《I Don't Want To Level Up (fantasy isekai harem LitRPG》


 Chapter 1

    Damn, my head¡­ I felt like my head was about to explode. Shit¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have drunk last night.


    I felt dizzy and disoriented. My eyelids were heavy and I could barely see. Worse yet, I felt sick to my stomach, about to vomit whatever I put inside it last night. If not for my unbearable headache I would¡¯ve probably done that, but somehow my body felt like keeping everything inside was a much better idea than pouring it all outside. It didn¡¯t make me feel any better either way.


    Still, I had to get up and put myself together. A big day awaited me on Monday, and even though today was Saturday, I still had to prepare for the interview. I was supposed to be promoted to a Vice President, Level ninety nine position at the company I was working at. It was a big deal, considering I was only twenty-seven years of age.


    I rubbed my eyes, trying to clear my throat at the same time. It was too dry and I couldn¡¯t gather any saliva inside my mouth.


    ¡°Ghaah¡­¡± I tried to cough, but it ended being only a gurgling growl. Good thing was it still helped me clear my throat, even if a little bit. I gave my eyes another rub and it started to become clearer.


    ¡°Those old geezers, they were too generous, and too friendly for my liking yesterday. Shit, I¡¯m definitely not gonna say ¡®yes¡¯ to another drinking party again,¡± some broken pieces of what happened last night flashed through my mind. A certain someone showed her face at the forefront of my memory. Only briefly, though.


    ¡°Oh, yeah. There was this hot babe there as well. What was her name again?¡± I couldn¡¯t remember, probably because she never introduced herself. ¡°That old fart. Where did he dig up such a sexy ass? Tch¡­ money wasting bastard.¡±


    My headache was still happily banging inside my head, and my guts were still tying knots inside my belly, but my eyes started to adjust to a weirdly bright light. Although, I still couldn¡¯t distinguish where I was.


    I already knew I wouldn¡¯t be at my own place. The old geezers would never be kind enough to take me home. Not that I wanted them to know where I lived. A shabby one-bedroom flat I was renting wasn¡¯t something I wanted to boast about. Even with my head spinning, I could put me broken memory¡¯s pieces together to realize I must¡¯ve spent the night at the same hotel where we had the party at. Half of the hotel¡¯s restaurant was rented out just for our company, or for us to be more precise. It wasn¡¯t an official company¡¯s party after all.


    ¡°I hope they didn¡¯t put it on my tab. Aah¡­ shit,¡± I sighed, but then shook my head. ¡°No matter. I¡¯d be getting a decent raise after my promotion. I can afford a night¡¯s stay at this fancy¡­ eeer¡­ what was the hotel¡¯s name again?¡±


    The name of the place we were partying last night eluded my memory again. My hangover must¡¯ve been worse than I thought. I was drinking all kinds of expensive drinks last night. Majority of the drink names I never knew existed. My young body wasn¡¯t really used to drinking alcohol. I wasn¡¯t a drinker at all.


    Anyway, I decided taking a shower to clear my head would be the best course of action right now. I could understand at least that much. It would certainly help me see better. My eyes just couldn¡¯t adjust to the bright light for some reason. I pushed myself to sit up, ramming my hands at what I thought would be bed¡¯s mattress underneath me, but instead, I felt like I was leaning at the ground. My skin tingled feeling grass in between my fingers, and what it seemed like to be a tree¡¯s root I was touching with my other hand.


    What the¡­ I forced my eyes to fully open, blinking rapidly so they could adjust to the light. I was hoping my mind was playing tricks on me, with the headache and my guts adding that sweet pain to the pot. However, what I saw in front of me blew my mind. The fuck¡­


    I was stunned. Instead of waking up in a bed in some hotel, I was in the middle of the forest, or some part of it. I started to rub my eyes and my face frantically, hoping I was still asleep and was still dreaming.


    ¡°Ok, that¡¯s enough. Time to wake up, Rockin Starling,¡± stating my full name out loud always helped me become sharp again, for better or worse.


    It¡¯s not like I was in love with my name, far from it. I hated it for the most part. My school years were especially dreadful, and I honestly hated Rock ¡®n¡¯ Roll music with a passion. But what can you do when your parents were the products of the eighties who loved Rock ¡®n¡¯ Roll more than anything else. Another luck was to have parents whose surname was Starling.


    ¡°Hey, look. The Rockin¡¯Roll Star has arrived!¡± That was the most common greeting I would hear from my classmates, especially in my older years. I didn¡¯t hate them for it, but in time, I got really tired of my nickname. Even the teachers would allow themselves to accidentally mispronounce my name, giving the whole class another excuse to tease and laugh at me.


    You might think my parents were some rockstars or something. Far from it. They loved Rock ¡®n¡¯ Roll, that was a fact. But that was about it. They¡¯d usually spend their days drinking, smoking weed and watching TV, with audio cassette player blasting some Rock music at full volume in the background.


    The only good part about me growing up was, I wasn¡¯t starving as a kid. They got lucky that my grandpa left them a substantial inheritance. It wasn¡¯t in millions of dollars, but it was enough to live comfortably for years to come. Good thing was my parents weren¡¯t big spenders, so the money they got weren¡¯t completely wasted. In addition, I was lucky my parents weren¡¯t abusive either. I was their only child, which might¡¯ve been the reason too. Or maybe not. They weren¡¯t bad people, only weren¡¯t very involved with parenting me.


    My old folks days of drinking, smoking weed and listening to Rock music repeating over and over somehow didn¡¯t look appealing to me down the road. Something clicked when I was in my fifth grade and I decided I will build a different life for myself. The inheritance could last only for so long. Even as a kid I understood that much. The cropping up health problems of my parents from drinking and smoking, bullying and making fun of me at school, and probably some other reasons I¡¯d rather not think about, pushed me to build a healthy and wealthy life for myself.


    I started doing sports, self-defense mostly. Not for beating others up, but to build up the confidence and discipline that I lacked. Well, not wanting to be bulled for the rest of my school years was part of it too.


    I devoted myself to studying during the rest of my free time that I had. I found out I was good at math, and I developed an interest in sales and finances. I studied product development, mostly software products, which were on the rise at the time. Creating video games was a profitable business, but extremely competitive at the same time. Hence why I studied sales and finances in my spare time too. Long story short, I¡¯ve learned that the best money could be made at the software development company and that¡¯s where I focused to get a job right after my graduation.


    I started from the lowest position available and worked myself up. I mean, I really, really worked my ass off to reach the very top. My hard work paid off and I was noticed by some middle level manager and became his personal puppy dog, doing all of his work for him. I didn¡¯t mind that one bit. I was determined to climb up the ladder, or climb the management Levels as the company called it, so I did whatever was required of me.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    The company had a weird way of describing job promotions within its organization. They called it ¡®Leveling Up¡¯. Almost like gaining levels while playing some RPG video game, which were popular products at the time. As stupid as it sounded, the term became my every day mantra. I didn¡¯t care if it sounded ridiculous or absurd. If that¡¯s how they called it, so be it. My main goal was to reach the highest ¡®Level¡¯ in the company.


    Even if the company was developing video games, I never played any. I was involved with creating them, it was part of my work, but I didn¡¯t waste my time playing them. My schedule was booked from an early morning until late night when I hit the bed. I had always put in the time to exercise, eat healthy to and never drank alcohol or smoked. I knew that I had to have enough energy to do the work I needed to do. I sacrificed my social life for it too, including not going on a date with a girl even once. Although, I had a ¡®few¡¯ posters of a certain someone on my bedroom walls. Just to look at them and not to¡­ do anything else¡­ while I looked at them.


    Shit, I digressed. Right, about the video games that the company was developing. As I said, I never played any, but I always familiarized with each product the company was working on at the time. The better you know your product, the easier it is to sell it. And sales were the last stop of it all. It wasn¡¯t easy to sell video games. Not at all. There were so many being released by so many companies every month it was hard enough to keep up with it all.


    Anyway, I kept at it, working my ass off and ¡®Leveling Up¡¯ day in and day out. All the studying and putting in those extra hours was finally paying off. Everything changed when my idea for a new video game was approved and, fast forward, it was a huge success when it launched. The company made a huge chunk of money and my efforts didn¡¯t go unnoticed. I received a ¡®Level Up Boost¡¯ and was on my way to reach ninety ninth Level in the company, only one Level below the highest. The one hundredth Level was held by the company¡¯s owner.


    Being second most important person in the company was good enough for me. I wasn¡¯t greedy. Well ok, I totally was. I wanted to be at the top, just like anyone else who worked at the company. I just wanted it more than the rest. And that brings us to this day, or yesterday. A lot of the old folks, or the ¡®Player Base¡¯ as we were called, weren¡¯t happy with me ¡®Power Leveling¡¯ so fast, but the company cared only about results. Sales and profits, nothing else mattered. But the company also made sure to reward its workers for completing Quests. I simply ¡®Farmed¡¯ more than others. Yeah, there were a lot of gaming terms thrown around. But like I said, I didn¡¯t care. I just had to adapt and use everything to my benefit.


    I don¡¯t know why, but I agreed to attend the party last night, even though I wasn¡¯t a drinker. I also knew a lot of those old geezers weren¡¯t actually happy about my success, even if they insisted that the party was thrown to celebrate my upcoming promotion. I was to become a Vice President on the following Monday. I had to attend an interview first, which in company¡¯s eyes was just a formality. So, I thought I could make an exception and humor the others by attending it.


    Attending it was one thing, but getting drunk wasn¡¯t on my agenda. Again, I let loose and choked one glass down. It hit the spot and I instantly lost my self-control. After a few more drinks my mind became blurry. I don¡¯t even remember what happened after that, how the party went or when it ended. But that was the least of my worries now. Staring at the thick, overgrown forest in front of me wasn¡¯t somewhere I expected to wake up at.


    ¡°Where the freaking fuck am I?¡± I cursed out loud, giving my eyes yet another rub.


    Big, tall trees, with the branches so thick, I couldn¡¯t even see the sky. Although, it was bright enough to indicate it was day time. Plenty of bushes and green grass told me it was a very healthy and rich forest. The surroundings looked a little different, however. Different in a strange way, because the greenery didn¡¯t resemble any forest that I was familiar with, not that I visited many forests in my life.


    I inhaled deeply, with my nostrils becoming much clearer and I caught a refreshing, clean scent of the air around me. It felt rejuvenating. That was a blissful realization, considering I was inhaling the city¡¯s smog for the past few years, doh¡­ However, the shocking realization finding myself in an unusually looking forest wasn¡¯t allowing me to enjoy it for long.


    ¡°Tch¡­ Is this supposed to be a joke?¡± I murmured, making a frown. I wasn¡¯t impressed if it was.


    On the other hand, that¡¯s just what the old coots would do if they wanted to discreetly mess with my Leveling Up to the Vice President¡¯s position. It was a big role and everyone would probably sell their parents if it meant they could get it. So, this ¡®joke¡¯ of theirs might still put me in an awkward position. If I don¡¯t show up to my interview on Monday, I could kiss my Vice President¡¯s position goodbye. That definitely wasn¡¯t an option.


    Right, let¡¯s just try and think about it rationally. I gently slapped my cheeks with both hands to help clear my head.


    Remembering what happened and how I ended up here would help me the most right now. Fortunately, my headache was subsiding and I wasn¡¯t feeling like vomiting anymore. Unfortunately, my memory of what happened last night was as blank as an empty sheet of paper inside a turned off printer. The best I could remember were flashing pieces of me swallowing burning liquid down my throat and then alcohol hitting my head like a hammer would hit an anvil. An image of the hot babe lingered at the back of my mind as well, but I couldn¡¯t even remember her face. It was all too blurry.


    The dryness of my throat reminded me how thirsty I was. At least that part was real. If I was feeling thirsty it meant I was alive. And if I was alive, it meant I would get myself out of this mess. The only problem was, I didn¡¯t know where I was.


    ¡°Uughh¡­ ghaah¡­ cough, cough,¡± I tried to inhale through my mouth to help clear my throat, but I choked and started to coughing. I grumbled with the last cough which helped to clear my head at the very least.


    I checked my clothes. I was still wearing my top notch, stylish dark navy color suit. I was glad to learn it wasn¡¯t dirty or ripped anywhere, considering I was lying on the ground in the forest. The top two buttons of my white color shirt were unbuttoned and I was missing my tie. I quickly checked my pockets. I found it in one of my suit jacket¡¯s pockets. I must¡¯ve taken it off last night when it became too hot. Not that I remember doing so myself. My other hand stumbled upon something small in the other pocket. I took the item out to see what it was.


    ¡°A lighter? Oh¡­¡± I was almost surprised to see I had it since I wasn¡¯t a smoker, but then my memory was kind enough to enlighten me.


    I remembered I had that lighter almost forever. It was my father¡¯s, but I nicked it from him, because I couldn¡¯t afford to buy one of my own at the time. Buttering up ¡®Higher Level¡¯ staff at my company meant lighting cigarettes for them would get me extra ¡®Level Up¡¯ points as well. The lighter was refillable which made it much easier for me. I would have it with me at all times.


    One distinct thing about the lighter was that it was put inside a leather case with my dad¡¯s favorite Rock band¡¯s initials on it. The case would close tight, protecting it from getting wet, even if I were to plunge the lighter into the water. Needless to say, my old man became a little depressed when the lighter was ¡®lost¡¯ and he couldn¡¯t find it anywhere.


    ¡°Aah, shit¡­ My wallet¡¯s gone,¡± I grunted, quickly running through every other pocket in my clothing.


    I was about to cuss out loud again when I remembered I had never brought my wallet with me to the party. The party was all paid for. Honestly, I would¡¯ve never went to it if I had to pay even a cent out of my pocket. But right now, it posed a little problem. No matter where I ended up at, I needed money to get a drive back home. I¡¯d have to find my way out of this forest first, of course.


    I stood up tall, fixed my suit and tried to give my surroundings a proper look. The forest was thick, but not too overgrown. What caught my attention was that trees and bushes looked a little unusual. The shape of the leaves and how the plants grew gave away a strange, unfamiliar vibe. Pleasant, yet puzzling. If I were to indulge my mind to speak freely, my mind would tell me you¡¯d see this type of environment in some fantasy story, especially for kids, where they wanted to show how beautiful the world was.


    I scoffed at my own mind, then shook my head, puzzled by my own thoughts. I added a shrug and quickly dismissed the unnecessary thoughts, redirecting my mind towards finding my way out of this forest. There was no way I would allow myself to be late for that Monday interview. It didn¡¯t even cross my mind that I might¡¯ve been sleeping for longer than eight hours, but I had no way to confirm it right now.

 Chapter 2

    My ears caught a running water¡¯s sound only after a few minutes of walking. That was music to my ears, because my throat was killing me. I quickened my pace to reach it faster. Pushing my way through the bushes, I found myself at the bank of a small stream. I gasped. The water was so clean I could see even the tiniest rocks at the bottom of it. I dipped my hands to get some water to drink.


    - ¡®Beep, Ding,¡¯ ¨C a strange sound echoed into my ears.


    ¡°Huh?¡± I stopped to look around, turning my head to the sides. I couldn¡¯t see anything, so I pulled my hands with the water up to my mouth. ¡°Aaah¡­¡±


    I felt like I was drinking the elixir of life. My throat felt a soothing sensation and my head cleared, dissolving my headache as if it never was there. I dipped my hands into the water again, wanting to drink some more when suddenly a small animal jumped out of the bushes just a few feet away on my right. It almost startled me, stopping my hands mid air before I could drink again.


    When I turned my head to see what it was, the first impression was of a rabbit, or at least it looked like one. It was a size of a rabbit, had fluffy, grey fur, but somewhat short ears. The creature¡¯s mouth had a weird shape. It looked to be too wide for such a small creature, but it had a cute nose and big, black color eyes that were staring at me curiously. I assumed it had a tail too, but I couldn¡¯t see it.


    ¡°Hmph, thirsty?¡± I smirked, lifting my hands with some water to my mouth again.


    It was amusing to see such fluffy creature pop out of nowhere. I figured it must¡¯ve been thirsty too and hopped out of its cover to have a sip of this refreshing water I was drinking. Surprisingly, the small, fluffy creature didn¡¯t drink any water. It was simply staring at me intently. I grimaced, giving it a look back.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite brave, aren¡¯t you?¡± I spoke to it quite loud this time, thinking it will spook the rabbit away.


    But it didn¡¯t even flinch upon hearing my words, which I found rather strange. Maybe I was the first human the small, fluffy creature ever saw in its life. However, I was still much bigger in size, which would be quite threatening to a small animal.


    ¡°Are you depth?¡± I asked half-jokingly, but the creature had no reaction again. I somewhat frowned, feeling unamused my joke didn¡¯t fly, then instantly dropped my head, feeling dumb. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m talking to a rabbit now. The hell was I drinking last night? Sigh¡­ Ok, shoo!¡±


    Feeling I should be and act like a grown-up adult man, I finally tried to shoo the fluffy creature away. I waved my right hand towards it to scare if off. The rabbit¡¯s reaction was one I would¡¯ve never expected to see even in my dreams.


    As the motion of my hand closed in towards the fluffy animal, instead of running away, the creature jumped at it, opening its big mouth wide and sinking its sharp teeth into my flesh, just below my pinky.


    ¡°WHAAAA!¡± The pain was excruciating. I instantly pulled my hand away, but the creature wouldn¡¯t let go. It sank its teeth into my hand even deeper.


    ¡°Leeet¡­ gooo! Fuuuck!¡± I shook my hand, dangling the fluffy creature that was biting on it really hard. ¡°Damn! Damn! Damn! Aaah!¡±


    I screamed like a baby, but it was too painful to bear. I could feel the creature¡¯s teeth sinking into my palm¡¯s bones, increasing the pain I was feeling tenfold. Not knowing what to do, I quicky sank my hand under the water, painting the stream with my blood which was gushing out of the wound. It didn¡¯t help to ease the pain, but I hoped the monster rabbit would let go when it was deprived of oxygen. It was a monster in my eyes at this point, even if it was cute and fluffy.


    My plan was probably successful and the monster rabbit didn¡¯t appreciate ending up under the water, but then I felt even a deeper bite of its teeth. The fluffy monster was gasping for air, kicking its feet frantically under the water. At the same time, it didn¡¯t want to let go. With the way it was kicking and biting, a horrific realization flashed in my mind. The creature wanted to get out of the water, but it also wanted to take a chunk of my flesh with it.


    ¡°You damn monster rabbit! Die!¡± I pulled out my hand out of the water, with the creature still hanging on it, biting on my flesh. It was almost a reflex, but I grabbed a stone from the bottom of the stream with my other hand and smacked the rabbit with it. I didn¡¯t care if I hit my other hand with it at this point.


    It helped. The creature¡¯s bite loosened a bit. I smacked it again and it let go, dropping itself on the ground next to the stream. I could see the monster rabbit was dizzy from my hits, but it wasn¡¯t dead. It really creeped me out when the creature shook its head a few times, then licked my blood of off its face, fixating its black eyes on me again.


    ¡°Why you freakish¡­¡± my hand with the stone in it moved on its own. I smacked the monster rabbit on the head with it. It squeaked after the hit, but I wasn¡¯t about to stop. I hit it again and again, and again. I was smashing the little animal with the rock like a cook would smash boiled potatoes until they turned into a soft mash.


    I would¡¯ve been smashing it non-stop for who knows how long if not for the creature¡¯s body dissipating into a sparkling mist unexpectedly just before another one of my swings landed on it. It almost looked like it exploded into some fairy dust.


    ¡°Eh? What the¡­¡± I was stunned to see that happen.


    Before I could think about it, I heard an emotional, mechanical, almost robotic, male voice speak up.


    ¡°One experience point gained,¡± I thought the voice was in my head, but it was too loud and to clear for that.


    ¡°What? Who said that?¡± I jumped to my feet, but couldn¡¯t see anyone anywhere.


    I stood there, waiting for someone to say something again, but the pain in my hand reminded me of what has happened just a moment ago.


    ¡°Ah, shit,¡± I gripped my hand with the other, tightening my grip on the wrist, just below where the wound was in order to slow down the blood flow. It was bleeding bad and I had to do something fast. I plunged my hand into the cold water to numb the pain, panting and gritting my teeth as I did so.


    I had to bear it. The wound was deep and I could see part of my flesh being loose, which made me a little sick at the same time. I remembered the tie in my pocket and instantly reached for it, still keeping my bleeding hand under the water. I wrapped the wound with the tie, covering it fully and tightening the wrap extra hard to stop the blood running. It helped. My hand started to feel numb from the pressure which meant I did a good job bandaging it.


    ¡°This is just¡­¡± my mind was still in shock. I couldn¡¯t believe what just happened. I turned to where I have killed the monster rabbit, furrowing my eyebrows. To my yet another astonishment, a piece of a fine cut raw meat was laying right at the spot where I have killed it. ¡°The hell?¡±


    Stolen novel; please report.


    I honestly thought I have lost it this time. I stared at the raw piece of meat, not knowing what to think of it. After a moment or two, I stepped closer and poked it with a finger. It definitely felt like a piece of a raw meat, if I ever saw one.


    - ¡®Beep, Ding¡¯ ¨C again, I heard a weird beep in my ears.


    ¡°Huh?¡± I lifted my head, but then turned to look at the meat again. ¡°Shit, is this real? Where¡­ where the hell did this meat come from?¡±


    I poked it again, but didn¡¯t dare to pick it up. I washed my hand in the water, like I was afraid to catch some disease from touching the meat. Suddenly, I remembered a weird voice talking just a moment ago.


    ¡°Hey! Hello! Anyone there?¡± I raised my voice, then quieted down to listen for a response, but it was quiet. I threw a glance left, then right, then rubbed my eyes with a healthy hand to try and think about it rationally.


    I must be hallucinating. Shit, I need some answers about what¡¯s going on. There was nothing rational in my thoughts, however. Even if I wanted to believe I was hallucinating, the pain in my right hand, and the piece of a raw meat next to me were very, very real. The forest and the water I drank felt very real as well. I let out a deep sigh and went to look for a way out of here.


    I walked for some time upstream, thinking I should find a settlement, or a decent path someone used. From there, I would be able to find my way out of this forest. I kept a normal pace, not straying away from the water. After a while, the grass and the bushes started to grow too thick and it was almost impossible to pass, but I wanted to have the stream in my sights. I pushed the branches and advanced forward. My pants caught a branch and I heard a clothing rip when I forcefully made another step.


    ¡°Ah, shit. My suit¡­¡± I clenched my healthy hand¡¯s fist. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s ok. It¡¯s just a piece of clothing. I¡­ I have another suit at home¡­¡±


    I tried to keep my focus and not lose my head over a piece of clothing. I advanced through the bushes, kicking my leg to push away the branches, so I could pass. Unfortunately, and since I couldn¡¯t see where I was stepping, I placed my foot too close to the edge of the tiny river and slipped. I lost balance and was about to plunge my foot into the water, which I certainly didn¡¯t want for that to happen. With my quick reflexes, I quickly reached to grab onto the branch of the bush, but had forgotten that my right hand was injured.


    ¡°Aaargh!¡± I gritted my teeth as the pain forced me to let go of the branch.


    The next thing I knew, my butt was in the water. It was deeper than I thought it would too. I could only gasp as I couldn¡¯t stop my fall. The water splashed as my body plunged face down under it. It was almost up to my waist in depth. I pushed myself up hastily with my healthy hand, coughing the water out of my mouth which I manage to gulp when I dove down with my mouth open.


    ¡°You have to be freaking kidding me!¡± I cursed out loud standing up, water running down my soaked clothing. ¡°That¡¯s just great. Tch¡­¡±


    I rammed my hands at my waist, remembering to be gentle with my right hand. Water was dripping down my wet hair, ears and nose. I sighed, trying to keep it together again. It was just some water, there was no need to get fussed over it. Or so I was telling myself, but I was fuming inside.


    I¡¯ll just¡­ dry myself out and¡­ I grimaced at myself, pressing my lips tight, so I wouldn¡¯t say anything out loud or else I might lose it.


    After a few deep breaths, I made my way forward, walking in water this time, until I found a more open ground for me to walk on. Finding my way out of this forest became my second priority. I knew I had to dry myself out, so I wouldn¡¯t be hit with hypothermia, or get sick. It wasn¡¯t that cold, but being First Aid trained I knew I shouldn¡¯t take any chances. I was still convinced that making my way upstream was my best bet for some reason, so I plucked along. Fortunately, there was enough space to walk close to the stream now.


    I strolled through the forest, picking up my pace and occasionally stopping to stretch in order to help my blood flow keep some warmth in my bones. After a while, the chill from wearing wet clothes was starting to set in and my body was having a hard time keeping itself warm.


    Another half an hour later, I finally came out into a small meadow. The stream was becoming smaller with my steps and I knew I should reach the area where it started sooner or later. I hoped to find someone living there also.


    The sight that opened in front of me was quite serene. To my biggest astonishment, the stream I was trailing was flowing out of a giant tree¡¯s trunk. The stream created a small pound next to the tree¡¯s roots before spilling over and running away towards where I came from. Tree and stream aside, the area looked like a well-kept front yard, only this one was surrounded by trees and bushes.


    ¡°Wow,¡± I scratched my cheek, mesmerized by the view.


    When I spoke in my mind about the tree being a giant, I really meant it. It was definitely tall, however, just like with the rest of the trees, I couldn¡¯t see how tall it grew. The biggest amazement was how wide the tree in front of me was. If I had to guess, it was well over twenty meters in diameter, if not more. The tree¡¯s roots were hugging the small pool from one side and a portion of the meadow from the other, creating a half-shaped moon cover. It almost looked like it was protecting the place.


    A cold shiver ran down my spine, reminding me that my body was losing the warmth and cold battle against my wet clothes. I took the hint and decided this would be a perfect place to dry myself out. Having a fire to warm myself up would help too.


    ¡°Ah, right,¡± I scrambled to check my pocket. Fortunately, the leather casing dressed lighter was still there. The leather case was wet, but the lighter was dry, allowing me to start the fire.


    I quickly hunted for some dry branches and in less than ten minutes I had a fire burning. I made sure it was safe distance away from the huge tree, or any other trees for that matter. Putting the forest on fire wasn¡¯t my way of helping my body to become warm.


    I undressed, leaving myself in my boxers only. They were also wet, but I didn¡¯t feel like being butt-naked in the middle of the forest. I closed in near the small pond to wash off. I also wanted to check and clean my wound, wrapping it with the same tie afterwards. I was glad it didn¡¯t hurt so much and the bleeding seemed to stop too, which was a surprise really.


    ¡°Woah¡­¡± I gasped aloud after uncovering the injury.


    I knew I¡¯ve done a good job wrapping and tightening it, but I didn¡¯t expect for it to stop bleeding completely. I inspected it closer. The marks of the monster rabbit¡¯s teeth were still there. The skin was ripped on the side, part of the muscles showing. But at the same time, the wound was somewhat closed up, showing signs of starting to heal up. If I didn¡¯t know better, I could¡¯ve sworn that wounds like these take several days or maybe weeks to heal to the point it was healed now. It looked unreal.


    But I was yet to believe what happened to me being real in the first place. I was partly hoping I was locked in an overly realistic dream of sorts, or hallucinating at worst, blaming all the drinks I poured down my throat last night.


    I shrugged and dipped my injured hand into the water to clean off the dried blood around it. A pleasant, soothing sensation tingled my skin around the wound. I held it down for a few moments to enjoy it for a while longer. I washed my tie inside the pool too. My eyes have caught an interesting thing happening. The blood that was washed off my wound and the tie dissolved into the water, leaving it as clean as it was all this time. I didn¡¯t want to think too much about it, so I simply shrugged and went to catch some warmth next to the fire.


    As unrealistic, or as hallucinating as I thought I was, my stomach¡¯s rumble felt very much real. My clothes were nearly dry and my body felt warm. I¡¯ve probably spent over an hour drying myself out, mulling over at the same time, trying to put my situation in perspective. I tried to remember what happened during the party last night, but no new memories showed themselves to me.


    ¡°Ghmm¡­¡± I grumpily gurgled, trying to win the growling competition against my stomach. I tried to dismiss it at first, but my growing hunger felt very real. ¡°Shit. From finding myself in an unknown forest, to being attacked by a fluffy bunny monster, to starving to death. Quite a development.¡±


    I tried to be funny, although, I wasn¡¯t laughing. A dream or not, I had to eat something. So, I dressed up, put out the fire and went to look for some food. I was in the forest. I should be able to find something to eat, berries or worst case, some mushrooms I could try and cook on the fire. If I was lucky, I may actually find a way out too, but that option was slowly slipping away from me.


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 Important Announcement. End of the world is coming. Not really. :)

    So, just another announcement. The first one for this book series. As you probably know / realized, the book is going live on Amazon on 22nd of February. It will be going exclusively on KU as well, which means... I will have to take down all the chapters from the public sites.


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    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Thank you for reading my stories and providing feedback, and helping me grow. Look forward to the continuation of the story.

 Chapter 37

    Here we go again. The published version of the ''I Don''t Want To Level Up'' Book 2 is now up and live on Amazon KU. The story will be edited and will have additional chapters in it. If you enjoyed the story and want more of it, consider buying a copy for yourself.


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 Chapter 38

    Here we go again. The published version of the ''I Don''t Want To Level Up'' Book 2 is now up and live on Amazon KU. The story will be edited and will have additional chapters in it. If you enjoyed the story and want more of it, consider buying a copy for yourself.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


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 Announcement: Book 2 is now live on Amazon KU

    Here we go again. The published version of the ''I Don''t Want To Level Up'' Book 2 is now up and live on Amazon KU. The story will be edited and will have additional chapters in it. If you enjoyed the story and want more of it, consider buying a copy for yourself.


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


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 Chapter 68

    Here we go again. The published version of the ''I Don''t Want To Level Up'' Book 3 is now up and live on Amazon KU. The story will be edited and will have additional chapters in it. If you enjoyed the story and want more of it, consider buying a copy for yourself.


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 Chapter 69

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 Chapter 105 (beginning of Vol.4)

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you two looking cute?¡± I spoke out loud, looking at the two sleeping beauties.


    Rockstars Clan celebration party was a real blast, almost literally. Everyone had a lot of fun, including me, despite the fact I was hit under the belt with the name for my clan that Ranalaiya and Sylfrin came up with. I honestly had numerous images of my horrible ¡®rockstar¡¯ moments from my past life flash in front of my eyes. Luckily, the word ¡®rockstars¡¯ had a different meaning here than it had for me when I was growing up and from now on it will be a name I would have to get used to going forward.


    Speaking of our celebration, with me allowing Ranalaiya and Sylfrin drink alcohol too, because I couldn¡¯t care less at that point anymore, they got carried away and got drunk just like everyone else. Fortunately for us, Savirei offered a spare room we could use to spend the night which was a real lifesaver. Carrying one sleeping beauty in my arms wouldn¡¯t have been bad at all, but carrying two in one go might¡¯ve been a tiny bit challenging. Of course, being tipsy as she was herself, Savirei was almost insisting for me to come sleep together with her, saying that the bed in the room I currently am might not be big enough to fit all three of us. I had to politely refuse for two obvious reasons. One of the reasons was her twin sister Navirei and the other one was Virghel. I wasn¡¯t exactly close with Virghel as I was with the twin sisters, but when alcohol is involved, all kinds of things tend to happen. At that exact moment I was glad about having my Poison Resistance skill, because if I didn¡¯t¡­ well, I didn¡¯t want to think what might¡¯ve happened in the end. However, one thing worked against me in the end anyway. My Poison Resistance skill might¡¯ve protected me from getting drunk, but the flip side was, alcohol worked like an energy drink for me. I couldn¡¯t feel more alert or lively right now, so going to sleep was out of a question for me.


    ¡°Right¡­ I¡¯ll have to go register our clan at the Guild tomorrow. My own clan, huh?¡± I spoke in half a whisper out loud, sitting on the chair in front of a table while thinking about it. I was aware I knew very little about what running a clan actually entailed, but I knew I had to start somewhere. ¡°One step a time, eh? In any case, my main priority is to become stronger right now. I managed to reach level six and also had several more level ups that I had declined, gaining increase in my stats as a result of it each time. But¡­ I think I still have a long way to go if I want to get to where Lavita is, wherever she may be. Let¡¯s see¡­ Show Status.¡± I wanted to check my current stats.


    ***


    Rockin Starling. Level 6.


    Class: Shielder.


    Character Stats:


    Stamina ¨C 46+37


    Strength ¨C 55+25


    Agility ¨C 26+11


    Spell Power ¨C 7


    Magic Energy ¨C 14


    Growth ¨C 4


    ***


    ¡°Getting that King Tarkee¡¯s Shield definitely helped boost my Stamina and other stats too. My other equipment is more or less ok, considering I am level six now,¡± I was debating with myself. I knew I could use equipment that was twice my own level, but getting good higher-level gear was difficult to come by. ¡°Hmm¡­ Sylfrin¡¯s stats look much better now.¡± I opened Sylfrin Status Window to check her stats next.


    ***


    Sylfrin Frostwing (Slave). Level 10.


    Master: Rockin Starling.


    Class: Frost Battle Sorceress.


    Character stats:


    Stamina ¨C 16+4


    Strength ¨C 2


    Agility ¨C 6


    Spell Power ¨C 23+7


    Magic Energy ¨C 23+18


    Luck ¨C 20


    ***


    ¡°Ok, so Sylfrin gets one extra point to her Spell Power and two extra points to her Magic Energy thanks to the Webbed Set Bonus in addition to her overall stat increase from her equipment. That puts her Spell Power at thirty and her Magic Energy just over forty. Her Stamina is twenty in total as well. Ghm¡­¡± I squinted my eyes, thinking about something. ¡°She might be able to cast her Blizzard spell fully now¡­ Or maybe not. I guess I¡¯ll have to ask her to try it out the next time we go to the dungeon. Right, what about Ranalaiya?¡± I closed Sylfrin¡¯s Status Window and navigated to check how Ranalaiya¡¯s stats looked like.


    ***


    Ranalaiya Nightlight (Slave). Level 13.


    Master: Rockin Starling.


    Class: Shadow Assassin.


    Character stats:


    Stamina ¨C 16


    Strength ¨C 30+8


    Agility ¨C 57+20


    Spell Power ¨C 1


    Magic Energy ¨C 5


    Luck - 33


    ***


    Ranalaiya had gained one extra level during the time we¡¯ve spent in the dungeon, so her stats had increased just a little bit. Well, her stats were looking good overall, with her Agility reaching almost eighty when you added her stat bonuses from her equipment. However, Ranalaiya had six equipment items that she was using and the total stat bonus for her was twenty eight. In contrast, Sylfrin had only three magic items and she was getting a total of twenty nine points in stat increase. I figured getting Ranalaiya some new equipment would be a good idea.Stolen story; please report.


    Hmm¡­ Maybe I could craft something from those Tarkee skins? But I have only eleven of those¡­ aaand I had sold every other material I had to Alragus two days ago. Meh¡­ Well, will have to go to the dungeon to get some, I guess. I wonder if I could craft something from Rhaki and Tarkee skins by sewing those together? I leaned on my chin again, trying to imagine if it was possible. Ah, well¡­ I won¡¯t know until I try. Oh, let¡¯s see what kind of items I can craft right now¡­ huh? What the¡­ Lavita?! I literally jumped from my seat after seeing Spiritual Connection skill was glowing and available to use. I tapped on it faster than I could blink, Lavita speaking to me the moment I did that.


    ¡°Why hello, handsome.¡± Lavita¡¯s voice sounded as passionate and as seductive as it always was, if not sweeter.


    ¡°Lavita!¡± I exclaimed out loud.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Lavita chuckled, hearing me being so loud.


    ¡°Ah? Oops¡­ Hi,¡± I lowered my voice, speaking in whisper, also trying to put on an act I wasn¡¯t flustered.


    ¡°Aah¡­ You¡¯re so charming, Rockin,¡± Lavita giggled some more, her sweet laugh putting a smile on my face.


    ¡°Yeah, well¡­¡± I spoke even quieter this time.


    ¡°What¡¯s with becoming so quiet all of a sudden? I thought you were excited to hear me again,¡± Lavita asked in a seductive manner.


    ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s the middle of the night and Ranalaiya, and Sylfrin are sleeping,¡± I explained the reason behind it.


    ¡°Oh? I would love to hear more details about what the three of you were doing earlier?¡± Lavita was as cheeky as she was charming.


    ¡°Ah, n¡­ nothing,¡± I scrambled to find something to say, knowing what she was implying.


    ¡°Really?¡± Lavita teased me more.


    ¡°Yes, really. We had a party earlier today and they got¡­ drunk,¡± I tried to explain it.


    ¡°So, you got two women drunk and¡­ what did you do with them after?¡± Lavita just wouldn¡¯t let go.


    ¡°Aargh¡­ I didn¡¯t get them drunk and I didn¡¯t do anything with them. I got people to sign up to join my new clan and we decided to get together and have a celebration during which Ranalaiya and Sylfrin got drunk themselves, and I have brought them here, so they could have a proper sleep. Geez¡­¡± I finally told her what happened, not bothering to speak in half whisper anymore.


    ¡°Ahaha,¡± Lavita started to laugh wholeheartedly.


    ¡°Humph,¡± I snorted, rolling my eyes.


    ¡°So sorry, darling. I couldn¡¯t help it. You¡¯re such a delight to talk to, you know,¡± Lavita was in a very uplifting mood.


    ¡°Am I?¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lavita gave a short answer and probably smiled too.


    ¡°In case I have something else to tell you,¡± I said in a somewhat serious tone of my voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m all ears,¡± Lavita said, becoming attentive.


    ¡°I missed you, Lavita,¡± I told her, being very sincere about it.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Lavita said, becoming quiet all of a sudden, silence lingering in the air for a few seconds before Lavita spoke again. ¡°Wow, never thought hearing you say that would actually make me blush. You certainly know how to make a woman¡¯s heart race. Well, just so you know, I missed you too, my love.¡± Lavita sounded excited when she said that.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that,¡± I said, smiling happily. ¡°In truth, I was hoping I would get to talk to you sooner.¡±


    ¡°Aah, that¡¯s so sweet of you to say that. And I am really sorry for not being able to talk to you more often, Rockin. I am very restricted with how much I can do in my current state,¡± Lavita told me, her voice becoming sadder at the end.


    ¡°Right¡­¡± I said, thinking what to say next. ¡°By the way, could you tell me more about yourself, Lavita?¡±


    ¡°About myself?¡± Lavita sounded surprised, or maybe it was just an act.


    ¡°Yeah. I mean, I wish to see you and¡­¡± I added, making a pause.


    ¡°And fuck me so hard I¡¯d be screaming for you to stop and if you did, I¡¯d be begging for you to continue?¡± Lavita slapped me with my own comment from the first time I spoke to her.


    ¡°H¡­ hey!¡± I instantly became so embarrassed I wanted to hide somewhere.


    ¡°Mhm¡­¡± Lavita giggled, her laugh echoing in my head. ¡°But just so you know, Rockin, I am actually looking forward to it very much.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± I was at a loss for words again. ¡°So then¡­ let¡¯s meet and lock ourselves in some room somewhere.¡± I decided to man up and just go for it.


    ¡°I wish we could,¡± Lavita sounded a little sad this time. ¡°Truth is, you¡¯re still not strong enough to get to where I am, my love. Although, I can tell you¡¯ve made some progress from the last time we spoke.¡±


    ¡°You can tell?¡± I raised my left eyebrow.


    ¡°But of course. We¡¯re connected spiritually after all. Besides, I can tell you¡¯ve grown in some other areas other than your stats, haven¡¯t you, Rockin?¡± Lavita couldn¡¯t have sounded more obvious or more wistful.


    ¡°Eh? What?¡± My cheeks started to burn bright red again. ¡°You can¡­ tell that too?¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯d love to know more details,¡± Lavita said, her not answering my question just confirming the answer was ¡®yes¡¯.


    ¡°Well¡­ I now have Sylfrin with me too who I bought not that long ago. She¡¯s a¡­ half beast Frost Bat woman and I¡­¡± I felt so awkward I couldn¡¯t finish my sentence.


    ¡°And you love her just like you love Ranalaiya?¡± Lavita finished it for me.


    ¡°Ah¡­ yeah. S¡­ sorry,¡± I cringed. I felt really out of place right now. Here I was saying I wanted to lock myself together with Lavita in some room to have the hottest sex in my life while also admitting I was in love with someone else.


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. I feel very happy for you,¡± Lavita said, her words both surprising me and helping me relax.


    ¡°Huh? You¡¯re¡­ not upset?¡± I asked, feeling puzzled.


    ¡°Upset? Why would I be upset about you having more women, handsome?¡± Lavita asked, finding my question strange if not absurd.


    ¡°But¡­ aren¡¯t you jealous?¡± I sounded like I was trying to find an excuse for Lavita to be upset with me.


    ¡°Jealous? I wouldn¡¯t know what that word means. I am very happy that the man who desires to be with me is also desired by other women too. Actually, I am very curious to know more about Sylfrin¡­ and any other women you might have?¡± Lavita wanted to know, giving a hint she might¡¯ve known more about my ¡®other women¡¯ than she actually implied.


    ¡°Oo-kay,¡± I hesitantly agreed. ¡°So, ahm¡­ I met Sylfrin when¡­¡± I started my story by trying to remember when the auction during which I had bought Sylfrin happened.


    {after some storytelling time}


    ¡°Oh my, you¡¯ve created your own clan? Now that is very impressive, my love,¡± Lavita spoke joyfully when I got to that part of my story.


    ¡°Thanks. Although, I should¡¯ve come up with my clan¡¯s name myself¡­¡± I added, rolling my eyes.


    ¡°Do you think I could join your Rockstars Clan too?¡± Lavita asked, ignoring my grumpy comment about the clan¡¯s name.


    ¡°Oh, yeah, sure. I mean, you¡¯d have to fill out an application form,¡± I said, somehow coming up with the additional comment on the spot to tease her.


    ¡°Ok, but you¡¯ll have to take my measurements yourself, babe,¡± Lavita teased me back.


    ¡°Huh? Your measurements?¡± And I took the bait.


    ¡°Well, yes. I¡¯d have to fill out the details about myself, wouldn¡¯t I?¡± Lavita asked, adding a chuckle.


    ¡°Humph, definitely,¡± I quickly caught on, shifting gears to keep on the act.


    ¡°Ooh, and here I thought I¡¯ll see you blush again,¡± Lavita sounded disappointed.


    ¡°Oh, I am definitely blushing right now. I mean, now I¡¯ll have something extra to look forward to upon meeting you,¡± I told her, my blood starting to boil just from that thought alone.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait myself,¡± Lavita added with a chuckle.


    ¡°Damn,¡± I grimaced, turning my head to the side and rubbing the side of my head, my fantasies taking over.


    ¡°Well then, I think it is time to say goodbye now,¡± Lavita said, her words making me jump.


    ¡°Huh, what? Wait, you can¡¯t leave yet,¡± I exclaimed, wanting for her to stay longer.


    ¡°I wish I could, but my time is up, my love,¡± Lavita added, her voice starting to fade away.


    ¡°But¡­ we had such a short talk. Can¡¯t you stay just a little longer?¡± I literally begged her.


    ¡°Are you sure? Look outside,¡± Lavita said, her words carrying a smile with them.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Only then I noticed it was becoming bright outside. ¡°What? It¡¯s morning already?¡± I couldn¡¯t believe it. We must¡¯ve been talking for three or four hours straight yet it felt like minutes in my mind. ¡°No way¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Lavita chuckled.


    ¡°Hold on. Wha¡­ when will be able to talk again?¡± I wanted to know.


    ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t say for sure, but I¡¯ll be looking forward to it, my love. Until next time, mhua¡­¡± It was faint, but I could still hear Lavita sending me a kiss before her voice vanished completely.


    ¡°La¡­ vita¡­¡± I gritted my teeth while clenching my fists. ¡°Damn¡­ it¡­¡± I tensed up before letting out a very deep sigh. ¡°Damn it, I need to level up more. We¡¯ll need to go to the¡­ humph¡­ Ya¡­ aaawn¡­ Huh?¡± I rubbed my eyes, becoming very sleepy all of a sudden. ¡°What the¡­¡± I don¡¯t know what it was, but I felt extremely tired and drained for some reason, leaning on the table I was sitting at and falling asleep almost in an instant.

 Chapter 106

    I slept like a log and woke up only after midday, still sitting at the table that I fell asleep last night. I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised about it really, considering I was talking to Lavita from the middle of the night until almost dawn. Although, it felt like we¡¯ve talked for only twenty minutes at most. In the end, I felt happy and gutted at the same time. Talking to Lavita was such a bliss and it lit a fire under my ass to go massacre the monsters in the dungeon until I become strong enough to finally learn where she was and go meet her. But first things first, Ranalaiya and Sylfrin had literally jumped on my neck at the same time after seeing me finally wake up. Apparently, they were very worried about me for not waking up for so long, so I had to reassure them I was fine.


    ¡°Hey, hey, it¡¯s ok. I was simply tired, that¡¯s all,¡± I patted them on the heads while they were clinging to me.


    ¡°We were worried about you so much, Master,¡± Ranalaiya rubbed her cheek against mine.


    ¡°Yes. You wouldn¡¯t wake up even when we tried waking you up, Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin was more open to reveal it.


    ¡°Ok, well¡­ something happened last night and that was probably why I needed a proper rest afterwards,¡± I told them, both of them perking up for some reason.


    ¡°Huh? You mean¡­ you¡¯ve been together with Savirei before coming back here, Master Rockin?¡± Ranalaiya asked the question I didn¡¯t expect her to ask. Well, maybe a little, considering both of them knew Savirei was all for spending some private time with me last night, but still.


    ¡°Ah, no,¡± I answered, feeling perplexed.


    ¡°So, was it Navirei you¡¯ve spent time with last night, Master Rockin?¡± Sylfrin asked next.


    ¡°Huh? Nooo¡­¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°And before you ask, I haven¡¯t been with Virghel either.¡± I made a frown before adding. ¡°I spoke to Lavita after I¡¯ve put you two to bed.¡±


    ¡°Lavita?¡± Ranalaiya¡¯s green cat-like eyes sparkled.


    ¡°You¡­ spoke to the woman who announces our experience gain, Master?¡± Sylfrin became confused instead of excited like Ranalaiya.


    ¡°What did you speak about, Master Rockin?¡± Ranalaiya asked, her face showing she was very curious to know.


    ¡°Can you actually speak to Lavita, Master Rockin?¡± But Sylfrin was yet to believe it.


    ¡°Yes,¡± it was Ranalaiya who answered Sylfrin¡¯s question. ¡°Master Rockin had spoken to Lavita before.¡±


    ¡°Really? But how come we couldn¡¯t hear it?¡± Sylfrin wanted to know.


    ¡°Because both of you were asleep last night?¡± I wasn¡¯t actually asking a question, but I made it sound like I did.


    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± Sylfrin remembered it, a mild redness jumping on her cheeks. ¡°But what about the times when Lavita speaks after we kill monsters in the dungeon?¡±


    ¡°Ah, those are just random messages to announce my experience gain or when I find any magical items. Lavita isn¡¯t actually talking during those times,¡± I tried to explain it, but it sounded confusing even to me.


    ¡°Ok.¡± Fortunately, Sylfrin looked like she got the message.


    ¡°So, what did you talk about with Lavita, Master Rockin?¡± Ranalaiya asked again, still waiting for the answer.


    ¡°Well, she didn¡¯t tell me where she was,¡± was the first thing I said, making a frown too. ¡°But we had such a pleasant conversation that I hadn¡¯t noticed when the morning came, with Lavita telling me her time was up.¡± I let out a sad sigh at the end.


    ¡°So, you don¡¯t know where Lavita is, Master Rockin?¡± Sylfrin asked, feeling curious.


    ¡°Apparently, I am too weak to go to where she is which was the reason Lavita wouldn¡¯t tell me. If I understood her correctly, Lavita is locked in some dungeon somewhere and the monsters inside that dungeon are so dangerous, I¡¯m not even one tenth strong enough to fight them,¡± I said, making an irritated facial expression. ¡°Well, I am a little stronger than I was when I spoke to Lavita for the very first time, but the fact that I am too weak to get to her still remains.¡±


    ¡°I want to help you become stronger, so you can meet Lavita, Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin suddenly announced with an unwavering conviction in her voice.


    ¡°Yes. I will help you too, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya joined her, determination jumping in her eyes.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you two adorable?¡± I looked at the two beauties in front of me, a sly grin entering my mouth.


    ¡°Hey, I am very serious here, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya pouted her lips, a flush dressing her cheeks.


    ¡°Do you not believe us, Master Rockin?¡± Sylfrin asked me, making an innocent baby face that would melt an iceberg.


    ¡°Of course I do and I appreciate you wanting to help me with it,¡± I said, showing a kind smile this time. ¡°But first things first, you haven¡¯t eaten anything yet, have you?¡± I squinted my eyes before dipping my head to give them a slightly angry look.


    ¡°Huh? Oh,¡± Ranalaiya and Sylfrin averted their embarrassed faces away.


    ¡°You two¡­¡± I spoke in a scolding manner before crossing my arms in front of me. ¡°Listen, I appreciate you caring for me so much, but you need to take care of yourselves as well. You and I know that the two of you are slaves, but I am certain Savirei would¡¯ve arranged something for you to eat despite that.¡±


    ¡°Ahh¡­¡± both of them squirmed, shifting their bodies one way or the way.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go eat. Oh, and good morning too,¡± I made Ranalaiya and Sylfrin feel at ease by coming closer and giving them kisses.


    ¡°Good morning, Master Rockin,¡± which instantly helped them relax and cheer up too.


    The diner was open and bustling with people, just like any other normal day it would. Of course, Savirei was extra delighted to see me as well. However, it was midday and she was super busy, so we didn¡¯t talk that much. Although, Savirei revealed she was a little sad I didn¡¯t come back to wish her a good night sleep after taking Ranalaiya and Sylfrin to the room we had spent the night at, so I had to make up to her by giving Savirei a good morning kiss on the cheek even though it was midday now. Other than her heartbroken act, Savirei had a surprise waiting for me, or two even. Before we finished our food, she presented ten gold coins for me, saying that was the clan¡¯s registration money. I wanted to instantly refuse taking money from her, but she explained that everyone had chipped in to help me cover the clan registration costs, insisting I should take the money which I had no choice but to accept in the end.


    The second thing she surprised me with was she offered to make her diner our clan¡¯s meeting place. Savirei said she had already spoken with the others in the morning, with everyone agreeing to it as well. It actually made sense from the practical point of view. Meeting at Alragus¡¯ workshop or Navirei¡¯s inn would¡¯ve been a little strange to say the least. Besides, Savirei had food and drinks to offer as well, so it was a win-win for everyone. Although, I felt like I¡¯d be indebted to Savirei for using her diner as our clan¡¯s meeting place and I knew she¡¯d definitely want something in return for it.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Ok, agreed,¡± but again, I had to give in.


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± Savirei clapped her hands, smiling as wide as her face allowed for her to do so.


    ¡°Right, can you pack us some of your cake to go, Savirei? We¡¯ll be going to the dungeon after I register our clan at the Guild,¡± I remembered to ask her before leaving.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to the dungeon already? But you¡¯ve just got back not that long ago,¡± Savirei said, making a sad facial expression.


    ¡°Yes, well¡­ I need to get some materials and¡­ do some quests to raise my Adventurer¡¯s Rank,¡± I came up with an excuse, which wasn¡¯t exactly a lie. In truth, I didn¡¯t want to tell her the real reason why I wanted to go to the dungeon which was to slaughter as many monsters as I could and become stronger as fast as possible, so I could eventually meet Lavita.


    ¡°Oh my, you¡¯re really serious about showing a good example to your future clan members, aren¡¯t you, Rockin?¡± Savirei pulled out an even better excuse I could add to my current ones.


    ¡°Aah, yeah¡­ A clan leader who is only an E-Rank Adventurer doesn¡¯t sound very appealing or trustworthy, does it?¡± I said, adding a silly laugh.


    ¡°I personally don¡¯t care about your rank, Rockin, but yes, there is some truth to your words,¡± Savirei had to agree. ¡°Please give me a short while to prepare some food for you to take with you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said with a smile.


    After we received our food from Savirei, we were off to the Guild.


    ¡°Rockstars Clan? Wow, what an usual clan name,¡± Rozalina gasped after reading my clan¡¯s name out loud when I presented her the papers. ¡°And¡­ Meribel Willmint is vouching for you?!¡± Rozalina exclaimed when she read that part a little too loud. ¡°Oops, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well¡­¡± I simply smiled. ¡°Oh, and here is the registration fee also.¡± I presented her the money.


    ¡°Right, thank you, Rockin. Please give me a moment to register your clan for you,¡± Rozalina said, taking the payment and the papers before disappearing from behind the counter. We¡¯ve waited for about ten minutes for her to come back, Rozalina placing a parchment on the counter in front of me upon returning. ¡°Here is your clan¡¯s registration certificate, Rockin.¡±


    ¡°Oh, nice. Thank you,¡± I picked up a crude yet sturdy looking paper parchment with my clan¡¯s main information on it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to make any assumptions, but if you need any help or information¡­ like how to register quests under your clan¡¯s name or recruiting new members feel free to come talk to me at any time, Rockin,¡± Rozalina offered, a kind smile showing on her face.


    ¡°Right. Yes, will do,¡± I understood what she meant and I was grateful she was very tactful about it. ¡°Ok, that¡¯s all for now. So, thanks for your help again, Rozalina.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Rockin, and please be careful in the dungeon,¡± Rozalina smiled.


    ¡°Will do. Bye for now,¡± I waved her goodbye, us leaving the Guild after that.


    ¡°Congratulations on creating a Clan, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya was very happy for me.


    ¡°Yes, congratulations, Master Rockin,¡± as so was Sylfrin.


    ¡°Thank you, you two,¡± I felt unusually excited about it. As a future clan¡¯s leader, I knew I had a lot of work waiting ahead of me, but I had a more pressing matter in front of me right now. ¡°Ok, so before we reach the dungeon, I want to explain what my plan is. I want to see if I can craft a new armor for Ranalaiya from the Tarkee skins that I have have. I think I¡¯ll start with the bracers which would be the easiest to craft anyway. However, I am unsure which combination would work best at this point. I¡¯m thinking of trying to combine Tarkee skins with Carnabbit fur first. If that not gonna work, I¡¯ll use Tarkee skins and Rhaki skins to see what kind of bracers will come out of it next. And lastly, I¡¯ll use all three materials to craft one more pair of bracers and then compare all three to see which one is best. Once I find out which option works best, I¡¯ll craft the remaining armor pieces using that exact method.¡±


    ¡°You want to craft a new armor set for me, Master Rockin?¡± Ranalaiya lit up like a candle upon hearing me mention it.


    ¡°We agreed we¡¯ll help each other become stronger and getting new and better equipment is part of it too. However, higher level gear is difficult to come by, and since I have my Crafting skill, I figured I should use it to the fullest. Having said that, we will need to collect a lot of crafting materials and you already know that Tarkee skin is a very rare drop, so we¡¯ll be staying in the dungeon for longer this time,¡± I informed my two beautiful female companions.


    ¡°Yes, Master Rockin,¡± I shouldn¡¯t have expected anything else other than Ranalaiya and Sylfrin happily agreeing to it.


    ¡°Ok then, let¡¯s go to the dungeon,¡± I said with a smile.


    {two days later at Savirei¡¯s diner}


    ¡°Welcome. A table for two?¡± One of the waitresses working at the diner greeted new guests that entered through the door.


    ¡°Ah, yes¡­ please,¡± a middle aged, brown hair wearing timidly-looking woman responded. She had another person with her as well. However, the other person, another woman from the looks of it, was wearing a cape over her other clothes while hiding her face under the hood. Both of their clothes were rather worn out and slightly dirty too.


    ¡°Ah, this way, please,¡± the waitress motioned with her hand for the women to follow her, leading them to a free table. ¡°Here you go. I¡¯ll give you a few minutes to look at the menu before returning to take your order. Take your time.¡± The waitress smiled before leaving them be. However, instead of attending to another patron, the waitress went to find the diner¡¯s owner.


    ¡°Is something wrong, Nara?¡± Savirei asked, seeing her employee looking distressed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Savirei, but two suspicious-looking people had entered the diner just now,¡± Nara informed her.


    ¡°Suspicious-looking people?¡± Savirei took Nara¡¯s comment seriously. ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing bad happened yet. I simply led them to one of the tables, but one of the two women I spoke to doesn¡¯t look to be trustworthy¡­ or look to have money to pay for the food,¡± Nara made a pause before delivering the rest of her message.


    ¡°Really? Can you show me where they sit, Nara?¡± Savirei asked politely.


    ¡°Over there, Miss Savirei,¡± Nara hinted with her head towards the direction.


    ¡°Thank you, Nara. I will take it from here,¡± Savirei said, showing a smile before turning to take a better look at the two people that Nara mentioned.


    In the meantime at the table that the two women were sitting at.


    ¡°But we don¡¯t have enough money to pay for the food,¡± the woman under the hood spoke to the other middle-aged lady after the waitress was gone.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok. I still have a few bronze coins with me. It should be enough to order at least something to eat,¡± the woman who wasn¡¯t wearing a hood responded.


    ¡°But what about the¡­¡± The woman under the hood wanted to say something, her voice trembling.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, daughter,¡± the other lady placed her hand on her daughter¡¯s right hand. ¡°This is a small town, so we should be safe here for a while.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but¡­¡± her daughter clenched her fist, her mother feeling the young woman¡¯s frustration.


    ¡°Good day to you, my name is Savirei, what would you like to order?¡± Savirei asked after coming to their table.


    ¡°Oh, ah, yes. Please, can we¡­¡± the woman not wearing a hood scrambled to say something. They hadn¡¯t looked at the menu yet, so she didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Actually, what could we get for this amount?¡± The woman placed three bronze coins on the table.


    ¡°Three bronze coins? Hmm¡­¡± Savirei made a pause, looking like she was thinking about something while also making the two women sitting at the table feel uncomfortable. ¡°I could offer you a portion of roasted Carnabbit meat.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Carnabbit meat is fine,¡± the mother responded.


    ¡°Ok, coming right up,¡± Savirei said yet she didn¡¯t pick up the coins from the table.


    ¡°But you don¡¯t eat that kind of meat, mom,¡± the daughter spoke after Savirei was gone.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok. I¡¯ll be fine. You need to eat more than I do,¡± her mother responded.


    ¡°That¡¯s not good. You haven¡¯t eaten anything for almost two days,¡± the daughter was worried about her mother.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. It is you who needs to keep your strength up,¡± the mother argued.


    ¡°Here is your order,¡± before they could continue their conversation, Savirei returned with a plate of steaming hot meat that she placed on the table.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± the mother said, but didn¡¯t start eating.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, is something wrong?¡± Savirei inquired, noticing their hesitation.


    ¡°Excuse me, but¡­¡± the woman under the hood spoke.


    ¡°What are you doing, daughter?¡± The mother scolded her daughter.


    ¡°You need to eat something too, mother,¡± her daughter responded in a stern voice before turning to Savirei again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, can I talk to the owner of this establishment, please?¡±


    ¡°Of course you can. Her name is Savirei and she¡¯s standing in front of you,¡± Savirei introduced herself.


    ¡°Huh? You¡­¡± the daughter was taken by surprise a little upon learning that. ¡°Well, in that case, do you have something to eat that doesn¡¯t have meat in it?¡±


    ¡°Something that doesn¡¯t have meat in it? How about a vegetable soup then? It is only two bronze coins,¡± Savirei suggested.


    ¡°Yes, that would work, but¡­¡± the daughter said.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Savirei noticed the woman under the hood wanted to add something else, but for some reason didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Well¡­ we don¡¯t have any more money¡­ but I can work for you to cover the cost of the food,¡± the young woman offered after a bit of hesitation.


    ¡°Work for the food?¡± Savirei was taken by surprise to hear such an offer. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I cannot hire someone to work for me who isn¡¯t even willing to show their face to me.¡±


    ¡°Daughter, no¡­¡± the mother wanted to protest.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mother, but we have no other choice,¡± but her daughter had made up her mind, standing up and taking off her hood to show her face to Savirei. ¡°My name is Lilfira. Please, I¡¯ll do any work you ask me to do.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, never thought I¡¯d see your kind visit my humble diner,¡± Savirei said, touching her furry cheek with one hand.

 Chapter 107

    ¡°Damn it,¡± I cursed to myself.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Master Rockin?¡± Ranalaiya wanted to know.


    ¡°Nothing. I¡¯ve just wasted another Tarkee skin. Baah¡­¡± I exclaimed, throwing my head backwards and almost hitting the tree behind me that I was sitting next to.


    I was trying to craft bracers for Ranalaiya from the Tarkee skins that I had for the second time now and it didn¡¯t work again. When I was crafting Rhaki¡¯s Armor, the work flowed and I was able to craft the armor pieces fairly easily, but when I tried crafting a piece of armor using Tarkee skin, it just didn¡¯t work. When I messed up and ruined Tarkee¡¯s skin for the first time, I just thought I was doing it wrong, but after the second failure I had to stop and think why I couldn¡¯t do it.


    ¡°Crap, must be because my Crafting skill is not high enough,¡± it finally dawned on me.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, Master Rockin. I like my Rhaki¡¯s Armor too,¡± Ranalaiya said, probably wanting to cheer me up.


    ¡°Thanks, but¡­ all of us will need to get better equipment going forward. I suppose I have no choice but to craft more stuff that I can craft in order to raise my Crafting skill¡¯s level,¡± I said, making a grimace.


    It¡¯s not that I hated crafting, but I¡¯d rather kill monsters to level up myself instead. Speaking with Lavita again really set my butt on fire to become stronger faster and that¡¯s what we were doing for the past two days, but I had to face reality and admit that I won¡¯t be reaching level one hundred any time soon.


    ¡°What kind of items can you craft now, Master Rockin?¡± Sylfrin became curious.


    ¡°What kind of items? Aah¡­ one moment. Show status,¡± I said, opening my Status Window before navigating to my Crafting skill tab where it showed all the items that I could craft. ¡°So, I can craft Carnabbit Mantle, Carnabbit Shoes, the whole Rhanabbit Armor set, normal Hammock, extra large Hammock and Weak Healing Potions.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a lot of items,¡± Sylfrin was impressed.


    ¡°Yeah, maybe, but¡­ not really,¡± I mumbled, looking at the whole list. ¡°I suppose I could craft some Rhanabbit armor pieces to level up my Crafting skill.¡± I scratched my head. The list of the items that I could craft wasn¡¯t big, mostly because I wasn¡¯t really into crafting, but now that I needed to level up my Crafting skill, a few ideas were popping inside my head.


    ¡°Maybe you could sell Rhanabbit Armor set on the Auction House again, Master Rockin?¡± Ranalaiya suggested, adding a motivation to make some money too.


    ¡°Ah, yeah, I guess,¡± I reluctantly agreed with her. ¡°Anyway, is the meat done now?¡± I changed the topic, not feeling like crafting anything right now, especially after failing twice and ruining two Tarkee skins which were really hard to get.


    ¡°I will check, Master,¡± Ranalaiya jumped to her feet.


    It was the morning of the third day and we had woken up not that long ago. I restarted the fire and sat down to try and craft something while waiting for the meat to cook, failing at it miserably and ruining my morning mood as a result of it. I didn¡¯t want to waste much time sitting around, or waste any more Tarkee skins for that matter, so after we ate, we resumed our Tarkee hunting again.


    There was something good that happened during the time that we¡¯ve been killing Tarkees since arriving to the sixth floor of the dungeon which has really put my hopes up in regards to me leveling up. Tarkees were giving ten experience points per kill normally which meant we needed to kill sixty of them for Lavita to offer a level up for me. At first, I was grumpy because I thought it would take a long time for me to level up, but when I have received two level up offers while Ranalaiya and Sylfrin haven¡¯t received a single one during the time we had been in the dungeon so far, it just hit me. I then realized that I had a big, if not massive advantage to level up faster in comparison to everyone else.


    When someone is starting out as an adventurer, they gain the first couple of levels quite fast. To go from level one to level two the person needs to collect one hundred experience points which is not a lot, really. Going from level two to level three, the person needs to collect two hundred experience points. From level three to level four, three hundred experience points and so on. The thing is, the amount of experience needed to collect increases with each level up and the higher the person¡¯s level is, the longer it takes for them to reach the next level up and it works the same way for everyone, except for me of course. Well, the amount of experience points I need to collect increases with each of my actual level up as well, but so far the increase was only one hundred experience points with each actual level up. In comparison, Ranalaiya and Sylfrin have to collect more than several thousand experience points to reach their next level ups now. Sylfrin needs to collect less compared to Ranalaiya because Ranalaiya is level thirteen and Sylfrin is level ten, but the fact remains, the increase of experience needed to reach their next level up grows by a considerable amount.


    The reason that I would always despair that I was gaining levels much slower than everyone else was because before reaching lower floors of the dungeon the experience gain per monster kill was quite small. Lesser Trents give six experience points per kill normally and only three experience points per kill inside the Secret Area. Rhakis give eight experience points which is better, but it was taking longer for me to kill them at the very beginning, especially when I was fighting monsters by myself. Therefor, it was taking ages for me to reach my next Level Up offer even when I was level four at the time. However, all that changed when I had Ranalaiya and Sylfrin join me inside the dungeon, and now that both of them are strong enough, killing Tarkees is a walk in the park for us. As such, my experience gain became so fast that the only thing that slowed it down was the breaks we took and the time we spend by looking for more Tarkees to kill.


    ¡°Summon Spiderling,¡± Sylfrin waved her hand, a green magic circle materializing in front of her and a Halluspider resembling spider popped out from within the green light the next second.


    One other cool thing was to see Sylfrin summon a Halluspider that was basically her pet. I got her to learn the Summon Spiderling spell that I have acquired from the Spider Queen boss after she had reached level ten. Her stats were high enough to learn the spell a few levels earlier, but the spell required for the user to be level ten before learning it. The spiderling looked like any other Halluspider monster on the second floor, had all the abilities that a Halluspider had, but was slightly bigger in size and had a green mark on its abdomen, something only the Spider Queen boss had. Sylfrin spiderling could cut, bite and shoot spiderweb as one of its attacks which helped us big time when fighting monsters. And the best part was, the spiderling was gaining experience and levels too which was a real surprise when we had learned of it. In addition, Sylfrin¡¯s pet had a Status Window, with only Sylfrin herself being able to open it before showing it to us.


    The spiderling had its own stats too, but only three out of six compared to all of us. The three stats were Stamina, Strength and Agility. Unfortunately, the Halluspider pet wouldn¡¯t receive any stat points after it levels up, but its stats would still grow on their own after each level up. It was level four currently and its Stamina, Strength and Agility were eight, ten and twelve respectively. The spiderling wasn¡¯t particularly strong, but it was helping during the fights mainly by slowing the monsters down by shooting its spiderweb at them or poisoning the monsters each time it bit them, the later being extremely useful in longer fights.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    One other thing we¡¯ve learned about Sylfrin¡¯s spiderling was that it could die too. It wouldn¡¯t die permanently fortunately, and it happened more often at the beginning than now since it gained a few levels and Sylfrin learned how to command it better, but when it did, Sylfrin wouldn¡¯t be able to summon it for a certain amount of time. It sort of made sense. Her spiderling needed to recover after receiving too much damage, and since I didn¡¯t want to waste Healing Potions on it, we¡¯d simply fight on our own until Sylfrin could summon it again.


    ¡°Shield,¡± I finished off another Tarkee with my attack skill, killing the last one out of the four that we¡¯ve encountered yet again.


    - ¡°Just wow. You are totally on fire today, hun. Ten experience points for you and twenty for your party members.¡± ¨C Lavita was happy to tell us about it.


    - ¡°Maximum experience points reached. Level up is available. Would you like to level up?¡± ¨C A bland, mechanical voice announced next.


    Huh? A Level Up offer? Must be for Sylfrin. I stopped to check.


    ¡°It¡¯s for you, Sylfrin,¡± I said, feeling good about being right. ¡°It looks like it is safe for me to accept it now. I¡¯ll do it quick and then we can continue.¡±


    - ¡°Level up accepted. Increasing character¡¯s level from level ten to level eleven. Complete. Level up complete.¡± ¨C Was all the mechanical voice said.


    ¡°Humph,¡± I frowned, although I knew there was a low chance Sylfrin would acquire a new skill or a spell since she had received one on her tenth level up. ¡°You have received five stat points, Sylfrin, so I have increased your Stamina and Spell Power by one point each, and your Magic Energy by two points.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin was happy, she and Ranalaiya huddling up to check Sylfrin¡¯s stats.


