ã€ŠMy Succubus Systemã€‹


 Chapter Character Art / Descriptions / Lore

    Character Art / Descriptions / Lore

    View thements section to see original character art for characters of My Subus System as they are created.

    ¡ª¡ªLore¡ª¡ª-

    Adventia is an isekai world where souls are pulled, beckoned to a new calling. There are hundreds of adventurer sses in the world of Adventia, predominantly split into 6 categories:

    Strikers

    Casters

    Healers

    Beastia

    Servicemen / Utilities

    and Specialists.

    Each category has its own merits and roles, together the adventurers must contend to keep the world safe from the threat of Grimlock. The Grimlock are otherworldly creatures which seek to overrun Adventia.

    ¡ª¡ªCharacters Of MSS¡ª¨C

    * * * Agni Heartfyre * * *

    Description : Red, long hair (reaches mid-back). Reddish Eyes. She has a long slender tail with a heart / spade shaped tip and small horns.

    Height : 170 (5¡¯7) cm

    Cup Size : C

    ss : Subus

    * * * Katrin Voss * * *

    Description : Brte, shoulder length hair Green Eyes. Busty with a warm aura.

    Height : 162 (5¡¯4) cm

    Cup Size : E

    ss : Scribe

    Katrin¡¯s personality is warm. She¡¯s bright and inquisitive. She enjoys learning new things and practicing magic.

    * * * Z Rigart * * *

    Description : Tall, long ck hair. Fuchsia colored eyes. Sultry appearance, yet her eyes belie a certain sadness.

    Height : 175 (5¡¯9) cm

    Cup Size : C

    ss : Courtesan

 Chapter 1: Busty Flotation Devices

    Chapter 1: Busty Flotation Devices

    ¡°Huh? Where the hell am I?¡± He thought as his eyes popped open. Water as far as the eye could see, clear and buoyant as his body floated downward.

    He looked up where he could see the light of the sun and decided to swim towards it. His body felt strange, incredibly light yet somewhat imbnced. Finally after several strokes he broke the surface of the water and inhaled with a loud gasp.

    ¡°Ahh! Air. That feels great, wait ¡ª huh?¡± He said, thoroughly confused. The voiceing out of his body wasn¡¯t his. As a matter of fact, the body itself wasn¡¯t his!

    He nced down at his chest only to find silky smooth tan skin,rge round melons which floated in the water like busty flotation devices.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± He shouted as he gazed down, he then looked at his hands and arms. Slender and soft ¡ª definitely the arms of a woman. He grasped his chest and was amazed at the softness of his own breasts.

    ¡°These are¡­pretty awesome. Definitely C cups. And these nipples¡­oh, wait that feels kind of nice¡­¡± he said as he tweaked his own nipples.

    ¡°I guess..I¡¯m a woman?¡± He thought to himself as he began to free float in the body of water, which he soon realized was arge pool. He nced down across the extent of his body. Curvy hips, just the right amount of thigh thickness and a bald mound between his thighs.

    ¡°Fuck, my pussy looks so good¡­¡± She thought to herself.

    She righted herself in the pool and nced around, the area seemed secluded ¡ª trees all around, a few sculpted statues and not much else. If she had to guess, she was in the ruins, a forest or perhaps both. She slid her hands down the length of her body, starting at her chest and slowly moving down ; her voluptuous breasts, her abdomen, and finally down between her thighs.

    There a ball of heat was building, an intense pressure she¡¯d never known as a man.

    ¡°I-Is this what it¡¯s like to be horny as a woman? It¡¯s like a fire¡­.¡± She remarked as her fingers greedily slipped between her soft lips. The sensation of cool water against her hot body was a nice contrast. She bit her lip in anticipation before she went to slide her finger inside ¡ª

    ¡°Ahem!¡± The female voice was loud and clear, it reverberated over the water, startling her.

    ¡°A-ah.. oh¡­um, hello.¡± She said nervously as she took notice of an older woman d in silver armor with leather straps. Her skin was weathered, though she was still remarkably attractive in her own way. Her gaze was stern, but not dis inviting, her eyes crystal blue , her skin much more tan than her own and her hair was nearly tinum blonde with small streaks of brown here and there.

    ¡°I am Wa, Guardian of the Wilderness Tabernacle. And you are?¡± Wa said, her arms folded expectantly as she awaited a response from the young, nude woman.

    Sheughed nervously before responding.

    ¡°I am? He he¡­Ummm.¡±

 Chapter 2: A Gathering Of Busty Beauties

    Chapter 2: A Gathering Of Busty Beauties

    ¡°So..where are you taking me exactly? I feel a little¡­exposed..¡± She said as she covered her breasts with one arm and her crotch with the other.

    ¡°You¡¯re the final arrival on this summoning day. It¡¯s time to go ahead and get the ball rolling on the orientation. We¡¯re all women here, your natural state shouldn¡¯t be a problem should it?¡± Wa asked as she walked just ahead of her.

    ¡°N-no.. Not really.¡± She responded.

    There was an awkward silence between the two as they walked through the forest.

    ¡°Exactly how far is this meeting ce?¡± She thought to herself as she looked around. The ground was paved, though the grass had broken through the cobblestone road in many ces. The nt growth was all around, trees which stretched as high as the eye could see, bushes and vines which had overtaken poles, rocks and otherndscape features.

    ¡°So, is itmon for a person to forget their name after, what did you call it? A summoning?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Yes, quitemon. After all, I was the same once. And to be honest you may never fully remember your past life. What do you remember so far?¡± Wa asked as she continued walking.

    ¡°Well, honestly.. I used to be a man. At least I think I was. This body doesn¡¯t seem¡­natural to me. Although I¡¯m getting used to it.¡±

    ¡°Mmm. I see.¡±

    Judging by Wa¡¯s response this wasn¡¯t such a huge surprise to her.

    ¡°Anything else?¡± Wa added.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s it.¡± She replied.

    ¡°Well, give it time. Besides, we¡¯re about to choose a new name for you now anyway.¡± Wa said, a slight air of reassurance behind her words.

    After fifteen minutes walk the two finally made it to a small clearing with arge marble statue. There at the foot of the statue were a set of stairs and over two dozen young women standing about. What¡¯s more, most of them looked just as ufortable as she felt, most likely because they were stark naked.

    She couldn¡¯t help but bite her lip, no doubt her face betrayed her excitement as she cast nces from woman to woman. Bodies of all types, breasts big and small. Pink nipples, dark chocte nipples, red hair, blondes.. The more she looked the more she wondered what good deed she¡¯d done in a past life to be blessed with such a feast for her eyes.

    Wa motioned for her to join the group of other women as she walked to the front of the crowd. As she slipped into the group of women she noticed a dark skinned woman with an extremely fit body staring at her. Her abs were chiseled, her arms muscr, indeed she couldn¡¯t help but stare back at the fit woman. The dark haired beauty shed a smile, prompting her to turn and face the front.

    ¡°What the fuck was that? My heart just spazzed out!¡± She thought internally as she sped her chest.

    ¡°Attentiondies. Wee to the Adventia. You may be wondering how you arrived at this ce. All of you here are travelers from another realm and a different life. As sentient beings who performed some event of merit your souls were collected and recycled into the great game we call life once more. Many of you have memories from your past life, those of you who do will find this a smallfort. Those of you whock memories, fear not for this ce, the Wilderness Tabernacle, was designed to help you quickly get up to speed with your new life.¡± Wa spoke loudly so that all within the crowd could hear.

    ¡°What did she say? A whole other?¡±

    ¡°You mean¨CI- I died?!¡±

    ¡°No way. This must be some kind of weird dream, right?¡±

    A shock wave of murmurs rippled through the crowd as various women whispered to one another in disbelief.

    ¡°I will now impart upon you your blessing as an adventurer. Everyone here, hold up your left hand.¡± Wamanded.

    She did as beckoned, struggling to keep her eyes in check as the gentle bounce of perky breasts caught her gaze.

    Wa then closed her eyes and sped her hands together. A white magical circle appeared at her feet and traveled the length of her body before stopping at her crown. This circle spun several times before fading away then suddenly Wa¡¯s hair began to flow with the wind as a gust of air traveled outward, touching all within the crowd along the midriff. The sensation was so rxing that she forgot where she was for just a moment. The strange energy flowed up along her spine and eventually settled on her raised left hand, revealing a strange mark.

    ¡°This is called the blessing of adventurers, Systema. This spell will allow you to interface with thews of this world and grant you extra ordinary power.¡± Wa exined.

    [Please, enter your name. _______ ] A strange prompt appeared before her eyes.

    Nothing came to mind and so she made to say as much when the prompt changed.

    [Registering randomly generated name. Agni Heartfyre. Is this eptable?]

    ¡°I guess¡­¡± She thought to herself, and once more the system responded by epting the name.

    ¡°Hey, wait¨C¡°

    [Name cannot be changed once selected.] Came the response.

    Agni clicked her tongue loudly and rolled her eyes, there was little she could do after all.

    [Adventia System, Online.] The words appeared next, followed by a percentage which rapidly began to rise. Around this time Agni felt a tingling sensation rising up from the tips of her toes to the crown of her head.

    [Scan Complete. Auto-Assigning Adventure ss]

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Agni whispered to herself as she watched a massive interface expand before her. Within each box was a small icon representing one of hundreds of adventure sses. Warriors of all types, magic wielders and even monster sses.

    ¡°This is pretty awesome.¡± Agni whispered in amazement as she watched the system scroll through dozens of sses before the cursor stopped on a particr one.

    ¡°Wait¨C Su¨C¡± Agni barely got the words out of her mouth before a bright yellow light enveloped her body. She could feel a cold sensation tracing its way along the surface of her skin in various ces as her magical veins began to grow in. Next her lower back felt warm as a long, thin ck tail sprouted out, at the end was a spear shaped tail. Agni could feel her incisors growing longer and sharper ever so slightly , her fingernails growing longer as well. Finally she could feel pressure against her skull as two horns began to grow in.

    The whole process took less than half a minute and during the process Agni felt absolutely no pain, in fact it felt exhrating. She opened her eyes and noticed she¡¯d undergone aplete physical change. Her body felt¡­heavier, more muscr perhaps? Her hair had grown longer and changed color as well, once a brte color it was now a scarlet red color and reached down to the middle of her back.

    ¡°This is¡­amazing..¡± Agni said to herself as her tail flitted to and fro, it seemed to have a mind of its own until she focused upon it. She could also feel a strange power swirling within her, she instinctively recognized it as magic and the feel of it was bubbling out, so much so that a thin aura of energy began to waft upwards from her body.

    [ss Selection Complete : Agni Heartfyre, ss : Lower Subus ¨C Registered.]

 Chapter 3: To Be An Adventurer

    Chapter 3: To Be An Adventurer

    Agni felt like a new person, for a moment she forgot herself and ran her fingers down the length of her body as a lip biting sensation of ecstasy overcame her. This didn¡¯tst long however as she realized almost all eyes were now on her.

    She blushed and put her hands behind her back, her tail drooping somewhat as she tried her best to disappear. Agni nced around at the womenposing the crowd, all of them seemed different for the most part. Some still retained human forms but their hair or skin color was altered. Others had taken on the form of various types of beast men or monsters, slime girls, cyclops, nekomata ¡ª so many variations. It seemed that Agni herself was the only exception in terms of demon type adventurer ss.

    ¡°Excellent. Well done epting the Systema everyone ¡ª I¡¯m sure now you understand why I didn¡¯t have you get clothed beforehand. Now, over the next three days I¡¯ll be teaching you how to make your living in this world as an adventurer. Adventia is a world where people like us enjoy numerous benefits. As adventurers we alone enjoy the ability of ¡°leveling¡±, that is near endless evolution that can grant us rapid power increases. Because there are well over two thousand different variations of adventurer sses in the world, how one gains is slightly different for each. For those of you centered aroundbat, you may gain experience more quickly by engaging in battle with a specific weapon as an example. Others may find that they can grow simply by crafting items, no matter your ss it is customized ording to the tasks best tailored to you.¡± Wa exined.

    ¡°To ess your Systema, simply lift your left hand and speak or think the words ¡°Systems ess¡±. Try it now.¡± Wamanded.

    ¡°Syste¨C¡± Before Agni could even finish her words her view was filled with various bars along the top left of the HUD and several small, circr icons in the lower right.

    ¡°You should see your basic HUD before you now. You can ess any of the menus in the bottom right corner by speaking the name, or once again focusing on the icon. Try visiting your status menu, the icon with the heart shaped icon at the center.

