps my mental well being.

    Even though the most embarrassing details are hidden I'm still blushing heavily. Even though Alissa is also blushing her voice is strong and she continues the story without shame or fear. I have to control my heart every time Alissa mentioned she loved me, it moves my heart too much.

    A female priest hides her face and I hear her sniffle. Arantos is smiling at me and gives me a wink. Ciel is both embarrassed since she's part of the story and happy at what has been told.

    "There's not much else to say besides a heartfelt thank you, Mr. Ryder and Miss Alissa," Arantos says," For sharing such an intimate story you give us the knowledge and security in confirming that we are guiding others in the right path. Your names will be blurred but the story of this blessing will help many others in the future. Please come back and tells us more one day.

    The scribe finishes writing, then Arantos motions and they all leave, except for Ciel.

    "I'm shocked… You truly are someone special Mr. Ryder," she says.

    I want to deny but me and Alissa having a blessing is a bit much, if my women decided to call me Mr. Hero I would have little strength to stop them.

    "I wish I wasn't, I'll just deal with it and move on quickly."

    She laughs.

    "Sounds like you."

    We say our goodbyes and go back home. We warn the girls about what happened in the guild and give a quick retell of what happened at the temple, their worried faces turn into embarrassed smiles. Even though we are not embarrassed near each other, telling others these things makes even Hana shy.

    The summoned golems are being helpful so there's not much to do. We just enjoy a calming cooking session.


    After lunch Alissa will take me to the university, there are morning classes but they aren't popular though, no one here is as insane as those on Earth who think 7AM classes are a good idea. Roxanne will make some potions for selling and Hana will train in the guild's training grounds.

    "Hana, you only use [Pain Conversion] with me right...?" I shyly ask.

    "Ahn? Yeah, it would be disgusting to do it with anyone else. Wait… are you jealous...?" She stares at me. I try to make a poker face, I fail, "Hah! Yes that's it!"

    She comes and buries my head in her breasts.

    "This freakish woman is all yours, body and soul. No one will ever give me the same pleasure as you do, except Roxanne," she coughs.

    "Your choice of words concerns me but I understand the sentiment."

    She laughs.

    This helps in reducing my anxiety.


    The university is bustling with activity, young and old, cute, to strange, to tough, traditional clothing, to uniforms, to exotic. There's an even bigger carnival of colors here.

    I'm rather lucky I'm considered a researcher, normal students requires a uniform. A grey jacket with the symbol of the university woven over the heart, a grey jumper with a black stripe at the collar, a collared plain white shirt, plain black low leather shoes, and grey pants. For women the dark red skirts with black thighs are optional. A black robe with the university's symbol and a pointy hat is given to everyone to use, even after they graduate.

    Alissa drops me in front of a classroom building, I wish I had more time to explore the many other facilities here but I'm always busy.

    We share a goodbye kiss and Alissa runs away. I sigh and stare at the building for a while. I feel a change within me, my sanity dropped back to 8 and the world gets blander.

    Well shit, it seems the range of that blessing isn't very long. I half expected something like this. I'll tell Alissa later, but she's probably gonna be concerned in leaving me alone from now on.

    The classrooms are concrete buildings with a bit of Gothic decoration over the windows and door archways. The statuary is very warm and awe-inducing, it has knights, mages, depictions of weapons, ingredients, books and magic tools. It has plenty of colored shining stones and the walls are painted with warm colors around the range of blues and greens.

    My schedule is [Space Magic] today, then [Nature Magic] tomorrow, then [Electric Magic], then [Blessing Magic] then finally training for [Reduced Mana Cost].

    I enter the class and feel a somewhat nostalgic but also distressing feeling. The classroom is full of uniformed teenagers and children, most are near my age, there's not a single researcher there. I'm back in high school.

    I stop and scan the room for an empty seat. The whole class turns to me, a few students hastily sit down. Hold on…

    "Good morning, professor," says a girl on the first row.

    I reflexively cover my eyes with my hand and cringe.

    "I'm not the professor, I'm a researcher."

    Murmurs and snickers start. Yep, high school. I sit down on the last row, no need to put more eyes on my back. Soon enough the class is completely full, there must be nearly 100 chairs here.

    I pull out my notes and the introduction book I was lent, you have to pay a deposit that will cover any damage to this book. It's a hardback leather book, a little yellowed and old but still perfectly usable and even has that nice smell of old book.

    It's exactly 1PM, a nostalgic bell chimes and in a minute a gnome appears. Gnomes are half-meter tall, white bearded, pink-skinned, chubby, cute, and round-faced little men. They are a male-only race who depends on pixies, a female-only race, to procreate. It's rather rare to find one away from Gnomeria. This one has their cultural red cone hat with a simple blue baggy robe. A garden gnome, I have to work very hard to suppress my laughter.

    He walks towards the front and floats towards the professor's table.

    "Good afternoon, little ones. I'm professor Ludwick Wicksloptcut," his voice is rather high pitched and raspy, "My specialty is [Space Magic] and [Earth Magic]. As you can see, I'm a gnome and we have very little physical strength, on the contrary of dwarves who absorb the powers from the earth and acquire strength, gnomes require to use [Telekinesis] and [Item Box] to move nearly everything worth moving, so we became masters of [Space Magic]."

    He scans the room and his eyes pause on me for a moment.

    "Let's do a quick introduction, please say your full name if you have it, where you come from, and if you have any specialty you already acquired please announce for us. It is always a good thing to share what we know," he smiles while looking at me.

    The professor gives a remark or two after each introduction and quickly moves on. Most have one or two skills, likely one or two points in a magic from one of the 5 basic elements, earth, wind, fire, water and electricity. It seems these are the most common magic schools because they are easier to understand.

    "I'm Wolf Ryder and I come from a far away land. My specialty is Summoning, and I know a bit of Light, Blessing, Electric and [Nature Magic]."

    "You are the newest researcher with the blessing from the Goddess of Knowledge, right?" He asks with a smile.

    Murmurs start again. What's the point of this?

    "Yes."

    "I see, we eagerly await the results of your research."

    He smiles and continues the introductions.

    "I'm Lyle Rizek, I was born in the capital Mac Gantus, my specialty is [Electric Magic]," says a young boy with a round face, black disheveled hair and a very well made uniform. He's the poster child of innocence.

    Rizek? Could it be a relative of the old mage who bought the Symbol at the auction?

    We finish the introductions and the professor starts the lesson. Space magic is basically manipulation of gravity. [Telekinesis] is the manipulation of gravity to every single atom on the target object at the same time, [Gravity Crush] is self explanatory, [Item Box] is a cut in our space by opening a temporary hole where neither gravity nor time exist, [Gate] is basically a "wormhole" from science fiction.

    The explanation is very roundabout, it seems they do not have such a clear understanding of this magic. But I have actual knowledge of physics from Earth so it becomes much easier to understand.

    Since gravity bends space and time, perhaps this magic school should be called "Gravity Magic" instead. Though so far there's no mention of a spell that manipulates time except [Item Box] which freezes an object in time.

    Perhaps I could create a "Time Magic" school if I dedicate myself to it, though I'm not that knowledgeable about this part of physics. Creating new magic skills require a strong will, good [Mana Control] and a deep knowledge about what you want to create, I'm not exceptional in any of these requirements.

    This class has been basically an introduction to math, kinematics and mechanics. They don't seem to have any deep knowledge about astronomy, which would help in understanding the principles of gravity since it's the most visible when observing the stars.

    Perhaps this is a limitation of this world, the stars could be just a simple background instead of gigantic balls of burning matter. Is this world even round? Do we even have an orbit around the sun? Before the God of the Sun existed the length of days and nights could be influenced by magic on the surface, so perhaps "space" is a bit different here.

    While the teacher talks I start to get bored so Ipractice [Telekinesis] on my magic pen. Its different than moving it by hand, you apply gravity and the pen accelerates on the direction of the gravity you applied. Turning is very awkward, you have to apply a counter gravity do decelerate and then the gravity in the direction you want to go. It's basically flight in zero-gravity plus a bit of drag from air. Reminds me of space-flight simulators.


    I feel the world gets brighter and a minute later the bell chimes, it's exactly 3PM. I go out and Alissa is waiting for me at the entrance to the classroom building, we have a 30 minute break. We go to the buffet nearby, it's basically a bakery mixed with a restaurant, the restaurants in the universities on Earth got nothing on this one.

    The buffet is a square building where each side has a covered area with enough tables and lavish cushioned chairs for at least 1000 people. The second floor is actually a restaurant as the tables can be reserved and a waiting staff is ready to serve. An engraved path shows the directions the students should move through and were the lines should form, like a car road for people.

    Inside there's a myriad of expensive snacks and sweets along with tea and juice choices. I don't stare much since it's just going to provoke my stomach. The prices are all rather expensive and Alissa could actually make a good deal of them if I wished to, also, aside from the afternoon tea and chocolate I'm not that much of a snack person.

    I don't buy anything. With the milk from the minotaur Alissa prepared a small cupcake with cream for us and some mild tea to go with it, it's citric with tones of lemon. The other girls already got their cupcakes, we have to share fairly everything Alissa makes.

    "The blessing stops working if you go too far," I tell Alissa.

    She looks dejected. I let out a small chuckle.

    "There's no need to be so sad, it's not like I'm gonna go insane just because you aren't nearby, the only change is that the world looks a bit blander. I believe the only problem would happen when you are far away for a long time, but then I would already be suffering from nightmares."

    "Still, I thought my love for you would be enough to heal you."

    "I'm a bit uncomfortable to say this but I think I'm cursed," I smile bitterly, "This situation with my nightmares and 'Sanity' level is just too ridiculous to be just a trauma. I have some knowledge of psychology from Earth and this is too much."

    "You think so? But why doesn't it show on your 'Status Effects'?"

    "Perhaps it's related to why I was sent here and why I have the ability to manipulate skills, it's something beyond the laws of this realm."

    "Something beyond…"

    Alissa looks at the distance and thinks. Someone is approaching us.

    "Hello, Mr. Ryder," says a student. It's Lyle Rizek, he's followed by another boy and a girl.

    "Sorry to interrupt your break, but I had to talk to you, brother Dennis didn't tell me you were the one with the blessing."

    "Dennis? From Thunder Storm?" I ask.

    "Hohoh, he will be happy you remember."

    Well I'm not happy to have to remember him.

    "Hm, oh, is there an old mage in your family specialized in [Electric Magic] that's part of the lords court?"

    "Wow, you met grandfather Werner?" He smiles wildly.

    "Not really, just saw him from a distance."