    Right, so¡­ we have enough water to last us two days before we will need to go to that secret area to refill our containers. While Sylfrin and Ranalaiya were checking Sylfrin¡¯s stats, I was checking our supplies. We have enough meat to last us more than a week, but I have only a tiny bit of spices left which will be just enough for one more meal to make it taste better. We could eat roasted meat without additional spices, but I kinda like it tastier now. Ranalaiya and Sylfrin would probably appreciate to have it too even if they don¡¯t complain about the taste. In all honesty, going to that secret area to get water will be a drag too. Meh, maybe we¡¯ll just go back to Hirvant tomorrow? I should gain another Level Up offer by the end of the day too. It¡¯s not gonna get me to an actual level seven most probably yet, though. Well, we would need to have some rest from fighting monsters too. I could use a bath too. With some¡­ additional company and a¡­ rub on the back¡­ Ahem¡­ And I need to raise my Crafting skill¡¯s level too, and working at the inn will be much comfier than here inside the dungeon. Yep, we¡¯ll be going back to Hirvant tomorrow.


    ¡°Aah¡­ are you girls ready to move on now?¡± I asked, mainly wanting to distract myself from one of the reasons I decided to go back to Hirvant tomorrow.


    ¡°Yes, Master Rockin,¡± they told me one after another.


    ¡°Ok, great. We have¡­ more than half a day ahead of us, so¡­ let¡¯s not waste the time,¡± I tried to make it sound I was excited about us going to hunt more Tarkees.


    {about at the same time in Hirvant}


    ¡°Welcome you two. Grab a table and I will be right there with you,¡± Savirei greeted Tarrion and Krisel before going to check on another table.


    ¡°Thank you, Savirei,¡± Krisel thanked her while Tarrion walked to sit down at the first available table.


    ¡°Hello, may I take your order, please?¡± A waitress appeared next to Tarrion¡¯s and Krisel¡¯s table almost the instant the of them sat down.


    ¡°Yes, I will take¡­ oh, my,¡± Krisel was about to tell the waitress what she wanted to order but got awestruck by seeing how the person looked.


    ¡°Huh? I¡¯ll be damned,¡± Tarrion exclaimed, his eyebrows shooting up.


    ¡°Ah, I¡­ I¡¯m really sorry, but¡­ would you like to order something?¡± The waitress asked again, looking a little uneasy.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry. Is it roasted Carnabbit steak for you, Tarrion?¡± Krisel apologized to the waitress before turning to Tarrion to double check with him.


    ¡°Yes¡­ ghm¡­¡± Tarrion said, averting his eyes away from the waitress.


    ¡°One Carnabbit steak and one fried vegetables soup, and two mugs of mild ale, please,¡± Krisel placed the order.


    ¡°Preparing food will take a short while, but I will bring your drinks right away. If you excuse me, please,¡± the waitress showed a timid smile before leaving.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Krisel smiled back.


    ¡°Never expected to see a Red Dragonkin working as a waitress,¡± Tarrion said after the waitress was gone.


    ¡°So, she is of a Red Dragonkin race?¡± Krisel was curious to know.


    ¡°You¡¯ve never seen one?¡± Tarrion asked.


    ¡°No, not really,¡± Krisel smiled.


    ¡°Well, she must be only half-dragonkin, half-human, since pure dragonkins are fully covered in scales and have horns too. Their tails are usually longer and thicker too,¡± Tarrion explained.


    ¡°Thicker, hmm¡­¡± Krisel chuckled.


    ¡°Ah, sorry. It was¡­ standing out,¡± said Tarrion, becoming flustered. ¡°I meant her tail¡­ was standing out.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ok. I don¡¯t mind you looking at other women,¡± Krisel added with a smile.


    ¡°I¡­ wasn¡¯t,¡± Tarrion blurted, his face showing something else.


    ¡°Hello, lovebirds. So, sorry for leaving you like that. What would you like to order?¡± Savirei asked, appearing next to their table before they could speak to each other again.


    ¡°Hello again, Savirei. Thank you, but we¡¯ve already placed our order,¡± Krisel told her.


    ¡°Is that so? Well, that¡¯s good. In that case, how are you two doing?¡± Savirei asked inquisitively.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been good, thank you,¡± Krisel said.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Tarrion blurted, but his face showed otherwise.


    ¡°Oh my. Did something happen?¡± Savirei asked, looking at Tarrion.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± he said. ¡°Sorry, be right back.¡± Tarrion stood up and left the table for some reason.


    ¡°Was it something I said?¡± Savirei asked, looking almost sad.


    ¡°No, no. I¡¯m sure it wasn¡¯t because of you, Savirei. Tarrion wants to talk to Rockin about something, but we couldn¡¯t find him anywhere, so he¡¯s a little on edge,¡± Krisel tried to explain.


    ¡°I see. Yes, I would like to see Rockin myself as well, but as far as I know, Rockin and his two lovely companions are in the dungeon right now,¡± Savirei said with a mild sigh, perking up the next second. ¡°On a similar topic, how are things going between you two?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going well,¡± Krisel said, showing a sincere smile. ¡°Well, considering. Tarrion says everything is fine and that he trusts me, but I doubt that what I¡¯ve done could simply be forgiven and forgotten easily. I know it will take some time until Tarrion and the rest of you will trust me again, but I don¡¯t mind waiting. I am sincerely grateful for being granted a second chance and I¡¯ll do everything I can until that day comes¡­ or even if it never comes at all.¡± Krisel was holding it in, but one single tear still managed to squeeze itself out of the corner of her left eye.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll be surprised my dear,¡± Savirei smiled to Krisel.


    ¡°Excuse me. Here are your drinks,¡± the waitress returned, placing two drinks on the table. ¡°I will go clear the tables now, Miss Savirei.¡± The waitress bowed her head to the diner¡¯s owner before walking away.


    ¡°She¡¯s a hard worker,¡± Krisel commented after the waitress was gone.


    ¡°Indeed. I was surprised to see a half-dragonkin woman offer to work as a waitress at my diner. Can¡¯t complain, though. I have more people visit my diner just so they could be served by her,¡± Savirei said, adding a chuckle.


    ¡°She is an attractive woman if I may say so,¡± said Krisel.


    ¡°Yes, but there might be another reason too,¡± Savirei showed a sly smile.


    ¡°Another reason?¡± Krisel asked, looking a little puzzled.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know much about dragonkins, do you, Krisel?¡± Savirei noticed her curious facial expression.


    ¡°Sorry, but this is the first time I¡¯m seeing one,¡± Krisel admitted, also showing a smile.


    ¡°Oh, so sorry for being so blunt, darling. The thing is, you usually wouldn¡¯t find a dragonkin working at a diner or doing any other menial job for that matter. Dragonkins are a very proud race, you see, so they leave lesser jobs for lesser races for the most part, if I were to put it mildly,¡± Savirei explained.


    ¡°Really? But then¡­¡± Krisel wanted to ask a very obvious question.


    ¡°Yes, I know what you want to ask, dear, but everyone has their reasons,¡± Savirei said, showing a smile.


    ¡°Right, I understand,¡± Krisel didn¡¯t pry.


    ¡°Thank you, dear. Now then, I think I will go do some work now. I have to set a good example to my employees,¡± Savirei said with a bit of a laugh before adding. ¡°Enjoy your meal.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Savirei,¡± Krisel said.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m back,¡± Tarrion returned to the table a moment later.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok. Here you go,¡± Krisel said, passing him a mug with a drink.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Tarrion said, picking it up and having a drink right away.

 Chapter 108

    ¡°Good morning, darling. Fancy seeing you at my diner so early,¡± Savirei greeted the big bull blacksmith with an added smile.


    ¡°Hi. Is Rockin around?¡± Alragus didn¡¯t beat around the bush, revealing the reason behind his visit.


    ¡°Oh, my. And here I thought you came here because of my food. I suppose I still have ways to go as a cook,¡± Savirei sighed in a sad manner, but she was simply putting on an act.


    ¡°Ah, sorry. I will have something to eat,¡± Alragus said, looking around for a table to sit at.


    ¡°Oh, please forgive me, Alragus. I just felt like being cheeky with you,¡± Savirei said, feeling slightly bad about her act earlier.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok. I¡¯m still hungry,¡± but Alragus didn¡¯t mind. ¡°I¡¯ll sit over there. The usual, please.¡±


    ¡°Ok. I¡¯ll be right back,¡± Savirei smiled before going to the kitchen and coming back in a short while with Alragus¡¯ food. ¡°Going back to your question, I haven¡¯t seen Rockin for the past four days I¡¯m afraid.¡± Savirei told him.


    ¡°Right,¡± Alragus grunted thoughtfully, not that he was upset or anything.


    ¡°Is something the matter, Alragus?¡± Savirei wanted to know.


    ¡°Not really. I was just wondering where I could post a quest. I need some crafting materials,¡± Alragus explained the reason.


    ¡°Ah, I see. Yes, that is something we need figuring out going forward. I was thinking I need to restock on some Lesser Trent Wood as well,¡± Savirei admitted before adding. ¡°Let¡¯s hope he will come back soon.¡±


    ¡°Humph,¡± Alragus simply snorted before turning his attention to his food.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll leave you to enjoy your food, dear,¡± Savirei said, leaving him be.


    Right about the same time the door to the diner opened, forcing Savirei to turn towards it to see who was about to enter it. It wasn¡¯t Rockin unfortunately, but it still made Savirei gasp in surprise upon seeing who the two people were.


    ¡°Oh, my. Now that¡¯s someone I did not expect to receive,¡± Savirei exclaimed in surprise.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Alragus turned to see who it was, becoming curious himself after hearing Savirei¡¯s remark. ¡°Dragonkins?¡±


    The two men who entered Savirei¡¯s diner were of pure red dragonkin race and were as big as the bull blacksmith himself, if not bigger. The men resembled lizardmen, but did not look exactly the same. They had multiple horns on their heads for one, with two of their horns being bigger and longer than the rest, and their faces looked to be flatter, and had some human features too. They had muscular bodies and were wearing quite the impressive armor as well, but no shoes. Their hands and feet resembled lizard¡¯s or dragon¡¯s paws, especially feet, and they had tails too, which were about thirty feet in length.


    ¡°Welcome to my humble diner. My name is Savirei. Would you like a table?¡± Savirei greeted the guests politely.


    ¡°A diner? Looks more like a barn for animals to feed,¡± one of the dragonkin¡¯s retorted.


    ¡°Tch¡­ what is this stench? Can¡¯t be the smell of the food here, can it?¡± The other dragonkin added with a scoff.


    ¡°Oh my. Now that¡¯s a little rude, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡± Savirei tried to be polite about it.


    ¡°And why would I care?¡± The first dragonkin scoffed at her in a threatening manner.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s a little grumpy, I see,¡± Savirei smiled, more so to try and smoothen the situation than being genuine about her smile.


    ¡°Tch¡­ whatever,¡± the second dragonkin clicked his tongue, looking around before turning to face Savirei again. ¡°We¡¯re looking for a half breed red dragonkin woman. Seen her?¡±


    ¡°A red dragonkin woman? Here? In a barn full of animals? Probably not,¡± Savirei told him, her jabs being very much intentional.


    ¡°Hey, watch your tongue, woman!¡± The first dragonkin raised his voice, glaring at her intently.


    - ¡®Smash!¡¯ ¨C The moment the man raised his voice, the sound of plates falling and breaking was heard on the other end of the diner, forcing people to turn to see what just happened.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Savirei turned to see what happened herself only to see Lilfira, her new hire, stand next to a small pile of broken plates on the floor while covering her mouth with both hands, her face being as pale as a snow, her body shaking.


    ¡°She¡¯s here after all. You lied to us, wench!¡± The first dragonkin cursed, making a step forward and slapping Savirei on the face with his hand in an outward motion.


    ¡°Aah!¡± Savirei fell on the floor, shock being written all over her face.


    ¡°Get her,¡± the first dragonkin ordered.


    ¡°Right away,¡± the second one said before walking forward.


    ¡°Humph,¡± ¨C ¡®Smack!¡¯ ¨C but was met by a punch in the face from Alragus before he was able to make his third step.


    ¡°Bhah,¡± the dragonkin flinched. However, as strong as Alragus¡¯ punch was, Alragus wasn¡¯t able to knock the dragonkin off his feet. ¡°Huh? You dare stand in my way. Ghaah!¡± ¨C ¡®Bam!¡¯ ¨C The dragonkin punched Alragus back and he was fast too, because Alragus just barely managed to raise his hands to block. Worse yet, the dragonkin¡¯s punch was really strong, because it pushed Alragus a few steps back. ¡°Oh? You managed to stay on your feet?¡± The dragonkin somewhat smirked.


    ¡°Humph. You better leave or else,¡± Alragus snorted.


    ¡°Or else what?¡± The same dragonkin retorted, looking to be overly confident and not hiding it.


    ¡°The hell are you doing starting a fight in here?!¡± Some other patron jumped up from his seat.


    ¡°How dare you hurt our lovely Savirei! You asshole!¡± Another man came forward.


    ¡°You damn lizards need to be taught a lesson!¡± The third one joined in.


    ¡°Lizards?! I¡¯ll cut your head off, human!¡± The second dragonkin growled at him.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°Hold it, Bregerthak,¡± but the first dragonkin stopped him.


    ¡°What? What are you saying, Nirongeth? These lesser breeds need to be taught a lesson,¡± Bregerthak retorted.


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving,¡± Nirongeth said, turning to go.


    ¡°Leaving? But¡­¡± Bregerthak grunted.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Nirongeth cut him off, furrowing his eyebrows.


    ¡°Gh¡­ Fine, but what about the half-breed?¡± Bregerthak asked, still not willing to move from his spot.


    ¡°We know where she is now. We need to report to the Chief,¡± was all Nirongeth said before walking out of the diner.


    ¡°Tch¡­¡± Bregerthak clicked his tongue before turning to the crowd, but he was looking only at one person among them. ¡°We¡¯ll come back for you, half-breed.¡± He added, walking out of the diner after that.


    ¡°Are you ok?¡± Alragus asked Savirei.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± she smiled, but it was evident she was shaken by what just happened.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry. I¡¯m so, so sorry,¡± Lilfira started apologizing after coming closer, her eyes filled with tears. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for causing you trouble. I¡­ I will leave right away.¡±


    ¡°You will certainly not, sweetheart,¡± Savirei said with a smile on her face, but she was very serious about it.


    ¡°Huh? But¡­¡± Lilfira didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°What do you think will happen the moment you will step out of my diner, hmm?¡± Savirei asked, tilting her head to the side.


    ¡°But¡­ but I¡¯ve already caused you trouble and if I stay¡­¡± Lilfira was trying to argue.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we take a deep breath and calm down first? Everyone, so sorry for the unsightly scene that just happened and thank you very much for your support. As a thanks, drinks are on the house,¡± Savirei spoke to the people who were present.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, Savirei,¡± one of the patrons said.


    ¡°Yeah. We won¡¯t let anyone bully you, Savirei,¡± another one added.


    ¡°Ah, you are so sweet,¡± Savirei said, touching her cheek with one hand before turning to Lilfira again. ¡°Please dear, why don¡¯t you take a break from work and sit down to relax for a moment? I¡¯ll come over as soon as I sort this mess out.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I¡­ I will help,¡± Lilfira offered.


    ¡°Please, I insist,¡± but Savirei made it clear she wouldn¡¯t let her.


    ¡°Ah, yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Lilfira took the hint.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± Savirei added before going to clean up the broken plates. It took her only a short while to clean everything up before coming to where Lilfira was sitting. ¡°Here you go, my dear.¡± Savirei placed two mugs with the drinks on the table, one for Lilfira and one for herself.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for what happened, Savirei. You were kind enough to hire me and yet I caused you so much trouble,¡± Lilfira was apologizing like no tomorrow again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, sweetheart. I was expecting something of the sort to happen sooner or later,¡± Savirei said, sounding like she knew it in advance.


    ¡°What? You knew that the dragonkin were after me?¡± Lilfira exclaimed, surprise being written all over her face.


    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t say I knew what would happen specifically, but having someone of a dragonkin race ask to work at my diner gave me a hint there had to be a very serious reason behind it,¡± Savirei told her.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m really sorry,¡± Lilfira said, lowering her head and still feeling guilty about what happened.


    ¡°Enough apologizing already. Besides, I¡¯m not angry or anything, and before you repeat yourself again, you are more than welcome to stay and work here,¡± Savirei reassured her.


    ¡°Really? T¡­ thank you,¡± Lilfira finally smiled.


    ¡°However, it would make it so much easier if I knew what to expect going forward. Do you mind telling me why those men were after you, dear?¡± Savirei wanted to know.


    ¡°I¡­ ok,¡± Lilfira agreed, lowering her head down before exhaling deeply. ¡°You see, I am¡­ the Raging Flames Tribe¡¯s current Chief¡¯s unwanted child.¡±


    ¡°Red Dragonkin chief¡¯s child?¡± Savirei¡¯s eyebrows shot up.


    ¡°Ah, yes. Well, essentially Raging Flames is a clan¡¯s name and the dragonkin refer to their clan¡¯s leader as their Chief,¡± Lilfira explained.


    ¡°Yes, well. Thank you for explaining that,¡± Savirei said, but her previous reaction could¡¯ve meant she was simply shocked to learn Lilfira was of a such high status. ¡°But¡­ why would you say you are an unwanted child?¡±


    ¡°Simply because I was not meant to be born. You probably know that dragonkins look down on many other races and they especially abhor the half-breeds of their own kind. For dragonkin to have a child with someone other than their own race is a humiliation worse than death. That¡¯s why my mother was raising me in secret or else she would¡¯ve been killed the moment my father would¡¯ve found out about it,¡± Lilfira revealed more information, telling the story in a way as if she was speaking about any other neutral topic.


    ¡°Hold on there a moment, dear. Isn¡¯t that a little unfair from your father¡¯s point of view? Being a proud race is one thing, but taking responsibility as a man is a completely different thing,¡± Savirei stated, sounding and looking upset.


    ¡°I understand why you would think that, but it wasn¡¯t like my father wanted to be with my mother in the first place. You see, my mother used to work at a brothel and that¡¯s where she had met my father. It wasn¡¯t love or anything. She was simply doing her job. Even after she became pregnant, she didn¡¯t know what to expect. But once I was born, she instantly knew who the father was, since she had my father as her only dragonkin client ever,¡± Lilfira added to her story.


    ¡°Oh my. I must admit, I am a little taken aback by how calm you are talking about it, dear,¡± Savirei was sincerely surprised about it.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, really. My mother is the one who had it really difficult while trying to raise me or probably even before that. She was always truthful and honest with me, and the things I had to go through growing up pales in comparison to all the suffering that my mother had to endure while raising me,¡± Lilfira said, sadness entering her face. ¡°Besides, I have no reason to lie to you or anyone else for that matter.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for being so honest with me, Lilfira. However, it is hard to believe your own father wants to kill you,¡± Savirei wasn¡¯t willing to accept that part.


    ¡°Maybe so, but it is not so hard to believe for me. I may be calling him my father, but I have no kind feeling for him, not that I hate him either. My only wish was for my mother and I to live a peaceful life, but it doesn¡¯t look like it will be happening. Not for me at least. Therefor, I want to ask a big favor of you, Savirei,¡± Lilfira smiled, yet her eyes were full of tears.


    ¡°What it is, dear?¡± Savirei smiled back at her.


    ¡°Would you mind taking care of my mother?¡± Lilfira asked.


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Savirei asked, squinting her eyes.


    ¡°My mother is getting old and her health is declining too. You and your sister were kind enough to offer us work, and I could finally see my mother sleep peacefully in so many years. I want her to live the rest of her life happily,¡± Lilfira said.


    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Savirei told her with a wide smile on her face.


    ¡°Huh? What?¡± Lilfira didn¡¯t expect for her to say that.


    ¡°Let me guess, you are either planning to run away by yourself or worse, planning to sacrifice your life for your mother¡¯s sake? A little selfish and cruel if I may say so,¡± Savirei said.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Lilfira wanted to say something, but she was in too much shock to learn Savirei had her figured out.


    ¡°Listen, dear, do you think your mother would be happy knowing her daughter had thrown her life away after what she¡¯d gone through to raise you up?¡± Savirei asked point blank.


    ¡°Huh? My¡­ mother¡­¡± Lilfira started become teary again. ¡°But¡­ but what can I do? I am not strong enough to protect my mother and if I stay here, I will cause more trouble for you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you shouldn¡¯t worry about that, my dear. Besides, I might be able to offer a solution that could protect you and your mother from harm,¡± Savirei said with a smile.


    ¡°A solution? What¡­ kind of solution?¡± Lilfira asked, feeling both curious and puzzled.


    ¡°Well, you could join a clan yourself which would offer you a clan¡¯s protection. I am certain that as a leader of his own clan, your father wouldn¡¯t be so reckless as to try and take you by force or else he would have to face the consequences of ¡®attacking¡¯ a member of another clan,¡± Savirei explained what she had in mind.


    ¡°But¡­ who would let someone like me join their clan? Most clans wouldn¡¯t want to take me in and not only because I am only level one, and have no fighting experience, but because I am a half-breed dragonkin. Taking someone like me in is basically making an enemy of any other dragonkin clan. Besides, the Raging Flames Tribe that my father is the Chief of is a strong and well-known clan. I doubt any clan would want to risk their reputation or safety of their other members by allowing me to join,¡± Lilfira offered a lot of valid if not frightful reasons why she thought that.


    ¡°I believe I know one clan that would be willing to take that kind of risk,¡± Savirei said, a sly smile entering her lips.


    ¡°Really?¡± Lilfira asked, gasping in disbelief.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Savirei said, her eyes smiling cheekily.


    ¡°But are you sure about it, Savirei? What if the clan¡¯s leader wouldn¡¯t want me to join his clan?¡± Lilfira still had doubts about it.


    ¡°Oh, but I think it is quite the opposite. I believe he will be very happy to have you¡­ join his clan,¡± Savirei said, making a seemingly innocent pause before finishing her sentence.

 Chapter 109

    ¡°Oh my, what happened, Savirei?¡± Krisel exclaimed after seeing Savirei¡¯s swollen face. It didn¡¯t looking very bad, but Krisel still managed to notice it.


    ¡°I had a little accident happen, that¡¯s all. Hello Krisel and Tarrion. Sorry, but Rockin hasn¡¯t shown up yet,¡± Savirei informed, showing a smile.


    ¡°Tch¡­ Hmph, hi,¡± Tarrion grunted before greeting her. ¡°I¡¯ll have a drink.¡± He added then went to sit down at one of the free tables available.


    ¡°Ronna, would you mind checking on table six and seven, please?¡± Savirei asked one of her workers before turning to Krisel again. ¡°And who are those people that came with you if I may ask?¡±


    ¡°Those people are the reason why Tarrion wants to speak with Rockin. They would like to join our clan,¡± Krisel informed her.


    ¡°Oh, wow. And here I thought I¡¯ll be the first one to find a new member to join our clan yet you have found four instead of one,¡± Savirei wasn¡¯t exactly sad about the fact that Tarrion and Krisel had found four people compared to her finding only one.


    ¡°You have someone who wants to join our clan too?¡± Krisel became curious.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Savirei said, but didn¡¯t disclose who it was.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Krisel simply smiled instead of asking about who the person was.


    ¡°It¡¯s my new hire, Lilfira,¡± Savirei said, knowing what Krisel¡¯s smile meant.


    ¡°Wow, the half dragonkin girl? How did you talk her into joining our clan I wonder?¡± Krisel was curious to know.


    ¡°Well, it wasn¡¯t too difficult. Although, her situation wouldn¡¯t have allowed her not to join a clan, ours or anyone else¡¯s, really,¡± Savirei said.


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± Krisel asked.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a rather delicate matter and a little private too, but she is¡­¡± Savirei was about to reveal some information about it, but her words were cut off when the door to her diner opened and several people walked in one after another. ¡°Oh no¡­¡± Savirei¡¯s face went slightly pale.


    ¡°What? What are you¡­ Huh?¡± Krisel turned around only to see three red dragonkins enter the diner, with one of them standing out more than the others. For one, the dragonkin who entered the diner first looked to be bigger than the other two. Second, the horns on his head looked to be longer compared to the other two, in addition to growing in a halfmoon shape and making it look like he was wearing a crown of sorts. The same dragonkin was also wearing a full plated armor and it looked to be made out of an extremely high-quality metal too. The armor had blueish glow to it and looked to be magically enchanted too. The dragonkin was also wearing a thick, gold-plated necklace that was hanging down his chest on the outside for everyone to see, a red, fiery emblem showing in the middle of it. ¡°What¡­ who are they?¡±


    ¡°Those men are the reason why Lilfira needs to join a clan¡­ or why my face is swollen right now,¡± Savirei told her.


    ¡°What?¡± Krisel exclaimed, looking shocked after hearing it.


    ¡°Who is the owner of this establishment?!¡± The important-looking dragonkin asked in a harsh, loud voice.


    ¡°At least he didn¡¯t call it a barn for animals to feed this time,¡± Savirei chuckled before stepping out from behind the counter. ¡°If you excuse me, Krisel.¡± She walked to greet the new guests.


    ¡°Savirei¡­ Oh, Tarrion,¡± Krisel gasped before rushing to where Tarrion was sitting.


    ¡°Welcome to my humble diner. My name is Savirei. How can I be of service?¡± Savirei greeted the guests, standing a short distance away from them.


    ¡°If you hand over Lilfira to us nothing bad will happen to this place¡­ or people in it,¡± the biggest dragonkin spoke to her, his words sounding nothing other than a warning or even a threat.


    ¡°Oh my. That sounds scary, but I don¡¯t know who you are talking about I¡¯m afraid, or even if I did, I have no authority to hand over anybody to anyone, kind sir,¡± Savirei said, trying to sound very polite.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare lie to us, furry face! We¡¯ve seen her working here just this morning!¡± One of the other two dragonkins, who¡¯s name apparently was Bregerthak, growled at her.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s quite a rude way to address someone,¡± Savirei commented, trying to keep a smile on her face.


    - ¡®Bam! Smash!¡¯ ¨C Bregerthak swiped his tail in response to her words, smashing at the nearby table and breaking it in the process, the ruckus drawing attention of everyone who was inside the diner.


    ¡°Oh my, who¡¯s gonna pay for the damages I wonder?¡± Savirei asked playfully, touching her face with her right hand.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be just a table next time,¡± Bregerthak threatened her, making a step forward.


    ¡°Humph,¡± the important looking dragonkin furrowed his eyebrows before raising his left hand up, Bregerthak stopping and making a step back to stand where he was. ¡°It would be wise on your part to not test my patience.¡± The dragonkin added, throwing a chill piercing glare at Savirei.


    ¡°And what would the Raging Flames Tribe want with a little girl I wonder?¡± Savirei asked, making the big dragonkin¡¯s eyebrows shoot up, even if a little.


    ¡°That is of no concern to you,¡± the big dragonkin retorted.


    ¡°Oh, but it is. You see, our little Lilfira is under the protection of my clan. Which means Raging Flames Tribe targeting Lilfira is the same as targeting my whole clan. As renowned as the Raging Flames Tribe is, I have my doubts you would want to make enemies of another clan for any minor incidents that might¡¯ve happened in the past which I am certain could be solved peacefully,¡± Savirei delivered the news.


    She wasn¡¯t wrong by saying all that. All members who belonged to a clan would have some sort of protection, provided the clan could offer any protection that is. Many clans would avoid clashing with each other for the most part. It was more beneficial to resolve matters without a fight and cooperation was always valued above strife in the long run. However, Rockstars Clan was just a small clan that was created a few days ago and had no standing nor any reputation as a clan yet, so Savirei was basically bluffing in an attempt to reason with the dragonkin who looked to be if not the leader of the Raging Flames Tribe then at least somewhere close to one.


    ¡°Humph,¡± the big dragonkin furrowed his eyebrows again before raising his left hand again, turning his hand to make his fingers point forward after he did so.


    ¡°Hah,¡± Bregerthak smirked before stepping forward to approach Savirei.


    ¡°Huh? Wha¡­¡± Savirei stepped back, feeling intimidated by the approaching dragonkin.


    ¡°You should¡¯ve just listened to the Chief and given the half-breed to us right away,¡± Bergerthak declared, raising his fist to swing at Savirei.


    ¡°Aaah!¡± Savirei covered her face in fear.


    ¡°Humph,¡± Bregerthak swung.


    - ¡®Bang.¡¯ - But his punch was blocked by Tarrion jumping in and raising his shield in front of him. That just saved Savirei from probably a major injury. She quickly scurried to get out and away to a safe distance.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Bregerthak grimaced.


    ¡°Humph,¡± Tarrion threw a punch back at Bregerthak.


    ¡°Eh?¡± Bregerthak blocked it by raising his arms in front of him, Tarrion¡¯s punch forcing the dragonkin to make only a step back. ¡°Oh?¡± He looked visibly surprised to learn how strong Tarrion¡¯s punch was. ¡°Hmph, just don¡¯t think you can stand in my way, dry-skin. Haah!¡± Bergerthak swung directly at Tarrion, putting more force into his next punch.


    ¡°Shield Block,¡± Tarrion used his skill to block. It was a wise move on his part because Bergerthak¡¯s punch was much stronger than the one he intended to punch Savirei with, pushing Tarrion a few feet back on impact despite the fact he used his Shield Block skill. ¡°Tch¡­¡± Tarrion knew right there and then he was dealing with someone strong. By this time, whoever was in the diner rushed to get back to the other side of the dining area, so they wouldn¡¯t be caught in the fight.


    ¡°A Tank, eh?¡± Bregerthak commented, showing a menacing grin. ¡°Step aside or else.¡±


    ¡°You attacked my clan member. Don¡¯t think I¡¯ll let it slide,¡± Tarrion grunted back at him.


    ¡°Your clan member? Oh, are you saying you¡¯re the clan¡¯s leader?¡± Bregerthak asked.


    ¡°What if I am?¡± Tarrion glared at him.


    ¡°Ahahaha!¡± Bregerthak laughed out loud. ¡°In that case, all I have to do is bash your head against the wall to show neither you nor your clan is worth a grain of sand! Huuumph!¡± Bergerthak declared before swinging at Tarrion again.


    ¡°Shield Bash!¡± Tarrion used his skill, but instead of blocking Tarrion met Bregerthak¡¯s punch with a shield bash of his own, deflecting the dragonkin¡¯s punch and forcing Bregerthak to expose his face when his arm was thrown back after the impact. Tarrion was about to follow up with his own punch when a tail swipe hit him on his right side just under his arm, making Tarrion flinch on hit too.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Bregerthak threw another punch at Tarrion in an attempt to knock him out, but Tarrion was quick to raise his shield to block it.


    ¡°Ghm¡­¡± Tarrion blocked but was pushed back by how strong Bregerthak¡¯s punch was.


    ¡°Hah, did you actually think you deflected my punch with your puny shield bash just now?¡± Bregerthak smirked at him. Apparently, when Tarrion deflected Bregerthak¡¯s previous punch, the dragonkin shifted his body to the side on purpose, so he could use a tail swipe to smack Tarrion with. Whether it was intentional on his part or whether Bregerthak was bluffing right now was hard to tell. ¡°I think it¡¯s time I show you the difference in our strength, dry-skin. Hraaah!¡± Bregerthak rushed forward from where he was standing suddenly, raising his right hand in order to punch Tarrion again.


    ¡°Spark,¡± a spell was cast.


    ¡°Huh? Wha¡­¡± Bregerthak¡¯s body was hit by a shock, stopping his advance for a brief second.


    ¡°Haaa!¡± ¨C ¡®Smack!¡¯ ¨C Tarrion used the opportunity to punch the overconfident dragonkin in the face.


    ¡°Ghuah¡­¡± Bregerthak felt it, the power of Tarrion¡¯s punch forcing him to make a few steps back. It wasn¡¯t enough to knock him off his feet, however. ¡°You¡¯ll pay for this, dry-skin! Hraaa!¡±


    - ¡®Smack! Smack! Bam!¡¯ ¨C Before Tarrion could attack again, Bregerthak jumped forward and started throwing punches at him one after another.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ Ghh¡­¡± Tarrion couldn¡¯t do anything else other than block the incoming attacks, the power of Bregerthak¡¯s punches pushing him back little by little.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, dry-skin?! Haa!¡± Bregerthak yelled out before raising his hand again to deliver another punch. ¡°Huh? Humph!¡± But switched to cover his face when he noticed someone about to do something.


    ¡°Boost Strength,¡± Krisel cast a spell again to assist Tarrion, her spellcasting making Bregerthak¡¯s stop attacking before taking a defensive stance, Bregerthak probably thinking Krisel would cast the same spell as before.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°Haah!¡± Tarrion used the opportunity to try and punch Bregerthak again.


    ¡°Tarrion, watch out! Boost Stamina!¡± Krisel cried out before casting a spell to toughen Tarrion¡¯s defenses.


    - ¡®Smack!¡¯ ¨C A punch hit Tarrion¡¯s face from his rights side, making Tarrion flinch. ¨C ¡®Swipe! Bam!¡¯ ¨C A tail swipe followed before Tarrion could turn towards the person who punched him, forcing Tarrion to almost tumble down, but he somehow managed to keep his balance up and stay on his feet, probably thanks to Krisel¡¯s Boost Stamina spell she had cast on him several seconds ago.


    ¡°You, dry-skins are pissing me off! Rhaar!¡± Bregerthak raged, squatting down before smashing at Tarrion with his right shoulder.


    ¡°Ghaah!¡± Tarrion was blown away. Because Bregerthak was on Tarrion¡¯s left, Tarrion was able to use his shield to somehow block his attack, but due to him being unstable on his feet and because how powerful Bregerthak¡¯s tackle was Tarrion was knocked off his feet, falling backwards on the floor with a heavy thud.


    ¡°Tarrion!¡± Krisel exclaimed, rushing to his side to check on him the next moment.


    ¡°Tch¡­¡± Bregerthak grimaced, probably being annoyed by the fact that Tarrion managed to raise his shield in time to block his shoulder tackle.


    ¡°Hey, you can¡¯t do that!¡± One of the patrons yelled out.


    ¡°Get out of here or else!¡± Another one joined in.


    ¡°Eh? You have something to say? How about you come here and stop me? Hrr¡­¡± Bergerthak retorted to the shouts.


    ¡°Stop wasting the time, Bregerthak,¡± the second dragonkin who was now standing next to him said.


    ¡°Ah, s¡­ sorry, Nirongeth. That dry-skin Tank got in my way. I¡¯ll take care of him now,¡± Bregerthak said, turning to engage Tarrion again.


    ¡°Hold it,¡± the big dragonkin spoke from behind the other two, forcing Bregerthak and Nirongeth stop and turn to face him.


    ¡°Yes¡­ sir,¡± the two dragonkins obeyed, stepping aside and letting the big dragonkin to pass.


    ¡°Humph,¡± Tarrion got up before stepping forward to block the big dragonkin¡¯s advance.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The big dragonkin furrowed his eyebrows, looking at Tarrion from above. He was basically a head taller than Tarrion was if not more. ¡°Bring Lilfira to me or else.¡± He ordered.


    ¡°N¡­ nha-¡°


    - ¡®Swipe! Bash!¡¯ ¨C Tarrion was about to say no, but received a tail swipe from the big dragonkin unexpectedly the moment he opened his mouth, the hit blowing Tarrion away and throwing him into the wall, Tarrion smashing at it with his back, falling on the floor right after.


    ¡°Tarrion!¡± Krisel exclaimed, rushing to his side to check on him.


    ¡°This was the last warning. Bring Lilfira to me right now,¡± the big dragonkin threatened, glaring at the small crowd of people with an intimidating look in his eyes.


    ¡°Ah¡­ tss¡­¡± a few people squirmed, fear and panic dressing their faces.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but Lilfira is not here anymore,¡± Savirei stepped forward, trying to bluff she wasn¡¯t afraid of the big dragonkin. ¡°I forgot to tell you she had left right before you came in. I now see she had a good reason for it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± the dragonkin narrowed his eyes while looking at Savirei before grabbing her by the throat unexpectedly.


    ¡°Ah? Hhghh¡­¡± Savirei struggled to break free.


    ¡°You lie. Either someone brings her here right now or I will break your neck,¡± the big dragonkin was very serious when he said that, lifting Savirei up in the air. ¡°Well?¡±


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up with the two lizard¡­ whoever blocking the entrance?¡± A male voice was heard from where the diner¡¯s entrance was.


    ¡°Huh?¡± The big dragonkin, with everyone else who heard the person speak turned to see who it was.


    ¡°Rockin,¡± Krisel exclaimed, letting a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Huh? Savirei?! You¡­ Ranalaiya¡­¡± I turned my head back to quickly address Ranalaiya who was about to enter the diner after me to tell her something before turning to face forward again. ¡°The fuck do you think you¡¯re doing, lizard-face?! Let Savirei go, now!¡± I yelled out, taking out my two shields from my storage before gripping them tight.


    ¡°What? How dare you call our Chief like that? You¡¯ll pay for your insolence, dry-skin!¡± Bregerthak growled before charging at me. ¡°You dry-skins need to know your place! Hraa!¡±


    ¡°Shield,¡± I raised my Tarkee King¡¯s Shield to block.


    - ¡®Bam! Crack.¡¯ ¨C My magic defense shield cracked, but wasn¡¯t shattered by the lizardman-looking creature¡¯s punch.


    ¡°Why you!¡± Bregerthak was about to throw a punch with his left fist next.


    ¡°Shield Chain!¡± I unleashed my stun attack on him, the magic shield that hit him breaking, the chains shooting out, tying him in place and making him unable to move or do anything.


    ¡°The¡­ hell?!¡± Bregerthak exclaimed, being shocked he couldn¡¯t move a single finger.


    ¡°Shield!¡± I sidestepped to the side, so I could aim at his spiky, horn covered face without obstruction, my smack with my Piercing Shield, as well as, the magic shield from my attack skill bashing his skull so hard, one of his horns broke off before my attack blew him away, making him fly into the wall on the opposite side of the diner.


    ¡°Ghah! Cough¡­¡± Bregerthak coughed, crashing down on the floor after the impact. By that time, my Shield Chain skill¡¯s effect wore off and he could move again, so he tried to pick himself up.


    No shit! He¡¯s freakishly tough. I couldn¡¯t believe my attack didn¡¯t knock him out cold.


    ¡°You¡­ lowlife dry-skin. I will¡­¡± Bregerthak was about to stand up.


    ¡°Sylfrin, pin him down,¡± I issued an order.


    ¡°Yes, Master. Frost Spear,¡± Sylfrin extended her hand forward, casting a spell.


    ¡°AAAAH!¡± Bregerthak yelled out when a spike resembling a spear made out of ice shot up from the ground, piercing his left thigh, Bregerthak gripping onto it and wailing from pain.


    ¡°Bregerthak!¡± Nirongeth shouted. ¡°You filthy¡­ huh? What?¡± He was about to rush either me or Sylfrin, but saw something move behind Sylfrin which made him hesitate.


    ¡°Voras, go,¡± Sylfrin issued an order, her spiderling pet quickly running around the tables and jumping on Bregerthak¡¯s face.


    ¡°Ghaaa!¡± Bregerthak freaked out, seeing a Halluspider only two inches away from his eyes looking right at him.


    ¡°Make one move and I¡¯ll order it to pluck his eyes out,¡± Sylfrin spoke out loud basically to all three dragonkins inside the room, her pet which was named Voras by Sylfrin herself, clacking its pincers in front of Bregerthak¡¯s eyes a few times.


    ¡°Eeh¡­ tch¡­ mmh¡­¡± Bregerthak¡¯s face changed colors from brown to dark red, probably from rage or pain in his leg, or both. Either way, neither he nor the other two dragonkins dared to move.


    The moment that one, in my eyes lizardman-resembling guy was taken care of, I turned to see if the big guy was still holding Savirei by the neck which he still was.


    ¡°Let¡­ her¡­ go!¡± I raised my voice.


    ¡°Humph¡­¡± the big dragonkin narrowed his eyes while looking at me, and I thought he¡¯d do something horrible to Savirei, a very cold chill running down my spine upon such terrifying thought, but fortunately, he let Savirei go, the sly wolf-woman slipping down from his hand and falling on the floor.


    ¡°Cough¡­ cough¡­¡± Savirei coughed, massaging her neck.


    ¡°Someone help her, please. Huh? Oh,¡± I asked in a loud voice, with two people rushing to help her up, me recognizing who they were.


    ¡°You bastard! I don¡¯t know who you are, but what the fuck you think you¡¯re doing attacking my friends like that?¡± I was really mad right now, but I was also confused. I had no idea what actually happened here, except that some lizardman-resembling men from my point of view attacked my friends. I¡¯ve noticed Tarrion being injured too, which meant he had fought those three before I got here.


    ¡°Watch your mouth, filthy human or else-¡°


    ¡°Nirongeth!¡± The big dragonkin raised his voice, cutting Nirongeth off.


    ¡°But Chief, this human¡­¡± Nirongeth turned slightly to the side, so he could face the big dragonkin and was about to say something again.


    ¡°Silence!¡± The Chief dragonkin ordered loudly, his eyes showing Nirongeth better listen or else.


    ¡°Y¡­ yes, sir,¡± Nirongeth obeyed, making a step back.


    ¡°And don¡¯t move from your spot,¡± the big dragonkin added before turning to face me again. ¡°I let your subordinate go, now call your people off as well.¡±


    ¡°So they could attack me or my friends again? I don¡¯t think so,¡± I refused. ¡°How about we wait for the city¡¯s guards to arrive for you to explain them everything instead? You look big and mighty, but I doubt you are above the law.¡±


    ¡°Humph,¡± the big dragonkin¡¯s left eye twitched, not that I was able to see it. ¡°I came here to get Lilfira. She belongs to me yet your clan members refused to cooperate with us.¡±


    ¡°First of all, I don¡¯t know who that is. And second of all, that doesn¡¯t give you the right to attack or hurt them,¡± I stated point blank.


    ¡°What?¡± The big dragonkin looked visibly surprised by my answer. He turned to give a short glance towards where Savirei was at before turning back to me. ¡°Fine. We will take our leave now.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Really? Just like that? You think you can simply leave after injuring my friends?¡± I grimaced at him.


    ¡°Ghm¡­¡± The dragonkin in front of me furrowed his eyebrows before easing up. He then opened his Item Storage Box, and I was afraid he will take out a weapon from it or something, but instead, he took out two potions that looked like Healing Potions to me and a handful of coins before placing them on the nearby table. ¡°Here are two Healing Potions and twenty gold coins. Should be enough to heal your subordinates and cover the damages done to this place.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± I gasped. Two Healing Potions aside, I wasn¡¯t expecting him to offer twenty gold coins for the repair bill.


    ¡°Chief¡­¡± Nirongeth was about to say something, but the stern look in his Chief¡¯s eyes made him shut his mouth.


    ¡°Can you call off your people and let us leave now?¡± The big dragonkin asked.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± I hesitated, my eyes shooting back and forth at each of the three dragonkins. He made a generous offer and I didn¡¯t want to cause trouble for Savirei or anyone else, nor did I know how the city guard would react or which side they would take, so I decided to let it go. ¡°Fine. Sylfrin¡­¡± I spoke to her before motioning with my head just slightly.


    ¡°Voras,¡± Sylfrin called off her spiderling pet.


    ¡°Dhaaa¡­¡± Bregerthak exhaled before opening his own storage to take out a Healing Potion to heal his injured leg.


    ¡°We will be taking our leave now,¡± the dragonkin in charge said before making his way towards the exit.


    ¡°But Chief, we¡­¡± Nirongeth wanted to say something.


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving,¡± the big dragonkin stated after stopping right next to Nirongeth, making him shiver.


    ¡°Yes¡­ sir,¡± Nirongeth acknowledged it. Bregerthak was probably intending to say something as well, but after seeing and hearing the other two interact, followed them while keeping his mouth shut, the three dragonkins leaving the diner one after another.


    ¡°Humph?¡± The big dragonkin narrowed his eyes to look at someone after they were outside on the street. ¡°Get them up.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Did that dry-skin¡­¡± Bregerthak exclaimed, seeing his kin lying on the ground, knocked out called.


    ¡°Get him up,¡± the big dragonkin ordered.


    ¡°Ah, yes, Chief,¡± Bregerthak hurried to get his brethren.


    ¡°This is unforgivable. Chief Sanokard, why did you not let me fight? I would¡¯ve ripped that human apart!¡± Nirongeth roared in indignation.


    ¡°You fool. If you had moved even an inch, you would¡¯ve lost your head in an instant,¡± Chief Sanokard told him.


    ¡°Ah? What?¡± His words making Nirongeth gasp in disbelief. ¡°I would¡¯ve¡­ lost my head?¡± It was hard for him to believe.


    ¡°That¡­ human had someone else sneak up to you, probably using Shadow Blend ability, and they could¡¯ve sliced your throat at any moment if you were to make a single step in any direction,¡± Chief Sanokard explained to him.


    ¡°There was someone like that with him as well?¡± Nirongeth said, massaging his neck.


    ¡°It looks like we¡¯re not dealing with just any clan here. We need to learn more about that human and his clan, and to learn where they are hiding my daughter,¡± Chief Sanokard stated, him and the other dragonkin leaving the premises right after.


    {back inside Savirei¡¯s diner}


    ¡°You feeling ok now?¡± I asked Savirei after I had her drink the Healing Potion.


    ¡°Yes, thank you so much, darling,¡± Savirei smiled, but from how she held herself it was evident she was still shaken from what happened.


    ¡°Good timing, Furball,¡± Tarrion spoke to me.


    ¡°Ahh¡­ you¡¯re welcome,¡± I made a silly grimace.


    ¡°Tch¡­ that means you were late, dumbass,¡± Tarrion scoffed at me.


    ¡°Well, sorry. If I had known you were to pick a fight with some weird looking lizardmen I would¡¯ve came back from the dungeon earlier to cheer you on,¡± I didn¡¯t lack sarcasm myself.


    ¡°Dragonkin,¡± Tarrion said.


    ¡°Eh? What?¡± I couldn¡¯t understand what he meant.


    ¡°Those were dragonkins, Rockin. Red Dragonkins to be more precise,¡± Savirei explained it to me in more detail, looking to be feeling calmer too.


    ¡°Red Dragonkins? Like, dragons or something?¡± I asked, making a weird facial expression. I¡¯ve heard of dragons back in my world, but those were big flying monstrous creatures that were breathing fire and stuff.


    ¡°Dragonkins are not exactly dragons, but have some features similar to them and some of the Red Dragonkins can actually breath fire too,¡± Savirei added to her explanation.


    So, they do have dragons in here after all. That thought made my skin tingle.


    ¡°Ahhh¡­ ok. So¡­ what happened here? Why did they attack you?¡± I wanted to know before remembering something that big dragonkin had told me. ¡°Wait, that big guy said he was here to get someone. Lil¡­ Little¡­ something¡­ someone.¡±


    ¡°Lilfira,¡± Savirei told me.


    ¡°Yes, that¡­ him, her, whoever. Why would those dragonkins think this¡­ Lilfira is here in the first place?¡± I couldn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Because she is working here at my diner,¡± Savirei said, making me even more confused.


    ¡°Working at your diner? Wait¡­¡± I tried to remember every single person who I knew was working for Savirei, not able to remember anyone who went by the name Lilfira.


    ¡°Oh, you haven¡¯t met her yet, darling,¡± Savirei informed me, probably noticing I was trying to figure out who it was.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ confused,¡± I said, crinkling my nose.


    ¡°So sorry. Let me send someone to get her, so I can introduce you,¡± Savirei said, leaving the table we were sitting at then returning to me in a short while. ¡°You see, I hired her shortly after you left for the dungeon. She is of a dragonkin race too. Well, half-dragonkin to be more precise, but¡­ I allowed myself to let her join our clan. I¡¯m so sorry for not asking for your permission first. I hope you¡¯re not mad at me.¡±


    A lizardwoman? Ah well, who cares. The big question is why those dragonkins were after her. I mumbled in my head.


    ¡°Ah, what? Yeah, I guess. I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s probably ok, so¡­ don¡¯t worry about.¡± I couldn¡¯t object to Savirei inviting someone to our clan simply because I haven¡¯t set any rules on how someone could apply yet.


    ¡°Excuse me, Miss Savirei,¡± a woman spoke to her, interrupting our conversation suddenly.


    ¡°Eh? Wha¡­ Who¡­¡± I turned to see who it was, only to have my mouth open wide and not wanting to close.


    Wa¡­ woooah¡­ I stared at the redhaired woman with the weirdly shaped ears and some strange scales resembling tattoos under her eyes in an astonishing amazement. She was also wearing a waitress¡¯ uniform which made her look both cute and dazzling.


    ¡°Well, let me introduce you to our Rockstars Clan leader. This is Rockin Starling. This is Lilfira Flamelash,¡± Savirei introduced us to one another.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a pleasure to meet you, Mister Rockin,¡± Lilfira said, bowing in front of you. ¡°Miss Savirei was kind enough to invite me to join your clan, but I¡¯ve already caused you so much trouble. I¡¯m really sorry about that. I will understand if you decide against me joining your clan.¡±


    ¡°Eh? What?¡± I asked, basically not hearing anything she had said just now simply because I was staring at her like a dork. When Savirei mentioned earlier that Lilfira was of a dragonkin race, I was expecting her to look like those dragonkins from before. However, Lilfira looked to be very much human and very much beautiful, and that¡¯s why I was staring at her so intently.


    ¡°Lilfira here was asking if it¡¯s ok for her to join the Rockstars Clan, Rockin,¡± Savirei told me what apparently Lilfira asked me a moment ago.


    ¡°Ah, yeah, sure,¡± I said without thinking.


    ¡°See? I told you so,¡± Savirei told Lilfira, showing her a very sweet smile.


    Huh? What were we talking about just now? I didn¡¯t know what just happened, but I decided to think it was a good thing.

 Chapter 110

    ¡°Ok, so let me see if I got it right. Lilfira is a half dragonkin woman who is a daughter of a dragonkin who also is one of the biggest dragonkin clan leaders out there, aaand¡­ who also wants to kill her?¡± I made a pause before finishing my question, in addition to making the weirdest grimace on my face I had ever made.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct,¡± Savirei told me with a bright smile.


    ¡°Cool,¡± I said, crinkling my nose before scratching the side of it with my right finger.


    ¡°So happy we have such understanding, darling,¡± Savirei added, looking rather pleased.


    Are they serious?! Who in their right mind would believe that?! Some huge ass¡­ tail¡­ whatever dragonkin who¡¯s a leader of a widely known clan, and who is clearly waaay above my level and strength too, wants to kill his own daughter?! Are you freaking kidding me?! I was biting on my bottom lip to keep myself from bursting and telling them what I really thought about the matter.


    ¡°Listen, well¡­ aah¡­ can I get something to eat? I need to think it through. Oh, and Ranalaiya and Sylfrin would need to eat too. What are they¡­ Ah, right¡­ Voras,¡± I turned to check where my two beautiful companions were only to find a bunch of people, Tarrion and Krisel included, gathered around Ranalaiya and Sylfrin to look at Sylfrin¡¯s pet from up close.


    Obviously, seeing a Halluspider run around the diner made people curious. It was probably frightening to see it at first, but once they¡¯ve realized Voras was quite harmless, unless Sylfrin ordered it to attack of course, people became very curious to learn more about it. Sylfrin didn¡¯t mind the attention which wasn¡¯t a big surprise for me, but I wanted both Ranalaiya and Sylfrin to eat and we had some business to take care of too, so I called them over, with Sylfrin unsummoning her spiderling pet before joining me at the table.


    ¡°Yes, of course. So sorry, Rockin. What would you like to eat?¡± Savirei asked with the sweetest smile on her face.


    ¡°Three portions of Tarkee wings, please. And that¡­ green leaves dish for Sylfrin too,¡± I told her. I still couldn¡¯t remember what those leaves that Sylfrin loved to eat so much were called. It was Arbarbrus or something, but I chose not to try saying it out loud.


    ¡°Tarkee wings for all of you?¡± Savirei was a little surprised I didn¡¯t order Rhaki¡¯s meat for myself this time.


    ¡°Yeah. I can¡¯t cook Tarkee wings myself and we eat enough Carnabbit and Rhaki¡¯s meat in the dungeon,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Ah, yes. That¡¯s understandable. Right away, Rockin,¡± Savirei said before turning to Lilfira. ¡°Could you give me a hand here, Lilfira?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, Miss Savirei. Please, excuse me, Mister Rockin,¡± Lilfira bowed her head in front of me before going after Savirei.


    ¡°Do you mind if we join you too, Rockin?¡± Krisel asked me, Tarrion standing by her side.


    ¡°Ah, yes, sure,¡± I had no reason to refuse. ¡°I¡¯ve ordered Tarkee wings for all of us and those Arba¡­ rabrus leaves for you too, Sylfrin.¡±


    ¡°You mean Rabarbrus leaves, Master Rockin?¡± Sylfrin corrected me.


    ¡°Yes, that¡­¡± I said, trying to keep a straight face. ¡°You guys hungry?¡±


    ¡°No, not really. We ate right before¡­ the incident happened,¡± Krisel told me.


    ¡°Ah, yeah. The one where a father wants to kill his own daughter. Talk about the biggest nonsense I have ever heard,¡± I frown, shaking my head.


    ¡°That¡¯s no nonsense. Dragonkins abhor having half-breeds as their kin,¡± Tarrion told me in a very serious tone of his voice.


    ¡°Eh?¡± I raised an eyebrow while looking at him with a scowl on my face. ¡°Hold on. So, dragonkins having sex with other races is ok, but having a child with the same person they had sex with is a no go? How does that work?¡± I blurted out loud.


    ¡°Beats me,¡± Tarrion shrugged, his facial expression telling me he neither knew nor cared about it.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± I dropped my head with a heavy sigh.


    ¡°Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about something else,¡± Tarrion addressed me, forcing me to lift my head up to look at him again.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I asked with a half frown.


    ¡°I have a few people who want to join the Rockstars Clan,¡± he told me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me it is also someone who is running away from someone else who wants to kill them?¡± I blurted without thinking.


    ¡°Ghm, no,¡± Tarrion frowned.


    ¡°Ah, sorry,¡± I said, realizing I needed to cool off. ¡°Who are they?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the people sitting over there,¡± Tarrion said, turning his head to show where those people were sitting, the woman waving at us when she noticed us looking at them.


    ¡°Oh, right. Emmy¡¯s group?¡± Only then I remembered them being here. I¡¯ve noticed them being here when Emmy and Arny helped Savirei after the big dragonkin released her from his grip.


    ¡°You know them?¡± Tarrion was surprised I knew her name.


    ¡°Not¡­ exactly,¡± I rubbed the back of my head, remembering how we¡¯ve met. ¡°I¡¯ve had an encounter with Emmy and her group in the dungeon quite a while ago, but I haven¡¯t seen them since.¡±


    ¡°Humph, they sounded like they knew you too,¡± Tarrion said. ¡°They all are low levels, really. Emmy and Arny both are level eight, and Luise and Ronnie are level seven. They said they didn¡¯t even try to apply to join the big clans, but weren¡¯t accepted by the other clans either, so I thought we could have them join ours. We need more people in our clan if we want to do raids in the future. Of course, they¡¯d have to level up, but¡­¡±


    Oh, wow. Tarrion is thinking about doing raids already? I was surprised to know he was thinking that far ahead. Yeah, I guess he¡¯s right. I don¡¯t mind Emmy¡¯s group joining, but I still haven¡¯t figured out what our recruitment process would be. Speaking of which, Savirei got Lilfira join our clan just like that. Well, if I wasn¡¯t drooling over her the way I did I probably wouldn¡¯t have agreed to it on the spot. Speaking about drooling¡­ Normal human women are beautiful, but those half-human half-insert whatever race women are simply drop dead gorgeous. Well, Meribel might be the only one who would come at the top no matter what race any other woman is, but she¡¯s an exception and way out of my league too. Damn, she¡¯s really¡­


    ¡°So, what do you say?¡± Tarrion¡¯s question interrupted my daydreaming all of a sudden.


    ¡°Huh? What?¡± I blinked a few times, trying to figure out what was going on.


    ¡°Do you mind Emmy and her group joining the Rockstars Clan?¡± Tarrion asked, his tone of voice telling me it wasn¡¯t the first time he asked that question.


    ¡°Ah, right. I¡­ sort of don¡¯t mind, but I need to figure out the proper process for people to need to apply to join our clan. That¡¯s¡­ what I was thinking about just now,¡± I tried coming up with an excuse of me dozing off. I wasn¡¯t lying, really. Part of my daydreaming involved thinking about other people joining my clan, even if it was a very tiny part of it all.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Yes, we need to¡­ have a proper process put in place,¡± Tarrion agreed with me. ¡°So, what do I tell them?¡±


    ¡°Tell them¡­¡± I rubbed my chin, thinking about it. ¡°Can you¡­ they¡­ can they wait at least until I finish eating? I¡¯m really hungry right now.¡± I had no idea what to tell him, so used me being hungry as an excuse to avoid giving him a concrete answer.


    ¡°Right, sure,¡± Tarrion agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it then.¡±


    ¡°Enjoy your meal, all of you,¡± Krisel wished us.


    ¡°It is so wonderful that more people want to join your clan, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya clapped her hands excitedly.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± I said, thinking about something.


    ¡°Is something wrong, Master Rockin?¡± Sylfrin asked me.


    ¡°Ah, no. Not really. I was just thinking about the application process and how we should go about it,¡± I said, wondering if I should apply a similar recruitment process like the one they had at the company I used to work back in my home world.


    ¡°Here are your orders,¡± suddenly, Lilfira appeared at our table, carrying our food. She served the dishes and was about to leave when I stopped.


    ¡°Lilfira,¡± I spoke to her.


    ¡°Ah, yes, Mister Rockin,¡± she turned to face me, showing a kind smile.


    ¡°Can you¡­ get me a piece of a paper and a pen? Or I mean, could you ask Savirei if she could get me those, please?¡± I corrected myself.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± Lilfira said before adding. ¡°If you excuse me.¡±


    ¡°Why do you need a paper and a pen, Master Rockin?¡± Ranalaiya was curious to know.


    ¡°I need to draft some sort of application form for new people who want to join our clan to fill out,¡± I explained.


    ¡°What kind of application form will it be, Master?¡± Sylfrin asked next.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. Let¡¯s eat first, ok?¡± I said, putting my attention on the food in front of me, with Ranalaiya and Sylfrin doing the same thing, all three of us thoroughly enjoying the grilled Tarkee wings that Savirei has prepared for us. After we ate, I asked for Ranalaiya and Sylfrin to leave me be for a short while, so I could focus on drafting the application form without being disturbed.


    Ok, so¡­ maybe I should follow the regular CV form from my previous world? Well, I will need to tweak it, so it makes sense for the people here. I was holding onto my chin while thinking about it. Right. Let¡¯s start writing it down just to have it on paper first. So, name, current level, adventurer¡¯s rank, skills¡­ Oh, wait, do I need them to list their skills? I wouldn¡¯t want to list my own skills when applying. At least I wouldn¡¯t want to tell anyone I have my Unique Overgrowth skill. Let¡¯s change it to profession skills. What else? Ah, yes. Achievements and¡­ Humph? Have they been part of another clan? If yes, which clan and why not in that clan anymore? Oh, right, what class they are. That¡¯s important. Hmm¡­ Should I put a minimum level requirement too? If I don¡¯t, we might get a lot of newbies with no experience. I suppose if they need to tell what class they are, that makes them level five too, so minimum requirement is level five. Anything else? I know: why do they want to join the Rockstars Clan? What will you bring to the clan in order to make it better? What is/are your future goals? Goals, huh? Wouldn¡¯t that be too cheesy? Maybe not. What else? Hmm¡­


    I leaned back in my chair to read through what I have written so far. It looked ok, but something was lacking. I knew from my experience when I was attending and later on interviewing people for potential job positions within our company, the majority of the people who applied were not serious and had no long-term goals either. Of course, having some dream and making it come true were two different things. But if I wanted for the Rockstars Clan to grow and become a strong clan in the future, I had to take it seriously from the beginning. Therefor I had to put in something to know if people who wanted to apply were serious without any guarantee they would be accepted.


    Oh-kay. How about¡­ a five silver coins non-refundable application fee with no guarantee of being accepted. That should be enough to separate the wheat form the chaff. I thought that¡¯d be a good breaking point to learn how serious someone is about joining my clan. I couldn¡¯t remember if any clans had any fees attached upon filling an application form, but I knew many clans had monthly fees you had to pay in order to stay in the clan after you joined it. I didn¡¯t want people to pay monthly fees, because that just sounded ridiculous to me, but paying an application fee sounded reasonable. Looks good¡­ I guess. Now I need to rewrite it to make it look clean and then photocopy it to have¡­ Ah? Photocopy? Yeah, right¡­ I frowned to myself while feeling dumb when I remembered that it would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to find a photocopy machine not only around here but anywhere in this world. I suppose we¡¯ll have to do it the old-fashioned way. Only¡­ I¡¯d need someone who has a muuuch better handwriting than I do to prepare these application forms.


    ¡°Is everything ok, Rockin?¡± Savirei came to ask me when she saw me sitting there all by myself for a longer period of time.


    ¡°Ah, yes. Sort of,¡± I said, looking at the soon to be my clan¡¯s application form.


    ¡°Lilfira told me you needed a paper and a pen, so I became curious what were you writing down so intently. If you don¡¯t mind me asking that is?¡± Savirei slid in a question, feeling and looking very curious.


    ¡°An application form to join the Rockstars Clan,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Oh, my. An application form. Will I need to fill one out myself too?¡± Savirei asked cheekily.


    ¡°No. You are already a member of the clan. It¡¯s only for new people to fill out,¡± I said.


    ¡°Will Lilfira need to fill it out as well?¡± Savirei kept asking the questions.


    ¡°Ahh¡­ Y¡­ yes. Probably¡­¡± I squirmed in my seat. ¡°I mean¡­ you caught me off guard when you told me about Lilfira wanting to join our clan, and I wasn¡¯t thinking straight at the time, because¡­ well, because I was thinking about something else¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s quite a beauty, isn¡¯t she?¡± Savirei asked in a casual tone of her voice.


    ¡°Oh yeah, that¡¯s for sure,¡± I said without thinking and only then caught myself I should¡¯ve kept my mouth shut. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± I closed my eyes before dropping my head down.


    ¡°You look so adorable when you act like that, Rockin,¡± Savirei chuckled. ¡°But yes, I agree that everyone should fill out an application form. Do you mind me taking a look at it?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I passed the paper for Savirei to read through. ¡°It¡¯s still only a draft, so¡­¡± I added, knowing how messy my handwriting was.


    ¡°Oh my, you have really thought it through, haven¡¯t you, Rockin?¡± Savirei exclaimed, sounding like she was very impressed with it after reading what I wrote down.


    ¡°Well, I just wrote whatever came to my mind,¡± I said, not thinking it was that great of an application form.


    ¡°Huh? My future goals? Wow¡­¡± Savirei gasped before removing her eyes from the paper to look at me, also giving me a sly smile when I looked back at her. ¡°I do have one goal in mind. Can I tell you it, Rockin?¡±


    ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t need to fill out an application form remember?¡± I made up an excuse for her to not tell me about it, having a pretty good idea what that kind of look in her eyes meant.


    ¡°But I really want to tell you what I want, Rockin,¡± Savirei insisted.


    I¡¯m pretty sure I know what you¡¯re thinking about right now, Savirei. I didn¡¯t say it out loud, though.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I would need someone to write it all down, so it looks like a proper application form. And we¡¯ll need to have multiple copies of it done too,¡± I changed the topic to avoid going down the embarrassment lane.


    ¡°Oh, I know someone, actually. It wouldn¡¯t cost much either. I¡¯d say they would charge maybe three bronze coins to make ten copies of it,¡± Savirei told me.


    ¡°Really? Cool, let¡¯s have them make twenty copies to start with,¡± I instantly agreed.


    ¡°So, about my future goals¡­¡± Savirei went back to the topic I wanted to avoid us talking about.


    ¡°Can we¡­ leave that for later?¡± I squirmed in my seat. ¡°I need to go talk to Emmy and her group about them joining our clan.¡±


    ¡°But of course, darling. That reminds me¡­ Please, don¡¯t leave before I come back, ok?¡± Savirei asked, her eyes glowing suspiciously.


    ¡°Ok,¡± I said, narrowing my eyes.


    ¡°Wonderful. It shouldn¡¯t take long,¡± Savirei said before walking away.


    Phew¡­ I let out a sigh of relief. Right, I need to go talk to Emmy.


    ¡°Hi, Emmy,¡± I spoke to her after coming to her table, raising my hand up for extra emphasis. ¡°Arny, Luise, Ronnie.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Rockin,¡± Emmy stood up and so the rest of her group.


    ¡°Greetings,¡± Arny dipped his head.


    ¡°Uhm¡­ hello,¡± Luise was a little timid for some reason.


    ¡°Hello, Mister Rockin,¡± Ronnie was very polite.


    ¡°Sorry for keeping you wait. I had to¡­ sort out a few things,¡± I apologized.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok. I¡¯m ah¡­ glad to see you again,¡± Emmy said, a mild blush jumping on her cheeks.


    ¡°Yeah, good to see you all as well. How have you been?¡± I spoke back casually.


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯ve been¡­ doing ok,¡± Emmy said, but she didn¡¯t sound too confident about it.


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. Did you get your Tank class, Arny?¡± I asked him next.


    ¡°Yes, I did,¡± Arny told me before adding. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you remembered our talk from back then.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well. Listen, Tarrion said you want to join my clan?¡± I went straight to the point with my next question.


    ¡°Yes, we do. Can we?¡± Emmy asked, feeling hopeful.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna be honest with you. Our clan is still very small and we don¡¯t have much to offer at this point,¡± I wanted them to know that in advance.


    ¡°That¡¯s ok. We understand. Tarrion has told us your clan was created not that long ago,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°He did, eh?¡± I said, scratching my cheek with my right hand¡¯s finger. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing, I don¡¯t mind you joining, but I would need people to fill out an application form before they can join. Unfortunately, we don¡¯t have application forms ready yet. So, if you really want to join my clan, you¡¯ll have to wait a little. Savirei said she has someone who can prepare application forms, but I assume it will take a day or two.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s no problem. We can wait, can¡¯t we?¡± Emmy spoke, more to her group members than to me.


    ¡°Ok, great. Now, I¡¯d love to chat and learn more about what you guys been up to, but I¡¯ve just got back from the dungeon and I still have a lot of things to take care of, so I¡¯m really sorry, but I will have to go,¡± I wanted to excuse myself sooner rather than later.


    ¡°Yes, we understand. Thank you, Rockin,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Thank you, friend,¡± added Arny.


    ¡°No problem. Why don¡¯t you come back tomorrow and ask Savirei about the application forms? She might have some ready by then,¡± I told them.


    ¡°Ok, will do,¡± Emmy acknowledged it.


    ¡°Right then, I will be going now. See you later,¡± I said before leaving their table to go get Ranalaiya and Sylfrin.


    ¡°Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya perked up, seeing me finally come to where the two of them were.


    ¡°Hey, so sorry about taking so long. Everyone decided they needed me for something,¡± I felt a little bad for leaving them alone for so long.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, Master Rockin. You¡¯re our clan¡¯s leader,¡± Sylfrin added in an understanding tone of her voice.


    ¡°Savirei said Alragus wanted something with me, and we need to get our gear checked and probably fixed, so we¡¯ll go visit him next. Ah, right, Savirei said she still wanted something of me before I leave,¡± I was about to leave when I remembered Savirei asking me to wait for her for whatever reason.


    ¡°Maybe she wants some Lesser Trent Wood?¡± Ranalaiya wondered.


    ¡°Yeah, maybe. How many pieces did we get?¡± I asked Ranalaiya since she was the one who was carrying it.


    ¡°One moment, Master,¡± she said, quickly opening her storage to check. ¡°We have seven pieces in total.¡±


    ¡°Ok. I¡¯ll let her know we have that much when she comes back,¡± I said.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Savirei to show up, but what surprised me the most was she wasn¡¯t by herself. Lilfira was with her too yet she wasn¡¯t wearing her waitress uniform for some reason.


    ¡°Thank you for waiting, Rockin. Here you go,¡± Savirei said, extending a piece of paper towards me.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I asked, picking it up.


    ¡°It¡¯s the application form that Lilfira has filled out,¡± Savirei told me.


    ¡°Oh, ok,¡± I said, giving a quick glance at what was written on the paper.


    ¡°Here you go, Mister Rockin,¡± Lilfira interrupted my reading by extending her hand towards me too.


    ¡°Huh?¡± I was surprised to see her place several coins into my palm. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°This is the five silver coins application fee,¡± Lilfira said.


    ¡°Right, ok,¡± I said, it finally dawning on me why Savirei asked me to wait. Savirei went to have Lilfira fill out the application form to make her joining my clan official. ¡°Thank you for filling out the application form and for the payment. I suppose you are an official clan member now, Lilfira. Welcome to the Rockstars Clan.¡± I thought an official greeting would be in order.