    Agni did as instructed effortlessly, though some of the women around her seemed to be having significant trouble.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡±

    [Agni Heartfyre]

    [Age : 18]

    [ss : Subus Lvl : 0]

    [Adv. Tier : 0 ]

    [Health : 69/69]

    [Mana : 25/25]

    [Strength : 4 (6)]

    [Agility : 6 (9)]

    [Speed : 3]

    [Soul : 9]

    [Charm : 12]

    [Passives-

    Demonic Heritage (1) ¨C Abnormal strength bestowed by your demonic bloodline. +50% to base strength and agility.]

    [Skills-

    None.]

    [Potential : 0/50]

    [Current Exp: 26]

    ¡°Once you¡¯ve gotten the hang of essing your menu, follow me to the next part of the Tabernacle.¡± Wamanded as she began to walk away from therge crowd of women. Only four people followed immediately, Agni being one of them.

    ¡°Nice horns.¡± Agni heard the words first and felt the smack on her ass before she could even react. It came as a shock to her at first, so much so that she had to ask herself the question.

    ¡°D-did someone just smack me on the ass?¡±

    She nced after the young woman who shot her a grin and continued following Wa. It was the same dark skinned girl from before. Surprisingly her features had not changed much, her hair was shorter, her muscles seemed much more pronounced and her eyes had turned from brown to green.

    Agni felt herself biting her lip, something she¡¯d been doing quite a lot for the past few minutes. She couldn¡¯t quite ce it but Agni felt as if something was smoldering inside of her, it felt more like a dark desire that she could be swept up in if she wasn¡¯t too careful.

    She continued following Wa as she focused on thedies who had taken the lead and their round hips and asses. The sight of their bodies jiggling as they walked sent a wave of anticipation rippling through Agni¡¯s body.

    For a moment she lost herself in the moment as her hand reached out instinctively to touch and feel.

    ¡°Holy shit¡­ what am I doing?¡± She remarked to herself, stopping herself at thest moment. She took several deep breaths and calmed herself before following along with Wa and the others. She led them to a nearby hut which could be seen from the Tabernacle statue.

    ¡°You may change here. You can also choose any equipment suitable to your ss, it¡¯s yours for the taking.¡± Wa instructed before she stepped outside of the hut to await more of the adventurers in training.

    ¡°That was simple, eh?¡± The dark skinned woman remarked as she walked over to a nearby rack of under armor and pulled one off. No one really answered her and Agni could rte to the feeling, after all who would be sofortable with their current situation in such a short amount of time? Agni wondered if there were any other men turned women within her group and even if there were, what would be the best way to go about broaching that conversation?

    Then there was the matter of her newly female body. She kept fighting the impulse to nce down at her crotch and hide a penis that no longer existed. By contrast the weight of her breasts threw her stride out of whack. Agni found it difficult to adjust to the new proportions of her body after such a short time. She was slowly bing ustomed to it but¨C

    Smack! The sound of a hand pping hard against her ass cheek reverberated across the room.

    ¡°Am I right sugar!?¡± The dark skinned girl struck again but Agni¡¯s reaction to the smack was more different than she anticipated. A strange smile spread across her lips as the tingling sensation of pain slowly faded away into the tender sting of bliss. She brought her fingers up to her lips and bit on then nervously as her eyes widened. Something strange must have happened because as she made eye contact with the dark skinned girl she grimaced and took a step or two backwards.

    Agni nced over to a nearby mirror and gained full body view of herself for the very first time. Small, curved horns adorned the side of her head and her ears were slightly pointed. Her lips seemed unnaturally red, flush even as were her cheeks. Her eyes were the strangest of all perhaps ¡ª they were glowing with a faint pink glow thatpletely threw Agni off once she looked at herself in the mirror.

 Chapter 4: Damn, Im Cute!

    Chapter 4: Damn, I¡¯m Cute!

    Agni gazed at her own reflection for quite some time and eventually the glow of her amber colored eyes faded away.

    ¡°Weirdo, that one..¡± The dark skinned girl said as she walked over to the other side of the hut and began harassing another woman. Soon other naked women began to filter into the hut, more than half a dozen. Since things were getting cramped Agni decided now might be the best time to get dressed. She walked across the room towards several shelves which held pieces of gear, armor, bracers, boots, etc. As she did so she heard a peculiar sound.

    ¡°Ooo! Unn!¡±

    Agni stopped in her tracks and wrinkled her brows as she couldn¡¯t quite ce the noise.

    ¡°Uhnn!¡± The noise happened again, this time more pronounced.

    ¡°Could you¡­ please?¡± A woman¡¯s voice pleaded as she ced her hand on Agni¡¯s shoulder. Agni turned to face her only to feel a sense of dreade over her. It seems her tail really did have a mind of its own ¡ª it had begun to slither between a youngdy¡¯s thighs as Agni passed. The tip of her tail flicked dangerously close to her lips. Agni blushed and quickly grabbed her tail as she apologized profusely.

    ¡°I AM SO SORRY!¡± She nearly shouted as she grabbed her twitching tail and pressed it against her bosom.

    ¡°Why are you embarrassing me!?¡± Agni whispered as she held her tail close to her mouth. With a full body blush of embarrassment in effect Agni hurried to her intended destination.

    The hut had several stands of underclothing as well as a shelf filled with various types of leather boots. As Agni knelt down before the items to get a better look she noticed that a description of each item would appear showing the name, quality and other useful information. From this she discerned that there were four types of gear ; Light, Medium, Heavy and Magic. She also noticed that two of the four pairs of items were inessible to her ¨C Medium and Heavy ss gear.

    With this in mind she decided to inspect Light and Magic categories a bit more closely. She picked up the pair of Light category gear, Leather Boots. Nothing out of the ordinary stood out to her. She ced them back on the shelf and next touched a pair of the Magic boots, Enchanted Leathers.

    ¡°Hmm. Apparently the difference between this and normal gear is that Magic gear reserves a portion of your mana in order to be worn.¡± Agni whispered to herself as she looked the boots over. They came up to the area of her ankles, white in color and felt nice to the touch.

    She decided to take those, ignoring the description for the moment. She then moved over to the next shelf which had dozens of armors of various types. Once again she decided to take a magical set of armor which matched the boots. She did the same with bracers and shin guards, the only piece of armor she couldn¡¯t wear was a helmet due to her horns.

    After putting on the all ck form fitting under armor, she adorned the rest of her selection and admired herself in the mirror.

    ¡°I look so cute in this!¡± She thought before pausing. ¡± I can¡¯t believe I just said that. Ugh, it just¡­.popped out of me.¡±

    She finally slipped on a pair of ck gloves to protect her hands and stepped outside of the hut. By this point all of the other women were done with the simple exercise of using their Systema and were either getting dressed or already joined Wa back at the statue¡¯s feet.

    As Agni walked towards the group of dressed adventurers she managed to take a good look at the statue for once. It was shaped in the image of a man with a long cloak and hood. In one hand he held a book, in the other he held what looked like a. He seemed to be some type of magic user perhaps? It was difficult to tell, regardless the word ¡°douche¡± immediately came to mind for Agni. Something about the guy just screamed ¡°asshole¡±, or perhaps it was simply the depiction.

    Agni joined the other girls, this time making sure to stand behind her dark skinned admirer so that she wouldn¡¯t receive any unexpected ass ps. It would be a few more minutes before the remainingdies got dressed and joined the main group once more.

    ¡°The Tabernacles exist all across the world of Adventia and they act as beacons to souls who would answer the call of adventure. You are here because you have greatness within you, it is my job to teach you how to harness these abilities in order to thrive in Adventia. I won¡¯t lie, this world is dangerous and deadly¨Cbut if you can master your abilities you need not fear.¡± Wa shouted as she brandished her hands passionately.

    ¡°The Tabernacle is a vast training ground that can supply any need for you as an adventurer. My goal is to help you meet the level requirement of three and also give you basic survival skills so that you can embark on your first journey to the nearby town of Grenvale. In three day¡¯s time you will depart, much like other adventurers before you so strive to do your best in the time you have.¡±

    ¡°Now, I would like all of the fighter type adventure sses to step up to the front.¡± Wamanded as she proceeded to group the adventurers ording to one of six categories.

    Strikers, adventurers who specialized in front line or hand to handbat. Casters, those who utilized magic in order to do battle or perform feats. Beastia, adventurers who had turned into monsters or beastmen as a result of their ss assignments. Servicemen, adventurers who¡¯s ss gifted them with a job-like calling such as sewing, crafting or potion making. Healers, those who had the power to recover, cure or support others in battle. Andst but not least, Specialists, adventurers with unique or unorthodox powers.

    Of all of these categories, Agni was the only person who was ssified as a specialist. The entire sorting process took less than fifteen minutes among the group of twenty eight people.

    ¡°Excellent. As usual, a great deal of Striker category adventurers. Also a great number of Casters.¡± Wa said to herself as she walked the line, looking at each of the groups in turn as she finally reached Agni.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry ¨CAgni was it? Specialists almost always be exceptionally powerful adventurers. They are extremely rare, even in a magical world ¡ª your future is pretty much set.¡± Wa reassured Agni as she ced a hand on her shoulder.

    Upon contact Agni felt a strange sensation travel through her body, she could hear the distant sound of a heart beat and immediately recognized it as one that was not her own. The experience onlysted for a split second and soon Agni¡¯s attention was drawn once more to Wa¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Adventuring can be a dangerous job. No matter your profession, at one time or another you may be expected to defend yourself. With this in mind that will be the focus of today¡¯s lessons. Follow me youngdies.¡±

 Chapter 5: Sticky-N-Wet

    Chapter 5: Sticky-N-Wet

    Though the starter gear was a great gift, it was not pleasant to move around in. The ck bodysuit retained both heat and moisture and after an intense workout from Wa, all of the adventurers werepletely beat.

    ¡°You all did excellent. Don¡¯t worry about your stamina, the more you grow the less of an issue it will be.¡± Wa said as she put away her own sword and stood before thedies who were all sprawled out on the ground, save Agni. She was hunched over, sweating profusely and breathing hard.

    ¡°Time for a break. Let¡¯s bathe then have lunch.¡± Wa said as she motioned for the women to follow her to the outdoor spring. Agni half expected it to be the same pool of water she spawned in but it was on the opposite end of the Tabernacle area. She could feel the humidity in the air as the group walked towards the natural hot spring. Wa was the first to begin shedding her armor. She stacked her belongings neatly in a pile next to the pool of steaming water until she waspletely nude before all of the recruits.

    ¡°Before entering, you must make sure to clean yourselves well. Assist one another if you need. Then once you¡¯ve rinsed you can join me in the pool.¡± Wa said as she walked towards a row of wooden buckets lined nearly near the spring. Next to them were several dozen stools as well. Whatever shyness the women had earlier this morning was now gone, the lure of a hot, rxing bath was more than enough to cause them to strip without question.

    Only Agni stood in amazement as she gazed at the dozens of female forms busily rinsing one another. Dumping water over each other¡¯s heads as their sleek, curvy bodies glistened in the sun. Using their hands to rub and caress one another to wash off any lingering sweat from their bodies..

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter weirdo?¡± The dark skinned girl said as she approached from behind Agni and began to grope her breasts. Agni waspletely surprised by this action, so much so that she stood frozen in ce, her mouth agape as the dark skinned girl had her way with her tits.

    ¡°Stop it bothering her Abenii!¡± A Nekomata girl said as she pped the dark skinned girl across the back of her head.

    ¡°Ow Purscha! I was just helping her rinse¡­¡± Abeni protested as she rubbed the side of her head.

    ¡°She hasn¡¯t even undressed yet, dummy!¡± Purscha retorted as she pped Abeni once more.

    ¡°Fine fine¡­ I¡¯ll leave you alone this time¡­¡± Abeni said, drawing close so that she could whisper into Agni¡¯s ear.

    ¡°But when we¡¯re all alone I¡¯m going to take what I want.¡± Abeni added as she pped Agni¡¯s asscheek once again. Agni¡¯s mind was now racing in overdrive as a strange sensation bubbled up from within and overcame her.

    ¡°That¡¯s two times now¡­¡± Agni said absentmindedly. The words burst forth from her mouth uncontrobly, she didn¡¯t think about the response¨Cit just happened. She nced over at Abeni with the same pink glow to her eyes and once more Abeni grimaced and slowly retreated to speak to her fellow group mates.