    "Still, must have been a very interesting occasion. Ah, was it during the auction of the Symbol of Hate?"

    "Yes, that was it."

    Alissa keeps a poker face but I know she's annoyed by looking at her tail, I share your sentiment.

    "Please have a seat," she motions to them.

    "This is my fiancee, Alissa," I present her.

    I told Alissa to never show the slave mark, they don't know she's (still) my Blood Slave.

    They sit but look at me dumbfounded. Lucky for us the cupcakes are already gone, Alissa pulls average cookies for them.

    "I-I'm Garanae Taranoa," says the male student. He's tall and strong with square face and thin eyes. He has white-blond short hair combed backwards. He has a strong and confident atmosphere. His gaze is locked on Alissa, I already don't like him.

    He said his last name, is he a noble too? Also, what's with these names full of a's, is this part of the local culture?

    "I'm Ha-Hatara," A thin girl with black hair, green eyes and a long ponytail. She has a protruding thin chin and large lips, rather cute. She looks scared and twitchy. She's also staring at Alissa, don't tell me you swing that way?

    "I'm Lyle Rizek."

    "Pleasure to meet you Mr. Garanae, Miss Hahatara, Mr. Rizek," Alissa says and nods towards each."

    "No, i-it's actually Hatara."

    Alissa tilts her head in confusion. Cute.

    "Oh, I see, Miss Hatara," she corrects herself, "Tea?"

    Only Garanae accepts.

    "Mr. Ryder, why are you at the beginners courses?" Lyle asks.

    "I learned magic differently, I have to make sure I'm not missing anything important in my foundation otherwise I will suffer in the more advanced courses."

    "Differently? Where do they teach magic differently than the one taught here?"

    "On my homeland, a far away place," I smile innocently.

    They raise their eyebrows.

    "Where would that place be?" Lyle insists.

    "A far away place," I keep my smile frozen.

    Garanae glares at me. I have no intention of lying about my past, even with Roxanne's knowledge about her continent it's not enough, it would be difficult to create a convincing lie. Instead of lying I prefer that people think I'm reserved and unapproachable. Adventurers don't care about each other pasts or birthplaces, but other people aren't like this, specially people like Lyle and Garanae, who seem to come from noble families or at least rich households.

    "I see… Are you a noble?" Lyle stares me.

    "Something like this," I lie.

    "What…?"

    "On my homeland I'm not a commoner but not really a noble, it's difficult to explain."

    The lord of this land is very pragmatic since Rabanara is basically an isolated small piece of land, he can't deny the help of the adventurers so he has a close relationship with them. But that's not the same for other nobles, specially for someone like Lyle who was born in the capital, he might not be comfortable talking to commoners. Not being seen as a commoner is the best but I can't lie that I'm actually a noble, nobles have the title "True Noble" or "Noble Descendant" on their status screen.

    Lyle furrow his eyebrows and sighs. Did you finally decide to stop prodding me?

    "Then perhaps you are like me, I'm a mage knight's daughter," says Hatara.

    "Yes, something like that," I say and smile to her.

    Thanks for the help on my lie, knights are above commoners but not considered nobility.

    She's shy, she immediately looks away and Garanae glares harder.

    "Oh, I understand," Lyle looks pensive.

    "Did you truly defeat the Symbol of Hate?" Garanae suddenly speaks.

    "Yes, what did you hear about me?" I raise an eyebrow.

    "You bravely took the sword to the Symbol, you cornered it but due to its inhuman agility it managed to land a blow on one of your companions. To not risk anymore lives you charged into it and held it in place long enough for the mages to destroy it with a powerful and fearsome spell," he retells the tale with a stern expression."

    "From the way you speak you only heard it from a bard. It's a bit of an exaggeration."

    Bards exaggerate everything to make it more dramatic and to fit the song better.

    "So it seems," he says and narrows his eyes.

    Me and Alissa send a glare to him.

    "Did you ever fight a monster before, Mr. Taranoa? Fights are never glorious like the bards tell."

    Garanae grunts and looks away. His clothes are as fine and impeccable as Lyle's, he's likely a noble who had a life more sheltered than even Earth-me.

    "You shouldn't forget the others who where there. The man who valiantly held against the Symbol along side me, he threw himself at the monster to give me a chance. The mage girl who kept hitting the monster spell after spell and distracting its attention. Alissa who was there and kept hitting its eyes with her arrows, reducing its speed and even saving my other companion from death. And finally Roxanne, my other fiancee who endured a spider leg going through her stomach and used her genius magic to explode the Symbol."

    Oh shit, I forgot about the other archer guy.

    "Ooh~..." Lyle is a bit interested.

    "Oh..." Hatara looks scared.

    "..." Garanae is silent "… Wait, another fiancee?"

    I blush slightly, can't help it.

    "Well… after fighting to the death together it's easy to develop feelings towards each other."

    Alissa nods and the others look surprised. Garanae then turns his surprise into a frown, he looks at Alissa then at me.

    "How shameless! How many other women are you going seduce?!"

    "G-Gara, that's rude," Lyle interjects.

    "I actually have a 3rd fiancee," I say and smile.

    "T-three… h-how do you..." Lyle stutters.

    Hatara is blushing. Garanae is even more angry. Should I tell them I plan on adding another?

    "There's still room for one more," Alissa says and winks at Hatara.

    Her face goes red and she looks down.

    "L-Lyle! Let us go, It's better not to associate with men with such warped morals," Garanae stands up and leaves in a hurry, the other 2 follow him while stunned.

    I watch them go away and look at Alissa, who looks satisfied. I'm enjoying her slight personality change.

    "Thank you, that last attack was perfect."

    "Eheheheh," she shows her tongue, "I enjoyed it, too. People with such sense of honor won't mix well with us."

    "I agree. But why are they like this? Doesn't the gods approve of polygamy?"

    "Not explicitly. From what I understood some people believe that adding more than one person turns love into pure lust and they don't accept that as a valid marriage."

    "Even if the gods are present during the wedding ceremony?"

    "It's not like that, the gods only interfere when things turn really bad, so a not-so-bad marriage can exist while still being invisible to the gods."

    "I guess it's why wicked people still exist."

    "Exactly."

    We spend the rest of the break cuddling and getting stares. Then the bell chimes and the class resumes.


    Garanae sends me a glare when he enters, Lyle looks a little sad and Hatara avoids my eyes. Oh wait, Hatara might actually believe Alissa was serious, this is kinda bad.

    I sigh as the world loses color again and focus on the lesson. The professor actually taught us integration and derivation to calculate loads, I kind of didn't miss this from my graduation on Earth. It's somewhat surprising that the amount of students having problems is small, there's not really a well-made public school system here so they all must have had been taught this at home.


    At 6PM the world gets color again and the bell chimes. School's over, time to flaunt my cool mount to the other teenagers and bask in the glory I never had during my teen years.

    Some of them have their own flying tools and immediately bring them out with a *poof*, filling the air with flying robed figures, but no one has a large orange fox that they can ride and run among the crowds. Alissa can show off her acrobatics by jumping over people or jumping on the wall and jumping again. I'm a bit worried the guards might complain, though.

    We get home and soon enough Hana appears, all sweaty and tired, but with her traditional fearsome smile. With that we can have our usual bath together.

    "Welcome home son, how was you first day of school?" Asks Roxanne in a childish tone.

    "Mommy~, someone wanted to bully me because I have 3 fiancees," I answer on the same tone.

    "Oh? What a naughty child, don't mind him, he's only jealous of all the filthy and freaky sex we are having," Hana enters the stupid joke.

    "That might actually be true," Alissa says.


    The season of the starchy vegetables is starting, we get not-french fries and some minotaur meat that Alissa found now that she's confident in her cow meat appraisal abilities. After that it's more cuddling while Alissa and Roxanne read and then bed, nobody has the stamina because of yesterday.
     
    Last edited: Nov 23, 2019
  20. Manasong

    Manasong Well-Known Member

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    I wake up to a coordinated triple blowjob. Roxanne is getting more into it so they manage to make a proper rotation. Alissa is pure bliss, Hana is savage and Roxanne is slow and sensual.

    I learned [Space Magic] and it's now level 2. I guess that having privileged knowledge about physics from Earth is not enough, I need to understand precisely how [Space Magic] works here and acquire practical knowledge of it to truly gain the skill.


    I have an idea and I get Hana to help me with the test.

    "So just defend, like really defend, it could end up using a lot of power so it might be a bit dangerous," I tell Hana while she readies her shield.

    "Hah, did you become a dragon overnight? I find it hard to believe you could seriously hurt me with a wooden sword," Hana responds with a half-smile.

    "I-I just can't properly control it yet so I'm not sure how much power it has.

    "His concern means he loves you!" Roxanne yells from the window.

    "Awn… I will use [Pain Conversion], so come at me with all you got!"

    I sigh. I swing my practice sword to get the hang of it, it's a bit awkward but I think it's doable.

    I charge my spell, I rush towards Hana and do a downward swing with all my power. I cast [Telekinesis] on the sword.

    *DOON~*. The sword explodes and the shield reverberates.

    "YAH!" Roxanne protects herself but with her quick reflexes Alissa stands in front of Roxanne.

    "Ho-holy shit," I mutter.

    "Okay, yeah, I get what you meant," says Hana lowering her shield, "It wasn't a really strong hit but if the sword was made of metal then it would reeeeally hurt. The fuck did you do?"

    Hana is panting and looking at me with hungry eyes.

    "I cast [Telekinesis] on the sword."

    "Bahahah! Every mage must have done that once," Roxanne laughs with her hands in her belly.

    "Uh… so why is don't people use it in combat normally?"

    "You have to be a magic swordsman for it to be worthy. People prefer to specialize and hire a mage when necessary, you are a rare find these days," she answers.

    "'These days'?"

    "When the last hero was alive people wanted to copy him since he was a magic swordsman too but now that he's gone for a long time this trend has died. It takes way too long to learn how cast a spell chantless."

    Hana crosses her arms. "Hm, I understand," she says while nodding, "Specializing would be better for me. I can use [Telekinesis] but there's no way I can use this amount of power, you need to learn [Mana Control] and [Mana Efficiency] for it to be doable in battle. Costs too many skill points."

    "But for me this is the perfect skill to compensate my low strength," I say, "if I make [Telekinesis] part of my combat style then I could hit as hard as Hana. I have an incredible advantage since I don't chant."

    "Hard as me? Please, mages are ridiculous. If you train you will crush a dragon's skull with ease, you will easily surpass me."