    ¡°Wonderful. Well then, I will leave Lilfira in your care, darling,¡± Savirei said, smiling so wide she had to squint her eyes.


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± I gave Savirei a confused look.


    ¡°You look rather surprised, my dear. Is something the matter?¡± Savirei asked, tilting her head to the side just slightly.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± I said, turning my head to look at Lilfira before looking back at Savirei again. ¡°What¡­ did you mean¡­ you¡¯re leaving Lilfira in my care?¡±


    ¡°What else could it mean, darling? You should know it would not be safe for Lilfira to stay here in my diner now that those bad dragonkins know she¡¯s here,¡± Savirei explained her reasoning in a way as if it should¡¯ve been obvious.


    ¡°Yes, but¡­¡± I sort of knew where she was going with it yet I was still hoping I was wrong.


    ¡°Lilfira staying with you would be the safest option for her, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± Savirei said, sounding like she was making a statement instead of asking a question.


    ¡°Thank you so much for accepting me into your clan. I promise I will serve you well, Master Rockin,¡± Lilfira said, a smile and a blush dressing her face.


    ¡°What?¡± I gasped, thinking my ears have tricked me just now.


    Did she just call me ¡®Master Rockin¡¯? What¡¯s going on here? I couldn¡¯t believe it.


    ¡°So sorry, but I have customers to serve. Bye, Rockin,¡± Savirei said, quickly disappearing from my sight and leaving me speechless.


    ¡°Hey, wait¡­¡± I tried to stop her, but Savirei was already gone.


    Eh? What¡­ just happened? I was standing there with my mouth open wide, not knowing what to think.

 Chapter 111

    ¡°Hello Lilfira. My name is Ranalaiya. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you,¡± Ranalaiya introduced herself.


    ¡°Hi, my name is Sylfrin,¡± Sylfrin added a short greeting too.


    ¡°Hello, it¡¯s¡­ nice to meet you,¡± Lilfira smiled.


    Damn it, Savirei¡­ I dropped my head, not knowing what to do, but suddenly remembered something. Ah crap, I still need to visit Alragus before it becomes too late. Better get going now and figure out what to do regarding Lilfira later.


    ¡°Hey, we need to go, ok? I need to visit Alragus,¡± I reminded my two ladies.


    ¡°Ok, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya quickly responded.


    ¡°Yes, Master Rockin,¡± added Sylfrin.


    ¡°Yes, sorry, Master Rockin,¡± said Lilfira, her calling me ¡®Master¡¯ making my eyebrows shoot up.


    ¡°Look¡­ Lilfira¡­ you don¡¯t have to call me ¡®Master¡¯. Rockin is fine,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Huh? But¡­ Miss Savirei said as your woman I should call you ¡®Master¡¯,¡± Lilfira said something I would have never expected she would say.


    ¡°Whaaat?¡± My jaw dropped and my eyes became big, and wide. I stared at Lilfira for a brief moment before snapping out of it. ¡°Sorry, but¡­ you¡¯re not my woman and Ranalaiya and Sylfrin call me Master for different reasons. So, please don¡¯t call me Master, ok?¡± I said the last words in a rather serious if not stern tone of my voice.


    ¡°Ah¡­ S¡­ sorry¡­¡± Lilfira said, lowering her head.


    ¡°Listen, I still need to know more about your situation, but we need to get going now, so we¡¯ll talk later,¡± I said with a serious expression on my face, turning to go, the three women following me, with all four of us leaving the diner.


    I kept a faster pace as we walked to get to Alragus¡¯ shop sooner, so we basically didn¡¯t talk on our way there. Ranalaiya and Sylfrin could probably tell I was slightly ticked off regarding the situation that Savirei had put me in, leaving me be. They might¡¯ve spoken to Lilfira about something while we walked, but I was deep in thought, so I didn¡¯t hear it even if they have talked among themsleves. Luckily, Alragus¡¯ workshop was still open when we got there which allowed me to let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°You¡¯re back. Welcome,¡± Alragus was pleased to see me, his eyes catching the three women enter his workshop after me. ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not what you think. Those dragonkins came back and Savirei thought keeping Lilfira at her diner would be too dangerous for her,¡± I quickly explained. ¡°Oh, and hi.¡± Before remembering to greet him.


    ¡°Yeah, ok,¡± Alragus mumbled, noticing I wasn¡¯t exactly in the mood.


    ¡°Sorry, don¡¯t mind me. Savirei said you wanted to talk to me about something,¡± I switched the topic.


    ¡°Yeah, I need some crafting materials,¡± Alragus went straight to the point.


    ¡°Ok, what do you need?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I need some Plain Iron,¡± Alragus told me.


    ¡°Plain¡­ iron?¡± I raised an eyebrow. I knew what iron was, but I didn¡¯t know there was something like ¡®plain¡¯ iron.


    ¡°Yes. Plain Iron is the simplest metal to craft armor. It can also be used to craft weapons, but they won¡¯t be of a very good quality. I am running out but instead of going out and buying some I thought I would post a clan quest,¡± Alragus explained.


    ¡°Oh, ok,¡± I instantly recognized where he was going with it. ¡°Where can I get some?¡±


    ¡°Well, you can buy some on the market. There are a few shops that sell it, but it¡¯d be cheaper to get some Brown Iron Ore and have a Smelter smelt it into Plain Iron Bars. You¡¯d pay only for smelting it. I thought maybe it¡¯d be cheaper for me too, if you know what I mean?¡± Alragus hinted at the end.


    ¡°Right. Yes, I understand what you mean,¡± I said, touching my chin with my hand to think about it. ¡°You¡¯ve posted some quests at the Guild in the past, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I had,¡± he said.


    ¡°How does it work when you post a quest there?¡± I wanted to know.


    ¡°You simply tell them what you need, pay the fee and they post it on their board,¡± Alragus said.


    ¡°A fee? Right, how much is the fee?¡± I was surprised at first, but then realized I shouldn¡¯t have been. Of course, the Guild would charge a fee for people to post quests there.


    ¡°Ten percent of the job value,¡± Alragus said.


    ¡°Ten percent? Wow,¡± I gasped. I didn¡¯t expect they would calculate the quest posting fee in percentages, nor that it would be so high. ¡°Hold on. Does that mean you pay ten percent extra on top or is it included in what you have to pay to the person who completes the quest?¡± I wanted some clarity.


    ¡°I pay the fee in advance when I submit the quest and then pay the quest completion money to the person when they deliver the goods. For example, if I were to post a quest to get ten Plain Iron Bars, where one bar of it costs one silver, making the total value of the quest one gold coin, I would have to pay one silver as a quest submission fee to the Guild.¡± Alragus went into details to make it clear for me.


    ¡°Ok, that makes sense,¡± I got it.


    ¡°Only that I¡¯d have to offer extra as a payment upon completing the quest than the actual market price for Plain Iron Bars is,¡± Alragus added, making me pay attention again.


    ¡°Huh? Why?¡± I couldn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Few reasons. For one, there¡¯s a limited supply for basically any crafting materials out there. I do have my regular suppliers, but more often than not, I run out before they can deliver the next batch. Also, many merchants would opt to sell the goods at higher prices too. Meaning that even if I have placed an order with them to get the goods at a certain date, they¡¯d always look to sell their stock at a higher price. That¡¯s not to say they will try to cheat me or not deliver my order that I have placed. Most sellers would inform me that they could get a hold of the goods that I ordered sooner but at a higher price. If I was willing to pay higher price, they¡¯d sell it to me, but if not, I¡¯d have to wait longer for the next batch. That¡¯s where Guild quests come into play too. Not many adventurers would bother taking on a quest that pays the same amount or less than any merchant would pay for the same goods. Hence, higher payouts for completing Guild quests,¡± Alragus explained to me how it worked.


    Holy damn. So, that¡¯s why Savirei paid me more for the Lesser Trent Wood when she posted a quest at the Guild. I remembered it.


    ¡°So¡­ is it ten Plain Iron Bars that you need?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Ah, no. That was only an example. Six would be more than enough to fulfil the orders that I have,¡± said the blacksmith.


    ¡°Ok. And do the bars cost one silver each for real?¡± I asked again.


    ¡°Yes, give or take. But if I were to post a quest at the Guild I would have to offer a minimum of one silver and two bronze coins for a single Plain Iron Bar to hope anyone would be willing to take it,¡± Alragus confirmed with an added explanation.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°Ok, let me think¡­¡± I said, holding onto my chin and mulling it over for a brief moment. ¡°How about this then? You post a quest within our clan to get six Plain Iron Bars. You don¡¯t have to pay any extra fee for posting the quest. Instead, the fee comes out from the payment itself and is paid by whoever completes the quest. As for the fee¡­ well¡­ it¡¯d be good for the clan to make some money too I guess, so let¡¯s start with five percent fee for now. How does that sound?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ serious?¡± Alragus asked, staring at me with his big bison eyes wide open.


    ¡°Yeah. I mean¡­ even if you offer to pay the same amount that you¡¯d offer when you post a quest at the Guild, it¡¯ll still save you the ten percent fee that you¡¯d have to pay on top of it. I don¡¯t think it¡¯d be fair to anyone for you to pay less for the materials than a normal market price, but at least you wouldn¡¯t have to pay more than needed. And the fee that the person would pay to the clan can be attributed as paying a clan membership fee, but it will be based on their results rather than a single monthly fee without doing anything.¡± I had to think if what I have said made sense myself after telling him that.


    ¡°Hah, you are something else after all,¡± Alragus laughed before giving me a satisfied smile. ¡°Yes, I will gladly agree to that. But what about my fee to the clan? If I am the one posting quests but not taking and completing any, I won¡¯t be paying anything to the clan myself.¡±


    ¡°Well, I suppose I could allow people to make donations to the clan as well,¡± I said, making a weird grimace and throwing my hands to the sides.


    ¡°Ahahaha!¡± Alragus laughed out loud whole heartily. ¡°Yes, being allowed to make donations is an option too.¡±


    ¡°I might put a limit to it, though. You wouldn¡¯t want to donate too much, right?¡± I made a suggestion, making it sound I was actually serious about it.


    ¡°Too true,¡± Alragus laughed some more.


    ¡°Ok, so¡­ where can I find some of that Brown Iron Ore for you?¡± I asked after the laughs subsided.


    ¡°What? You¡¯re gonna do it yourself?¡± Alragus asked, feeling surprised.


    ¡°Who else would do it? Tarrion?¡± I asked, crinkling my nose.


    ¡°Right. Well, if you¡¯re willing, there are two mines not that far from Hirvant that you can check. But if you want to mine the ore, you¡¯d need someone with a Mining Skill to do it. Otherwise, the ore deposit would crumble into useless rocks and not give the actual ore even if you manage to destroy it by sheer force,¡± Alragus informed.


    ¡°Oh, that¡­¡± I frowned, remembering you couldn¡¯t do specific jobs in this world if you didn¡¯t have a skill for it.


    ¡°That or you could kill monsters for the drops too,¡± Alragus offered some good news after seeing my disappointed frown. ¡°Although, the drop rate from monsters is rather low. Just so you know.¡±


    ¡°Wait, does that mean the mine is just another dungeon?¡± I asked, a certain realization hitting me when he mentioned monsters dropping items.


    ¡°Yes and no,¡± said Alragus. ¡°You could consider a mine being a mini dungeon of sorts. They usually aren¡¯t as big as normal dungeons and there hasn¡¯t been any news of a boss monster spawning in a mine. Majority of the mines are inhabited by monsters that drop crafting materials but the drop rate is so low that not many adventurers bother going there. More often than not, miners would hire adventurers as guards to go mine for ore, but even then, the pay is usually very low unless they could go much deeper into the mine where they could find better quality ore.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± I said, tilting my head to one side, thinking about it. ¡°Do you know where the location of the mine is?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t since I have never been there myself, but the Guild would definitely know since they accept quests from miners,¡± Alragus said.


    ¡°Right. Ok then, let¡¯s make this our clan¡¯s first official quest, but before I leave¡­ I want you to check our equipment. I know it¡¯s late now, but I am not planning to go anywhere tonight anyway,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Sure thing. Show me your gear and I will tell you how long it would take me to fix it, if it needs fixing at all,¡± Alragus said.


    Ranalaiya and I took out our gear and placed it on one of the work benches for Alragus to inspect, with Ranalaiya taking out only her Vicious Talons for Alragus to inspect since her armor was crafted by me.


    ¡°Humph, your Tarkee King¡¯s Shield is perfectly fine, but the Piercing Shield will need some work. Your armor has no issues either. Although, I can polish it a little. Ranalaiya¡¯s Vicious Talons could use some sharpening but otherwise they are totally fine. Should be a quick work,¡± Alragus informed me after inspecting our equipment.


    ¡°Great, thanks. Speaking of our equipment, I¡¯ll be looking to get new equipment sooner rather than later. Ranalaiya¡¯s Vicious Talons are good, but she¡¯s level thirteen now, so a new pair of better claw weapons wouldn¡¯t hurt. As for me, I¡¯d like to get new armor that has Equip Level twelve or maybe even higher,¡± I told Alragus.


    ¡°Hmph¡­¡± Alragus furrowed his eyebrows to have a think about it. ¡°With the materials I have I could craft level eight or nine armor for you, but if you want something better, you¡¯d need to get me some higher quality materials. I can do only so much with the Plain Iron, you see. If you could get a hold of some Hardened Iron Ore which can also be found in the mines, I could craft some armor that would be around Equip Level ten. If you want something even better than that, you¡¯d need to find some Silver Iron Ore, but that one would be hard to get. It is too rare of an ore for the monsters to drop and you¡¯d need someone with a minimum level three Mining Skill to mine it.¡±


    ¡°Really? Damn¡­¡± I crinkled my nose, Alragus¡¯ words basically killing my hope of getting better armor any time soon.


    ¡°Yeah, sorry. I don¡¯t usually get higher quality materials myself unless someone brings them to me when placing a custom order to craft something,¡± Alragus added a reason behind it.


    ¡°Ok, don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s getting late, so I¡¯ll leave you to it now. I¡¯ll come back tomorrow when we¡¯re ready to leave to pick up our gear. Oh, do you need any Rhaki¡¯s skins by any chance?¡± I asked before leaving.


    ¡°Yeah, sure. I¡¯ll take four,¡± he said.


    ¡°Four? Ok,¡± I said. I was hoping Alragus would need more since I had a bunch of them, but selling four was better than selling none. After the transaction was made, we went directly to Navirei¡¯s inn. My head was full of thoughts about going into a mine tomorrow, so again, I wasn¡¯t talking to anyone on our way back. Only when we entered our room at the, I remembered we had one extra person with us.


    Ah, shit. Lilfira¡­ I rubbed the back of my head when I turned to tell Ranalaiya and Sylfrin to go wash themselves first.


    ¡°So¡­ why don¡¯t you three go wash yourselves first?¡± I suggested. ¡°In the meantime, I¡¯ll¡­ go check with the clerk at the reception if I could get another room for Lilfira to stay.¡±


    ¡°What? But why, Master Rockin?¡± Ranalaiya asked me, looking to be surprised about it too.


    What do you mean ¡®why¡¯? I frowned in a weird manner.


    ¡°Because¡­ well¡­ she¡¯s not gonna sleep together with us,¡± I said, rolling my eyes and trying to hint to what I actually meant by ¡®sleep together with us¡¯.


    ¡°Why not, Master?¡± Ranalaiya asked again.


    Why are you asking ¡®why¡¯ questions!? I screamed in my head, thinking it should be obvious.


    ¡°Yes, why not, Master Rockin?¡± Sylfrin asked next. ¡°Don¡¯t you find Lilfira to be beautiful and attractive?¡±


    Eh? Hey, I know where you¡¯re going with that. Aargh¡­ Sylfrin is being Sylfrin alright. I sank my face into my palm.


    ¡°She is¡­ pretty, but that¡¯s not the point here,¡± I sort of understood Ranalaiya¡¯s and Sylfrin¡¯s reasoning, but at the same time, I didn¡¯t. ¡°We three are close and Lilfira and I have met only a short while ago.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but Lilfira said she wouldn¡¯t mind sleeping together with you, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya insisted.


    ¡°What?¡± I exclaimed, trying to remember when she actually said that while definitely knowing she never did.


    That¡¯s right, they must¡¯ve talked about it among themselves. I realized the two of them must have spoken to Lilfira while I was talking to Alragus. My only hope was they haven¡¯t told Lilfira all the other intimate details about us sleeping together, which wouldn¡¯t surprise me if they had.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind sleeping together or¡­ taking a bath together with you, Mas¡­ ah¡­ sorry, Mister¡­ Rockin?¡± Lilfira corrected herself at the last second, noticing me furrowing my eyebrows when she was about to call me ¡®Master¡¯.


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®you wouldn¡¯t mind¡¯? We¡¯ve just met. Why would you want to¡­ do those things?¡± I couldn¡¯t understand it. One reason was, Lilfira wasn¡¯t my slave, so she had no obligation to do anything for me.


    ¡°Miss Savirei said that if I offered myself to you, you¡¯d be willing to keep me by your side,¡± Lilfira said.


    ¡°What?¡± I gasped, literally thinking I¡¯ve just misheard her.


    ¡°I said, I am willing to¡­ to offer myself to you, so I could¡­ stay by your side, Ma¡­ Master Rockin,¡± Lilfira called me ¡®Master¡¯ this time despite knowing I told her not to.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­ Savirei has told you to do that?¡± I asked, wanting to confirm it.


    ¡°Ahm¡­ yes. I mean, yes, Master Rockin,¡± Lilfira repeated herself, also bowing her head down.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± I said, giving quite a stern look to Ranalaiya and Sylfrin, both of them lowering their eyes as a result of it. They could definitely tell what my look meant. ¡°Ok, go wash yourselves first while I hang the hammock up.¡± I added, my words sounding almost like an order.


    ¡°Yes, Master Rockin,¡± all three of them responding almost at the same time.


    {after Ranlaiya, Sylfrin and Lilfira left the bathroom}


    ¡°We¡¯re done with our bath, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya said the moment the three of them came out of the bathroom. She sounded a little timid but cheerful. All three were wearing pajamas, with Lilfira wearing second pair of Sylfrin¡¯s pajamas that she has lent to her. Although, the top part looked to be slightly too big, especially around Lilfira¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Ok, great. The hammock is big enough to sleep three people in it, so Lilfira can sleep together with you two or she can take the bed. Good night,¡± I told them before giving Ranalaiya and Sylfrin goodnight kisses and was about to leave the room.


    ¡°Huh? Where are you going, Master Rockin?¡± Ranalaiya asked, feeling puzzled.


    ¡°I¡¯ve booked another room which is opposite of ours for the night. I¡¯ll sleep there. I am certain nobody will disturb you during the night, but if anything happens, call me. I¡¯ll see you in the morning,¡± was the last thing I said before leaving the room. I didn¡¯t even wait for any of them to say anything.


    ¡°Master Rockin, wait,¡± Ranalaiya tried to stop me, but I simply shut the door behind me. ¡°No. He¡­ left.¡± Ranalaiya added with a sad expression on her face.

 Chapter 112

    ¡°Master Rockin looked to be very upset,¡± said Sylfrin, pressing her right hand close to her chest, her white bat ears shifting inwards and tilting towards one another.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. It¡¯s all my fault,¡± Lilfira sank her face into her hands and started crying.


    ¡°Ah, no, no. I¡¯m sure Master Rockin is not upset with you, Lilfira,¡± Ranalaiya tried to comfort her.


    ¡°But¡­ he looked to be very angry before leaving and he booked another room to spend the night by himself,¡± Lilfira said through tears.


    ¡°I think¡­ Master Rockin is simply tired,¡± Ranalaiya told her with a smile.


    ¡°Yes. If Master Rockin was angry with us, he wouldn¡¯t have given me and Ranalaiya goodnight kisses either,¡± Sylfrin joined in, remembering that one detail. ¡°How about we go to sleep ourselves? I am sure Master Rockin will be all cheerful and in a good mood tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a wonderful idea. Oh, have you ever slept in a hammock before, Lilfira?¡± Ranalaiya asked with a big smile on her face, her tail jumping up before making a swirl, revealing Ranalaiya¡¯s excitement.


    ¡°Ham¡­ ock?¡± Lilfira asked, looking both surprised and confused, but it helped change the mood, making Lilfira stop crying too. ¡°Is that¡­ what you call this¡­ hanging bed?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a lot of fun to sleep in it. You¡¯ll definitely love it, Lilfira,¡± Ranalaiya added, clapping her hands before quickly jumping on the hammock, instantly making it swing to the sides once she was in it.


    ¡°Wow, you can swing in it too?¡± Lilfira gasped.


    ¡°It is very comfortable to sleep in. Here, I¡¯ll help you climb inside it,¡± Sylfrin offered, extending her hand.


    ¡°Thank you. Ah¡­ Huh¡­ Oh, wow! This is¡­¡± Lilfira grabbed onto the side strings, afraid she¡¯d fall out of the hammock when she laid inside of it which made the hammock swing again. ¡°Wow, this feels¡­ so unusual, but also¡­ amazing.¡±


    ¡°For sure. You¡¯ll get the best sleep of your life,¡± Ranalaiya said, smiling happily.


    ¡°Careful¡­ Oops¡­¡± Sylfrin climbed inside the hammock as well, making it swing once again.


    ¡°Wow, this is¡­ fun,¡± Lilfira was enjoying the new experience.


    ¡°It¡¯s even more fun to sleep together with Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya said, her cheeky grin showing more than a happy smile.


    ¡°Ah, ok,¡± Lilfira smiled in return, the scales under her eyes dressing a charming red before they passed the redness down her cheeks too.


    ¡°You have such beautiful, red hair, Lilfira,¡± Sylfrin told her.


    ¡°Oh, thank you, Sylfrin,¡± Lilfira smiled again. ¡°But your white hair looks very beautiful too and Ranalaiya¡¯s hair is so ravishingly black. It looks like it is sparkling from within.¡±


    ¡°Humm¡­¡± Ranalaiya let out a laugh all of a sudden.


    ¡°Huh? Sorry, was it something I said?¡± Lilfira apologized, feeling confused.


    ¡°No, no. That just reminded me of the time when Sylfrin and I started complaining about each of us wanting to have the other one¡¯s hair color,¡± Ranalaiya remembered, the memory of it making her laugh again.


    ¡°Yes, that was really funny,¡± Sylfrin agreed, letting out a giggle too.


    ¡°But in the end, Master Rockin said he appreciated having me being me and Sylfrin being Sylfrin,¡± Ranalaiya added, the memory of it making her smile happily.


    ¡°Oh, wow,¡± Lilfira gasped in surprise. ¡°I guess¡­ Miss Savirei was right about your Master.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, Lilfira?¡± Sylfrin was curious to know.


    ¡°Well¡­ she said that Rockin is treating his slaves very well, but I was hesitant to believe it,¡± Lilfira confessed.


    ¡°Master Rockin is very kind. Actually, he had never called me or Sylfrin a ¡®slave¡¯ even once. He always calls us by our names,¡± Ranalaiya told her.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have called you slaves,¡± Lilfira panicked, covering her mouth with both hands.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok. You don¡¯t have to worry about it, Lilfira,¡± Ranalaiya reassured her.


    ¡°Yes. We don¡¯t mind. When we go out, and especially when we visit the Guild, we¡¯d hear other men talk among themselves about Master Rockin having two beautiful slaves by his side, among some other more¡­ vulgar things. Other than people in Master Rockin¡¯s clan, and a few rare instances with other people, everyone else calls us slaves,¡± Sylfrin said, not looking sad or upset about it.


    ¡°Sylfrin, Master Rockin forbade us say it is his clan,¡± Ranalaiya reminded her.


    ¡°Ah, yes. Our clan, sorry,¡± Sylfrin said, becoming self-conscious that she¡¯s about to get scolded, but fortunately, her Master wasn¡¯t there.


    ¡°Can I ask you something else regarding Rockin?¡± Lilfira spoke again.


    ¡°Of course. And it¡¯s our clan, Lilfira. You¡¯re in our clan as well,¡± Ranalaiya reminded her that fact too.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Yes, sorry,¡± Lilfira said, Ranalaiya¡¯s remark helping her cheer up. ¡°About my question, and I apologize if it sounds rude, but¡­ with Rockin treating you with such kindness, why didn¡¯t he release you from the Slave Contracts to make you become free women?¡±


    ¡°Because we didn¡¯t want him to,¡± Sylfrin answered in very calm tone of her voice.


    ¡°Huh? What?¡± Lilfira exclaimed, Ranalaiya¡¯s answer clearly surprising her. ¡°But¡­ why?¡±


    ¡°Because we don¡¯t want to be separated from Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya added.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to be separated? But¡­¡± Lilfira became even more confused.


    ¡°Master Rockin offered to release us from the Slave Contract some time ago, and instead of becoming happy about hearing him offer that, I became scared,¡± Ranalaiya confessed, leaning forward, bending her knees and hugging her legs with both hands before placing her chin on the top of her knees.


    ¡°Scared?¡± Lilfira couldn¡¯t understand her reasoning.


    ¡°I am certain Master Rockin wished me well and¡­ becoming freed from the Slave Contract would make me become recognized by the Guild and all other people too, but at the same time, I¡¯d be in more danger than if I was a slave,¡± Ranalaiya tried to explain her reasoning.


    ¡°What do you mean, Ranalaiya?¡± Lilfira still couldn¡¯t get it.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I have never dreamed of becoming free, and I am ashamed to admit that I wished something would happen to my Master at the very beginning, so I could become free woman again. But the longer I stayed together with Master Rocking, the more I became convinced he truly cared for me. There were several instances when other men wanted to kidnap me, yet Master Rockin protected me without a second thought. He risked his own life for me, not something any other Slave Master would¡¯ve done for their slaves. In the end, it made me realize that if Master Rockin was to set me free or if something were to happen to him and I¡¯d be released from the Slave Contract, someone would definitely come after me and I¡¯d be enslaved again in no time. Worse yet, I am convinced that no new Master would be as kind and as caring as Master Rockin, and they might force me to do things I would never want to do otherwise and that¡¯s why I¡¯d rather stay a slave to Master Rockin. Besides, with the way Master Rockin treats me, I¡¯ll do anything for him anyway,¡± Ranalaiya finished her explanation on a cheerful note.


    ¡°Wow, I have never thought about it in that way,¡± Lilfira gasped in amazement.


    ¡°It¡¯s the same with me too. I was enslaved at a young age, although being a child at the time I didn¡¯t know I had become a slave until only later. Being a half-beast Frost Bat woman I had little hope of becoming someone who could fight since only pure blood Frost Bat beastfolk could grow to become strong spellcasters. Instead, I was groomed and raised to become someone¡¯s sex slave, and sad as it may sound, I have accepted my fate and would¡¯ve been happy to submit to any Master who would¡¯ve bought me that night at the auction. However, Master Rockin refused to have sex with me on the very first night after he had bought me and Ranalaiya surprised me even more by telling me that Master Rockin wasn¡¯t that kind of a person at all.¡±


    ¡°What shocked me even more was that Master Rockin took me to the dungeon and had me level up, so I could become stronger. I have gained my first skill only after reaching level four, yet even with my Frostbolt spell I could barely fight at all which made me feel useless and depressed, but Master Rockin believed in me despite my low self-esteem. I am so grateful to him for having faith in me,¡± Sylfrin made a pause and a few tears squeezed themselves out of her smiling eyes. She continued. ¡°It all changed however when I reached level five. I have received a Mage class which then evolved into a Frost Battle Sorceress class and I have gained a lot of powerful skills. With Master Rockin¡¯s guidance and Ranalaiya¡¯s support I¡¯ve grown to become a very strong sorceress. I sometimes get scared to even think what could¡¯ve happened to me if someone else would¡¯ve bought me that night. And that¡¯s why I¡¯d rather stay a slave to Master Rockin than be set free and risk being kidnapped by someone at some point.¡±Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Lilfira gasped once again, feeling totally in awe in regards to what Sylfrin had told her just now. ¡°Your Master sounds like such an amazing person and yet I¡­¡± Lilfira said, lowering her head and starting to cry again.


    ¡°Huh? Wait, what?¡± Ranalaiya couldn¡¯t understand why Lilfira would start crying all of a sudden.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Lilfira?¡± Sylfrin was confused why Lilfira was crying as well.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯ve treated your Master with such disrespect,¡± Lilfira spoke while wiping away her tears that didn¡¯t want to stop running.


    ¡°But¡­ you haven¡¯t done anything bad to Master Rockin, Lilfira,¡± Ranalaiya said.


    ¡°But I have. I wanted to use him for my own benefit,¡± Lilfira admitted.


    ¡°What do you mean, Lilfira?¡± Sylfrin asked.


    ¡°You see¡­ my mother and I are on the run, and we thought coming to some small, unknown town would help us hide and live peacefully, but my father still managed to find me,¡± Lilfira said, her answer making Ranalaiya and Sylfrin even more confused.


    ¡°Your father?¡± Ranalaiya enquired.


    ¡°Yes. The¡­ the dragonkin who showed up at Savirei¡¯s diner¡­ the Chief of the Raging Flames Tribe is my father,¡± Lilfira said.


    ¡°Whaaat?!¡± Both Ranalaiya and Sylfrin exclaimed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not telling you earlier. You see¡­ we are on the run. We always were, but I found out about it only recently. I always thought my mother loved travelling and that¡¯s why we were moving from place to place all the time. We would live a year or two in one place and then move. I thought it was because my mother didn¡¯t like to stay in one place for too long and she¡¯d always make it sound like we¡¯d have this big, new adventure, and she¡¯d always tell me I need to see more of the world. As a child, I was always thrilled by the idea and fully embraced it. It was fun at first, but the older I became the more suspicious I started to become. I was about ten years of age when my mother decided to tell me who I was and why we needed to move away once again,¡± Lilfira made a pause to take another deep breath in before continuing.


    ¡°My mother revealed who my father actually was and how I came to be born. My mother used to work at a brothel and that¡¯s where she had met my dad. She was young and beautiful, and knew how to charm a man, ending up seducing Sanokard, a young dragonkin who was the son of a Raging Flames Tribe¡¯s Chief at the time. There were no serious relationships between the two, really. My mother simply used Sanokard to make more money because as the Chief¡¯s son, he was very well off and didn¡¯t spare to shower her with coins. Unfortunately, everything changed when my mother realized she had become pregnant. The world flipped upside down for her and she had to start a new life,¡± Lilfira was telling the story with sincere honesty.


    ¡°However, the inside laws within the Raging Flames Tribe forbade for their kin to have children with any other race other than the red dragonkins and that¡¯s why my mother had to flee. She told me she had made a vow to raise me and have me live no matter what. Long story short, we were moving from one location to the other and life seemed to be fine while I was a small child despite us relocating so often, but when I reached the age of twelve or thirteen, my scaly ears and tail started to grow longer, a sign of my body starting to go into puberty, and I wasn¡¯t able to hide them under my hair or under my clothes anymore. In addition, my skin started to change too, scales starting to grow on certain parts of my body, including on my face as well. That¡¯s when people started realizing I was half-human and half-dragonkin girl, and that¡¯s when our life had turned for the worse,¡± Lilfira let out a very depressing sigh.


    ¡°What¡­ happened?¡± Ranalaiya asked in a quiet voice.


    ¡°When the word got out there was a teenage half-dragonkin girl out there, many people became interested in catching me and making me their slave,¡± Lilfira said, looking at her tiptoes.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Ranalaiya let out a sad sigh, lowering her head, her cat ears dropping down too.


    ¡°So¡­ have you ever been caught and forced to become a slave, Lilfira?¡± Sylfrin asked a legitimate question.


    ¡°Unfortunately, no,¡± Lilfira said, making it sound it was a bad thing.


    ¡°Huh? Unfortunately? What do you mean, Lilfira?¡± Ranalaiya was confused about Lilfira¡¯s answer.


    ¡°I¡¯ve probably would¡¯ve been caught and made into a slave if¡­ if my father was just any other dragonkin. You see, since half-dragonkin humans are so rare to be born, Slave Traders are usually careful to simply enslave them. Not many people want to make dragonkins their enemy, especially Slave Traders. Before they made any move to catch me, they investigated to learn who my father was or if he was still alive at all. If they had learned that my father was dead, I most certainly would¡¯ve become a slave a long time ago, but once people learned my father was the Raging Flames Tribe Chief¡¯s son, nobody dared touching me. That didn¡¯t mean I was safe in the least. Quite the opposite. Becoming someone¡¯s slave would¡¯ve assured some protection for me since I would¡¯ve become someone¡¯s else property, but since I was free, my life became in danger simply because I was half-human and half-dragonkin girl.¡± Lilfira let out a deep and sad sigh, brushing away her never stopping to run tears.


    ¡°But¡­ why is your life in danger? I don¡¯t understand it,¡± Sylfrin couldn¡¯t get it.


    ¡°That¡¯s because it is too much of a dishonor and shame for my father to have a half-dragonkin child,¡± Lilfira said.


    ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t mean¡­ he¡¯d kill his own daughter, do you?¡± Ranalaiya couldn¡¯t believe it.


    ¡°Not outright, no. The dragonkin race is a very proud race and they have their code of honor. They wouldn¡¯t kill someone just for the sake of killing, like some assassin or a thug who wants to rob a person, but that doesn¡¯t mean they would leave me be. They have their customs, Rites of Strength as they are called where young dragonkins would be tested to prove their worth, so they could be acknowledged as adults. The Rites of Strength involve many various and dangerous tests. Some of the tests involve duels among the participants, and even though the participants are not supposed to intentionally kill each other, sometimes they end up with the death of one of the duelists. I have dragonkin¡¯s blood, but since I am only a half-dragonkin, I wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against a pure-blooded dragonkin, ending up dying for sure,¡± Lilfira finished her story, providing a possible scenario of what might happen to her.


    ¡°But that¡¯s horrible. They can¡¯t do that,¡± Ranalaiya stated, becoming angry about it.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid they can. Besides, nobody would blame the person who might kill me since deaths are acceptable among the participants during the Rites of Strength. It also means that nobody from the outside would be able to interfere either,¡± Lilfira added to her explanation.


    ¡°No way¡­¡± Ranalaiya gasped, covering her mouth with both hands and looking distressed.


    ¡°If I may ask, how do you know so much about the dragonkins and their customs, Lilfira?¡± Sylfrin was curious to know.


    ¡°It is thanks to my mother mainly. She found someone to teach me how to read and write at an early age when my dragonkin features weren¡¯t exactly noticeable. My mother wanted for me to be knowledgeable and learn about the world. She wanted me to become smart, so I could survive on my own when the time came. When I became older and had to stay hidden at the place we¡¯d stay at the time, my mother would bring me books to read about various things, so I wouldn¡¯t be bored while she was gone working, she would say. Many of those books were about different races in the world, dragonkins included. I never knew where she¡¯d find all those books, but that didn¡¯t matter. I became a voracious reader and learned a whole lot. She knew the danger of me being a half-dragonkin and half-human, so she wanted to prepare me for what¡¯s to come.¡± Lilfira stopped talking for a moment, as if remembering something. Ranalaiya and Sylfrin didn¡¯t say a word, letting Lilfira gather her thoughts so she could continue telling her story.


    ¡°Unfortunately, reading and learning could help me only so much, so I wanted to become an adventurer, join a party and go monster hunting. I thought I could gain experience, level up and become strong enough to defend myself and protect my mother. My mother was against it, but I went and registered at the Guild anyway, believing it would work out somehow. Sadly, no party wanted to take me in and I had no gear or weapons, nor money to buy any equipment for that matter. Going into the dungeon unarmed and alone would¡¯ve been a suicide, so I kept asking hoping someone would take me in. But then the worst happened. Since I have registered as an adventurer and my name was put on the Guild¡¯s list of adventurers, my father had learned my whereabouts and we had to run away once again. That¡¯s how we¡¯ve ended up in Hirvant. Now that I think about it, it was na?ve of me to think we¡¯d lose our pursuers or that they would leave us be. The harsh reality is, I wouldn¡¯t be able to escape my father no matter where I would go. I suppose accepting my fate is the most viable option after all,¡± Lilfira finished her story on a very sad note.


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t do that, Lilfira,¡± Ranalaiya protested, sounding upset about it too.


    ¡°Ranalaiya is right. You shouldn¡¯t give up like that, Lilfira,¡± Sylfrin seconded her. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re a part of our clan now and Master Rockin is strong enough to protect you. Not only him, Ranalaiya and I won¡¯t let your father harm you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ very kind of you to say that,¡± Lilfira said, tears gathering in her eyes again. ¡°Unfortunately, your Master must be upset with me for trying to trick him and I wouldn¡¯t want to put you two in danger for my sake either simply because you were so kind to me.¡±


    ¡°No, he¡¯s not. Master Rockin wouldn¡¯t be upset with you, Lilfira,¡± Ranalaiya jumped in to tell her that.


    ¡°Well¡­ even if he¡¯s not, he didn¡¯t want to accept me as a woman. That means he doesn¡¯t like me,¡± Lilfira argued.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Master Rockin took your words seriously and I doubt you were serious about it yourself, Lilfira,¡± Sylfrin was blunt regarding the matter.


    ¡°But I was serious. I would¡¯ve offered myself to him as a woman,¡± Lilfira stated with a serious conviction in her voice.


    ¡°Really?¡± Ranalaiya exclaimed in surprise.


    ¡°Of course. Remember I said that my mother worked at a brothel before becoming pregnant. Well, not all the jobs she took after I was born were just regular jobs either. She didn¡¯t hide the truth from me, telling me what kind of work she was doing when I became old enough to understand it. She also taught me about men and how to treat them in order to get favors. In all honesty, her knowledge and experience in that kind of work was what helped us survive for so many years. However, my mother forbade me to ever get into that kind of line of work and vowed to disown me if I were to start doing favors to men for money. Losing my mother and ending up all alone in the world frightened me to death, so I never did that kind of work. I now understand why she insisted so much on not letting me do that and I am so grateful I listened to her. Unfortunately, my mother is becoming old and her health is deteriorating too. That¡¯s why I would give myself to someone as strong as your Master just so I could provide and protect my mother for the remaining years of her life,¡± Lilfira finished her explanation with another sad sigh.


    ¡°Hold on a moment. From what you have told us just now, I understand that you¡¯ve never been with a man before, have you, Lilfira?¡± Sylfrin asked, being very much calm.


    ¡°Huh? Sylfrin,¡± Ranalaiya exclaimed, being surprised to hear that¡¯s what Sylfrin took out from all that Lilfira had told them.


    ¡°What?¡± Sylfrin tilted her head to the side. The topic about sex had never been something Sylfrin would be uncomfortable talking about.


    ¡°Ah, well¡­ no, but¡­ I thought¡­ Rockin would know what to do since¡­ Savirei said he has experience with women. And Rockin has you two as well and, so¡­¡± Lilfira tried to explain herself, but it wasn¡¯t as easy for her to talk about sex to others as she probably thought it would.


    ¡°Ok, but even if you are serious about it, Master Rockin would¡¯ve refused to have sex with you just because you offered yourself to him. He¡¯s just not that kind of person,¡± Sylfrin told her.


    ¡°Yes¡­ I think I understand,¡± Lilfira said with a smile, but her facial expression was a sad one.


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean Master Rockin would simply abandon you,¡± Ranalaiya added, making Lilfira perk up.


    ¡°Are you¡­ certain about that?¡± Lilfira asked, a slight hope accompanying her words


    ¡°Of course. I am confident if you honestly apologized and explained to him everything tomorrow, just like you explained it to us, he¡¯d understand,¡± Sylfrin said.


    ¡°Sylfrin and I will support you too,¡± Ranalaiya chipped in.


    ¡°Thank you. Thank you so much, Ranalaiya and Sylfrin,¡± Lilfira cheered up, a bright smile finally dressing her face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Now let¡¯s get some sleep, shall we? We better not oversleep tomorrow or else we might really make Master Rockin upset. Good night Sylfrin and Lilfira,¡± Ranalaiya suggested before making herself more comfortable inside the hammock.


    ¡°Yes. It shouldn¡¯t be that late yet, so we should be fine. Good night,¡± Sylfrin added, adjusting her lying position too.


    ¡°Ok, good night, Ranalaiya and Sylfrin,¡± Lilfira wished them, letting a sigh of relief before closing her eyes.


    Little did the three of them know that about to come up sun wished them a very good night too.

 Chapter 113

    - ¡®Knock, Knock.¡¯ ¨C I knocked on the door again. It was the second time I came back to check if Ranalaiya, Sylfrin and Lilfira were up. It was quite late in the morning, way past the time when we usually get up, and past breakfast time too, but nobody was opening the door for me.


    What¡­ are they doing? Wait, don¡¯t tell me they¡¯re having a bath or¡­ something¡­ I squirmed, my lewd fantasies getting the best of me. What the heck are you thinking, moron?! I threw my right hand on my face, basically slapping myself. Sigh¡­ I guess I¡¯ll have to come back later. Or maybe I just wait in my own- huh?


    I was about to walk away, but since my hand was holding the door handle, I twisted it and pushed the door to open just for the sake of doing so, and to my biggest surprise it did.


    What? Their room is unlocked? Shit! I literally stormed into the room, throwing the doors wide open, afraid something had happened during the night and that¡¯s why nobody was answering my knocks on the door. Huh? They¡¯re¡­ fine and¡­ still sleeping? What were they doing all night if they are still sleeping? And why the hell did they not lock the door? Someone¡¯s gonna get some scolding. Humph¡­


    I frowned grumpily before closing the door behind me, quietly this time. I was surprised me storming into the room didn¡¯t wake the three sleeping beauties up. Although, they could¡¯ve been faking they were still asleep for all I knew. I didn¡¯t think much about it. I simply walked to the hammock to give it a good shake to wake them up. However, the moment I stepped to it I had blood rush to all kinds of places in my body and it wasn¡¯t only my face that got red.


    You¡¯ve¡­ got to be kidding me¡­ I stared at the three women closely curled to one another and sleeping very peacefully. This can¡¯t be real. You can¡¯t possibly end up in this kind of sleeping positions naturally.


    Neither my hands nor my feet were able to move and I already forgot about swinging the hammock to have Ranalaiya, Sylfrin and Lilfira wake up. I wouldn¡¯t have dared right now. Not when they were sleeping like that. With the hammock being a hammock, it wasn¡¯t unusual for people to end up huddling close to one another other during the sleep. That happened more than a few times when Ranalaiya, Sylfrin and I were sleeping together in the past. Of course, I was very much convinced by now that Ranalaiya and Sylfrin curling close to me wasn¡¯t always an accident, but I¡¯ve grown to appreciate it instead of complain about it. However, the three of them sleeping the way they were couldn¡¯t have been a mere accident.


    Both Ranalaiya and Sylfrin were lying on the sides, with Lilfira sleeping in the middle while the two of them were hugging Lilfira from both sides. One thing was, Ranalaiya and Sylfrin weren¡¯t simply hugging her, they had their hands placed right on Lilfira¡¯s breasts one each. It was a sight to behold and I literally forgot how to blink while I was staring at them. The top part of Lilfira¡¯s pajamas was slightly bigger in size for her, so it was easily pulled down and was almost revealing her breasts for me to see. Thankfully, her breasts were covered by Ranalaiya¡¯s and Sylfrin¡¯s hands, but the view left me stunned nonetheless. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off of Lilfira.


    She looked to be slightly younger than Ranalaiya or Sylfrin were, but she looked to be mature and well build. She had slightly darker skin than normal humans would have, with some crimson after-tone too. It looked quite unusual yet pleasant to the eye. There were some reddish color scales growing on some parts of Lilfira¡¯s body too, mainly on her legs here and there from what I could see. She had a few smaller scales grow under her eyes as well which only made her look more beautiful.


    Interesting thing about Lilfira¡¯s eyes was that her bottom eyelashes were almost the same length and thickness as her top eyelashes, with her eyebrows being fully red. That wasn¡¯t a big surprise considering her hair was all red too. And Lilfira had a very long, beautiful, red hair which also had a gleaming glow to it. Another distinguished characteristic about Lilfira was, she had about four inches in width and around six inches in length scaly ears. They didn¡¯t make Lilfira look weird or less beautiful, however. Quite the opposite. The shape of her ears added to her already attractive facial features. Of course, currently my eyes were looking slightly lower than at Lilfira¡¯s face.


    Stop staring, moron! I somehow managed to avert my eyes away from staring at Lilfira. In truth, due to me not blinking for so long, my eyes started to hurt so bad I was forced to close them and keep my eyes closed for a longer period of time to remove the irritation that the dryness in my eyes started to cause. I forced to open my eyes only after lowering my head down, my eyes ending up gazing at six gorgeous, long, bare legs of the three women lying inside the hammock. They must¡¯ve kicked the blanket off of them during the night which made the three of them cold, hence them cuddling so close together. And obviously, they had their legs placed on and in between each other¡¯s legs too which honestly made them look like some slime girls glued to one another. Shit, I should¡¯ve just turned around and left the room. Right, I should do just that.


    ¡°Master¡­ Rockin¡­¡± I heard Ranalaiya speak in a half-whisper all of a sudden.


    Eek! I froze in a spot, thinking I¡¯ve been caught.


    ¡°Good mor¡­ huh?¡± I turned around to greet her, but found Ranalaiya still being peacefully asleep. Eh? Was she¡­ talking in her sleep?


    ¡°Mhm¡­ Please¡­ more¡­ Master¡­¡± Sylfrin spoke up next, but just like Ranalaiya, she looked to be still asleep.


    Huuuh? Don¡¯t tell me¡­ you¡¯re talking in your sleep as well? Wait, what are you dreaming about to say something like that anyway? I exclaimed in my head with not so modest fantasies hitting my brain and my gut a second later.


    ¡°Uuhm¡­ ahmm¡­¡± before I could gather my thoughts, Lilfira¡¯s quiet yet passionate moan was heard a moment later. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t mention my name. Unfortunately, I could tell right away why she let out such a blissful sound. Ranalaiya and Sylfrin still had their hands placed on Lilfira¡¯s breasts and thanks to whatever they were dreaming about, they moved and squeezed Lilifira¡¯s breasts with their hands, and it must¡¯ve been too much of a pleasant feeling for Lilfira to not enjoy it.


    THE HELL ARE YOU TWO DOING?! I almost fainted at the sight. The three of them were making out and didn¡¯t even know it. This had to be a dream. It just had to. I need to get out of here or¡­ wake up. Yes, I am definitely dreaming. This would never happen for real¡­ or would it?


    I thought the best thing to do would be to leave, but at the same time, and if I was to believe it was a dream, I thought I would love to be a part of it and see how far it will take me. And if it was not an actual dream, the worst thing that could happen would be the three of them waking up and not remembering anything, and I¡¯d just pretend I had shown up just a second ago to get them up.


    ¡°Uuh¡­ mmh¡­ ahhh¡­¡± Lilfira pulled her head up when Ranalaiya and Sylfrin not only moved their hands again but also rubbed at her legs with theirs. I almost felt them doing that to me and man did the sight hit me below the belt.


    On the second thought¡­ I better leave. I thought to myself after witnessing yet another Lilfira¡¯s blissful moment.


    ¡°Ah¡­ mmha¡­ wha¡­¡± however, I was stopped short when I heard and noticed Lilfira actually starting to wake up.


    Nooo! She¡¯ll see me standing here watching them looking like that and doing those things. Shiiit! I panicked. I knew that I won¡¯t make it to the door, and even if I did, Lilfira will see me leaving. Huh? The bed! I¡¯ll just pretend I am sleeping here.


    I was standing next to a hammock on the side where the room¡¯s bed was, so I quickly, and as quietly as possible, hopped onto it and covered myself with the blanket provided, and closed my eyes to pretend I was asleep.


    ¡°Mmm¡­ wow¡­ I feel so¡­ huh?¡± Lilfira was honestly waking up. Her body being fondled by Ranalaiya and Sylfrin was too much to bear for Lilfira to stay in the land of dreams. ¡°Wha¡­ what? This is¡­¡± Lilfira exclaimed, biting on her right hand¡¯s index finger. Her biting on it was partly due to realization of what was happening and partly due to her actually feeling pleasure from yet another dreamy Ranalaiya¡¯s and Sylfrin¡¯s advance.


    ¡°Rana¡­ aah, nnh¡­ mmm¡­¡± Lilfira was about to speak up, but when Ranalaiya rubbed her leg at Lilfira¡¯s leg, she couldn¡¯t help. All she could do to keep herself in check was to press her fingers against her lips. However, by bending her right arm the way Lilfira did, she locked Ranalaiya¡¯s hand inside her bent arm and when she moved it, she also moved Ranalaiya¡¯s hand too which was still holding onto Lilfira¡¯s breast. Ranalaiya¡¯s fingers sliding over her breast, with her perked up and very hard nipple, threw her into another swing of bliss.


    ¡°Mhmm¡­¡± - ¡®Slurp.¡¯ ¨C ¡°Mm¡­ ah, mhm¡­¡± I suddenly started hearing some quiet yet erotic noises coming from the hammock.


    What¡¯s¡­ happening? I couldn¡¯t help but have a bad feeling about it. Still, the noises were very distracting and very, very erotic. Huh? It stopped?


    Only when it became quiet, I dared to slowly open a corner of my left eye to check if I could see anything without having anyone to notice I had my eye open. To my biggest shock, which was more of a horny shock than anything else, I saw Lilfira¡¯s hand being raised up in the air maybe a foot away from her face. I couldn¡¯t see her face of course from where I was lying, but I could see her having all except her index finger bent, with her index finger having a strange glow, like it was wet from something. I was looking only through the corner of my eye, so I couldn¡¯t see very well, but the next moment it became clear what that glow on her finger was.


    ¡°Mhmm¡­ ahmm¡­¡± ¨C ¡®Slurp.¡¯ ¨C Lilfira lowered her hand, put her finger in her mouth and started sucking on it.


    No fucking way! She¡¯s totally not doing THAT! I almost exploded.


    ¡°Ah¡­ nnn¡­¡± ¨C ¡®Slurp.¡¯ ¨C ¡°Ahmm¡­ mmm¡­¡± but she was. Lilfira continued to suck on her finger while enjoying doing so too.


    Thanks to Ranalaiya and Sylfrin dreaming and doing what they were doing to Lilfira while she was still asleep made her body become sensitive and aroused so much so she couldn¡¯t resist but help herself with the additional treatment simply because her body was demanding more. Maybe she thought that since the two of them were still sleeping, and because she was positive there was no one else here in the room to see or hear her do that, she¡¯ll get away with it. However, she couldn¡¯t have been more wrong on both counts.


    ¡°Aahm¡­ mhm¡­¡± Lilfira let out another pleasure filled moan, feeling her left breast being caressed by Sylfrin¡¯s hand this time. ¡°Ah, wow¡­ nnn¡­ ahh¡­¡± But it was more than that, however. She felt that this time Sylfrin¡¯s fingers were more precise and decisive on how, and where to touch and massage her breast, stopping and circling around, and on her very hard and very sensitive by now nipple. ¡°Mhmmm¡­ ahhh¡­ I¡­¡± ¨C ¡®Slurp.¡¯ ¨C To prevent herself from being too loud, Lilfira stuck her finger into her mouth to suck on it once again, but now the pleasure was overwhelming her and she could barely control herself.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ ahmm¡­ too much. Nnn¡­ ah, ahh¡­ I can¡¯t¡­¡± Lilfira pulled out her finger and moved her hand to remove Sylfrin¡¯s hand from her breast only to find Sylfrin¡¯s hand not willing to move away. ¡°What? Huh? No, Sylfrin you¡¯re¡­¡± Only then she noticed that Sylfrin wasn¡¯t exactly sleeping anymore. She was simply being quiet while helping Lilfira reach the next level of pleasure.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok. Relax. I¡¯m here to help,¡± Sylfrin spoke quietly yet passionately. The snow-white beauty had no intention of leaving Lilfira be without helping her go all the way.


    ¡°Help? But¡­¡± Lilfira wanted to say something, but she was now too embarrassed to speak.


    Instead of saying anything back, Sylfrin turned her hand upside down, her palm ending on the top of Lilfira¡¯s hand, then she used it to pull Lilfira¡¯s pajama blouse down just enough to uncover her left breast¡¯s nipple, leaning on it and giving a single lick with her tongue.


    ¡°Aaah¡­¡± which was more than enough to send a wave of electrifying pleasure through Lilfira¡¯s body. ¡°No¡­ you can¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Why not? You didn¡¯t stop me from doing it and I could tell you loved it too,¡± Sylfrin argued.


    ¡°Yes, but¡­¡± Lilfira was too embarrassed to admit it. ¡°Wha¡­ ah, hmm¡­¡± She suddenly felt her right breast being fondled, letting out a delightful moan as a result of it. ¡°Huh? Ranalaiya? Aah¡­ Please¡­ stop¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop? But you let Sylfrin lick your nipple just now. Why wouldn¡¯t you let me fondle your breast?¡± Ranalaiya asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s not it. I¡­ mmm¡­ ahhh¡­ I never had¡­ uhh, ah, ahh¡­ anyone else¡­ do that to mmm¡­ me,¡± Lilfira was trying to restrain from showing she was actually enjoying it, but with little success.


    ¡°But you¡¯ve done it to yourself, haven¡¯t you?¡± Sylfrin asked.


    ¡°Ah? No, I¡­ haven¡¯t,¡± Lilfira said, her cheeks burning hotter than the fire in a blacksmith¡¯s anvil.


    ¡°Yes, you did. You¡¯ve just said it yourself you had never anyone else do that to you. Besides, your body wouldn¡¯t react the way it does right now if you didn¡¯t enjoy it,¡± but there was no fooling Sylfrin. She had her fair share of education regarding the matter.


    ¡°Ok, yes, I had, but¡­ this is so embarrassing,¡± Lilfira finally admitted it, covering her face with both hands the next moment.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok. There¡¯s nothing embarrassing about it,¡± Sylfrin tried to reassure her. ¡°Also, it¡¯s only us in here, so you don¡¯t have to worry about anyone finding out.¡±


    ¡°Yes, let us help you enjoy it to the fullest,¡± Ranalaiya joined in.


    ¡°Are you¡­ sure it¡¯s ok?¡± Lilfira was hesitant even if her body screamed for them to continue.


    ¡°Of course,¡± said Sylfrin before leaning to Lilfira¡¯s breast again.


    ¡°Ah, ahh, nnn, I¡­ ahmm¡­¡± Lilfira couldn¡¯t help but push her head back when Sylfrin started sucking on her nipple.


    ¡°I want to help too. Huh?¡± Ranalaiya wanted to do the same, but couldn¡¯t. Since Sylfrin had pulled Lilfira¡¯s pajama blouse down and towards her, Ranalaiya couldn¡¯t get to Lilfira¡¯s other breast which was now fully covered. ¡°Oh, I know¡­¡±


    Ranalaiya didn¡¯t want to waste time or lose the moment to add to Lilfira¡¯s pleasure, so she grabbed on the lower end of Lilfira¡¯s pajama blouse, pulling it up, Sylfrin catching the hint and doing the same from her end too. But they didn¡¯t simply pull it up just enough to uncover Lilfira¡¯s chest. They pulled her pajama blouse all the way up and off her, leaving it on Lilfira¡¯s extended arms which also made it look like they were now tied above her head. Lilfira didn¡¯t know what to do in response to that, so she simply left her arms stay up while holding onto the hammock behind her head.


    ¡°Wha¡­ ah, nnn, ahhh¡­ I¡­ no¡­ ohh, ah, mmm¡­ mhaa¡­¡± what followed next was the orchestra of Lilfira¡¯s never ending pleasure induced moans. The moment she relaxed and let Ranalaiya and Sylfrin pleasure her, Lilfira¡¯s body let her know how much it enjoyed that kind of sensual and erotic treatment. Sylfrin wasn¡¯t exactly idle with her hands while her tongue was busy licking Lilfira¡¯s nipple. She was massaging the rest of Lilfira¡¯s body with her left hand. She was rubbing her belly, waist, thighs and lower legs as far as she could reach, with Ranalaiya glancing over and following her lead.


    ¡°Aaa, nnn, oh, I¡­ uhmm¡­ nnn, ah, ah¡­ mmm¡­¡± Lilfira couldn¡¯t help but take it all in, shifting and squirming while her body was receiving and soaking in the pleasure delivered by two seemingly lost in the moment women. ¡°I¡­ ahh¡­ mmm¡­ I¡­¡± Lilfira tried saying something, but she was either too embarrassed or simply had a hard time speaking due to feeling wave after wave of pleasure attacking her body. She moved and bent her legs, squeezing her thighs against each other as if to try and hold something in between them from escaping. ¡°Huh? Wha¡­ nooo¡­ Ah, ahh¡­ nnn¡­¡± But the moment Sylfrin¡¯s hand slid in between her thighs and rubbed her drowning-wet pussy, she couldn¡¯t hold it anymore, her body throwing her into ocean of orgasms. ¡°Ahnn¡­ nnhaaaa!¡± Lilfira body twisted and trembled from the continuous orgasms showering her one after another, both Sylfrin and Ranalaiya pressing themselves close to her to help Lilfira soak every single drop of it.


    ¡°Wow, that was such intense orgasm,¡± Ranalaiya gasped while probably feeling a little envious too.


    ¡°Here, here. See? It was worth it,¡± Sylfrin however, was comforting Lilfira while rubbing Lilfira¡¯s head with her free hand.


    ¡°Oof¡­ hmm¡­ hummm¡­¡± Lilfira was breathing heavily, her body yet to become relaxed.


    ¡°Aaah¡­¡± Ranalaiya smiled like a loving mother, lying down and hugging both Lilfira, and Sylfrin.


    ¡°Is this¡­ what you do¡­ together with Rockin?¡± Lilfira asked, still trying to catch a breath.


    ¡°Yes, we usually provide pleasure to Master Rockin while taking a bath together,¡± Sylfrin said.


    ¡°No, I meant¡­ do the two of you pleasure one another too?¡± Lilfira clarified her question.


    ¡°No, we don¡¯t. This was the first time I¡¯ve done it to another woman,¡± Ranalaiya told her.


    ¡°What? Really?¡± Lilfira couldn¡¯t believe it.


    ¡°Yes. When I woke up, I saw Sylfrin lick your nipple, and it seemed like you enjoyed it too, so I wanted to join in,¡± Ranalaiya explained.


    ¡°After waking up, I saw you were in a state of pleasuring yourself, so I thought I¡¯ll help you with it,¡± Sylfrin confessed.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Yes, I was, but¡­ with the two of you rubbing yourselves against me and fondling my breasts with your hands I simply became aroused and then¡­ I thought since you were asleep I could¡­¡± Lilfira became too embarrassed again to finish saying what she wanted to say.


    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s why. Well, I was dreaming about¡­ having sex with Master Rockin, and since it was you here instead of my Master¡­ my body must¡¯ve moved on its own while I was asleep, so¡­¡± Ranalaiya tried to explain herself, her own face stealing some redness from Lilfira¡¯s face.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I must¡¯ve done the same thing. I don¡¯t remember much of what I dreamed of, but I am certain I was together with Master Rockin and we were kissing passionately, and I wanted to feel him inside me, so I was pressing myself closer to him, and that¡¯s probably when my body moved on its own, but it was you I was touching during that time, Lilfira,¡± Sylfrin tried to recall what she dreamed about.


    ¡°What? Both of you have dreamed about your Master at the same time? Wow,¡± Lilfira was really surprised to hear the two of them had basically the same dream.


    ¡°Yes, well¡­ it must¡¯ve been¡­ a coincidence,¡± Ranalaiya couldn¡¯t think of any other reason behind it.


    ¡°Still, I am really surprise to hear you say you¡¯ve never done it to one another. As embarrassed as it is, I¡­ I¡¯ve never experienced such wonderful orgasm before, even when¡­ I was pleasuring myself in the past. Oh, sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have said that,¡± Lilfira exclaimed suddenly, trying to look away.


    ¡°Lilfira you¡¯re a real genius. Why didn¡¯t I think of it myself?¡± Ranalaiya exclaimed suddenly.


    ¡°Eh?¡± Lilfira gasped.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we haven¡¯t thought of it. I feel really embarrassed for being so oblivious right now,¡± Sylfrin let out a disappointed sigh.


    ¡°Huh? What¡­ are you two saying?¡± Lilfira was too confused to understand them.


    ¡°For real. Lavita is doing it all the time and Master Rockin certainly enjoys listening to her. We should do it too, Sylfrin,¡± Ranalaiya suggested, excitement being written all over her face.


    ¡°Good idea. And instead of only listening, Master Rockin will be able to watch us do it too. We should do it as soon as possible. Maybe today even,¡± Sylfrin agreed.


    ¡°But Master Rockin said we¡¯ll be leaving Hirvant to get ore for Alragus today,¡± Ranalaiya said, becoming worried they won¡¯t be able to.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Sylfrin, pausing for a moment to think about it. ¡°In that case, we need to come up with a reason for us to stay another night in Hirvant.¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do that. Oh, but¡­ what kind of reason would make Master Rockin stay another night?¡± Ranalaiya wondered.


    ¡°I know, we¡¯ve collected a lot of materials in the dungeon, so why don¡¯t we ask Master Rockin to craft an armor set for Lilfira? You need armor to wear, don¡¯t you, Lilfira?¡± Sylfrin came up with a possible plan.


    ¡°Yes, but¡­¡± Lilfira admitted she didn¡¯t have any, but was still as confused as before regarding what Ranalaiya and Sylfrin were plotting.


    ¡°Great. Now we just need to stall for time during the day and tell Master Rockin about it as late as possible, so he wouldn¡¯t be able to finish crafting it today. We¡¯ll convince him to let us watch him work and then surprise him with our own lewd performance, just like Lavita does,¡± Ranalaiya added more details to their plan.


    ¡°That¡¯s great thinking on your part, Ranalaiya,¡± Sylfrin agreed.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Would you like to join us too, Lilfira?¡± Ranalaiya asked, as if only now remembering Lilfira was there as well.


    ¡°Huh? Me?¡± Lilfira didn¡¯t expect to receive that kind of invitation.


    ¡°Good idea. Would you, Lilfira?¡± Sylfrin was for Lilfira to join them too.


    ¡°But¡­ isn¡¯t Rockin upset with me right now? He might not want to have me around even,¡± Lilfira had worries regarding it.


    ¡°No, no. I¡¯m sure he is not,¡± Ranalaiya was quick to tell her that.


    ¡°Of course not and I am certain Master Rockin would enjoy watching all three of us do it together,¡± Sylfrin was convinced about it.


    ¡°Ok, if¡­ if you say so,¡± Lilfira had to take their word for it.


    ¡°Great. Now let¡¯s get up and go find Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya was about to get up.


    ¡°No, no. We should stay in bed for as long as we can,¡± but Sylfrin stopped her.


    ¡°Huh? Why?¡± Ranalaiya asked.


    ¡°We need to stay in Hirvant for as long as possible before asking Master Rockin to craft the armor for Lilfira, right? So, it¡¯s better if we stay in bed and wait for Master Rockin to come get us instead,¡± Sylfrin explained.


    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re right, Sylfrin. Let¡¯s do that,¡± Ranalaiya agreed, but then added. ¡°But you know, it¡¯s really bright in the room, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve mentioned it, it does look like it is daytime,¡± Sylfrin agreed with her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just get up and look outside the window to check what time of the¡­¡± Ranalaiya pushed herself to sit up and was about to get out of the hammock, but then froze in a spot right where she was. She then very slowly and very quietly laid back inside the hammock, her cat ears going as down as almost touching her head too. ¡°Ex¡­ cuse me¡­¡± She carefully reached for and covered herself with the blanket the next moment, hiding under it fully, including her face.


    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s wrong, Ranalaiya?¡± Sylfrin couldn¡¯t understand why Ranalaiya would do that.


    ¡°Shhh¡­ It¡¯s still nighttime and we¡¯re still sleeping,¡± Ranalaiya said in a half-whisper, but she was loud enough for every single person to hear it.


    ¡°Nighttime? But it¡¯s so bright that it should be¡­¡± Sylfrin pushed herself up to look around the room next, freezing up the moment she shifted her position to look around the room before slowly retracting herself and laying down inside the hammock as well. ¡°You¡¯re right, Ranalaiya. It¡¯s definitely still nighttime. Good night.¡± Sylfrin added before pulling her end of the blanket over her body, including her face, too.


    ¡°What? Good night? What are you two saying?¡± Lilfira was at a complete loss there. She was about to push herself to sit up, but Ranalaiya and Sylfrin grabbed her by the hands to stop her.


    ¡°Shhh¡­ all of us are still sleeping, Lilfira. Here, cover yourself,¡± Ranalaiya said, her and Sylfrin pulling the same blanket over her to hide all three of them under it.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Oh¡­ kay¡­¡± Lilfira was confused, but complied. Her confusion quickly disappeared when she suddenly heard footsteps inside the room. ¡°What? Someone is- mhmm.¡± Her mouth was quickly covered by both Ranalaiya¡¯s and Sylfrin¡¯s hands, preventing her from speaking.


    ¡°Shhh¡­¡± Ranalaiya put a finger to her lips. ¡°We¡¯re sleeping.¡± She added, Lilfira nodding a few times in response and only then Ranalaiya and Sylfrin removing their hands from her mouth.


    All three women stayed so quiet they could hear their own breathing. As such, they could also hear someone walk around the room, with the footsteps getting closer to the hammock at first before the sounds becoming quieter and quieter with each step until the footsteps stopped somewhere at the other end of the room. A very eerie vibe settled inside the room, with the three women not daring to move a single muscle for some reason.


    ¡°Dress up and come outside,¡± I finally said in as stern tone of my voice as I could muster. ¡°And don¡¯t make me wait for too long or else we¡¯ll be leaving for the mines without even stopping to eat anything. And that applies to all three of you. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya was the first one to answer, yet she was still hiding under the blanket.


    ¡°Yes, Master,¡± Sylfrin was next to tell me she heard me, but also stayed covered, not willing to show her face.


    ¡°Yes¡­ M¡­ Master Rockin¡­¡± Lilfira answered last and I chose not to reprimand her to not call me ¡®Master¡¯ this time.


    ¡°Good,¡± I said before leaving the room and closing the doors behind me.


    ¡°Is Master Rockin¡­ gone?¡± Ranalaiya asked, but didn¡¯t dare to uncover her face to check herself.


    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s¡­ gone,¡± Sylfrin said. She was the first one to stick her cute nose from under the blanket.


    ¡°Ahh¡­¡± Ranalaiya stuck her head out just enough to uncover her eyes, so she could see if the room was empty. She took a moment to look around before saying something else. ¡°We¡¯re in trouble now, aren¡¯t we?¡± She asked, pulling the blanket over her head again.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Sylfrin agreed, letting out a deep sigh.


    ¡°Oh no¡­¡± Ranalaiya followed up with her own sad sigh.


    ¡°Excuse me, but¡­ can I ask you two something?¡± Lilfira was a little timid when she spoke, but she wanted to know something.


    ¡°What is it, Lilfira?¡± Sylfrin wondered.


    ¡°Well¡­ who is Lavita?¡± Lilfira asked.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Ranalaiya and Sylfrin reacted to Lilfira¡¯s question both at the same time.

 Chapter 114

    Maaan, this is awkward. I should¡¯ve just left the room the moment I saw them being fine. Damn it¡­ I was bashing myself in my head while the four of us were walking down the street.


    I waited for Ranalaiya, Sylfrin and Lilfira to dress up and do whatever else they had to do before they came out of the room while I was fuming outside, not knowing how to talk to them. They took longer because they had to take the hammock down before leaving the room. I decided that the best I could do was to use the dumb card and pretend nothing happened. I simply gave Ranalaiya and Sylfrin a good morning kiss each and we left the inn. It was almost midday and yesterday I thought we¡¯d leave Hirvant early in the morning. That messed up my plans, but there was nothing I could do about it now.


    ¡°Ahm¡­ I¡¯m sorry about¡­ the morning, Master,¡± I suddenly heard Ranalaiya¡¯s timid voice behind me as we walked.


    And what kind of answer do you expect from me now? I wanted to say something back, but I couldn¡¯t. We¡¯ve been walking without talking all this time simply because I felt so awkward about what happened I couldn¡¯t think of anything to say to them. In reality, I felt like I should be the one apologizing for sneaking into their room like that. If I tell her or all of them that it was no big deal, they¡¯ll definitely think I¡¯m into watching and listening women pleasure themselves, not that¡­ I didn¡¯t like it. On the other hand, if I tell them I am upset with them, they could decide I hated it and might not ever want do it again, not that¡­ I would want to see them do that again or anything. Aaargh!


    ¡°Let¡¯s just¡­ go eat and do that quest for Alragus,¡± I blurted without turning around.


    ¡°Yes, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya spoke back, her voice still being timid.