    ¡°Um.. Excuse me.¡± A small voice said from behind Agni. She turned to face the woman speaking only to realize it was the same young woman from earlier in the hut. The same one that made her tail twitch.

    ¡°Oh¨C¡± Agni said as the pink glow within her gaze faded away slowly and she came back to her senses.

    ¡°Would you like some help rinsing?¡± The woman said. Agni couldn¡¯t help but gaze upon her figure, she was quite busty DD cups by Agni¡¯s estimation and her tits glistened with water from the humidity in the air.

    ¡°Oh, ohhh. Yes. Please.¡± Agni added as her face grew blush.

    Agni turned and began to take off her gear, setting it close to a nearby rock while the young, brtedy grabbed a pair of stools for them to sit on.

    ¡°Baths are great, aren¡¯t they?¡± The young woman said as she set the stools down.

    ¡°Y-yea. Definitely.¡± Agni replied, she could feel herself growing more wet by the moment.

    ¡°So, I¡¯m Katrin. I¡¯m a Scribe ss¨Cand you?¡± The busty brte said as she sshed water across Agni¡¯s shoulders with a wooden scoop and began to wipe the excess away with her hands.

    ¡°Agni, Subus.¡± Agni offered in response to the question. Agni hoped that her short responses weren¡¯t being seen as rude but she was having an extremely difficult time controlling her urges. A smoldering fire felt like it had been ignited in her which grew hotter with each throbbing beat of her heart. Agni could feel her pussy throbbing and in each direction she stared there was nothing but more temptation awaiting her.

    ¡°Fuck, I¡¯m so wet right now.¡± She thought to herself as she clenched her fists. The fact that Katrin¡¯s hands had now moved to her chest didn¡¯t help matters either. Agni¡¯s eyelids fluttered, her head arching back slightly as Katrin¡¯s hands found their way to her breasts. What¡¯s more Katrin¡¯s ample tits pressed against Agni¡¯s back as well. The sensation was that of unmistakable bliss as the softness of Katrin¡¯s skin pressed into her.

    Agni bit her lip as Katrin¡¯s hands wandered from the cor bone and further down still, finally lifting her breasts to ¡°Make sure I get all of the sweat.¡± in Katrin¡¯s own words. But she wasn¡¯t done yet¡­

    Katrin¡¯s hand wandered even further down along Agni¡¯s sides as she poured water along Agni¡¯s head and neck. The result was cool water rolling down between the valley of her breasts and eventually down to her stomach where Katrin¡¯s free hand awaited.

    ¡°Ahh¨C¡± A sense of both panic and tion was slowly rising in Agni. She wasn¡¯t sure if she was okay with this, but she definitely didn¡¯t want to stop.

    ¡°Agni..¡± Katrin said.

    ¡°A-Agni¡­¡± Katrin repeated, pulling Agni¡¯s focus back to the conversation.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Agni responded.

    ¡°Your tail really likes me¡­¡±

    ¡°What? Oh!¡± Agni¡¯s eyes widened as she realized that her tail had once more found its way between Katrin¡¯s inner thigh and was now tracing slow circles along the sensitive flesh there.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Agni offered as she quickly snatched her tail and held onto it for dear life.

    ¡°There¡¯s no amount of internal screaming that will cover this.¡± Agni thought to herself as she began to blush once more.

 Chapter 6: Sub-Systema

    Chapter 6: Sub-Systema

    Agni savored every moment of Katrin¡¯s ¡°rinsing¡±, even when her hands wandered to ces one would normally assume were prohibited. Of course, Katrin made absolutely normal small talk as she made sure to caress Agni¡¯s breasts. She even drew near enough so that Agni could feel the breath of angels against the nape of her neck. This sensation alone turned Agni to putty in Katrin¡¯s hands which was why Agni was thoroughly confused when the ¡°rinsing¡± ended.

    ¡°Thank you..¡± She said between her heavy breaths.

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°Do you need a rinse as well?¡± Agni offered, half hoping Katrin would decline.

    ¡°This seat is definitely soaked.¡± Agni thought to herself even as she offered to massage Katrin the Scribe.

    ¡°Tomorrow, for sure. I¡¯ve already rinsed up today.¡± Katrin said as she stood up and gave Agni a warm smile. She then excused herself and made her way into the hot spring.

    ¡°Well? What are you waiting for Agni?¡± Wa¡¯s voice beckoned to the young subus even though her mind was still spinning and her body was hot.

    ¡°Coming..¡± she muttered meekly under her breath.

    ¡°I just can¡¯t get over not having a dick. I¡¯ve been trained to feel like an erection in public is off putting. I¡¯m ruining the moment..this beautiful moment¡­¡± Agni thought to herself as she got to her feet. She straightened her posture and took several deep breaths as she strutted towards the hot spring and finally imed a ce within. Over two dozen naked women busily chatting with one another, sshing, ying or rxing in one big pool of steamy water.

    After a good soak the women got dressed and returned to the central Tabernacle area so that they could go for lunch. The food was the first Agni had the privilege of tasting in the world of Adventia and it did not disappoint. Though it was beef stew (or at least meat that tasted like beef) just two servings were hearty enough to fill Agni¡¯s stomach.

    ¡°Excellent. Now that everyone is clean and well fed, it¡¯s time for you to learn about one of the most important aspects of being an adventurer.¡± Wa said as the group gathered back at the steps of the gaudy statue once more.

    ¡°What separates you from the normals, the resident folks of Adventia , is that you can level by obtaining experience. With each level gained your stats will grow ording to your ss and you will also have the opportunity to manually raise your stats as you see fit.

    This is the principle difference between adventurers and other beings within this world. That being said, obtaining experience is different for everyone thanks to the Specialty XP Sub-system. This is a system that rewards modifiers to experience gained, based on the duties or abilities associated with your ss. This means nonbat sses can grow by putting in the same effort studying or crafting for example that a warrior may ce intobat.¡±

    ¡°Everyone, open your Systema and visit the Growth menu. Here you will see all sorts of information rted to the current growth of your adventurer¡¯s ss.¡±

    [Level Points ¨C 3]

    [ Primary Modifier : Carnality ¨C 300%]

    [ Secondary Modifier: Mysticism ¨C 200%]

    ¡°As you may notice, you will see several linesbeled as modifiers. Each of you may have up to five modifiers, while some of you may only have one. Regardless of how many you have, the percentages all total to 500 points, in other words 500%.

    Your Primary modifier will generally reward you more experience than secondary and so on, thus its more desirable to perform as many actions that fall in line with your Primary modifier in order to more quickly gain experience.

    Experience gained by you, the adventurer will umte and give you several major benefits. The first is that simply gaining experience will allow you to level up. Leveling up is perhaps the most simple and quick way to gain strength.

    The second is that experienced gained can be used to improve your stats further by sacrificing a portion of the currently gained XP in order to directly affect a stat of your choice. For example, if you feel your health iscking, you can expend some of the XP gained to raise it.

    The third, and perhaps the most important way that experience helps you is that it allows you to invest in leveling up your skills directly.¡± Wa exined as she nced from face to face within the crowd.

    Agni understood everything so far, nothing was terribly difficult toprehend. Get experience, sacrifice it to directly raise stats, or gather it to level up or improve skills.

    ¡°With this in mind, I¡¯d like you to look at the Skills portion of the current tab. Here you will notice two categories, onebeled ¡®ss Skills¡¯ and the otherbeled ¡®General Skills¡¯. As you may suspect, ss Skills are specific to your adventurer¡¯s ss while General Skills can be learned by anyone who calls themselves an adventurer.¡±

    ¡°Your current task is simple ¡ªplete the quest you¡¯ve just acquired via your Systema.¡± Wa said.

    [Quest Added : The Potential System.]

    ¡°The Potential system is a sub system of Systema that allows you to acquire skills from either category. As a trade off, each skill has a certain cost associated with it. The potential limit cannot be surpassed when you acquire skills. So for example, if your potential limit is 100 and you acquire two skills that cost 50 potential each, then you¡¯ve maxed out your current potential.¡± Wa continued her exnation of the Potential sub system.

    ¡°So, essentially it allows one to choose skills they want as long as they have the leftover potential points. That¡¯s interesting¡­¡± Agni whispered to herself as she scrolled through the ss Skills list.

    [Body Maniption ¨C The ability to influence parts of your body at will, such as hands, fingers, tongue, eyes and tail. Cost ¨C 15]

    [Iron ws, Iron Fangs ¨C (Passive) Allows the user¡¯s nails and teeth to be as hard as most metals. Cost ¨C 10 ]

    These were just a few of the skills Agni had a chance to acquire but what really caught her eye was this skill:

    [Subus Wings ¨C (Passive) Sprout wings. They can be controlled properly with practice to enable flight. Cost 50 ]

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Agni groaned as she realized the one skill that sounded interesting to her would cost all of her Potential points.

    ¡°Something to be mindful of young adventurers, skills increase in mastery as you use them. You can freely learn or forget skills as long as your mastery with that skill does not exceed 5%. Once this happens the skill bes permanent.Now, reference the new quest in order to understand your task.¡± Wa said as she ended her speech.

 Chapter 7: Make It Rise!

    Chapter 7: Make It Rise!

    [The Potential System

    Skill choice is important to progress in the world of Adventia. To start, try to choose one or more skills that will allow you to level up.

    Goal : Reach level 1 Within The Next 16 Hours]

    ¡°Oh and one other thing..¡± Wa said.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been summoned to this world as adventurers, but those who fail to meet the Tabernacle requirements will be stripped of their adventurer¡¯s powers to live normal lives. This may not seem like a big deal, but I can tell you that life as an adventurer is vastly different ¡ª you can think of it as the difference between being king of a nation or a peasant with no home. Strive toplete every quest assigned to you to the best of your ability. Failure to do so will turn you into a normal.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°No way!¡±

    Thedies murmured their protests.

    ¡°This is the bare minimum, if you can¡¯t do this much you don¡¯t deserve the power that awaits.¡± Wa added before she walked away.

    ¡°Eh. And here I thought I¡¯d have an easy life for once.¡± Abeni said as she clicked her tongue.

    ¡°Ah well. It will be a cinch for me anyway.¡± She then said. All of the girls formed their category groups and began to discuss amongst themselves ways to increase their level.

    This of course left Agni on her own to decide on the best course of action.

    ¡°Wa didn¡¯t even tell us how to gain experience points. What do I need to do, kill some slimes?!¡± Agni said as she nced at her status menu.

    [Agni Heartfyre]

    [Age : 18]

    [ss : Subus Lvl : 0]

    [Adv. Tier : 0 ]

    [Health : 69/69]

    [Mana : 25/25]

    [Strength : 4 (6)]

    [Agility : 6 (9)]

    [Speed : 3]

    [Soul : 9]

    [Charm : 12]

    [Passives-

    Demonic Heritage (1) ¨C Abnormal strength bestowed by your demonic bloodline. +50% to base strength and agility.]

    [Skills-

    None.]

    [Potential : 0/50]

    [Current Exp: 45]

    ¡°Hmm? I could have sworn my experience was 26 thest time I checked. Exactly what changed?¡± Agni whispered to herself.

    *Smack!*

    ¡°Talking to yourself again weirdo? Heh!¡± Abeni shouted as she smacked Agni on the ass.

    [Current Exp: 48]

    ¡°No way. Did I just imagine that?¡± Agni said as she nced at her screen.

    ¡°Hey. Abeni¡­..do that again.¡± Agni said without breaking her focus.

    ¡°Oh? You like when I cup those cakes? Well if you¡¯re asking for it.¡± Abeni said with a broad grin on her face.

    *Smack* *SmAcK* *SMACK*

    [Current Exp: 59]

    ¡°Three experience points each time. Is this because of my modifier?¡± Agni whispered, she waspletely lost in her own thoughts so much so that Abeni became annoyed.

    ¡°Tsk, you¡¯re no fun if you don¡¯t react.¡± Abeni said as she walked off to find someone else to mess with.

    ¡°That must be it.¡± Agni said as she moved back to her Skills and Growth menu and focused on her modifiers. This in turn revealed additional information for each.

    [Carnality : Participating in acts of sensuality,sexuality, debauchery or perversion will increase the amount of experience you gain by 3x.]

    [Mysticism : Learning about or using magic in any capacity will increase the amount of experience you gain by 2x.]

    ¡°Ah. That¡¯s¡­problematic..¡± Agni said with a nervous chuckle.