    Heh, linear warriors, quadratic mages.

    I bring out another sword and ask Hana to keep helping me practice. I broke 3 other swords but I'm getting the hang of it. It's quite mana intensive, I need to increase [Space Magic] quick so the efficiency of [Telekinesis] increases.

    Time flies and soon enough it's time to stop. Hana hurriedly drags me into the bath.


    Today is [Nature Magic], I get to the class and quickly find a seat before anyone mistakes me for the teacher. There's not even 40 students on this class so there's plenty of free seats, I go by the window this time and keep observing the rows of trees outside.

    "Good morning students. My name is Tanya, I'm your professor for [Nature Magic], I'm also a herbalist and potion-maker."

    Tanya is a gloomy looking woman. She has simple long brown hair, droopy eyes, a tired voice, and a boring face. She wears a loose fitting black dress with very wide cuffs. The most interesting part of her are the 2 nature spirits on her shoulders, one is a mini koala and the other is a mini Plom, a rodent which looks like a green ball of fur with 4 arms that look like sticks protruding out of it and two small black beady eyes.

    The koala hums a song and the Plom wiggles its legs to the rhythm of the song.

    "A-are those nature spirits?!" Asks a surprised student.

    "Yes. They are not from here, the Koala is from the Summer Isles and the Plom is from Gnomeria," Tanya says in an even more tired voice, "They are literally useless pets, they do nothing but be cute and follow me wherever I go. They don't accept petting from anyone else so there's nothing else to ask about them, all you can do is look."

    The student sits down disappointed. That makes us 2, mate.

    I want a pet too. I let a corgi along with the 2 clay golems in the house, I had to cut the touch feeling because the girls don't stop petting it, but when I pet it it feels weird even when I cut all senses. I miss my dogs.

    Aside from glancing at me the professor wastes no time asking us our names. She immediately starts teaching us.


    [Nature Magic] is crazy, it's just so fucking crazy even I am starting to blush alongside everyone here. The professor never stops, she keeps going on and on, saying crazy upon crazy phrases. I feel like my sanity will drop.

    "During this moon cycle the ‘wickedness' aspect is hidden so you don't have to worry your lewd thoughts will be interpreted as bad influence by the nature spirits".

    "During this moon cycle ‘irritability' aspect is hidden so kissing your vegetables on their mouths will improve yield during harvest but only certain parts of the vegetable are considered the mouth".

    "Touching the petal of the flower carelessly is offensive since it's like touching the lower lips of a woman and arousing her, then leaving immediately after. Make sure you are ready to please the flower before touching it".

    "The mating season is a time of pride for animals, as their master you have to watch them while they procreate to give them confidence otherwise their children will be born shy and weak".

    "You can know if an animal is in heat by the smell, if you can't smell it then you have to put your finger inside the vagina of the female and taste the liquid that comes out, if it tastes like tart honey then she's in heat".

    "Most horse hybrids like the hippocamp or the hippogriff are very mistrustful, to be able to mount them you have to stimulate their genitals in whatever way you can, after a few sessions they will end up trusting you".

    The only interesting thing here is that griffins, hippocamps, and hippogriffs are animals and not monsters.

    "Only have sex with a dryad at your own risk, they do not know the concept of stopping and they will turn you infertile due to their poisonous sexual organs if you do it too much".

    "While the merfolk are capable of mating with most underwater animal species, anyone else who tries to mate with animals will likely have your innards ripped out. The evolution of animal reproduction after the introduction of monsters was very fast, plenty of monsters use animals as not only fodder but also used them as sex objects. Orcs are specially notorious for that. So with the millennia the only animals who survived the introduction of monsters are those who have incredibly vicious genitals that only work with other animals of the same species".

    Why is everything revolving around sex in one way or the other!?

    As the color returns to the world the bell rings and everyone runs away from the Nest of Depravity of the Gloomy Pervert. I immediately hug Alissa to clean the filth that has been dirtying me.


    After the break, the flurry of background knowledge started to make a bit of sense, only a bit. The professor started talking about the soul of nature and I could concentrate enough to keep a very small [Regeneration] acting while listening.

    Every plant, every tree and every animal has a soul, but it's not a complex soul like ours. Due to the plants nature of symbiosis, a plants soul connects with each other and they communicate, creating a huge network. Their communication is slow and their intelligence is nearly nonexistent, but they can communicate with the entire height and width of the hierarchy of beings inside the ecosystem.

    Animals aren't as connected with nature as the plants are but they still have a good communication link. Animals are the "agents" and "feelers" of nature, if you want to be accepted in nature you need a good relationship with the animals. Nature is almost like a hive-mind while we are completely individualistic and animals are the middle term.

    Some places nature acquires a higher "conscience", they are normally magical beings/animals that have enough power to deal with intruders or other people who want to destroy nature. The most common place where they are found are in forests or swamps, generally places with lots of plant/animal life but little humanoids. While very reclusive, they can also be reasoned with, possibly leading even to negotiations.

    Now I wonder who's the guardian of the Sea of Trees.

    It's on this that nature spirits are important. Once you start acquiring points in [Nature Magic] nature spirits are much more likely to appear before you. Since the spirits are a fusion of animal and humanoid souls they can somewhat communicate with both, so finding a spirit that could act as a diplomat is very beneficial to any Nature mage. It is better to use spirits because while animals are agents of nature they can be easily tempted and tamed due to their low intelligence, which is not useful for a diplomat, while nature spirits are much more independent and reliable due to their higher intelligence.

    Nature doesn't have the same principle of self-preservation that we do even though they were also created by the God of Creation so you have to be delicate when dealing with nature. Nature might put pride, duty, pettiness, or hate above their instinct of self-preservation, even though nature isn't fast acting or powerful they can still do much to hurt you in the long term.

    With the world being filled with mana there's a large amount of plants that absorb mana and convert them to energy, I know Roxanne told me these plants are the basis for all mana potions. Eating these plants led to people acquiring the [Sense Mana] skill and with that they tried to copy the way plants manipulate mana, this became the origin of the magician profession and the magical tools.

    Magic is manipulating mana in a way to convert it into something else, magical tools merely copy the manipulation of mana so all you have to do is feed it mana. By observing what plants do the very first spell created was [Manasynthesis], which uses mana and converts it into energy for the body, there are a few other uses for it, like using the sunlight to replenish your mana. It's an advanced spell since I can't see it yet.


    With that another day ends and I snuzzle up to Alissa's fur and ride her home.

    "Wolfy, I think that the corgi was a bad idea, Roxanne barely worked the entire day," Hana says with her arms folded.

    "Hanaa~… you traitoor!"

    I decided to keep the corgi out only when we are all home. After my strength training Roxanne was pouting during bath so I gave her extra attention and Hana melted her by brainwashing her with her fingers.

    At night Alissa gave me a new set of scratches on my back and a hickey.


    Today is the 3rd.

    Roxanne felt a little bad for acting childish so she was the one to wake me up today.

    Today my [Space Magic] increased by 4 (now 0+6) and I learned [Nature Magic] with 6 points, I guess my experience using a lot of [Regeneration] in the past helped.


    When we walk outside to continue [Telekinesis] training I see something that takes away my breath. It's a mini griffin rolling around on the grass, when he sees us he stops and stares. He tilts his cute little head and then dematerializes.

    "Awn… I hoped I could at least approach it," I say.

    "Ooh, train more [Nature Magic], I wanna touch a nature spirit!" Roxanne says while clapping the tip of her fingers.

    "M-me too..." Alissa mutters bashfully.

    This time I explode only 1 wooden sword. Hana likes to turn on [Pain Conversion] when we spar so she won't leave me until she drains me, it feels like the real succubus is her.

    For lunch Alissa brings a fish with a literal human face, it's a monster called Amabie. This one is a male with long black hair. After decapitating it the body is the same as that of a spadefish with zebra stripes. I didn't enter the kitchen until the face was nowhere to be seen. It tasted good, not too strong.


    Today is [Electric Magic]. We meet Lyle and his friends while I'm giving a goodbye kiss to Alissa and I feel an angry gaze on my back. Hatara enters the building while Garanae continues to another.

    The bell chimes and at the same time I hear the crackling of thunder. When I look up there's a thin man wearing body conforming red leather clothing in front of the blackboard.

    "Good morning, children! My name is Nellan Berryson, I'm here to teach you all about lightning!" Says the professor with a dashing smile.

    He folds his arms and moves his feet apart. He neatly combed his short black hair sideways and his clothing has yellow embroidery of thunder. He has a young face and sharp eyes, he's barely over 30.

    Lyle opens his eyes wide and sits at the edge of his chair, he found his new hero.

    "Thunder is speed! But not simply doing things fast, thunder is a 'path'. It's a way to find the shortest route to your destiny. It's the best route to your enemies heart or to the place your heart desires. That is thunder!"

    He turns into lightning and moves to the back of the class at a speed nearly impossible to see, he leaves sparks crackling behind him.

    "But thunder is not everything, thunder is merely a part of [Electric Magic], the true form of thunder is energy, pure, raw energy. It's not mana, mana is soul energy, electricity is physical energy."

    He turns into lightning again and moves to the front of the class. He brings out an odd-looking round light bulb and extends his hand towards the class.

    "[Shocking Touch]!"

    Sparks come out of his hand and the light bulb gives out a faint light. The class looks astonished.

    "Converting mana to electricity to then convert it into light is inefficient, but this is just one of the uses of electricity. The advantage of electricity is that it is much easier to manipulate it and measure it, electricity runs well in a variety of metals while mana requires expensive materials for it to work. Another advantage is how it is possible to preserve electricity on metals like this."

    He brings out a cylindrical object, it's made by a pile of metal plates and has two metal ribbons coming out of each end. He connects each end to the bulb and a very faint light can be seen.

    "This battery costs 1/10th of a mana crystal, or 1/100th of a mana potion, but it outputs less than 1/1000th of the power. This is the untapped power of electricity, perhaps one of you will improve our knowledge of it in the future!"

    Although I have knowledge of electricity I have near zero knowledge of chemistry, only when someone invents the transistor will I be able to start an electronics revolution.

    In here the Ohm's law is called the Law of Power, voltage is called speed and current is called strength. Charges are called "beginning" and "target" while the current is called "pathway". The idea of electricity is that there's "power" everywhere and when the differential becomes large enough a discharge occurs to balance the environment. A spell like [Lightning Bolt] is the transformation of mana on the world to the "power", creating a differential that discharges through the path you created once you release it.

    In truth [Electric Magic] is the manipulation of electrons from the atoms, from stealing them to giving them. There's even magnetism manipulation, which is a bit mind breaking for me since I never understood magnets very well, how do they work?