    Damn it. I¡¯ll have to think of something, but first¡­ there¡¯s a more serious issue I need to address. I just hope I can keep it together when I talk to her. I frowned to myself, but since I was walking at the front, the girls couldn¡¯t see it.


    I felt awkward about what happened, but the real issue regarding my nervousness was what Lilfira told me about Savirei. That really hit my gut and I literally became sick to my stomach when she told me that yesterday. That¡¯s why I wanted to be left alone. Whether Lilfira was willing to give herself as a woman to me or not was irrelevant. The problem was the reason behind it. If Lilfira and I were together, and we if liked each other, then that would be different, but Lilfira offering sex to me to get my clan¡¯s protection was something I could never accept. Worse yet, it was Savirei who talked Lilfira into offering it. I probably would¡¯ve helped her anyway if she had simply asked me to, but with the current circumstances I just couldn¡¯t let it go. I honestly would become sick to my stomach each time I thought about it.


    I suppose leaving it be will just make matters worse in the long run. I¡¯ll just have to get it over with no matter what. I let out a deep sigh, bracing myself for the upcoming conversation. I picked up my pace, with my escorts trying to keep up with me until we¡¯ve reached Savirei¡¯s diner.


    ¡°Good morning, darling. Or should I say ¡®good day¡¯ instead? It¡¯s unusual for you to sleep in for so long? Did something or someone keep you up late last night?¡± Savirei was as sly as ever, but I didn¡¯t exactly react to her teasing right now. ¡°Huh? Is something wrong, darling?¡± Savirei noticed I wasn¡¯t exactly in the mood even if I tried to not show it.


    ¡°Ah, well¡­ I¡¯d like to talk to you about something, Savirei. In private, please,¡± I told her, managing to muster a smile too.


    ¡°Oh my, in private?¡± Savirei¡¯s eyes caught an exciting glow. ¡°I¡¯m sure I will be able to find some time for you, sweetheart. Give me a shout after you¡¯re finished eating.¡± Savirei added, sending me a wink.


    ¡°How about now?¡± I didn¡¯t want to drag it out.


    ¡°Now? Wow, you seemed to be very eager to tell me something,¡± Savirei said, touching her lips with her right hand¡¯s fingers.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ rather important,¡± I added.


    ¡°Ok then. Give me a minute to leave some instructions to my staff¡­ just in case our meeting might take slightly longer than expected,¡± Savirei was very sweet and I certainly knew what she meant by it.


    ¡°Ok,¡± I showed another half-fake smile before turning to Ranalaiya, Sylfrin and Lilfira. ¡°Why don¡¯t you three order some food and eat while I talk to Savirei? We¡¯ll leave as soon as you¡¯re done eating.¡±


    ¡°Huh? But what about you, Master Rockin?¡± Ranalaiya asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry,¡± I blurted. I probably was hungry, but the sickening knots in my stomach from before wouldn¡¯t allow me to even think about the food right now. I wouldn¡¯t be able to put anything into my mouth even if I forced the food down my throat.


    ¡°So sorry, darling. I am all ready to hear you out,¡± Savirei returned in a short moment, her face gleaming with joy and excitement.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± I told Ranalaiya and the others before going after Savirei.


    ¡°Well, dear, what was it you wanted to talk to me about? I¡¯m all yours. Oops, I meant all ears,¡± Savirei asked me after we entered her private quarters, trying to be funny about it too.


    ¡°¡­¡± I took a deep breath in before saying anything, my face changing from calm to sour and serious. ¡°If you¡¯re gonna pull that kind of stunt again, Savirei, I¡¯m gonna kick you out of the clan.¡± I told her point blank in a serious tone of my voice, also pointing my right hand¡¯s index finger at her.


    ¡°Huh? Wha¡­¡± All the cheerfulness from Savirei¡¯s face has disappeared in an instant. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t follow, darling.¡± Savirei said smiling, but she didn¡¯t look as cheerful as before.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about Lilfira. You were the one who put her up to it,¡± I explained a little of what I meant.


    ¡°Oh, I¡­ well¡­ she was in danger and-¡°


    ¡°And you told her to offer sex to me, so I would take her in?¡± I interrupted Savirei, sounding angry about it this time.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say I was so blunt regarding the matter, but she didn¡¯t sound like she would mind when I hinted it to her,¡± Savirei tried to justify herself, sounding slightly worried while looking at me.


    ¡°Of course she wouldn¡¯t! What other choice did she have other than agree to anything anyone would offer her at that point?! Eh?¡± I raised my voice, also throwing my hands to the sides while becoming emotional.


    ¡°I¡­ well¡­ I thought you might¡­ like her, so-¡°


    ¡°Seriously?!¡± I interrupted Savirei again. ¡°What does me liking someone or not has to do with you telling a woman to have sex with me, so I would accept her to my clan? Who do you think I am?!¡±


    ¡°Well, I always thought of you as someone very capable in catching a woman¡¯s atten-¡°


    ¡°I am serious here, damn it!¡± I was very loud about it and if I was close to a table or something of the sorts, I would¡¯ve slammed my fist on it. I probably would¡¯ve smashed the table to pieces too, considering how strong I was right now, but hopefully nothing was broken. ¡°Is that what you really think of me? Someone who thinks of women only as some sex objects? Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ no, of course not,¡± Savirei said, trying to show a smile.


    ¡°Really?¡± I said, furrowing my eyebrows while staring at Savirei very intently.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rockin, I just¡­ didn¡¯t think of it being a big deal,¡± Savirei said, procuring a smile yet her lowered wolf-ears, her tail and Savirei holding her hands down in front of her showed she was in a state of worry.


    ¡°Are you kidding me?! Not a big deal?!¡± I raised my voice again, not wanting to believe I heard her right. ¡°You going around and telling people that the Rockstars clan¡¯s leader would accept women into his clan in exchange for them offering sex to him is not a big deal?!¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s¡­ not what I had in mind when I hinted it to Lilfira,¡± Savirei was struck by the intensity and loudness of my words.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s how it looks to me! How else would anyone interpret the message? Ah?¡± I confronted Savirei once again, but I didn¡¯t wait for her to respond before continuing speaking. ¡°Hey, I know. Maybe I should add that to the application form. ¡®Want to apply to the Rockstars clan? Great! Pay five silvers ooor¡­ offer sex to the clan¡¯s leader¡¯! Quite a deal, wouldn¡¯t you say? I get to have sex with as many women as I want and they get to join my clan without actually doing anything useful for the clan! Maybe I should rename the clan too. How about¡­ the Fucking Rockstars clan or¡­ Rockin¡¯s Harem clan? Yes, that one sounds really cool, actually, because it¡¯s my clan after all, and since I created the clan just so I could have sex with more women, it¡¯d be the perfect fit!¡± I was starting to lose my temper or I¡¯ve lost it but didn¡¯t know it yet.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡­ I never thought it¡¯d turn out to be such a serious issue for you, Rockin,¡± Savirei started apologizing, tears starting to run down her cheeks.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s a serious issue! How would that not be?!¡± I was fuming. ¡°What do you think was the reason I created a clan in the first place?! To use and abuse women for my own sexual desires?! Is that all you think of me, Savirei?! Some lowlife women abuser?!¡±


    ¡°No, of course not. I would never¡­¡± Savirei exclaimed, pressing her hands close to her chest.


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡± I dropped my head before shaking it a few times. I took a deep breath in to calm myself down before placing my hands on my waist and lifting my head up to look at Savirei again. ¡°I¡¯m gonna tell you point blank, Savirei. I am really, really angry with you. I am¡­ proper pissed right now, actually. Here¡¯s the deal. If I get any other woman approach me and offer to have sex with me in exchange for her joining my clan, the Rockstars clan will be disbanded on the spot. I won¡¯t even bother informing anyone about it. I¡¯ll just inform the Guild about the Rockstars clan being no more, then I¡¯ll take Ranalaiya and Sylfrin with me, and we¡¯re just gonna leave Hirvant for good. That¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ no, no. Please, don¡¯t,¡± Savirei fell onto me, hugging me tight and starting to sob onto my chest. ¡°Please, please, no. Please, don¡¯t do that. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so, so sorry. Please forgive me. And even if you don¡¯t forgive me, please don¡¯t disband the Rockstars clan. It¡¯s all my fault. I will take the blame for it. Kick me out of the clan if you want, but please don¡¯t punish others for it.¡±


    Eeh!? What¡­ that is¡­ this is¡­ I freaked out, not knowing what to do. I did not expect for Savirei to jump on me like that, or that she¡¯d be willing to accept the responsibility for it. I was still sort of angry, but her bawling at my chest was starting to evaporate my anger at a rapid rate.


    ¡°And please, don¡¯t abandon Lilfira. She needs your protection. She¡¯s only a little girl and if left alone, she won¡¯t survive. Please, Rockin, I beg you,¡± Savirei was crying on my chest.


    Aargh¡­ Damn it¡­ I couldn¡¯t keep it together after all. I gritted my teeth, with my anger melting away. I just couldn¡¯t stand hearing or seeing a woman cry, especially when I was the cause of it.


    ¡°Hey, aaa¡­¡± I mumbled, placing my hands on Savirei¡¯s shoulders before sliding them down and patting her on the back. ¡°Ah, sorry¡­ I was¡­ a bit too harsh with my words.¡± I started to feel bad about it now, remembering how I was yelling at her not that long ago.


    ¡°No¡­ you had the full right to become angry with me,¡± Savirei said, finally pulling away and starting to wipe the tears away from her face. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve told me how it actually looked from the outside, I understand how wrong I was to tell Lilfira to do that. I¡¯m so sorry, Rockin. I truly am.¡± Savirei added, lowering her head and looking really sad.


    ¡°Right, well¡­ thank you for understanding and¡­ I still apologize for yelling at you,¡± I said, rubbing the back of my head and feeling bad about it.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok. I deserved it,¡± Savirei smiled. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ am I still allowed to stay in your clan, Rockin?¡±


    ¡°Ah? Yes, of course. Sorry for being so harsh regarding that as well,¡± I was feeling like a baddie again.


    ¡°Thank you. And¡­ what about Lilfira?¡± Savirei wanted to know.


    ¡°Oh, her. Yeah, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not gonna abandon her. I¡¯ll just need¡­ to clear a few things with her too,¡± I said, feeling my cheeks becoming red all of a sudden.


    ¡°I can talk to her about that myself. After all, it was me who put her up for it which resulted in putting you in this unpleasant situation in the end,¡± Savirei offered.


    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s ok. I agreed to it, so part of the blame falls on me too,¡± I refused.


    ¡°Ok, if you say so, Rockin,¡± Savirei said, finally showing a happier smile.


    ¡°Right, I just remembered. I have a bunch of Tarkee wings that we¡¯ve collected from the dungeon and some Lesser Trent Wood too. Do you want any?¡± Thankfully I remembered about the drops, helping me change the topic and take my mind of the unpleasant conversation we¡¯ve just had.


    ¡°Yes, of course. I¡¯ll take all that you have, Rockin,¡± Savirei said.


    ¡°I think Ranalaiya and Sylfrin have some in their Item Storage Boxes too, so I¡¯ll have to collect those from them before bringing it to you,¡± I explained.


    ¡°That¡¯s totally fine,¡± Savirei didn¡¯t mind. She was surprisingly calm and non-aggressive, and seeing her behave that way made her look rather charming too.


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll be going now,¡± I said, about to make a step towards the door, but then I turned back and gave Savirei a hug. I didn¡¯t say anything. I simply held her in my embrace for a moment, with Savirei finally hugging me back, and I was able to see her tail become playful and dance around again. I held her for a moment before letting her go and then walking out of her room.


    ¡°Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya stood up the moment she saw me approaching the table.


    ¡°Master Rockin, please forgive us for making you upset. We promise we won¡¯t do it ever again,¡± Sylfrin announced after standing up and bowing her head.


    Eeh! Nooo! The only thing I heard Sylfrin say was that they will not do it again, ever.


    ¡°It was all my fault, M¡­ Mister Rockin. Please, don¡¯t punish Ranalaiya and Sylfrin for it,¡± Lilfira added, bowing in front of me.


    ¡°Hey, wait, ah¡­ I think you misunderstood something,¡± I said, raising my hands in front of me. ¡°I am not upset with any of you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not, Master?¡± Sylfrin was surprised to hear that.


    ¡°But you looked so angry, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya pointed it out.


    ¡°Ah, yes, but¡­ I wasn¡¯t angry with you. I was angry¡­ about something else,¡± I tried to explain myself.


    ¡°About something else?¡± Sylfrin asked, tilting her head to the side, her white bat-ears tilting inwards too.


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡± I dropped my head before sitting down. ¡°The thing is, I didn¡¯t like that Lilfira offered herself to me in exchange for joining our clan. That¡¯s why I became angry and that¡¯s what I was talking to Savirei just now. If I want to build a respectful clan, I can¡¯t have people do that or assume that it¡¯s ok for them to do so.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± the girls gasped, relief and then admiration showing in their eyes.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re not upset with us for¡­ trying to trick you to stay in Hirvant for one more day, Master Rockin?¡± Ranalaiya asked, her cheeks dressing in a charming blush.


    ¡°Oh, that¡­ Aahm¡­¡± I had to stop and think about it, because my cheeks remembered how hot they were not that long ago. ¡°About that¡­ aah¡­ Well, ahem¡­ I¡¯m sorry for sneaking into your room and¡­ accidently hearing you¡­ talk about¡­ your plans. The thing is, I was worried that you weren¡¯t getting up for so long and¡­ and when I learned that the door was unlocked, I rushed into the room to check on you, but then found you all still asleep. And since I¡­ didn¡¯t want to leave you by yourselves, because¡­ well¡­ because I couldn¡¯t lock the room from the outside, I decided to stay and take a nap myself while waiting for all of you to wake up. Yes, that¡¯s¡­ how it happened. I then was¡­ woken up by the three of you talking and overheard you planning something against me. I¡­ didn¡¯t hear everything you were talking about only¡­ only that you wanted me to craft an armor set for Lilfira, so we would stay in Hirvant longer. But I made a promise to Alragus already and he would expect me to do the quest sooner rather than later, and that¡¯s why I want us to go to the mines as soon as possible.¡± I let out a sigh of relief, feeling good about my well-sounding explanation.


    ¡°Really?¡± Ranalaiya wanted to confirm.


    ¡°Yes, really,¡± I said.


    ¡°Wait, you only heard us talk about wanting to stay in Hirvant longer, Master Rockin?¡± Sylfrin wanted to confirm that part next.


    ¡°Ah, yes¡­ I think. I don¡¯t remember¡­ hearing the reason why you wanted for us to stay in Hirvant longer, really,¡± I told her, averting my eyes away.


    ¡°That means¡­¡± Sylfrin spoke, but not to me this time. She turned to glance at Ranalaiya and then Lilfira before turning to face me again.


    ¡°But like I said,¡± I jumped in to speak before Sylfrin was able to say anything to me. ¡°I made a promise to Alragus and we will be leaving Hirvant today anyway, so I hope¡­ whatever the reason for you wanting to stay here longer was¡­ it can wait until we come back?¡± I half stated half asked a question in the end.


    ¡°Yes, of course. We can do it when we get back, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya declared excitedly.


    ¡°Yes, we shouldn¡¯t rush those kinds of things and doing the quest for Mister Alragus is important,¡± Sylfrin agreed too.


    ¡°Ok¡­ good,¡± I smiled. ¡°As for Lilfira¡¯s armor. She needs to level up first, because even if I craft some armor or her, it will have an Equip level of two or three and Lilfira wouldn¡¯t be able to wear anyway.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I completely forgot about it, Master,¡± Ranalaiya said, making a silly face.


    ¡°Indeed. How could we forget about it?¡± Sylfrin asked, not that she was actually asking a question.


    ¡°Oh-kay. That¡¯s settled then. By the way, have you all eaten yet?¡± Only after I asked that I¡¯ve noticed none of them had any plates in front of them.


    ¡°No, Master Rockin. We wanted to wait for you,¡± Ranalaiya said, a mild yet cute smile entering her lips.


    ¡°Really? Ok then. Shall we eat now then?¡± I suggested. With the main issue taken care off, the knots inside my stomach were untied and now I felt hungrier than ever. We¡¯ve ordered the food and dug in right away. I could tell Ranalaiya, Sylfrin and Lilfira were tense and worried when I returned, but now everyone was in a great mood.


    ¡°Can I ask you something, Master Rockin?¡± Ranalaiya asked before starting on the next Tarkee wing.


    ¡°Yes, what is it, Ranalaiya?¡± I turned to face her.


    ¡°Mister Alragus said that the Brown Iron Ore can be mined from the ore deposits and that a person would need a Mining skill to be able to do so. Is that correct?¡± Ranalaiya wondered.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct,¡± I said.


    ¡°Lilfira has Mining skill,¡± she said, me stopping from biting on my own Tarkee wing when I heard her say that.


    ¡°What? Really?¡± I gasped before turning to look at Lilfira.


    ¡°Yes. I¡­ always had it,¡± Lilfira confirmed it.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­ awesome,¡± I was both surprised and happy to hear the news.


    ¡°I had never used my Mining skill, but¡­ I would like to be useful to you and¡­ I would like to help the clan as well,¡± Lilfira brought up the courage to tell me that.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ great. Yes, that would be really helpful. We might be able to collect enough ore and finish the quest sooner than expected,¡± I said, feeling very happy about that part.


    ¡°I have other skills that can be used in fighting. I would like to¡­ help fight monsters too,¡± Lilfira offered again.


    ¡°You have more skills?¡± It was another surprise to hear that. Although, I had never asked her about her skills, nor I had invited her to our party yet. ¡°Right, sorry. How about I send you an invite to join our party and¡­ do you mind if I take a look at your stats?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please. I was also hoping you could help me allocate my stat points and grow stronger, just like Ranalaiya and Sylfrin?¡± Lilfira asked, her voice becoming both more cheerful and hopeful.


    ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t mind¡­ I guess,¡± I had no objections to that.


    ¡°Ok, here,¡± Lilfira tapped with her finger in front of her. Since she wasn¡¯t bound to me by the Master-Slave contract, I couldn¡¯t bring her Status Window to check her stats myself. Lilfira had to make it so I could see it herself.


    ¡°Let me take a look. Huh? What?¡± I narrowed my eyes to double check her stats just so I would be sure I was seeing them correctly. What¡­ are those stats? I asked the next question in my head only, feeling perplexed about how Lilfira¡¯s level one stats looked.

 Chapter 115

    ***


    Lilfira Rageflame. Level 1.


    Character stats:


    Stamina ¨C 8


    Strength ¨C 16


    Agility ¨C 3


    Spell Power ¨C 0


    Magic Energy ¨C 11


    Luck ¨C 7


    ***


    Eh? The hell? Lilfira having higher Strength stat makes sense since she¡¯s a half-dragonkin, but what¡¯s with her Spell Power being zero yet her Magic Energy being eleven? I couldn¡¯t wrap my head around it.


    All things considered, I expected her Strength stat to be higher or at least one of the highest stats overall, but seeing her Magic Energy being second best when her Spell Power was at zero made no sense.


    ¡°Ok,¡± I said, making a sour facial expression.


    ¡°Is something wrong, Master Rockin?¡± Ranalaiya quickly noticed it.


    ¡°Ah, no,¡± I said, but definitely didn¡¯t mean it.


    ¡°Am I not good as a fighter, Mister Rockin?¡± Lilfira asked, becoming worried.


    ¡°What? Oh, no, no. I think your stats are great. I mean, you have sixteen in Strength which makes you a great fighter, Lilfira,¡± I tried to reassure her.


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s great,¡± she said, my words making her cheer up.


    ¡°Do you mind if I look at your skills next, Lilfira?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°No, please do, Mister Rockin,¡± she said.


    ¡°Aah, do you mind not call me Mister? Just Rockin is fine,¡± I finally brought it up. It was getting under my skin, really, in addition to making me feel older than I actually was.


    ¡°But¡­ you¡¯re the Rockstars clan leader and¡­ you forbade me from calling you Master, so¡­¡± Lilfira said with a sad expression on her face.


    That¡¯s because I am not your Master, doh. Besides, I wouldn¡¯t mind Ranalaiya and Sylfrin stop calling me Master as well, but there are rules in this world which slaves need to abide by, and since the two of them refused to be released from the Master-Slave contract, coming up with the most ridiculous reason ever which we won¡¯t mention here, they are basically required to call me Master. I was mumbling in my head, throwing glances at both Ranalaiya and Sylfrin, both of them averting their eyes away from me as if knowing what I was thinking about right now.


    ¡°Ok, fine. Call me Mister if you like,¡± I finally agreed.


    ¡°Ah, oh¡­ ok,¡± Lilfira became excited for a second there, but then looked to be disappointed in the end.


    Eh? Wait, did she expect me to say she could call me Master? I crinkled my nose, noticing it.


    ¡°Anyway, your skills¡­¡± I quickly turned my attention to the screen in front of me. ¡°Twinstab: a quick double thrust forward to stab the target in front of you. Requires a spear or a polearm to use.¡± I read the first skill on the list out loud.


    ¡°Is it¡­ a good skill, Mas¡­ I mean, Mister Rockin?¡± Lilfira asked, her wanting to call me Master came out almost naturally.


    ¡°Ah, yes, it is, probably,¡± I said, my last word making it sound I was doubting myself. ¡°I mean, you¡¯d have to use it in a real fight to see how good of a skill it actually is, but stabbing twice in a row seems to be quite good.¡±


    ¡°Oh, great,¡± Lilfira said, perking up.


    ¡°Ok, next, Weapon Parry: allows the character to parry attacks with their weapon. The higher character¡¯s Strength, the stronger attacks they can parry. Requires a weapon to use. Oh, ooh¡­¡± I gasped. It didn¡¯t say it was a passive skill and it didn¡¯t have a cooldown either which made me gasp in surprise at the end.


    ¡°Huh? Is it¡­ not a good skill?¡± Lilfira became worried again.


    ¡°No, not at all. In fact, it¡¯s an awesome skill. Look, it shows it is an Epic Rarity skill too,¡± I pointed it out, noticing that the skill was written in purple letters.


    ¡°Really? Wow,¡± it made Lilfira happy again.


    ¡°Ok, last but not least. Mining. Level one. Allows the character to mine ores. Yeah, that¡¯s what mining does,¡± I said, making a silly grimace which made the girls chuckle too. ¡°Right, that¡¯s all, I guess. By the way, Ranalaiya, Sylfrin, how many Tarkee wings and Lesser Trent Wood the two of you have?¡±


    ¡°Oh, let me check, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya said before opening her Item Storage Box.


    ¡°I¡¯ll check too,¡± Sylfrin did the same.


    We had a total of twenty six Tarkee wings and eight Lesser Trent Wood. I collected all of those from Ranalaiya and Sylfrin, and went to deliver them to Savirei. Savirei was rather careful with her words when she spoke to me, but was polite and in good mood. She refrained from offering any cheeky comments she¡¯d usually make when talking to me and she didn¡¯t make any advances against me when it was just the two of us in her storage room while I was unloading the wings and the wood for her.


    I could tell she was self-conscious and was being careful with her words, but I wanted to make sure there was no animosity between the two of us, so I gave her a kiss before I left, leaving her charmingly confused. I added that I wasn¡¯t angry with her personally, but was upset with what she did, also making a point I held no grudge against her or that I didn¡¯t like her. That just made Savirei brighten up and show me the happiest smile she had ever shown me. I said I will be leaving for the mines now, so she said she¡¯ll bring the money for the goods I delivered right away. I told her I¡¯ll wait for her at the table where my female companions were waiting for me.


    ¡°Sorry for keeping you wait, Rockin. Here you go,¡± Savirei placed a pouch full of coins on the table.


    ¡°Hold on, that seems to be more than I expected to get for some meat and wood,¡± I said, picking up the pouch to check the money inside. ¡°Huh? Hey, those are¡­ gold coins. Why¡­¡± I felt perplexed.


    ¡°It¡¯s the gold that Lilfira¡¯s father had left before leaving. I thought I shouldn¡¯t be the one to keep it,¡± Savirei explained.


    ¡°Oh¡­ but wait, some of your diner¡¯s tables were broken and¡­ some walls were damaged too,¡± I said, looking around and noticing the walls were yet to be fixed.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok. It¡¯s clan¡¯s money,¡± Savirei didn¡¯t mind.


    ¡°How much would it cost to fix those?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Couple of silvers at best. I know a trustworthy carpenter to do the job,¡± Savirei told me.


    ¡°Ah, ok. Here,¡± I took out and placed two gold coins on the table for her to take.


    ¡°Wait, I said couple of silvers,¡± Savirei protested.


    ¡°Yeah, well. I think¡­ this table needs fixing too and¡­ maybe some chairs as well,¡± I said, giving the table a tug to try and show it was standing unevenly.


    ¡°Thank you, Rockin,¡± Savirei chuckled, covering her mouth with one hand.


    ¡°Ok, we¡¯ll be going now,¡± I said, about to turn around to walk out.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°Oh, wait, Rockin. I have something else for you,¡± but Savirei stopped me unexpectadly. ¡°I completely forgot about it. Do you mind waiting a short moment longer?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yeah, ok,¡± I thought waiting a few extra minutes wouldn¡¯t make any difference.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± Savirei said, quickly rushing towards where her private quarters were located. She returned soon after, holding some papers in her hands. ¡°So sorry about that, darling. Here.¡± She passed the papers to me.


    ¡°What are those? Oh,¡± I asked, but then realized what the papers she gave me were. Those were the clan application forms that Emmy, Arny and Luise have filled out. ¡°Ok, why are there only three application forms?¡±


    ¡°Only three?¡± Savirei asked, feeling puzzled.


    ¡°Yes. The young girl, Luise had a companion. Didn¡¯t he fill an application form as well?¡± I wondered.


    ¡°No. After all, he¡¯s a- huh?¡± Savirei was about to say what I knew she would say, so I stopped her by raising my hand in front of me.


    ¡°Everyone in Rockstars Clan is equal. Slave or not, they have to fill out an application form and pay the fee, even if the fee is paid by their Master. Otherwise, I won¡¯t accept them in my clan,¡± I told Savirei before adding. ¡°Keep hold on to these for now and let them know I said that. Also, since Luise didn¡¯t know about it, you can return the application fee to her if she decides she doesn¡¯t want for her companion to join the clan. However, I won¡¯t accept anyone into the clan who has a companion, but won¡¯t let their companion fill out an application form or pay the application fee. Their companion will be helping them do the quests which means they will belong to the Rockstars Clan as well.¡±


    ¡°Oh wow,¡± Savirei gasped, touching her left cheek with one hand.


    ¡°As for Emmy and Arny, I don¡¯t mind them joining the clan since I know them personally. I believe they are decent people,¡± I added.


    ¡°Ok, I will let them know. Right, here are the ten silvers that the two of them paid,¡± Savirei passed the money to me. ¡°By the way, Emmy¡¯s group was asking what kind of quests our clan had to offer.¡±


    ¡°Right, the quests. Here¡¯s what I agreed with Alragus,¡± I went to explain to Savirei how the quest payouts and fees worked.


    ¡°Wow, really? That¡¯s such a great deal,¡± Savirei exclaimed after I explained it to her.


    ¡°As for what kind of quests we have available now, we don¡¯t really have any. To be honest, I was thinking that anyone inside the clan could post a quest for anyone to take. Unfortunately, we don¡¯t have an official Quest Board, nor we have a place where to put it, but if you, Navirei or anyone else need something, just let others know about it. Of course, it would be better if we could put the quest details in writing and keep the records of what quests and who completed them for future reference. We can basically use the Guild¡¯s quest listings as an example template to make it easier for us too.¡± I was basically thinking out loud while explaining it to Savirei.


    ¡°Oh my, you had really thought it through, Rockin,¡± but that was more than enough to impress Savirei.


    ¡°Yeah, well. I¡¯d like to make it as simple as possible for everyone,¡± I said, rubbing the side of my head while trying to pretend I had planned it in advance.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to pass it on to everyone within the clan, darling,¡± Savirei smiled. I was glad she was so understanding and helpful.


    ¡°By the way, I just remembered something. I need something from the dungeon myself actually, but I think it would be a quest for someone who can fight Tarkees. I need Tarkee skins, you see. Unfortunately, they are really hard to get because of the low drop rate. I think I saw a quest at the Guild that paid one gold and two silvers for six Tarkee skins. That makes it two silvers per one Tarkee skin. Hmm¡­¡± I paused to think about it. ¡°You know what, I¡¯ll pay three silvers for one Tarkee skin and there¡¯s no limit to how many someone can bring me. If they bring one, I¡¯ll pay for one. If they bring ten, I¡¯ll pay for ten. However, this quest is for the Rockstars Clan members only.¡±


    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re really generous Rockin,¡± Savirei said.


    ¡°Yeah, well, like I said, Tarkee skins are really hard to get and people have to be strong enough to go to the sixth floor. At the moment, only Tarrion could do it, really. Oh, that¡¯s right. I could probably put up a quest for someone to gather some Medicinal Herbs for me too. As for the pay¡­ I could pay with the Weak Healing Potions instead of money, I guess. I could offer two Weak Healing Potions for three Medicinal Herbs,¡± I said that and then instantly thought it might not be such a good deal, but I had no idea how much Medicinal Herbs or Weak Healing Potion cost right now.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let people know,¡± but Savirei accepted my request happily.


    ¡°Ah, ok. Thanks. So then, we¡¯ll be on our way now. See you later, Savirei¡± I said, hoping that nobody will stop me on the way out.


    ¡°See you later, Rockin, and ladies as well,¡± luckily, Savirei only said goodbye this time.


    Phew, that took longer than I thought, but I certainly needed to explain all the details about the application forms and about the quests to her. Savirei is helpful in that regard, but she has a diner to run, so I shouldn¡¯t rely on her too much going forward, especially when we get more members in our clan. I suppose I will need to find someone who could be responsible for all the paperwork and stuff. Maybe I should ask Meribel for advice regarding that? Although, I don¡¯t want to pester her too much. I was thinking in my head while we were making our way towards Alragus shop.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I greeted the big bison blacksmith once we were finally there.


    ¡°Hi. You¡¯re quite late,¡± Alragus said, not that I didn¡¯t expect him to say that.


    ¡°Yeah, someone overslept,¡± I glanced behind me, with the ladies averting their eyes once I did that before turning to face Alragus again. ¡°And I had to talk to Savirei about the quests and stuff. It took a while.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right. I understand. Anyway, your equipment is fixed and ready to use,¡± Alragus said, turning around and walking to where he kept my stuff, picking it up and bringing everything to me. ¡°Going to the mine now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, will be. I still need to re-supply and stuff, but I am low on inventory space. Can I leave some stuff with you?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°You can, but I have limited space to keep other people¡¯s items, really,¡± he told me.


    ¡°How much limited?¡± I asked, making a silly face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯d say up to thirty items,¡± Alragus said.


    ¡°Ok. It¡¯s Carnabbit fur and Halluspider strings for the most part. Well, some Rhaki¡¯s skins too. I was collecting them to try and craft something out of Tarkee skins, but apparently my Crafting skill is not high enough yet,¡± I explained why I had a bunch of those.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I can keep a hold of those,¡± Alragus didn¡¯t mind.


    ¡°Let me just check how many in total of each we have,¡± I said before going to talk to Ranalaiya and Sylfrin. After a short talk and taking the materials from them, I returned to Alragus. ¡°Actually, I¡¯ll leave you thirteen Rhaki¡¯s skins and the rest will be Halluspider strings. I had more of those than I thought. I can get Carnabbit fur easily, so I¡¯ll just sell it to the first merchant I will find. I need as much space in our inventory as possible before leaving.¡±


    ¡°Ok. For thirty items I will charge three bronze coins for one day. Is that ok?¡± Alragus asked.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s see¡­ Here you go,¡± I took out one silver and two bronze coins for him.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be gone for four days? It¡¯s only about two hours walk to the closest mine,¡± Alragus was a little surprised.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. If I go there, I¡¯d rather collect as many materials as I can. Going there and back for a few ores seems like a waste of time, really,¡± I said.


    ¡°Right. I said I need six Plain Iron Bars which you can get by smelting six Brown Iron Ore pieces, but if you get more than that I can buy them off of you,¡± Alragus informed.


    ¡°Great. By the way, do you have any pickaxes?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Pickaxes? I sure do, but you¡¯d need someone with the Mining skill in order to mine the ore,¡± Alragus reminded me.


    ¡°Yes, I know. Lilfira has a Mining skill,¡± I said, showing a gleeful smile.


    ¡°Oh?¡± His eyebrows shot up, with his ears flapping up and down a few times. ¡°Now I understand. How many do you want?¡± He asked.


    ¡°How many?¡± I was surprised to hear him ask me that.


    ¡°Pickaxes break,¡± Alragus said with a calm expression on his face.


    ¡°Right, yeah, of course. How about¡­ three? No, make it four,¡± I corrected myself.


    ¡°It cost one silver each,¡± he told me.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± he brought the tools to me after a short while. They looked like simple pickaxes for the most part which I put in my Item Storage Box after paying for them. ¡°These are just basic ones. I can craft better ones, but I assume Lilfira¡¯s Mining skill is still at level one? Pickaxes are considered to be weapons too and better quality pickaxes have higher Equip Level too. She¡¯d need to increase her own, as well as, her Mining skill¡¯s level to be able to use those.¡± Alragus added an explanation.


    ¡°Oh,¡± I nodded, finally understanding that Alragus wasn¡¯t exactly making fun of me earlier.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I paid him for the pickaxes before putting them inside my inventory. ¡°Just to let you know, we got some new people join our clan just recently. Their names are Emmy and Arny. There¡¯s this girl Luise with her companion too, but I refused them because her companion hasn¡¯t filled out the application form. Although, I am almost convinced they might join later as well. If you need anything else, just let anyone know about it. I will need to sort it out how or where to post our clan¡¯s quests, but for now it is the way it is.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, ok, will do,¡± he said.


    ¡°Oh, one more thing, do you have any spears or polearms? It¡¯s for Lilfira,¡± I asked, almost walking out of his shop without remembering about it.


    ¡°Yes, I have spears. You want one that has an Equip Level of one I presume?¡± Alragus wanted to confirm.


    ¡°Yes. She¡¯ll need a better one after she gains a few levels of course,¡± I said.


    ¡°I have one that has an Equip Level of four as well. Green quality and adds two to Strength. Not the best level four weapon, but I had only Plain Iron to work with recently,¡± Alragus said.


    ¡°Oh, great. I¡¯ll take that one too,¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯ll be three silvers for Plain Iron Spear and one gold for the Plain Iron Spear of Strength,¡± Alragus told me how much it would cost.


    ¡°Ok, here you go,¡± I paid the money. It was pricey, but I knew weapons cost more due to more metal being used to craft them.


    ¡°Thank you for your business,¡± Alragus was happy to receive some money.


    ¡°Great, thanks. We¡¯ll be going now. I¡¯ll see you when we get back,¡± I waved before leaving his shop.


    ¡°See you,¡± he said, turning to go back to his work.


    ¡°Will we be going to the mines right away, Master Rockin?¡± Ranalaiya wanted to know after we left Alragus¡¯ shop.


    ¡°Ah, no. We¡¯ll go to the Guild to ask where the mine is first. They should have a map that shows how to get there. We also need to get some supplies and refill our water containers with water too. It will be four of us now, so we¡¯ll need more water to take with us which means we need to buy more water containers too,¡± I explained to her.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, we have Lilfira with us now as well,¡± Ranalaiya said, showing a smile.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go to the Guild first and then we¡¯ll take care of the supplies. Once we have everything we need, we¡¯ll head for the mine,¡± I added, turning to go towards where the Guild was located, my three lovely escorts following me.

 Chapter 116

    ¡°Thanks for the lift,¡± I thanked the older man.


    ¡°No problem. Thank you for keeping me company, young man. You see that mountain over there? That¡¯s where the mine is. Take care now and be careful while mining ore,¡± the man told me before waving and riding off.


    We were lucky to get a lift more than halfway to the mine. When we went to the Guild to ask where the mine was, the person I spoke to told me that there are carriages coming and going to and from the outside of town farms which were almost on the way to the mine. As it happened, we managed to get on board on one of them. The older farmer who was riding one was nice enough to give us a lift. He was alone, so he welcomed some company. I kept chatting to him, sitting at the front while the girls were sitting at the back. They were chatting about something too, but I didn¡¯t dare to ask what they were talking about what after we got off. It was another half an hour walk to the mountain where the mine was and we reached it without any incident, other than enjoying the nature outside. It was nice to see sun and clouds for a change, something you wouldn¡¯t see inside the dungeon, or wouldn¡¯t bother looking at while in town.


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± I finally said, stopping at the foot of the mountain.


    ¡°Oh, wow. Is this the mine that Alragus spoke of, Master?¡± Ranalaiya asked, her eyes sparkling with curious excitement.


    ¡°Looks like it,¡± I said, giving a look around.


    ¡°There are several entrances here, Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin pointed out.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I mumbled, wondering which entrance we should choose.


    There were three that we could see from where we were. Two were on the ground level and one was a bit higher, a third floor in height if it was a building. The two entrances on the ground level were about sixty feet apart from one another, and if we were to choose the entrance on the top, we¡¯d have to find a way to climb up to it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go right,¡± I finally said.


    ¡°Why right, Master Rockin?¡± Ranalaiya wanted to know.


    ¡°Because I think it¡¯s the right choice,¡± I attempted to make a joke.


    ¡°Huh?¡± But that just made Ranalaiya feel confused.


    Yeah, of course. I frowned but looked away.


    ¡°Ahaha!¡± But someone did laugh. It was Lilfira. ¡°Oops, sorry.¡± She quickly covered her mouth with both hands to stop herself from laughing when I turned to face her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be, and thank you,¡± I grinned, feeling happy someone laughed.


    ¡°It was funny, Master Rockin. Oops, s¡­ sorry,¡± Lilfira covered her mouth with both hands again.


    Eh? Why does she keep calling me Master Rockin? It almost sounds like it comes naturally for her. Hey, could it be because of Ranalaiya and Sylfrin? I suppose when the three of them talk, Ranalaiya and Sylfrin always calls me Master which just enforces it for Lilfira as well. Ah, whatever. Let¡¯s not make a big deal out of it. I finally submitted and decided not say anything.


    ¡°Open Item Storage Box,¡± instead, I opened my storage and took out the spear that I¡¯ve bought from Alragus. ¡°Here you go, Lilfira.¡± I passed it to her.


    ¡°Ah, oh. Thank you, Mas¡­ Mister Rockin,¡± Lilfira caught herself about to call me Master again, correcting herself at the last second.


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s go explore the mine,¡± I told my three escorts.


    Ranalaiya and I took out our weapons to be ready to fight. Well, I took out my shields, but since I used them to attack as well as defend, I called them weapons too. In any case, the mine looked more or less how I imagined a mine would look. It was a tunnel dug inside a mountain. The only thing that struck me was how spacious it was. It was well over twenty feet in width and more than ten feet in height. There were plenty of rubble and rocks around, and multiple signs of ore mining too, not that I could see any ore deposits being around anywhere. Of course there wouldn¡¯t. Anything near or around the entrances would¡¯ve been mined a long time ago.


    There was one good thing about the mine too. There was enough light inside the tunnel which allowed us to see quite well. There were lamps set up on the walls, probably by whoever dug out this tunnel and by the people who worked in it previously. Obviously, it wasn¡¯t as bright inside the tunnel as it was outside, but it wasn¡¯t that bad. Besides, Ranalaiya could see better in the dark thanks to her cat eyes and Sylfrin had her Echo Sense ability too. I also had a few torches with me thanks to the clerk at the Guild suggesting I get some before leaving. Overall, I felt we were decently prepared to explore the mine.


    ¡°Ranalaiya, Sylfrin, how much free space do you have in your storage?¡± I asked them after walking just a short while.


    ¡°Oh, let me check, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya stopped to check. ¡°Forty four.¡±


    ¡°I have fifty one, Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin informed me.


    ¡°Right, ok. I have thirty six, so that¡¯s¡­ one hundred and thirty one. Yeah, that¡¯s plenty,¡± I figured we¡¯ll be fine.


    Ranalaiya and Sylfrin had three containers with water, a few Weak Healing Potions each and some Carnabbit and Rhaki¡¯s meat in their inventory. Ranalaiya also carried our hammock with her too. I had more stuff in mine than they had. Other than water and Weak Healing Potions, I also had my crafting tools and crafting materials that I couldn¡¯t leave with Alragus, and our money too. I knew we¡¯d use up some of the meat which will make some extra space, but over a hundred available slots of free space was more than enough to get some ore.


    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s start exploring the mine for real. Sylfrin, feel free to summon Voras and watch our surroundings. We¡¯ve never been here before, so we need to be careful,¡± I warned them.


    ¡°Ok, Master Rockin. Summon Spiderling,¡± Sylfrin waved her hand and a green magic circle appeared several feet away in front of her, a Halluspider resembling monster materializing within the glowing, green light.


    ¡°Wow. So, that¡¯s how you summon Voras,¡± Lilfira gasped in awe. It looked pretty cool and I was amazed to see her summon her spiderling every single time myself, actually.


    ¡°Master Rockin, something¡¯s moving ahead,¡± we didn¡¯t have to walk too far into the tunnel before Ranalaiya noticed something. ¡°Over there.¡± She pointed with her right claw weapon.


    ¡°Ok,¡± I squinted my eyes to help me see better.


    Obviously, the tunnel was full of rocks and broken walls, and rubble too, allowing for monsters to hide behind them. But if they moved, their cover was blown. As we got closer, two lizard resembling creatures crawled out of their hiding, hissing at us in their not so loud or not so threatening voices. The creatures were about two feet in length, had four legs and a short tail. Their bodies were covered in what it looked like to be rocks, mainly on the upper part of their bodies, including their foreheads. Their faces resembled a horned lizard¡¯s face, the rocks growing on the sides of their heads creating a shape of the horns. And when they hissed, we could see their mouths were loaded with multiple sharp teeth that probably could leave more than a scratch if the creatures managed to bite us.


    ¡°Those must be the Stonehide Lizards. Stay behind for now,¡± I told everyone, making a step forward. ¡°Come on.¡± I taunted the two lizards to come at me, waving my hand I held my Piercing Shield with. It worked and both of them rushed at me.


    They¡¯re slow. I thought. The Stoneskin Lizards definitely lacked speed that Rhakis had.


    - ¡®Bang. Bam.¡¯ ¨C I blocked their advance with my Tarkee King¡¯s Shield and hit one of them back with my Piercing Shield. The Stoneskin Lizard I hit was basically squashed under the sharp end of the shield, puffing into the fiery dust in an instant.


    - ¡°My, my. That was such a sweet kill, handsome. Four experience points for you and eight for your party members.¡± ¨C Lavita was happy to announce our experience gain.


    Ah, right. I completely forgot about that. I somewhat frowned. Not because I didn¡¯t like it, but because we had someone new in our party now.


    - ¡®Bam.¡¯ ¨C I suddenly heard and felt a bump on my left leg, someone or something bumping at it just below my knee. It didn¡¯t really hurt, but since I was relaxed, the hit managed to move my leg a few inches back.


    ¡°Huh? Oh,¡± I looked down and saw the Stoneskin Lizard curl out of the ball that it was curled into. It tried to hit me by curling into a ball and rolling into me. Unfortunately for the Stoneskin Lizard, I was too tough of a cookie for it to break me. ¡°Humph!¡± I swung with my Piercing Shield at it again before the monster could do anything else.


    - ¡°Well done, cutie pie. I just love seeing you move like that. Four experience points for you and eight for your party members.¡± ¨C Lavita was happy to announce our experience gain again.


    ¡°Right,¡± I turned around, thinking how to explain it to Lilfira.


    ¡°So, that was Lavita talking?¡± But Lilfira beat me to it.


    ¡°Ah, yeah,¡± I said, feeling a bit awkward, but then it hit me. ¡°I take it Ranalaiya and Sylfrin have told you about her?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve never heard about someone announcing experience gain like that, so I was really surprised when Ranalaiya and Sylfrin told me about it,¡± Lilfira said.


    ¡°Yeah, well¡­ Lavita is more of an exception than a norm,¡± I said, rubbing the back of my neck and looking away.


    ¡°Ranalaiya and Sylfrin also told me that you might feel uncomfortable in front of me because of it, but please don¡¯t. Now when I heard her, I think Lavita is quite fun,¡± Lilfira said, showing a smile.


    Oh, you haven¡¯t heard the fun part yet. I rolled my eyes, but rubbed my forehead at the same to cover my face, so nobody would see it.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Ok, well, good. Let¡¯s continue, shall we?¡± I decided the best thing to do was to keep going.


    Stoneskin Lizards gave four experience points per kill which meant they were about as strong as Halluspiders in the dungeon near Hirvant. Stoneskin Lizards and Halluspiders were two completely different monsters, but they must¡¯ve been ranked on a similar danger scale and that¡¯s why they offered four experience points per kill. In contrast, Halluspiders were quite fast monsters, could climb trees and poison you while Stoneskin Lizards were slow but had tough stone hide and probably were stronger in terms of doing damage. Of course, with my current strength they couldn¡¯t do much against me.


    We resumed our exploration, Ranalaiya and Sylfrin noticing another Stoneskin Lizard hiding in between the rocks not long after. This time I wasn¡¯t the one fighting the monster, however.


    ¡°Lilfira, this one is for you,¡± I said.


    ¡°For me?¡± Lilfira sounded a little confused.


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s only one Stoneskin Lizard,¡± I said, making a step to the side to let her through, not that there wasn¡¯t enough space for her to go around me.


    ¡°Ok,¡± Lilfira stepped forward, lifting her spear and pointing it forward.


    ¡°You can do it, Lilfira,¡± Ranalaiya cheered her on.


    ¡°Yes, just stab it with your spear,¡± Sylfrin added in a supportive manner.


    ¡°Ok,¡± Lilfira smiled. She stepped forward, just close enough for the Stoneskin Lizard to notice her and feel threatened, the monster crawling out of its hiding as a result of it. It hissed at Lilfira to try and scare her off which actually made Lilfira hesitate to attack it.


    ¡°Lilfira,¡± Ranalaiya said, her probably wanting to go help, but I raised my hand to stop her.


    ¡°Lilfira needs to learn how to fight,¡± I told Ranalaiya in a quiet voice. ¡°Stoneskin lizards aren¡¯t that strong. She should be fine.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya relaxed, but didn¡¯t remove her eyes from Lilfira.


    ¡°Huh? Haah!¡± Lilfira reacted to the Stoneskin Lizards¡¯ movement when it curled into a ball, thrusting her spear at it. However, as slow as the Stoneskin Lizard was, Lilfira wasn¡¯t able to stab it with her attack. She hit the monster on the side, but managed only to graze its stone skin with the tip of her weapon. ¡°Oh, no.¡± Lilfira panicked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Just attack it again,¡± I told her to not worry about it. ¡°And remember, you have a skill you can use too.¡± I added.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Humph,¡± Lilfira jumped to the side when the Stoneskin Lizard rolled at her in an attempt to bump onto one of her legs. Fortunately, this time Lilfira was faster on her feet than the monster was. She then raised her spear and thrusted it at the Stoneskin Lizard when the creature stopped rolling. ¡°Twinstab!¡±


    Lilfira extended her right arm, the one she held her spear with, thrusting it forward once before retracting her arm back within half a second and thrusting it forward again, delivering another seemingly more powerful attack at the same spot she hit the monster with her first thrust. The Stoneskin Lizard winced on the first hit and was thrown upside down on its back on the second hit, revealing its belly. However, Lilfira¡¯s attack didn¡¯t kill the monster even with her using her Twinstab skill.


    ¡°Quick, attack it again,¡± I instructed when the Stoneskin Lizard moved its legs to try and roll over to get back on its feet.


    ¡°Haah!¡± Lilfira grabbed the spear with both hands and stabbed the creature from above, the sharp end of her spear piercing its belly through. This time, it was the end of it, the Stoneskin Lizard dying and disappearing into a glowing dust.


    - ¡°Wow, you were so fierce with your attacks back there, darling, I even had a chill run down my spine. You have gained four experience points and your party members have gained eight.¡± ¨C Lavita was happy to announce it again.


    ¡°Yay, you did it, Lilfira,¡± Ranalaiya cheered for her, clapping her hands.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lilfira said, a bright smile dressing her face.


    ¡°Congratulations on your first kill, Lilfira,¡± Sylfrin congratulated her too.


    ¡°Thank you, Sylfrin,¡± Lilfira was happy about it.


    ¡°Nicely done and look. I think that Stoneskin Lizard dropped something,¡± I noticed a strangely shaped rock that wasn¡¯t there before at the spot where the Stoneskin Lizard died. It was dark brown in color and had a small glow to it, not like any other rocks that were lying around.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, do you mean this, Master Rockin?¡± Lilfira asked, picking it up. She hasn¡¯t even noticed she has called me Master when she asked that.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, trying to suppress my grimace. I took the rock from Lilfira which just about fit into my palm, expecting for Lavita to tell us what she thought about it, like she always does, but she stayed quiet. ¡°Ok. I guess it¡¯s not that valuable.¡± I mumbled under my nose before showing the rock to Ranalaiya and Sylfrin. ¡°I suppose this is how the Brown Iron Ore looks. We can use it as a reference to find Brown Iron Ore deposits inside the mine going forward.¡±


    ¡°Ok, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya said, with Sylfrin coming closer to take a better look too, her spiderling following her to stay close to Sylfrin.


    ¡°Ready to keep going now?¡± I asked before putting the Brown Iron Ore chunk into my Item Storage Box.


    ¡°Yes, Master Rockin,¡± the girls, Lilfira including, responded.


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡± I rubbed the back of my neck. ¡°Ok then, let¡¯s go. And just so you know, Lilfira will be fighting the Stoneskin Lizards for the most part while we¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why only Lilfira, Master Rockin?¡± Ranalaiya wanted to know.


    ¡°Yes, why only her? If Ranalaiya and I join her, we can kill the Stoneskin Lizards really fast,¡± Sylfrin joined in.


    ¡°Yes, but I want for Lilfira to get actual fighting experience,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh, ok,¡± Lilfira agreed to it, but there was hesitation heard in her voice.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You had me and Sylfrin fight from the very beginning too, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya said before turning to Lilfira. ¡°It is important to gain fighting experience, Lilfira. And don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll be right here to help you if need be.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you can count on us, Lilfira,¡± Sylfrin added as well.


    It was quite pleasant to see Ranalaiya and Sylfrin being so supportive towards Lilfira. Those two were good friends to one another already and it looked like they¡¯ve accepted Lilfira as their friend too. In a sense, I could understand why Ranalaiya and Sylfrin would act like that. Savirei had told me that she has a mother who works at Navirei¡¯s inn and that Lilfira loves her dearly. I was glad to see her mother raised Lilfira well. She must¡¯ve gone through some tough times and wanted what was best for her daughter. Of course, I didn¡¯t know Lilfira that well, but from the little time that we¡¯ve spent so far, she seemed to be a decent person.


    ¡°Hah!¡± Lilfira was fighting another Stoneskin Lizard. She tried stabbing it from the front, the tip of her spear hitting the creature¡¯s forehead, but not piercing it through.


    ¡°Try to attack its weaker body parts,¡± I instructed.


    ¡°Ok, humph,¡± Lilfira acknowledged it, jumping to the side to make distance between herself and the Stoneskn Lizard that she was fighting. It was supposed to be evident from the very beginning, but using a spear Lilfira had an advantage in range. She could reach her target from a safer distance whereas Ranalaiya or I would need to be in front of the enemy. Ranalaiya¡¯s claw weapons might offer some reach, but for me to hit someone I have to be in front of my target. ¡°Twinstab!¡± Lilfira unleashed her skill on the Stoneskin Lizard, stabbing it twice on the side just next to its rear leg. She had hit it twice before with her normal attacks, so it was enough to kill it.


    - ¡°Well done, sweetheart. Four experience points for you and eight for your party members.¡± ¨C Lavita announced after the kill.


    Right. It takes her at least three hits to kill a Stoneskin Lizard. It must be because they have their hard, stone hide. Of course, Lilfira is only level one and doesn¡¯t have any items to boost her stats. I could craft her Rhanabbit Armor later, but that one boosts Agility stat the most and from what I saw, Agility is definitely not the main stat to go for Lilfira. I was debating in my head, thinking about it.


    ¡°Good job, Lilfira. Did it drop anything?¡± I asked, feeling curious.


    ¡°Ah, no. I don¡¯t think so,¡± Lilfira said after checking the ground.


    ¡°Ok, doesn¡¯t matter. Let¡¯s move on,¡± I said.


    We continued exploring the mine, mainly just walking forward through the tunnel, Lilfira fighting a Stoneskin Lizard or two when we¡¯d come across them. I had her fight two of them at the same time to see if she could handle them. Killing a few Stoneskin Lizards earlier gave her confidence, so she took on two in one go. It took a bit of running and dodging, but hit and run tactic worked very well for her, especially since she could reach the monsters from a far with her spear. She killed the two Stoneskin Lizards in a short while, feeling happy she was able to achieve such a feat. Ranalaiya and Sylfrin were ecstatic to see Lilfira kill two monsters in one go, congratulating her right after. Unfortunately, no Brown Iron Ores were dropped by the monsters, but we were just getting started.


    ¡°Hey, look, the tunnel is opening into some sort of room,¡± Ranalaiya pointed out, noticing it in the distance.


    ¡°Ok, it must be a cave where they mined ore,¡± I reasoned. We came closer but didn¡¯t go inside. The cave was more or less round and quite spacious too. It must¡¯ve been at least sixty feet in diameter, with the ceiling being over fifteen feet height. The cave had some light coming from the lamps on the walls, but it was rather dim and dark in the middle of it. ¡°Sylfrin, can you check for the monsters inside?¡± I asked her before walking inside of it.


    ¡°Yes, Master Rockin. Echo Sense,¡± Sylfrin said before using her ability which made her eyes glow yellow. ¡°I can see four Stoneskin Lizards inside, Master. However, the cave is too big for me to be able to see if there are any more at the other end of it.¡±


    ¡°Four, huh?¡± I said, crinkling my nose. ¡°Can you see any more monsters on the other side of the cave, Ranalaiya?¡±


    ¡°I think there are two just behind those rocks at the far end of it, but I am not sure, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya told me.


    ¡°Oh well, it doesn¡¯t matter. Let¡¯s all go in together and take the monsters down,¡± I said before walking forward.


    ¡°Yes, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya said, perking up.


    ¡°Ok, Master. Frostbite,¡± Sylfrin said, her attack hitting and killing the closest Stoneskin Lizard on the spot.


    - ¡°Way to go, babe. That was a nice kill. You have gained four experience points and your party members have gained eight.¡± ¨C Lavita announced our experience gain right away.


    ¡°Hey, Leap Jump, Swift Cut,¡± Ranalaiya used her skills to take down another Stoneskin Lizard.


    - ¡°Just wow. You seem to be on fire today, my love. Four experience points for you and eight for your party members.¡± ¨C Lavita¡¯s sweet words echoed inside the cave.


    ¡°Voras, go. Frostbolt,¡± Sylfrin sent her pet before hitting another Stoneskin Lizard with her Frostbolt spell.


    - ¡°Ahh, now that was such a hot move. Loved it. You have gained four experience points and your party members have gained eight.¡± ¨C Lavita was catching up to announce the experience gain.


    - ¡°You¡¯ve dealt with it so fast, babe. Four experience points for you and eight for your party members.¡± ¨C Lavita spoke again after Voras killed yet another Stoneskin Lizard.


    Eh? Wait, what¡¯s gotten into you two? I became perplexed to see Ranalaiya and Sylfrin, taking the monsters inside the cave down one after another.


    ¡°Claw Swipe,¡± Ranalaiya killed another one again.


    ¡°Frost Spear,¡± with Sylfrin killing yet another one.


    ¡°Twinstab. Hah, Haah!¡± Even Lilfira had dealt with one on her own.


    Hey, what about me? I felt being left out for some reason.


    - ¡°Wow, that was such a swift kill. Four experience points for you and eight for your party members.¡± ¨C Lavita was enjoying herself too.


    Sigh¡­ Whatever¡­ I dropped my head, deciding to leave it for the ladies to clear the monsters out.


    - ¡°Oh, my, now that is something I¡¯ve been waiting for. Maximum experience points reached. Level up is available. How about we level up together here and now, my love? And just so you know, I have a very exciting surprise prepared for you.¡± ¨C The next Lavita¡¯s message wasn¡¯t just to announce about our experience gain. I knew I should reach my next level up soon enough, but it still caught me by surprise.


    Eh? Oh, damn¡­ I sank my face into my right hand¡¯s palm.


    - ¡°Ooh, you¡¯re so good at it, darling. Do it again. You have gained zero experience points and your party members have gained eight.¡± ¨C Lavita announced again after yet another monster kill.


    The ladies dealt with the remaining monsters inside the cave, with Lavita letting us know about how much experience we have gained after each kill. Of course, I had received zero experience points after the following kills since I now had to decline my Level Up offer before I could start gaining experience points again. Needless to say, someone became rather excited upon hearing my Level Up offer announcement.


    ¡°Master Rockin, it is safe now for you to decline your level up,¡± was the first thing Ranalaiya said after all monsters were killed.


    ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t see any more monsters around, so you can decline your Level Up offer, Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin added, her eyes glowing yellow.


    ¡°Ok, great. Did the monsters drop anything?¡± I asked, pretending I didn¡¯t hear the decline level up part.


    ¡°Ah, we didn¡¯t check yet,¡± Ranalaiya said.


    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s check then,¡± I said, walking forward to do just that.


    ¡°But what about your level up, Master Rockin?¡± Ranalaiya asked.


    ¡°What about it?¡± I asked, pretending I didn¡¯t know what she meant.


    ¡°Ooh, you know what I mean, Master,¡± Ranalaiya pouted her lips.


    ¡°You should decline your level, so you could start gaining experience points again, Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin said, making it sound as if that was the main reason the two of them wanted me to decline Lavita¡¯s Level Up offer.


    Aren¡¯t you two a little too excited about it, eh? I gave them a suspicious stare, both of them showing innocent expressions on their faces. Of course, sigh¡­ Ah, damn it. I will have to decline it going forward anyway. It¡¯s just that¡­ I rubbed the back of my head, turning to look at Lilfira who simply showed me a kind smile.

 Chapter 117

    ¡°Ok, fine. But first, I¡¯ll remove Lilfira from the party,¡± I finally said before opening my Status Window.


    ¡°What? No¡­¡± Lilfira exclaimed with the saddest expression on her face.


    ¡°Eh? What do you mean ¡®no¡¯?¡± I frowned in a weird manner.


    ¡°Master Rockin, you can¡¯t remove Lilfira from the party,¡± Ranalaiya protested.


    ¡°Yes, she should stay in the party too,¡± Sylfrin joined in.


    ¡°Whaaat?¡± I gasped, making a sour facial expression. I was becoming not only confused, but worried too.


    ¡°Please, let me stay in the party, Master Rockin. I want to hear¡­ Lavita too,¡± Lilfira told me, her eyes sparkling with passion.


    I knew it. You two have told her about Lavita¡¯s lewd performance when I decline my level up, haven¡¯t you? The realization of why Ranalaiya and Sylfrin became so excited about me reaching a level up finally hit. Like, come on! Lilfira and I just barely know each other, and I feel awkward enough with the two of you hearing Lavita pleasure herself as it is already!


    ¡°Sorry, but no,¡± I said, removing Lilfira from the party.


    ¡°But Master Rockin!¡± Ranalaiya cried out.


    ¡°Please, Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin begged me.


    ¡°You two stay where you are,¡± I ordered them before declining my Level Up offer next.


    ¡°Yes, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya and Sylfrin obeyed after seeing my angry facial expression.


    Tch, seriously. Anyway, now to survive the hard part. I mumbled in my head before turning away and crossing my arms in front of me. Huh? What gives? But Lavita was silent for some reason.


    - ¡°Maximum level sixth stats have been reached. Cannot increase stats anymore.¡± ¨C A lifeless, mechanical voice announce suddenly.


    ¡°Aha, yes!¡± I declared loudly, flexing my both arms too.


    ¡°What? Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya exclaimed, pouting her cheeks.


    ¡°Unexpected reaction,¡± Sylfrin said, tilting her head to the side while looking at me with a puzzled expression on her face.


    ¨C ¡°Maximum experience points reached. Overgrowth skill is activated. Increasing character¡¯s level from level six to level seven. Complete. Increasing maximum limit of all character stats. Complete. Increasing Growth skill by one. Complete. New skill acquired. Defense Skill: Shield Guard, acquired. Level up complete.¡± -


    ¡°Huh? A new skill?¡± I instantly perked up upon hearing I¡¯ve acquired a new skill.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Ranalaiya and Sylfrin reacted to the message as well.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a look. Let¡¯s take a look. Let¡¯s take a look,¡± I was rushing to navigate to my Skills tab to see what my new skill was all about. ¡°Here it is¡­ Wow, a Legendary Rarity skill?! Nice!¡± I let out a whistle after seeing the skill was written in orange.


    ¡°Wow, a Legendary Rarity skill,¡± Ranalaiya exclaimed excitedly.


    ¡°Congratulations, Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin said.


    ¡°Huh? Did Master Rockin acquire a Legendary skill?¡± Lilfira asked. She was out of the party when I declined my level up, so she couldn¡¯t hear the announcement.


    ¡°Ah, yes. I¡¯ve acquired a new skill upon leveling up,¡± I said, feeling just a tiny bit awkward when I spoke to Lilfira.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have removed Lilfira from our party, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya scolded me, pouting her lips.


    ¡°Lilfira must be feeling really sad right now,¡± Sylfrin added more coals to the fire.


    ¡°Eh? But¡­ ahh¡­ S¡­ sorry about that, Lilfira,¡± I said, rubbing the back of my head and looking away. ¡°Here, I¡¯ll invite you back to our party now.¡± I sent an invite for her to join our party again.


    ¡°Ok, thank you,¡± Lilfira smiled, but looked really sad, like she was betrayed or something.


    Shiiit! Why do I feel like I am the worst scumbag here?! I couldn¡¯t help be feel that way.


    ¡°Listen, well¡­ I apologize for removing you from the party, Lilfira. It¡¯s just that¡­ we just barely know each other and I would feel really embarrassed having you being able listen to¡­ Lavita¡¯s lewd performance when I decline my level up,¡± I apologized to her with an added explanation, not that it made me feel any better, so I just kept talking. ¡°You know, if¡­ if we get to know each other better and if we¡­ if we start to like each other more, eventually becoming close then¡­ it probably wouldn¡¯t be an issue and I wouldn¡¯t feel so embarrassed about it.¡± I mumbled and stuttered like a real dork, but somehow managed to tell her what I wanted to say.


    ¡°Oh, but I already like you, Master Rockin,¡± Lilfira declared without a hint of hesitation in her voice.


    ¡°You like me, huh?¡± I wasn¡¯t exactly surprised to hear her say that, but hearing her say it out loud made me blush. ¡°Well, I think you are very pretty and¡­ I like you too, Lilfira, but¡­ I suppose I need more time to get to know you better in order for us to become close.¡±


    ¡°Thank you and I¡¯d really love that, Master Rockin,¡± Lilfira cheered up, her beautiful smile returning to her lips.


    Baah, I guess I just have to accept her calling me Master too. I felt like frowning, but at the same time, it was clear she wasn¡¯t trying to fake it. She honestly sounded like she wanted to call me Master.


    ¡°Ok then, well, ahm¡­ Oh, right, my new skill,¡± I was still feeling awkward, but remembering I haven¡¯t checked what my new skill does yet helped me change my focus and relax. ¡°I¡¯ll check what my new skill does, ok? Aah¡­ here we go. Shield Guard: creates two shields around the character to protect them from any damage. The amount of damage that the shields can absorb is increased by the character¡¯s Stamina and Strength stats combined. Lasts six seconds. Cooldown: thirty minutes. Eh?¡± The first part of the skill¡¯s description was amazing, but the last part of it made me grimace at the end.


    ¡°Wow, what an amazing skill,¡± Ranalaiya exclaimed, feeling very impressed by it.


    ¡°Indeed. With how high Master Rockin¡¯s Stamina and Strength stats are, no attacks would be able to harm him for the skill duration at all,¡± Sylfrin added, sounding and looking equally amazed.


    ¡°Incredible. What a strong skill it is,¡± Lilfira gasped in awe too.


    What? Really? I mean¡­ it does say it protects me from any attacks, so I guess it protects me from magic attacks too. It has a very long cooldown timer, but it can be a lifesaver at a critical moment, I suppose. After a bit more thought, and hearing how my female companions were impressed by it, it honestly sounded like it was a really amazing skill. Thirty minutes cooldown timer aside, becoming basically untouchable for six seconds could be a game changer when fighting a really strong enemy.


    ¡°Right, ok. I guess my level up is now complete. Can we check if the monsters dropped anything now?¡± I suddenly remembered where we were and why we were here.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. I¡¯ll check for the drops, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya sprung to her feet, rushing off to check if monsters have left anything behind.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go help look too,¡± Sylfrin said before going to look around as well.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to help look as well,¡± Lilfira wasn¡¯t about to stay behind and not do anything.


    Sigh, like little girls. I shook my head, but it also put a smile to my face. Guess I¡¯ll look around too.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see any drops,¡± Ranalaiya announced after a short while.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the Stoneskin Lizards that I¡¯ve killed dropped anything either,¡± Sylfrin said next.


    ¡°Hey, I think I found a piece of Brown Iron Ore,¡± however, Lilfira was the lucky one.


    ¡°Really? Wow, can I see, Lilfira?¡± Ranalaiya instantly rushed to where Lilfira was to see what she had found.


    ¡°Yes, it definitely looks to be a Brown Iron Ore, just like the one we got earlier,¡± Sylfrin said after she saw the brown rock in Lilfira¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Yay! We have found another piece of Brown Iron Ore,¡± Ranalaiya cheered. ¡°Let¡¯s show it to Master Rockin.¡±


    ¡°Look, Master Rockin, we have found a Brown Iron Ore,¡± Lilfira spoke to me after coming closer.


    ¡°Ah, ok,¡± I said after turning around to face her.


    ¡°You could be a little happier about it, Master Rockin. It was Lilfira who found it,¡± Ranalaiya complained, apparently my reaction not being what she expected it would be.


    ¡°Aah¡­ nice, Lilfira. Great find,¡± I tried putting on an act, procuring a somewhat genuine smile.


    ¡°Thank you, Master Rockin,¡± Lilfira smiled, hearing me say that.


    ¡°By the way, can you mine this ore deposit here, Lilfira?¡± I then asked her.


    ¡°Huh? An ore deposit?¡± Lilfira asked, becoming surprised.


    ¡°Yes, this looks like a Brown Iron Ore deposit to me, but since I don¡¯t have a Mining skill, I didn¡¯t want to touch it,¡± I told her, making a step to the side to show them a lump of crude looking brown rock sticking out from the wall close to the ground.


    ¡°Wow, a Brown Iron Ore deposit. How did you find it, Master Rockin?¡± Ranalaiya asked.


    ¡°I just looked around this cave,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± which made Lilfira chuckle.


    ¡°Master Rockin¡­¡± Ranalaiya frowned in a cute manner, pursing her lips.


    ¡°Here you go, Lilfira,¡± I smiled at Ranalaiya¡¯s reaction, but then passed a pickaxe to Lilfira.


    ¡°But I¡¯ve never mined any ore before, so I am not sure if I¡­¡± Lilfira spoke, being hesitant to mine the ore.


    ¡°That¡¯s ok. Just give it a go,¡± I encouraged her.


    ¡°Ok,¡± Lilfira said before swinging at the ore deposit with a pickaxe. However, nothing happened. ¡°Huh?¡± She didn¡¯t know what to think of it.


    ¡°Just keep going,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Right,¡± Lilfira said, raising the pickaxe again. She hit the ore deposit two more times until it broke, a piece of it falling and rolling to the side on the ground. ¡°Oh, something fell out.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± I leaned down to pick it up. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s really a Brown Iron Ore after all.¡± I showed the ore to the girls.


    ¡°Congratulations, Lilfira. You did it,¡± Ranalaiya was happy for her.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°This is the first time I have seen someone mine ore. That was amazing, Lilfira,¡± Sylfrin was impressed with it too.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Lilfira said, feeling really happy about it.


    ¡°Hey, it looks like you can still mine some more of it,¡± I said, noticing that part of the ore deposit was still intact. ¡°How about you hit it with a pickaxe a few more times, Lilfira?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master Rockin,¡± Lilfira agreed cheerfully. She hit the ore deposit several more times, the rock crumbling to pieces completely and another piece of Brown Iron Ore falling out of it. ¡°Huh? It crumbled to pieces. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s all good. Look, another piece of Brown Iron Ore came out of it,¡± I said, picking it up and showing it to her.