    ¡°You mean I have to do lewd things to gain experience¡­¡±

    Agni wasn¡¯t entirely sure how she felt about this, to be honest. Although she couldn¡¯t remember much about her past life she definitely knew that acting like a slime ball wouldn¡¯t get a person very far. That being said¡­..

    There always seemed to be some double standard for women when it came to sexual actions with otherdies. Ass grabbing, tit fondling, kissing, burying one¡¯s face in a busty bosom ¡ª all of these things seemed ¡°okay¡± for other women to participate in to a certain degree as long as otherdies were involved.

    ¡°Why am I so resistant to this?¡± Agni thought. ¡°I¡¯ve been programmed! Ugh!¡± She grunted in exasperation.

    ¡°Hello Agni.¡± A pair of hands glided around Agni¡¯s hips and under her arms as she felt Katrin¡¯srge breasts press against her. Katrin leaned into the embrace slightly as her arms wrapped around Agni¡¯s midriff.

    [Current Exp: 62]

    ¡°Hmm? Does this mean that ¡­something like this counts towards gaining experience? Maybe that¡¯s why Wa never mentioned how to gain experience¨Cdoes that mean most general actions reward XP?¡± Agni thought to herself as a soft blush spread across her cheeks.

    ¡°Ah, her body feels like heaven. I can¡¯t wait until bath time again..¡± Agni bit her lip as a faint sense of anticipation came over her.

    ¡°Hi Katrin.¡± Agni finally responded.

    ¡°Are you having troubles? You look frustrated.¡± Katrin said as she rested her head on Agni¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°You could say that¡­sort of.¡± Agni responded.

    ¡°Say, Katrin. Do you happen to know the experience requirement for reaching level one?¡±

    ¡°Mmmm. I think it¡¯s 1,000 XP if I¡¯m not mistaken.?? Katrin replied as her breasts pressed into Agni¡¯s back even moreso.

    ¡°What? That much!?¡± Agni couldn¡¯t help but feel displeased for a moment, but thinking about it that made more sense. After all, if just about any action rewarded xp you¡¯d normally need to amass a fair amount otherwise leveling would simply be too easy.

    ¡°Mhm. I¡¯m up to 350 points already.¡± Katrin then added.

    ¡°What!? No way. How did you raise it so much?¡± Agni asked as Katrin¡¯s cheek rubbed against her own.

    ¡°So soft.. Your skin is so soft Agni. I always want to touch you when you¡¯re around!¡± Katrin whispered.

    ¡°T-thanks. Ha ha.¡± Agni wasn¡¯t used to beingplimented, nor even acknowledged for the most part in his past life, this was definitely a new experience for him.

    ¡°Well, to answer your question¨C you just have to y to your strengths! I¡¯m a Scribe, which is dependent on my dexterity stat. I gain XP just from writing the things I learn. The first time I recall and transcribe knowledge I also get bonus experience.¡±

    ¡°Wait¨C dexterity stat? I don¡¯t have that one.¡± Agni seemed confused.

    ¡°Hmm? Really? That¡¯s weird.¡± Katrin lifted her left hand and opened her own Systema.

    ¡°It¡¯s the stat near the bottom, right after ¡®Soul¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Mine says Charm.¡± Agni responded as she focused on the stat listing, her hope was to bring up additional information¨C and it worked!

    [Charm : ss Specific Stat. Each ss has a unique stat that will differ from others, yours is Charm. Charm or Charisma affects how other people react to you. It determines how effective many of your allure skills are as a subus. In addition, the higher your charm stat is the more others will want to do for you.]

    Agni read her description out loud to Katrin.

    ¡°So that¡¯s how it works. Hmm, I guess Dexterity is important to being a scribe. Having nimble fingers and all..¡± Katrin spidered her fingertips down Agni¡¯s abdomen as she spoke, stopping several centimetres away from her pleasure zone.

    ¡°Well. If you need any help with leveling up, let me know.¡± Katrin said as she finally released her embrace and walked away. Agni could still feel the warmth of Katrin¡¯s breath against her earlobe.

 Chapter 8: Magic

    Chapter 8: Magic

    Agni¡¯s options when it came to learning abilities were varied. Ultimately she decided to obtain skills for each mastery. Ultimately she decided on acquiring a magical skill called ¡°Element Maniption¡± under the General Skills.

    [Element Maniption *Active* ¨C Use mana to directly manipte the properties of ambient magic particles. Cost : 5]

    ¡± I can always switch it out if I want something different¡­¡± Agni remarked to herself as she clicked on the skill and was greeted with a confirmation prompt.

    [Learn ¡®Elemental Maniption¡¯? Y/N]

    After acquiring the skill it was like the knowledge to use it properly was downloaded directly to her brain.

    Agni lifted her right hand and closed her eyes, she could feel the mana core within her reacting as she summoned forth a fraction of its power. The energy surged forth, traveling to her hand and forming into a flickering me norger than a marble.

    ¡°Ha! I did it!¡± She eximed joyously.

    She next checked out her Skills and Growth page, the skill was a new addition on her status menu as well, which listed her mastery of the skill:

    [Skills-

    Elemental Maniption ¨C (0.25%)]

    ¡°Good, I can get a few more tries out of it before deciding whether I¡¯d like to keep it.¡± Agni said to herself. She next conjured lightning sparks, then a swirling orb of water.

    ¡°Mhmm. This could be nice.¡± Agni said as she folded her arms and gave an affirmative nod.

    With the acquisition of the skill Agni learned the basics of how magic worked. Magic particles exist all around, in the air,nd and even living creatures. By using one¡¯s own mana core, a person could manipte the ambient energy around them. This is essentially what Agni was now doing. By using her mana, which could be considered as a neutral type of magic particle, she could then attract particles with specific charges.

    Currently she had enough awareness of how magic worked to be able to ¡°create¡± fire, lightning, earth, wind and water elements. She could feel the other elements within the magical particles, she just couldn¡¯t call them forth. They either required special knowledge which she didn¡¯t possess or greater ability than she currently had.

    After trying each of the elements in order Agni then checked her current XP.

    [Current Exp: 72]

    ¡°So two XP each time I use this. At this rate it would still take me quite a long time to level up..¡± Agni said as she brought her hand to her chin.

    ¡°The best thing to do is acquire skills which cater to my strengths. Hmm¡­¡±

    With this in mind Agni next checked out the ss Skills avable to her, of which there were nine total.

    [Body Maniption ¨C (Passive) The ability to influence parts of your body at will, such as hands, fingers, tongue, eyes and tail. Cost ¨C 15]

    [Extend ¨C (Passive) The ability to use mana to cause your fingers or tail to extend. The greater your mastery the longer you can maintain the extension, as well as greater lengths.]

    [Iron ws, Iron Fangs ¨C (Passive) Allows the user¡¯s nails and teeth to be as hard as most metals at a whim. Cost ¨C 10 ]

    [Subus Wings ¨C (Passive) Sprout wings. They can be controlled properly with practice to enable flight. Cost 50 ]

    [Allure ¨C (Passive) Those around you find it more difficult to resist your words ormands. Cost 20 ]

    [Charm ¨C (Passive) Extends the range of your AOE subus abilities by three meters. Cost 15]

    [Sulust ¨C [Locked] Cost : 0 ]

    [Subus Vision ¨C [Locked] Cost : 0 ]

    [Whisper ¨C (Active) By whispering in someone¡¯s ear you canpel them to take action. Range : Intimate Cost 5 ]

    The main issue for Agni was that most of the skills were passive and she wasn¡¯t exactly sure how that would affect her exp gains. What¡¯s more, the only active skill required her to be right next to her target.

    ¡°I should just get the wings!¡± She pouted. Ultimately she acquired ¡®Whisper¡¯ as it was the only active skill avable to her then decided to better understand the General Skills which might help her out before making any other selections.

    ¡°If I¡¯m going to be using magic, I guess it makes more sense to collect a few mana rted passives as well.¡±

    [Mana Well (Passive) +30% Mana, scales with level.]

    [Mana Spring (Passive) +50% Mana Regeneration speed.]

    This left Agni with twenty Potential points to spare which she decided to save just in case.

    All that was left now was to grind some experience, however there was just one more thing Agni wanted to try first. She stripped out of her ck under armor and tossed it to the side, baring all ¡ª for the sake of magic!

    She lifted her hand once more as she prepared to use ¡®Element Maniption¡¯. This time Agni decided to pull forth as much energy as possible,pletely emptying her mana core. Dark purple lines appeared across her body from head to toe, some of which spiraled around her forearms, feet and forehead ¡ª magical veins, which resembled tattoos more than anything. After charging her magic for a time a ball of me appeared, hovering just over her extended hand. This time it was muchrger ¡ª about the size of a basketball.

    ¡°It worked!¡± Agni said with a proud grin as she gazed down at the fireball. She could feel the heat against her palm and abdomen although the sensation did not burn her in the least.

    The ming ball of magical energy persisted for a full ten seconds or so before it finally exhausted the mana used as its fuel and began to shrink, dissipating back into the environment.

    ¡°Nice. I¡¯m definitely going to keep this one.¡± Agni remarked as she went to grab her bodysuit. The reason she removed it was simple, magical veins were the tool used to collect and manipte magical particles. By wearing a full body suit she greatly inhibited her magical abilities. She also understood why the outer armor she wore, Magical type gear, wasposed of fabric and allowed for areas like the arms and legs to be exposed. This was to allow magical veins the energy they needed to breathe.

    Despite the fact that she hadn¡¯t made much progress in gaining her first level, Agni had be extremely hopeful. Simply learning magic was a feat in and of itself. Never in her wildest dreams would she imagine a life where she could shoot fireballs or wind des.

    With the addition of her Mana Well passive, Agni recovered 2 mana every fifteen seconds. She could only assume that this was her new normal in terms of MP gain. This meant it would take roughly four minutes for her mana to regenerate currently.

    [Agni Heartfyre]

    [Age : 18]

    [ss : Subus Lvl : 0]

    [Adv. Tier : 0 ]

    [Health : 69/69]

    [Mana : 4/25(32)]

    [Strength : 4 (6)]

    [Agility : 6 (9)]

    [Speed : 3]

    [Soul : 9]

    [Charm : 12]

    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s get to it.¡±

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    When Agni began her training it was around four in the afternoon. By eight in the evening she had begun to grow fatigued. What¡¯s more she¡¯d only managed to acquire roughly 40% of the XP she needed.

    ¡°Dammit.¡± Agni said with a grimace as she took note of her current XP.

    [Potential : 30/50]

    [Current Exp: 412]

    ¡°At this rate I¡¯d have to stay up all night, but I don¡¯t think I have the energy. I¡¯m so tired.¡±

    Her body was practically screaming at this point, no doubt due to the rigorous work out Wa put the adventurers through earlier in the day. To make matters worse, Agni was so caught up in her grind session that she missed dinner.

    She fell to her knees and took several deep breaths before forcing herself to rise yet again. The most Agni managed to acquire by casting magic was around four XP. The only problem was that this would exhaust all of her mana in the process, forcing her to wait another four minutes to recover. It was much more productive to get two or three smaller casts in before needing to recover her MP.

    ¡°How much time do I even have left?¡± She asked herself as she checked her quest menu.

    [The Potential System

    Skill choice is important to progress in the world of Adventia. To start, try to choose one or more skills that will allow you to level up.

    Goal : Reach level 1 Within The Next 11 Hours]

    ¡°With a full night¡¯s sleep that¡¯s still three hours remaining. I might not make it if I rest now.¡± Agni said as a wave of weariness washed over her.

    ¡°No choice but to keep going I guess¡­¡±

    Although the idea of being ¡®normal¡¯ didn¡¯t seem so bad, the way Wa applied negative connotations made Agni believe that being an adventurer was the far superior choice.

 Chapter 9: Pounce

    Chapter 9: Pounce

    ¡°Huh? What the¡­¡± Agni found herself in the midst of a dark world, painted with shadows and shades of red.

    ¡°Where am I?¡± She said as she lifted her hand and took a long hard look at it. ck. It was as if a shadow was clinging to her, covering her entirely.

    Thump-thump.

    Thump-thump.

    ¡°What¡¯s that sound?¡± Agni strained her ears and finally after several moments realized it, the sound of beating hearts ¡ª two, to be precise.

    The thumping sound gradually grew louder and louder until finally Agni awoke with a start.