    After the eccentric introduction we started learning about simple circuits, calculating mana to electricity power conversions and magnetic fields. There's no way the students didn't learn a lot about algebra before these classes, things are moving way too fast and the math is not simple. Too bad I can't practice magic here without calling the attention of the professor.

    Soon after the color returns to the world the bell chimes and I see Hatara steal a glance at me and turn around immediately.

    I approach her.

    "Hey, Miss Hatara. Just to make sure, Alissa was joking that time, she just wanted to embarrass you guys a little. Sorry about that."

    "Hm, I-I understand."

    Lyle looks at Hatara with amusement.

    "There's no worry about that, she will never take her eyes off Gara," he smirks.

    "L-Lyle!" Hatara mutters with surprise.

    I'm starting to feel somewhat more positive towards Lyle.

    "Oh? Then go for it, someone like Mr. Taranoa should be easy to seduce."

    "Why is that so?" Asks Lyle, raising an eyebrow.

    "Seeing how easy it is to embarrass all of you shows how vulnerable and inexperienced you all are," I smirk.

    Lyle and Hatara redden a little.

    "A-anyway, she's a lost cause, she's too shy to make any move," Lyle shakes his head.

    "Just be aggressive, you can still be shy and cute while aggressively seducing someone."

    Hatara looks at me and opens and closes her mouth without any sound.

    "If you don't do that he's gonna get stolen, you know? Isn't he a noble? Don't the arranged marriages start becoming a thing at our age?"

    "True, even you are engaged," Lyle says.

    "But mine wasn't arranged."

    They both lose their voices. It's so easy to mess with them.

    "Anyway, start by trying to grab his hand or hug him or something. Once you manage to get his attention then you push him into a bed and do what you can, that for sure will tie down any man," I wave and leave."

    I can see them blush again.


    I meet up with Alissa and she tells me a guy tried to intimate Hana and Roxanne when they went to check the requests at the guild. Since Hana has [Intimidate] the guy almost pissed his pants. The real danger of this town starts to appear when we gather enough attention, I really am living on the safe part of town.

    The rest of class is more math, electricity is nearly pure math so it's harder than kinematics. When we get back home I spend some time wasting my mana by casting [Electric Magic]. At level 15 I can use [Rush] and move really fast but nowhere near as fast as the professor. At level 20 there's a spell called [Discharge] which throws electricity from my fingers in a cone in front of me, it has less power than [Lightning Bolt] but it has stronger stunning power, the bad part is that it's easy to cause friendly fire. I felt an urge to scream "Unlimited Power" while using [Discharge], though.

    Tonight Roxanne puts oil on her tail and uses it to stroke me, I was a bit scared at first but it wasn't enough stimulation for her so everything was fine. Afterwards we cuddle and she sleeps hugging a corgi I summoned. Alissa didn't want to disturb us so this time we inverted positions and she cuddled me.


    Today is the 4th.

    I wake up with Alissa nibbling on my lips, she was quite lovely this morning so we had a bit of fun and she left her love marks on my back again.

    My [Mana Control] increased by 1 (now 0+7), my [Space Magic] increased by 3 (now 0+9) and I learned [Electric Magic] with 2 points.

    The nature spirit griffin is out again and he has a small cat with an oversized head besides it. They are both sitting on the wall and look at us curiously when we get out.

    I wave at it and the griffin turns its head sideways. If cuteness could kill I would be dead. I pull out a plate and leave on it a piece of raw mutton I prepared just in case. Griffin's are carnivorous though a spirit could basically eat anything.

    I practice [Telekinesis] again and I don't break a single practice sword. With that Hana switches our swords to dull iron swords so we can properly spar. The cat spirit leaves but the griffin stays, I don't let Roxanne get anywhere near it.

    This time Roxanne joins us for the after exercise bath and Hana uses her instead since I'm tired. It's a weird feeling, I do feel a little jealous but it makes me happy seeing them happy together. They are like 2 old friends who keep sharing stories, my relationship with them is different, we are about our dependency and trust on each other.

    The girls loved mayonnaise and I even added pieces of cooked egg to improve it. Alissa has been making a lot of roasted meat which goes well with the mayo.

    When we leave for the university the nature spirit griffin is eating the meat while shaking his butt in happiness, oof.


    Today is [Blessing Magic]. Less than half the seats are occupied, this school of magic is not that popular since it requires a shit ton of mana. It's powerful but very difficult to use so not that many people have a talent for it. Hatara comes and sits besides me this time.

    "Good day, Mr. Ryder."

    "Good day, Miss Hatara."

    She seems much less shy today.

    The bell chimes and soon a tall, blonde woman with rosy skin and blue eyes comes. Her skin tone seems a little odd to be human. She wears a yellow greek-style toga with thicker cloth, the weather is chilly around here so using the thin togas wouldn't be appropriate. Her hair is absolutely fabulous with drills all over and a large volume, her face is beautiful and gives an aura of kindness. An angel.

    "Good day my children. I'm Alciel Angel, I'm an angel-type demon. I'm your professor for [Blessing Magic]."

    I knew it. Her voice rings like soft bells on my ears, it's pleasant but I prefer my sex demon succubus over an angel.

    Before this magic school existed the Humanoid Gods used to give simple powers to heroes when the time was right. The mages soon discovered that these blessings were simple spells and decided to copy them, the priests were concerned over copying the gods but when the skill [Blessing Magic] was discovered they realized it was a magic school actually created by the gods and gifted to us.

    When a skill is created, be it magical or not, the qualifier of "(creator)" is added to the skill of the person that created it. For most schools the creators are known, but not [Blessing Magic]. Then there's the fact that all other magic schools require tons of theoretical knowledge before the skills increase in level, except this one. This discrepancy in skill growth and the lack of a known creator led credence to the fact that this was a magic school created by the Gods. Then after [Blessing Magic] was discovered and accepted the gods stopped these kinds of blessings and the permanent blessings like mine started to appear.

    So in this class there's not that much theoretical knowledge to learn, it's mostly practical.

    [Blessing Magic] is basically a mixture of already existing magic. Like how level 1 spell [Wind Armor] is part of the [Wind Magic] school but it's morphed into something different. The basis for [Wind Armor] is [Wind Wall] but morphed by willpower to follow the skin of the wearer.

    Level 5 spell [Sharp Blades] uses [Manipulate Metal] to sharpen it in a temporary way.

    Level 10 spell [Swift Foot] uses [Electric Magic] to create a "path" that makes it easier to walk.

    Level 15 spell [Rainbow Shield] uses all the defensive elemental magic spells to create a single shield that's effective against most magic.

    Level 20 spell [Rainbow Crystal] uses the principles behind elemental attack magic to boost nearly all types of magical attacks.

    Level 25 spell [Reinforce] is an improved [Sharp Blades] that also improves magical defense, physical defense, and magical attack.

    Level 30 spell [Warrior's Respite] is similar to [Filling Waters] but it recovers only stamina. [Filling Waters] conjures water that increases recovery of stamina and Mana Points.

    Level 40 spell [Mage's Respite] is the mana-only version of [Filling Waters].

    Level 50 spell [Haste] is the fusion of [Perfect Intake] (perfect breathing) and [Rush]. From then on the spells are original.

    Level 60 spell [Reflection], reflects physical attacks.

    Level 70 spell [Mage's Mirror] reflects magical attacks.

    Level 80 spell [Unbreakable Skin] blocks all attacks.

    Level 90 spell [Time Stop] stops the target in time, though this spell was added later to the [Space Magic] school as [Slow].

    So there is time magic, I think "Chronomancer" would be an amazing title to have. I will ask the gnome professor the name of all of the known spells of [Space Magic].

    Level 100 spell [Undying Flesh] is the ultimate spell that prevents death as long as a single cell of the target still lives.

    None of the other magic schools are as well researched as this one. Though perhaps there's only one living person who can cast [Unbreakable Skin], the other spells have such an unbelievable high cost it requires dozens of rose coins in mana crystals to be able to cast it.


    The bell chimes and the class breaks from the trance of her voice. As people prepare to leave I strike a conversation with Hatara, I know I'm a pervert but there's no ulterior motive here, I just prefer to talk to women than men.

    "What are you going to do once you finish your courses, Miss Hatara?"

    "Huh? Oh, I will join the knight's order like my father and join the subjugation squad."

    "What role will you do?"

    "I-I'll be the field healer and support. I'm learning Blessing, Light, Water and Wind, I'll likely be part of the long distance squad. What about you?"

    "I'm going to look for a dungeon to conquer, possibly at the High Forest, I'll remain as an adventurer and explore the world."

    "Ohh… that sounds nice, I always wanted to visit Goloria or Elaria. But I don't want to leave the Shore of Leaves, my family has a duty to this land."

    "You wanna come with us? Lets have some tea," I ask her as we approach the exit where Alissa is waiting.

    "S-sure…"

    Alissa is curious why I invited her, I mostly want to leave a good impression since Garanae obviously dislikes me. She doesn't bring out the cupcakes, those are reserved only for me and my lovers, no exceptions.

    "What kind of duty your family has?" I ask.

    "One of my ancestors was the child of a fallen noble, to keep his life he swore allegiance to the lord and became a knight. Since then our family always trains one child per generation to serve the Lord as a knight and our family is taken care of by him. Because I have talent in magic I have been chosen as the inheritor of this vow. If I bring glory to my family then perhaps..." Her voice trails off.

    "Perhaps…?" I prod.

    "I could… marry a noble…"

    "Ooh, and the one you are aiming for is Garanae?"

    She blushes and nods.

    "I see it now," Alissa says and nods to me.

    "Like I said, you need to catch his eyes, you know who he's looking at?" I ask.

    "What? Who?" She looks at me wide eyed.

    I point at Alissa. Hatara drops her head, dejected.

    I see Lyle walking about looking for someone, I get up and meet with him.

    "Oh, Mr. Ryder? I see you are with Hatara."

    "Yes, well no. Let's leave them both together for a while, Alissa has a bit of work to do."

    "Huh?" He looks at me with narrowed eyes.

    "It's not about me, but rather it's about her future with someone else."

    Lyle looks a little confused but I believe he understood, somewhat. I bring my tea and the rest of my cookies and lonely eat them somewhere else. A few minutes before the end of the break I buy 3 little cupcakes and bring them to eat with the girls.

    When I join them Hatara is nodding while blushing and Alissa has a bewitching smile on her face. After we eat the bell rings.

    "T-thank you for the advice, Miss Alissa."