    ¡°Wow, we got two pieces out of a single deposit,¡± Lilfira gasped.


    ¡°Now we have four in total,¡± I said before putting the last Brown Iron Ore piece into my storage.


    ¡°That means we need only two more to collect,¡± Ranalaiya said with a smile.


    ¡°We should be done with the quest in no time,¡± Sylfrin added.


    ¡°We shall see,¡± I said.


    ¡°What do you mean, Master Rockin?¡± Ranalaiya was curious.


    ¡°Well, since we are already here, it would be a waste if we collect only six ore pieces and go back right away. I think it would be wise to stay here longer and collected some more,¡± I suggested. ¡°Besides, it will give Lilfira a chance to gain more fighting experience too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a great idea, Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin said.


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s stay here long enough for Lilfira to gain enough experience, so she can reach level two,¡± Ranalaiya agreed, throwing an additional suggestion too.


    ¡°Yeah, it shouldn¡¯t take too long,¡± I added. Gaining one hundred experience points when Lilfira was getting eight experience points per kill was an easy task. ¡°Ok, let¡¯s keep going, shall we?¡±


    After we took another look around the cave, not finding anything of value unfortunately, we resumed our exploration. The good thing about the current cave was, it didn¡¯t have multiple exits from it which made it really easy for us. The next tunnel path wasn¡¯t any different from the one we¡¯ve reached the cave while coming here and with Ranalaiya¡¯s, and Sylfrin¡¯s vision no surprises were waiting for us up ahead while we walked through it. We¡¯ve encountered two Stoneskin Lizards before reaching the next cave, with Lilfira taking them down one by one. Unfortunately, neither of the lizards left any drops behind for us.


    ¡°There¡¯s another cave up ahead, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya informed me.


    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s approach quietly and check how many monsters are inside,¡± I told everyone.


    ¡°I can see four Stoneskin Lizards inside, Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin told me once we were close enough.


    ¡°I can see only four as well, Master,¡± Ranalaiya added after taking a better look around the cave.


    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s just kill them and then look around the cave if we can find another Brown Iron Ore deposit. By the way, I¡¯d like Lilfira to kill at least one of the monsters by herself,¡± I said.


    ¡°Right. The two Stoneskin Lizards on the left are very close to each other, so I can take them out by myself, Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin offered.


    ¡°I can take out the one which is the furthest from us and that will leave the one on the right for Lilfira to take down,¡± said Ranalaiya.


    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s do that then,¡± I agreed, knowing I won¡¯t be fighting again.


    Before Sylfrin and Lilfira engaged their targets, Ranalaiya sneaked passed all other monsters by using her Shadow Blend ability, cutting down her target with her Vicious Talons without it knowing what hit it. Once Ranalaiya lost her Shadow Blend, it alerted the other three lizards right away. They couldn¡¯t do much to Ranalaiya, however. Sylfrin used her spells from afar to insta kill her two targets before they could even move from their spots. As for Lilfira, she already had some fighting experience when she fought several Stoneskin Lizards earlier, and even if it took her several attacks to kill it, she took down her target without too much trouble. Killing four Stoneskin Lizards inside this next cave also gave Lilfira enough experience points to finally receive a Level Up offer. The lifeless, dull voice announced it during the fight right after Ranalaiya killed her target, but Lilfira couldn¡¯t accept her level up until all the monsters were defeated.


    ¡°Congratulations on receiving your first Level Up offer, Lilfira,¡± Ranalaiya was quick to congratulate her.


    ¡°Congratulations, Lilfira,¡± Sylfrin added too.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Lilfira smiled happily.


    ¡°Yes, congratulations are in order. Well done, Lilfira,¡± I was happy for her myself. ¡°I think it is safe for you to accept your Level Up offer now.¡±


    ¡°Ah, well¡­ About my level up¡­¡± but Lilfira was hesitant to do it.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± I wondered.


    ¡°Would you mind¡­ helping me level up, Master Rockin?¡± Lilfira asked, a mild flush jumping on her cheeks.


    ¡°Help you level up? Oh, you mean you want my advice on how to distribute your stat points?¡± I asked, thinking that would be the main reason she would ask for my help.


    ¡°Yes, that too,¡± Lilfira said, her acting bashful making me feel somewhat suspicious.


    What does she mean ¡®that too¡¯. What else is there that I could help her with? I didn¡¯t know what to think of it.


    ¡°Ok¡­¡± I said, turning my head to the side, but not removing my eyes from Lilfira.


    ¡°You see, I don¡¯t exactly know how to level up, so I thought maybe you could guide me, Master Rockin?¡± Lilfira asked, her biting on her index finger making me feel even more suspicious.


    ¡°Yes, no problem. Just let me know what you don¡¯t understand and I¡¯ll try to explain it to you,¡± I said, putting on an act I wasn¡¯t affected by her own act.


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. Thank you,¡± Lilfira smiled, extending her right hand in front of her, with her index finger pointing forward.


    ¡°Huh?¡± I couldn¡¯t understand where she was pointing at.


    ¡°Please,¡± Lilfira said, motioning with her hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t understand what you want me to do,¡± I was at a loss.


    ¡°Well, you agreed to guide me, so I¡¯m offering my hand for you to pinpoint where I have to tap in order to level up,¡± Lilfira explained it to me, her cheeks burning red, but she tried to not break our eye contact.


    ¡°Wha¡­¡± my mouth dropped. I was about to ask for an additional explanation, but then it hit me. ¡°Wait, wait. You want me to hold your hand and use it to tap on your Status Window to have you level up?¡± I asked yet couldn¡¯t believe I actually asked that.


    ¡°Yes, of course. I¡­ I¡¯m too afraid I might tap on something I shouldn¡¯t and do something wrong. It would be¡­ bad, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Lilfira asked, slightly averting her eyes away, but still keeping her hand extended in front of her.


    Aah¡­ what? I couldn¡¯t believe what I just heard. I turned my head to the side in order to think about what was going on here, noticing Ranalaiya and Sylfrin averting her eyes away from me in an innocent manner. I instantly understood who were behind it all. Huh? Oh, really? Now I get it.


    ¡°I think I will go look around the cave to see if monsters dropped anything,¡± Ranalaiya quickly made up an excuse to get away from my piercing glare.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go check if I can find any Brown Iron Ore deposits in this cave,¡± Sylfrin spoke out loud, pretending she didn¡¯t know what was going on either.


    You two¡­ I placed my hands on my waist before dropping my head and letting out a deep sigh.


    ¡°Excuse me, Master Rockin?¡± Lilfira spoke up, trying to get my attention.


    ¡°Huh? Ah, yes, ok,¡± I said, finally deciding to play along.


    As much as I tried to pretend it didn¡¯t bother me, the moment I touched Lilfira¡¯s hand I had hotness hit my cheeks. Holding Lilfira by her hand felt unusually pleasant. Come to think of it, I wasn¡¯t holding hands with either Ranalaiya or Sylfrin much, other than when we were sleeping inside the hammock. But even then, it was Ranalaiya and Sylfrin who would place their hands on mine one each from both sides. While I was comfortable with Ranalaiya and Sylfrin doing so, holding Lilfira by her hand right now aroused a rather not so humble sensation within me.


    ¡°So then¡­ you need to click on your Character Status tab here,¡± I used Lilfira¡¯s hand, navigating it to press on the screen in front her with her finger. As surprising, or not so surprising really, as it was, Lilfira had her Status Window open for both of us to see it in advance.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I couldn¡¯t see what you just did, Master Rockin,¡± Lilfira said suddenly. Due to how I held her hand, she was basically standing behind me while I was standing at the front and blocking the view for her with my wide shoulders.


    ¡°Oh, sorry. It¡¯s¡­ a little uncomfortable doing it like this,¡± I apologized, making a step to the side. But when I did so, I couldn¡¯t see her Status Window clearly myself. ¡°How about I just tell you where to press and you do it yourself?¡± I suggested and was about to let her hand go.


    ¡°No,¡± Lilfira quickly objected, placing her other hand on mine and stopping me from removing it. ¡°Oops, s¡­ sorry, but what if I press on the wrong thing accidentally?¡±


    ¡°I understand, but¡­ this isn¡¯t working, you know,¡± I said, Lilfira holding my hand with both of her hands making me feel bashful.


    ¡°I know, how about you stand behind me, Master Rockin. That way you can hold my hand from behind and we will be able to see my Status Window screen easily,¡± Lilfira suggested.


    ¡°Oh¡­ yeah, that could work,¡± I said, actually believing her it would be easier for both of us, and in theory, it was. When I stood behind her, both of us could see Lilfira¡¯s Status Window clearly, but now we were really close to each other, with me basically touching Lilfira¡¯s body with mine from behind.


    ¡°Oops¡­¡± Lilfira lost her balance just slightly when I rushed to tap on her Character Status tab by extending our hands towards it, accidentally pushing Lilfira forward with my whole body when I leaned forward myself. I had no time to think whether it was an actual accident or not, but reacted by grabbing Lilfira by her waist with my other hand, so neither she nor I would fall down. ¡°Thank you, Master Rockin. How about you hold me like that, so we don¡¯t fall down?¡± Lilfira added, placing her left hand on my own which I was holding her around her waist now.


    ¡°No¡­ problem¡­¡± I said, pressing my lips against each other tighter. The thing was, now we were really, really close to each other. I mean, I was hugging her, with our bodies touching one another. In addition, I had my face next to her face from my left side, and if not for her long, thick, red hair, our cheeks would¡¯ve been touching each other too.


    Come on, let¡¯s get it over with. I gritted my teeth, also feeling sweat starting to gather on my forehead.


    ¡°Right, so¡­ you have to click on this tab¡­ and then choose ¡®Yes¡¯ on your Level Up offer,¡± I started explaining what to do while navigating her hand to tap on the ¡®Yes¡¯ option.


    - ¡°Level up accepted. Increasing character¡¯s level from level one to level two. Complete. Level up complete.¡± ¨C The boring, mechanical voice announced once Lilfira accepted her Level Up offer.


    ¡°And that¡¯s it. That¡¯s how you level up,¡± I said, wanting to let go of Lilfira¡¯s hand and step away from her once again.


    ¡°Wait, what about assigning my stat points?¡± But Lilfira had no intentions of letting me step away just yet.


    ¡°Oh¡­ yeah¡­¡± I squirmed. ¡°Well¡­ you go here and¡­¡± I used her hand to navigate to her Character Status window, so we could see her stats.


    ¡°It says here that I have six unspent stat points. Is that good, Master Rockin?¡± Lilfira asked after seeing it.


    ¡°Yes, very good. Six is the maximum that you can get,¡± I said, seeing she had received six stat points helped me relax even if a little.


    ¡°How do I add stat points and which of my stats should I increase, Master Rockin?¡± Lilfira asked, adjusting her standing position just slightly and turning her head to the side to try and see my face. I opened my mouth to say something, but seeing her beautiful face only an inch away from mine, stopped any words from coming out. She didn¡¯t avert her gaze away, but moved her left leg a tiny bit back, making her lean at me more.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Even through my armor I could feel her ass pressing against me, yet it felt rather unusual. I became confused at first, but then remembered she actually had a tail. It resembled a lizard¡¯s tail and it wasn¡¯t too long, about one and a half foot in length, but it was thick and strong, and when Lilfira leaned against me, she also pushed and lifted her tail up, her tail squeezing itself in between my legs and almost making me jump. ¡°Care¡­ full¡­ Ahem¡­ You¡­ don¡¯t want us to fall down, do you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry. Maybe¡­ you could hold me tighter?¡± Lilfira offered a solution, leaning with her back at my chest even more.


    This will not end well, damn it. I tried to swallow, but my mouth was totally dry.


    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s assign your stat points now,¡± I thought the best thing to do was to focus on finishing helping Lilfira level up. ¡°Ok, so¡­ your stats are¡­¡± I then stopped to think how best to distribute her stat points. Lilfira¡¯s main stat was obviously Strength, with her Magic Energy being second best and her Stamina being third. I still couldn¡¯t make sense why her Spell Power was zero while her Magic Energy was so high, but decided to follow my gut and do how I¡¯ve done it for Ranalaiya and Sylfrin when I was assigning their stat points. ¡°Since your Strength stat is obviously the highest stat, I think putting three points into your Strength would be best. Then we have Magic Energy, which I would suggest putting two stat points into it and then use the last stat point to increase your Stamina by one. How does that sound?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ok. Whatever you say, Master Rockin,¡± Lilfira agreed without any objections.


    ¡°Ok¡­ let¡¯s do that then,¡± I said, navigating her hand to distribute her stat points. ¡°There, it¡¯s all done now.¡± I pulled away, with Lilfira finally letting me go.


    ¡°Wow, that was very helpful. Thank you so much, Master Rockin,¡± Lilfira said after turning around to face me, her face sparkling with joy. Only then I noticed how wide her scaly ears were extended to the sides, something I haven¡¯t seen her do before. It must¡¯ve been a reflexion of how she was feeling right now, but I didn¡¯t know what to think other than seeing her being happy.


    ¡°Sure, no problem,¡± I mumbled, trying to pretend nothing out of an ordinary had happened just now. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll just¡­ have a drink right now.¡± I added, removing myself from Lilfira¡¯s sight.


    ¡°Are you done already, Lilfira?¡± Ranalaiya was right next to her the moment I stepped away.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lilfira smiled happily.


    ¡°Really? But you haven¡¯t kissed yet,¡± Sylfrin made a comment that set my ears on fire.


    What¡­ did she just say? I didn¡¯t turn towards them, but had my ears become very tense. On the other hand, I better not listen. As curious as I was, I already knew Lilfira wouldn¡¯t have thought of it on her own. The worst part was, I actually enjoyed it.


    ¡°Ah, you see, I sort of wanted to, but when I turned to face Master Rockin, my heart started beating so fast I couldn¡¯t do it,¡± Lilfira confessed, pressing her clenched fist close to her chest.


    ¡°Oh, I know what you mean, Lilfira. I have felt the same way too,¡± Ranalaiya told her.


    ¡°Really?¡± Lilfira asked, lifting her eyes up to look at Ranalaiya.


    ¡°Yes, that means you¡¯re on the right path,¡± Ranalaiya said with a smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s great then,¡± Lilfira smiled, easing up.


    ¡°By the way, do you mind showing us your level two stats, Lilfira?¡± Sylfrin asked, being curious about it.


    ¡°Not at all. Here,¡± Lilfira tapped in front of her and a screen appeared for Ranalaiya and Sylfrin to see.


    Of course she knows how to navigate her Status Window. It was no surprise for me to see Lilfira do that. Oh well, I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t see that. I mumbled to myself, turning to face away from the three women.


    ***


    Lilfira Rageflame. Level 2.


    Character stats:


    Stamina ¨C 9


    Strength ¨C 19


    Agility ¨C 3


    Spell Power ¨C 0


    Magic Energy ¨C 13


    Luck ¨C 9


    ***


    ¡°Oh, wow. Your stats have increased so much,¡± Ranalaiya said.


    ¡°Does that mean, you have received six stat points?¡± Sylfrin asked.


    ¡°Yes, but I haven¡¯t received any new skills unfortunately,¡± Lilfira said, becoming a little sad.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Lilfira. It is only your first level up. I had no skills to begin with and have received my first skill only when I reached level four,¡± Sylfrin told her in a supportive manner.


    ¡°Ah, yes, you have told me about it, Sylfrin,¡± Lilfira remembered it.


    ¡°Now that you are stronger, you will be able to kill those Stoneskin Lizards easier, Lilfira,¡± Ranalaiya said.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We should go and fight more of those lizards, so you could reach your next level faster,¡± Sylfrin added.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Lilfira, a big smile showing on her face.

 Chapter 118

    With Lilfira¡¯s stat increase, she was able to kill Stoneskin Lizards easier now. She gained only one level, but three extra points to her Strength stat made a visible difference. She was getting better at fighting Stoneskin Lizards too, taking on two lizard monsters at a time and killing them without much trouble. Gaining actual fighting experience helps you become stronger even if your stats don¡¯t increase. There¡¯s a limit to how well you can fight without having your stats increased of course, but knowing your limits could help you make wiser decisions on whether to engage certain monsters or not in the first place.


    We were progressing through the mine little by little. Stoneskin Lizards weren¡¯t posing much threat to us, but we were still taking our time to look around as we went, mainly to see if we could find any Brown Iron Ore deposits and to make sure we wouldn¡¯t miss any drops from the monsters. After a while, I got a pretty good idea what the drop rate for the Brown Iron Ore from Stoneskin Lizards was. We¡¯d get a drop every sixth or seventh kill. It wasn¡¯t that bad, all things considered. The only annoying thing was, there weren¡¯t that many Stoneskin Lizards crawling around, unless we would reach another cave, where we would find three, four or sometimes even six of them.


    To compensate for low number of monsters, we have found another Brown Iron Ore deposit too. Brown Iron Ore deposits were rare, apparently, but Lilfira managed to get two pieces of Brown Iron Ore from mining it again. Monsters could drop only one after being killed, so it made sense that you could get more from mining. In all fairness, we would¡¯ve collected enough Brown Iron Ore as drops from the monsters even if Lilfira didn¡¯t have Mining skill, but it helped.


    - ¡°Wow, how ruthless of you for dealing with it in such a fashion, but you looked so hot too, babe. Four experience points for you and eight for your party members.¡± ¨C Lavita was keeping the mood up with her announcements.


    - ¡°Maximum experience points reached. Level up is available. Would you like to level up?¡± ¨C Another announcement followed right after.


    ¡°Oh, must be Lilfira again,¡± I thought out loud.


    - ¡°Yes, just like that, handsome. You really know how to use your hands. You have gained four experience points and your party members have gained eight.¡± ¨C Lavita announced again after Lilfira killed the second lizard monster.


    Yes, it is Lilfira. Well, you need only two hundred experience points to reach level three after all. I spoke in my head after checking Ranalaiya¡¯s and Sylfrin¡¯s status windows and not finding a Level Up offer for either of them.


    ¡°Master Rockin, I have received another Level Up offer. Could you please help me level up?¡± Lilfira was quick to appear next to me after the monsters were killed.


    ¡°I am sure you know how to do it yourself, Lilfira,¡± I said, showing a mocking facial expression.


    ¡°Yes, but what if I tap on the wrong thing?¡± Lilfira argued, hitting an innocent girl¡¯s pose.


    ¡°And what if I tap or touch the wrong thing myself?¡± I don¡¯t know why but I decided to be a little playful with my words.


    ¡°You can touch me anywhere you want, Master Rockin,¡± Lilfira said, squinting her eyes in a seductive manner before lowering her head just lightly, a lock of her red hair dropping down the left side of her face and covering part of her eye, making her look stunningly sexy.


    Wha¡­ My jaw dropped. Did she practise doing that or what? I was staring at Lilfira for a moment before becoming aware someone else was staring at me from the side at the same time. Huh? Of course, Sylfrin. Seeing Sylfrin¡¯s satisfied smile before she turned away when she noticed I was looking at her told me everything I needed to know. Still, Lilfira hitting that kind of seductive pose was too much to believe it was just an act. It honestly made my heart skip a beat.


    ¡°Ahem¡­ Yes, ok,¡± I thought there was no point in trying to talk myself out of it.


    Again, Lilfira wanted me to hold her by her hand and have me navigate her Status Window to have her level up. Of course, this time she came to stand in front of me without any additional dilly dally, leaning at me with her back before turning her head to the side to show me her cute smile.


    - ¡°Level up accepted. Increasing character¡¯s level from level two to level three. Complete. Level up complete.¡± ¨C The same mechanical voice announced once I tapped on the ¡®Yes¡¯ option to accept Lilfira¡¯s Level Up offer.


    ¡°Ok,¡± I said, crinkling my nose in a disappointed manner.


    ¡°Is something wrong, Master Rockin?¡± Lilfira must¡¯ve noticed it.


    ¡°Ah, no. Well, I thought you will receive a new skill, but it¡¯s ok. You might gain a new skill on your next level up,¡± I said, showing a smile.


    ¡°Yes, I hope so too,¡± Lilfira said. She didn¡¯t sound upset about not receiving a new skill, however.


    ¡°Oh, wow. You have received six stat points again. That¡¯s good,¡± I said, my disappointment being replaced by a mild excitement. ¡°So, how about we do the same thing like the last time we did? One point to your Stamina, three points to your Strength and two points to your Magic Energy?¡±


    ¡°I trust your judgement, Master Rockin,¡± Lilfira had no objections whatsoever.


    ¡°Ok, here we go. Done,¡± I said after distributing her stat points.


    ¡°Thank you, Master Rockin,¡± Lilfira said before shifting her body to face me in a more direct way, her face blushing adorably.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± I said, leaning forward just a little bit before tapping on her nose with my right hand¡¯s index finger, showing a cheeky smile at the end and then walking away.


    ¡°Master¡­ Rockin¡­¡± Lilfira became charmingly flustered. It clearly wasn¡¯t something she expected I would do, Lilfira gasping unexpectedly and touching her cheek with one hand.


    ¡°Wow, that was amazing, Lilfira,¡± Ranalaiya spoke to her, Lilfira not noticing when Ranalaiya appeared next to her.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, sorry, I¡­¡± Lilfira was still trying to come back to her senses.


    ¡°That was very well done, Lilfira,¡± Sylfrin spoke next. ¡°You made it look so natural when you dipped your head down.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that. I¡­ I didn¡¯t think about it at all, actually. It just... happened,¡± Lilfira confessed, not knowing what else to say.


    ¡°Really? No wonder it looked so natural,¡± Ranalaiya commented with a smile.


    ¡°But¡­ Master Rockin still didn¡¯t want to kiss me,¡± Lilfira said, dropping her eyes and looking sad.


    ¡°What are you saying, Lilfira? Master Rockin was completely swept away by you doing that. I believe he starts to really like you,¡± Sylfrin told her, making Lilfira lift her eyes up.


    ¡°What? Really?¡± Lilfira asked, feeling a little confused.


    ¡°Yes, Master Rockin was being playful with you and him touching your nose like that looked so cute,¡± Ranalaiya said, sparkling with excitement.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, Master Rockin has never tapped on my nose with his finger like that before,¡± Sylfrin said, speaking more to herself than to either Ranalaiya or Lilfira.


    ¡°Huh? Why yes, you¡¯re right, Sylfrin. Now that you mentioned it, it makes me feel a little jealous,¡± Ranalaiya said, pouting her lips.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Sylfrin touched her bottom lip with her right hand¡¯s index finger, thinking about something before turning to look at Ranalaiya, Ranalaiya nodding in response as if understanding what Sylfrin had in mind. ¡°What about your stats, Lilfira? Do you mind showing it to us?¡± Instead of sulking about it like Ranalaiya, Sylfrin changed the topic, curious to see how Lilfira¡¯s stats looked now.


    ¡°Of course not. Here you go,¡± Lilfira said, quickly opening her Status Window to show her stats.


    ***


    Lilfira Rageflame. Level 3.


    Character stats:


    Stamina ¨C 10


    Strength ¨C 22


    Agility ¨C 3


    Spell Power ¨C 0


    Magic Energy ¨C 15


    Luck ¨C 11


    ***


    ¡°Oh, wow, your Strength stat is over twenty now,¡± Ranalaiya pointed it out.


    ¡°Yes, but¡­¡± Sylfrin commented, having curious expression on her face.


    ¡°What is, Sylfrin?¡± Lilfira wanted to know.


    ¡°Your Spell Power stat is zero, but Master Rockin keeps adding points to your Magic Energy stat. I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s bad, of course,¡± Sylfrin pointed out.


    ¡°Ah, yes, now that you¡¯ve mentioned it. I find it strange too. I¡¯ve read that you¡¯d usually need higher Magic Energy stat to be able to cast spells, but your spell¡¯s strength is depended on the Spell Power stat, isn¡¯t it?¡± Lilfira wanted to confirm.


    ¡°Yes, it is. I¡¯ve noticed my spells become stronger when my Spell Power goes up, and you are right about Magic Energy stat helping with casting more spells before becoming tired,¡± Sylfrin confirmed it.


    ¡°So then¡­ why does Master Rockin keep assigning points to my Magic Energy but not to my Spell Power stat?¡± Lilfira asked, feeling confused.


    ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know, but I believe you should trust Master Rockin on this. At first, I was confused why Master Rockin kept assigning all the stat points to my Spell Power stat with each of my level up until I reached level five. At the very beginning, I even thought I need to have higher Strength stat in order to become stronger, so I could be useful in a fight, but as it turned out, Master Rockin knew better. If I was left to my own devices to assign my stat points the way I wanted myself, I am convinced I would¡¯ve messed it all up and wouldn¡¯t have grown to become as strong as I am right now,¡± Sylfrin shared her thoughts on the matter.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    ¡°Ok, I will trust Master Rockin and let him assign my stat points without any objection,¡± Lilfira agreed.


    This doesn¡¯t make sense. In the meantime, I was beating myself in my head. I was walking around looking for drops, but that was only a pretext. Ranalaiya and Sylfrin had already checked for the drops earlier, and I knew I won¡¯t find anything right now. I was simply fuming about Lilfira¡¯s stats. Damn it. I hate doing it that way, but there must be a reason why Lilfira¡¯s Magic Energy stat is so high even if her Spell Power stat is zero. She hasn¡¯t received any new skills, nor her Luck Bonus has triggered to give me any hints about her future build despite Lilfira gaining two levels already. The only good thing about her level ups was that she had received six stat points every time she gained a level. Baah, let¡¯s hope she¡¯ll receive something new on her next level up to help me figure what her build should be.


    There was no point in breaking my head over it, all things considered. I had to trust my gut feeling and do what needed to be done, just like I did when I was assigning stat points for Ranalaiya and Sylfrin.


    ¡°Are you ready to move out?¡± I finally asked my three female companions.


    ¡°Ah, yes, Master Rockin, we¡¯re ready,¡± Ranalaiya responded.


    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s move out then,¡± I said, turning to go.


    Fortunately, there was only one other exit out of the current cave, so we simply moved on. The next tunnel we were passing through turned out to be longer than the previous ones and we haven¡¯t encountered any Stoneskin Lizards on the way until we¡¯ve reached the next cave. The new cave struck me as being much bigger than the other caves we¡¯ve been to could¡¯ve been maybe half of the football field in size even, and I could see from our end there were three other exits out of it too. In addition, the current cave had many more support beams and other fortifications built inside of it, making it look like major mining works had been done here in the past.


    ¡°There are three Stoneskin Lizards inside this cave that I can see, Master Rockin. However, my Echo Sense skill covers less than half of the cave, so I don¡¯t know if there are any more monsters further away,¡± Sylfrin informed me.


    ¡°Right,¡± I touched my chin to think about it. ¡°Ranalaiya, how about you sneak around with your Shadow Blend ability to scout the whole cave for us, but don¡¯t engage any monsters, ok?¡±


    ¡°Ok, Master Rockin. Shadow Blend,¡± Ranalaiya said before her visage vanished from our sights. We could all see where Ranalaiya was even when she was using her hiding ability thanks to all of us being in a party. We couldn¡¯t see her per se, but we were able to see her transparent body shape as she moved around. We waited several minutes until Ranalaiya sneaked around the cave to check for the monsters, us quietly waiting for her to return.


    ¡°Welcome back,¡± I greeted Ranalaiya after she returned.


    ¡°Thank you, Master Rockin,¡± she smiled.


    ¡°Well, how many monsters have you seen?¡± I wanted to know.


    ¡°I saw six, but¡­¡± Ranalaiya said, making a pause.


    ¡°But what?¡± I asked, her pause making me curious.


    ¡°One of the monsters looked different than the others,¡± she told me.


    ¡°Different? How different?¡± I asked, my eyebrows shooting up.


    ¡°It looked slightly bigger than the Stoneskin Lizards and had a round shell on its back which also had spikes on it,¡± Ranalaiya described the monster.


    ¡°Ok, anything else?¡± I wanted to know.


    ¡°One strange thing about the monster was, I couldn¡¯t see it having a head,¡± Ranalaiya told me something I didn¡¯t expect to hear.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t have a head?¡± I asked, making a sour facial expression.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. The shell on its back was really big and wide, so maybe it was hiding its head underneath it?¡± Ranalaiya made an observation.


    ¡°Yeah, could be,¡± I said, pausing to think. ¡°You know what, let¡¯s not take any chances and just kill all the monsters as fast as we can. I¡¯ll take on that new monster myself. Can you point to the spot where you saw it, Ranalaiya?¡±


    ¡°Yes, do you see that sharp rock sticking out of the ground on the far left, Master Rockin. That new monster was hiding right behind it,¡± Ranalaiya pointed out.


    ¡°Ok, good. Sylfrin, you and Lilfira take out the three Stoneskin Lizards that you saw with your Echo Sense skill. Ranalaiya, you take down the two Stoneskin Lizards that you saw further away and I¡¯ll deal with that new monster myself. Understood?¡± I gave out instructions before the fight.


    ¡°Yes, Master Rockin,¡± the girls acknowledge it.


    Ok, let¡¯s see what kind of monster it is. I thought to myself, getting ready to fight.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I instructed before rushing into the cave.


    I was the first one who the closest Stoneskin Lizards noticed, but I simply ignored them, running to the side and around them, so I wouldn¡¯t block the view for Sylfrin to hit them with her spells.


    ¡°Frostbite. Frostbolt,¡± Sylfrin unleashed her spells, killing one Stoneskin Lizard on the spot. She was strong enough to kill Stoneskin Lizards with a single spell, but she probably didn¡¯t want to take any chances this time.


    - ¡°What a nice kill, handsome. Well done. You have received four experience points and your party members have received eight.¡± ¨C Lavita announced right after.


    ¡°Shadow Claw,¡± Ranalaiya didn¡¯t hold back from the very start either, killing another Stoneskin Lizard with a single strike.


    - ¡°Now that was a fierce move on your part. I hope you¡¯ll be as fierce with me as well, handsome. Four experience points for you and eight for your party members.¡± ¨C Again, Lavita was cheeky with her message.


    ¡°Hah! Twinstab!¡± Lilfira did her part too, striking at the Stoneskin Lizard with her spear to make it flinch before finishing it with her skill.


    - ¡°Wow, what a nice kill. You¡¯re really getting into it, aren¡¯t you, babe? Four experience points for you and eight for your party members.¡± ¨C Lavita couldn¡¯t have been happier to be able to talk so much.


    Ok, where are you? Huh? A turtle? I grimaced upon seeing how the new monster looked. Other than the spikes, its shell looked similar to a turtle¡¯s shell from my original world. The size of the shell must¡¯ve been almost three feet in diameter and was more or less round. It covered the monster fully and only the tips of its feet could be seen under it, and just like Ranalaiya said, I couldn¡¯t see its head anywhere either, but I had a tiny hunch why.


    ¡°Come out, you spiky turtle. Shield!¡± I ran closer to the monster, shooting a magic shield at it by using my attack skill when I was close enough to reach it.


    - ¡®Bang!¡¯ ¨C My attack hit, but it didn¡¯t kill the monster. Scratch that, my attack didn¡¯t even graze its shell.


    ¡°Oh, wow,¡± I exclaimed in surprise. I was more impressed by how hard the monster¡¯s shell was than becoming actually surprised. ¡°Humph, so you think you¡¯re tough, eh? Take this!¡± I swung at it with my Piercing Shield again. ¡°Woah! Oops!¡± But to my biggest astonishment, the creature was quick to flee and slip away from my attack, the tip of my shield hitting the hard ground instead. ¡°Hey! Aren¡¯t you too fast for a turtle?!¡± I yelled at it.


    The monster, which definitely wasn¡¯t a turtle from my original world, ran away a short distance before stopping and turning around, a small head peeking out from under its shell to look at its surroundings and it didn¡¯t resemble a turtle¡¯s head at all. It was really flat and wide, about half a foot in length, and I couldn¡¯t see the lines of its mouth either. Two small, black dots that were about ten inches apart from one another, which I assumed were its eyes, were the only things that stood out.


    ¡°Hah, decided to show your face, eh?¡± I spoke to it, leaning forward and readying to attack it again. I was about to rush forward towards it, but the creature quickly hid its head under its shell again, instantly spinning around in its spot and shooting several spikes at me from its back. ¡°Woah, Shield!¡±


    I stopped abruptly, raising my shields up and using my defense skill to help me block its attacks. Two or three of the spikes that were shot from the monster¡¯s shell hit my magic shield, simply bouncing off of it. Two more spikes hit my normal shields one after another the next second. The spikes that hit my shields weren¡¯t powerful enough to do any damage them, but I could tell they carried enough power to injure someone if the spikes hit them directly.


    Ok, you are a dangerous monster, after all. I thought to myself, not letting my guard down.


    After the monster shot its spikes at me, it stopped spinning and stuck its flat head out from under the shell to check on me again, seeing I was still standing where I was. I don¡¯t know why, but I thought the monster would make some sort grimace at me, but it didn¡¯t. Instead, it hid its head under its shell again and spun one more time, shooting more spikes at me.


    ¡°You bastard. Shield!¡± I used my defense skill again to block the majority of the spikes that the creature shot at me, jumping to the side to avoid being hit by the following spikes, then rushing forward to get closer to the spiked shell wearing turtle monster. I knew it wasn¡¯t a turtle, but I didn¡¯t know what it was called, so I made the name for it instead, using its shell as a reference. I kept my shields up in front of me just in case the monster was about to shoot more spikes from its shell at me while it spun. I waited for it to stop spinning, hoping it would show its flat head to me again, so I could smack it good. As I expected, the monster took a peek outside to see where I was or what I was doing and that¡¯s all I needed.


    ¡°Shield!¡± I used my attack skill to hit its head, but was met with a surprise instead. ¡°What?!¡± I exclaimed.


    The monster was fast enough to retract its head and hide it under its shell again before my attack reached it, the magic shield hitting the ground an inch away from the creature.


    ¡°Why you! Haah!¡± I swung and hit the monster with my Piercing Shield on its shell instead, my shield hitting it and flattening the monster to the ground. ¡°How¡¯s that, you¡­ huh?¡±


    I was about to deliver a speech when the monster pulled itself up and quickly ran away from me again. Apparently, my attack hasn¡¯t hurt it at all. As it turned out, the monster simply pulled in or bent its legs to hide them under its shell, the shell simply hitting the ground when my attack landed, the creature not getting injured at all. After that, the turtle monster acted the same way as before. After it made some distance from me, it peeked out from its shell to see where I was and spun around to shoot its spikes at me again.


    ¡°You freaking¡­¡± I lifted my shields up in order to block the spikes it shot at me, but I didn¡¯t use my defense skill this time. ¡°You are so¡­ annoying!¡± I yelled at the monster before running to get closer to it.


    - ¡®Bang! Bang! Bam!¡¯ ¨C Then started smashing the monster with my shields from above.


    How hard is its shell? Damn it. I couldn¡¯t believe my attacks couldn¡¯t penetrate it. The monster simply pulled in its legs again and let its shell fall on the ground, completely covering it from all sides. My attacks couldn¡¯t penetrate the creature¡¯s hard shell no matter how hard I was hitting it. In addition, the hits were taking tall on my shields and I definitely didn¡¯t want them to break.


    ¡°Oh, yeah? How about this then? Humph!¡± A droplet of smarts finally squeezed itself into my brains, telling me there was a better way to fight the turtle monster. I pushed my Piercing Shield under the monster¡¯s shell, lifting it up and throwing the creature upside down, it falling on the ground with its belly up. ¡°Shield!¡± I instantly used my attack skill to hit the monster¡¯s belly which was enough to kill it with that one hit.


    ¡°Hah, not so tough anymore, are you?!¡± I yelled at the small sparkling dust cloud.


    - ¡°Wow, you managed to kill it so easily, babe. Congratulations are in order. You have received eight experience points and your party members have received sixteen.¡± ¨C Lavita announced after the spiky turtle monster turned into fairy dust.


    ¡°Huh? I got eight experience points?¡± I was surprised I have received twice as much as before.


    ¡°Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya appeared next to my side.


    ¡°Oh, are you ok? Hold on, are Sylfrin and Lilfira ok as well?¡± I wanted to know.


    ¡°Yes, they are fine, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya reassured me.


    ¡°We¡¯re ok, Master Rockin!¡± Sylfrin said loudly, Lilfira standing next to her, both of them coming over once they noticed my fight was over.


    ¡°Phew, that¡¯s good,¡± I let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°What was that monster, Master Rockin?¡± Ranalaiya asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it definitely was a stronger monster than those Stoneskin Lizards we were fighting all this time,¡± I said.


    ¡°Did Mister Alragus mention anything about that type of monster to you, Master Rockin?¡± Syfrin asked.


    ¡°No. He only spoke about the Stoneskin Lizards,¡± I said, touching my chin to think about it. ¡°Maybe¡­ maybe we have reached the area in the mine where stronger monsters live? That¡¯s the only explanation for it.¡±


    ¡°But we haven¡¯t gone through some sort of passage, like the one they have in the dungeon to go to the lower floors,¡± Ranalaiya reasoned.


    ¡°No, but Alragus said mine is not like a normal dungeon. Besides, we have gone through the last tunnel without encountering any monsters. That could¡¯ve been the passage leading to the lower floor of the mine, even if they don¡¯t call it floors here,¡± I speculated.


    ¡°Yes, that makes sense,¡± Sylfrin agreed to it.


    ¡°So, what will we do now, Master?¡± Ranalaiya asked next.


    ¡°Right. We came here to gather some Brown Iron Ore, which we have enough with us already and that means we could simply turn back and go back to Hirvant or¡­¡± I paused, turning around to look around the cave.


    ¡°Or we could explore this lower floor of the mine to try and find more ore,¡± Ranalaiya finished my sentence, knowing what I was about to say myself.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I smiled. However, I had a small concern regarding that. This current huge cave had three other available exits out of it, which meant I had to figure something out for us to not get lost if we were to stay and explore the mine some more.

 Chapter 119

    ¡°Have you checked for drops yet?¡± I asked the ladies.


    ¡°Ah, no, Master Rockin. I¡¯ll go look around right now,¡± Ranalaiya told me before rushing off.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go check for drops too,¡± Sylfrin went off as well.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go see if I can find any ore deposits if that¡¯s ok?¡± Lilfira asked me.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine. Hold on, here, take a pickaxe with you, so you can mine it right away if you find one,¡± I said, opening my storage and taking out a pickaxe to give to Lilfira. ¡°Just don¡¯t leave this cave, ok?¡± I added.


    ¡°Yes, Master Rockin,¡± Lilfira acknowledged it before leaving.


    Ghm¡­ That spiked shell turtle was quite tough. It didn¡¯t drop anything which means it wasn¡¯t a rare monster or anything. Although, I think Alragus has mentioned rare monsters don¡¯t appear in the mines. Or was he talking about the boss monsters? I touched my chin to think about it. In any case, we will have to be careful going forward.


    We might¡¯ve been unlucky this time, but none of the Stoneskin Lizards have dropped any ore, nor Lilfira has found any ore deposits in the current cave either. It couldn¡¯t be helped. Besides, I had something else to worry about. There were three other exits leading out of the current mining cave and I needed to make sure we¡¯d be able to return without getting lost but that¡¯s when Lady Luck smiled upon us unexpectedly.


    ¡°I found a strange signpost near one of the exits out of this cave, Master Rockin,¡± Lilfira informed after passing the pickaxe back to me.


    ¡°A strange signpost?¡± I raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Yes. It said ¡®Workers Lodgings¡¯ on it,¡± Lilfira told me.


    ¡°Workers Lodgings? Oh, where is that signpost?¡± I quickly asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s near that one exit over there, Master Rockin,¡± Lilfira said, pointing to the most right exit from the cave excluding the one we have come here.


    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s go check it out,¡± I said, going towards that specific exit.


    ¡°What does the ¡®Workers Lodgings¡¯ mean, Master Rockin?¡± Ranalaiya asked, all of us standing in front of the signpost and looking at it.


    ¡°I think this one exit leads to where the mine workers used to rest,¡± I said before adding. ¡°Let¡¯s go see for ourselves.¡±


    That specific exit led us to a heavy-looking wooden wall which had a built-in door inside of it it. Luckily for us, the door wasn¡¯t locked, but that just made sense. If what the signpost said was true, there was a resting area on the other side of this wooden wall and you would want to be able to lock the door from the inside, and not from the outside which turned out to be true.


    ¡°Wow, they actually have beds here,¡± Sylfrin commented with a bit of a surprise.


    ¡°Is that¡­ a cooking oven?¡± Lilfira asked, pointing at what it looked like stove that was built inside the wall.


    ¡°An oven? But it is made out of stone and almost looks like is inside the wall itself,¡± Ranalaiya was no less surprised than the others.


    The cave where the lodgings were wasn¡¯t particularly big, maybe a size of an average two-bedroom apartment. It had three double bunk beds, a cooking stove, a wooden table and several wooden chairs around it to sit on. There was another small door at the furthest corner of the cave which I assumed was leading to a bathroom. Well, hopefully. The lodgings room wasn¡¯t anything fancy of course, but what else could you expect inside a mine? People who came here would come to gather materials, either by mining ore or by fighting monsters. You would definitely not have a five-star hotel accommodation built in here.


    ¡°Oh nice,¡± I said, nodding my head and feeling pleased about it.


    ¡°Why would they have this kind of area in the mines, Master Rockin?¡± Ranalaiya asked.


    ¡°For people to rest?¡± I asked half-jokingly.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, you¡¯re being mean again, Master,¡± Ranalaiya puffed her cheeks at me, looking cute.


    ¡°Sorry, but it was you who asked,¡± I said, raising my hands in front of me defensively.


    ¡°Doest that mean we can rest in here, Master Rockin?¡± Sylfrin asked me.


    ¡°It does, indeed. Honestly, I was getting worried about how long we¡¯d be able to stay here. It¡¯s only tunnels and caves in here with no trees, so we wouldn¡¯t be able to hang our hammock up to have a safe rest. I thought we¡¯d have to walk out of the mine, spend the night outside and then go back in again, if we wanted to gather more ore than we already have, that is. But now with these lodgings here, it will make it much easier for us to explore the mine and hopefully find more and better ore too,¡± I explained what was lingering in my mind for a while now.


    ¡°That¡¯s great, Master,¡± Ranalaiya said, clapping her hands. She had already forgotten she was supposed to be upset with me because of my previous comment.


    ¡°So, are we going to have a rest now, Master Rockin?¡± Sylfrin was curious.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Do you three want to rest? Also, are you maybe hungry too?¡± I asked my party members. The thing was, since we were inside the mine, I had no idea what time of the day it was right now. I was certain it wasn¡¯t too late yet, otherwise I would¡¯ve been feeling really hungry right now which I wasn¡¯t. That meant it definitely wasn¡¯t nighttime yet.


    ¡°Maybe a little,¡± Ranalaiya told me.


    ¡°I could still keep going, Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin added.


    ¡°Yes, I¡­ should be ok for a while too,¡± said Lilfira, but the way she said it gave away she might¡¯ve been hungriest out of all four of us. I didn¡¯t think about it, but Ranalaiya, Sylfrin and I were used to eating proper meals twice a day, breakfast and in the morning and late dinner in the evening while Lilfira had different eating habits.


    ¡°Ok then. How about we take a short break here, eat something light and explore the mine some more before returning back here to have a proper rest?¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Yes, thank you,¡± Lilfira responded almost instantaneously, revealing she must¡¯ve been hungry.


    ¡°Yes, please, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya joined in on that too.


    ¡°I do feel a little hungry too. Will you be cooking meat, Master Rockin?¡± Sylfrin asked.


    ¡°Ah, no. It would take too long. How about some cake instead?¡± I asked with a cheesy expression on my face, already knowing the answer, all three girls not disappointing me with their reactions.


    After a short break, we left the resting area and went to explore the mine some more. With one exit leading out of the mine, another one leading to the lodgings, we were left with one of the two choices to decide which way we could go and I chose the right exit after coming out of the lodgings entrance.


    ¡°We might encounter that new type of monster from before, so all of you need to be careful. It has a really hard shell on its back which even my Attack Skill: Shield couldn¡¯t penetrate. You probably saw it when I fought the monster, but it can shoot spikes from the top of its shell and they are really dangerous. Having said that, it seems like that monster¡¯s weak point is its belly, so the best way to deal with it is to flip it over upside down and attack its belly, but that doesn¡¯t mean it will be easy to do. The monster is really fast on its feet to get away to a safe distance before starting to spin and shoot its spikes at its target. So, if we encounter another one, leave it for me to deal with, ok?¡± I told the ladies before we left the big mining cave.


    ¡°Yes, we understand, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya answered for all three of the girls, Sylfrin and Lilfira nodding in agreement, and then we moved on.


    We have spent maybe two more hours exploring the mine before returning to the Workers Lodgings area. I wasn¡¯t sure if it were two hours, but it wasn¡¯t longer than that. We¡¯ve found and explored several more open caves and have killed a bunch of Stoneskin Lizards on the way, but we haven¡¯t encountered another spiked shell turtle monster during the extra time that we were exploring the mine. Maybe it was a coincidence that we have found it in that big main mining cave earlier after all. The turtle monster hasn¡¯t dropped anything, but maybe it was a special type of monster that appears in the mine only rarely and that¡¯s why we haven¡¯t seen any more of those.


    We haven¡¯t killed enough monsters for Lilfira, or anyone else for that matter, to reach their next level up, but we have collected some extra Brown Iron Ore. We have also found two more Brown Iron Ore deposits, with Lilfira mining two pieces of ore from each of those, adding to a total of eleven pieces of ore that we have collected so far. I have made a conclusion that by mining ore one could collect the needed amount of ore faster than by getting it as drops from monster kills. Killing monsters gives you experience points which is beneficial to adventurers, but if you¡¯re a higher-level adventurer and don¡¯t have a Mining skill, it wouldn¡¯t be worthwhile to come to the mine for drops from the money making standpoint.


    ¡°Huh? You want us all three to sleep on the top bed of each of these bunk beds, Master?¡± Ranalaiya asked, feeling a little puzzled about my suggestion. We¡¯ve just finished eating and were getting ready to lay down to have proper rest.


    ¡°Yes. We¡¯ve shut and locked the doors from the inside to prevent any monsters from entering this area, but I¡¯d rather have you three sleep higher above the ground just in case a Stoneskin Lizard somehow appeared here while we are asleep,¡± I explained why.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°But then if you sleep on the bottom part of the bunk bed, you¡¯d be in danger yourself, Master,¡± Ranalaiya protested.


    ¡°Hey, I said just in case. Besides, I doubt any monsters would be able to get in here anyway. From the looks of it, this cave room had never been touched by monsters. I haven¡¯t noticed any of the furniture being damaged anywhere which means it¡¯s pretty safe. But if some Stoneskin Lizard managed to get in here, it won¡¯t be able to hurt me anyway,¡± I assured her.


    ¡°But the top beds seemed to be big enough to fit two people in them. You could sleep together with me, Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin being Sylfrin, went right for the praise money.


    ¡°Hey, no fair, Sylfrin. I wanted to sleep together with Master Rockin too,¡± Ranalaiya complained, pursing her lips, her cat ears and tail shooting up.


    ¡°But I was the first one to suggest it to Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin stated calmly, as if showing it was already decided.


    ¡°I wanted to offer Master Rockin to sleep with me as well,¡± Lilfira added, even if being a little timid about it.


    ¡°In that case, we need to think of a way to decide who Master Rockin will sleep with tonight,¡± Ranalaiya suggested, about to declare some challenge or whatever she had in mind.


    ¡°Stop,¡± but I wouldn¡¯t have it, interrupting them. ¡°First of all, no arguing among yourselves. Second, all of you will be sleeping on the top bed of each bunk bed and I will sleep at one of the bottom beds by myself. Period. I want to explore more of the mine and gather as much ore as we can find while we¡¯re here. We¡¯ll be fighting more monsters tomorrow which means we need to be properly rested too. Now go to sleep.¡± I even raised my voice when I said that.


    ¡°Yes, Master Rockin,¡± the girls responded almost all at the same time, choosing the bed each and lying down to rest without any additional arguments.


    Sigh¡­ I dropped my head with a sigh before choosing to lay down on the bottom bed which was closest to the entrance for safety reasons. I was happy to know Ranalaiya, Sylfrin and Lilfira wanted to be with me, but there had to be limits to their willingness to do so. I wasn¡¯t against it, but my mind was set on exploring as much of the mine as we could while being here. Besides, I would feel too uncomfortable to sleep in one bed together with Lilfira at this point if she was the one to win whatever the challenge Ranalaiya wanted to suggest.


    ¡°Good night,¡± of course, I didn¡¯t forget to give the good night kisses to Ranalaiya and Sylfrin, both them showing they were happy to receive them.


    ¡°Good night, Master Rockin,¡± Lilfira, who I did not give a good night kiss said right before I was about to lay down.


    Damn it. I cussed at myself, knowing Lilfira must¡¯ve felt like she was being left out.


    ¡°Ahm¡­ good night, Lilfira,¡± I manned up and came over to give her a mild peck on a cheek as a good night kiss.


    ¡°Good night, Master Rockin,¡± Lilfira repeated what she had said only a moment ago, but in a more cheerful manner this time, her face brightening up too. The way she looked at me with her red, passionate eyes made my heart skip a beat before it sank down to my knees.


    Why¡­ do I feel like kissing her for real right now? My own thoughts were attacking me in my head while I was staring at Lilfira, still standing next to her bed. Either Lilfira read my mind or she had been thinking the same thing in her head as well, because she leaned closer to me, pausing just an inch away from my face for a brief moment before kissing me on the lips herself. It was a very soft and mild kiss, but the feel of her lips touching mine has sent shivers down my body. Lilfira, probably becoming shocked and embarrassed by her own boldness, quickly laid back down in her bed, turning away and covering herself with a blanket. She looked like a little child who was trying to hide from her parents, afraid to be punished for the prank they have committed.


    ¡°Huh?¡± I turned towards what I felt an intense stare directed at me and saw Ranalaiya, and Sylfrin turn away and hide under the blankets themselves too. I instantly knew they have seen what happened just now, but I didn¡¯t say anything. I knew that even if I won the chance to sleep alone in the bed tonight, I have lost to the girls on another count anyway.


    {the next day}


    ¡°Monsters ahead, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya warned me right before we were to reach the main, big mining cave after leaving the Workers Lodgings the next morning. I didn¡¯t know if it was an actual morning since we were inside the mine, but considering all of us felt well rested and full of energy, I wanted to believe that it was. We didn¡¯t waste any time after we have woken up either. It took some time to cook the meat, but other than that, we set out to explore the mine as soon as we were done eating.


    ¡°Ok,¡± I said, raising my hand to have all of us stop and stay quiet. The monsters must¡¯ve respawned while we were resting which wasn¡¯t a big surprise, really. ¡°How many?¡±


    ¡°I can see only one with how far my Echo Sense can reach, Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin informed.


    ¡°We need to know how many there are in total and if there are any spiked shell turtle monsters in there as well before going in,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go check, Master Rockin. Shadow Blend,¡± Ralaiya said before hiding her presence and leaving us to scout the big cave. The three of us stayed further behind so we wouldn¡¯t alert any monsters in the meantime while waiting for Ranalaiya to come back. ¡°I saw four Stoneskin Lizards inside the cave. No other monsters were inside, Master Rockin.¡± She informed after coming back.


    ¡°Ok, great. Let¡¯s deal with them quickly then,¡± I said.


    Stoneskin Lizards were easy to deal with by now and the girls have eliminated them in no time. We were also lucky to have one of the monsters drop a Brown Iron Ore too, adding to a total of twelve that we now had. The Brown Iron Ore wasn¡¯t the only good thing that happened after we have killed the four lizard monsters, however. Someone has finally gained enough experience points to receive a Level Up offer, and it was none other than Ranalaiya this time, but she wasn¡¯t about to let me accept her Level Up offer the way I was doing it up till now.


    ¡°Huh? What?¡± I exclaimed when Ranalaiya masterfully slid in front of me right before I was to open her character Status Window.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready for you to accept my Level Up offer, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya purred before rubbing at me with her back and her ass, especially her ass, her tail sneakily wrapping itself around my waist too.


    Seriously? I instantly knew what was happening here. After they witnessed how I was ¡®helping¡¯ Lilfira level up and to assign her stat points, Ranalaiya and Sylfrin most probably became jealous, and decided they would like to receive the same level up treatment from me as well. Neither Ranalaiya nor Sylfrin were able to tap and choose how to distribute their stat points themselves, but distributing stat points was irrelevant here and I knew that.


    ¡°Ok, fine. Just please stand still, so we wouldn¡¯t fall down, ok?¡± I knew there was no escaping it, so I gave in without any struggle, also hugging Ranalaiya around her waist with my left hand, her releasing another satisfying purr to  show how much she liked it.


    - ¡°Level up accepted. Increasing character¡¯s level from level fourteen to level fifteen. Complete. Evade Skill: Leap Jump has been improved. Attack Skill: Shadow Claw has been improved. Shadow Skill: Shadow Double has been improved. Luck bonus triggered. Increasing character¡¯s Agility stat by one point. Complete. Level up complete.¡± ¨C The dull, lifeless, mechanical voice announced all kinds of information after I accpeted Ranalaiya¡¯s Level Up offer. Although, with all the good stuff that it mentioned, it didn¡¯t sound so lifeless this time.


    ¡°Wow, so many improvements,¡± Ranalaiya gasped in surprise.


    ¡°And you have received Luck bonus too,¡± I added, saying it directly into Ranalaiya¡¯s ear, her ear flickering to the side involuntarily.


    ¡°Huh? M¡­ Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya exclaimed, her almost jumping up too, but since she had her tail wrapped around my waist and I was holding her with my left hand wrapped around her waist as well, she wasn¡¯t able to.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± I smirked, showing a smug expression on my face before turning my attention to her stats next. ¡°Oh, wow. Luck was definitely on your side this time, Ranalaiya. You have also received six stat points on top of everything else.¡±


    ¡°Six stat points too?¡± Ranalaiya gasped before smiling excitedly.


    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s assign them, shall we?¡± I suggested, stopping to think for a moment, Ranalaiya rubbing herself at me from behind once again. ¡°You¡¯ll have to wait until we get back to Hirvant for that kind of bonus.¡± I added in half-whisper, making sure it was only Ranalaiya who heard it.


    ¡°Master¡­ Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya purred in delight once again.


    ¡°So¡­¡± I was about to add a point to Ranalaiya¡¯s Stamina stat, but after seeing what her Agility stat was right now, a certain thought creeped inside my mind and I couldn¡¯t resist it. ¡°You know what, how about I put all six of your stat points into your Agility stat this time? I believe focusing on your Agility stat more would benefit you the most. Besides, each time your Luck bonus triggers it is your Agility stat that gets an increase every single time.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya said. I doubted she would¡¯ve objected to it even if I had suggested something else, but it was nice to hear her agreeing with me anyway.


    ¡°Ok, here we go,¡± I said, putting all six stat points into her Agility stat this time. ¡°Now, let¡¯s check your skills. You had your Leap Jump, your Shadow Claw and your Shadow Double skills improved. Let¡¯s see how.¡±


    The description of how Ranalaiya¡¯s skills worked hasn¡¯t changed at all and I couldn¡¯t figure out how they were improved at first, but then I noticed something had actually changed within her Shadow Double skill.


    ¡°Hey, wait. Wasn¡¯t the time that your Shadow Double skill lasted twelve seconds before? It says it lasts thirteen seconds now,¡± I remembered it.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right, Master,¡± Ranalaiya confirmed it


    ¡°And look, it says the cooldown is fifteen minutes now. It definitely was sixteen minutes before,¡± I pointed out another good thing.


    ¡°Yes, that was true as well,¡± Ranalaiya said, becoming even more cheerful.


    ¡°So, maybe your Leap Jump and your Shadow Claw had their cooldown timers reduced as well. Let¡¯s see¡­ it says your Leap Jump has eight seconds cooldown timer and your Shadow Claw has twenty eight,¡± I said after checking them.


    ¡°They certainly had. My Leap Jump had nine seconds cooldown and my Shadow Claw had twenty nine,¡± Ranalaiya told me.


    ¡°Nice. Congratulations,¡± I said, feeling happy for Ranalaiya. Shadow Claw¡¯s cooldown being reduced from twenty nine seconds to twenty eight didn¡¯t sound like a big deal, but her Leap Jump¡¯s cooldown going from nine seconds to eight was a huge boost to Ranalaiya¡¯s survivability. Shadow Double¡¯s cooldown going down from sixteen minutes to fifteen was a great improvement as well. Not to mention, additional second for the Shadow Double to last longer could mean an additional attack before the double disappears too.


    ¡°Wait, that¡¯s not all, Master Rockin. My Shadow Double¡¯s strength was seventy percent, but now it says seventy five percent,¡± Ranalaiya pointed out something which I missed. In all honesty, since Ranalaiya almost never used her Shadow Double skill, with the skill having quite a long description, I had forgotten all about it.


    ¡°Oh, wow. That¡¯s great. Now it¡¯s even stronger too,¡± I said, letting out a whistle too.


    ¡°You have received so many improvements. Congratulations, Ranalaiya,¡± Sylfrin finally came to congratulate her.


    ¡°Congratulations on your level up, Ranalaiya,¡± Lilfira congratulated her too.


    ¡°Can I see how your stats look now, Ranalaiya?¡± Sylfrin was curious to know.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see them too,¡± Lilfira said, coming closer.


    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± Ranalaiya said, looking to be eager to show them.


    ¡°Ahem, mind letting me go first?¡± I asked Ranalaiya, making a silly grimace. She still had her tail wrapped around my waist.


    ¡°Ah, well, sorry, Master,¡± Ranalaiya put on an act she had forgotten she was holding on to me, showing a mischievous smile before letting me go.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait over there,¡± I said before walking away.


    ¡°Ok, here are my current stats,¡± Ranalaiya said before tapping with her finger in front of her a few times.


    ***


    Ranalaiya Nightlight (Slave). Level 15.


    Master: Rockin Starling.


    Class: Shadow Assassin.


    Character stats:


    Stamina ¨C 16


    Strength ¨C 31+8


    Agility ¨C 69+20


    Spell Power ¨C 1


    Magic Energy ¨C 5


    Luck - 40


    ***


    ¡°Your Agility stat is so high now, Ranalaiya,¡± Sylfrin pointed it out.


    ¡°Yes, it is. Master Rockin has put all six stat points into my Agility this time,¡± Ranalaiya told her.


    ¡°Oh, hmph,¡± Lilfira wanted to say something, but chuckled instead, covering her mouth with her right hand to suppress her laugh the next second.


    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s so funny, Lilfira?¡± Ranalaiya asked, both her and Sylfrin giving her puzzling stares.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I wasn¡¯t intending to laugh, but your basic Agility stat number looked funny,¡± Lilfira confessed, showing a silly smile.


    ¡°Funny?¡± Ranalaiya asked, turning to check it again.


    ¡°Oh, yes. It is sixty nine now and the numbers look like they are hugging each other from both sides no matter how you look at them,¡± Sylfrin commented, finding it funny too.


    ¡°Ah, yes. That¡¯s rather funny, indeed,¡± Ranalaiya agreed with Sylfrin, letting out a chuckle as well.


    I on the other hand, felt like having some water to drink in the meantime.

 Chapter 120

    - ¡°Maximum experience points reached. Level up available. Would you like to level up?¡± ¨C The message was heard once again.


    The next one to reach her next level up was once again Lilfira which wasn¡¯t a big surprise, really. Getting the first few levels was easy, and with my Overgrowth skill¡¯s double experience points boost, it was much faster too. Obviously, Lilfira was quick to ask me help her assign her stat points again and I wasn¡¯t so reluctant to do it this time.


    - ¡°Level up accepted. Increasing character¡¯s level from level three to level four. Complete. New skill acquired. Attack skill: Crescent Slash, acquired. Level up complete.¡± ¨C Finally, the mechanical, dull voice announced something new in addition to Lilfira¡¯s level increase.


    ¡°Wow, a new skill?¡± Lilfira gasped quietly.


    ¡°Yes, congratulations, Lilfira,¡± I said, being glad that she finally got a new skill. ¡°Let¡¯s assign your stat points first and then we¡¯ll check what your skill is all about.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master Rockin,¡± Lilfira responded cheerfully, also leaning at me with her back as much as she could, and not only with her back. I couldn¡¯t help but press my lips tight together when she did her thing with her tail. I wanted to say it felt weird, humans having beast tails was a weird thing in itself in the first place, but it felt strangely arousing too.


    ¡°Oh, nice. You have received six stat points again,¡± I said, being surprised about it. Lilfira getting six stat points three times in a row was quite lucky if I was to say so. ¡°How about we follow the same formula and add one to your Stamina, three to your Strength and two to your Magic Energy again?¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do that, Master Rockin,¡± Lilfira had no objections to that.


    ¡°Ok, done. Now let¡¯s check your new skill that you¡¯ve acquired,¡± I said next before navigating to her Skills tab. ¡°Here it is. Oh, it¡¯s a blue rarity skill, nice. Crescent Slash: a powerful swing in a roundabout motion with a chance to knock your target away. Requires a spear or a polearm to use. Cooldown: eighteen seconds. Humph, nice.¡± I was impressed with the skill after I read about it.


    ¡°Wow, you sounded really happy at the end there, Master Rockin,¡± Lilfira was able to catch my joyful vibe.


    ¡°Yes. It sounded like a really good skill. How about you showing how it looks?¡± I was eager to see it right there and then.


    ¡°Really? Right now?¡± Lilfira wasn¡¯t sure about it for some reason.


    ¡°Yeah, why not? I¡¯ll be your target to have you test it properly,¡± I offered with a gleeful smirk on my face.


    ¡°You be my target? No, I cannot do that. I wouldn¡¯t want to hurt you, Master Rockin,¡± but Lilfira wasn¡¯t exactly excited about my offer.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be fine,¡± I reassured her, but it didn¡¯t look like Lilfira would be willing to do it and I honestly wanted for her to give it her all, so I could see how powerful her new skill actually was. ¡°How about this then? Your skill has a chance to knock your target away, so if you manage to knock me off my feet, I¡¯ll do one thing that you want.¡±


    ¡°Promise, Master Rockin?¡± Lilfira shot a question at me in an instant.


    ¡°I already said that I would,¡± I told her, adding a smile.


    ¡°Yes, ok. I¡¯ll go get my spear,¡± Lilfira said, becoming both excited and serious like never before.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening, Lilfira?¡± Sylfrin asked, looking confused about Lilfira basically floating in the air while she rushed to get her spear that she left a short distance away.


    ¡°Master Rockin said he will do one thing that I want if I knock him away,¡± was all Lilfira said before rushing back to where I was standing.


    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s going on, Sylfrin?¡± Ranalaiya asked after coming closer to her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It seems like Lilfira and Master Rockin are about to fight,¡± Sylfrin made a conclusion of her own.


    ¡°Fight?!¡± Ranalaiya exclaimed, covering her mouth with her right hand. ¡°W¡­ why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Sylfrin.


    ¡°We need to stop them,¡± Ranalaiya said before rushing to where Lilfira and I were. ¡°Master Rockin, Lilfira, please don¡¯t fight!¡± She shouted even before reaching us.


    ¡°Huh? Fight?¡± I crinkled my nose, feeling confused about what Ranalaiya had just said.


    ¡°Master Rockin, Leap Jump,¡± Ranalaiya appeared in front of me, her teary eyes gazing into mine.


    ¡°Woah,¡± I stepped back, being taken aback by Ranalaiya appearing in front of me like that. ¡°W¡­ wait, what¡¯s¡­ gotten into you all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t fight, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya begged me.


    ¡°Fight? We¡¯re not gonna fight,¡± I was confused about her request.


    ¡°Huh? What? You¡¯re not¡­ gonna fight?¡± Ranalaiya asked, becoming confused herself.


    ¡°But Lilfira said something about knocking you away, Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin added with a puzzled expression on her face after coming closer.


    ¡°Well yes. It¡¯s because of her new skill. Lilfira has acquired a new skill and I just want to see how it works, that¡¯s all,¡± I told her.


    ¡°A new skill?¡± Ranalaiya looked at me with eyes full of confusion.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I became so excited about it that I forgot to explain it properly. The thing is, my new skill, Crescent Slash, has a chance to knock my target away and Master Rockin promised to do one thing that I want if I manage to knock him off his feet,¡± Lilfira explained herself to Ranalaiya and Sylfrin.


    ¡°Huh? Do one thing that you want?¡± Ranalaiya and Sylfrin exclaimed both at the same time.


    Eh? Oh, crap¡­ I realized I haven¡¯t thought it through properly when I offered it to Lilfira.


    ¡°On the other hand, why don¡¯t we continue exploring this mine and you can show off your skill when we fight Stoneskin Lizards again instead?¡± I said, hoping I could get out of it before this whole deal escalated into other directions as well.


    ¡°No, you made a promise, Master Rockin,¡± and of course Lilfira wouldn¡¯t agree to it.


    ¡°Yes, I did,¡± I gritted my teeth, trying to smile. ¡°Ok then, let¡¯s see what your skill is all about then.¡± I said, taking out my shields. I thought the sooner we¡¯ll get over it the better.


    ¡°What? You¡¯ll be using your shields too, Master Rockin?¡± Lilfira exclaimed in surprise.


    ¡°But of course I¡¯ll be using my shields to block your attack. Your skill sounds dangerous and you said it yourself that you don¡¯t want me to get hurt,¡± I used her own words to defend my actions. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t use any of my skills.¡±


    ¡°Humph,¡± Lilfira pouted her lips, clearly feeling slightly upset about me using my shields, but I could also see a burning determination in her eyes.


    ¡°Ranalaiya, Sylfrin, can you please stand further away just in case?¡± I asked them. Lilfira was using a spear, so she could reach further and since Lilfira¡¯s skill said a swing in a roundabout motion, I was expecting it to be a wide range swing.


    ¡°Ok, Master Rockin,¡± both of them complied and stepped away.


    ¡°Are you ready, Master Rockin?¡± Lilfira asked, taking a stance and gripping her spear tighter.


    ¡°Ready when you are,¡± I said with a smile, also raising my shields in front of me.


    ¡°Here I go. Crescent¡­ Slash!¡± Lilfira raised her spear up, shifting her body to the right and making a step back before swinging forward, swiftly spinning around herself in three hundred sixty degrees, swinging her spear in a roundabout motion just like the skill said. She masterfully made three steps as she turned around, with her third step stepping forward to get closer to me, the tip of her spear slicing through my shields, a crescent shaped flash of light following the motion of her spear from the moment Lilfira swung till her attack stopped. I could feel her swing was powerful, but unfortunately for Lilfira, it wasn¡¯t strong enough to knock me away or push me back even a little.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°Wow, nice,¡± I gasped, feeling impressed. Even if Lilfira couldn¡¯t knock me away, it didn¡¯t mean her new skill was weak. In addition to looking very cool, I could tell it was a very strong skill.


    ¡°Huh? No¡­¡± however, Lilfira had the saddest expression on her face after she straightened up and saw me firmly standing on my feet.


    Oh, that. Yeah, sorry. I mumbled in my head, pretending I didn¡¯t see Lilfira¡¯s reaction just now. In all fairness, I was cheating with my offer there because I knew there was no way Lilfira would be able to knock me away, definitely not with our current stat difference.


    ¡°Master Rockin, I want to try too,¡± Ranalaiya spoke to me.


    ¡°Huh? Try? Try what?¡± I asked, feeling confused about her request.


    ¡°I want to try to knock you away too,¡± Ranalaiya said, having the sweetest smile on her face.


    ¡°Eh? Why?¡± I asked, feeling perplexed.


    ¡°Well, if I knock you away, you¡¯ll do one thing that I want, right?¡± Ranalaiya said, still wearing the same sweet expression on her face.


    ¡°Yes, I want to give it a try it too, Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin showed up next to me as well.


    ¡°Hey, hey, hey, wait,¡± I waved my hands in front of me. I knew I have brought it upon myself, but still. ¡°No, no, we¡¯re not going to do that. Besides, neither of you have a skill that can knock your target away.¡± I tried using that as an excuse to stop them.


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but I can still try,¡± Ranalaiya insisted.


    ¡°I think my Frost Spear spell can have a similar effect,¡± Sylfrin added.


    Whaaat? I almost slapped myself on the face. I knew I had to think of something to get myself out of this situation, because I definitely did not want my women to start attacking me.


    ¡°Listen, how about this¡­¡± I said, raising my hands in front of me defensively, also taking some time to think what to say. ¡°How about¡­ That is¡­ Oh, how about if we find any other higher quality ore within the mine, I¡¯ll do something for you then? But¡­ only something reasonable, ok?¡± I added, wanting to be on the safe side.


    ¡°Promise, Master Rockin?¡± Ranalaiya insisted, her tail starting to dance playfully all of a sudden.


    ¡°I already said¡­ that I will,¡± I reassured her. I found it strange for them to keep insisting that I make a promise to do something when I¡¯ve already said that I would.