    ¡°What the? I guess I passed out for a bit¡­¡± She said as she looked around. She wasying on the ground, having apparently fallen face first due to exhaustion. She slowly sat up, her head was pounding and the cool evening air had turned somewhat brisk. The half-moon hung high above her head,signaling to Agni that it was just past midnight.

    Thump-thump.

    The sound was still present, and what¡¯s more she could see the sound. It manifested as a thin white wispy line, almost like a trail of smoke.

    Before she knew it Agni was on her feet and walking, she followed the white trail without a second thought. In fact, she was now strictly on auto-pilot, half asleep and half awake. She waspelled by the sound of beating hearts and drawn directly to the ce from where the sound was loudest.

    The changing hut, the armor housing various pieces of defensive wear.

    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s this?¡± Agni said as she drew near. The sound of thumping hearts grew louder in her head as the white line became thicker.

    ¡°Why is everything blue? Hmm?¡± Agni said to herself as she looked at her hands. It was as if a blue filter had been ced over her vision, save for the illuminated shape of two people standing in the distance behind the hut.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Agni said as she bit her lip. But she knew, her body knew, every fiber of her body understood. There was sexual tension in the air and she was now being drawn directly to it. Her eyes began to pulse with pink energy, finally the sustained glow was bright enough to pierce the darkness of the night. But that didn¡¯t matter to Agni, her body moved on ,pelled by the lure of eroticism.

    ¡°Oh? Your mouth is saying no¡­but your body¡¯s saying yes¡­¡± Abeni said as she pressed another of the adventurers up against the wall of the hut. The two were nestled away behind some bushes, away from prying eyes ¡ª at least everyone but Agni.

    The red haired Nekomata was the same girl who came to Agni¡¯s rescue earlier in the day at the hot spring. Abeni easily pinned the girl¡¯s hands up above her head, pressing them against the wall with one hand as she feasted upon the woman¡¯s body.

    Abeni covered her mouth with a kiss, skillfully working her tongue into the Nekomata¡¯s mouth. Indeed as Abeni said¡­her mouth said no, but her body was positively screaming for more. Agni didn¡¯t know how¨C she could just tell. She knew it instinctually.

    With her free hand Abeni teased her slender body. Unlike most of the adventurers, this cat-girl was petite with an agile frame. This included her breasts which registered as little more than B cups at the most.

    ¡°Perfect petite mouthfuls. Mmmm..¡± Abeni said as she ceased kissing only to lick and suck at the cat-girls breasts hungrily. Her free hand had traveled down much further however and was now gently caressing the cat-girl¡¯s lips.

    Agni couldn¡¯t look away, even if she wanted to. Her eyes were transfixed as she gazed from her position behind a nearby tree. She bit her lip and clenched the tree bark, her fingernails digging into the softwood slightly. Words and logic escaped her at the moment, it was only the feeling ¡ª only the passion.

    It was as if she could taste the ecstasy on her tongue. Each moment viewed was a savory delight that fulfilled her soul in some way. Before she knew it Agni¡¯s hands were moving to take off her body suit. In an instant she waspletely nude and caressing her own body as she watched Abeni have her way with the Nekomata.

    Agni could feel a steamy fire burning from within, one she began to quench as her finger tips slid down between her thighs.

    Wet, damp, moist¨Cthese words did not describe Agni¡¯s current state. She dipped her fingers in and came out with sticky nectar, clear and thick.

    ¡°Ahh.. that feels so good..¡± Agni thought to herself, but the sound she made was much different. It was if her body purred and she did too.

    ¡°You like this don¡¯t you¡­you pointy eared slut.¡± Abeni said as she gently bit the cat-girl¡¯s left breast and slid her finger into her tight body.

    ¡°Mm. So wet for me. Are you sure you want me to stop?¡± Abeni teased as she finally released her grip on the Nekomata¡¯s hands.

    ¡°W-what the?¡± The Nekomata recoiled, knocking away Abeni¡¯s hand as she took notice of something several meters away.

    ¡°What the hell? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Abeni turned around to see as well, confronted by the glow of two pink eyes peering through the dimly lit night.

    ¡°Huh? That¡¯s what you¡¯re scared of? That weirdo ? Fuck it! Let her wat¨C¡± Abeni said as she turned back to her ¡°date¡±, but the woman was already gone.

    ¡°Tsk. You weirdo. Look what you did. That was supposed to be her punishment for defying me earlier today¡­¡± Abeni said as she turned to face Agni, who had now stepped out from behind the tree.

    As Abeni¡¯s eyes met with the sight of Agni she grew quiet, however. Agni slinked forward, her posture slightly crouched as she swayed to and fro gently. Her fingernails seemed longer, more like ws than nails. Her tail waved slowly, methodically behind her and her face was painted with a lust addled smile.

    ¡°Ahh¡­¡± Agni moaned loudly as she wrapped her arms against her bust, hugging herself.

    ¡°I can¡¯t.. I can¡¯t hold it in anymore¡­¡± Agni said with a curious chuckle before she pounced on Abeni.

 Chapter 10: Love-Love Juice

    Chapter 10: Love-Love Juice

    ¡°You really have a death wish!¡± Abeni shouted as she took a step backwards in anticipation of Agni¡¯s leap. What she didn¡¯t expect was the speed and uracy of Agni¡¯s movements. Agninded on all fours and crouched as if she was an animal on the prowl, she then leapt forth a second time, her hands outstretched in an attempt to capture Abeni.

    Abenished out, attempting to strike Agni in the face but the blow was easily knocked aside by Agni¡¯s left hand. She then thrust her right hand forward and grasped Abeni by the throat as she fell on top of her with the full momentum of her movements.

    ¡°You crazy weirdo, let me go!¡± Abeni grunted as she attempted to puch Agni in the face but even this blow was intercepted. In one effortless motion Agni caught Abeni¡¯s fist and then pinned both her arms down to the ground as she took a straddling position over Abeni¡¯s stomach.

    Abeni began to kick and thrash wildly but this was all subdued from a single nce into Agni¡¯s eyes. Abeni felt helpless and this sense of vulnerability both scared and excited her. She was used to being the predator ¡ª not the prey. Now she regretted her position. Both Abeni and her Nekomata trist were indisposed, Abeni wearing nothing but her panties at this point.

    ¡°Shh.. I just want a taste¡­¡± Agni said as her face loomed above Abeni¡¯s. Her eyes were nowpletely pink, a vibrant color which pierced the darkness with a mysterious, ethereal glow. Abeni could feel the warmth and wetness of Agni¡¯s body against her abdomen and in turn she felt her own resolve waver as a sensation of overwhelming lust coiled around her body.

    ¡°Weirdo! Get off of me! This is ****!¡±

    ¡°Is it though?¡± Agni said as she licked her lips. Her view had taken on a whole new dimension. Abeni¡¯s body was covered in green, yellow and red zones which varied depending on where Agni nced.

    [Skill Unlocked : Subus Vision]

    ¡°What are these?¡± She whispered as she ran her finger tip against Abeni¡¯s cor bone ¡ª one of the green zones. Immediately Abeni¡¯s body began to shudder as a jolt of stimtion tingled her body in waves.

    ¡°W-where are you touching? Agni! I¡¯m serious. Get off of me!¡± Abeni shouted, though this time her voice had taken on more of a pleading tone rather than demanding.

    ¡°Oh..that¡¯s good. You¡¯ve realized who¡¯s in charge now.. ¡± Agni said as she continued caressing Abeni in various ces. Running the tips of her fingers along the valley of her c-cup breasts. Blowing her breath against Abeni¡¯s nipples which grew hard and taut as she did so.

    ¡°I know what the yellow zones are¡­¡± She whispered, her gaze growing hungry for lust as she leaned forward and slowly flicked the tip of her tongue against Abeni¡¯s neck. Abeni could do little else but allow the sensation to wash over her as her body began to go limp and hot all in the same moment.

    ¡°Bitch.¡± Abeni whimpered as Agni continued to kiss and suck gently at her neck.

    ¡°Can¡¯t leave any passion marks¡­¡± Agni remarked as she continued her love-love assault.

    She made the mistake of releasing Abeni¡¯s hands and as such she immediately tried to shove Agni away but the effort was futile as Agni locked hands with her and pressed them down near Abeni¡¯s head. She leaned in for a kiss, their eyes transfixed as she ran her tongue over the soft, fleshy bits of Abeni¡¯s mouth. Agni then slipped her tongue into Abeni¡¯s mouth for the briefest of seconds, pulling away with the lingering suckage of Abeni¡¯s full lips.

    Abeni¡¯s mind was now spiraling. She was undeniably soaked and her will was broken. She wanted it, as much as she hated to admit to herself. Agni knew the movement she¡¯d given in and lifted her hips just enough to reposition herself slightly.

    ¡°Just a little taste..¡± Agni repeated as she eagerly sucked on Abeni¡¯s hard nipples, first the left and then the right. She freed one hand long enough to slide it down into Abeni¡¯s panties, her shaved pubes were soft against Agni¡¯s hand. She then covered Abeni¡¯s lips and began to rub them in a slow, gentle circr motion ¡ª taking care to press her middle finger between the meaty lips of Abeni¡¯s vagina.

    Abeni¡¯s breathing had grown shallow and heavy, Agni could fully realize the lust reaching a fever pitch as the sound of her heart beat grew faster and faster.

    [Skill Unlocked : Sulust]

    ¡°Ah, the anticipation is so delicious..¡± Agni thought to herself as she gazed upon Abeni¡¯s face. She¡¯d given up all pretenses of acting tough or disinterested, nothing remained but the pleasure at Agni¡¯s hands.

    Agni stimted her clitoris with each motion of her hand, both with her middle fingers and the pressure against Abeni¡¯s lips. Soon Abeni¡¯s legs were spreading voluntarily, allowing Agni more ess ¡ª if she chose to.

    But unlike Abeni, Agni felt high on the drug called lust, the more she got the more she craved. It felt as if she was staring into an endless abyss of desire, one that might never be quenched regardless of what she did or said.

    She could feel Abeni beginning to climax, her body growing rigid as the first waves of orgasm washed over her shores. By contrast Agni grew more restless¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s not enough.. It¡¯s not enough..¡± she thought to herself,pletely swept away in her own feelings of lust. The savory drug called ¡°anticipation¡± quickly gave way to a new feeling of disappointment ¨C Abeni¡¯s back arched as Agni worked the final throbbing sensations out of her dripping wet pussy.

    She finally released Abeni and stood up.

    ¡°Ahh. You¡¯re already done.¡± Agni said, a frown on her face. The way she gazed down at Abeni byed a look ofplete disappointment. So much so that for a brief moment Abeni felt ashamed.

    ¡°W-what? I¡¯m not done. It¡¯s my turn. Let me do you.¡± Abeni said as she sat up, but Agni had already turned to walk away.

    ¡°Hey. No fair.¡± Abeni protested, but Agni was already gone.

    ¡°What did I just do?¡±

    ¡°Fuck that was so hot.¡±

    ¡°More, I need more.¡±

    ¡°My body is burning.¡±

    Agni¡¯s thoughts spiraled out of control as she bounced from notion to notion.

    ¡°Oh, I almost forgot.¡± She said as she brought her fingers to her mouth and proceeded to suckle the rest of Abeni¡¯s remaining love nectar.

    Agni wandered back to the other side of the Tabernacle and found herself at the spawning pool where she first arrived.

    ¡°Too hot. I need to cool down so I can think straight..¡± She whispered as she threw herself into the pool and allowed herself to drift as she gazed up at the moonlight.

    [Current Exp : 883]

 Chapter 11: Midnight Deluxe

    Chapter 11: Midnight Deluxe

    ¡°So much¡­ just from one encounter that onlysted a few minutes. Ha..ha¡­ ahh¡­ I¡¯m a pervert.¡± Agni whispered to herself as she gazed up at the evening sky. It was now past midnight, the early hours of the morning. She was still floating in the spawning pool as she enjoyed the sensation of buoyancy against her naked body.

    She felt free. She remembered the way nudity was looked down upon in her previous life, but she¡¯d received no such looks here in Adventia ¡ª thus far.

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s my Charm stat. That could be it. Or maybe¡­it¡¯s because I have huge tits. I wonder if this world has OnlyFans. I¡¯d probably make a killing.¡± Agni said with a smile and subsequent chuckle.

    Now that she¡¯d calmed down she felt somewhat embarrassed. There was a certain apprehension overtaking her about what might happen the next time she saw Abeni. Although Agni was 100% certain Abeni was fine with what transpired¡­Agni wasn¡¯t entirely sure how *she* felt about it.