    "Don't mind it."

    The disciple of the Goddess of Love guides the first lamb.


    We resume class and the professor teaches us about chanting. There's not that much depth to it, it's mostly about practice and increasing your mana capacity.

    This is the first time I learn about chanting. Each school of magic has their own style of chanting, it starts as simple humming or sounds that help control mana and progresses to being songs or poems about the spells. Each person can develop their own chant but most mages will know what you are chanting if they pay attention, even if you are humming. The most advanced mages shorten their chants and end up not chanting at all, but it requires extreme control and efficiency otherwise the spell is lost and the mana is wasted.

    The professor sings a song with such a lovely and warm voice it gives me chills, she could be a choir singer with ease.

    "Gentle breeze of the wind, give us your affection, stop the sword of the unkind, change the arrow's direction, [Wind Armor]!" She yells the name of the spell with a stern tone.

    The entire class gains the [Wind Armor] spell. That's impressive, I haven't cast an area spell like this yet, I need to learn this asap. [Blessing Magic] drains too much of my mana, it's annoying to use with [Summoning Magic], I need every improvement I can get. Saying the name of the spell seems to be the cherry of the cake, it helps the mind keep control over the mana and not spill over any excess.

    After casting it again a few times to the class she conducts us to sing as if we are a choir. Soon enough we are all singing in sync and she tells us to start focusing our mana. The air fills with such a strong mana it's almost suffocating.

    "[Wind Armor]!" I yell and feel my mana draining.

    On the 3rd time I manage to do it. I feel like all those times I cast the spell it was as if I was doing this procedure on fast forward.

    Suddenly a new song appears on my head. I look at my stats and see that I immediately gained 6 points in [Blessing Magic]. This is actually the magic I used the most since I never fought without it, I don't even wanna know how my wounds would look like if I didn't use it.


    This time I don't know the words but I start humming another song, it's almost like I'm improvising a new song. I hum, fail to keep the rhythm, start again and move on. Then I get the note right, I fix my beat, and start to increase the volume.

    "[Sharp Blades]!" I yell. I finished the spell about 4 minutes after I started humming.

    "Ooh, congratulations, it seems you have a talent for this magic," The professor claps to me.

    I notice the class stopped singing and they are all staring at me, I did hum a bit too loud. My cheeks redden and I force myself to maintain my poke face.

    "I-it seems so, the song just came to me."

    "That's always how it happens. [Blessing Magic] is the most beautiful magic school I have seen, it gives us such a desire to sing beautiful songs it's almost like the words come out by themselves."

    The class continues singing and I decide to keep humming quietly, I manage to reduce the chant to 30 seconds. It takes less mana than doing it by the system but it still takes a huge amount of mana, I have to try casting it in an area in the next class.


    The singing stops with the bell and I feel my throat hurt. Hatara waves goodbye to me and Alissa and we leave.

    At home I have to do the strength training and Hana gets on the mood again during bath.

    "How did you survive before you met me?" I ask Hana while fondling her.

    "Huh..." She stops moving her hips, "Now that I think about it I was basically traveling around all the time escorting merchants and fighting every other day. You know, I actually definitely prefer riding dick than slashing throats. Maybe this is why our culture is to have children much later, we would get addicted to sex and stop fighting if we were like the other races."

    "Seems you are all a race of extremes. At least you live without regrets."

    "That's right, nobody lives prouder than the dragonkin!" She thumps her breasts making them bounce.

    "I think the Tale of Creation tells us the dragonkin were responsible for repopulating the continent after the Age of Oppression," Alissa says.

    "Hahah, I will agree that this makes sense," Hana nods.

    "If it weren't for the Ring of Fertility you would have been pregnant since the first day you met Wolfy," Alissa says.

    "I agree, there's no one more depraved than Hana," Roxanne says and she and Alissa share a smile.

    "O-oi, I have a feeling I should deny this," Hana looks at them worried but still moves her hips.

    "Pff..." I scoff.

    "Wolfyyy!"

    "Well, it's not like I consider it a negative, I love you as you are."

    "Awn..." She kisses me and increases her speed.

    After dinner I play around with Alissa while she reads her book until she gets into the mood and we do it slowly in the living room, Roxanne hears the noises and gets her turn after. I feel drained today.


    Today is the 5th.

    This is Roxanne's turn to wake me up, her oiled tail technique is different from anything before, specially when she combines her mouth.

    I got 2 points in [Space Magic] (now 0+11), 1 in [Sword Use] (now 9+6), 1 in [Blessing Magic] (now 0+7) and my MP increased by 30 (now 540). With this I can use [Gravity Crush] from [Space Magic].

    My growth is incredible, the possibility of using spells before I have the knowledge required for them is a huge cheat. Even my physical abilities like [Sword Use] benefit from it since I know how the "better" way of attacking is, it's like I always have half the experience necessary to increase my skills.


    Today Hana wants me to learn [Muscle Explosion] so she uses Alissa to give me super fast strikes. I put a point in [Muscle Explosion] and it gives me a lot of clarity in learning it.


    At 10:30AM Roxanne appears on the window to the backyard.

    "Wolfy, Ciel is here."

    Oh boy.

    A towel and a strong [Clean] is enough to remove the sweat and any smell. I go to the living room and Ciel is sitting by the sofa. She's wearing a dark red sundress with white flower embroidery, she really likes flowery dresses.

    "H-hello, Mr. Ryder."

    "Hello, Miss Ciel, good morning."

    "M-morning."

    Ciel is nervous. Alissa pulls out the tea and the good cookies.

    "Oh my, these are always so delicious, thank you."

    "So, what brings you here?" I ask.

    "I have made my decision..." She looks me in the eye and speaks in a resolute tone, "I wanna join you."

    We all smile. I look outside and the spirit griffin is eating meat again cutely, today is a good day.

    "It really makes me happy that you agreed."

    "Honestly, it should have been an easy decision to me but I was running away from it. Any priest would be happy to be able to accompany two people who have been blessed by the gods," she says while looking down.

    I just hope this isn't the only reason you came.

    "Then, Miss Ciel, welcome to Helios, this is your home now."

    I stretch my hand and we share a handshake.

    "Let's form the fellowship, Ciel."

    "S-sure."

    Her hand is very soft, softer than Alissa's and plumper than Roxanne's. Is she using [Heal] on her hands? She should have much rougher hands because of the hard work of helping in the orphanage.

    "Do you need help bringing your luggage?" I say, regretting leaving the warmth of her hand.

    "I-if that's not too much, it's only two trunks but I can't fit one on my [Item Box] so I have to carry it by hand."

    "We'll go with our flying dinghy and then register you at the guild."

    "Ok."

    Me, Alissa and Ciel go flying to the temple. Over there the children notice Ciel and rush to hug her.

    "Sister Cieeeel! I will miss you!"

    "Cieeel!"

    "Sisteeer! Come back soon!"

    Good thing they are not asking her to stay, that would be heartbreaking. But this is the first time I saw Ciel interacting with the children, she gives such a heartwarming smile it tickles my heart.

    I understand why me and the children like Ciel, she's a warm and lovable person, it's the kind you don't want to hurt but also know she will never hurt you. She's an angel on earth.

    After a few minutes Ciel manages to calm the children. Alissa hugs my arm and I see jealousy in her eyes.

    "That's a bit too soon for you but don't worry, our house will be much more lively one day," I whisper in her ear.

    She shudders and I see her tail wag. I think that fox tails shouldn't wag like a dog's or am I misremembering it?

    Ciel goes inside and brings her trunk, it's quite big and heavy so I just store it inside my "Items". She knows I'm a talented mage so I don't think I should bother telling her about it.

    We go to the guild and I see plenty of eyes on us, most are curiosity, a few are lust, and the last bunch are hate. It seems Hana's intimidation worked, nobody dares approach us. After that we simply go back home.

    Ciel immediately helps Alissa in cooking.

    "Oh my, so many spices," Ciel says with wide eyes, "I'm afraid I don't know much how to use them, but I do know how to make food for a lot of people taste good."

    "Wolfy taught me how to use each of these spices but I have been experimenting a lot with them," Alissa says.

    "Wolfy…? Ah, Mr. Ryder is a gourmet then?"

    "You can just call me Wolf, I'm just addicted to experimenting new kinds of food."

    "Well then, Wolf, you can drop the 'Miss'. Anyway, I wish the children were like you then."

    I was a picky eater as a child too so I'm not the best role model.

    With the clay golems and Ciel, the 2 housework duties I had have basically disappeared. I'm feeling a little guilty about this, I have to find some way to help around the house.

    "But this house is amazing, it feels so comfortable to live in, did you buy this?"

    "No, it's a rental."

    Ciel opens her eyes wide again, Roxanne looks a bit shy.

    I feel somewhat guilty that our lifestyle is so much better than the one of the orphanage. The temple has the clinic so they are not starving for money but still they have to spend a lot just to sustain the children.

    After lunch and praises from Ciel, Alissa is going to let me at the university and the girls are going to go buy Ciel's equipment. I made it very clear that the equipment defense should be between mine and Hana's, Ciel is likely to pick something cheap if we don't force her, I really don't want her hurt on our first mission.

    We have a good amount of money saved and Roxanne's potions barely cover our living expenses but with Ciel we are going to have to look for jobs seriously now. I told Hana to look for one.

    Before we leave I give a corgi to Roxanne to carry but soon enough Ciel manages to steal it from her.


    At the university the class today is [Reduced Mana Cost], the classroom is full. Today Lyle, Hatara and Garanae appear, Hatara pulls Garanae to sit somewhere near me but she couldn't get a seat too close since Garanae pulled back.

    After a while 2 researchers enter the class and sit. The first is an owl-type wereanimal, she has brown hair with white streaks, long spiky eyelashes and eyebrows, round yellow eyes, feathers coming out of the top of her hair that resemble cat ears, claws on her hand and a small mouth. She looks solemn and a bit cute, she looks to be in her 20's. The second one is a small and cute boy with a square jaw, green eyes and long black hair, he seems disinterested in everything. I bet he's a dwarf, his face is too oblong to be a halfling. He looks young but his eyes look old and tired.

    The owl woman sits behind me.

    "Hoo, Good day," her voice is high pitched and she speaks fast.

    "Good day, first time I'm seeing another researcher here."

    "Hoh? That's a bit difficult to believe? What classes are you taking?"

    "Ah, it's just beginners, I learned magic by myself so I'm creating a strong base."

    "I see, hoh. My name is Toroo, I'm researching [Illusion Magic], what about you?"