    ¡°Yay, thank you, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya cheered, her face sparkling with joy.


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯m ready to go,¡± Sylfrin was ready to move out already.


    ¡°Huh? Go where?¡± Lilfira asked.


    ¡°We need to find some new ore, so Master Rockin will do one thing that we want when we get back to Hirvant,¡± Sylfrin told her.


    ¡°Really? Wow, ok. I¡¯m ready,¡± Lilfira said, Sylfrin¡¯s words making her forget about failing to knock me away and helping her cheer up in an instant.


    ¡°Come on, Master Rockin, we need to go,¡± Ranalaiya ushered me to get moving.


    You three¡­ I dropped my shoulders before shaking my head. Well, at least they are fired up to explore the mine.


    After looking around the current cave, and not finding anything, we moved on. The girls were very eager to find a different type of ore and were not wasting time on idle chatter anymore. When we have reached another mining cave, and after Ranalaiya confirmed there were only Stoneskin Lizards inside of it, all three of them unleashed themselves on the monsters, with Ranalaiya and Sylfrin killing all of the Stoneskin Lizards that were dwelling inside the cave within seconds. That earned them some scolding from me, reminding them that they should let Lilfira fight more, so she could gain more fighting experience. Lilfira was now much stronger and had a new skill she could use, so I wanted her to get some practise in using her new skill as well.


    The good thing about this new cave was, we were luckier with the Brown Iron Ore this time. Not only did we receive one as a drop, but we have found a Brown Iron Ore deposit as well, Lilfira mining two more ore pieces out of it. One thing I had forgotten was that I had another spear that I have bought from Alragus. I saw it being in my storage when I was taking out a pickaxe for Lilfira to use to mine the ore. It looked exactly the same as the other spear she was using for the most part, but was adding two to her Strength stat which was a boost in Lilfira¡¯s strength, even if a small one.


    The next cave that we have come across was much bigger than all the others. It was almost as big as the one with the Workers Lodgings entrance in it, with big, wooden planks and fortifications to help keep it together. After scouting the cave, Ranalaiya has some unexpected news for us.


    ¡°There¡¯s that new monster in the middle of the cave here as well, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya informed me after scouting it.


    ¡°Oh, nice,¡± I became excited about it for some reason. ¡°And how many Stoneskin Lizards have you seen, Ranalaiya?¡±


    ¡°Five Stoneskin Lizards and two Trottle monsters,¡± she said.


    ¡°Trottle monsters? Oh, ah, right,¡± I said, scratching my cheek with one finger. ¡®Turtle¡¯ wasn¡¯t a thing in this world, apparently. I did call that new monster a turtle, but it must¡¯ve sounded unusual and trottle sounds similar to a turtle, and that¡¯s probably why Ranalaiya called it that way. ¡°Two, huh?¡± I touched my chin to think how to go about it. I knew I could take one by myself, but two might cause a problem.


    ¡°Master Rockin,¡± that¡¯s where Sylfrin came to the rescue.


    ¡°Yes, Sylfrin?¡± I turned to face her.


    ¡°You said that Trottle¡¯s weak point was its belly?¡± She asked with a calm expression on her face.


    ¡°Yes. I was able to kill it after I flipped it belly up,¡± I told her.


    ¡°I could use my Frost Spear to hit it from below in order to try and kill it or at least to do some damage to it,¡± Sylfrin offered.


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s a great idea,¡± I told her. ¡°And you can do it from a safe distance too. Ok, we¡¯ll have Ranalaiya and Lilfira take down the Stoneskin Lizards while you and me fight the turtles¡­ Trottles¡­ whatever they are.¡±


    ¡°Ok, Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin said, showing a smile and looking happy that her suggestion was accepted.


    ¡°However, you need to be careful when you use your spell, because those turtles can move around really fast,¡± I warned her.


    ¡°Yes, Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin confirmed it.


    ¡°I will run in first to get the monsters attention then all of you go in after that,¡± I instructed the ladies. ¡°Ok, here we go.¡±


    I ran out into the open area, two of the closest Stoneskin Lizards springing to their feet the moment they have noticed me. The two turtle monsters in the middle of the cave took notice of an intruder as well, sticking their flat faces out to check who or what disturbed their peace. The moment they saw me, they ducked in their heads and spun around to shoot their stone spikes at me.


    ¡°Shield,¡± I used my defense skill to block their incoming attacks, a few spikes hitting my Tarkee King¡¯s Shield which I held in front of me.


    ¡°Twinstab, Swift Cut,¡± I heard Lilfira and Ranalaiya unleash their skills behind me. I knew they will be able to take down Stoneskin Lizards with ease, but there were three more left and they were coming at me.


    ¡°Oh, get lost. Shield,¡± I used my attack skill on the Stoneskin Lizard who was quick enough to reach me faster than I was able to get to the spiked shell turtle monster, killing it in an instant.


    - ¡°You are on fire today, handsome. No wonder you look so hot. Four experience points for you and eight for your party members.¡± ¨C Lavita was happy to announce it.


    - ¡°You don¡¯t waste your time on the small stuff, do you, babe? You have received four experience points and your party members have received eight.¡± ¨C Another message from Lavita was heard right after the first one, indicated either Ranalaiya or Lilfira has killed another Stoneskin Lizard which was probably Ranalaiya I assumed.


    In the meantime, two spiked shell turtles decided to stretch their legs and change locations. One of them ran directly away from me while the other one ran towards my right, ending up close to two Stoneskin Lizards that Ranalaiya and Lilfira were about to engage.


    ¡°No, get back!¡± I shouted before rushing to where the three monsters were.


    ¡°Frost Spear,¡± the turtle monster started to spin to shoot its spikes at us, but before even the first spike shot from its back, Sylfrin put an end to the monster, almost three feet icy, frozen spike shooting up from the ground and hitting the monster from bellow. It didn¡¯t pierce the monster, but it was strong enough to lift it up from the ground and throw it up and to the side, the monster falling on the ground with its belly up several feet away.


    ¡°Shield!¡± Since Sylfrin¡¯s spell wasn¡¯t strong enough to kill it, I jumped in to hit it with my attack skill before the monster flipped itself over.


    - ¡°What an awesome kill. You definitely know how to move, handsome. Eight experience points for you and sixteen for your party members.¡± ¨C Lavita¡¯s message confirmed that the monster was dead.


    ¡°Master Rockin, watch out!¡± Ranalaiya warned me. Since I jumped at the spiked shell turtle monster to finish it off, I ignored the two Stoneskin Lizards that were about to attack me. ¡°Leap Jump. Shadow Claw!¡± But Ranalaiya wasn¡¯t about to let one of them bite me, killing it with one hit.


    - ¡°My, my. I love seeing you move like that. You have received four experience points and your party members have received eight.¡± ¨C Lavita was very talkative and she clearly loved it.


    ¡°Oh, buzz off,¡± I grunted at the second Stoneskin Lizard, smacking my Tarkee King¡¯s Shield on the ground in front of me and stopping its advance. ¡°Sylfrin, where¡¯s the other one?¡± I asked her, ignoring the lizard monster next to me completely.


    ¡°It ran close to those wooden beams over there!¡± She shouted from the distance.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get close to it! I¡¯m coming!¡± I shouted before rushing to her side and leaving the last Stoneskin Lizard for Ranalaiya and Lilfira to deal with.


    ¡°My Frost Spear spell is still on cooldown, Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin informed me.


    ¡°That¡¯s ok. I¡¯ll go be the bait, so you can attack it once your spell becomes available,¡± I said before going towards where that turtle monster was. Sylfrin¡¯s Frost Spear spell wasn¡¯t strong enough to kill the monster in one hit, as it turned out. It hit the first one directly on its stomach from below and it didn¡¯t die. Either Sylfrin¡¯s spell wasn¡¯t strong enough or the monster had some resistance to Frost spells, or both. In any case, with the two of us working together, me getting the spiked shell turtle¡¯s attention and Sylfrin timing her Frost Spear to hit the monster at the right time, we killed it soon after.


    - ¡°That was such an amazing kill, babe. Keep it up. Eight experience points for you and sixteen for your party members.¡± ¨C Lavita announced one last time before becoming quiet.


    ¡°Phew¡­¡± I let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Everyone ok?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya said, with Lilfira showing she was perfectly fine too and I already knew that Sylfrin was ok since she was next to me.


    ¡°Ok, great job everyone. Let¡¯s look around if monsters dropped anything or if there are any ore deposits around,¡± I said before going to check if those turtle monsters left any items behind.


    Unfortunately, the only thing we have found was one single Brown Iron Ore that one of those Stoneskin Lizards has dropped. Since we have encountered two more of those turtle monsters, and because they didn¡¯t drop anything, I was now certain they were just another type of monsters that inhabited the mine. That just made want to explore the mine more and find out what kind of item they could drop. We had just enough Carnabbit and Rhaki¡¯s meat left to last us two more days at best and I wanted to make the best of it. In addition, Ranalaiya, Sylfrin and Lilfira were very eager to find some sort of new ore to have me deliver on my promise, so I didn¡¯t have to work hard to talk them into exploring the mine some more.

 Chapter 121

    - ¡°Wow, you have dealt with it so fast, babe. I just hope you will take your time with me personally if you know what I mean? You have gained eight experience points and your party members have gained sixteen.¡± ¨C Lavita was having a good time announcing our experience gain.


    We have been exploring the mine for couple of hours now and the deeper we went the more of those spiked shell turtles we started to encounter. Right now, we were at a dead-end cave which wasn¡¯t uncommon to come across as it turned out and we were fighting monsters inside of it. It was an average size mining cave and there were two Stoneskin Lizards and three spiked shell turtles we had to kill.


    I had Lilfira try and take down the Stoneskin Lizards while Ranalaiya, Sylfrin and I were fighting the turtle monsters. It was tricky to fight those spike shooting creatures when we¡¯d encounter two of them in a single room, but with the three of them around, it was rather difficult to say the least. I wasn¡¯t really afraid of getting pierced by the spikes the monsters shot at this point even if they hit me. Although, my armor would get damaged if it was a direct hit. However, my Stamina stat protected me from sustaining any serious injuries while my Minor Regeneration skill healed any wounds if I were unlucky enough to be grazed by one of the spikes.


    Unfortunately, my three female companions had neither high Stamina stat nor they had any skills that could heal their wounds without help of a Healing Potion. Ranalaiya was fast on her feet which helped her evade the spikes shot by the monsters, but Sylfrin and Lilfira couldn¡¯t do much about them, so I had the two of them stay behind my back for the most part. That not always worked since the spiked shell turtles would run in any direction just to get away from my melee range and sometimes would end up on two opposite sides from where I was. When that happened, I had Sylfrin and Lilfira either run away and out of the cave or if it was too late for that, they had to drop down on the ground to not get hit by the spikes that the monsters shot at them.


    After more than a few encounters with those spiked shell turtle monsters, I understood why the mines weren¡¯t the most popular place for the adventurers to visit. The turtle creatures weren¡¯t particularly strong. Once they were flipped upside down and revealed their bellies, it didn¡¯t take many hits to kill them. The real problem fighting them was that their shells were really tough and sturdy, and they could run away from the melee range really fast, spinning around and shooting the spikes from their backs at us the moment they built some distance between them and their target or targets.


    I could probably fight several of the spiked shell turtles on my own and would be able to kill them one by one no matter how long it would take. However, for anyone else who wasn¡¯t as tough and as strong as I was, it wouldn¡¯t be that easy. Anyone who would want to explore deeper parts of the mines, they would need to have a party with either two tanks or if they had only one tank, they would need to have another person who had a skill similar to Sylfrin¡¯s Frost Spear to be able to flip the monsters over from a distance so the melee fighters could jump in and kill them.


    - ¡°You¡¯ve grown really strong to be able to kill monsters so fast. You¡¯ve gained eight experience points and your party members have gained sixteen.¡± ¨C Lavita announced one more time after we killed the last turtle monster inside the cave.


    ¡°Phew¡­ Good job girls,¡± I said, letting out a sigh of relief. It was a difficult fight this time, but fortunately, we¡¯ve come out on top once again.


    - ¡°Maximum experience points reached. Level up is available. Would you like to level up?¡± ¨C And a voice announced before any of the ladies could say anything back to me.


    ¡°I have gained enough experience points to level up again, Master Rockin,¡± Lilfira told me after checking her status.


    ¡°Right, ok,¡± I said, closing my own Status Window. I thought it was Sylfrin who gained the Level Up offer this time, but as it turned out it wasn¡¯t her. ¡°Shall we look around the cave first before we accept your level up, Lilfira?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ok, Master Rockin,¡± Lilfira agreed before turning to go look around.


    ¡°I¡¯ll check for the drops, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya said, running off to look around too. Ranalaiya was best for that kind of job here anyway since she could see better in the dark. It wasn¡¯t exactly dark in the mines thanks to the lamps set on the walls, but it wasn¡¯t a daylight light either.


    ¡°There¡¯s a Brown Iron Ore deposit over there, Master Rockin,¡± Lilfira let me know while standing near it on the right side of the cave from where we came from.


    ¡°Ok, coming,¡± I said, opening my Item Storage Box and taking out a pickaxe for her. ¡°Here you go, Lilfira.¡± I said, passing the pickaxe to her after coming over.


    ¡°Thank you, Master Rockin,¡± she smiled. Lilfira was now calling me Master Rockin just like Ranalaiya and Sylfrin were, and she was feeling very comfortable with it too. I on the other hand, was still getting used to it, but I didn¡¯t mind it anymore. ¡°Humph. Oops. Oh no.¡± Lilfira exclaimed when she hit at the deposit with the pickaxe and it broke. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Master Rockin. I didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Right. Don¡¯t worry about it. Alragus said pickaxes break eventually. Here take another one,¡± I took out a brand new pickaxe for Lilfira to use, taking the broken one back from her. I thought Alragus could still use the broken metal bit of the pickaxe to craft something else out of it or a new pickaxe for that matter.


    ¡°Thank you, Master Rockin,¡± Lilfira said, taking the new pickaxe from my hands. She mined two pieces of Brown Iron ore from the deposit for us, exclaiming in surprise after she was done with it for some reason.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked, feeling curious.


    ¡°My¡­ Mining skill. I think it has been increased by one level just now,¡± Lilfira said before opening her Status Window to check. ¡°Yes, my Mining skill is level two now.¡± She told me excitedly.


    ¡°Oh, nice. Congratulations,¡± I said, feeling happy for her. I knew her Mining skill would increase eventually from mining ore from the ore deposits.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I didn¡¯t find any drops, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya came to where I was to let me know.


    ¡°Unfortunately, I haven¡¯t found anything either, Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin brought the same news as well.


    ¡°Oh well,¡± I just shrugged. With us encountering more of those spiked shell turtles, we had lower number of Stoneskin Lizards appearing too which meant lower chance of getting Brown Iron ore as well. The downside was, the spiked shell turtles were yet to drop a single item even though we have killed over ten of them by now. I started to wonder if they drop anything at all at this point.


    ¡°Would you mind helping me level up now, Master Rockin?¡± Lilfira asked, showing a very sweet smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, you should gain a class at level five, Lilfira,¡± Ranalaiya said, becoming excited for her.


    ¡°I wonder what class you would get,¡± Sylfrin wondered.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m excited to find out too,¡± Lilfira said before coming closer to me with a very cheeky look in her eyes. ¡°Master Rockin.¡± Lilfira added after turning her back at me.


    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± I said, rolling my eyes playfully before coming closer and hugging her around the waist with my left hand.


    - ¡°Level up accepted. Increasing character¡¯s level from level four to level five. Complete. Character has reached level five. Class acquisition available. Calculating¡­ Complete. New Class: Spear Knight, acquired. New skills acquired. Class specific skill: Armor Pierce, acquired. ¡­ ???? acquired. Level up complete.¡± ¨C The mechanical, lifeless voice announced after Lilfira accepted her level up.


    ¡°What¡­ was that?¡± I crinkled my nose after hearing some weird gibberish I could not understand when the voice was announcing the second skill or whatever it was that Lilfira has acquired.


    ¡°Oh, wow. A Spear Knight class?¡± Lilfira gasped in surprise.


    ¡°What kind of class is that?¡± Ranalaiya wondered, feeling curious.


    ¡°It must be some rare class for sure,¡± Sylfrin added.


    Wait, Lilfira¡¯s class? It didn¡¯t evolve? I must¡¯ve screwed up on her stats after all. Damn it. I waited for a short while longer to see if Lilfira will be offered to evolve her class, but it didn¡¯t happen.


    ¡°Is something wrong, Master Rockin?¡± Lilfira asked me after turning around and noticing my grumpy facial expression.


    ¡°Ah, n¡­ no. It¡¯s nothing. Congratulations on reaching level five and acquiring a class, Lilfira,¡± I said, doing my best to become genuinely happy for her. ¡°Let¡¯s check your stats and your new skills, ok?¡± I was both confused and curious to learn what kind of skills Lilfira had received.


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do that,¡± Lilfira said, looking happy.


    ¡°Ok, so¡­ huh? You have received only four stat points this time?¡± I was disappointed to learn she had received only four stat points this time, but then again, she had received six stat points three times in a row with her previous level ups.


    ¡°It would seem so,¡± Lilfira added, showing a smile.


    ¡°Ok, never mind that for now. I¡¯d like to check your skills first before assigning your stat points,¡± I said, itching to know what kind of skills she had acquired. ¡°Let¡¯s see, Armor Pierce: a piercing attack that ignores up to thirty percent of target¡¯s defense. Requires a spear or a polearm to use. Cooldown: thirty seconds. Ok, that¡¯s a really nice skill to have and it¡¯s an epic rarity skill too.¡± I was impressed with it.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a really great skill, Lilfira,¡± Ranalaiya said.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lilfira smiled happily.


    ¡°Right, the next skill is¡­ huh? What the¡­¡± I went out of the Armor Pierce skill¡¯s description window and wanted to check what the other skill that Lilfira had acquired was only to see a greyed-out line of question marks where the skill¡¯s name was supposed to be written instead. There was no skill name to see, nor it was clickable to open and check what it was.


    ¡°Huh? What does that mean, Master Rockin?¡± Lilfira asked, looking as puzzled as I was.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know,¡± I said, making a sour facial expression. It was weird to say the least. Something was clearly added there, but instead of words there were several question marks shown where the skill¡¯s name would be. The worst part was, Lilfira couldn¡¯t click on it to open the skill in order to check what it was either.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s some sort of special skill that I will be able to use later?¡± Lilfira wondered.


    ¡°Ah, maybe¡­¡± I said, not knowing what to think. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s assign your stat points before I forget.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. My stat points,¡± Lilfira exclaimed, perking up and leaning at me with her back once again.


    Sigh¡­ Whatever, just¡­ be happy for her acquiring a class and a new skill that she would be able to use. I had to scold myself for becoming grumpy just because Lilfira hasn¡¯t received a class evolution. Besides, that new unknown skill that she had acquired might turn out to be something incredible down the line, I hoped. Now then, her stat points.


    I had to think about Lilfira¡¯s stat point distribution, really. I was almost convinced that Lilfira would receive her class evolution upon reaching level five, but now that she hasn¡¯t, me assigning her stat points the way I had previously might¡¯ve been the reason behind it. Still, one part of me wanted to believe there was a reason why her Magic Energy stat was so high. Sometimes you had to do things you didn¡¯t like or didn¡¯t fully understand in order to achieve a better end result. I have learned that while working at my previous company. There were lots of jobs other people were doing that I not only was bad at, but also didn¡¯t understand why they were doing them. But once each person delivered the results, it all connected in the end.


    ¡°Right, you have received four stat points, so I think putting one point to your Stamina stat, two points to your Strength stat and one point to your Magic Energy stat would be the most reasonable thing to do,¡± I suggested, deciding that keeping the same pattern will turn out for the best in the future.


    ¡°Yes, ok,¡± Lilfira agreed.


    ¡°Here you go, done,¡± I said after assigning Lilfira¡¯s stat points. Well, she was assigning her stat points herself. I was just holding her by the hand while she was doing it. ¡°Now, how about we take a short break here before continuing our exploration. There were two caves that we¡¯ve passed that had more than two exits out of them, so let¡¯s check those on our way back.¡± I suggested before going to sit down and have a drink on one of the larger rocks inside the current cave.


    ¡°Can we see your stats, Lilfira?¡± Ranalaiya and Sylfrin were right next to her the moment I stepped away.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Lilfira was happy to show them.


    ***


    Lilfira Rageflame. Level 5.


    Class: Spear Knight.


    Character stats:


    Stamina ¨C 12


    Strength ¨C 27


    Agility ¨C 3


    Spell Power ¨C 0


    Magic Energy ¨C 18


    Luck ¨C 15


    ***


    ¡°Wow, nice. Your stats are going up, Lilfira,¡± Ranalaiya was happy for her.


    ¡°Yes, they are. However, I have received only four stat points this time,¡± Lilfira said, not that she felt sad about it or anything.


    ¡°Still, you are becoming stronger with each level up, Lilfira,¡± Sylfrin said, sounding supportive.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Sylfrin. Sorry for sounding negative about it,¡± Lilfira cheered up, showing a smile. After that, the girls sat down to have a short rest themselves, talking about things I tried not to listen to.


    We had to go back from where we came from to reach the cave that had two extra exits, with one of them being an exit we haven¡¯t checked yet. As it turned out, that one exit led us to a single dead-end cave yet again which had three Stoneskin Lizards and one turtle monsters in it. I had Lilfira try out her new Armor Pierce skill on one of the monsters which was pretty cool to see. When she used the skill, Lilfira basically thrusted her spear forward with such force, it almost looked like the spear grew in length during the thrust because of how fast it went forward, killing the Stoneskin Lizard on the spot too. We¡¯ve killed the rest of the monsters quite easily, got one Brown Iron ore as a drop from one of the lizard monsters and went back to find places within the mine we haven¡¯t been to yet.


    ¡°Will we be going back to the Workers Lodgings now, Master Rockin?¡± Ranalaiya asked while we were making our way back.


    ¡°I believe there still was another exit from one of the caves we have passed at the beginning that we haven¡¯t gone through. It should be on the way, so let¡¯s check that one first before returning to the Workers Lodgings,¡± I said.


    If my assumptions were correct, that one extra exit would lead us to another dead-end mining cave with probably a few monsters in it. If we are lucky, we might find another Brown Iron ore deposit inside of it too. If not, well, we¡¯d just have to go back to where the resting area was and maybe explore more of the mine after that. In all honesty, I was growing tired of exploring these caves. We had already collected eighteen Brown Iron ore pieces, three times the quantity we actually needed, and with the turtle monsters not dropping anything, it honestly was not worth sticking around any longer.


    Hah, I knew it. I smirked to myself when that one exit we haven¡¯t taken yet actually led us to another dead-end mining cave.


    ¡°There are three Stoneskin Lizards and one trottle monster inside, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya informed after scouting the cave.


    Trottle¡­ I almost chuckled.


    ¡°Ok, so let¡¯s kill all those monsters and see if we can find any more ore deposits inside the cave,¡± I said, readying to fight.


    - ¡°Maximum experience points reached. Level up is available. Would you like to level up?¡± ¨C Finding any additional ore aside, the lifeless, dull voice announced someone was finally ready to level up again after we have killed the first monster inside the cave and I knew for sure who was it this time.


    ¡°Congratulations Sylfrin,¡± I said before we even killed the remaining monsters. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me. Just kill the remaining monsters, ok?¡± I added, so the girls wouldn¡¯t let their guard down until it was safe to do so.


    ¡°Wow, you have finally reached another level up, Sylfrin. Congratulations,¡± Ranalaiya was the second one to congratulate her once the battle had ended.


    ¡°Congratulations, Sylfrin. I¡¯m so happy for you,¡± Lilfira added as well.


    ¡°Thank you, Ranalaiya and Lilfira,¡± Sylfrin said, showing a smile but staying calm before turning to face me. ¡°Master Rockin¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. Let¡¯s level you up, Sylfrin,¡± I knew what was coming next.


    ¡°Wait, what I wanted to say is that it¡¯s ok if you increase my level the usual way,¡± Sylfrin told me.


    ¡°Huh? What?¡± I asked, thinking I misheard her.


    ¡°I said you don¡¯t have to hold me while leveling me up if you don¡¯t have to, Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin said, sounding she was totally ok with it.


    ¡°Oh, ok,¡± I said, not being against it either.


    Wait, hold on¡­ I was about to accept Sylfrin¡¯s level up normally when something literally hit my gut. Hey, if I accept her level up normally, Sylfrin might think I don¡¯t like hugging her. Besides, I did the same for Ranalaiya already, so leaving Sylfrin out of it would make me look like a total scumbag. No¡­ no, no, no, no. Where is she?


    ¡°Sylfrin, come here, please,¡± I said, extending my hand as an invitation to come closer.


    ¡°Yes, Master Rockin?¡± Sylfrin asked, stepping closer. ¡°Huh? Woah, Master¡­ mhmm¡­¡± I quickly grabbed Sylfrin, pulled her close to my side and kissed her on the lips. Sylfrin being surprised at first, wrapped her arms around my neck and returned my kiss with her own, taking her time and being rather passionate about it too.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever think I don¡¯t want to hug you,¡± I stated, sounding almost proud about what I just did.


    ¡°Master Rockin¡­¡± Sylfrin whispered, sinking her head unto my chest, her fluffy, white bat ears turning inwards which meant she was becoming embarrassed.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s level you up,¡± I said, taking Sylfrin by her hand.


    - ¡°Level up accepted. Increasing character¡¯s level from level eleven to level twelve. Complete. Frostbolt skill has been improved. Level up complete.¡± ¨C The same lifeless voice announced after I chose the Yes option to accept Sylfrin¡¯s Level Up offer.


    ¡°Nice, your Frostbolt spell has been improved,¡± I said, quickly navigating to her Skills tab to check what the improvement was. ¡°Right, the slow effect has been extended to two seconds now, but the skill¡¯s cooldown has been increased to eight seconds now. You¡¯ll have to adjust during the fights going forward.¡±


    ¡°Ok, Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin said, pressing herself closer to my chest.


    ¡°Now let¡¯s assign your stat points,¡± I said, going back to her character tab. ¡°Oh, nice. You have received six stat points this time. Let¡¯s increase your Spell Power by two and your Stamina and Magic Energy by one point each. Done.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin said, lifting her passion filled eyes to look directly at me and literally forcing me to give her another kiss before letting her go.


    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s check if monsters dropped anything now,¡± I said, going to look around the cave. ¡°Huh?¡± But then noticed Ranalaiya and Lilfira looking not at me but at Sylfrin in a strange way.


    What¡¯s going on? Why are they looking at Sylfrin in such a¡­ I turned to look back at Sylfrin, noticing a strange glow in her eyes, but it wasn¡¯t the effect of her Echo Sense skill. Hold on, I neither kissed Ranalaiya nor Lilfira while accepting their level ups and yet¡­ It didn¡¯t even occur to me that I was doing something unusual when I was kissing Sylfrin, but now it hit me. It wasn¡¯t that I wouldn¡¯t have kissed Ranalaiya or Lilfira, it¡¯s just that Sylfrin was very smart to act the way she did to make me want to hug and kiss her, and I thought I was the one who decided to do it. How wrong I was¡­


    Ok, Sylfrin, you deserved it. I took my defeat like a real man, feeling proud I had succumbed to her charms. Of course, I expected for Ranalaiya and Liflira complain to me for not receiving their kisses from me as well, but they went to talk to Sylfrin instead which just looked too suspicious and made me become worried for some reason as well.


    ¡°Huh? Is this¡­ an ore deposit?¡± I spoke out loud, noticing a similar to a Brown Iron ore looking deposit near the wall only this one was light grey in color. ¡°Lilfira, can you come over, please?¡± I called for her.


    ¡°Yes, Master Rockin,¡± Lilfira came running, looking bashful when she spoke to me, brushing her beautiful, long, red hair to the side while she was gazing into my eyes.


    Of course. I wasn¡¯t so dense by now to not understand what the look in her eyes meant.


    ¡°Look here. It looks like an ore deposit, but it¡¯s of a different color than the Brown Iron ore. It could be just an ordinary rock, but I¡¯d like you to try and mine it,¡± I told her, passing a pickaxe to her.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Ok,¡± Lilfira said, dropping her eyes in disappointment before taking the pickaxe from my hands.


    ¡°And this is for good luck to hopefully mine something good,¡± I added, giving her a kiss on the cheek, Lilfira totally not expecting I¡¯d do that.


    ¡°Huh? Master¡­ Rockin,¡± she almost jumped, touching the cheek I have kissed with her hand, her red face looking charming.


    ¡°Go on,¡± I said, adding a wink.


    ¡°Yes, right away,¡± Lilfira said, becoming livelier than ever. ¡°Humph.¡± She hit the rock several times and a piece of it fell out, rolling to the side when it hit the ground. It was almost twice the size of the Brown Iron ore that we kept getting.


    - ¡°Hey, now. You¡¯ve just acquired a Hardened Iron ore, handsome. I really love the hard part about it. You know what I mean, right babe?¡± ¨C Lavita let me know that the rock I was holding in my hand wasn¡¯t just another useless rock.


    ¡°Wow. Hardened Iron ore. Nice,¡± Lavita¡¯s news made me become excited for a change. ¡°Is it all gone or can you mine some more, Lilfira?¡± I quickly turned to check with her.


    ¡°I think I can still mine it. Let me try again. Hmph,¡± Lilfira swung at the deposit several more times, the rock finally braking apart and another piece of ore falling on the ground.


    ¡°Sweet. We got two Hardened Iron ore pieces,¡± I exclaimed excitedly after picking up the second chunk of ore from the ground.


    ¡°Is the Hardened Iron ore better than the Brown Iron ore, Master Rockin?¡± Sylfrin asked.


    ¡°Yes, it is. Alragus will be able to craft something decent from the Hardened Iron ore. It would need to be smelted into the Hardened Iron Bars first, of course,¡± I said before adding. ¡°Cool. It was worth coming here, after all.¡±


    ¡°You mean, coming to this cave, Master?¡± Lilfira asked.


    ¡°Well, coming to the mines in general. My goal for coming here wasn¡¯t just to get enough ore to fulfill the quest for Alragus. I was hoping to find something better from the very beginning,¡± I told her. ¡°Now, let¡¯s go home.¡±


    ¡°Home?¡± Lilfira gasped in surprise.


    ¡°Yes. We still have some meat left to last us another day, but we got ourselves some Hardened Iron ore, so let¡¯s just go home,¡± I said.


    ¡°Ok,¡± Lilfira smiled. We then went to tell about it to Ranalaiya and Sylfrin.


    ¡°What? We¡¯re going home now?¡± Ranalaiya exclaimed in surprise. ¡°But¡­ we could still explore the mine. We might¡­ still find something good.¡±


    ¡°We could, but then we¡¯d have to sleep at the Workers Lodgings in separate beds again and we¡¯re all dirty, and there¡¯s no bath in here, so you know¡­ Of course, if you insist, I don¡¯t mind staying here longer,¡± I teased Ranalaiya.


    ¡°Oh, no. Let¡¯s go back to Hirvant. I just¡­¡± Ranalaiya said, swinging from side to side and looking bashful.


    ¡°You just what?¡± I asked, pretending I didn¡¯t understand what she wanted.


    ¡°I just¡­ would like you to kiss me too, Master,¡± Ranalaiya said, looking totally cute.


    ¡°Ok,¡± I said, sounding way too casual.


    ¡°Really?¡± Ranalaiya perked up, turning to face me.


    ¡°Of course. Where do you want it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Huh? Where do I want what?¡± Ranalaiya asked me back, feeling confused.


    ¡°Where do you want me to kiss you?¡± I returned another question to her, feeling like teasing her more.


    ¡°What? I¡­ I want you to kiss me¡­ on my lips¡­ Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya said, looking down at the ground, her cheeks burning red.


    ¡°Ok,¡± I said, pulling Ranalaiya closer to me, her lifting her head just at the right time for our lips to connect.


    ¡°Mhmm¡­ Purr¡­¡± Ranalaiya purred from delight, also making a shiver run down my spine from how arousing it felt. However, the more arousing part had to wait until we return to Hirvant.

 Chapter 122

    It was already evening when we left the mine, but it wasn¡¯t that late yet. I already knew that going back to Hirvant on foot will take about two hours, so I thought we should eat before going back. We had a few Rhaki¡¯s meat pieces left, so I used my Campfire skill to start the fire and cooked the meat for us. After we ate, we made our way back to town. It would¡¯ve been good to get a lift back, but the road was quiet and we didn¡¯t encounter any travelers going from or to Hirvant on the way. It was quite late by the time we have reached the town, so we went to Navirei¡¯s inn right away.


    ¡°Rockin, hi. Welcome back,¡± Navirei greeted us, her face brightening up upon seeing me. It was unusual to see her being behind the reception counter so late in the evening and she had a strange facial expression on her face too.


    ¡°Hi Navirei. Is everything ok?¡± I asked her right away.


    ¡°Ah, well. Sort of. I am really glad you are back,¡± Navirei spoke to me.


    ¡°Ok,¡± I said.


    ¡°Excuse me, Miss Navirei. How is my mother doing?¡± Lilfira couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°Lilfira, hello and welcome back. Your mother is doing very well, Lilfira. She¡¯s such a hard worker. I sometimes have to order her to go take a break or else I won¡¯t pay her for the day¡¯s work,¡± Navirei told her, covering her mouth with one hand to suppress her chuckle.


    ¡°Oh my, that¡¯s my mother alright,¡± Lilfira laughed as well.


    ¡°If I may ask, how is Rockin treating you, Lilfira? He¡¯s not too hard on you, is he?¡± Navirei asked, lifting her hand to cover part of her mouth in order to hide her mischievous smile this time.


    ¡°No, no. Master Rockin is very kind to me. Although, he did insist on me fighting the monsters inside the mine by myself so I could get fighting experience, but I know it was for my own good,¡± Lilfira told her.


    ¡°Oh my, Master Rockin, hmm¡­¡± Navirei said, her eyes starting to eat me up.


    ¡°Yeah, well. I think we will go to sleep now. It¡¯s pretty late and I¡¯m dead tired too. Good night, Navirei,¡± I said, wanting to disappear.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, Rockin, I do need to talk to you about something. It¡¯s¡­ rather important,¡± but Navirei stopped me.


    ¡°Ah, is¡­ that so?¡± I asked, trying to think up some sort of excuse to refuse but then noticed a genuine worry lurking in Navirei¡¯s eyes. ¡°Yes, ok.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Rockin,¡± Navirei said, showing a relieved smile.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you three go upstairs without me? I¡¯ll come up as soon as I finish talking to Navirei,¡± I told the girls


    ¡°Ok, Master Rockin. Purr¡­¡± Ranalaiya said, pursing her lips, her purring sound giving away what she thought about it too.


    ¡°Yes, Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin on the other hand, agreed without any complaints.


    ¡°Well then¡­ good night, Miss Navirei,¡± Lilfira added before going upstairs together with Ranalaiya and Sylfrin.


    ¡°Did something happen?¡± I asked right away after the girls were gone.


    ¡°How about we talk in my office, Rockin?¡± Navirei offered instead of answering my question.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I agreed before following her lead.


    ¡°The dragonkins had visited my inn,¡± Navirei told me the moment we arrived at her office.


    ¡°Right,¡± I said, dropping my head. I had a hunch the matter involved Lilfira the moment Navirei wanted to talk. ¡°Wait, did Lilfira¡¯s mother¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s fine. They didn¡¯t take her away, but¡­¡± Navirei said, making a pause before continuing. ¡°One of my employees got hurt. He was the person who was working behind the counter at the time. The dragonkins threatened him to reveal where Lilfira or her mother were and when he refused to tell them, the dragonkins became rough with him.¡±


    ¡°Was he injured?¡± I asked.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t sustain any serious injuries, but he won¡¯t be able to work for a while,¡± Navirei said.


    ¡°Right, I¡¯m really sorry for what happened,¡± I said.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s partly my own fault for what happened and I do wish to help Lilfira, and her mother, but if I am completely honest with you, Rockin, I am slightly frightened myself,¡± Navirei showed a smile, but I could tell she wasn¡¯t lying about being scared.


    ¡°Come,¡± I said, stepping closer and extending my arms to offer Navirei a hug.


    ¡°Rockin,¡± Navirei pressed herself at my chest and I could feel her body shiver for a moment before she relaxed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about what happened. I¡¯ll get it sorted, ok?¡± I reassured her, holding her in my embrace for a while longer.


    ¡°Thank you, Rockin,¡± Navirei said, lifting her head to show me a smile.


    I wished Navirei a good night after that and went to my room. Ranalaiya, Sylfrin and Lilfira were inside the bathroom, probably washing themselves. I wasn¡¯t gone for too long, so they weren¡¯t finished washing yet. I thought I¡¯ll hang the hammock up while waiting for them in the meantime.


    ¡°Huh? Master Rockin?¡± Sylfrin, who came out of the bathroom first, gasped upon seeing me in the room. She had her pajama dress on, which was slightly wet on her shoulders due to her hair and her ears not being dried well enough.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I asked, turning to face her.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ here?¡± Sylfrin said, her words sounding like a question too.


    ¡°Of course, I am. Where else would I be?¡± I asked again.


    ¡°I just¡­¡± Sylfrin spoke, not finishing her sentence for some reason.


    ¡°You thought that Navirei and I will have sex, didn¡¯t you?¡± I asked, showing a sarcastic frown. ¡°You know, sometimes women want simply to talk to me too.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, I¡¯m sorry, Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin said, lowering her head and becoming embarrassed. Sylfrin would rarely become embarrassed, so it was cute to see her blushing.


    ¡°Humph. You look really cute right now,¡± I told her to tease her more.


    ¡°Huh? Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin said, raising her head to look at me, her cheeks dressed in charming red.


    ¡°Mind helping me hang the hammock? We¡¯ll be going to bed, after all,¡± I asked, winking to her.


    ¡°Yes, Master,¡± Sylfrin instantly agreed. I would¡¯ve finished hanging hammock by myself, but with her help, it was so much easier. By the time we were done, Ranalaiya and Lilfira came out of the bathroom too.


    ¡°Huh? Master Rockin?¡± Ranalaiya exclaimed in surprise upon seeing me, her reaction not surprising me one bit, however.


    ¡°Surprise,¡± I said, rolling my eyes.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Sylfrin chuckled, seeing me do that.


    ¡°But I thought¡­¡± Ranalaiya was about to say what I expected she would.


    ¡°Ok, the hammock is ready,¡± but I interrupted her when she made a pause. ¡°Hop on and make yourselves comfortable. I¡¯ll go wash myself now.¡±


    ¡°Master Rockin, wait,¡± Lilfira tried to stop me to say something.


    ¡°Get inside the hammock and go to sleep. We have something important to do tomorrow,¡± I told them before disappearing behind the bathroom doors.


    ¡°Master Rockin came back so early,¡± Ranalaiya said after I was gone, staring at the closed bathroom¡¯s door.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°Yes, I had a similar reaction too when I saw Master Rockin inside the room after leaving the bathroom,¡± said Sylfrin before adding.


    ¡°So, did Master Rockin and Savirei¡­¡± Lilfira started asking a question but stopped before finishing it.


    ¡°Sometimes women want simply to talk to Master Rockin too,¡± Sylfrin said, sounding happy for some reason.


    ¡°Oh, yes, of course,¡± said Ranalaiya, her tail curling and twisting playfully, as if showing it was happy for some reason.


    ¡°They simply talked?¡± Lilfira asked, brushing her still slightly wet hair to the side.


    ¡°I believe Navirei told Master Rockin something important. He had a very serious look in his eyes when I saw him the moment I came out of the bathroom,¡± said Sylfrin.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Ranalaiya said, tilting her head to one side.


    ¡°I think we should get inside the hammock and go to sleep. I wouldn¡¯t want to make Master Rockin upset,¡± Sylfrin added before climbing inside the hammock herself.


    ¡°Right,¡± said Ranalaiya, swiftly hopping inside of it too.


    ¡°Ok, oops,¡± Lilfira was the last one to get in, making the hammock swing a little too. ¡°So, good night?¡±


    ¡°Yes, good night,¡± said Sylfrin.


    ¡°Good night,¡± added Ranalaiya.


    I didn¡¯t take too long to wash myself, but by the time I got out of the bathroom my three beautiful companions were already sleeping. The hammock was big enough to fit four people in it, and the girls left some space for me to lie in it too, but I didn¡¯t want to disturb them in case I would wake them up, so I made myself comfortable on one of the beds instead. I was proper tired, so even if I was lying in a normal bed, I fell asleep pretty quickly.


    {the next day}


    ¡°Where are we going, Master Rockin?¡± Ranalaiya asked after we left Navirei¡¯s inn in the morning.


    ¡°We¡¯ll go eat at Savirei¡¯s diner, of course,¡± I said, trying to sound playful.


    ¡°Can I have Tarkee wings, please?¡± Ranalaiya asked, almost letting out her purr sound too.


    ¡°Yes, you can,¡± I said with a smile.


    ¡°Thank you, Master,¡± Ranalaiya exclaimed happily before clinging onto my arm.


    ¡°And before you two ask, you can order whatever you like as well, Sylfrin and Lilfira,¡± I told them.


    ¡°Thank you, Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin smiled.


    ¡°Thank you, Master Rockin,¡± Lilfira was happy too.


    Once we were at Savirei¡¯s diner, Savirei approached me the moment she saw us. She said she needed to talk to me about our clan¡¯s issue, but I had a hunch there was more to it, just like with Navirei. I left Ranalaiya, Sylfrin and Lilfira at the table we sat down at to eat by themselves and went to talk to Savirei.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we sit down at the table over there, darling?¡± Savirei suggested, pointing at the table with no other patrons sitting at the nearby tables.


    ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Here are the applications from people who want to join our clan, Rockin,¡± Savirei told me, placing a small stack of papers on the table.


    ¡°Ok, thanks,¡± I said, picking them up. ¡°I see Luise and Ronnie filled out their application forms as well.¡± I added after taking a look at the first few.


    ¡°Yes. Here are the application fees from them,¡± Savirei said before placing a small stack of coins on the table.


    ¡°Thank you, Savirei,¡± I said, picking the money up and putting it inside my storage. ¡°The dragonkins showed up again?¡± I finally asked, seeing Savirei hesitate to tell me about it herself.


    ¡°Huh? Ah, yes. Sorry, I was just¡­¡± Savirei finally admitted.


    ¡°Did anyone get hurt?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well¡­ none of my staff, but¡­ a few regular patrons were scared off and stopped coming,¡± she said.


    ¡°Right,¡± I said, leaning back and letting out a sigh.


    ¡°Just so you know, I am not blaming Lilfira or anyone else for it,¡± Savirei told me, showing a smile.


    ¡°Maybe so, but from the looks of it, the dragonkins won¡¯t simply leave us alone and delaying confrontation with them will make things worse going forward,¡± I said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t intend to fight them, do you, Rockin?¡± Savirei asked, a worry jumping in her eyes.


    ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m not strong enough to take on the whole clan on my own,¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not what I meant,¡± Savirei said, covering her mouth with one hand to suppress her chuckle.


    ¡°Yeah, well. I will figure something out. I¡¯ll look over the rest of the application forms later, but you can tell Luise and Ronnie they will be accepted into our clan,¡± I told her.


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. Now, I wasn¡¯t able to ask you the last time I saw you, but what about our clan¡¯s ID Badges?¡± Savirei asked me.


    ¡°ID Badges?¡± I asked, my eyebrows jumping up.


    ¡°Yes. Each clan usually issues some sort of identification badge for their clan members to prove they belong to it,¡± Savirei said.


    ¡°Right,¡± I mumbled, making a frown.


    ¡°Sorry. I know you have more important matters to deal with right now,¡± Savirei said.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok. I know I¡¯m a noob when it comes to running a Clan,¡± I said with a bit of a smirk.


    ¡°A¡­ ¡®noob¡¯?¡± Navirei found the term puzzling.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± I said, smiling sillily. ¡°Any idea where I can get those badges made?¡±


    ¡°The Guild should have all the information you need about that,¡± she said.


    ¡°Ok, thanks,¡± I said, standing up. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the Guild to sort it out after I eat.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no rush, really,¡± Savirei said.


    ¡°I will have to sort it out sooner or later anyway,¡± I said, adding a shrug before going to join Ranalaiya, Sylfrin and Lilfira.


    ¡°Is everything ok, Master Rockin?¡± Ranalaiya asked.


    ¡°Yeah, sort of. I need to go to the Guild to sort something out. Also, those dragonkins had shown up at Savirei¡¯s diner again while we were gone,¡± I said, deciding not to keep them in the dark anymore.


    ¡°What? Did anyone get hurt?¡± Lilfira asked, becoming worried.


    ¡°No according to Savirei, but one of Navirei¡¯s employees did,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh no,¡± Ranalaiya gasped.


    ¡°So, that¡¯s what you were talking about with Miss Navirei, Master,¡± Sylfrin realized.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said with a nod of my head.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s all my fault. People are getting hurt because of me,¡± Lilfira said, covering her face with both hands, starting to cry.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not your fault, ok?¡± I told her, taking her by the hand and away from her face, Lilfira looking at me with her teary eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself, Lilfira. If it¡¯s anyone¡¯s fault, it is your father¡¯s who didn¡¯t take responsibility for you.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Lilfira said, lowering her head.


    ¡°Listen, I will find a way to deal with those dragonkins, ok?¡± I said, not letting Lilfira¡¯s hand go.


    ¡°But how? They are red dragonkins and my father¡¯s tribe is one of the strongest dragonkin tribes out there,¡± Lilfira said with a sob.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I said I will figure something out and that means I will. Of course, I will need your help with it, Lilfira,¡± I said.


    ¡°My help?¡± Lilfira asked with a puzzled expression on her face.


    ¡°Yes. However, right now I need to learn more about the dragonkins themselves, so why don¡¯t you tell me all that you know about your father and the dragonkins in general while we eat, ok?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Oh, ok,¡± Lilfira said, wiping her tears away.


    During our breakfast I was all ears listening to Lilfira talk about her father and his tribe. In addition to telling us about dragonkins and their customs, Lilfira would sometimes deviate to talk about her life now and then as well. It was amazing, as well as, unbelievable to listen about what she had been through. However, when she spoke about her life with her mother, she was always smiling and was looking happy. It was evident she was loved by her mother and Lilfira loved her mom too.


    I was amazed by both, Lilfira¡¯s knowledge and by how dragonkins lived, not that I agreed with certain things about them, like having a hybrid race child was basically a taboo among their kin. For one, it is never a child¡¯s fault for being born whether his or her parents had planned to have a child or not. One thing has struck me when she mentioned something about the red dragonkins, however. They were a proud race and they had the right to be proud too. However, the more Lilfira was telling me about the red dragonkins, the more I was becoming convinced that they wouldn¡¯t kill people for no reason. They had their code of honor too. The issue with Lilfira was much deeper than it looked from the outside.


    Right. So, if I understood Lilfira correctly, the dragonkins would never kill their children for no reason. However, being such a proud race that is driven by proving their strength, and being a race that looks down on other races, it is the biggest shame for them to have a child that has blood of a weaker race. Although, there are other strong races beside dragonkins out there as well. I¡¯d consider the Night Sky Panther and Frost Bat races to be pretty strong too. I sat there, thinking in my head after Lilfira finished telling me about dragonkins. Strong, eh? Humph. I smirked when a certain thought flashed in my head.


    ¡°Huh? What did you think about just now, Master Rockin?¡± Ranalaiya who was able to notice a change in my facial expressions pretty well by now asked.


    ¡°I think I thought of a way on how to make your father, as well as, the rest of the dragonkins leave you alone, Lilfira,¡± I said, showing a grin.


    ¡°What? Really?¡± Lilfira asked, becoming very attentive.


    ¡°How can we do that, Master Rockin?¡± Sylfrin asked too.


    ¡°From what you told me, Lilfira, the dragonkins would respect someone who can prove their strength. So, if we show how strong you are, the dragonkins won¡¯t have a choice but to accept you as equal and then leave you, and everyone else here alone,¡± I said.


    ¡°Prove my strength? But I am not nearly half as strong as a pure-blood red dragonkin,¡± Lilfira gasped.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not¡­ yet,¡± I said, adding a cheeky smirk.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Lilfira found my facial expression puzzling.


    ¡°Yes, if we get Lilfira level up, she will become so much stronger,¡± Ranalaiya was able to understand what I had in mind.


    ¡°Level me up?¡± Lilfira wasn¡¯t sure about it, however.


    ¡°You have mentioned something called Rites of Strength. If I understood it correctly, it is some sort of test to determine how strong someone is, right?¡± I wanted to confirm.


    ¡°Yes. Every dragonkin has to pass it or else they won¡¯t be acknowledged by the tribe¡¯s chief or accepted into the tribe for that matter,¡± Lilfira told me. ¡°But I¡¯ve heard the Rites of Strength is really tough even for dragonkins themselves. I honestly doubt I will be a match against a pure-blood dragonkin.¡±


    ¡°So, you basically have to fight against someone?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s basically what the Rites of Strength is. However, those who take on the Rites of Strength have to fight someone who had already passed it before and they would usually be several levels higher than the challenger themselves. But the scariest part of it is, the challenger can even lose their life and nobody would blame the one who killed them,¡± Lilfira revealed a detail which was rather disturbing.


    So, that¡¯s what it is. I leaned back in my seat, becoming a little worried about it.


    ¡°I see,¡± I finally said. ¡°Listen, Lilfira, I will not force you to do it and I will do all I can to protect you, granted you wish to stay with me. However, and you probably know this by now, your father won¡¯t leave you alone, nor the red dragonkins will let you or your mother live a peaceful life. Worst case scenario, they will kidnap you and force you into taking the Rites of Strength, and you know how it will end even if you refuse to fight.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lilfira said.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± I scratched my cheek with a finger, thinking what else to say.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Lilfira added. ¡°At least in this way, I will be able to protect my mother and it will prevent other people from getting hurt too.¡±


    ¡°Ok then. However, if you do it, you need to do it for yourself and not for somebody else. It is you who needs to prove your strength to your father,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Huh? Yes, I understand,¡± Lilfira was surprised at first by my last words, but then got it, a burning determination lighting up in her eyes.

 Chapter 123

    The Guild was packed due to it being late morning when we arrived. Most of the adventurers would come to the Guild in the morning after waking up. They¡¯d check the Quest Board, have a chat with others, maybe form a party if they didn¡¯t have one and would go explore the dungeon in order to complete the quests they have picked up. I came here to talk to someone about my clan¡¯s identification badge, but I thought checking the Quest Board for some quests wouldn¡¯t hurt either.


    ¡°Hey, Furball,¡± right before we were to go to check the Quest Board, I was stopped by a familiar voice.


    ¡°Oh, Tarrion. Hi, how¡¯s things? Hello Krisel,¡± I greeted them. Since the Guild was so crowded, I didn¡¯t bother looking around to see if there were any people at the Guild that I knew.


    ¡°You ok?¡± Tarrion asked me.


    ¡°Yeah, never been better,¡± I said with a slight smirk.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you being in such a good mood, Rockin,¡± Krisel chuckled. ¡°Hello Ranalaiya, Sylfrin and Lilfira. How have you been?¡±


    ¡°Hello, Miss Krisel,¡± Ranalaiya greeted her back and so did Sylfrin, and Lilfira, the ladies hitting off with some chatter in an instant.


    ¡°Everything ok?¡± I asked Tarrion.


    ¡°Yeah, well, sort of,¡± Tarrion grunted.


    ¡°Got into a fight with dragonkins?¡± I asked, squinting my eyes.


    ¡°No, but with them lurking around, Savirei¡¯s diner is becoming emptier,¡± he told me.


    Oh, wow. He actually cares about Savirei¡¯s diner. I was impressed. On the second thought, he probably hasn¡¯t been to the dungeon since the last time I saw him because he was sticking around to protect it. He must be irritated about it.


    ¡°Well, yeah. We¡¯ve just come from her diner ourselves,¡± I said.


    ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± Tarrion asked, probably thinking I had one.


    ¡°I came here to ask about how to get an identification badge for our clan,¡± I told him.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant,¡± Tarrion grunted, showing a frown.


    ¡°Yeah, well. I have something in mind, but that depends on how reasonable those dragonkins will be,¡± I added, knowing what he meant while rubbing the back of my neck. ¡°In any case, mind keeping an eye on Ranalaiya, Sylfrin and Lilfira while I talk to someone about getting an ID badge for our clan for now?¡±


    ¡°Humph, sure,¡± he said.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said before telling my three lovely companions to stay with Tarrion and Krisel.


    They went to see if they can find a table to sit down while I went to stand in line to get to the reception counter. It hasn¡¯t been five minutes of me waiting in line however, when a commotion started at the Guild¡¯s entrance. It was loud at first, apparently somebody pushed someone who bumped into somebody else, raising their voices at someone, but then the noises calmed down, with people making way for whoever had entered the Guild¡¯s building to pass. I couldn¡¯t see who it was due to so many people standing around me, but the people who entered the Guild were the dragonkins, Lilfira¡¯s father being one of them.


    The dragonkins turned to go to her the moment they saw where she was sitting, people stepping aside to make way for them. Two dragonkins who were accompanying Sanokard looked impressive on their own. They were much bigger than humans or even some beast-humans and they looked rather threatening too. As powerful and frightening escorting dragonkins looked, they didn¡¯t even compare to their Chief, Sanokard. He was half a head taller than the two of them, with wider shoulders, larger legs, longer tail and much more outstanding horns that grew on top of his head. Add to that the absolutely imposing and powerful looking armor that Sanokard wore, and you knew you better not get in his way. Heck, some people were too afraid to even look his way because of how frightening Sanokard looked.


    ¡°We¡¯ve come for you, half-breed,¡± the dragonkin whose name was Bregerthak spoke to Lilfira when the three dragonkins reached the table where she was sitting at.


    ¡°What? No,¡± Lilfira exclaimed, fear jumping on her face.


    ¡°I think not,¡± Tarrion stood tall to block Bregerthak¡¯s advance.


    ¡°You¡¯re not taking Lilfira with you,¡± Ranalaiya added, jumping to her feet before taking out and equipping her Vicious Talons.


    ¡°You will not take Lilfira away. Summon Spiderling,¡± Sylfrin stood next to Ranalaiya, Voras jumping out of the green magical circle the next second.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think you will scare us, dry-skins,¡± Bregerthak threatened them, taking out a two-handed axe from his storage himself.


    ¡°Woah, a fight! No way!¡± Someone exclaimed, adventurers getting away from them to not get caught in it.


    ¡°Humph,¡± Tarrion squinted his eyes, gripping his shield tight, but did not move from his spot.


    ¡°Now, now. Why don¡¯t you people calm down?¡± A voice interrupted them.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, sorry, sir,¡± Tarrion said, lowering his shield and mace.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Bregerthak snorted.


    ¡°Bregerthak,¡± Sanokard, the Chief of the Raging Flames Tribe spoke to him from behind.


    ¡°Ah, but Chief¡­ Huh?¡± Bregerthak wanted to say something, but backed down after seeing the look in Sanokard¡¯s eyes. ¡°Yes¡­ Chief.¡±


    ¡°Greetings, Guild Leader Ronald,¡± Sanokard spoke to the man who showed up with an added respect.


    ¡°Good day to you, sir Sanokard,¡± Ronald greeted him back. ¡°I am certain you are aware off the rules regarding the fighting inside the Guild?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I extend my apology on behalf of my brethren,¡± Sanokard said, dipping his head slightly.


    ¡°Apology accepted. Now, may I be of any help in¡­ solving whatever matter you need help with here?¡± Ronald asked.


    ¡°The only reason I have come here is to get my daughter,¡± Sanokard said, his words sounding like a demand too. ¡°However, these humans decided to stand in my way.¡±


    ¡°Your daughter?¡± Ronald wondered.


    ¡°N¡­ no. I don¡¯t want to,¡± Lilfira said, her voice trembling.


    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Ronald added thoughtfully.


    ¡°You have no choice. You are a red dragonkin and my daughter. You belong to me,¡± Sanokard told her.


    ¡°No, I¡­¡± Lilfira said, her body shaking from fear.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± I interrupted their talk. I thought it was just unimportant commotion at first, so I ignored it. But when I heard someone shout a fight was about to break out, people scattering to the sides and opening a view for me to see what was happening, I rushed to come over, finding Ronald talking to Lilfira¡¯s father when I got here.


    ¡°Master Rockin,¡± Lilfira exclaimed, a look of relief showing on her face.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Sanokard squinted his eyes, giving a stern look at Lilfira before turning to look at me.


    ¡°Hello¡­ sir Ronald. How¡¯s it going?¡± I greeted the Guild¡¯s leader in a lighthearted manner.


    ¡°Hello Rockin. I¡¯ve been well. How about yourself?¡± Ronald returned the greeting.


    ¡°Ah, you know, going into the dungeon, doing quests, trying to protect my clan members from unfriendly dragonkins. Every day stuff,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°Protect your clan members you say?¡± Ronald asked, turning to face Sanokard again.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Sanokard snorted, squinting his eyes.


    ¡°Shall we talk about the matter in my office?¡± Ronald offered suddenly, a look in his eyes showing he very much insisted on it.


    ¡°I agree,¡± Sanokard said, surprising me with his answer.


    ¡°Ah¡­ ok,¡± I said. Hearing Lilfira¡¯s father agree to it, I had to agree on it too.


    ¡°If you please, gentlemen,¡± Ronald invited us to follow him.


    ¡°Wait here,¡± Sanokard gave an order to the other two dragonkins.


    ¡°But Chief¡­¡± Bregerthak wanted to say something.


    ¡°Stay put,¡± Sanokard raised his voice, slamming his tail on the floor, more so to make a point than to show his strength.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Yes¡­ Chief,¡± Bregerthak obeyed, lowering his head.


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll be back¡­ soon,¡± I told my clan members, nodding to Tarrion to keep an eye on the women, he nodding back to show he understood me. I then followed the Guild leader to his office.


    ¡°Now, you may know each other, but how about we start with the introductions?¡± Ronald suggested after we sat down at the table in his office. ¡°I am Ronald, the Guild leader here in Hirvant.¡± He then added.


    ¡°Sanokard Rageflame. Chief of the Raging Flames Tribe,¡± Sanokard introduced himself which was rather a shocking surprise to me to hear him speak in such a polite manner.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Ok, nice to meet you. My name is Rockin Starling. I am the leader of the Rockstars clan,¡± I introduced myself last.


    ¡°Thank you. Now, what seems to be the issue here?¡± Ronald asked before leaning with his elbows on the table.


    ¡°I came here to get my daughter. She is a red dragonkin and belongs with us,¡± Sanokard told me.


    ¡°She may be your daughter, but that doesn¡¯t mean you have the right take her away,¡± I said. ¡°Besides, we both know why you want to take her away.¡±


    ¡°You know nothing, human,¡± Sanokard growled at me.


    ¡°I know what Lilfira has told me about you and the red dragonkins in general herself,¡± I countered his comment.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Ronald intervened, raising his hand to have us become quiet. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say this, Rockin, but sir Sanokard has full right to take his daughter away with him.¡±


    ¡°What? You must be joking?¡± I asked him, overcome with a bit of a shock.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± he said, leaning back in his chair. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I am not siding with sir Sanokard here. The thing is, as her father, sir Sanokard has the full right to take his daughter away with him.¡±


    Damn, no way. I clicked my tongue, not expecting for Ronald to side with Lilfira¡¯s father like that.


    ¡°That maybe so, however Lilfira clearly stated she doesn¡¯t want to go with¡­ sir Sanokard, and since she¡¯s a member of my clan, it is my responsibility to protect her,¡± I came up with what I thought was a good reason for not letting Sanokard take away his daughter.


    ¡°No, she does not,¡± Sanokard said.


    ¡°Say what? Yes, she does,¡± I retorted, becoming agitated.


    ¡°A clan that doesn¡¯t even have an identification badge is no clan at all,¡± Sanokard responded calmly to my agitated comment.


    ¡°Yeah, well. You have to start somewhere and I was about to get my clan¡¯s identification badge, but then you guys showed up and now we¡¯re here, so¡­¡± I tried to make it sound like I had it under control, but I was faking it for the most part.


    ¡°As it stands now, my daughter does not belong to any clan which means if you or your so-called clan members stand in between me and my daughter, you will have no one else to blame but yourselves if something were to happen to you,¡± Sanokard spoke calmly, but it was clear he meant every single word that he said.


    ¡°Are you threatening my clan members?¡± I asked him in a serious tone of my voice.


    ¡°I am warning you, human,¡± Sanokard answered calmly.


    ¡°Oh really? I wonder what the Guild has to say regarding that?¡± I turned to Ronald, wearing a somewhat confident smirk on my face.


    ¡°The Guild¡¯s job is not to babysit people, Rockin. The Guild¡¯s job is to provide quests for adventurers and assist them with whatever we can in that regard. There are rules within the Guild that everyone must follow, but the matters that happen outside of the Guild is for the general law to take care of,¡± Ronald told me point blank, my confident smirk changing into a sour frown.


    Damn it. This doesn¡¯t look good at all. I should¡¯ve gotten my clan¡¯s badge the very next day after registering my clan, so at the very least I could¡¯ve used that as a leverage here, but now. Shit, I messed up big time. I scolded myself in my head. I need to think of something or else a lot of people will get hurt.


    ¡°Ok, fine. But let me you ask this then¡­ sir Sanokard. Why do you insist on taking Lilfira with you? Why can¡¯t you let her live the life that she wants?¡± I asked, taking the polite and respectful approach too.


    ¡°My daughter is a red dragonkin and that¡¯s why she belongs with me,¡± Sanokard simply stated.


    ¡°Really? It didn¡¯t sound like the other dragonkins were of the same opinion. They kept calling Lilfira the half-breed. Even you yourself have never called Lilfira by her name this whole time. Sounds rather dishonorable to address a red dragonkin in such manner,¡± I could see my words hit the spot, Sanokard snorting in an agitative way after hearing me say that.


    ¡°That¡¯s because my daughter hasn¡¯t proven her worth as a red dragonkin yet,¡± Sanokard said after a short pause.


    ¡°And how can she prove herself as a red dragonkin if I may ask, sir Sanokard?¡± I asked, trying to sound genuinely respectful.


    ¡°She needs to pass the Rites of Strength. Only then she will be acknowledged by the other dragonkins¡­ and me,¡± Sanokard said.


    ¡°Does that also mean Lilfira will be able to make her own decision on how she wants to live?¡± I pushed for some more.


    ¡°If she passes the Rites of Strength¡­ she will be equal to the rest of the dragonkins,¡± was all Sanokard said.


    ¡°Ok. In that case, I have a request, sir Ronald,¡± I said, turning to face the Guild¡¯s leader.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Ronald asked, sounding curious.


    ¡°Would the Guild allow sir Sanokard to use the arena for the Rites of Strength?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see a reason why not,¡± Ronald agreed.


    ¡°That¡¯s unacceptable! I have never agreed to it!¡± Sanokard raised his voice, also slamming his fist on the table, leaving a crack at the spot where he slammed it.


    ¡°Why not?¡± I asked, acting like it shouldn¡¯t be a big deal.


    ¡°We have our own customs and I will not allow anyone to interfere with it!¡± Sanokard roared at me.


    ¡°Interfere? I¡¯m sorry, I was just trying to be helpful,¡± I said, raising my hands in front of me defensively.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t concern you, human, so stay out of it!¡± Sanokard demanded.


    ¡°Hey, calm down, will you?¡± I added, showing a sheepish smile. ¡°Just think about it, if you hold Rites of Strength here at the Guild¡¯s arena, you will be able to show everyone how strong dragonkins really are. Besides, with the Guild overseeing it, nobody will be able to dispute the end result.¡±


    ¡°Humph?¡± Sanokard snorted, squinting his eyes inquisitively while looking at me.


    ¡°The Guild will stay neutral and will honor your customs without interfering. I can assure you of that, sir Sanokard,¡± Ronald added.


    ¡°¡­¡± Sanokard stayed silent for more than a few minutes, none of us saying a single word.


    Keep quiet! Keep quiet! Keep quiet! I was yelling at myself in my head. I have learned in sales and in negotiations while working at the company in my previous life that when you want to get a favorable outcome, after you state your case and need to shut up and stay quiet, because whoever speaks first after the presentation was done loses.


    ¡°Ghmrrr¡­¡± Sanokard grunted, crossing his arms in front of him. From the look on his face, I could tell he was on the fence, and I was about to say something, but pinched myself on the leg under the table to stop myself from speaking. ¡°If I were to agree to it, I have two demands that will have to be fulfilled.¡± Sanokard finally said.


    ¡°Ok. What are¡­ the demands?¡± I asked, bracing myself to hear them.


    ¡°First, I will not allow anyone to interfere with our customs. My daughter will have to prove herself on her own without anyone¡¯s help,¡± Sanokard stated in a very serious tone of his voice.


    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± I instantly agreed.


    ¡°I will make sure the Guild will not interfere with your customs, sir Sanokard,¡± Ronald reassured him.


    ¡°The second demand is that the Guild will have to take responsibility if my daughter doesn¡¯t show up,¡± Sanokard said, turning to face Ronald before furrowing his eyebrows.


    ¡°Huh?¡± I became both surprised and confused about Sanokard¡¯s second demand.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± and for some reason, Ronald leaned on his chin to think about it.


    ¡°Sorry, I am a little confused here. Didn¡¯t you say you want the Guild to not interfere, sir Sanokard?¡± I was genuinely honest with my question this time.


    ¡°And who will take responsibility if my daughter runs away?¡± Sanokard asked, making a pause before adding. ¡°Or if someone helps her escape?¡±


    Escape? What is he¡­ Ooh¡­ I was at a total loss at first, but then it hit me. He thinks that I will take Lilfira and run away? Aah¡­ Yeah, well. That never occurred to me, actually. So, that¡¯s why he was so hesitant to agree to it.


    ¡°I can¡¯t talk for the Guild, but I am willing to take full responsibility if Lilfira doesn¡¯t show up,¡± I finally said.


    ¡°That is not enough,¡± but Sanokard wasn¡¯t convinced.


    ¡°Rockin,¡± Ronald said, turning to face me directly. ¡°If I agree to sir Sanokard¡¯s second demand, it means that the Guild will be forced to issue an urgent Fugitive Quest to find his daughter and bring her to him, treating anyone who will stand in Guild¡¯s way as an enemy. To say it bluntly, everyone siding with Lilfira will be branded fugitives. They will lose their Adventurer¡¯s status and will be punished accordingly no matter who they are. Worst case scenario, they will be enslaved or even killed.¡±


    ¡°Ok, that¡¯s fine,¡± I agreed without hesitation.


    ¡°Humph?¡± Sanokard snorted, his eyebrows shooting up. He clearly didn¡¯t expect me to agree to it, at least not so easily.


    ¡°In that case, I agree to your second demand, sir Sanokard,¡± Ronald said.


    ¡°So be it. The Rites of Strength will be held in three days time from now,¡± Sanokard said, standing up to leave.


    ¡°Woah, hold on. Three days time?¡± I exclaimed, raising my hands up to stop Sanokard from leaving.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he responded half-angrily.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. Lilfira told me that during the Rites of Strength she¡¯ll have to fight another dragonkin who has already passed the test,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Sanokard grunted.


    ¡°And what would be the level of her opponent?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Humph¡­ No higher than level twenty,¡± Sanokard informed, looking irritated.


    ¡°Level twenty?¡± I stared at him, my eyes being as big as the owl¡¯s eyes. ¡°You want Lilfira, who is level five right now, fight a dragonkin who is a level twenty? Are you saying your customs say that as soon as a dragonkin reaches level five, they have to go through the Rites of Strength and they have to fight someone who is three¡­ no four times their level? I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m a little shocked here.¡± I didn¡¯t even need to put much effort to act that I was actually shocked.


    ¡°Ghm¡­ No. The dragonkins go through the Rites of Strength only after they reach at least level ten,¡± Sanokard said.


    ¡°With all due respect, sir Sanokard, but you understand that Lilfira being level five has no chance to even hold out against someone who is so much stronger than her,¡± I said, extending my hands to the sides for an extra emphasis.


    ¡°It is not my responsibility if my daughter neglected her training,¡± Sanokard retorted back to me.


    ¡°Ah¡­ yes, of course not, but¡­ it wouldn¡¯t be unreasonable to give her at least some time to raise her level. Hirvant has a dungeon nearby where she could train, so I¡¯d appreciate if you could give her some extra time before participating in the Rites of Strength?¡± I was trying my best to remember all the negotiation tricks to have Sanokard extend the time for it.


    ¡°Ok, fine. I can give her a week,¡± Sanokard said.


    ¡°A week? Really?¡± I made a frown. ¡°How many levels can someone gain in a week¡¯s time? If you take into account the travel time and all the other preparations, the actual time someone will spend time fighting monsters will be five days at best. For somebody to reach level ten¡­ they would need maybe a month to-¡°


    ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Sanokard interrupted me with a loud roar.