    After all, lewding people to gain experience points?

    ¡°Nothing¡¯s ever easy..¡± She said as her eyelids began to feel heavy. She opened her Skills and Growth menu and took a look at the two newly acquired skills she had.

    [Sulust ¨C (Passive) When a sufficient amount of carnal energy has been absorbed or generated, the user will reach a lust-filled state. +20% Strength,Agility and Speed while active. Lasts until carnal release or expiration. Cost : 0 ]

    ¡°So basically til I cum or take a cold shower. Fuck my life.¡± Agni whispered as she read the description for Sulust.

    [Subus Vision ¨C (Passive) Use carnal energy to activate a special type of sight which reveals sensitive or erogenous zones on the body. Cost : 0 ]

    ¡°Minus the weird blue filter, this one doesn¡¯t seem so bad¡­¡± Agni remarked to herself. She had grown significantly more tired since just a few moments. So much so that she wouldn¡¯t even remember falling asleep as she drifted along the surface of the spawning pool.

    ¡°Agni? Agni? I¡¯ve been looking all over for you.¡±

    The next thing Agni knew it was early morning. The sun had been out, perhaps for an hour or two at this point and she was being roused by a familiar voice, Katrin¡¯s.

    ¡°What are you doing out here? And why didn¡¯t youe sleep with the rest of us? I wanted to chat with you morest night.¡± Katrin said as Agni swam to the edge of the pool and got out, water dripping from her exposed body.

    ¡°I, umm..¡± Agni wasn¡¯t really sure if she should say anything about the previous night¡¯s events. This was something Katrin picked up on and so she ignored it¨Cfor now.

    ¡°Wa wants us all to meet at the statue¡¯s steps.¡± Katrin said as she motioned to a pile of clothing on the nearby grass. It was Agni¡¯s gear.

    ¡°Where did you find this?¡± Agni asked.

    ¡°While I was searching for you! Anyway, hurry and get dressed.¡± Katrin added before departing for the Tabernacle Statue.

    Agni didn¡¯t feel so well, not sick or ill, just low energy. Lack of sleep. Nevertheless she hurried to get dressed and made her way to the foot of the statue.

    ¡°Excellent. Everyone¡¯s made it. Now, I won¡¯t mince words. How many of you have reached level one?¡± Wa asked.

    Everyone except five adventurers raised their hands.

    ¡°Excellent. You all, you may step to the side.¡± Wa said as the remaining five adventurers stood before her.

    ¡°Now, of you standing before me, how many of you have less than one hundred experience to gain?¡± This time everyone raised their hands ¨Cexcept Agni.

    ¡°Great. If you four hurry you just may be able to make it in the time given to you. Practice hard. Your very future depends on it.¡± Wa said as she nodded at the four women before her. She then turned her attention towards Agni.

    ¡°I figured you may have trouble given your¡­unique requirements for amassing experience.¡± Wa said as she looked Agni up and down.

    ¡°You four, what are you still doing standing around? Go, get that XP!¡± Wa said as she pped her hands loudly at the remaining adventures. They scattered like cockroaches under the kitchen light.

    ¡°Now, what will we do with you. My job as a Tabernacle Guardian is to make sure that I do everything in my power to help you seed. After all, the one thing this world needs most are adventurers. Hmm¡­¡± Wa said as she ced her hand on her chin and seemed to fall into deep thought.

    ¡°I think I have just the thing to help you level up. Especially afterst night.¡± Wa added.

    ¡°Last night?¡± Agni thought to herself, although she didn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°Follow me. The rest of youdies, you have free time. So do as you please until I return.¡± Wamanded with a wave of her arm.

    Agni felt as if she was in trouble, or rather the mood had grown fairly solemn. There wasn¡¯t much time remaining toplete the quest, perhaps less than an hour at this point. What could Wa possibly do to help Agni seed?

    Agni followed Wa to a section of the Tabernacle that she¡¯d never been to before ; behind the statue. Normally all of the services used by the adventurers resided in the circr courtyard surrounding the statue itself, but there was also a trail leading deeper into the forest to the rear of the statue.

    Agni followed for quite some time,pletely silent as her mind raced.

    ¡°Especially afterst night.¡± Wa¡¯s words echoed through her mind.

    ¡°Did she see? Fuck me running. I¡¯m definitely in trouble.¡± Agni thought as she sighed. She was just getting used to making fireballs ¡ª all other things considered. It would be a total bitch to give up magical powers.

    ¡°If I knew things were going to turn out like this, I¡¯d have just gotten the wings!¡± Agni said as she clenched her fist solemnly.

    ¡°We¡¯re here. Please,e inside.¡± Wa¡¯s voice said suddenly. Agni looked up to find they were now standing in front of a small hut. This one looked different whenpared to the others, spears out front and a pair of wooden statues which resembled warriors of some sort.

    Wa pushed back the curtain of the hut and disappeared inside first. Agni took a couple of deep breaths to prepare herself mentally for the worst before she followed. The inside of the hut was quite quaint. There was a bed against the far wall, several shelves, two wooden dressers, animal skin rugs in various ces and two wooden chairs. Onerge, one small.

    ¡°Come. Quickly, there isn¡¯t much time.¡± Wa said, her back turned to Agni as thetter entered the hut. She stepped inside and allowed the thick maroon colored curtain to fall in ce behind her as she gazed around the room. There were trophies of various types on the walls, unfurled scrolls and other artifacts which looked ornate.

    ¡°Remove your clothing.¡± Wamanded.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Agni said,pletely caught unaware by Wa¡¯s sudden demand.

 Chapter 12: Red Bottom

    Chapter 12: Red Bottom

    ¡°Your clothes. Remove them, ande here.¡± Wa repeated. She¡¯d already taken off her own armor and was proceeding toe out of her body suit.

    ¡°Um, this is¨C¡°

    ¡°Don¡¯t dy. This may be thest chance for you toplete that quest. You can¡¯t go any further if you fail here.¡± Wa said as she took a seat in thergest of the wooden chairs and motioned for Agni toe closer.

    For some reason Agni couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that she was in trouble, there was somewhat of an authoritative atmosphere in y which she couldn¡¯t quite put her finger on. It was decision time. Give up magic or endure this, whatever *this* was.

    She took a deep breath and began to take off her clothing once more, finally she stood before Wa in the nude awaiting further instruction.

    ¡°You know, I¡¯ve been doing this job for well over two hundred years.¡±

    ¡°Two hundred what now?¡± Agni whispered.

    ¡°Indeed. One of the benefits of an adventurer is immortality. In addition you age much, much slower physically. A demonic ss like yourself probably won¡¯t age at all. You¡¯ll forever have the body of a young adult. Isn¡¯t that great?¡± Wa took off her gloves as she spoke and then motioned e hither¡± as her eyes locked with Agni¡¯s.

    Agni took a few steps closer, yet still remained a respectable distance away.

    ¡°Ohe now. You¡¯re a subus. You¡¯re giving your ss a bad name.¡± Wa said, her patience wearing thin. She finally grabbed Agni by the wrist and pulled her closer, the two now inches away from each other.

    ¡°Did you know? Demonic type adventure sses are rare, but your ss¨C I¡¯ve only ever met one other Subus type in all my years. She had a simr predicament as you, only she was much less reserved. She had no reservations when it came to taking what she needed. She used her charms to touch and taste anyone who wandered a little bit too close¡­¡±

    Agni¡¯s palms had now begun to sweat as she listened to Wa¡¯s words. The familiar feeling of sexual tension had begun to fill the air.

    ¡°In the end, it took a bit more to push her over the edge¨Cso to speak.¡± Wa added, this time she pulled on Agni¡¯s arm unexpectedly. The next thing Agni knew she wasid prone over Wa¡¯s knees, her butt in the air with Wa looking down at her.

    ¡°Unfortunately we only have time for something like this¡­¡± Wa said as she used one hand to keep Agni from wiggling and the other to gently rub her ass cheeks. Before Agni could even react she felt the sting, her flesh jiggling as the sensation of a firm smack took over.

    ¡°Uhn!¡± Agni was so surprised by the sound of pleasureing out of her own mouth that she grasped her hands over her lips subconsciously.

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s what I like to hear. You see¡­¡±

    *Smack*

    ¡°This world is not like¡­¡±

    *Smack*

    ¡°The ones before¡­ where everyone is so prudish¡­¡±

    *SMACK*

    Wa continued her story between her spanking ps.

    ¡°Here, because the world is so raw and dangerous, we enjoy all sorts of pleasures without inhibition¡­¡±

    Wa had stopped spanking Agni (for the moment), instead she was gently rubbing Agni¡¯s red cheeks in a soft circr motion. It was quite soothing.

    Agni had never, ever done anything like this. In fact, if this had been suggested she¡¯d have emphatically refused. Still¡­.. She didn¡¯t dislike it.

    Especially when Wa slid her fingertips between Agni¡¯s legs and began to gently rub her moist pussy lips.

    ¡°Ah, that feels so good..¡± Agni thought to herself, though her body was still seized up from the suddenness of the situation.

    ¡°That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t feel ashamed as long as it¡¯s between two consenting adults. Likest night¡­¡±

    *SMACK*

    This blow was enough to bring tears to Agni¡¯s eyes, but for all the pain there was also pleasure as Wa continued to work Agni¡¯s pussy lips until her body was dripping wet.

    In the end, Agni endured Wa¡¯s ¡°treatment¡± until a new prompt shed before her eyes.

    [Quest Complete, The Potential System.]

    [Level has risen to 1. All stats increased. +1 Level Point gained.]

    [Adventurer¡¯s Pact is now official.]

    When all was said and done they both got dressed and Wa escorted Agni back to the Tabernacle statue.

    ¡°Remember. Just be yourself. Everyone else in this world will. The good, the bad, the pure and the corrupt. They all leave their mark. Don¡¯t inhibit yourself.¡± Wa said, showing a very rare smile as she patted Agni on the shoulder and then addressed the remaining Adventurers.

    ¡°Of the four who needed to level up. Please stand before me.¡± Wamanded, and the adventurers did as she asked. Wa took her time, gazing upon the faces of all four women before she finally decided to speak. Wa held up her left hand, palm pointing towards the small group of women.

    ¡°Systema : Inspect!¡± She said. The magical mark on her hand began to glow and several digital tool tips appeared above each of the women.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see. You , you and you. You all pass. You however, I¡¯m sorry love.¡± Wa said as she pointed to an Orcish girl on the far right of the lineup.

    ¡°Please. Wait, I only need 25 more!¡± She pleaded, but her plea fell on deaf ears.

    ¡°Guardian : Strip Rank!¡± Wa shouted, undaunted by the Orc girl¡¯s pleas. A yellow light washed over the woman and her skin slowly turned from green to a peach color. Her other orcish features slowly faded away as well until she was little more than a normal human again.

    ¡°Guardian : Forced Teleport : Gardenia !¡± Wa then said as she cast a second spell. A white magic circle appeared beneath the woman¡¯s feet and rose upwards, sending her away in a blip of light.

    ¡°And as you can see, this is the fate that awaits those who do not uphold your duty as adventurers.¡± Wa said as she turned to the remaining women.

 Chapter 13: Requirements

    Chapter 13: Requirements

    ¡°As you¡¯ve just seen, this is the fate that awaits you should you fail to maintain the requirements for being an adventurer. As I¡¯ve said many times, being an adventurer gives you free reign on how to shape the world you¡¯re about to live in. By the same token, with that poweres a certain amount of responsibility.¡± Wa said as she addressed the remaining adventurers.

    ¡°As an adventurer, you are required to obtain at least one level a month, acquire at least one piece of new information, or battle at least a hundred creatures. Do any of these three things and you can livefortably within the life of an adventurer.

    Now you can see why the quest was so important. You¡¯re safe for the next thirty days to explore and get your bearings. Look down at your Systema mark. Since you¡¯ve leveled up it has changed from its normal color to having a white outline. This means you¡¯ve fulfilled the requirements to maintain your status as an adventurer.¡±

    Agni nced down at her own mark which was normally pink in color and indeed, there was now a white outline around the symbol.