    Illusion? Interesting, the spells that I can see on this school relate to aggro control like pacifying, enraging or disturbing the vision of enemies. But it's also an incomplete school of magic.


    "I'm Wolf Ryder, I'm researching [Golemancy] and a skill I made, [Redirect Mana]."

    "Ohoh, so you are the one with a blessing, fascinating. Tell me more about your skill later," her eyes stare into my soul but her kind voice and attitude makes me happy.

    "Only if you tell me about illusions."

    "Deal."

    Straightforward, I like it.

    "Do you know him?" I point to the supposed dwarf who sat at the opposite of the class.

    "He's Gimbo Bombur. He's researching enchanting, I wanted to pay him to enchant a staff for me but he's a bit reclusive. It's a pity since the craftsmen of the university have much more interesting enchantments than those from the market," the way Toroo talks is full of grace, she's a lovely woman.

    The bell chimes and a simple middle-aged man with black hair and a plain black robe appears. Is he gonna be the first professor that's not a complete eccentric?

    "Good day, class. I'm Vareto Amvlyson. I'm the professor for [Reduced Mana Cost]," The man speaks on a monotone.

    I guess a complete lack of flavor can also be considered an eccentricity.

    Reducing mana cost is one of the core skills of mages, it reduces only the initial cost of the spell, which is good for single spells with a large initial cost or casting many spells in fast succession. Mana efficiency is another core that reduces the amount of mana spilled over from charging large or continued spells, charging large spells is different than just casting a spell with a large base cost. Mana control is the last core that allows you to cast larger or smaller spells and control better it's effects while active, like controlling the direction of a [Fire Arrow] during flight.

    For me who has a ton of spells from different schools this skill is really useful, increasing the level of the magic school also reduces the base cost but only for spells you cast a lot. But even for mages who specializes in one school the reduced cost is very good for large spells.

    The first problem is surviving this class, the monotone voice has a sleep-inducing effect and soon enough the class has a few heads bobbing up and down. The second problem of this skill is that it requires a deep understanding of mana and magic. The third problem is that the actual practice for it is something very abstract that requires deep concentration and lots of imagination.

    Mana is the concept of power and life of this world. Mana lives and then dies and turns into something else along the cycle. Everything is made from mana on a deeper level, this is why we can conjure basically anything on this world and manipulate it. When we destroy something the law of conservation applies, it doesn't get destroyed it simply turns into the next mana type of the cycle, this is why something like [Summoning Magic] is so expensive, it turns mana into matter and when dismissed the remaining matter is turned into mana again, Unfortunately I can't reabsorb everything, the rest dissipates due to my lack of [Mana Efficiency].

    The only things that are not made of mana are the gods, they are pure "consciences". The conscience of living beings is attached to souls and given a form on this world. The Gods and even the Humanoid Gods don't have a physical form, allowing them to look over us all the time, they only can't act due to the lack of power. Once a soul dissipates that person is truly "lost", if you can keep the soul together them maybe you can recreate a new vessel for the soul.

    The matter of revival is controversial, there's research on it but nobody ever succeeded. The biggest problem is the moral question of forcing the soul to be bound to a new vessel. The soul is morphed into the vessel that is our bodies, so giving it a new vessel will have unknown effects on it. But this is getting off-topic for the lesson.

    The source of mana is the sun and the moon, they are the 2 sources of energy for this realm, they take the mana from the outside of the realm and pour it here at a stable rate, before the God of the Sun ascended this rate varied wildly. The sun gives physical power that many plants convert either into chemical energy or into magical energy to survive. The moon gives pure mana but it focus on the humanoids.

    Mana that spills from magic has a bit of a zero-gravity movement style, they keep moving until they hit something, but they are infinitesimally small so they can actually miss a solid wall and move forever in a single direction. Mana has also a bit of gravity in itself and tends to accumulate, if it gets too big it collapses on itself and creates a mana storm. In a way mana works like particles in the vacuum of space, it's just that not many things can interact with it. Spirits are the most sensitive to stray mana, making them actually very vulnerable to spells.

    The bell chimes and I feel like I'm pulled out of a deep dark well into the light.

    "Wanna have a break with me?" I ask Toroo.

    "Hoh, sure."


    "This is my fiancee, Alissa."

    "Pleasure to meetcha. I'm Toroo."

    "Pleasure to meet you too," Alissa answers with elegance.

    We discuss [Illusion Magic] first, from what I understood it's a magic to read the part of the soul related to the connection to the brain and break this connection and mold it at your will. It's related to [Spirit Magic] but it's not the same since it works on the brain-soul connection instead of directly interfering with the soul.

    For me [Spirit Magic] isn't that useful to learn [Sense Soul] because the spirit is actually a membrane made of mana that protects the soul. There's one spell that could be useful called [Soul Search] but I can't see it yet and it's more of a brain invasion than actual search of the soul since it focus on knowing the "intent" of the person instead of understanding what a soul is made of, which is what I want.

    I explain the principles of [Golemancy] and how [Redirect Mana] works. The difficulty is explaining the way to move your own soul, it seems nobody has the "inner muscle" necessary to force the soul to change shape, perhaps because everyone chants instead of using my cheat "instant cast".

    "Huh, to move your own soul certainly seems intriguing," Toroo taps her small chin.

    She doesn't doubt the skill exists because of my blessing that guarantees my character and the fact that skills can simply be seen by using an Inspection Crystal.

    "Think of how [Sense Presence] works, you can guess the size of a monster because the soul expands to try and cover the whole body. It's not that the soul is bigger, it's simply deformed."

    "Hoh! I understand," her eyes open wider than I thought possible, "But to reproduce something that you achieved on a life and death situation sounds a little too difficult, what a pity."

    "Indeed, just for me to improve this skill takes a lot of effort. I had to put training it on hold since I have a lot of other things to study too."

    "What actually makes me excited is the damage from two souls touching, it's something never seen before. Imagine the possibilities, we have [Spirit Magic] but perhaps we can evolve it into something deeper and create [Soul Magic] and directly interfere with the soul of the living."

    "I'm rather concerned with the ethical implications of it since this could be a dangerous weapon. I'm going to continue studying [Golemancy] but I feel I don't want to touch [Soul Magic]."

    "I agree. We could be touching into a new magic soon to be forbidden. Hohohoh, I will remain working with my illusion magic, no thank you."

    Alissa has been interested in our talk but she can't chime in, she knows little about magic unfortunately.

    The bell chimes.

    "Well then, thank you for the tea, I also loved those cookies, I will repay you sometime."

    "That's my own creation, I have been trying to copy the baker's but I ended up creating these instead," Alissa says with a hint of pride.

    These cookies uses not-cinnamon, not-cloves and not-nutmeg, the strong taste goes well with a weak not-black-tea.

    "My, how lovely, I wish I had a cook like you with me. Unfortunately our hired cook is too much of a meat head to work with sweets like these and my husband would likely set our house on fire," she smiles bitterly.

    Alissa's tail wags. We go back to the class.


    The professor moves us outside to a nearby magic range like the one on the hunters guild. The idea is that we have to cast a spell and meditate and look for ways to reduce the mana used. This is a really hard part since the skill system gives me no help, it just gave me a flat discount when I put points into it.

    We aren't here to work on the mana spill that happens when you cast a spell, that's part of [Mana Efficiency]; we are not here to change the size of the spell, that's [Mana Control]; what we have to do is build more with less. Instead of building a spiral stair we have to create a ladder directly to the target, it's gonna be more fragile and more difficult to traverse but it's gonna use less materials. This is fine for a single spell but we have to understand the rule that lets us apply this method to every single spell to conserve mana.

    The bell chimes and nobody makes any progress. I look behind and Alissa is nearby watching from afar. I wave goodbye to Toroo and Hatara and go back home.


    The girls got Ciel's equipment. Another Grey Berserker jacket and pants, steel vambraces and gauntlets, she also has a light small-sized leather targe to protect against arrows, and a backup iron short sword. The glaive blade is a green dragon fang, not emerald, this one has affinity with wind so it helps her wind magic.

    The glaive has a long wooden shaft, a single-edge blade at the top and a small hook at the back. It is a mid point weapon, slower than a spear but faster than a halberd, less slashing power than a halberd but more than a spear, less piercing power than a spear but more than a halberd. The range is also mid point, it definitely wins against a long sword so her advantage is still range and dexterity, she can use the sword for close encounters, though.

    Ciel was pouting since the equipment is expensive but it's a gift from us, it's also quite literally the same quality as all our equipment so we are all even now.

    Hana found a good request for us, a nest of dragons was found and now a merchant is offering a group subjugation request. When a dragon nest is found it's the responsibility of the local lord to subjugate it but since dragons are really valuable (considering our most valuable equipment comes from an emerald dragon) there's always a merchant who will post a subjugation request for it. This one is also an escort request since the merchant will extract the scales and meat on"site, a dragon corpse is too heavy to carry without enough space mages. The meeting to negotiate and choose from the interested fellowships will happen at the 9th.


    "S-so… you all take a bath together?" Ciel asks.

    "Yep, it's a tradition now, even during an expedition we all must take a bath together. Our bath is sacred," I say.

    "Our bath is sacred," Alissa adds.

    "Our bath is sacred," Roxanne joins and laughs.

    "Our bath is sacred," Hana finishes with a nod.

    Thank god even the bath has sound protection, Hana is always a little loud and even Roxanne gets loud when she gets in the mood.


    For dinner Alissa brings out the premium Grey Berserker fillet steak and Hana opens a fine blue wine. Ciel is another lightweight with alcohol.

    "Hohohoh, it's like I left one family and already joined another," Ciel says while wobbling her head about.

    "Well… you did, quite literally, since these are all my fiancees," I say.

    "Hm, yeah! Quite happy to join the hen house, hohoh."

    "We are happy to have you here, as an equal," Alissa says, she's a bit flushed.

    "Yes, as an equal," I say and smirk.

    Ciel chokes a bit. Gotta be subtle.

    We spend some time on the living room and Hana puts Roxanne to sleep with her brain massage. I teach Ciel how to massage Alissa's ears and with me working her tail she soon falls over her book. Ciel is very amused with this sight, she has to stifle her laugh not to wake up Alissa when she sees we all sleep on a huge bed.


    Today is the 6th.

    I feel something pulling me, it's like heaven opened its doors and I'm being forcefully dragged into it, then I feel my soul leaving my body while I'm showered in pleasure. I wake up and Hana is swallowing, she seems very proud.