    ¡°Ah, yes. Sorry¡­ one month sounds a long time, doesn¡¯t it? But one week is definitely too short,¡± I countered his argument.


    ¡°Ten days,¡± Sanokard became more lenient.


    ¡°Only ten days? Well¡­ I am sure you will need to prepare for the Rites of Strength from your side as well, right? You wouldn¡¯t want to rush things yourself, would you? So, how about three weeks?¡± I was pushing for more.


    ¡°No!¡± Sanokard raised his voice once again, shifting his body to the side before turning back to face me again, squinting his eyes when our eyes met. ¡°Two weeks and that¡¯s final, or else I am taking my daughter with me right now.¡±


    ¡°Ok, great. Two weeks,¡± I agreed, raising my hands in front of me defensively. ¡°So, aah¡­ two weeks counting from tomorrow, right? Just checking.¡±


    ¡°Humph,¡± Sanokard snorted before turning away from me. ¡°My daughter better show up on time or else I won¡¯t spare a single person from your so-called clan.¡± With those words, Sanukard left the room without even saying goodbye to Ronald.


    ¡°Does that mean it¡¯s two weeks starting tomorrow?¡± I asked out loud, scratching my cheek with one finger.


    ¡°Wow, I have never seen anyone negotiate like that,¡± Ronald commented instead of answering my question. ¡°I would be very curious to know where you have learned to do that, Rockin.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well¡­ I¡¯d love to chat, but I really need to go now,¡± I said, showing a silly smile.


    ¡°Yes, of course. How about we have a chat after the Rites of Strength are over, Rockin?¡± Ronald asked.


    ¡°Sure. I need to go. Bye,¡± I said before rushing out of his office.


    ¡°And how is it that your companions are level eleven and level fifteen yet you are still only level seven, Rockin?¡± Ronald asked, but he was speaking to himself this time, because I was already gone. ¡°Humph, I am honestly looking forward to it.¡±

 Chapter 124

    Shit, shit, shit! I was cursing in my head while walking back to the Guild¡¯s main hall. Stupid imbecile. Why did I agree to it in the first place?


    Only after I left Roland¡¯s office, I have realized what kind of predicament I¡¯ve actually put myself into. I¡¯ve just involved all the people in my whole clan into this dragonkin problem. It¡¯s not that I was planning to hide Lilfira or run away with her, together with Ranalaiya and Sylfrin of course, but the pressure of my bold decision had struck me harder than I thought it would. I hadn¡¯t felt so anxious since I had become the vice-president of the company I used to work for. However, there was no backing down now. I had to suck it up and push through it.


    Ok, get yourself together, idiot. You¡¯ve done it now, so you better do what it takes to pull it off, moron. I used a few extra compliments towards myself as my peptalk before reaching the table where my clan members were waiting for me, managing to put a nonchalant smile on my face to pretend things were better than they actually were.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m back,¡± I said, waving my right hand.


    ¡°Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya was the first one to come greet me.


    ¡°Rockin, hi,¡± Virghel greeted me.


    ¡°Virghel? Hi,¡± I greeted her back, not expecting to see her there.


    ¡°Yes, well¡­ I spoke to Savirei and she told me you went to the Guild, so I came in hope to see you, finding everyone else being here as well,¡± she explained.


    ¡°Right, yes. Nice to see you, Virghel,¡± I said, adding a smile. Virghel was wearing a few new pieces of armor that looked to be of higher quality too. It looked to be made out of Rhaki¡¯s skins for the most part, probably adding a few bonuses to her Agility stat as a result. She looked good in it too.


    ¡°So, how did it go, Furball?¡± Tarrion asked me.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± I mumbled, rubbing the back of my head, hesitating to answer his question.


    ¡°Master Rockin?¡± Lilfira asked, holding her right hand close to her chest.


    ¡°Humph, the Rites of Strength will be held at the Guild¡¯s arena in two weeks¡¯ time,¡± I said after taking a deep breath in.


    ¡°Two weeks¡¯ time?¡± Lilfira gasped, becoming really worried and it showed on her face.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the longest Sanokard was willing to give me,¡± I said before adding. ¡°So, basically we have¡­ what¡­ twelve days to raise your level and help you become stronger, Lilfira.¡±


    ¡°Raise my level?¡± Lilfira asked, still looking worried about it.


    ¡°Yes, and for that we need to go to the dungeon. Like, right now. Sorry everyone, but time is precious, so we¡¯ll be going now,¡± I said, about to turn to leave.


    ¡°Where are we meeting?¡± Tarrion asked.


    ¡°Huh? What?¡± I asked, feeling a little confused about his question.


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®what¡¯? I am asking where and when are we meeting, Furball?¡± Tarrion asked, squinting his eyes while looking at me.


    ¡°Wait, are you saying you want to go with us?¡± I asked, feeling perplexed.


    ¡°I am saying we are going with you,¡± Tarrion said, hinting who he meant by saying ¡®we¡¯.


    ¡°Ahm¡­ well¡­¡± I mumbled, trying to think of an excuse of why they shouldn¡¯t come with us.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go too,¡± Virghel said.


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait. You don¡¯t need to come. It¡¯s not¡­ your problem, really,¡± I said that, but then remembered I had made it my whole clan¡¯s problem not that long ago myself.


    ¡°It is our problem and we¡¯ve already talked it over while you were gone, Furball,¡± Tarrion declared in a serious tone of his voice.


    ¡°Huh? What?¡± I was having a hard time grasping what was going on.


    ¡°Master Rockin, while you were gone, Tarrion, Krisel and Virghel offered to go to the dungeon together with Lilfira to help her level up,¡± Sylfrin told me.


    ¡°You did?¡± I asked, giving Tarrion a weird look.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t give me that look. I just want to teach those dragonkins a lesson, that¡¯s all there is to it,¡± Tarrion grunted, averting his face away.


    ¡°I want to help too, Rockin,¡± Virghel insisted.


    ¡°Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya said, showing a happy smile.


    ¡°Ahm¡­¡± I made a sour facial expression, scratching my cheek with my right hand¡¯s finger. ¡°Ok, fine.¡± I finally said, dropping my shoulders down.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan, Furball?¡± Tarrion asked me, sitting back down at the table they were sitting earlier.


    ¡°The plan?¡± I said, rubbing the back of my head.


    ¡°Yes, the plan,¡± Tarrion grunted, becoming impatient with me. ¡°Or were you actually planning to go straight to the dungeon right now?¡±


    ¡°Aah¡­¡± I opened my mouth, wanting to say something but then let out a deep sigh instead. ¡°Sorry, yeah. Let¡¯s¡­ talk it over.¡± I added, sitting down at the table with everyone else was already sitting.


    ¡°Is everything ok, Master Rockin?¡± Ranalaiya asked, noticing me being a little beside myself.


    ¡°Ah, yeah. Everything is fine,¡± I said, showing a smile.


    ¡°Never thought I¡¯ll see you become so nervous, Furball,¡± Tarrion commented, surprising me with his observation.


    ¡°Ok, ok. We won¡¯t go to the dungeon today,¡± I finally gave in. It was past midday already and with the preparations we would need to make, we wouldn¡¯t be able to get to the dungeon until evening. We¡¯d have to spend the night on the first floor of the dungeon, because we probably wouldn¡¯t be able to reach the third floor by the time it becomes dark and sleeping on the second floor of the dungeon full of Halluspiders was a no go. Taking our time to prepare properly was a wise thing to do. ¡°Have you ever been to the eighth floor of the dungeon, Tarrion?¡± I asked him out of the blue.


    ¡°Huh? Eighth floor?¡± Tarrion¡¯s eyebrows shot up. ¡°You want to go to the eighth floor of the dungeon? Wouldn¡¯t that be a little too dangerous for your¡­ for Lilfira?¡±


    ¡°I am sure she will gain a level or two on the way,¡± I said, making a shrug.


    ¡°You¡¯re joking, right? Floor eight of the dungeon has Lesser and Normal Stone Golems in it. Adventurers that are level fifteen and higher form parties to even have a chance to survive on the eighth floor of the dungeon,¡± Tarrion told me, furrowing his eyebrows.


    ¡°So, you¡¯ve never been there yet?¡± I wanted to confirm since Tarrion never answered my question.


    ¡°No,¡± he blurted before crossing his arms in front of him.


    ¡°Ok. Do you know how much experience points those golems give after being killed?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Huh? You seriously want to go to the eighth floor of the dungeon?¡± Tarrion asked me again, giving me the ¡®wtf¡¯ look.


    ¡°Hey, I am not saying we should go there right from the very beginning, but farming Carnabbits wouldn¡¯t exactly cut it, would it?¡± I asked him back, also giving him a similar look too.


    ¡°Lesser Stone Golems give sixteen experience points and normal Stone Golems give twenty,¡± Tarrion finally said.


    ¡°That¡¯s thirty two and forty experience points for¡­ everyone including Lilfira with each kill,¡± I wanted to say for Lilfira only, but then remembered my Overgrowth skill¡¯s experience boost applied to everyone in the party. ¡°I say we should aim to reach the sixth floor of the dungeon as fast as possible, farm Tarkees for a day or two then go to the seventh floor of the dungeon to hunt Goblies. Goblies give fourteen experience points per kill. That¡¯s twenty eight instead of twenty compared to what Tarkees give. Ranalaiya, Sylfrin and I had been to the seventh floor of the dungeon already and we were doing just fine, so with all of you in the party, it should be a piece of cake.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Goblies shouldn¡¯t be that big of a problem with all of us fighting together,¡± Tarrion admitted. ¡°But do you seriously want to go to the eighth floor of the dungeon?¡±


    ¡°Yes, why? Are those Stone Golems actually that strong?¡± I asked.


    ¡°They are stone golems. They are tough as rocks, literally. We might be able to kill them, but our weapons will get a real beating really fast. How many spare weapons¡­ or shields do you have?¡± Tarrion asked and it was a very legitimate question.


    ¡°Oh,¡± it finally dawned on me what Tarrion¡¯s real concern was. Bashing, slashing and cutting stone would definitely take a toll on our weapons, and if they are broken and we don¡¯t have any spares, our experience farming would end very soon. ¡°We need to bring some spare weapons then. I still need to visit Alragus to deliver him the ore that we¡¯ve collected from the mines, so I¡¯ll ask him what he has. We¡¯ll need lots of food and water with us too, especially water. We can visit that Secret Area on the third floor to get that healing water for ourselves. It¡¯s not exactly on the way to reach the entrance to the fourth floor of the dungeon, but I¡¯d say it will be worth it. I¡¯ll buy some spare water containers after we leave here.¡±


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    ¡°Ok, fine. We¡¯ll get a few extra ourselves as well,¡± Tarrion agreed, but he still looked grumpy.


    ¡°We can always go back to the seventh floor if we see those Stone Golems are too hard for us to beat,¡± I said, rolling my eyes.


    ¡°I never said they are too hard to beat,¡± Tarrion blurted, making a frown.


    ¡°Humph,¡± I smirked sheepishly. ¡°Ok then. Time is short, so how about we meet at Savirei¡¯s diner right after the sun comes up?¡±


    ¡°Fine with me,¡± Tarrion said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be ready and on time too,¡± Virghel added.


    ¡°Ok, well, ahm¡­ let¡¯s go?¡± I sort of made it sound as a question at the end, waiting to see if anyone had any questions.


    ¡°Our clan¡¯s identification badge?¡± Tarrion reminded me.


    ¡°Oh, yeah. Ok, I¡¯ll¡­ go talk to somebody about it,¡± I knew I had to do it, especially now since we¡¯ll be leaving for the dungeon tomorrow and will be staying there for quite a while.


    {after a short while at Alragus¡¯ workshop}


    ¡°Hey,¡± I greeted Alragus the moment we entered his shop.


    ¡°You¡¯re back,¡± Alragus said before noticing me acting impatient. ¡°Something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, no¡­ maybe. Never mind. Here, I got this ore for you,¡± I said, opening my storage box and emptying all the ore on the table for him.


    ¡°Wait, you have found hardened iron ore too and two chunks at that?¡± Alragus snorted, clearly not expecting to see those two chunks being presented in front of him.


    ¡°Yeah, well. We were lucky, I guess,¡± I said, itching to get it over with him.


    ¡°And you got more than six brown iron ores too, but¡­ those are all ores. I need plain iron bars, remember?¡± Alragus said, giving me a slightly annoyed look.


    ¡°Yes, I know. The thing is¡­¡± I decided to go right to the point and explain to him what was happening, giving him the shortest version possible of course.


    ¡°I see. Ok, I understand,¡± Alragus said at the end. ¡°I have some spare weapons that Ranalaiya and Lilfira could use, but the claw weapons I have are lower quality than her current Vicious Fangs, and the highest quality spear I have has an Equip Level of six.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll take at least two of each. Do you have any shields for me?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You know I don¡¯t have a Shieldcrafting skill, so the shields I can craft are of a very low quality,¡± Alragus told me.


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll take three. No, make that four,¡± I said, changing my order when I remembered we might be fighting Stone Golems.


    ¡°I definitely don¡¯t have four shields. Might have only two even,¡± Alragus said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take both of them then,¡± I said, making a frown.


    ¡°You can check other shops that sell armor and shields. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll have a shield or two and probably better quality than I can offer,¡± Alragus suggested.


    ¡°Yes, will do,¡± I said.


    ¡°Now, regarding the hardened iron ore you brought back, you said you wanted me to craft a new armor for your?¡± Alragus asked me.


    ¡°About that, I¡¯d like you to make armor out of the hardened iron ore for Lilfira instead,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Master Rockin?¡± Lilfira gasped in surprise after hearing me say that.


    ¡°You sure? Even with two chunks of ore you brought back, I will be able to make only one set of armor,¡± Alragus wanted to confirm it.


    ¡°Yes, I am sure. Speaking of which, do you have anything for Lilfira right now? She¡¯s level five currently, but I can take armor pieces that are higher level too. Her main stats are Stamina, Strength and Magic Energy,¡± I shared some information about Lilfira with Alragus.


    ¡°Magic Energy?¡± Alragus snorted, touching his chin with his left hand to have a think about it.


    ¡°Yes, well¡­¡± I wanted to say something, but couldn¡¯t explain the reason behind it.


    ¡°I doubt I have any armor pieces that give bonus to Magic Energy stat, but I have a few that offer bonuses to Stamina and Strength. How bulky are we talking about here?¡± Alragus wanted to know.


    ¡°Probably not too bulky. Lilfira¡¯s class is Spear Knight, not sure if you know anything about it though,¡± I added some seemingly relevant information to help Alragus.


    ¡°A Spear Knight, huh? Can I take a look at her to check her measurements?¡± Alragus asked.


    ¡°Oh, yeah, sure. Lilfira,¡± I turned to ask Lilfira to come closer.


    ¡°Humph,¡± Alragus snorted, tilting his head to the side, measuring Lilfira with his eyes only. ¡°Turn around.¡± He said, Lilfira turning her back to him the next second. ¡°Ok, good. Give me a minute.¡±


    What? He¡¯s taken her measurements by simply looking at her? I was both surprised and impressed by it.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± Alragus came back carrying several different pieces of armor. ¡°These armor pieces are from level four to level six, with the boots being level six. All of them are green quality and add bonuses to Stamina and Strength stats. Breastplate adds two to Stamina and one to Strength. Leggings add two to both Stamina and Strength. Bracers add one stat to Stamina and Strength each and lastly, boots add two to Stamina and three to Strength.¡±


    ¡°Ok, good. Thanks,¡± I said before turning to Lilfira. ¡°Here, these are for you. How about you go change into that room over there?¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Lilfira said, picking up the armor pieces.


    ¡°Can I help her, Master Rockin?¡± Ranalaiya asked suddenly.


    ¡°Can I go too?¡± Sylfrin added, probably not wanting to stay behind.


    ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± I didn¡¯t mind.


    ¡°Let me go get the weapons and shields for you,¡± Alragus said before going around his workshop collecting them for me. ¡°Regarding Lilfira¡¯s armor, you have mentioned some time ago you had some Tarkee skins. Do you still have any?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, why?¡± I confirmed it, becoming curious too.


    ¡°I could probably combine Tarkee skins with the hardened iron to make the armor a bit more flexible. Tarkee skins are tough and is a very good quality material. They might add some extra stat bonuses too,¡± Alragus explained to me.


    ¡°Right, ok. How many Tarkee skins do you need?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Four or five for the whole set,¡± he told me.


    ¡°Ok, here¡¯s five,¡± I said, taking the skins out and passing them to him. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯ll go calculate how much everything will cost,¡± Alragus said before going away to get it done.


    In the meantime, Lilfira changed into her new armor, all three ladies coming back together. In all honesty, Plain Iron Armor pieces didn¡¯t look that good on Lilfira, but the armor provided some stat bonuses, so I didn¡¯t complain about it. I had to wait for Alragus to calculate all the costs, paying him the whole sum in advance after he did so. Time was short, so I thanked him and we have left his workshop the moment everything was sorted.


    ¡°Where are we going now, Master Rockin?¡± Ranalaiya asked after we left Alragus¡¯ shop.


    ¡°I need to buy some crafting supplies and we need to get extra water containers and lots of food too,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Lots of food? But aren¡¯t we going to hunt Carnabbits and then later Rhakis for the meat inside the dungeon, Master Rockin?¡± Sylfrin asked next.


    ¡°Yes, we will, but we¡¯ll be staying inside the dungeon for much longer this time and I wouldn¡¯t want to waste too much time on chasing Carnabbits. Besides, it will save time if we have ready made food with us too instead of needing to cook inside the dungeon, so after we¡¯re done with our shopping, we¡¯ll go to Savirei¡¯s diner to eat and ask her to prepare some extra food for us to take away,¡± I explained my reasoning.


    ¡°Ok, I understand,¡± said Sylfrin.


    With what happened during the meeting with Roland and Lilfira¡¯s father at the Guild, the rest of the day was hectic for me beyond belief. I was almost running around to check shops for the supplies I needed and to find extra shields for me as well. In all honesty, I didn¡¯t need to rush around so much, but I was a little on edge and my head was not in the right place either. The worry about something happening to my clan members wouldn¡¯t leave my head and thanks to me not thinking straight, I have definitely overpaid for some supplies, not that I cared about it right there and then.


    Savirei noticed me being worried about something right away after we have entered her diner, with me denying it on the spot of course. I simply said I was hungry and asked for some food. Seeing how grumpy I was, Savirei didn¡¯t pry. She must¡¯ve been careful to not overstepping her limits, so I wouldn¡¯t get mad at her like I did some time ago regarding the issue with Lilfira. It must¡¯ve been food in the end, because I managed to calm down a little and explain to Savirei what was going on, asking her to prepare quite a lot of food for us to take away. She was sweet and very understanding, and said she will have the extra food prepared and ready for us tomorrow morning whenever we decide to leave. I thanked her for that and after the meal all four of us went directly to Navirei¡¯s inn to finish our day earlier.


    Ranalaiya, Sylfrin and Lilfira were surprised to learn I wanted to spend the night separately from them. I insisted on us sleeping separately, so we could get a proper rest. I knew I would¡¯ve been fine sleeping together with my three female companions by my side, but my head was in the clouds and my mind was overfilled with worry which made me think it would be better if I slept alone this time. I wished Ranalaiya, Sylfrin and Lilfira a good night, reminding them to lock the doors when they go to bed and that we will be getting up very early tomorrow. They probably saw there was no point in trying to talk me into sleeping together with them, the three beauties complying with my demand sleeping separately, them going into our regular room to sleep and me going into the room right on the opposite side of the hallway.


    Damn it. My head is killing me. I will definitely not be able to fall asleep anytime soon. I mumbled in my head. Worse yet, I gave our hammock to the girls, so now I had to sleep in the bed which I wasn¡¯t used to. Oh, come on. Get some sleep. You don¡¯t want to stay up late and then oversleep or not get enough sleep, and be too tired tomorrow. I tried reasoning with myself.


    - ¡®Knock, Knock.¡¯ ¨C Right when I was about to take a deep breath in to try and calm my mind, I heard a knock on the door.


    Huh? What now? I frowned. As uncomfortable as the bed felt to me, I wasn¡¯t very excited about getting out of it to check who was at the door.


    ¡°Who is it?!¡± I asked loudly instead of getting out of bed.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Sylfrin, Master Rockin,¡± I heard the familiar woman¡¯s voice behind the door answer me.


    ¡°Sylfrin?¡± I sat up in the bed, quickly getting up and rushing to the door, becoming worried that something must¡¯ve happened. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s goin- Oh, wow¡­¡± I wanted to ask what happened the moment I opened the door, but my jaw dropped when I saw Sylfrin in her alluring white lingerie set that she wore that night during the auction.


    ¡°Master Rockin, may I¡­ come in?¡± Sylfrin asked, her cheeks sparkling red.


    ¡°Ah, yes. Ahm¡­ come in,¡± I said, opening the door wider and letting her in. ¡°Did¡­ something happen?¡± I managed to ask her, my eyes not wanting to blink while looking at her.


    ¡°Actually¡­¡± Sylfrin lifted her eyes up, making direct contact with my eyes before stepping closer, wrapping her arms around my neck and giving me a very passionate kiss. Obviously, I had no intention of resisting it. ¡°I am worried about you, Master Rockin.¡± She whispered, Sylfrin pecking her nose at mine very gently, her lips touching and teasing my lips at the same time.


    ¡°Worried¡­ about me?¡± I asked, my head spinning, but for a very different reason compared to the one I had not that long ago.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, giving me another short kiss. ¡°You looked to be very tense from the moment you came back from your meeting at the Guild and you were not yourself for the rest of the day after that as well.¡±


    I should¡¯ve known they would notice. I let out a deep sigh.


    ¡°Yeah, sorry¡­¡± I had to admit it. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ regarding Lilfira and the Rites of Strength. I¡¯m worried about Lilfira and¡­ everyone in our clan.¡±


    ¡°Lilfira appreciates everything you do for her, Master Rockin. Ranalaiya and I are very happy that you care about Lilfira so much as well. You don¡¯t have to worry so much, Master,¡± Sylfrin tried to comfort me.


    ¡°Hah, thanks,¡± I said, squeezing out a smile. I honestly was feeling better right now. Obviously, it had nothing to do with the snow-white beauty hugging me or her delivering teasing kisses to me now while she whispered words to me in between them.


    ¡°You need to get a good rest, Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin whispered again. ¡°We should go to bed.¡± She added, sticking her tongue out and licking my lips just lightly, her eyes looking directly at mine.


    ¡°We?¡± I asked, not expecting to become surprised, but I was.


    ¡°Yes. I wouldn¡¯t want you to sleep alone tonight, Master,¡± Sylfrin added. She was always bolder and more direct compared to Ranalaiya, one aspect of her I found to be rather attractive. It suited her character and she always made it sound so natural, maybe because she was that way. In addition to her looking the way she was and pressing herself against me the way she did, I had no guts to refuse.


    ¡°Ok, if you insist,¡± I said, hugging Sylfrin tighter before leaning to kiss her myself this time. Surprisingly, my head became cleared of any unnecessary thoughts and worries it had inside it not that long ago, with only one single thought lingering in it - looking forward to having a very good sleep tonight.

 Chapter 125

    I couldn¡¯t believe how fast I have fallen under Sylfrin¡¯s seductive charms. Sylfrin always had a trick or two under her sleeve to surprise me with yet another mind-blowing act to send me to heaven before I would land on some fluffy cloud, starting to melt away from pleasure, almost literally. Fluffy would be the right description to use here for sure, considering Sylfrin had very white and very soft fur covering certain parts of her body, including her quite large bat-shaped ears and she knew I loved touching, and rubbing those fur covered areas too.


    Sylfrin must¡¯ve loved being touched by me where her fur grew as well, because she¡¯d not only let me do it, but also encouraged it by showing it with her body. I would feel her body shiver sometimes when I would slide my hand across her body where her fur grew, especially the areas under her breasts. That was the most amazing feeling ever. Her fur was really short, not even half an inch in length probably, but it was very soft and would feel almost slippery, my fingers sliding through it with ease, making my skin tingle with satisfaction every time I would touch it. At the same time, when I would run my hand right under her breasts in order to feel her fluffy, soft fur, the top of my hand, where my thumb finger was, would feel the gentle softness of the bottom part of her breasts too. That was the most arousing feeling ever.


    Up to this moment, I¡¯d always have Sylfrin and Ranalaiya together with me, both of them trying their best to pleasure me during the rare times when it was safe for us to do so, mainly at Navirei¡¯s inn after we¡¯d come back from the dungeon. We have been almost caught by other adventurers wondering into the area inside the dungeon when we were making out once. We have dropped our guard, thinking we were safe to do whatever we wanted, with the girls about to let loose to offer yet another wonderful and unforgettable experience to all of us when we heard someone shout from a distance. We had to scramble to get ourselves in order before a group of adventurers appeared next to us. As it turned out, they thought at least one of us had been injured, seeing us three lying on the ground next to a tree on the sixth floor of the dungeon, so they rushed to check on us. Fortunately, they haven¡¯t seen from afar what we were actually doing and after ¡®explaining¡¯ we were just tired and resting, we parted ways on good terms.


    Since then, I have restrained myself from becoming too aroused while inside the dungeon and other than sharing kisses with Ranalaiya and Sylfrin, we¡¯d get intimate only in our room at Navirei¡¯s inn. During those times, it¡¯d be all three of us, with Ranalaiya and I staying inside the bathroom longer to go another round since Ranalaiya was now confident and willing to have a full course meal with me, with a very sweet dessert to top it all off at the end too. Sylfrin would be understanding and leave us be, never complaining or disturbing us during those times. However, I would sometimes fantasize being together with Sylfrin too, only just the two of us. Unfortunately, and whatever my poor of an excuse of a reason was, I always thought that Sylfrin wasn¡¯t yet ready or willing to give herself to me.


    Whatever my previous excuses and believes were, right now Sylfrin was showing she very much wanted to have sex with me right here and now. She was bold but not rash, taking the time to let both of us enjoy the kissing and the rubbing at one another while letting the constantly growing arousal within our bodies make us become more and more impatient with each passing second. I haven¡¯t even noticed when or how we ended up on the bed. Sylfrin has masterfully enthralled me with her charms before helping me lose all of my clothes and having me lay down on my back on the bed. She dropped her white, half transparent night gown while still standing next to the bed before climbing on it and on top of me, sitting down right on my pelvis before hugging my hips with her thighs.


    ¡°Woaaah¡­¡± I threw my head back, feeling Sylfrin¡¯s pussy press against my rock-hard cock. She was still wearing her panties, but with how soft and silky they were, I could feel her pussy press against my dick as if Sylfrin wasn¡¯t wearing anything at all. ¡°No.¡± I suddenly stopped her by grabbing Sylfrin by her hands, preventing her from taking off her bra.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Sylfrin gasped quietly, feeling a little confused, her eyes asking me was I not willing to continue.


    ¡°Leave it on,¡± I simply said, changing my grip and pulling Sylfrin towards me for us to kiss again.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Sylfrin procured a suspicious smile, as if discovering some hidden secret that nobody knew of before letting me pull her towards myself, us starting to kiss passionately.


    The thing was, the sexy-looking white laced bra that Sylfrin was wearing matched the whiteness of Sylfrin¡¯s fur that grew under her breasts, making it look like the bra was an extension of Sylfrin¡¯s fur which also added to her already alluring beauty and attractiveness. Her bra was partly transparent in some places too, especially around her now beautifully erect nipples, making my head spin just by looking at them.


    ¡°Hm¡­ ah¡­ mhm¡­¡± Sylfrin was letting out delightful and arousing sounds in between our kisses, also moving her hips to slide forward and back, her pussy rubbing against my hard cock as a result of it. I was just barely holding myself from ripping her panties off and entering inside of her each time she would slide up, making her pussy touch the tip of my cock and squeezing it in between her pussy¡¯s lips before, thanks to her still wearing her panties, losing the grip and sliding back down, throwing my body into an agonizing pleasure due to her escaping from me.


    Sylfrin was very well aware of how I felt each time she did that. She¡¯d pause for a moment after sliding down, arching her body and lifting her ass up, our lips disconnecting in the meantime due to us not reaching each other, showing a teasing smile, her eyes burning with a loving passion. My hands would slide on her ass during that time. I loved touching and squeezing her ass with my hands. Sylfrin was quite voluptuous, especially around her hips and she had legs of a goddess too. The more astounding feature about her hips was that Sylfrin had fur growing around the lower part of her waist, forming a shape and an illusion she was wearing panties when she actually wasn¡¯t.


    When I gripped her ass with my hands once again, I could feel her fur, but not the fabric of her panties, becoming both confused and excited, thinking it was me imagining things. But when Sylfrin slid back up to reach my face with hers so we could kiss again, my cock felt Sylfrin¡¯s fur and skin only, an extremely delightful and arousing sensation rushing through my body as a result of it. With the next Sylfrin¡¯s downward slide, she let my cock enter inside of her, making my whole body tense up and shiver, Sylfrin squeezing me tighter with her thighs, also sinking her lips deeper into mine, both of us staying on top of each other without moving a single muscle right after, time stopping for both of us at that moment.


    I then slowly raised my arms, gently hugging Sylfrin around her back, feeling her body quiver in response. Our lips were still connected, with Sylfrin opening her mouth just lightly, sticking her tongue out to reach for mine, our tongues starting to play with each the moment they touched. Sylfrin wasn¡¯t moving her hips and I was staying put as well. I couldn¡¯t have known what a woman would feel at that moment, having a man enter inside of her for the very first time, so I let Sylfrin take her time, letting her take charge of how she wanted to proceed going forward. We stayed almost motionless for an unknown amount of time, however short or long it was, hugging and kissing each other in the meantime. Sylfrin was pressing against me with her whole body, us kissing and playing with our tongues, with me feeling the heavenly softness of her breasts and wanting for us to stay like this forever.


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    ¡°Ahm¡­ mmm¡­¡± suddenly, Sylfrin moved her hips, also letting out a sensuous moan, with her whole body shivering probably because of the new sensation she had felt by doing so. ¡°Mhm¡­ hmm¡­¡± Sylfrin moved again, her body rewarding her with yet another burst of sweet and satisfying emotions. ¡°Aah¡­ mmm.¡±


    ¡°Woah¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help it myself as well. Despite Sylfrin moving her hips extremely slowly and in quite long intervals too, the feeling was ever so mind blowing. I couldn¡¯t believe how arousing her slow movements felt.


    ¡°Mhaa¡­ hmm¡­¡± Sylfrin breathed into my ear before sliding down and allowing for my cock to slide inside of her as deep as she allowed for it to go, making a pause, me feeling my dick being squeezed tight from all directions, Sylfrin sliding up once again, leaving only the tip of my cock still inside of her yet not letting it go. ¡°Aaaah¡­ mmm.¡±


    Sylfrin slid back down, making me squirm and grit my teeth when I felt like bursting right there and then. I couldn¡¯t believe how fucking arousing Sylfrin¡¯s slow yet tight movements felt. My dick couldn¡¯t bear the pressure and the seemingly constant stimulus despite Sylfrin taking her time and taking breaks before moving up and down.


    ¡°Ah¡­ ah¡­ mmm¡­ mha¡­ mhmmm¡­¡± Sylfrin, probably seeing, knowing and feeling the unbearable agony of me struggling to hold it in and also wanting us to orgasm both at the same time. She moved her hips slightly faster this time and only half way up compared to how she was moving all this time before, quickly moving down, then half way up and down again, and again, also squeezing my dick as tight as she could with one last of her movements, forcing my body to give in and shoot everything I had inside of her with such intensity, I had to bite my bottom lip to not faint from pleasure.


    ¡°Aaah¡­¡± I hugged and pressed Sylfrin close to me, our lips connecting, both of us breathing heavily at each other¡¯s faces, our bodies showering us with burst after burst of uncontrollable pleasure.


    ¡°Mmm¡­ mhm¡­ mhaaa¡­¡± Sylfrin had to let go of my lips to let out the most delightful cry ever, her body shivering, her hip muscles tensing up harder than before, both of us becoming blessed with the most wonderful feeling ever. ¡°I¡­ hmm¡­ I¡­ I love you¡­ Master Rockin¡­ mmm¡­ mhm¡­¡± Sylfrin whispered in between the kisses we were still exchanging, her body shaking from pleasure.


    ¡°I love you too, Sylfrin,¡± I told her, rubbing her back with my hands before hugging her lovingly.


    ¡°Master¡­ Rockin¡­¡± Sylfrin said, tears appearing in the corners of her eyes. I knew those were the tears of joy and love, a feeling of happiness enveloping my whole body, and Sylfrin¡¯s body too. I closed my eyes before hugging Sylfrin lovingly, both of us staying still while enjoying the blissful moment together, and before I knew it, both of us have fallen asleep while embracing each other in our arms.


    {sometime the next morning}


    - ¡®Knock, Knock.¡¯ ¨C I heard a knock on the door, forcing me to wake up.


    I have woken up while still holding Sylfrin in my arms. She was still peacefully sleeping, her facial expression showing she was either dreaming about something pleasant or was simply feeling happy.


    ¡°Master Rockin,¡± in addition to another knock on the door, I heard Ranalaiya¡¯s voice call out to me which also made Sylfrin wake up too.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Sylfrin lifted her head up before rubbing her eyes with her left hand.


    ¡°Good morning, Sylfrin. I think we overslept a little,¡± I said, showing a smile.


    ¡°What? Oh, I¡¯m so sorry, Master Rockin. I¡­¡± Sylfrin became apologetic the moment I said that.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t worry about it. I think it¡¯s still early, so we¡¯re fine. Ranalaiya must¡¯ve been worried we¡¯d oversleep, so she came to check on us. I¡¯ll let her know we are awake,¡± I said, giving Sylfrin a kiss before sitting up and turning towards the door. ¡°We¡¯re up, Ranalaiya. Thank you. We¡¯ll come out soon.¡±


    ¡°Ok, Master Rockin,¡± I heard Ranalaiya say before it became quiet.


    Sylfrin and I had no luxury of enjoying additional private time together, unfortunately. Even so, I still chose to stay in bed for a while longer, holding Sylfrin in my arms, us staying like that to enjoy several more minutes together.


    ¡°You were¡­ the most wonderful yesterday and I am really happy to have you,¡± I finally said, wanting to let her know that.


    ¡°Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin whispered, looking to be very happy. ¡°It makes me so happy to hear you say that.¡± She added, hugging me lovingly. ¡°Huh? Oh, ahm¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but¡­ I don¡¯t think we have enough time to¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ok,¡± I said, half interrupting her. I knew what she was about to say. With both of us still being basically naked, except for Sylfrin still wearing her absolutely stunning and sexy-looking bra, my ¡®buddy¡¯ has become erect and hard very fast. Unfortunately, we did not have the time to have sex right now which was what Sylfrin was about to say before I interrupted her. ¡°Also, thank you, Sylfrin.¡±


    ¡°Thank me? You¡¯re¡­ welcome, Master,¡± Sylfrin said, catching a mild blush which was unusual and cute to see too. ¡°It was my first time and¡­ despite me being trained on how to satisfy a man, I wasn¡¯t sure if you would enjoy it to the fullest with how I went about it. I¡¯m so sorry, Master Rockin.¡±


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s¡­ not what I meant,¡± I stopped her, becoming a little perplexed. ¡°I really¡­ really enjoyed it. You were absolutely wonderful and I¡¯d love to make love to you again, and exactly the same way we had done it last night. What I meant was that I am grateful for you noticing I was distressed and full of worry all day yesterday, and that you came to my room last night to comfort me. Our love making aside, your thoughtfulness was what helped me relax and get a good night¡¯s sleep.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Sylfrin gasped, looking genuinely surprised by what I have said, also looking totally charming with how flustered she was, but she composed herself quickly, becoming the confident seductress she had always been. ¡°I¡¯m really glad I could help you relax, Master Rockin.¡± She said, giving me another kiss before adding. ¡°And I thank you too, Master. I feel extremely happy about you accepting me as your woman.¡±


    ¡°That, yes. You¡¯re¡­ I mean¡­ I¡¯m happy as well,¡± I almost said ¡®you¡¯re welcome¡¯, but managed to change my wording at the last moment simply because it would¡¯ve sounded too weird. ¡°Also, can I ask you a favor, Sylfrin?¡±


    ¡°What is it, Master Rockin?¡± Sylfrin asked, becoming curious.


    ¡°I know you¡¯ll talk to Ranalaiya and Lilfira about us¡­ making love, but can you keep it just between yourselves and not talk about it¡­ with anyone else?¡± I stumbled over my own words a little, my thoughts jumping back and forth between a few other women who would most definitely want to know more details if they were to learn about it, just like it was with Ranalaiya.


    ¡°Yes, I understand, Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin agreed, speaking in her calm, undisturbed manner.


    ¡°Right, aah¡­ thanks. So, ahm¡­ we need to get up and get dressed now, unfortunately,¡± I finally said, realize how cringe the part about getting up sounded.


    ¡°We still need to wash ourselves, Master. If you allow me to join you, I could help you wash and¡­ relax before we leave too,¡± Sylfrin offered, sounding a little cheeky, probably wanting to tease me.


    ¡°Ah, sure,¡± I said, showing a silly smile.


    As awkward as I have felt at that moment, I knew I better not miss the opportunity to wash together with Sylfrin and I was so glad I have agreed to it too. We didn¡¯t have full sex while washing ourselves, because it might¡¯ve taken much longer than it did and time was precious right now. Even so, it wasn¡¯t less pleasant or satisfying in the least, Sylfrin surprising me with yet another trick she hadn¡¯t used before to make me come harder and faster than I could¡¯ve imagined was at all possible. She must¡¯ve saved it for when it was just the two of us, blowing my mind away with what and how she did it. I was very much ready to take on the whole dungeon by myself after that, also looking forward to some alone time with Sylfrin sometime in the future too.

 Chapter 126

    ¡°Good morning, Ranalaiya, Lilfira,¡± I greeted the two of them, giving them kisses too.


    ¡°Good morning, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya spoke back, wearing much happier smile on her face than she usually would.


    ¡°Huh?¡± I squinted my eyes, trying to think of a reason why she¡¯d be like that.


    ¡°You look so much happier and relaxed compared to yesterday, Master Rockin,¡± Lilfira said, also revealing the reason why Ranalaiya was in such a good mood too.


    ¡°Oh, yeah. Ahm¡­ yesterday I was¡­ a little worried about certain things,¡± I said, rubbing the back of my head with my right hand.


    ¡°Huh? Sylfrin? Wuaaa¡­ I¡¯m so happy for you,¡± Ranalaiya suddenly exclaimed, jumping up before leaping forward, appearing right next to Sylfrin before hugging her in an instant.


    ¡°Thank you. Master Rockin was the most gentle and made me feel wanted. He truly cared to make me feel good and we had the most incredible sex together,¡± as usual, Sylfrin wasn¡¯t shy to tell it how she felt or that we made love last night.


    ¡°Master¡­ Rockin¡­¡± Ranalaiya commented seductively, squinting her cat-shaped eyes while looking at me like a cat would look at a mouse, her cat-like ears becoming very straight, her tail making curling movements behind her.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± at the same time, Lilfira pressed her lips tight together after hearing what Sylfrin has said, her slightly red cheeks becoming even redder.


    ¡°Ah, yes, well¡­ I think we need to get going now¡­ or else Tarrion will complain we¡¯re being late,¡± I¡¯ve come up with an excuse to get away from the raising wistful tension in the air. In all fairness, we definitely needed to go. It was rather early in the morning, but the sun was already up and we have agreed to meet with everyone at Savirei¡¯s inn right before sunrise.


    {at Savirei¡¯s inn a quick walk later}


    Huh? What gives? I mumbled in my head when I found the main entrance doors to Savirei¡¯s diner locked.


    ¡°So sorry, Rockin. Please, come in,¡± Savirei, noticing someone trying to barge into her diner via the main entrance came to open the doors for us to let us in. ¡°I keep my main entrance doors locked until I am ready to open for the day, but my diner¡¯s back door was unlocked for everyone to enter. By the way, Tarrion, Krisel and Virghel are already here.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right, sorry. I¡­ forgot,¡± I said, bracing myself to hear some scolding from Tarrion for being late.


    ¡°Hey, Furball,¡± Tarrion said upon seeing us.


    ¡°Good morning, ahem¡­ everyone,¡± I said, the rest of our party exchanging greetings as well.


    ¡°Good morning, Rockin,¡± Virghel said, her eyes showing both excitement and maybe a little jealousy too.


    ¡°Are you ready to move out?¡± Tarrion asked instead of complaining about us being late.


    ¡°Ah, yeah. Well, I would need to collect the food from Savirei before we go,¡± I said before turning to where Savirei was standing.


    ¡°Yes, sure,¡± Tarrion grunted, but he didn¡¯t look to be grumpy or anything.


    ¡°Right this way, Rockin,¡± Savirei said, inviting me to come with her into the kitchen.


    ¡°Ranalaiya, Sylfrin, Lilfira, come as well,¡± I invited them. I thought having us divide some food between us would make it easier. Besides, I had a lot of crafting materials and other stuff in my inventory that was taking a lot of space.


    ¡°Wow, you have prepared some desserts for us too, Miss Savirei?¡± Ranalaiya exclaimed, her eyes lighting up in excitement.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Savirei smiled.


    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s divide the food for all of us to carry some each. My inventory is more than half full, so I¡¯ll take just a few. You three take the rest, ok?¡± I instructed them.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to eat before leaving, Rockin?¡± Savirei asked, seeing we were putting all the food away.


    ¡°We¡¯ll eat while going to the dungeon. Will save some time since¡­ we overslept a little,¡± my cheeks caught a not so humble blush when I said the last part.


    ¡°Oh, I see. I¡¯m so happy for you, Sylfrin,¡± it wouldn¡¯t have been Savirei if she couldn¡¯t have picked up what had happened last night after seeing how elated Sylfrin felt even if she tried not to show it.


    ¡°Thank you, Miss Savirei. I feel really happy to have Master Rockin accept me as his woman,¡± Sylfrin wouldn¡¯t have been Sylfrin if she was to act shy about it too.


    ¡°Right, we should get going now. Thank you for preparing all this food for us, Savirei,¡± I said before stepping closer and giving her a peck on the cheek.


    ¡°Oh, wow. You¡¯re welcome, Rockin,¡± Savirei said, becoming slightly flustered by my act, touching her cheek with her hand. ¡°Good luck and be careful inside the dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. See you later, Savirei,¡± I said before leaving her kitchen.


    ¡°You¡¯re not eating?¡± Tarrion asked, seeing we weren¡¯t planning to sit down.


    ¡°We¡¯ll eat on the way,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Ok then. By the way, I have bought some Medicinal Herbs. Mind crafting some Healing Potions for me?¡± Tarrion asked again.


    ¡°Sure, but¡­ how about I do it in the dungeon when we stop for a break. You won¡¯t need any potions until we reach lower floors anyway, will you?¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Fine,¡± he said before standing up from his seat.


    ¡°Ok, so if everyone¡¯s ready, let¡¯s go,¡± I said.


    The road to the dungeon was rather quiet. We left the town without any stops, not even going to check the Guild for any quests. Guild quests were irrelevant for us right now. Although, Tarrion, Krisel or Virghel might¡¯ve picked up some quests yesterday. We¡¯ll be going as far as to the eighth floor of the dungeon or at least that was my plan anyway. Whether or not we¡¯ll be able to fight those Stone Golems on the eighth floor was a question to be answered once we got there.


    I was hoping we¡¯d be able to reach the sixth floor of the dungeon before the first nightfall. The first three floors of the dungeon weren¡¯t too big and I knew we could get to the fourth floor within half a day if we really legged it. In addition, our plan was to stop at the secret area on the third floor to get some water which had a tiny healing effect. The detour to get the water would add maybe two hours of our travel time or maybe even more, but it was worth it. All things considered, and after having a word with Tarrion on the way, we decided to aim to reach the fifth floor of the dungeon before the first nightfall.


    ¡°Excuse me, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya approached me from behind while on the way to the dungeon. We¡¯ve left Hirvant and were walking on an empty road.


    ¡°Yes, what is it, Ranalaiya?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Do you think I could show Virghel my stats? She has shown me hers and was asking about my current build, curious to know how it looked,¡± Ranalaiya asked me.


    ¡°Oh, yeah, sure. Virghel is a friend and we can trust her,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Thank you, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya said, cheering up before rushing back to walk together with the other women.


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    ¡°What level are you now?¡± Tarrion asked after Ranlaiya went back before adding. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡±


    ¡°Level seven,¡± I said.


    ¡°Tch¡­ I bet your stats aren¡¯t of someone who¡¯s level seven,¡± Tarrion commented and I knew what he really wanted to say.


    ¡°Probably not. Want to see them?¡± I asked with a tease.


    ¡°You had to ask,¡± He blurted, giving me an annoyed look.


    ¡°Hah,¡± I chuckled before opening my Status Window to show him.


    ¡°The fuck?¡± Tarrion¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°Level seven my ass¡­¡± He squinted his eyes that he kept on the transparent screen in front of him.


    ***


    Rockin Starling. Level 7.


    Class: Shielder.


    Character Stats:


    Stamina ¨C 50+23


    Strength ¨C 61+14


    Agility ¨C 26+6


    Spell Power ¨C 7


    Magic Energy ¨C 15


    Growth ¨C 6


    ***


    ¡°I don¡¯t have my shields equipped, so my overall stats are a bit lower now,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Tss¡­¡± Tarrion scoffed before shaking his head. ¡°Your base stats will be in hundreds by the time you reach level seventeen.¡±


    ¡°Seventeen? Oh, wait. Does that mean you¡¯re level seventeen now?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he blurted.


    ¡°Cool. Congrats. Can I see your stats?¡± I certainly was curious to know how tough he was.


    ¡°Fine,¡± he said before opening his Status Window to show his own stats to me.


    ***


    Tarrion Rockwick. Level 17.


    Class: Tank.


    Character Stats:


    Stamina ¨C 62+48


    Strength ¨C 43+26


    Agility ¨C 9


    Spell Power ¨C 1


    Magic Energy ¨C 3


    Luck ¨C 15


    ***


    ¡°Wow, look at that Stamina,¡± I gasped, seeing his total Stamina stat was well over a hundred. On a side note, Tarrion had his shield and mace on him, so I was assuming these were his full stats.


    ¡°Yeah, well. Yours is not that far behind,¡± Tarrion mumbled.


    ¡°Hey, I mean it. You certainly know how to allocate your stat points and your build as a Tank class looks awesome,¡± I complimented him and was totally sincere about it.


    ¡°Well¡­ thanks,¡± Tarrion said, becoming a little uncomfortable before closing his Status Window. ¡°By the way, you seriously want to go to the eighth floor of the dungeon, Furball?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, why not?¡± I answered without hesitation.


    ¡°The two of us aside, the rest of our party are¡­ a bit too low of a level,¡± he said.


    ¡°What¡¯s Krisel¡¯s level now?¡± I asked, taking a hint who he was worried about the most.


    ¡°Level ten,¡± Tarrion said.


    ¡°Level ten, huh?¡± I mumbled, touching my chin to think about it. ¡°Sylfrin and Virghel are both level eleven, and Ranalaiya is level fifteen. Well, Lilfira is only level five and yeah, she doesn¡¯t have the best equipment either. I mean, we don¡¯t have to go to the eighth floor of the dungeon. At least not right away. We can go to the sixth floor and stay there for a while, hunt monsters to get everyone¡¯s level up before going to level seventh and¡­ depending on how well we would do fighting Goblies go check out how strong those Stone Golems on the floor eight are.¡±


    ¡°Works for me,¡± Tarrion agreed.


    ¡°Ok, cool. By the way, I¡¯d like to eat something before we reach the dungeon, so I¡¯ll have my mouth full for the time being,¡± I said before opening my Item Storage Box to take out some food to munch on.


    ¡°Humph, fine,¡± Tarrion said, taking out a snack for himself too. We didn¡¯t talk much after that, reaching the dungeon not too long after.


    - ¡°What a nice kill. I loved how you moved your hips just now, babe. Two experience points for you and four for your party members.¡± ¨C Lavita was very happy to announce it after our first Carnabbit kill.


    Ah, that¡¯s right. I squirmed, Lavita reminding me she was a part of our party as well.


    ¡°You know what, dear, I think she was right. I loved it too,¡± Krisel commented, adding a chuckle.


    ¡°Eh? Humph,¡± Tarrion grunted in response. It was him who killed the Carnabbit. Hence, the reason behind Krisel¡¯s comment.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Please don¡¯t be mad,¡± Krisel apologized, seeing Tarrion make a sour facial expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Tarrion said, averting his face away which was probably red, but he was wearing a helmet which helped him hide it.


    ¡°So, Lavita will really be talking every time we kill a monster?¡± Virghel asked.


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s really fun,¡± Ranalaiya said, looking to be in a very good mood.


    ¡°It was really strange to hear Lavita speak when I heard it for the very first time even after Ranalaiya and Sylfrin told me in advance about her, but I got used to listening to Lavita talk very fast. With how natural she sounds, I even talk back to her sometimes,¡± said Lilfira.


    ¡°Yes, Lavita can be quite a charmer with her announcements,¡± Krisel added, showing a smile.


    ¡°Yes, well¡­ she most definitely can,¡± added Virghel, catching a blush for some reason.


    The ladies definitely had things to talk about, but we haven¡¯t come to the dungeon to have a picnic, so I ushered for us to keep moving. Fighting Carnabbits was no big deal, so I had us spread out and kill as many of the fluffy killer rabbits as we were able to come across, having Lilfira fight as much as possible too. Raising Lilfira¡¯s level and making her stronger aside, she needed to get fighting experience too. In addition, we were collecting all the Carnabbit meat that would drop too. Extra food for a rainy day so to say, not that it ever rained inside the dungeon.


    Once we have reached the second floor, I had Lilfira fight Halluspiders too. Tarrion informed us that he had Antidote Potions with him just in case any of us would get bitten by a Halluspider. I had Poison Resistance skill, so I wasn¡¯t worried about getting poisoned, but the rest of our party didn¡¯t. However, Tarrion reminding me about Antidote Potions gave me an idea that maybe I could learn how to craft the potions myself, given I had the herbs needed to do so. I asked Tarrion about it and he said the herbs, Green Cleansing Herbs as they were called, couldn¡¯t be found inside the dungeon. Green Cleansing Herbs could be found growing outside of the dungeon close to rivers or ponds. They weren¡¯t very common, but Antidote Potions weren¡¯t very expensive to buy from the local shops in town. I squirmed, realizing I should carry some with me at all times just in case. My Poison Resistance skill meant nothing to Ranalaiya, Sylfrin or Lilfira if they got poisoned by some monster at some point.


    Halluspiders were faster and trickier to fight, but other than Lilfira who hasn¡¯t fought the green-eyed arachnid monsters, none of us had any trouble with them. Halluspiders weren¡¯t very tough monsters and with her current strength, Lilfira was able to kill them with a single attack for the most part, except when she missed to land a hit on them. As much as I wanted to get to the lower floors of the dungeon sooner, I had to admit that letting Lilfira gain more fighting experience was important, so we decided not to rush getting to the third floor of the dungeon.


    Once we got to the third floor of the dungeon however, things became much more difficult for Lilfira. Since she was using a spear as her weapon, she was able to reach further than anyone else of us in the group when fighting Lesser Trents. Unfortunately, the rotten walking trees were able to reach much further with their extended branches than Lilfira could reach with her spear, making it harder for her to fight them. With Lilfira¡¯s current strength, she was also receiving some boost to her stats from the equipment she was wearing, she still managed to kill Lesser Trents on her own without additional help, but she would get hit by the rotten trees now and then too. She wasn¡¯t sustaining serious injuries fortunately, but that just made Lilfira realize how important fighting experience actually was. Little by little, she was becoming more and more serious about becoming stronger. She¡¯d have to fight a really strong opponent during the Rites of Strength who most probably won¡¯t show any mercy towards her either. That thought helped Lilfira push forward and give it her all.


    - ¡°Well done, cutie pie. I am so glad you came on the top once again. You have received six experience points and your party members have received twelve.¡± ¨C Lavita announced, adding a chuckle too and definitely not implying anything with her message either, but it still made me roll my eyes.


    - ¡°Maximum experience points reached. Level up is available. Would you like to level up?¡± ¨C The dull, mechanical voice announced right after, indicating someone, other than me, has received a Level Up offer.


    ¡°It¡¯s for me, Master Rockin,¡± Lilfira said after checking her Status Window. It wasn¡¯t a big surprise, really. She was only level five and needed the least experience points among all of us to reach the next level. Although, a few others have checked their status to see if it was them who received the Level Up offer as well.


    ¡°Ok, great. Congratulations. Why don¡¯t you accept your level up right away?¡± I suggested.


    ¡°But Master Rockin,¡± Lilfira said, pouting her lips.


    ¡°I can suggest you how to assign your stat points if you have any doubts about it,¡± I said, giving her a look that doing it the way we had done it when we were inside the mine wouldn¡¯t be a good idea right now.


    ¡°Congratulations on reaching level up, Lilfira,¡± Ranalaiya congratulated her.


    ¡°Congratulations, Lilfira,¡± Sylfrin added.


    ¡°Oh, thank you, Ranalaiya and Sylfrin,¡± Lilfira said, showing a smile.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a break,¡± Tarrion suggested, sitting down on some log before taking out water to drink.


    ¡°Congratulations, Lilfira,¡± Krisel joined the girls.


    ¡°Yes, congratulations,¡± Virghel added as well.


    - ¡°Level up accepted. Increasing character¡¯s level from level five to level six. Complete. Level up complete.¡± ¨C The dull, lifeless, mechanical voice announced after Lilfira grudgingly accepted her Level Up offer herself.


    ¡°I have received six stat points, Master Rockin. Can you help me allocate them?¡± Lilfira insisted.


    ¡°Ok, can you show me your current stats, please?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lilfira agreed, perking up before leaning at me from the side when I came to stand next to her.


    ***


    Lilfira Flamelash. Level 5.


    Class: Spear Knight.


    Character stats:


    Stamina ¨C 12+7


    Strength ¨C 27+9


    Agility ¨C 3


    Spell Power ¨C 0


    Magic Energy ¨C 18


    Luck ¨C 15


    ***


    ¡°Humph¡­¡± I thought for a second. ¡°You know what? How about you add more points to your Stamina stat this time? And you definitely need Strength too, so why don¡¯t you add two points to your Stamina stat and four points to your Strength stat?¡±


    ¡°Ok, Master Rockin,¡± Lilfira agreed, assigning her stat points the way I suggested.


    The moment she did that, I felt an unpleasant feeling hit my gut, letting me know I shouldn¡¯t have neglected Lilfira¡¯s Magic Energy stat as well. As weird as her initial stats looked there must¡¯ve been a reason why her Magic Energy stat was so high. Besides, Lilfira had received some skill that she couldn¡¯t yet use or even see what it was and maybe it was dependent on her overall stats. I made a sour facial expression but restrained from saying anything. Lilfira will gain more levels as we go, so I promised myself to suggest her to increase her Magic Energy stat as well going forward.


    ¡°Congratulations, Lilfira. The Secret Area with the water is not far from here, so let¡¯s get moving, ok?¡± I suggested right away. I wanted to vent my annoying frustration and smacking some rotten walking trees was one way to help me do that.

 Chapter 127

    ¡°Twinstab! Huh? Hah, Crescent Slash!¡± Lilfira missed her Twinstab attack, quickly following up with her Crescent Slash to swipe and knock the Rhaki that was about to bite her away.


    We were on the fourth floor of the dungeon right now fighting Rhakis, with Lilfira struggling to keep up with the Rhakis¡¯ speed. Worse yet, it was wet and muddy on the fourth floor of the dungeon which made it much more difficult to move around too. Ranalaiya had no problems running, leaping and jumping around, and Sylfrin didn¡¯t need to move around too much thanks to her spiderling pet Voras defending her. The same was true for Virghel who was a badger beast-woman. Virghel¡¯s toes were more of a beast than of a human, so she was able to keep her balance easily despite the ground being wet and slippery. Tarrion and I weren¡¯t bothered by the wet, muddy ground either, both of us being too tough for Rhakis to do any damage to us anyway. The only other person who needed protecting was Krisel. She was what you would call a support class and wasn¡¯t particularly strong or agile to defend herself on her own. Krisel was boosting our strength and stamina with her spells, casting her Spark spell now and then to hinder Rhakis movements when one of them would get too close to her.


    ¡°Twinstab!¡± Lilfira struck the same Rhaki she knocked away earlier, finally killing it.


    - ¡°Aah¡­ I feel so sorry for the poor creature¡­ or maybe not. After all, it is you I want to keep standing in the end, darling. Eight experience points for you and sixteen for your party members.¡± ¨C Lavita let us know what she thought about Lilfira¡¯s kill.


    ¡°Well done, Lilfira,¡± Ranalaiya was quick to congratulate her.


    ¡°Thank you, Ranalaiya,¡± Lilfira said.


    ¡°You are getting better at predicting Rhakis¡¯ movements,¡± added Sylfrin.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re really getting good at it,¡± Virghel joined in.


    It was mainly thanks to Lilfira using a spear as her weapon which had a longer reach, in addition to her main stat being Strength that helped her fight and kill Rhakis easier. Of course, thanks to all of us being together with Lilfira, we helped to separate and eliminate a group of Rhakis, leaving one for Lilfira to fight on her own. The harsh truth was, Lilfira wouldn¡¯t be able to survive for long fighting Rhakis all by herself, especially fighting more than one Rhaki at a time. At least not yet. She probably knew that too but tried to keep a positive attitude, a bright smile never leaving her face.


    ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll be able to reach floor five before it becomes dark?¡± I asked Tarrion.


    ¡°Not a chance,¡± Tarrion said and I knew what he meant.


    We were taking out time to progress through the dungeon floors simply because I insisted on having Lilfira fight more in order to get fighting experience. Lilfira needed to gain as many levels as she possibly could during this short two-week period in order to at least have a fighting chance against those red dragonkins. However, I was almost certain that no matter how many levels Lilfira would get, she¡¯d still have to fight a much stronger opponent. I doubted that Sanokard would put her up against an opponent who would be of an equal level. To lower the gap in strength, Lilfira would need to be better at fighting in order to win or at least to survive the Rites of Strength. I wanted Lilfira to do more fighting, but at the same time, I knew hunting Tarkees or Goblies would be so much more beneficial in terms of experience gain. In that regard, I came up with a sneaky plan.


    ¡°Right, let¡¯s get more serious and start hunting those Rhakis for real. And Lilfira, I have a challenge for you,¡± I said.


    ¡°A challenge for me?¡± Lilfira asked, exchanging glances with the other women before turning to face me again.


    ¡°Yes. You need to kill more Rhakis than Ranalaiya or Sylfrin would before it becomes dark, or else¡­ aah¡­ or else you will get punished,¡± I said.


    ¡°Punished?¡± Lilfira gasped, covering her mouth with one hand.


    ¡°Yes. The punishment would be¡­ you would have to sleep by yourself tonight,¡± I couldn¡¯t think of any real punishment, not that I wanted to punish Lilfira in any way to begin with, so I thought of what it seemed to be a very minor penalty at best.


    ¡°Sleep by myself?¡± Lilfira exclaimed out loud, her face showing she actually looked very distressed.


    Eh? Is Lilfira sleeping by herself such a harsh punishment after all? I wondered in my head.


    ¡°Does that mean there¡¯d be a reward for the person who kills the most Rhakis, Master Rockin?¡± Ranalaiya was quick to ask.


    ¡°Ahm¡­ yeah, sure,¡± I agreed, not even thinking of what the reward could be.


    ¡°Can I participate as well, Rockin?¡± Virghel asked suddenly.


    ¡°What? Ah, ok,¡± I became a little perplexed about Virghel wanting to participate as well but I had no real reason to refuse her. We were here to kill monsters anyway and I wasn¡¯t actually expecting for the women to take this challenge too seriously either. I simply wanted to motivate Lilfira to fight more.


    ¡°Thank you, Rockin,¡± Virghel said, instantly darting to the side and away.


    ¡°Leap Jump! Humph,¡± Ranalaiya shot from her spot like an arrow would be shot from a bow.


    ¡°Voras, go!¡± Sylfrin wasn¡¯t as fast as Ranalaiya or Virghel, but she had her spiderling pet with her that was pretty fast on its feet itself. Sylfrin¡¯s pet Voras was level six now and its Stamina, Strength and Agility stats were ten, twelve and seventeen respectively. It had eight legs too which allowed it to climb and run on trees as well, helping it move around rather fast.


    ¡°Oh, no. I¡¯ll fall behind,¡± Lilfira exclaimed out loud. She gripped her spear tighter before rushing to find some Rhakis as well.


    ¡°What¡­ just happened?¡± I mumbled under my nose, feeling perplexed.


    ¡°You sure know how to make women lose their heads over you, Rockin,¡± Krisel commented with a mild chuckle, sounding a little cheeky too.


    ¡°Ah, well¡­ I simply want Lilfira to gain more fighting experience,¡± I said, rubbing the back of my head and still feeling perplexed.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be safe if we get separated or even get lost, especially before dark,¡± Tarrion commented, having concerns of his own and his concerns were very valid too.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right,¡± I could see the validity of his comment. ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll go warn them about it.¡±


    - ¡°Such a nice kill. Way to go, babe. Eight experience points for you and sixteen for your party members.¡± ¨C Lavita announced before I even made my first step.


    Sigh, they¡¯re already engaging the monsters. I shook my head before rushing to catch up with the four women competing in the Rhaki Killing Olympics.


    Good thing was Ranalaiya, Sylfrin, Lilfira and Virghel haven¡¯t gone too far from where we were yet, allowing me to catch up with all of them and warning them they shouldn¡¯t run off on their own too far. Having any of them injured or even killed by Rhakis wasn¡¯t my intention, so I¡¯ve set up some rules before letting them run off again. First, they were not allowed to stray too far and had to be able to be seen by someone at all times. Second, when one of them has engaged a Rhaki or Rhakis, the others couldn¡¯t ¡®steal¡¯ their kills. I named it tagging. It was mainly a term from video games that prevented players from stealing kills from one another after someone beat down a monster to low health. In a video game, if a player landed their first hit on a monster, the monster would get ¡®tagged¡¯ to that specific player. Meaning, even if someone else were to kill the tagged monster, the experience and the loot it might drop would go to the player who has tagged it first. Third, I asked Krisel to help Lilfira fight Rhakis. With the other three women being higher level and having more monster fighting experience Lilfira was at a big disadvantage, so to close the gap Lilfira and Krisel had teamed up to make it easier for Lilfira to give her a chance to compete on the kills. Ranalaiya, Sylfrin and Virghel agreed to it, and the Rhakis massacre resumed.


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    - ¡°You go, babe. I love your energy¡­ and your moves. You have gained eight experience points and your party members have gained sixteen.¡± ¨C


    - ¡°Aah¡­ Now that was hot no matter how you looked at it. Eight experience points gained and your party members have gained sixteen.¡± ¨C


    - ¡°That was such a great kill. I hope you didn¡¯t get hurt, darling. You have received eight experience points and your party members have received sixteen.¡± ¨C


    - ¡°You are simply on fire, my love. Keep it up. Eight experience points for you and sixteen for your party members.¡± ¨C


    Lavita¡¯s announcements were coming in from all directions, Lavita barely managing to take a breather while delivering her messages one after another. Obviously, she was more than happy to let us know what she thought about supposedly me killing the monsters. It became somewhat awkward after a while with me and Tarrion walking around, looking for and collecting the loot that Rhakis had dropped after being killed. With all five women becoming extremely competitive, none of them bothered to even check if Rhakis dropped anything after being killed at all. I even had a chill run down my spine at some point when I remembered being an ¡®errand boy¡¯ at the company I used to work for where I was running from department to department collecting and delivering documents. After a bit of a thought, I came to a conclusion that picking up monster drops in a muddy forest was so much better no matter how I looked at it.


    ¡°Ok, that¡¯s enough! We¡¯re stopping for the night!¡± I finally announced, yelling my lungs out. It was already dark, but the women still wanted to keep going.


    ¡°What? No. Master Rockin, please, just a little longer,¡± Sylfrin who was standing closest to me begged to let them hunt Rhakis longer.


    ¡°I can still keep going, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya said after appearing close to me.


    ¡°Of course you can. You have better night vision than the rest of us, Ranalaiya, and Sylfrin has her Echo Sense. I¡¯m sure you¡¯d want to keep going. No, we¡¯re stopping right now. It¡¯s already dark and we still need to find a place to set up a camp and find a tree or trees big enough for all of us to spend the night on. You have been hunting Rhakis long enough already,¡± I declared in a slightly angry tone of my voice.


    ¡°Yes, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya and Sylfrin obeyed.


    We¡¯ve gathered everyone else and quickly found a spot to spend the night at. I started the fire with my Campfire skill and instantly put some Rhaki¡¯s meat to cook for us to eat. Only when it became brighter thanks to the fire offering some light, I could see what state all the women were actually in. Other than being proper dirty, with Virghel and Ranalaiya being covered in mud the most, some of the women were injured as well.


    ¡°Huh? What? You two are injured,¡± I exclaimed when I noticed bruises and even some blood on Ranalaiya¡¯s and Lilfira¡¯s bodies. Ranalaiya had some minor bruises, but Lilfira had some bite wounds that were left by Rhakis on her legs and on her left arm. ¡°What were you thinking? You should¡¯ve told me you two were injured.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ only a minor bruise, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya said, looking down like a timid child would.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Master Rockin. I¡­ I didn¡¯t want to lose and it wasn¡¯t a serious wound, so I decided to keep going,¡± Lilfira explained herself, looking no less guilty than Ranalaiya.


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean? You could¡¯ve been seriously injured or worse. I understand you wanted to compete, but I suggested the challenge only because I wanted you to get more fighting experience!¡± I raised my voice, looking angrily at Lilfira before turning to face Ranalaiya next. ¡°And you, Ranalaiya. You actually managed to get hurt? Like, how? With your speed and agility those Rhakis shouldn¡¯t even be able to see you coming. How in the world did you manage to get hurt by Rhakis?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya said, lowering her head even lower, her cat-like ears bending down on her head too.


    ¡°And Krisel, you must¡¯ve known about Lilfira getting injured. Why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡± I turned to Krisel next.


    ¡°Ah, I¡­¡± Krisel shrank before averting her face away to look at Tarrion instead, Tarrion showing her an upset frown. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rockin. Lilfira said she was fine and wanted to keep going, so¡­¡±


    ¡°So you thought you¡¯ll let her get hurt even more? What if Lilfira got hurt so bad she couldn¡¯t even fight back? What if Lilfira couldn¡¯t protect you, with Rhakis going after you instead? Tarrion and I trusted you all to take care of yourselves. We might¡¯ve not been able to get to you in time to defend you. What would¡¯ve happened then?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± Krisel said, her face becoming pale, Krisel pressing both of her hands to her chest.


    ¡°Bhaaa¡­¡± I threw my head back before shaking it to the sides.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya apologized again.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I sincerely apologize, Master Rockin,¡± and so did Lilfira.


    ¡°You two¡­¡± I frowned, thinking what to say to them. ¡°Damn it, I shouldn¡¯t have offered that challenge in the first place.¡±


    ¡°No, Master Rockin. It wasn¡¯t your fault. I was just¡­ a little careless, that¡¯s all,¡± Ranalaiya said, not wanting me to blame myself.


    ¡°Ranalaiya is right. You¡¯re not the one to blame, Master Rockin. I got hurt, yes, but I gained invaluable fighting experience too. You always keep encouraging me to be positive and try my best. This small injury is nothing compared to how badly I might get hurt during the Rites of Strength. I will have to fight a much stronger opponent than Rhakis and I will have to fight back no matter what. I¡¯m sorry for making you worry and¡­ it makes me feel happy to know you are worried about me, Master Rockin, but I wanted to keep going because I want to become strong and pass the Rites of Strength,¡± Lilfira unloaded a boatload of good reasons to justify her recklessness.


    Hey, that¡¯s cheating. I crinkled my nose, not knowing how to respond to her this time.


    ¡°Well¡­ yeah, I agree, but¡­¡± I was looking for words to defend my position. ¡°Ok, fine. And yes, I was worried about you and¡­ I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve persisted and kept going, but¡­ you need to be careful, ok? As for you, Ranalaiya, you have no excuse for getting hurt by Rhakis. As such, the number of Rhakis you have killed will be cut in half as a penalty,¡± I had to agree with Lilfira¡¯s reasoning, but I still came up with an excuse to punish Ranalaiya. I honestly couldn¡¯t believe she got injured by Rhakis. That just meant she sacrificed her safety over some silly competition. She wanted to win, I could understand that, but there was no reason to lose her head because of it.