    ¡°To better exin, there are several adventurer ranks and each has different requirements to maintain. You need only fail to meet requirements one single time, and your status as an adventure is forfeit. Failure to do so will strip you of all your umted levels, skills and abilities including your ss. You will then forcibly be teleported to the normal starting town of Gardenia to begin your new life as a normal. Or, if you prefer, NPC for those of you familiar with the term.¡±

    ¡°Townsperson B¡­¡± Agni immediately thought as she heard Wa¡¯s description. She then shuddered,for she just barely avoided such a fate.

    ¡°Your current adventurer¡¯s rank is Zero and there are Ranks reaching up to four. For point of reference, I¡¯m a rank 2. The most powerful adventurers in the world are rank three and there are only less than a handful at that level.¡±

    ¡°Why is this important? I say it to help you understand that other than your Rank requirements, you¡¯re free to do virtually anything you desire. If you have the strength, means or will you can only be stopped by yourself ¡ª or other adventurers. Such is the power you now wield. There are also a few other points I need to exin to you before you begin your new lives, so listen carefully.¡±

    Wa then exined that the total number of levels an adventurer can umte is limited at 999, the known maximum and the pinnacle of a Rank 4 adventurer. Within those levels, certain limitations exist¨C level caps that can only be broken bypleting a ranking task. Once this is done, an adventurer¡¯s rank is upgraded along with their ss.

    With the introductory discussion about leveling out of the way, the group had breakfast and prepared for another workout session with Wa. She called it ¡°training¡± but really it was just her drilling self defense and evasion techniques into adventurers relentlessly. By the second session everyone seemed to gain the gist of the basics but they were surprised as Wa added weapons into the mix.

    ¡°It¡¯s important for everyone to learn how to hold their own, even if it¡¯s the basics.¡± Wa said. Each person got to choose a weapon ording to their adventure ss, which limited also weapons for battle apparently. Agni¡¯s choices were surprising.

    ¡°Scythe. Spear. Bo Staff. Halberd. Hmm, some of these seem like pretty heavy weaponry.¡± Agni remarked as she looked at a tutorial prompt exining her options. She gave each a try and despite her initial misgivings they all felt ¡°normal¡± to her, even the scythe. Despite this, she could tell that some weapons required a bit more skill to use sessfully so she chose the easiest to use in her opinion¨Cthe Halberd. It was a bit heavy, but all she really needed to do was swing it around.

    After an hour¡¯s practice in sparring with some of the Striker category adventurers Agni felt confident enough that she could fend off weaker foes or perhaps small animals at best. It was a start. After nearly three hours of training the body it was now mid afternoon. Agni expected to take another dip in the hot spring, but instead Wa gathered everyone together again.

    ¡°Death is impossible for you as an adventurer. However,you should fear defeat. When your health drops to 0, for any reason, you will be resurrected at thest spawn point you activated. As of now, you¡¯ll spawn here at the Tabernacle. Upon being defeated you will enter a special state known as ¡®First Death¡¯. During First Death all of your stats will be decreased and you will be rendered weak for a certain amount of time. If you are struck down again in this state, your life as an adventurer wille to an end and you will automatically be a ¡®normal¡¯. The duration of this status effect changes as you rise in level, so be aware.¡±

    ¡°Well done. You¡¯ve learned the basics of self defense. You¡¯ve learned the basics of being an adventurer. My job ends here, for this area only serves as a spawning point and a brief tutorial. No one can teach you how to be an adventurer, this is something you must learn and decide on your own.

    With that in mind, there are two final things I¡¯d like to share with you. The first is the final quest you will receive from me. It is optional, but it should help you on your way and it will be extremely helpful to all of you here starting out. I highly rmend that youplete it.¡± Wa said as she lifted her left hand upwards, the back of her palm facing the crowd. Her Systema mark glimmered for the briefest of moments before a new alert appeared for all of the adventurers gathered before her.

    [Quest Added : Trainer¡¯s Tutge]

    ¡°The quest has a three day timer. The final thing I¡¯d like to share with you are gifts from the Tabernacle.¡± Wa¡¯s mark glowed, this time emanating a strange light as another alert appeared for each adventurer.

    [Item Acquired : Beginner¡¯s Halberd]

    [Item Acquired : Beginner¡¯s Chest te(f)]

    [Item Acquired : Beginner¡¯s Bracers]

    [Item Acquired : Beginner¡¯s Shin Guards]

    [Item Acquired : Beginner¡¯s Pack]

    [Acquired 1,500 Gol]

    [Dimensional Storage Activated. Visit the Inventory Menu for more information.]

    [Systema Upgraded to level 2. Additional features unlocked, Map,Lore Systems.]

    ¡°Now, it is time for you to leave this ce and explore new realms. Make a name for yourself, or perhaps live a more quiet life. The choice is yours.¡± Wa said she bowed her head to the group. In response the adventurers pped, some hooted or whistled. Wa smiled briefly before she then turned and left, presumably to go back to her hut.

    The crowd of adventurers lingered around for many minutes more as they decided what to do and Agni could rte, for she¡¯d suddenly been given free reign to do anything she pleased.

    ¡°Money, and several items besides the starting gear.¡± Agni said as she nced through her inventory. Map features were also added; a world map which was devoid of any information or locations save for the Wilderness Tabernacle and the town of Grenvale, a regional mode which showed a closer view of the immediate area, and a minimap which looked more like a radar than a guidance reference.

    In addition the gear seemed more suited towards battle than her current set up. For one, it was impossible to wear the ck bodysuit and the other pieces at the same time ¡ª the two were simply ipatible. Agni decided to hold off on switching up her gear for the time being and instead found a ce to sit so that she could check out the ¡®Beginner¡¯s Pack¡¯.

    By using the item several other items were added to her inventory, health potions, assorted food items, mana potions and a few tools that might be useful to beginners like smoke bombs. Agni had just finished looking over her items when she heard Katrin¡¯s voice call her name.

    ¡°Agni!¡± Katrin shouted as she ran towards the subus.

 Chapter 14: Party?

    Chapter 14: Party?

    Every step Katrin took caused her plump D-Cup breasts to bounce uncontrobly, a fact that Agni simply couldn¡¯t ignore. She felt mesmerized by their bounce and sway. Katrin¡¯s face had a huge smile as she ran, waving the whole time.

    Finally, the distance having been bridged she stopped less than a meter before Agni and smiled. Katrin¡¯s eyes were a beautiful emerald green color, something Agni never really noticed before due to Katrin¡¯s other¡­assets. Agni also noticed that Katrin¡¯s style of dress was much different than before. She was wearing something that resembled a set of clothing that a monk might wear. A simple cloth outfit with long sleeves and leather boots. Leather trim did an absolutely terrible job of containing Katrin¡¯s tits which were practically screaming to be let free.

    ¡°Have you decided what you¡¯re going to do yet?¡± Katrin asked, bringing Agni¡¯s attention to her eyes instead of her chest.

    ¡°Huh? Oh, no.. not really. Why do you ask?¡± Agni responded.

    ¡°Because many of the adventurers already set out for Grenvale. Together.¡±

    ¡°Oh. I see.¡± Agni replied.

    ¡°So..would you like to go, with me I mean?¡± Katrin asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not really abat oriented ss, in case you haven¡¯t noticed but I do have other benefits, I¡¯m great at ¨C¡°

    ¡°Sure, let¡¯s do it.¡± Agni responded amidst Katrin¡¯s ¡°sales pitch¡± on her best qualities.

    ¡°Really? That¡¯s great!¡± Katrin said as sheunched herself at Agni with a lunging hug.

    ¡°Was this something really something to be that excited about? ¡± Agni thought to herself as she felt the softness of Katrin¡¯s chest against her own.

    ¡°Simple pleasures.¡± she thought to herself.

    Apparently Katrin had been turned down by many of the other adventurers, which wasn¡¯t surprising. Agni saw their ¡°cliques¡± forming as an inevitable thing. Agni, for the most part, kept to herself the past couple of days but it wasn¡¯t totally by ident. If Agni had to ce abel on it, it was most likely envy. From the moment their sses had been assigned via the Systema Agni¡¯s transformation was the most unique. That coupled with the fact that she was a Specialist category adventurer was enough to distance her from many of the other adventurers.

    Agni was also sure that Abeni may have had something to do with it as well. By ying im¡± on certain girls, marking her territory¨Cso to speak, many of the more beta women avoided Agni by principle. In fact, the few times Agni had attempted to make conversation with some of the adventurers they kept it short and excused themselves.

    ¡°I wonder how my Charm stat actually works? Do people like me regardless of their feelings or do they need to be attracted to me on some level before my Charm does anything? I¡¯ll have to test that¡­¡± Agni thought to herself.

    The only person thus far who ignored the perceived social dynamic or ¡°hierarchy¡± thus far was Katrin. Katrin went out of her way to speak to Agni at any given opportunity so why wouldn¡¯t she party up with her? It seemed like a no brainer, still the response made Katrin much happier than anticipated so Agni couldn¡¯tin.

    ¡°So when are we leaving?¡± Katrin asked as she moved a strand of her long brte hair around the back of her ear.

    ¡°Hmm. Give me a few to get changed. I want to take a dip in the hot spring before we go.¡± Agni replied. At this suggestion Katrin¡¯s face lit up. She grabbed Agni by the arm and pulled her along towards the hot spring area.

    There were already severaldies at the hot spring area when the two arrived. Apparently half a dozen other adventurers had the same idea. The pre-journey soak was quite nice, especially the portion in which Agni got to wash Katrin¡¯s back. Katrin¡¯s breasts were sorge and round that they could be seen from behind. Agni once again found herself fighting to resist temptation to reach out and caress them.

    Once the two entered the hot spring they had a nice, rxing soak as they discussed their ns for travel. Grenvale, the city listed in the quest, was known as the ¡°starter¡± city of the region. Essentially it was a ce new adventurers could go in order to gain their bearings before moving onto greener pastures. For someone who seemed almost as solitary as Agni, Katrin had acquired a great deal of knowledge. Apparently in the city of Grenvale specific trainers existed that showed adventurers how to better use the Systema as well as trained people in the art of living an adventurer¡¯s life.

    For Agni she really had no particr goal in mind at the moment, so she was willing to try most everything out. One thing did worry her though ¡ª monsters. Agni recalled something Wa told them during their earlier training session with weapons.

    ¡°Take care not to underestimate any creature youe across in this world. While some may look like animals, I assure you they are not. Animals as you know them do not exist in this world, instead what we have are beasts known as Grimlocks. Grimlocks, or moremonly referred to as monsters, have enough strength to easily kill or maim normal people and right now your strength is as close to normal as it ever will be. Once you leave here, do not dy or stray from the path. Doing so could help you meet an early demise.¡±

    ¡°Grimlock huh?¡± Agni muttered to herself as she listened to Katrin discuss various things. Although she was listening to Katrin speak, she also had things on her mind ¡ª namely Abeni at the moment. She wondered exactly how Abeni felt about everything that happenedst night. She¡¯d only seen her once earlier in the day and Abenipletely ignored her nces. That being said, she couldn¡¯t really imagine Abeni being all that shy so¡­

    Agni¡¯s mind was pulled back to the present moment as she felt Katrin draw closer in the hot spring.

    ¡°We should probably get going. It¡¯s gettingte. We will have to make camp at some point and we can¡¯t stay here any longer.¡± Katrin said.

    ¡°Hmm? Why not???? Agni asked.

    ¡°Apparently the Tabernacle only wees people for a forty eight hour period. After that time they are expelled into the forest outside.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Where did you hear that?¡± Agni said in disbelief. ¡°Being dispelled? How would that work exactly?¡±

    ¡°The Lore menu. There¡¯s a great deal of information already listed in there. You can learn quite a lot.¡± Katrin responded.

    ¡°So basically, if we were to sleep here we¡¯d be forcibly kicked out in our sleep?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Katrin added.

    ¡°I guess that makes sense, otherwise what would stop someone from staying in the spawning area indefinitely..¡± Agni said as she nodded.

    Katrin stood up, the water falling down as she got to her feet. Her figure was impressive. Her skin was milky and smooth, her pink nipples hard from the stimtion of heat in the water. Agni carefully noted the curvature of her hips, Katrin¡¯s proportions were amazing. The only word that came to mind was ¡°Thick¡±. The beauty of her female form was rounded out by the curly brown pubes which adorned her fleshy lips. Agni couldn¡¯t help but bite her lip at the sight of Katrin¡¯s naked body. Katrin on the other hand seemed oblivious ¡ª or simply enjoyed being an exhibitionist for Agni.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± She said as she leaned over and extended her hand to Agni.