    During morning practice Ciel joins too, she has quite a lot of dexterity and speed. It has been a while since she used the glaive so she's a little rusty but she's definitely gonna be able to defeat me, that is if we don't use magic, once she gets back in shape. Not that I'm implying she's fat, good thing she can't read my mind.

    The griffin is watching us again and he brought a platypus with him this time. He seems particularly interested in Ciel.

    "Awn, there's even a nature spirit here. They never come near the temple, there's way too many people there," Ciel says while pouting.

    "I gained some levels in [Nature Magic], perhaps I could befriend him soon."

    "Please do! They bring good fortune to people who treat them well," she pleads.

    "We all wish the same, but here he is practicing the sword again," Alissa says smirks. Roxanne laughs and nods.

    "Oh you…"


    Ciel is quite excited so she and Hana go practice on the hunters training grounds. I secretly told Roxanne to look for a dress for Ciel, I want to reserve one to give to her on a special occasion.

    Class is [Space Magic] again, today we learn how the chants for this magic school works. The chants are basically whispers that follow a cadence that increases in speed, for [Telekinesis] it takes 5 seconds to say the words, which normally makes it inconvenient to use in combat like I use. My style is to only cast the spell when I'm striking and then end it after the strike. Trying to swing around an object under the effect of [Telekinesis] is a quite odd since it's not under the same gravity as I am, so I have to adjust the force on it to match the environment after the strike otherwise it becomes a waste of mana.

    I can also use [Gravity Crush] now but it's a rather destructive spell so I just practice my [Telekinesis] on the small block of metal we have been given. An object too light would be difficult to control, but I can easily do fine movements with the amount of [Mana Control] I have now.

    "You were already practicing [Telekinesis] last class weren't you?"

    "Dyuh~!" I let out a dumb noise in surprise.

    The gnome professor is floating besides me and looking at me with curious eyes. I was concentrating so much on my spell I didn't notice him silently float towards me.

    "Uh, yes, I was. How did you notice?"

    "My [Sense Mana] is very high. Impossible for me not to notice, but I never saw you chant."

    I try to not cringe while I force an innocent smile.

    "I have a bit of a talent for [Space Magic], I never need to chant," I lie.

    "Hmm, so are you aiming to learn [Gate]?"

    "No please, the last thing I want is to be chained by the empire."

    "Heh, it's not like they enslave you," he discreetly rolls his eyes, "You can get permission to walk free if you serve long enough or someone backs you."

    "Backs me? Is the blessing of a god not enough?"

    "Not really, but aren't you an adventurer? If you get enough achievements a lord is a good enough backer for exemption. I know a few of the famous fellowships around can use [Gate] freely."

    Hm, that's a good idea, but I'm not sure Alaraste would give me such a favor, this exemption sounds like a much bigger thing than the town pass. Bypassing customs might allow me to bring illegal goods into town and such things but being able to freely use [Gate] means I can transport anyone I want nearly anywhere. I know there are ways to block [Gate] from being used but these countermeasures aren't so easy to use.


    When I get back home I see Ciel with an exhausted face, she slowly walks around the house, it seems she won't be able to help with cooking today. Hana is beaming a smile and after my strength training she drags me into the bath where I fuck the shit out of her, wait no, that sounded a bit too disgusting.

    "How was training?" I ask while Hana massages my brain.

    "Wonderful as always, but I'm having to spar with the instructors more, the other students aren't a match for me. Maybe I will fight those living-armors, they sound interesting. Oh, the best was Ciel though, people asked about her and if she was 'Mr. 'Good Luck's' new woman'. She was way too flustered to answer them properly so I just left it like that.

    "Oh, that sounds good," I say. Except for the nickname.

    "Ciel is a wonderful woman, I wonder why she was single for so long," Alissa says.

    It seems Alissa and Ciel are getting along well.

    Seeing Roxanne wash Alissa's tail and ears is getting me into the mood again. I pounce on Roxanne.


    After dinner I see Ciel cuddling Alissa and playing with her ears.

    "Hm… I'm feeling envy," I say.

    "Heheh, those ears are way too cute to let them alone," Ciel answers.

    "That's not exactly the envy I feel.

    Is it harassment if I keep saying things like this? Ciel doesn't seem to dislike it, I can see her cheeks redden. I guess flirting on this world needs to be more straightforward.


    Today is the 7th.

    I feel as if I'm wrapped in pleasure, just happiness and warmth. I don't want these days to ever end, this is a small piece of paradise. Ah, the pleasure increases in intensity, it increases more and more. I'm feeling such a burst of pleasure.

    I open my eyes and I see a happy Alissa swallowing, she did the same as Hana.

    "Next morning is Roxanne's turn," Hana says.

    "I-I'm not that good with this, I'm sorry.

    "I will teach you tonight during bath, don't worry," Alissa says.

    "Uh… what's going on?" I say, groggy.

    "Don't worry, just enjoy it," Alissa says and she gives a last lick that gives me shivers.


    My [Space Magic] increased by 1 (now 0+12) and I learned [Muscle Explosion], Alissa's [Muscle Explosion] also increased by 1 (now 0+2).


    Today I decided to look into the university's library for the first time. I want to look for a [Light Magic] book and see if there's at least a small introduction on it. There's light rain today so I don't feel like sparring, even when Hana and Ciel teased me about it.

    The first part of the library is a large corridor where there's 2 floors filled with tables and chairs dedicated for study. The chairs here seem more comfortable than those on the classrooms.

    After the large corridor there's a huge spiral staircase that goes up 10 floors, each floor has a long corridor that makes it impossible for me to even guess the amounts of books. There are no windows along the corridors of the bookcases, the light there is only a dim artificial light. In the middle of the staircase [Telekinesis] powered glass elevators ferry scholars around, looks beautiful if you are not afraid of heights.

    The architecture here is quite grand, following the baroque style of excessive columns, twisting designs, gilding and, sculptures of famous figures everywhere. The ceiling of the spiral staircase is a large glass dome with stained glass with the symbol of the university and the heraldry of the lord, a black kite with a golden sword and rose crossed. I can hear the pleasant tip-taps of the rain on it.

    With my ID as a researcher I don't have to pay to enter, but I will pay a hefty price if I damage the books. I walk past the study corridor and near the start of the bookcases there's a counter with the name "Reception". I go over it and there's a man with his back to me, he's bent over collecting some papers from archives.

    "Excuse me."

    The man raises his body and his head instantly turns 180º and faces me, large grey eyes stare into my soul.

    "HYAH!"

    "Oh sorry…"

    The man turns his body and aligns it with his head. His large eyes look apologetic to me. He's an owl-type wereanimal with grey hair with white streaks and a small curved nose.

    My ears are burning with shame, in this silent library my scream echoed around the entire building.

    The man coughs," Sorry about that, I'm new among humans and I forget doing such thing scares them.

    "N-no problem, I understand. A-anyway, I'm looking for an introductory book to [Light Magic], do you have any?

    "Let me see… ," he brings out a large book and sifts through many pages.

    "7th floor, corridor D, section 4, that's where the [Light Magic] books are," he says.

    I say my thanks and take the elevator. I take the slow elevator and enjoy the view.

    The nostalgic smell of old books makes this place so comfortable to be in. Next time I study monsters I think I will come here and bring Alissa too, this place is much more pleasant than the dungeoneering guild.

    I find many books and treatises on [Light Magic], things like proposed new spells, research of known spells, diagnosis, epidemiology, psychology of wicked and evil beings, analysis of undead and how to fight them, beneficial effects of magic and pairings of potions with spells. Finally I find a small section with a few small books, it's "Teaching Light Magic to Children".

    The book mainly teaches about child songs that stimulate the spell chants so a child can at least use [Clean] and stimulate the learning of [Spirit Light], for those who might have talent there are a few tests to see if the child can possibly learn [Heal].

    For the parents there's some explanation on how to keep the house clean, it seems they have a basic notion that things like bacteria and viruses might exist since the spell [Clean] impedes wounds from festering and [Purify Body] can heal diseases and even drunkenness. It's possible they over rely on using the "Status" windows to identify wounds and diseases, the "Status Effects" window gives symptoms and treatment is based entirely on what is said there, even though I know there's times symptoms don't show, like the mind poison from the arachne. It seems [Diagnosis] is a rare skill and practical tests are not that developed. Magic is convenient but it's blocking the progress of technology.

    I copy the chants and go to my office to practice them. The way you need to sing [Light Magic] is upbeat and with a fast tempo, it reminds me of nursery rhymes. So far I managed to cast [Clean], [Spirit Light] and [Heal] through chanting, it takes from 30 seconds for [Clean] up to 3 minutes for [Heal], the book says [Light Magic] is the one who takes the longest to chant.

    Alissa brings lunch for me and we eat together at the office.

    "Isn't it tiring coming and going all the time?" I ask.

    "Not really, I feel that my stamina in the fox form is increasing, perhaps I will level my skill soon. Also… I really enjoy when you ride me…"

    "I do too, you are so fluffy."

    Alissa blushes and her tail wags.

    It seems Hana and Ciel quit trying to spar in the rain and they are now drinking hot tea after a hot bath.

    "Tease them in my name," I say.

    "You don't even have to ask."

    I spend the rest of my time until class cuddling with her. If the walls were soundproof I would definitely make love to her here, perhaps I can use the gag again, but it will have to wait for next time.


    During class the Gloomy Pervert brings us to a place with lots of plants, since it's raining we use the greenhouse. There's plenty of dangerous and poisonous plants around so we are confined into the flower section. I see all kinds of flowers, from the common ones like lilies and poppies, to exquisite colored roses, and others with complex and mesmerizing arrangement of colors. There's even a few very precious flowers that glow, which we are not allowed to go near.

    Chanting [Nature Magic] is almost whispering, it's very slow tempo but there are not many words so it's faster than [Light Magic]. The idea is literally whispering to nature and since the "conscience" of nature is not very complex you have to reduce the amount of words to the minimum possible to get your idea across.

    I successfully cast [Entangling Vines] on a dummy in front of me and [Regeneration] on myself. Most people also achieve the same, being so close to nature helps a lot in casting such magic. At the end of the class I manage to cast a weak version of [Vine Weapon], it creates vines, manipulates them in a shape and hardens them. In a pinch it might be useful to have a vine sword or to create a throwing weapon, though I have no skill with it.


    Tonight Alissa gives me even deeper scratches, she does not seem ashamed anymore, is she turning into a sadist?


    Today is the 8th.