    ¡°WHAT!?¡± Ranalaiya exclaimed in shock. ¡°Nooo¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I stated point blank. ¡°We both know you are strong and it¡¯s only a minor injury, but you should never lose your head in a fight. It could lead to a very tragic end.¡± I was firm with my words.


    ¡°Y¡­ yes, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya said, lowering her head, her cat-like ears dropping down as well.


    ¡°Anyway, get yourselves in order, drink some healing water and let¡¯s eat. I¡¯m starving,¡± I said, going to sit down next to the fire to check on the meat.


    ¡°What about the challenge, Master Rockin?¡± Sylfrin asked after a short while, all of us waiting for the meat to finish cooking.


    ¡°Ah, right. Yes, well¡­ how many Rhakis each of you have killed?¡± I mumbled through my teeth.


    ¡°I have killed nine, Master Rockin,¡± said Sylfrin.


    ¡°I have killed seven,¡± said Lilfira.


    ¡°I¡¯ve killed ten,¡± added Virghel.


    ¡°I have killed thirteen, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya said, sounding a bit more cheerful.


    ¡°Thirteen, eh? That¡¯s six and a half for you, Ranalaiya,¡± I corrected her.


    ¡°What? Oh, no. I¡­ lost¡­¡± Ranalaiya let out a sad sigh.


    ¡°Does that mean¡­ I win?¡± Virghel asked, her eyes lightning up.


    ¡°It would seem so. Congratulations, Virghel,¡± I said, procuring a smile too.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lilfira,¡± Krisel said, trying to comfort her.


    ¡°No, no. It wasn¡¯t your fault, Krisel. I¡¯m just¡­ too weak,¡± Lilfira said, showing a smile but looking sad.


    ¡°Wait, since I lost, I will have to sleep by myself tonight? Nooo¡­¡± Ranalaiya exclaimed after remembering it.


    ¡°Well¡­ you don¡¯t have to sleep by yourself, Ranalaiya. I mean, I wasn¡¯t serious about it when I said it, really,¡± I had to quickly come up with something to salvage the situation. ¡°All of us need to get a proper rest in order to be able to fight monsters, especially when we get to the lower floors of the dungeon. You¡¯ll be sleeping in the hammock like you usually do, Ranalaiya.¡±


    ¡°Ok. Thank you, Master Rockin,¡± Ranalaiya said, cheering up.


    ¡°So, does that mean you weren¡¯t serious about the reward as well, Rockin?¡± Virghel asked suddenly, becoming both worried and sad all of a sudden.


    ¡°Ah, no. I mean¡­ there could be a reward, but we didn¡¯t agree on anything specific beforehand. What kind of reward would you like, Virghel?¡± I asked, quickly adding an explanation after realizing something. ¡°You have to remember that we¡¯ll be staying in the dungeon for a long time before we return to Hirvant and considering the challenge involved fighting some Rhakis, the reward can¡¯t be something very big.¡± I tried to water down the importance of the challenge just in case.


    ¡°Would asking you to go on a date with me be a reasonable reward?¡± Virghel asked without even taking some time to think about it.


    ¡°A date!?¡± I wanted to say it out loud myself, but Ranalaiya, Sylfrin and Lilfira beat me to it, all three of them saying it out loud at the same time.


    ¡°Well¡­ as I said earlier, we¡¯re in the dungeon right and we won¡¯t be going back to Hirvant any time soon,¡± I reminded Virghel, not refusing to consider a date as a reward.


    ¡°That¡¯s ok. After we come back?¡± Virghel asked, showing she was willing to wait.


    ¡°Ok. I suppose¡­ going on a date is fine,¡± I agreed, making a thoughtful facial expression before rubbing the back of my head.


    ¡°Great. Thank you, Rockin,¡± Virghel said, looking to be the happiest I had ever seen her to be.


    Ah, damn it. I quickly felt several jealous stares directed at me.


    ¡°I think¡­ the meat is done now. Let¡¯s eat and go to sleep. We¡¯ll be aiming to reach the seventh floor of the dungeon tomorrow,¡± I said before picking up a piece of Rhaki¡¯s meat to eat. The meat could¡¯ve appreciated some extra cooking, but I thought I better have my mouth full before I say something unnecessary again.

 Chapter 128

    - ¡°Maximum experience points reached. Level up is available. Would you like to level up?¡± ¨C The mechanical, dull, lifeless voice announced.


    It wasn¡¯t the first that kind of announcement now and it wasn¡¯t very surprising to hear it once again either. After we woke up the next morning, we made our way to the fifth floor of the dungeon and that¡¯s where we were right now. The first one to get a Level Up offer was Krisel. Then it was Lilfira, then Virghel and now after checking it again, it was Sylfrin. I didn¡¯t waste the time while helping Lilfira assign her stat points. Since she had received six stat points once again, I suggested her to put two points to her Stamina, Strength and Magic Energy each. Unfortunately, Lilfira hasn¡¯t received any new skills with her seventh level up, nor her greyed out, hidden behind the question marks skill became available either.


    As for Sylfrin, she was lucky to receive six stat points with her level up as well. Although, neither new skills, nor the skills or spells she already had were improved after I accepted her level up. Still, each level up made her stronger, so after assigning Sylfrin¡¯s stat points, without any lovely dovely stuff at this point, we moved on. On a side note, Sylfrin¡¯s pet Voras has received one level up as well, helping it last a little longer during the fights.


    - ¡°Oh my, I¡¯ve been waiting for this for far too long. You have received enough experience points to level up and you know what that means, don¡¯t you, my love? Let¡¯s get naked right here and now. I can¡¯t wait for us to have the time of our lives.¡± ¨C And then the inevitable happened as well, Lavita letting me and everyone in the party know it was time for us to have some fun. Well, it was fun for Lavita for the most part here, because I wanted to hide somewhere after hearing Lavita¡¯s ever so loving words.


    ¡°Sooo¡­ I¡¯ll leave the party for a short while and then we can move on. I mean, it¡¯s about time to have a short break anyway,¡± I came up with another reason to excuse myself.


    ¡°Yeah, ok,¡± Tarrion grunted, half-rolling his eyes.


    ¡°But Master Rockin¡­¡± Lilfira wanted to say something.


    ¡°No buts. We¡¯ll reach floor six soon. That¡¯s where Tarkees live. Tarkees are much stronger and tougher than Rhakis or Lesser Trents, so take some rest now because it will become much more difficult and dangerous once we get there,¡± I instructed in a serious tone of my voice.


    ¡°No, I wanted to ask why do you want to leave the party, Master Rockin?¡± Lilfira asked.


    ¡°No reason. I mean¡­ to accept my Level Up offer. That is, to decline it. Doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll be right back,¡± I said before leaving the party and walking to stand behind some tree, away from everyone else.


    ¡°So, in order for Rockin to accept the Level Up offer he needs to leave the party?¡± Krisel asked Tarrion, feeling curious.


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Tarrion mumbled, looking a bit flustered for some reason.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Krisel asked again.


    ¡°Ghumph¡­ It¡¯s because of that woman, Lavita,¡± Tarrion said, not providing any concrete details again.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It sounds like it is not something you are comfortable talking about,¡± Krisel apologized to him.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok,¡± Tarrion said, feeling out of place.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, wow. Lavita has never done it this way before,¡± Ranalaiya commented suddenly, covering her mouth with one hand, her cheeks becoming very, very red, her cat-like tail starting to curl and dance uncontrollably.


    ¡°Indeed. Maybe we could do that to Master Rockin once we¡¯re back at Hirvant?¡± Sylfrin suggested, not looking to be as flustered as Ranalaiya was.


    ¡°You think¡­ Master Rockin would like it? Huh?¡± Ranalaiya asked her, her tail jumping up and becoming straight the next second. ¡°Lavita¡­ really wants Master Rockin¡¯s attention today.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not fair. I wanted to hear Lavita¡¯s performance too,¡± Lilfira complained out loud, pouting her lips.


    ¡°Performance? What do you mean by that, Lilfira?¡± Krisel asked after overhearing her.


    ¡°Apparently, when Master Rockin declines his Level Up offer, Lavita gets upset and then has sex with herself,¡± Lilfira told her.


    ¡°Oh my. Is that¡­ true?¡± Krisel asked, turning to look at Tarrion.


    ¡°Aghem¡­¡± Tarrion simply grunted to himself before averting his face away.


    ¡°Yes. I¡­ heard it once¡­ after we had killed the Spider Queen boss some time ago. Lavita is¡­ very expressive,¡± Virghel answered Krisel¡¯s question instead.


    ¡°Really? Wow¡­ But wait, if I understand it correctly, Ranalaiya and Sylfrin can still hear Lavita while the rest of us can¡¯t? How can this be?¡± Krisel asked, catching that one detail and becoming curious.


    ¡°Oh, ah¡­ Yes, Sylfrin and I can still hear Lavita. That¡¯s because¡­ huh? S¡­ sorry,¡± Ranalaiya suddenly gasped, her eyes widening, Ranalaiya hugging herself the next second with her arms and her tail.


    ¡°Rockin must be having a really hard time right now,¡± Krisel commented with a chuckle.


    - ¡°That was¡­ incredible my love. Still, I am really sad I couldn¡¯t do it together with you. But don¡¯t fret, your stats have been increased at random as a bonus. Until next time. Mhua.¡± ¨C Lavita blew me a kiss at the end before quieting down.


    Sigh¡­ She must be evolving with each of my level up declines too. I shook my head before taking some water out to have a drink to cool off.


    I checked my stats quickly right after, finding out that my Stamina, Strength and Agility stats were increased by one each before closing my Status Window and returning to my group. I tried to pretend nothing has happened, but the stares I have received from my party members told me I wasn¡¯t exactly out of the woods so to say. On top of that, Sylfrin whispered to me she could offer that kind of service once we were back at Hirvant, my blood rushing to all kinds of places down my body as a result of it. Obviously, I remained silent instead of answering her question, because it wouldn¡¯t have made any difference no matter what I had said anyway.


    ¡°Ok, shall we move out now?¡± I said after rejoining the party.


    The Lesser Trent and Rhaki hunt resumed. Lilfira was a fast learner and was able to fight and kill monsters without getting hurt in a very short amount of time. She was a dragonkin after all, even if not a pure one. Each race had their strengths and traits that were specific to them. Night Sky Panther people were fast and nimble in general. Frost Bat folks had the aptitude to learn more powerful skills that involved spellcasting. Dragonkins were known for their strength and power. Obviously, since you could gain levels in this world and had to assign points to your stats, your strength depended on how well you would assign your stat points. Still, if you had at least a half-decent sense of what you were doing, you could grow to become quite strong in your own right.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Once we have reached the sixth floor of the dungeon however, it was evident that Lilfira was still too weak to fight Tarkees on her own. After all, level seven adventurers rarely dared to go down to the sixth floor of the dungeon even if they formed parties. Tarkees were fast and nimble, and they were rather strong too. It was much more difficult to fight Tarkees simply because they had the bodies of a snake and wings to help them move around more swiftly. Lilfira had to give her all just to try to not get seriously hurt.


    ¡°Shield. Shield,¡± I used my defense skill to block Tarkee¡¯s advance to protect Lilfira before using my attack skill to kill it.


    - ¡°What a brilliant kill, darling. You took it down so easily. Ten experience points for you and twenty for your party members.¡± ¨C Lavita let us know after the Tarkee disappeared into a cloud of sparkling dust.


    ¡°Sorry, Master Rockin. I wasn¡¯t fast enough,¡± Lilfira apologized.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s your first time coming here and you¡¯re still only level seven. I think we need to revise our tactics on how we fight Tarkees from this point onwards. At least until you gain more levels and can fight Tarkees on your own. Sylfrin, how about your pet Voras assists Lilfira, with Krisel providing boosts to her Stamina and Strength. Tarrion could stay on guard to protect Krisel and Sylfrin while Ranalaiya, Virghel and I simply hunt down as many Tarkees as we can find. This way, Lilfira will be able to gain some fighting experience while we farm experience as well,¡± I shared my thoughts on it.


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Tarrion didn¡¯t mind.


    ¡°Yes, I agree,¡± Virghel was happy with it. She was probably happy with it for a different reason too.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to support Lilfira as much as I can, Rockin,¡± Krisel agreed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best,¡± Lilfira added last.


    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s go,¡± I said, moving my head left and right in order to remove stiffness from my neck before gripping my shields tighter.


    And so, the Tarkee hunt had begun. With Ranalaiya, Virghel and myself focusing on killing Tarkees as fast as possible, leaving one for Lilfira to fight now and then, we were collecting experience faster than ever. The three of us were killing Tarkees quite fast, but we still had to slow down and wait until Lilfira kills the Tarkee she was left to fight on her own. She was struggling, simply because Tarkees were stronger than her stat wise at this point. Lilfira would get hurt now and then too which was a bit painful to watch her being in pain, but she needed to persist and we had to be patient as well. Tarkees were stronger than Rhakis that we have fought earlier, but they were nowhere near as strong as Lilfira¡¯s future opponent would be during the Rites of Strength.


    ¡°Master Rockin, I think there are people up ahead,¡± Ranalaiya informed me.


    ¡°People you say?¡± I commented, not worrying about it too much.


    It wouldn¡¯t be the first time we would encounter other adventurers in the dungeon. We had met two other adventuring parties while being here already. One was on the third floor of the dungeon and the other one on the fifth. We had met the second adventuring party early in the morning while making our way towards the sixth floor of the dungeon. They were coming back from the sixth floor themselves and were going back to Hirvant. After a quick chat with both of those adventuring groups we had met, we parted ways in a friendly manner.


    ¡°They must be hunting Tarkees as well, so there¡¯s no point in going that way. Let¡¯s go back to Tarrion and the others, and then find a different area where we can hunt Tarkees at,¡± I suggested, not wanting to bother or be bothered by the other group.


    ¡°Crescent Slash!¡± Lilfira used her skill to swipe at the Tarkee she was fighting.


    ¡°Strength Boost,¡± Krisel cast a spell to strengthen Lilfira¡¯s next swing.


    ¡°Twin Stab!¡± Lilfira quickly followed up with another attack after she knocked the Tarkee away, stabbing it on the wing twice. ¡°Hah! Ya!¡± She then thrusted her spear two more times again, hitting Tarkee on the head and finishing it off.


    - ¡°Congratulations on taking it down, darling. Ten experience points for you and twenty for your party members.¡± ¨C Lavita was quick to announce it.


    ¡°Well done, Lilfira. You are getting much better at fighting Tarkees,¡± Sylfrin congratulated her.


    ¡°I agree with Sylfrin. You¡¯re doing very well, Lilfira. Knocking it down with your Crescent Slash and then wounding its wing so it wouldn¡¯t be able to move as fast was very smart,¡± added Krisel.


    ¡°Thank you, Sylfrin and Krisel,¡± Lilfira smiled.


    ¡°Hey!¡± I shouted from a distance, waving my hand.


    ¡°Furball?¡± Tarrion gave me a puzzled look after.


    ¡°Ranalaiya noticed another party not far from here, so we decided to come back. There wouldn¡¯t be any Tarkees if we were to continue in that direction. We might as well take a short break before moving on,¡± I told him, explaining the reason why we came back.


    ¡°Right,¡± was all Tarrion said.


    ¡°How are you doing, Lilfira?¡± Ranalaiya spoke to Lilfira in the meantime.


    ¡°I¡¯m good. I managed to kill the last Tarkee without anyone¡¯s help and I didn¡¯t get hurt either,¡± Lilfira was happy to tell her about it.


    ¡°Wow, nice. You must be getting really good at fighting Tarkees now,¡± Ranalaiya said happily, clapping her hands too.


    ¡°Yes, Lilfira is doing a great job now,¡± Krisel added.


    ¡°Yes, but¡­ it takes me all I have to fight Tarkees and I must admit, I get tired quite fast while fighting Tarkees so intensely and then need to take a short break to catch my breath before engaging another Tarkee again,¡± Lilfira admitted.


    ¡°That¡¯s normal, but don¡¯t worry, Lilfira, as your level increases, you¡¯ll get stronger and will be able to kill Tarkees faster,¡± Ranalaiya said in a supportive manner.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± I mumbled under my nose after Tarrion told me about how Lilfira was doing.


    He wasn¡¯t simply protecting the women, he was also watching Lilfira fight, taking mental notes of how she was doing. For her level, Lilfira was doing very well and she had strength to spare thanks to her Strength stat being a total of forty two right now. Her base Strength stat was thirty three and she was receiving a bonus of nine extra points in Strength thanks to her equipment. However, compared to her Strength stat, her Stamina stat was quite low: only twenty three and that was with the seven extra Stamina bonus points from her equipment. Being strong was good, but if Lilfira gets tired too fast during the fight, she¡¯d eventually lose.


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll take that in consideration when suggesting how to assign her stat points going forward,¡± I said before looking around and then adding. ¡°We still have some time before it gets dark. Let¡¯s go hunt more Tarkees.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Tarrion said.


    We moved on through the jungle resembling forest, looking to find some Tarkees to kill. We walked around for a while without encountering any, unfortunately. Since I didn¡¯t want to go towards the direction where Ranalaiya noticed another adventuring party, we had to turn back where we¡¯ve passed through already. We had a nice, peaceful stroll so to say, with the women being as chatty as ever in the meantime. I wasn¡¯t trying to listen, but my ears caught that the topic they were discussing was about Lilfira¡¯s question mark skill that she neither knew what it was nor how to use it. I let out a sigh of relief it wasn¡¯t the other topic they were talking about.


    ¡°There are three Tarkees up ahead, Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin informed after using her Echo Sense.


    ¡°Finally. Ok, lure one of them to the side and let Lilfira fight it. We¡¯ll kill the other two and then split up again, just like the last time,¡± I instructed.


    ¡°Yes, Master Rockin. Voras, go,¡± Sylfrin acknowledged it before sending her pet to attract the attention of one of the Tarkees.


    Ranalaiya, Virghel and I, with the help of Sylfrin this time, took down two of the three Tarkees before we went off to find more of them, leaving Tarrion, Krisel, Sylfrin and Lilfira on their own. We went a little further away from them simply because the four of them were strong enough to fight a group of two or three Tarkees on their own. With all of us being in the party, we knew where each one of us were. Us splitting into two groups allowed us to kill more Tarkees, resulting in getting more experience points in the same amount of time.


    ¡°Voras, webshot,¡± Sylfrin ordered her pet, Voras shooting a string of webbing at the Tarkee, hitting its wing and making it stick to its body. With the Tarkee not being able to use one of its wings, it was moving much slower. ¡°Lilfira, now!¡±


    ¡°Strength Boost,¡± Krisel cast her spell on Lilfira.


    ¡°Twin Stab!¡± Lilfira attacked the Tarkee the moment Krisel¡¯s spell landed on her. ¡°Crescent Slash! Armor Pierce! Haah!¡± Lilfira gave her all to take down the creature.


    - ¡°What a nice kill. You truly deserve a reward, sweetheart. You have gained ten experience points and your party members have gained twenty.¡± ¨C Lavita let them know after the Tarkee puffed into a cloud of fairy dust.


    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s find another one,¡± Tarrion said.


    ¡°One moment, I¡¯ll check. Echo Sense,¡± Sylfrin used her skill to check if there were any Tarkees hiding nearby. ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Did you find one, Sylfrin?¡± Lilfira asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not Tarkee. There¡¯s a group of people coming our way and¡­ their body shapes look like dragonkins,¡± Sylfrin informed.


    ¡°What?¡± Lilfira exclaimed.


    Before anyone could say anything else the bodily figures became visible in not too far distance. The forest was rather overgrown and due to Lilfira fighting Tarkee just now, they couldn¡¯t hear anyone approaching them. The shocking truth was, the people who showed up in the distance were actually red dragonkins, just like Sylfrin said.


    ¡°Shit, we need to rejoin Furball now,¡± Tarrion ordered immediately.


    ¡°Huh? What?¡± The women gasped.


    ¡°I said, run!¡± He repeated himself, raising his voice.

 Chapter 129

    - ¡°You are so strong, darling. You have dealt with it with such an ease. Ten experience points for you and twenty for your party members.¡± ¨C Lavita announced after I killed yet another Tarkee.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s the last one here,¡± I said before checking if Tarkee I have killed dropped anything. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Master Rockin, something is approaching us fast,¡± Ranalaiya informed me suddenly.


    ¡°Something approaching us? Is it another Tarkee?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No. From the sound it makes it doesn¡¯t look that way,¡± Ranalaiya said, her ears tensing up to catch an additional sound. ¡°It¡¯s coming from over that direction.¡± She pointed towards the grass overgrown ground. It definitely wasn¡¯t a Tarkee since we could see the grass moving to the sides but couldn¡¯t see whatever was approaching us. In a short moment, a Halluspider jumped out of the grass, stopping right in front of me before releasing a scratching chirp.


    ¡°Huh? That¡¯s Sylfrin¡¯s spiderling, Voras,¡± I recognized it right away.


    ¡°What is it doing here?¡± Ranalaiya asked.


    ¡°Maybe something has happened and Sylfrin sent Voras to get us?¡± Virghel speculated.


    ¡°Ah, crap. Let¡¯s go,¡± I exclaimed before rushing towards to where the rest of our party was.


    {in the meantime where the rest of our party was}


    ¡°Shield Block! Bone Crusher!¡± Tarrion blocked an attack from a dragonkin he was fighting before swinging back at his opponent.


    - ¡®Bam! Slam!¡¯ ¨C


    ¡°Bhaaah!¡± The dragonkin was pushed away after Tarrion¡¯s blow landed, the sound of the impact indicating that the dragonkin¡¯s left arm¡¯s bones were being broken as a result of it too. ¡°You dry-skin¡­ You¡¯ll pay for this!¡± The dragonkin growled at Tarrion.


    ¡°Frostbite! Frostbolt!¡± Sylfrin was fighting off another dragonkin as well.


    ¡°Aargh! You, damn Frost Bat woman!¡± The dragonkin Sylfrin hit with her spells succumbed on one knee, leaning on his spear weapon to not fall down when his right leg became frostbitten.


    ¡°Spark! Lightning Bolt!¡± Krisel cast her own spells on the third dragonkin.


    ¡°Tss¡­ was that supposed to hurt me?¡± The dragonkin scoffed, not looking to be hurt at all.


    ¡°Twinstab!¡± Lilfira jumped at him in an attempt to stab him.


    ¡°Lilfira, no!¡± Krisel cried out.


    - ¡®Bang. Bang.¡¯ ¨C Lilfira¡¯s twin attack was easily blocked by the dragonkin who simply raised the shield he had to defend himself.


    ¡°Crescent Slash!¡± Lilfira followed up with another attack which was blocked as well, the dragonkin not even flinching despite Lilfira giving her all.


    ¡°You half-breed are a disgrace to us red dragonkins! Letting you attempt the Rites of Strength would be the biggest humiliation to us! You will die here like one of the monsters inside this dungeon! Brutal Strike!¡± The dragonkin roared before swinging with his one handed axe at Lilfira.


    ¡°Huh? Parry!¡± Lilfira exclaimed in fear. She was too close to the dragonkin to get away in time, so she tried parrying the dragonkin¡¯s attack, but his attack was so strong, it broke Lilfira¡¯s spear in half before cutting through her armor, inflicting a deep wound on the left side of her body just under her chest. ¡°Aaah!¡± Lilfira cried out from pain after her body was blown away from the powerful strike, Lilfira falling on the ground about twenty feet away from where she was standing.


    ¡°Nooo!¡± Sylfrin shouted, her face becoming painted in horror.


    ¡°You fucking bastard! Haah! Shield Bash!¡± Tarrion jumped in, blowing away the dragonkin who wounded Lilfira before taking a defensive stance to stop the dragonkin from advancing. ¡°Quickly, use a Healing Potion on her!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let them heal her!¡± The dragonkin who was blown away by Tarrion ordered after picking himself up. Tarrion¡¯s Shield Bash was strong enough to blow the dragonkin away, but it didn¡¯t look like the dragonkin was injured by it.


    ¡°Cough, humph,¡± the dragonkin who was hurt by Tarrion¡¯s Bone Crusher swing gulped a Healing Potion of his own before rushing towards where Lilfira was lying.


    ¡°Frost Spear!¡± Sylfrin cast another spell in the meantime.


    ¡°Tch¡­ Ghaaah!¡± The same dragonkin she attacked earlier was stopped in his tracks when Sylfrin¡¯s Frost Spear stabbed him on the same leg from below.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t!¡± Tarrion yelled out before turning to stop the dragonkin who has healed himself and was running towards Lilfira.


    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going? Spinning Tail Slam!¡± But Tarrion was stopped by the first dragonkin who was issuing orders.


    ¡°Dhaah!¡± Tarrion raised his shield just in time to block, but the power of the attack swiped him off his feet, Tarrion falling on the ground as the result of it.


    ¡°No, stop!¡± Krisel tried blocking the other dragonkin¡¯s path with her own body.


    ¡°Out of my way, weakling!¡± The dragonkin who was running to finish Lilfira off simply pushed Krisel away with his hand, easily throwing her away to the side. ¡°Die, half-breed!¡± He then raised his spear, about to stab Lilfira to death.


    ¡°Leap Jump! Shadow Claw!¡± But his attack was interrupted by Ranalaiya slicing at his arm with her claw weapons. The wound was so deep and Ranalaiya¡¯s attack was so fierce that if not for the dragonkin¡¯s armor, she probably would¡¯ve cut his arm off.


    ¡°Aaaah!¡± The dragonkin roared, gripping onto his right arm with his left one, dropping his spear as a result of it.


    ¡°Shield!¡± I followed up with my attack skill, blowing the dragonkin away, the dragonkin falling on the ground, away from Lilfira.


    ¡°What?¡± The dragonkin in charge exclaimed before turning to see what just happened.


    ¡°Double Slash!¡± Virghel jumped at him from the side in an attempt to cut him down.


    ¡°Humph,¡± but the dragonkin reacted in time, blocking her attack with his shield.


    ¡°Huh? Hah,¡± Virghel didn¡¯t take any risks and instead of attacking again, jumped back to a safe distance.


    ¡°Lilfira!¡± Ranalaiya exclaimed, seeing her bleeding.


    ¡°You, damn dry-skins!¡± The dragonkin in charge roared, looking enraged.


    ¡°Heal her, quick!¡± I ordered before turning to the same dragonkin. ¡°You will pay for this, lizardface!¡±


    ¡°Tch, as if I am scared of you, dry-skin. You might be able to save her this time, but don¡¯t think this is over. The half-breed won¡¯t leave this dungeon alive and if any of you stand in our way, neither will you,¡± the dragonkin in charge spoke back to me, hinting to the other two dragonkins with his head they¡¯ll be leaving. The outrageous thing was, all three of them simply turned their backs on us to leave, showing no concern we might attack them from behind.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Tch¡­¡± I gritted my teeth, wanting to smash my shields at their skulls, but I refrained from doing so simple because saving Lilfira¡¯s life was more important right now.


    ¡°Krisel!¡± Tarrion rushed to check on Krisel the moment it was safe to do so.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m fine¡­ Ouch,¡± Krisel said that, but it was obvious she was hurting. The blow from the dragonkin was strong enough and she must¡¯ve had a couple of her ribs broken when he smacked her.


    ¡°Here, drink the potion,¡± Tarrion offered her a Weak Healing Potion.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Krisel picked it up, drinking it right away.


    ¡°Cough, cough,¡± Lilfira coughed out some blood.


    ¡°Here, drink this, but slowly,¡± I offered her a Weak Healing Potion of my own. Ranalaiya used two of them just a moment ago in order to heal the wound on her side, but Lilfira was also bleeding internally. Not to mention, she had other bruises and injures from being blown away and falling hard on the ground. It took four Weak Healing Potions in total to finally help her feel almost fully healed. ¡°Damn it.¡± I cursed even after letting out a sigh of relief to see Lilfira¡¯s life was no longer in danger.


    ¡°Master¡­ Rockin¡­¡± Lilfira spoke up, her voice trembling.


    ¡°Here, here. It¡¯s ok. You¡¯re fine now,¡± I said before hugging her.


    ¡°I was¡­ so scared. I thought I will¡­¡± Lilfira was sobbing.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re ok now. Don¡¯t think about it,¡± I tried to calm her down.


    ¡°Sorry, but¡­ we need to move,¡± Tarrion informed me and I knew why.


    ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s find a safe place to spend the night,¡± I agreed. It wasn¡¯t dark yet and it was yet to start becoming dark, but everyone understood our Tarkee hunt would have to be postponed for now.


    {after we had found a safe place}


    ¡°How is she?¡± Tarrion asked, both of us sitting on the wide branch on a tree.


    We walked for maybe an hour away from where the fight with the dragonkins ensued, finding a slightly more overgrown area with bigger trees, climbing up as high as the branches allowed us to do so before setting up a camp for the night. By the time we hung the hammocks up, it became dark. Instead of starting the fire and cooking some meat for dinner, we ate some ready-made food that Savirei had prepared for us, with the women going to sleep earlier while the two of us stayed up to talk things out. In truth, Lilfira was shaken by what had happened and the rest of the women stayed with her to help her calm down.


    ¡°She¡¯s fine. Well, considering,¡± I said, making a frown.


    ¡°Sorry, Furball. It was my fault,¡± Tarrion apologized.


    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t,¡± I said, knowing I shouldn¡¯t blame him for Lilfira getting injured. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for you, Lilfira might¡¯ve been killed for sure. Besides, Sylfrin said it was your idea to send her pet Voras to us. That was really smart. If it wasn¡¯t for you, we might¡¯ve not been able come back in time. So, thanks.¡±


    ¡°Right. Ok,¡± Tarrion said, taking a deep breath in and then letting out a sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t think it will be safe for us to stay here and hunt Tarkees. Those dragonkins made it clear they don¡¯t want Lilfira to live.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Even if we manage to defend ourselves against them, we won¡¯t be able to farm experience the way we did up till now,¡± I shared my thoughts on it as well.


    ¡°What do you suggest?¡± Tarrion asked.


    ¡°Humph,¡± I grunted before touching my chin to think about something. ¡°How about we go to the lower floor of the dungeon?¡±


    ¡°Lower floor? We could, but the dragonkins could follow us there as well. They are definitely strong enough to take on Goblies,¡± Tarrion said.


    ¡°No, I meant, going directly to the eighth floor,¡± I said.


    ¡°What?¡± Tarrion gasped, giving me a cringe look.


    ¡°Why not? We were planning to go to the eighth floor of the dungeon from the very beginning, weren¡¯t we? Besides, those dragonkins think we are weaklings, so they wouldn¡¯t expect us to go deeper into the dungeon and those Stone Golems would give more experience points too,¡± I reasoned.


    ¡°Yes, but we spoke that maybe we would go down to the eighth floor of the dungeon. Besides, half of our party is too weak to fight Goblies, so fighting Stone Golems will be even more difficult,¡± Tarrion shared his concern and it was a valid concern, really.


    ¡°Yes, I know. However, if we stay on this floor, we risk those dragonkins finding us again and there could be more than three of them that would show up next time. I say fighting Stone Golems would be less dangerous no matter how you look at it,¡± I shared what I thought about it from my own perspective.


    ¡°Ghm¡­ Yes, ok,¡± Tarrion finally agreed. I knew he wasn¡¯t happy about it, but Tarrion also knew those dragonkins finding us again might end up worse. I could bet he was worried about Krisel too. ¡°I¡¯ll lead the way tomorrow.¡± He then said.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I would¡¯ve asked you to anyway,¡± I said, adding a smirk.


    ¡°One more thing I forgot to tell you about the eighth floor,¡± Tarrion said.


    ¡°Forgot? What¡¯s that?¡± I asked him, trying to guess in my head what could it be.


    ¡°There are no trees growing on the eighth floor of the dungeon,¡± he told me.


    ¡°Oh,¡± I quietly gasped, realizing what that meant. ¡°Yeah, ok.¡± I shrugged.


    ¡°Humph. We¡¯ll figure something out when we get there. Right now we better get some good rest. We¡¯ll be moving out early tomorrow,¡± Tarrion added before standing up to go lay down to get some sleep.


    ¡°Agree,¡± I said, following his example.


    We moved out very early in the morning, but instead of killing every Tarkee we came across, we tried to be stealthy and avoid unnecessary fights. Leaving as many Tarkees as we could alive was helpful in a way that anyone going after us would have to fight them. Also, monsters roaming around would be a clear sign nobody had been in that area for a while, confusing the dragonkins that we haven¡¯t passed that way. Unfortunately, we had to keep a slow pace, so reaching the entrance that led to the seventh floor of the dungeon took some time. The only good thing was, as little Tarkees as we had killed, we had still received enough experience points for Lilfira and I to receive one more Level Up offer each, with me leaving the party temporarily, but us not stopping in the meantime.


    Since Lilfira lacked Stamina, and with her chest armor being broken, I suggested Lilfira to add four points to her Stamina stat this time, with the remaining two out of the six stat points she had received to be put into her Strength and Magic Energy one each. As for Lilfira herself, she looked to be fine. I had been in some life or death situations myself in the past, so I know how scary it can be. Lilfira was smiling and looked to be determined to keep going. The incident probably strengthened her resolve to pass the Rites of Strength in order to show all those dragonkins and her father she is stronger than they think.


    We have successfully reached the seventh floor of the dungeon without being found by the red dragonkins. At first, Tarrion¡¯s fear was that the dragonkins might guard the entrance to the seventh floor, expecting for us to show up, but it turned out I was right about them thinking we were weaklings and wouldn¡¯t dare to go deeper into the dungeon. Still, that didn¡¯t mean we could drop our guard down after reaching the seventh floor of the dungeon. Quite the opposite, fighting Goblies was much more difficult than fighting Tarkees. One reason was, there was no sneaking past Goblies. They were able to sniff us out, and once they did, they¡¯d alert the other nearby Goblies with their howls, us needing to fight groups of three, four or sometimes five Goblies before moving on.


    Goblies were fierce monsters, but thankfully they couldn¡¯t climb trees. They had heads that resembled hyena¡¯s head, but their bodies were part animal and part human, and they walked on two legs. Worse yet, they also wore some scrawny leather scraps that could¡¯ve been considered armor and carried weapons that resembled knifes or short swords. In addition, they could lose their weapons, drop on all fours and fight us just like any wild animal would, trying to bite us or rip us to shreds with their sharp claws.


    Since Ranalaiya, Sylfrin and I had been to the seventh floor of the dungeon to hunt down Goblies before, we took charge of the fights for the most part. We¡¯d sometimes let Lilfira try to fight one Goblie, but not by herself. Tarrion would use his Provoke skill to attract the Goblie¡¯s attention, Krisel would boost Virghel¡¯s and Lilfira¡¯s stats, with the two of them fighting it until they took it down. Virghel was level twelve and she was clearly stronger than Lilfira, but it was the first time for Virghel to fight Goblies too, so we took the safe approach. Good thing was, our group was working very well together and we were making good progress, even if it was a slow progress. The downside was, neither I, nor Tarrion knew exactly were the entrance to the eighth floor of the dungeon was, so we used the old, reliable method to find it, we stuck to the dungeon¡¯s wall while going forward.


    We have found the entrance to the eighth floor eventually, but it basically took us all day. We must¡¯ve turned the wrong way after entering the seventh floor, because in my mind we would¡¯ve reached the entrance sooner if we stuck to the dungeon wall while going the opposite way. That was to be confirmed of course. I simply wanted to believe it in my mind for the most part.


    Since the evening was approaching, Tarrion suggested that we better spend the night on the seventh floor, because as he informed me earlier, there were no trees growing on the eighth floor, so we wouldn¡¯t be able to use our hammocks to spend the night safely there. The seventh floor of the dungeon resembled a savannah in a way. It was dry and sometimes rocky, with plenty of bushes around and some trees too. The trees weren¡¯t as big or as wide as they were on the lower floors of the dungeon, but we still managed to find a decent one where we could spend the night on. We ended up setting up a camp about one hour¡¯s walk from the entrance to the eighth floor, give or take.


    All things considered, our day was rather productive as well. We had killed quite a decent number of Goblies, racking up on the experience points that we came here for. This time, it was Krisel and I who have received Level Up offers, me doing my usual thing before declining it and making Lavita upset once again. If we didn¡¯t have to be careful and would¡¯ve hunted Goblies seriously, we would¡¯ve definitely collected enough experience points for someone else to level up as well, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. We needed to be careful even if the red dragonkins attacked Lilfira earlier never considered going to the seventh floor themselves. Again, I didn¡¯t start the fire due to us being not that far from the next floor¡¯s entrance. We did not want to attract anyone¡¯s attention, whoever they might¡¯ve been. We went to sleep early as well, knowing tomorrow we would have to fight harder than ever before.

 Chapter 130

    ¡°One¡­ two¡­ three¡­ four¡­ five?¡± I was counting using my fingers, making pauses to think before saying the next number. We were walking down the pathway towards the eighth floor of the dungeon and I was using our peaceful walk as a chance to review a few things.


    ¡°What¡­ are you doing?¡± Tarrion asked, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°I am trying to figure out how many days we¡¯ve been here already,¡± I said.


    ¡°Hmph, let me think¡­¡± Tarrion said, touching his chin with his right hand and looking slightly up to have a think. ¡°Four. It¡¯s been four days since we¡¯ve entered the dungeon.¡± He then said.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I counted as well, but we have left Hirvant a day after I made an agreement with Sanokard, so that makes a total of five days us being away,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Oh, I see. Yeah, that makes sense,¡± Tarrion agreed.


    ¡°So, let¡¯s say we need four days to return to Hirvant, so that leaves us¡­¡± I started counting how many days we have left to stay in the dungeon. ¡°Five¡­ No, four days to farm as many experience as we can basically.¡±


    ¡°I say three days will be enough for us to return to Hirvant if we simply go back without wasting much time. It was taking two and a half days for my previous party to return to Hirvant from the seventh floor, without making any unnecessary stops of course,¡± Tarrion said.


    ¡°Yes, but I want to be safe we will return on time. Besides, I bet all of us we¡¯ll be tired when we return to Hirvant, including Lilfira. She¡¯ll need a proper rest in order to be at her best during the Rites of Strength,¡± I shared my concerns.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. Sorry,¡± Tarrion apologized.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok. I¡¯d be needing your help for us to get out of the dungeon when the time comes,¡± I said.


    ¡°Sure,¡± he said, continuing to walk forward without us talking much after that.


    ¡°Just a short while ago I would¡¯ve never imagined of going to the eighth floor of the dungeon, especially with my current level, yet here I am,¡± Krisel said, walking together with the rest of the women. While Tarrion and I were planning stuff, the ladies were having a conversation of their own as well.


    ¡°You seem to be excited, Miss Krisel,¡± Sylfrin commented.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s just what I show on the outside. If I were to try and describe my current state, I¡¯d say I am frightfully anxious,¡± Krisel said, showing another smile.


    ¡°I would have to agree with Krisel here. It is the first time for me to go so far into the dungeon myself. I have to admit, I¡¯ve never been further than the fifth floor of the dungeon before. Although, fighting Tarkees wasn¡¯t as difficult as I thought it might be. Fighting Goblies was a different matter, however. If not for Rockin and Tarrion protecting us, I am almost convinced we would¡¯ve never stood a chance,¡± Virghel shared her thoughts as well.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry I couldn¡¯t be of much help when fighting Goblies,¡± Lilfira joined the conversation, feeling sad.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to feel bad about it, Lilfira. You can¡¯t blame yourself just because your current level is lower right now,¡± Ranalaiya said, wanting to cheer her up.


    ¡°Ranalaiya is right. We¡¯re here to help you level up, and once you gain a few more levels, you¡¯ll be strong enough to fight monsters on your own for sure,¡± Sylfrin added, showing a kind yet mild smile.


    ¡°Besides, I believe it was our teamwork for the most part that helped us kill Goblies so easily,¡± Ranalaiya added, sounding confident about it too. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for that, we wouldn¡¯t have done so well in the first place.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true too. Teamwork was what helped us get to this point,¡± Krisel agreed with Ranalaiya, showing a supportive smile.


    ¡°Thank you, everyone,¡± Lilfira finally cheered up, a happy smile appearing on her lips.


    Differently from the women, I was rather excited to see how the eighth floor of the dungeon looked. It was supposed to be all rocky hills and mountains without a single tree or even grass growing anywhere. I tried to imagine it in my head while we walked through the connecting passage, thinking Tarrion must¡¯ve exaggerated a little when he was telling me about it. After all, he said he had never been to the eighth floor of the dungeon before, but once we have reached the exit however, with a wide view opening in front of us, I instantly knew that his words were no exaggeration.


    ¡°Woah,¡± I gasped, looking down at the vast mountainous region.


    The exit led us out on the top of the mountain, literally, and we could see quite far in the distance right after we came outside, and just like Tarrion had said, there was nothing but rocky hills and mountains as far as our eyes could see. Tarrion was right about the greenery as well. There was none. At first, when Tarrion said there were no trees on the eighth floor, I thought there weren¡¯t any large, healthy, green trees, still expecting to see some dried, bare trees here and there, but there weren¡¯t any at all. Neither there were any bushes or grass either. The eighth floor of the dungeon was literally just rocky hills and mountains, and nothing else.


    ¡°Wow,¡± the ladies gasped the moment they came out into the open as well.


    ¡°Such a¡­ vast area,¡± Ranalaiya commented, enjoying the view.


    ¡°What a great view,¡± Krisel said, smiling wide.


    ¡°It looks¡­ beautiful,¡± Virghel commented.


    ¡°This is¡­ the eighth floor of the dungeon?¡± Lilfira gasped, looking to be in awe.


    ¡°There¡¯s truly only the mountains in here,¡± Sylfrin added, though, she didn¡¯t look as surprised or as impressed as the other women were.


    Damn. This floor must be absolutely massive. I didn¡¯t say it out loud, but I was taken aback by how far into the distance the mountains in front of me were reaching. It took us a whole day to get through the seventh floor of the dungeon, even if we were taking the long route, but from the view in front of me it looked like it would take a whole day just to reach the furthest point I could see from where we were and I was convinced it wasn¡¯t the end of the current floor.


    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s go,¡± Tarrion suddenly said, his words sounding like an order as well.


    ¡°Tarrion is right. We better move,¡± I added before following him, the women stepping up in order to walk closer to us.


    I knew why Tarrion wanted to move away from the entrance as soon as possible. Obviously, much fewer adventuring parties would go to the lowest floors of the dungeon, so there was a much lower chance to encounter people here. In addition, parties who would go to the eighth floor of the dungeon or even the lower floors would go there to farm experience or do higher level quests, and probably hope to find some treasure too. As such, no murderers or thieves would risk their lives coming here, but our concern was not the regular looters or thieves. As slim of a chance as it was, those red dragonkins who attacked Tarrion¡¯s party in an attempt to kill Lilfira might show up here as well, so we needed to move.


    ¡°Stick near the cover at all times and be on your guard. I don¡¯t know what to expect here, so we need to be careful,¡± Tarrion said when we were almost at the bottom of the hill.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Since the entrance was on top of the mountain, we had to go down, reaching the foot of the hill in approximately fifteen minutes. The area was uneven to say the least. Lots of rocks and boulders, sizes from several feet to probably over thirty feet and up, giving us plenty of cover, but at the same time, the area was perfect to set up an ambush as well. We were moving slowly, making short stops to listen and check for the Stone Golems that were supposed to inhabit this floor.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see any monsters around us, Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin informed after using her Echo Sense skill.


    ¡°Really?¡± I said, exchanging glances with Tarrion, his face showing we were thinking the same thing. Both of us knew it was too strange to be so quiet. Another weird thing was, we couldn¡¯t see or hear any Stone Golems walking around anywhere. I couldn¡¯t remember seeing any movement when looking down the mountain from the top either. You¡¯d think monsters such as Stone Golems would be easy to spot. Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t, until we found out why.


    ¡°Huh? Master Rockin, there¡¯s movement behind us,¡± Ranalaiya suddenly informed us, her cat-like ears straightening up.


    ¡°What? That¡¯s impossible,¡± I said, feeling suspicious about it. We were so careful walking all this time, there was no chance we would¡¯ve missed anything or anyone as we walked.


    ¡°Ranalaiya is right, Master Rockin. There is a large humanoid looking creature right behind this one big boulder, but¡­¡± Sylfrin informed, her eyes shining yellow. She must¡¯ve been surprised herself that she couldn¡¯t see it just a few moments earlier.


    ¡°Never mind. Prepare to fight,¡± I instructed, rushing back to stand in front of the women. ¡°Hah, come on, show yourself!¡± I raised my voice, pretending to taunt the monster that was most probably a Stone Golem.


    - ¡®Crack, Crumble.¡¯ ¨C The moment I said that, the boulder in front of me suddenly moved, parts of the boulder crumbling down before the said boulder grew arms and a head, making its legs appear underneath it too. A big, bulky, about fifteen feet tall and over five feet wide around its shoulders Stone Golem emerged in front of me suddenly. Within a few more seconds, and after some more rubble fell off its face, two dark, empty eyes appeared on it, the huge stone creature instantly raising its left arm to swing at me.


    ¡°Shit! Shield!¡± I raised my shields to block its swing, my magic shield holding on and not breaking when the Stone Golem¡¯s swing landed. ¡°Hah.¡± I smirked, feeling happy the Stone Golem¡¯s punch wasn¡¯t strong enough to break my defensive magic shield. ¡°Huh? Oh right, there¡¯s another one behind it. Tarrion!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Furball, but I¡¯m busy right now! Shield Block!¡± I thought I¡¯ll call for Tarrion to have him tank the second Stone Golem, but apparently the third one rose up on the other side too, making Tarrion unavailable to help me right now.


    ¡°Damn it. Use every skill you have on the one in front of me to kill it as fast as possible! Shield!¡± I instructed my party members before attacking the golem myself right away. However, the creature didn¡¯t even flinch after my attack hit it. ¡°What the¡­¡± I gasped, not expecting for it to be that tough.


    ¡°Claw Swipe! Swift Cut! Shadow Claw!¡± Ranalaiya unleashed her skills on the Stone Golem. Her attacks landed, yet it didn¡¯t look like much damage was done to it.


    ¡°Quick Strike! Double Slash!¡± Virghel followed with her attacks too from the other side, her attacks sliding through the rocky Stone Golem body¡¯s surface and rising sparks where the metal hit it.


    ¡°Twinstab! Agh!¡± Lilfira jumped in next, thrusting her spear at the Stone Golem, but her attack half-bounced back, Lilfira¡¯s arms receiving an aftershock, almost making her drop her weapon as a result of it too.


    ¡°Get back! Shield!¡± I jumped in to protect Lilfira when the Stone Golem raised its powerful arms to slam her from above. ¡°Oops¡­ Tch¡­¡± This time however, the creature managed to break my defensive magic shield, its attack landing on the shields I held above my head. ¡°Smashing down with both arms gives you extra power, eh?¡± I smirked. The Stone Golem might¡¯ve destroyed my defensive magic shield, but I was still able to block its attack without much trouble. ¡°How are you holding up, Tarrion!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine! Just get rid of those two on your side! Humph,¡± Tarrion responded, standing firm on his feet before blocking Stone Golem¡¯s next attack. He seemed to be doing just fine.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, watch out for the second Stone Golem!¡± I shouted. With the stone creature in front of me being so huge, I couldn¡¯t see the Stone Golem behind it clearly, but Tarrion¡¯s words reminded me it was there. ¡°Slow the other Stone Golem down while we kill the first one!¡± I instructed.


    ¡°Go help them,¡± Tarrion spoke to Krisel who was standing several feet behind him, supporting him with her spells.


    ¡°Yes, ok,¡± she said before turning around and stepping to the side. Krisel could see the other Stone Golem thanks to her being further away from us. ¡°I¡¯ll help. Spark! Huh? What?¡± Krisel cast her spell at the second Stone Golem but her Spark spell did nothing to the creature, not slowing it even for one tenth of a second. ¡°Ok then, Hindering Hex!¡± She then followed up with another of her spells, her Hindering Hex spell slowing the second Stone Golem almost to a standstill. ¡°It will last only ten seconds!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough! Shield! Humph! Sylfrin!¡± I shouted after attacking the closest Stone Golem, wanting to hopefully make it angry, so it would keep its attention on me, jumping away from it the next moment to make space between us when it swung back at me.


    ¡°Yes, Master Rockin. Frostbolt! Frotbite! Frost Spear!¡± Sylfrin instantly unleashed her spells on the creature. Differently from everyone¡¯s else attacks, Sylfrin¡¯s spells were very effective against it, pieces of the Stone Golem crumbling where her spells hit it, also freezing the creature in a spot for a short moment.


    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s finish it! Shield!¡± I instantly rushed in to beat the stone monster to pieces, Ranalaiya and Virghel jumping in to land extra attacks too.


    ¡°Frostbolt!¡± Sylfrin cast her spell when it became available again, showing the Stone Golem was about to crumble completely.


    ¡°Hah! Hah! Haah! Shield!¡± I was smashing it with my shields as hard as I could, the golem finally crumbling to pieces. It was tall, easily twice as tall as a human was, so I was able to reach its stomach at best, but it didn¡¯t matter because doing damage to a monster was still doing damage to it, the Stone Golem finally crumbling and evaporating into a cloud of glowing dust.


    - ¡°Wow, now that was an impressive kill if I ever saw one. You¡¯re doing so well, darling. You have gained sixteen experience points and your party members have gained thirty two.¡± ¨C Lavita was happy to announce it.


    With one of the three Stone Golems killed, and with me and Tarrion tanking, taking down the other two stone creatures wasn¡¯t too hard in the end. We beat down the second Stone Golem to pulp until it crumbled into rock pieces in no time, Lavita letting us know about the experience gain right away. Once the second Stone Golem was killed, all of us jumped on the last one, with Tarrion adding to our damage with his Bone Crusher skill which turned out to be quite effective too. After all, Tarrion had strength to spare himself too.


    - ¡°Well done, cutie pie. With how you moved just now, I couldn¡¯t take my eyes of off you. Sixteen experience points for you and thirty two for your party members.¡± ¨C Lavita let us know after we have finished off the last Stone Golem.


    ¡°Phew¡­ That was¡­¡± I was about to say something but got interrupted by Lavita again.


    - ¡°You just look at that, maximum experience points reached. Time to get naughty, my love. Come on now, don¡¯t make me wait for too long, because I am getting wet just thinking about you jumping on me. Level up is available. Would you like to level up?¡± ¨C As surprising, or not so much, as it was, I have received a Level Up offer again. It was bound to happen sooner rather than later, considering how many Goblies we have killed since my last Level Up offer.


    ¡°Right¡­¡± I mumbled, making a frown.


    ¡°Mind being quick about it?¡± Tarrion grunted, his helmet hiding an unwanted blush on his face.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m doing it together with¡­ Whatever, humph,¡± I wanted to add an explanation, but I knew it was pointless. Everyone in the party already knew the drill, so I simply left the group in order to decline my Level Up offer.


    - ¡°Nooo¡­ How can you do this to me, babe? I was so looking forward to us having sex of our life. Why do you keep declining my offers?¡± ¨C Obviously, Lavita became upset the moment I declined it, making my skin crawl by how real and alive she sounded. ¨C ¡°It can¡¯t be helped, I suppose. But I can¡¯t just leave it be and do nothing after becoming so horny. I¡¯ll just need to show you how much I love you in my own way then, so you will accept my offer next time.¡± ¨C And off she went, Lavita¡¯s words and her ecstatic cries making me so horny, my dick started to hurt due to how hard it had become. I couldn¡¯t do anything about it, of course. Definitely not with everyone watching. I had to bite my lips and bear with it until she was done, Lavita leaving a message behind that my stats had been increased at random, like with all of my previous level up declines.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Master Rockin. It was my fault for not discovering the monsters,¡± Sylfrin apologized the moment I rejoined the party. I could tell she was feeling guilty about it.


    ¡°No, no. Don¡¯t blame yourself. None of us were able to discover those Stone Golems,¡± I told her, trying to reassure her.


    ¡°But wasn¡¯t her ability able to discover Lesser Trents while they were still lying on the ground?¡± Tarrion asked.


    ¡°Tarrion¡­¡± Krisel said, nudging him with her elbow.


    ¡°Ah, sorry,¡± he added, averting his face away.


    In essence, Tarrion was right. Sylfrin could locate hidden monsters, including Lesser Trents while they were still lying on the ground with her Echo Sense and I was certain Sylfrin wouldn¡¯t lie to us about not seeing Stone Golems until they had moved. We were surprised by what has happened for sure, but I didn¡¯t want to blame Sylfrin for it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Sylfrin. Let¡¯s continue exploring this floor and be extra careful. Make sure you take extra time to check our surroundings going forward, ok?¡± I spoke to Sylfrin.


    ¡°Yes, Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin responded, acknowledging it.

 Chapter 131

    ¡°So, these were the Stone Golems?¡± I spoke to Tarrion before we were to move out.


    ¡°Lesser Stone Golems most probably,¡± he said.


    ¡°Right, there¡¯s normal Stone Golems here as well,¡± I said before adding. ¡°Still, you didn¡¯t have trouble holding out, did you?¡±


    ¡°No, not really, but the normal Stone Golems would be much stronger,¡± Tarrion shared his concerns.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± I agreed.


    After a short chat, we continued onward. We were at the bottom of the mountain from where we came from and had multiple choices which the direction we could take to go. A vast, rocky valley was looking right in front of us, not offering any particular path that would be better than any other path we would take. After a quick debate, we turned towards the area that was leading to another mountain, mainly because once we reached it, we wouldn¡¯t be seen from the top of the mountain where the entrance to this floor was.


    We were walking slowly just like before, with Sylfrin constantly using her Echo Sense skill in order to spot any Lesser Stone Golems that were hiding somewhere. Having Lesser Stone Golems break out of the rock boulders, we were wary of getting too close to the bigger ones and only after Sylfrin confirmed those were just normal rocks, we moved on. However, the same thing happened as before. After a short walk, one of the rock boulders behind us shook and broke, a Lesser Stone Golem appearing out of it, with another one appearing right in front of us as well.


    ¡°No. That was just a normal rock boulder, I was certain of it,¡± Sylfrin exclaimed when the big rock materialized into a living stone creature.


    ¡°Maybe it was,¡± I commented before gripping my shields tighter.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Sylfrin became a little confused.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Let¡¯s kill them!¡± I instructed everyone.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the one in front of us,¡± Tarrion said before going to meet the stone monster.


    With only two Lesser Stone Golems around, we have killed them faster than when it was three of them. Lesser Stone Golems were tough and strong, and they didn¡¯t go down easily, but they traded power and toughness for speed, so after beating them up good, both of them crumbled to pieces eventually.


    - ¡°Good job, lover boy. I knew you could do it. Sixteen experience points for you and thirty two for your party members.¡± ¨C Lavita was happy to announce our experience gain.


    ¡°Phew, they are tough cookies,¡± I said, stretching my shoulders in order to relax my muscles.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t Stone Golems for nothing,¡± commented Tarrion. We were tanking the second Lesser Stone Golem together, so he was standing next to me right now.


    ¡°Well, what do you think?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe she can¡¯t see through the disguise because her level is too low?¡± Tarrion offered an explanation.


    ¡°Hey, that¡­ makes sense,¡± I agreed, touching my chin to think about it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Master Rockin, but I honestly couldn¡¯t see that rock boulder being a living creature,¡± Sylfrin started apologizing the moment Lavita went quiet.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, Sylfrin. I believe you,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Huh? You¡­ believe me, Master Rockin?¡± Sylfrin asked, my words surprising her.


    ¡°Of course, I do. Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Thank you, Master Rockin,¡± she was glad to hear I believed her, but her concern that she couldn¡¯t see the Lesser Stone Golems hiding in form of rock boulders was still there.


    ¡°Tarrion made an observation that maybe due to your own level being lower than the Lesser Stone Golem¡¯s level you couldn¡¯t see them as living creatures while they were hiding. We¡¯re on the eighth floor of the dungeon after all and they say only parties of level fifteen and above would risk coming here,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Oh, is that so? Ok, I understand that, but if I can¡¯t see where the monsters are, we won¡¯t know when we will be attacked, Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin was still concerned about our safety.


    ¡°We¡¯ll just have to figure something out,¡± I said that, but I was yet to figure the something out part.


    ¡°We¡¯ll just need to be careful and take down those Lesser Stone Golems as fast as we can,¡± Tarrion said.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± I sort of agreed with him, but at the same time, I didn¡¯t feel like we should just walk into an ambush every single time. Besides, from the two fights we¡¯ve just had, we were able to take down a group of two and a group of three Lesser Stone Golems, however, if we were to encounter four or more of these stone creatures in one go, it might become problematic. I needed some sort of solution for that.


    ¡°Huh? You have something on your mind?¡± Tarrion asked after noticing my thoughtful facial expression.


    ¡°Yeah, sort of. I have an idea I¡¯d like to test out. Let¡¯s move out, shall we?¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Tarrion said without asking for a clarification.


    We walked a short while, until I asked for everyone to stop.


    ¡°What is it, Master Rockin?¡± Ranalaiya asked.


    ¡°Wait here a moment, ok?¡± I instructed before picking up a rock that fit into my palm, walking a few steps forward. ¡°Humph!¡± Then threw the rock at the stone boulder about fifty feet away from us that was about the size of those Lesser Stone Golems we have fought. The stone bumped at the big boulder before falling on the ground, nothing happening after that.


    I guess it¡¯s just a regular stone boulder. I thought to myself when nothing happened.


    ¡°I see. You wanted to force them to come out,¡± Tarrion picked up on what I was trying to do.


    ¡°Yeah. I thought it¡¯d be better than being ambushed all the time,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like that one was a Stone Golem, though,¡± Tarrion added.


    ¡°Seems that way,¡± I agreed before picking up another rock and throwing it at another sharp on the edges looking stone boulder. I put in some extra strength into my throw this time too.


    - ¡®Crack. Crumble.¡¯ -


    It almost made me jump when the second rock boulder cracked and moved suddenly, a Lesser Stone Golem emerging out of it.


    ¡°Nice going, Furball. I¡¯ll get that one,¡± Tarrion smirked before rushing the stone creature. ¡°Provoke!¡± Getting it to focus its attention on him right away.


    ¡°Hey, any golems coming at us from behind us?¡± I shouted to check.


    ¡°No, Master Rockin! But I can see two more coming further away in front of us!¡± Sylfrin informed loud enough for me to hear.


    Just as I thought. They come in groups after all. I thought to myself, feeling happy I was right about that part too.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Ok, great! Let¡¯s kill this first one quick!¡± I instructed, my party members unleashing themselves on the Lesser Stone Golem that Tarrion was tanking.


    - ¡°That was wonderful, darling. You have gained sixteen experience points and your party members have gained thirty two.¡± ¨C Was one last message from Lavita after we have killed the third and the last Lesser Stone Golem.


    ¡°That made things a little easier,¡± Tarrion commented after the fight.


    ¡°Totally,¡± I said with a wide grin on my face.


    Since my ingenuous idea of throwing rocks to find the hiding Lesser Stone Golems actually worked, we have decided to keep using it. Fighting golems one by one was so much easier, not that it was easier to kill them. For starters, they were really tough and needed us to give them a very good beating. Second, normal weapons were almost ineffective against the Lesser Stone Golems. Ranalaiya¡¯s attacks were stronger and sharper than Virghel¡¯s attacks, but cutting stone was still cutting stone. In addition, Ranalaiya¡¯s Shadow Claw wasn¡¯t inflicting any bleeding and Virghel¡¯s Spider Queen¡¯s Pincer chance on hit effect couldn¡¯t apply any poison on them simply because rocks could neither bleed nor could be poisoned. Same was with Sylfrin¡¯s pet Voras. It was trying to bite and scratch at the stone creature it was attacking during the fitghts, but the damage it was doing was questionable.


    Tarrion was mostly tanking, but his strength stat was pretty high and he was using mace as his weapon. Apparently, blunt attacks worked much better on the Lesser Stone Golems than slicing or slashing attacks which wasn¡¯t a very big surprise, really. Krisel¡¯s Spark and Lightning Bolt spells were completely ineffective, however. Rocks were resistant to lighting after all. Lilfira tried attacking during the fights now and then too, but it was obvious her attacks did little to no damage to the Lesser Stone Golems simply because she was too low of a level and her stats were too low despite the fact strength was her dominant stat. Compared to the others, Lilfira had lower quality gear and less bonus stats too, so her total Strength stat wasn¡¯t high enough to do serious damage, but it was a good experience for her.


    We had one person in our party who quickly rose up to be our party¡¯s main damage dealer, however. It was Sylfrin. Differently from Krisel¡¯s Lightning Magic spells, Sylfrin¡¯s Frost Magic spells were very effective against the stone creatures. We quickly worked out a rotation to make the best use of Sylfrin¡¯s spells, helping us defeat the Lesser Stone Golems faster. Well, maybe not faster-faster, but after fighting those stone creatures several times, we¡¯ve learned how to kill them in the most effective and efficient way possible. Once we became confident our tactics worked, our hunt for the Lesser Stone Golems had begun for real.


    - ¡°What a joy to my eyes and ears, my love. You have reached maximum experience points just now and you are ready for another level up and hopefully not only for a level up, if you know what I mean? You know, I couldn¡¯t have asked for a better timing since I was missing you so much. Come now, let¡¯s enjoy each other to the fullest. Level up is available. Would you like to level up?¡± ¨C Lavita announced only after a couple of hours of us killing Lesser Stone Golems.


    ¡°Say what? You¡¯ve got another Level Up offer again, Furball?¡± Tarrion asked, looking and sounding surprised.


    ¡°Well, with how my leveling works, I need only seven hundred experience points right now to reach my next level up,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Tarrion grunted, not that he was angry or anything.


    ¡°Might be a good idea to take a break since we¡¯ve been fighting non-stop for a while?¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Sure. Might as well eat something too,¡± Tarrion agreed.


    Obviously, I had to leave the party to decline Lavita¡¯s Level Up offer, but since there were no trees around, I had to stick close to my group. It¡¯s not that there wasn¡¯t anywhere to hide behind, but given we were on the eighth floor, and fighting multiple Lesser Stone Golems solo was a no go for me just yet, I decided not to risk it. I went to sit on some rock about thirty to forty feet away from everyone else before declining Lavita¡¯s Level Up offer, facing away so the others wouldn¡¯t see all of my facial expression I knew I would make while listening to Lavita pleasuring herself.


    Before Lavita really got into it, Ranalaiya and Sylfrin surprised me by coming to sit next to me from both sides. At first, I became worried they might try something in the middle of Lavita¡¯s performance, but they simply kept me company. Well, ok, both of them were leaning close to me while hugging both of my arms from both sides. That got my fantasies going and I was starting feeling hot for real, also becoming worried this might not end well. Noticing me starting to become anxious, Sylfrin simply said: ¡®We¡¯re here to help you relax, Master Rockin. We¡¯re both your women and you can rely on us too.¡¯ Her words put me at ease in an instant.


    Ranalaiya and Sylfrin giving me kisses after Lavita was done was an added bonus too. Of course, that made a few other women jealous as a result of it. Big surprise. I¡¯d give good morning and good night kisses to Lilfira too now, so letting her kiss me after I returned wasn¡¯t an issue, but I knew Virghel liked me too. However, we weren¡¯t exactly close with Virghel yet, so us kissing each other right now would¡¯ve felt awkward.


    ¡°Mind if I ask how many Level Up offers you have received since we¡¯ve entered the dungeon?¡± Tarrion asked after I sat down to have a drink.


    It was only the two of us right now. A few of the ladies needed to do what we all need to do on a regular basis, so we had all of them go together to do that for safety reasons. It wasn¡¯t a topic you¡¯d talk about, but the dungeon was very kind to us in regards to us leaving our ¡®gifts¡¯ for it. The dungeon was consuming our excrements within minutes, leaving no traces, nor any smell behind. Maybe it was preserving its authority over us this way, not allowing us to mark ¡®our¡¯ territory within its domain. I wasn¡¯t exactly comparing humans to dogs here, but that¡¯s the most reasonable explanation I could come up with while I was still living at that Secret Area inside the dungeon. It also made my living much, much cleaner too.


    ¡°Oh, ahm¡­ damn, I don¡¯t know. I¡¯d need to think about it,¡± I said, tilting my head up. ¡°Three¡­ maybe four?¡±


    ¡°Really? I thought it was more than four,¡± he said.


    ¡°Maybe. I wasn¡¯t exactly counting. It¡¯s our fourth day inside the dungeon now,¡± I said.


    ¡°Mind if I see your stats?¡± Tarrion asked.


    ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± I agreed.


    ***


    Rockin Starling. Level 7.


    Class: Shielder.


    Character Stats:


    Stamina ¨C 54+23


    Strength ¨C 67+14


    Agility ¨C 27+6


    Spell Power ¨C 8


    Magic Energy ¨C 15


    Growth ¨C 6


    ***


    The bonus stats from my equipment were lower right now because I had my shields unequipped, but I knew Tarrion was more interested in my base stats.


    ¡°Your Stamina was increased by four and your Strength by six since the last time you showed me your stats,¡± Tarrion commented the moment he saw my stats.


    ¡°Yeah, maybe,¡± I said, feeling half-perplexed. I didn¡¯t expect him to remember how my stats looked since I showed them to him right before we had entered the dungeon. Of course, he only mentioned my Stamina and Strength stats, but I was certain my Agility was increased with one of my level up declines as well. My Spell Power and Magic Energy could¡¯ve been increased as well, not that I could remember it now.


    ¡°You were so damn lucky to acquire your Overgrowth skill, Furball,¡± Tarrion commented, not hiding he was envious of it.


    ¡°Lucky, you say? Hah, it was more because of my stupidity, really,¡± I said, scoffing at myself.


    ¡°Stupidity? Humph, I¡¯d trade that for all of my levels if I could in a blink of an eye,¡± Tarrion said.


    ¡°No, you wouldn¡¯t. It almost got me killed more than a few times back then,¡± I told him, making a frown when I remembered the time I was living at that Secret Area on the third floor of the dungeon.


    ¡°But you survived,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I guess I was somewhat lucky in that regard after all,¡± I had to agree on that part with him.


    ¡°Mind¡­ mind if I ask what you did to acquire your Overgrowth skill?¡± Tarrion asked, hesitation and extreme curiosity being heard in his voice.


    ¡°What I did?¡± I basically asked a question addressing myself. I never thought about it, but it could¡¯ve been that Tarrion was curious to know for a long time now. ¡°Like I said, because of my stupidity.¡±


    ¡°Ghm¡­ Humph, fine,¡± Tarrion grunted, averting his face before furrowing his eyebrows and making a frown.


    ¡°It¡¯s the truth. I was declining my Level Up offers while I was at level one,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Eh? You were declining your level ups while being level one?¡± Tarrion looked at me again. ¡°Ok, that makes sense. How many Level Up offers you had to decline in order to receive your Unique Skill?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know and I never thought about it that way. I was just¡­ declining my level ups on purpose, that¡¯s all,¡± I said.


    ¡°On purpose?¡± He looked at me strangely. He didn¡¯t ask the question he wanted to ask, but I knew what he was thinking.


    ¡°Because I was stupid. I lived in that Secret Area on the third floor of the dungeon for over a year probably. I don¡¯t know how I got there, but I was trapped and my whole world was thrown upside down. I was angry, mad, bitter, furious, you name it. I was pretty ignorant and dumb back then about this worl¡­ this whole level up thing and¡­ because of the things that had happened in my life in my past, I simply refused to accept my Level Up offers. I had never expected to acquire the Overgrowth Skill because of it, though,¡± I told him a little bit about what had happened, almost tripping and revealing I come from a different world entirely.


    ¡°But you did,¡± Tarrion said after a short pause after I finished talking.


    ¡°Well¡­ yeah and¡­ I¡¯m actually glad that I did,¡± I said, scratching my left cheek with a finger.


    ¡°Humph,¡± Tarrion rolled his eyes in response. After that, we didn¡¯t talk much, but waited for the ladies to return.


    ¡°Hi, we¡¯re back,¡± Krisel said before adding. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for us taking so long, but Sylfrin has found something that might be of interest to you, Rockin.¡±


    ¡°Really? What did you find, Sylfrin?¡± I became instantly curious.


    ¡°We¡¯d have to go back over there for me to show you, Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin told me.


    ¡°Oh, ok. What is it?¡± I agreed, but then still asked because of how curious I felt.


    ¡°It¡¯s a plant,¡± Sylfrin said.


    ¡°A plant? Wait,¡± I tilted my head to the side before turning to look at Tarrion.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s my first time here, remember? And I have told you what people who usually come here have told me,¡± Tarrion said in his defense.


    ¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t say anything,¡± I showed a silly smile in my own defense before turning to the rest of our group. ¡°I guess we can move out now anyway. Please show us to where you have seen that plant, Sylfrin.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master Rockin,¡± Sylfrin said.


    All of us equipped our weapons, and shields, and then we moved out.