    I feel like I'm being pulled, dragged by the tip of my fingers towards somewhere nice and pleasant. I want to reach such place faster, it's taking too long. I'm getting tired from walking, that place doesn't sound so enticing anymore. I wake up and a sad Roxanne greets me, even though Alissa trained her yesterday it was not enough. I spend a few minutes consoling her, her pride as a sex demon is hurt.

    Today my [Light Magic] and [Nature Magic] increased by 2 (now 9+4 and 0+8), my MP increased by 20 (now 560) and my "Magic Power" increased by 10 (now 235).


    The backyard is muddy so Roxanne heats the ground and drains the water, with a magic skill high enough you start to be able to manipulate the elements at your will though it's much less efficient than casting a spell.

    With that I train [Battlefield Perception] by being surrounded and attacked by the 3 girls. It was really painful, Hana massaged my brain during the bath to compensate me.


    Under a covered magic range we learn how to chant [Electric Magic], it's basically fast rapping. I manage to chant [Lightning Bolt] but I couldn't chant [Shocking Touch] yet. Lyle was one of the few who completed [Shocking Touch], but after doing it once he cast the bolt repeatedly until he fainted, he was like a child during Christmas.

    Strength training and satisfying Hana leaves me drained. Tonight I ask Alissa to put me to sleep with her hands. With the rain it got chilly so we turned on the fireplace and we are all around the living room cuddling.

    "Every time I see you you are hugging or touching someone, it's like you are made of glue," Ciel comments to me.

    "This is the dream of every man, to be able to be in touch with a woman you loved during all times."

    "Pff, no wonder you have three women."

    "And I couldn't be happier."

    After I fall asleep on Alissa's arms Hana carries me to bed. I enjoy this, I have no shame anymore.


    Today is the 9th.

    I wake up full of energy as usual with the help of Hana.

    Today my [Electric Magic] increased by 3 now (0+5), my magic progress is amazing.


    Me and Alissa go to the guild. A large room has been prepared for this meeting and a long line of interested parties waiting for an interview is on the way. It seems a dragon subjugation is really profitable.

    I see Simon on the line, we trade a nod. I hope he doesn't participate.

    We have been discussing negotiation tactics during our meals, Hana or Roxanne can't really give me advice during the talks or I will look weak so they have been guiding me. As the girls instructed me, I put 10 points into [Acting] and 10 into [Mental Resistance] temporarily. Hopefully it's enough to prevent people with high "Charisma" from messing with me.

    When it's my turn we enter and the first thing I see is an elegant woman with fiery red-hair, she has asian eyes and a delicate triangular face. She wears what looks like to be a red qipao with yellow roses embroidered near the bottom. Her eyes tell me she's bored and she lifts an eyebrow when I arrive. I still haven't fixed my image, even with a scar on the cheek I look like a baby who had an accident instead of a reliable an experienced hunter.

    Beside her is a small girl with a pale face, droopy eyes, and straight black hair with bangs. She looks expressionlessly at us yet she still looks cute and feminine. She has a simple black dress with a bit of frills. On her neck is a black metal necklace with a tag, she's a traditional slave.

    Behind her are two tall dog-type wereanimal women. They are wearing a simple hauberk, leather pants, and a longsword on their belts. They have a snout, square jaws, and a sharp gaze. One has black hair and long pointy ears of a doberman while the other has white hair and furry white ears, the doberman has a thick black tail standing upright while the other has a furry and curvy tail standing low.

    "Good morning. My name is Wolf Ryder, I'm the leader of Helios, this is my fiancee, Alissa."

    "Good morning. I'm Hildegard Roth, I represent the Armorer's Guild who's funding this request. This is my slave assistant, Lina."

    The girl sifts through a stack of papers and then pulls out one.

    "Helios, 5 members.

    "Wolf 'Good Luck' Ryder, summoner, magic swordsman, possess the blessing from the Goddess of Knowledge.

    "Alissa, blood slave, expert archer, possess the blessing form the Goddess of Love.

    "Hanafuria, blood slave, experienced adventurer and merchant escort, skilled with many weapons, capable of dueling with the instructors of the guild.

    "Roxanne, mage, experienced adventurer and potion-seller, posses an original and very powerful magic called [Explosion].

    Ciel, former priest, experienced in polearms, wind mage and a main healer of the temple, also participated as warrior priestess in the past.

    "Notable hunts: Grey Berserker, Orc Headhunter, Oodogloo in a single night, Symbol of Hate, Orc Chief," Finishes the girl, even her voice is cute.

    "Symbol of Hate..." Hildegard mutters with eyes wide open, "So you are that one... well then, besides what has already been said, what else can you bring to us?"

    "Alissa is an expert tracker and capable assassin, she can work as a scout or with us as the vanguard during the travel. I'm very versatile, I have some knowledge of Electric, Light, Nature, Space and Blessing magic. Roxanne's potions can enhance strength so it gives us a chance of standing toe to toe with a medium dragon for a short while."

    Hildegard smiles.

    "What is your price?" She asks.

    "1 gold and half for each member."

    Hildegard frowns.

    "You should know killing the Symbol of Hate is not a small feat. We can protect you even if a large dragon appears but we are not specialized in killing dragons, so we can only protect."

    "The Symbol was killed by your mage by a stroke of luck, her ridiculous magic is the only reason you are alive," Hilde says with a dismissive tone.

    Pff, only now Roxanne gets the credit.

    "And yet we killed a 200 years old creature. It wasn't just luck, I still have the scars on my body, my point is we are not gonna get scared so easily."

    "I can get tons of squirts who are ready to throw their lives away on a bargain, bravery is cheap," she says and motions dismissively with her hand

    "And bravery is not all we have. During the battle with the Orc Chief it was our versatility that saved the fiancee of the Lord's son, even the Lord himself showed his gratitude to us. My elementals became the stability points in both battles we had during that expedition."

    "Such feats by a small man are hard to believe, you didn't even exist 3 months ago," she says and narrows her eyes.

    "Then perhaps we shall test him," says the doberman woman with a grin, I can see sharp canines.

    I summon a titanium skeleton earth elemental. The guards grasp hilt of their swords and the small girl gasps.

    "I'm a very skilled summoner, my feats aren't a lie," I smile innocently.

    "N-no chanting..." Mutters the white weredog woman.

    "You can strike it with all your might and test his durability," I say and motion to the elemental.

    Hilde nods to the doberman woman. She draws her sword and gives a savage overhead strike to the head of my elemental. A loud *ding* resonates on the room, the elemental didn't even flinch and the woman draws back her hand in pain. There's a chip on her sword.

    Hilde and her attendant trade whispers.

    "We will offer you the role of vanguard during the trip and protection during the hunt," she says.

    "Sounds good to me."

    "70 silver."

    "1 and 30," I say with confidence.

    "75 silver."

    I narrow my eyes.

    "1 and 30."

    "85."

    "1 and 10."

    "90."

    "1 gold, final."

    "95 silver."

    "Final," I repeat with hint of anger.

    Hilde bites her lips.

    "Deal."

    I let a long sigh in my mind, I'm so tense. I just followed the script, first brag about our accomplishments, then assure our bravery, and finally show off since my magic is quite impressive. The price you want has already been set but you always aim higher to gauge the desperation of the other party, I almost buckled and accepted 95 silver.

    "Half now, half after completion," she says.

    The day of departure wasn't defined so I ask for it to be on the 11th. We will take a full day to reach the target and we will spend 2 days at the nest, then we return on the 14th. With this I have one last day of rest before classes start again, the lessons have been easy so I don't need a long rest.


    Today I increase my [Blessing Magic] by 1 (now 8). After class I complete my knowledge of dragons up until late at night, it seems the library is a popular place for owl wereanimals after sunset. Alissa was like a small child looking at the grandiose of the library with wonder.

    Dragons are a very smart race, depending on their lineage they can be as smart as humanoids and even hold conversations with humans. They still have the unstoppable need to kill humanoids whenever they meet but some are capable of temporarily suppressing it and allowing conversations to happen. Orcs are another race who are smart enough to talk and they are even born with innate understanding of Andraste and a few other languages, but they are incapable of controlling their bloodlust so hardly anyone ever talked to an orc. For the orcs there's no need to waste breath on someone who's about to die, either the orc or the humanoid is dying soon anyway.

    For me it raises questions about the morality of killing and eating monsters, is it not cannibalism to eat orcs? Apparently there are monsters who are born without such bloodlust, because of that Dragolites were domesticated and there's even a dragon knight squadron on the empire using domesticated dragons, so is it fine to kill indiscriminately? There's barely any debate about "tamable" monsters, it's like people do not really care whether or not monsters can talk or that you could actually befriend them, monsters are monsters and they get killed and eaten if they are hostile.

    In my obsession with trying new foods I ended up ignoring how human looking orcs and goblins are, it's like how easy it is to eat chicken but hard to watch how it's prepared. I'm not sure it's cannibalism but even if it is, it's not bad, is it? The whole world eats goblin meat and there are orcs in most places of the world. I guess in the Age of Oppression you had to eat what you killed or otherwise you starved, so it could have been then that the tradition of eating any sort of monster must have started.

    While I think I feel something change in me, my "Wisdom" increased by 1 (now 16), with this I can see spells up to level 30. Fucking awesome!

    There are a few interesting spells now, like [Gate] from [Space Magic], [Detect Evil] from [Light Magic], [Soul Search] from [Spirit Magic] and [Fly] from [Wind Magic]. Unfortunately the only 2 viable spells for me would be [Detect Evil] and [Gate], the others I have no trained levels in it so it would be a waste of my skill points and only [Gate] has immediate use. [Detect Evil] is interesting because I can use it to detect wicked people when I touch them or "feel" harmful intent from people around me.

    I still don't understand how I "unlock" spells. My guess is that it's related to maximum MP, "Intelligence", "Wisdom" and soul level.


    Today is the 10th.

    I train [Battlefield Perception] again but I only increase my [Block] by 1 (now 8). Hana improved her [Tatesomu Style] and [Sword Use] by 1 (now 4 and 20) and much to her happiness gained [Oral Technique] with 1 point.


    At the [Reduced Mana Cost] class nobody progresses. I have another tea time with Toroo, she's a magic craftswoman who's trying to create illusion magic tools. When I tell her of our expedition she asks for dragon eyes, if she studies them she might find out if dragons have a weakness for certain illusions.

    At night I light a scented candle and everyone puts the Clothes of the Berserker, then we rub oil on Roxanne's tail. She remains on the throne as Empress of Sex, hopefully that title is not lèse-majesté.

    The first day-cycle of my school life ends up quite uneventful, it seems I have been reading too much manga and my expectations became quite warped.
     
    Last edited: Nov 25, 2019