 Chapter 15: Halfway There

    Chapter 15: Halfway There

    The two quickly got dressed, Katrin in her starter Scribe¡¯s gear and Agni in her Beginner¡¯s gear. In the short time that Agni had been a woman she still hadn¡¯t quite gotten used to baring her skin. The other women seemed to do so effortlessly, naturally especially around each other. Agni still had reservations which is why when she ced on the gear she felt exposed.

    In order to remedy this thinking Agni simply told herself it would help her with magic (which was true). The chest te essentially only covered her breasts and a few centimetres downward of her rib cage. Her abdomen wasrgely exposed as were her thighs and arms. There was no helmet to speak of, Agni assumed because of her horns.

    ¡°You look great Agni!¡± Katrinmented as she nced from head to toe. Agni could feel the sensation of bashfulnesse over her but she was genuinely happy in the same breath.

    ¡°Thanks!¡± Agni replied, beaming.

    ¡°This must be the power ofpliments¡­¡± Agni thought to herself. She¡¯d most likely have never reacted that way as a man, still it was nice.

    Having gotten dressed the two turned and nced back at the Tabernacle area. They had only been there for a short time but it was the first ce they hade to know. They felt somewhat of an attachment to it¨Cand Wa.

    Agni¡¯s mind spiraled as she thought back to the incident in the hut. As she thought back to the stinging sensation of ps against her skin Agni couldn¡¯t help but feel her pussy quiver.

    ¡°Did I really like it that much?¡± She thought to herself as she followed Katrin out of the Tabernacle. The path leading out was always known to them, in fact Wa made sure to exin it on the first day. They also knew that once they left, they wouldn¡¯t be able to return. This wasn¡¯t due to Wa being a hard ass, rather the Tabernacle was warded by a barrier spell. It kept anyone from entering, but people could freely leave. The only person who could persist in the Tabernacle longer than 48 hours was the Tabernacle guardian, in this case Wa.

    A few minutes after setting out down the southern path leaving out of the Wilderness Tabernacle the pair could feel the air around them shift. It was a strange sensation as Agni noted, things simply no longer felt ¡°holy¡±. This was the moment they stepped out of the barrier.

    ¡°Wait.¡± Katrin said suddenly as she turned around and extended her hand. Eventually her finger tips bumped into something which caused the air to ripple. It looked like transparent silk paired with rippling on the surface of water.

    ¡°So this is the Tabernacle Warding Barrier. Interesting.¡± Katrin said before turning to face Agni with a smile.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go!¡±

    Katrin was in very high spirits. Agni on the other hand couldn¡¯t help but worry. It was around five in the afternoon at this point. Within three hours max darkness would be upon them. How far could they actually get in the dark and didn¡¯t the forest get more dangerous after sunset? She couldn¡¯t help worrying about the ¡°what ifs¡± of the situation.

    It seemed Katrin picked up on Agni¡¯s worry because she started to talk about various things rted to the forest.

    ¡°For the most part, Grimlock only inhabit areas where humanoids do not dwell. They are like normal animals in that sense. This only holds true for the outside world, however.¡±

    ¡°Outside world?¡± Agni was somewhat confused.

    ¡°Mhm. In Adventia, there are portals to ¡®inner¡¯ worlds. These are the worlds where Grimlock mainly exist as a dominant force. The ¡®outer world¡¯ refers to the ce we are in now and though Grimlock exist here, they aren¡¯t nearly as powerful or numerous as one would find in the inner worlds.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good..¡± Agni said to herself as she thought, ¡°Maybe I should read the Lore menu a bit more..¡±

    ¡°Oh! Before I forget!¡± Katrin said as she stopped and opened her Systema. Agni stood watching her, puzzled, until a prompt appeared before her eyes.

    [Katrin, Level 3 Scribe has invited you to join her party. Do you ept? Y/N]

    After epting Katrin¡¯s invite Agni was pleased to discover that some of Katrin¡¯s info appeared in her HUD ¡ª namely her health and mana bar.

    ¡°How are you already at level 3?¡± Agni asked.

    ¡°He he he.¡± Katrin chuckled proudly before she added, ¡°Some of the other girls were at level five before they left.¡±

    ¡°What? No way.¡± Agni said. Suddenly she felt as if she was only skating by.

    ¡°Yea. It turns out that as you gain levels your Systema upgrades as well. At level three you can unlock the party feature. This lets you share any experience gained with your party members as long as they are within twenty five levels of difference.¡±

    At this point Agni was beginning to wonder what she¡¯d do without Katrin. She seemed so much more knowledgeable about the world despite having just arrived a couple of days ago. Byparison Agni wascking on all ounts.

    Katrin continued exining various things as they walked for the next hour and a half. Judging by the distance they¡¯d covered and their location on the map they had only made it one sixth of the way to Grenvale. This put the distance estimated at around 28 kilometers from the Tabernacle to Grenvale.

    Agni wasn¡¯t really feeling the fact that she might need to sleep out in the open. In fact theter in the day it got, the more apprehension filled her. She had a general sense of unease that perhaps something bad would happen though she couldn¡¯t rightly ce this thought. It was a feeling more than anything, thus she decided to push the idea out of her mind.

    Instead Agni decided to check out her Status since leveling up¨Csomething she¡¯d neglected to do earlier in the day.

    [Agni Heartfyre]

    [Age : 18]

    [ss : Subus Lvl : 1]

    [Adv. Tier : 0 ]

    [Health : 74/74]

    [Mana : 30/30]

    [Strength : 5 (7)]

    [Agility : 9 (12)]

    [Speed : 4]

    [Soul : 11]

    [Charm : 14]

    Inspired by Katrin¡¯s knowledge of the system Agni also decided to take a look at the Lore menu. She clicked on the first thing that caught her interest, namely the ¡®Leveling¡¯ Entry.

    [Leveling up increases your stats by a predetermined amount called ¡®ss Growth¡¯. ss Growth Info can be viewed from the Growth menu. Each level acquired in Rank 0 awards the yer with level points. These points can be distributed to improve the yer in various ways.]

    ¡°That sounds interesting.¡± Agni thought as she then moved down to the ¡®Level Points¡¯ entry.

    [Level Points are special points acquired by low rank adventurers (Rank 0 only). Level points can be used in two ways: 1) To directly increase a stat. This costs 2 Level points and will automatically improve any stat to which it is applied. 2) Growth increase. By visiting the Growth menu, an adventurer can expend 10 Level points to increase the growth value of any stat.]

    ¡°That¡¯s pretty nice. Hmm, and there¡¯s 999 levels? That¡¯s alot of increases. Oh¨C but wait.¡± Agni said as she thought about what she¡¯d just read.

    ¡°This only applies to Rank 0 levels. Let¡¯s see¡­Rank 0 levels are levels 1 through 99.¡±

    ¡°Katrin, how are you nning to spend your level points?¡± Agni asked.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it¨Cyet. I know a few of the girls used theirs immediately. But I¡¯m torn between long term gains and short term gains.¡±

    ¡°So essentially she¡¯s wondering the same thing I am¡­whether it would be more beneficial to use them now, or gain better benefits over time. Hmm..¡± Agni thought to herself.

    Assuming that the level points worked the way she believed them to, she could spend 10 Level points to raise the amount of speed she acquired with each level up or outright increase a stat immediately. Logically, you¡¯d get more stats in the long run by using method 1, but considering you would only be able to gather a little more than a hundred Level Points in Rank 0, that meant you could also only raise your growth rates a maximum of ten times.

    Agni wondered if there was a limit, for example if she could raise her health growth rate ten times in a row. The pair walked undisturbed for an even longer period of time and soon darkness was upon them. As Agni suspected her paranoia was heightened with theing of nightfall. They didn¡¯t have to worry about light, as Agni managed to make a torch with an old tree branch and her fire magic but the forest seemed especially dark and foreboding as they continued along.

    ¡°Maybe we should stop and set up camp?¡± Agni suggested. The path they were on wasing to a small circr clearing which might be ideal for tents. She¡¯d suddenly grown tired, most likely due tock of sleep from the night prior.

    ¡°M-maybe you¡¯re r-right..¡± Katrin stuttered as she clung to Agni¡¯s free arm. She¡¯d been like this for the past thirty minutes now, clutching to Agni furiously and jumping at the distant sounds in the darkness.

    Agni normally wouldn¡¯t have suggested stopping, after all they were almost halfway there at this point. They¡¯d make it by midnight or possibly sooner but with Katrin¡¯s slowed pace and fatigue setting in Agni decided against it.

    ¡°You said this area is rtively safe right? So it shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±

    Katrin nodded as she looked around though it wasn¡¯t all that convincing.

    ¡°I may have to carry her piggyback if she gets overwhelmed¡­¡± Agni thought to herself as they continued further up the path to the nearby clearing.

    ¡°I¡¯ll start a fire.¡± Agni said as she set about the work of gathering firewood. Katrin nodded as she held a torch at the ready, gazing around for any sign of trouble. It was less than five minutes before trouble found them. Agni had managed to gather quite a few branches by this point when she heard Katrin¡¯s voice call out her name.

    ¡°Agni! Agni!¡± Katrin¡¯s voice was a weird mixture of excitement and terror as she practically ran towards Agni.

    ¡°What? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Agni asked as Katrin dropped her torch and grabbed Agni by the arm.

    ¡°Grimlock!¡± Katrin said as she pointed towards the center of the clearing. There amidst the flickering light of the dying torch was a creature which resembled a buck. It¡¯s horns were massive, branching outwards in various directions as it glowered in their direction. A spark of electrical energy could be seen coursing through its horns as it began to charge towards them.

 Chapter 16: Grimlocks Greeting

    Chapter 16: Grimlock¡¯s Greeting

    Much like Wa¡¯s description, the creature resembled a Stag with long, majestic horns however an ominous blue surge of electric energy was coursing through them.

    ¡°Katrin, get ready to fight.¡± Agni ordered as she raised her right hand before her and shouted ¡°Weapon Call!¡± Her currently equipped weapon, the Halberd appeared in her right hand. She twirled it a few times as the creature sped up running towards them. In the moment, seeing the creature¡¯s horns begin to glow with pale blue light Agni could only think she may have messed up.

    Her intuition was correct. A few meters from their location the Grimlock Stag slowed down and dipped it¡¯s neck before raising it upwards once again. A surge of lightning issued forth from each point of its horns creating a spidering sh of electric bolts which snapped and jolted forth. The result was that everything within a six meter radius was subject to the power of lightning damage. Agni lifted her weapon with hopes of using it as a lightning ward, simultaneously activating her own lightning magic to dampen the power of the blow.

    [-8]

    [-7]

    [-11]

    [-9]

    Although Agni managed to nullify some of the damage her arm immediately went numb from the shock, in addition her body was also struck in several ces, her chest, both thighs and her foot.

    The feeling in all contact points was gone,pletely numb ¡ª what¡¯s more the scent of singed hair and possibly burned flesh filled the air. Agni grimaced with disdain as she watched her HP meter plummet. Nearly half of her current HP gone in a single attack!

    [HP : 38/74]

    [Mana : 20 / 30 ]

    Not only had Agni lost half of her health in a single strike but she used up a third of her mana as well fending off the attack with little sess.

    ¡°Katrin, are you okay?¡± Agni shouted as she eyed the creature.

    [Combat Analysis subsystem Unlocked]

    [Fulger Stag Level 7

    A grimlock that can channel lightning in its horns.]

    The Systema mark shed with energy for a moment as a description of the creature appeared over its head.

    ¡°Level 7? That¡¯s a lot stronger than me isn¡¯t it?¡± Agni thought to herself as she prepared for her own counter attack. The creature stood before her, readying to rush, its hooves pawing the grass aggressively.

    ¡°Katrin? Katrin!?¡± Agni shouted, she never looked away from the creature ¡ª her intuition told her that to do so might be a fatal mistake but Katrin had not responded. Agni quickly nced at Katrin¡¯s party HUD and much to her dismay she realized Katrin was only conscious by a hair¡¯s breadth. She had one or two HP at the most.

    Agni chanced a nce in her direction, approximately thirty five centimetres to her left, only to find Katrin on the ground clutching her hand. The skin of her right hand was badly burned and in the other hand she held a scroll of some sort.

    ¡°Shit.¡± Agni grunted as she took a step forward, testing the waters.

    ¡°Should I rush it?¡± She thought to herself as she closely studied the creature. It most likely could run faster than her, so she had little choice but to wait for it to take action ¡ª or so she thought. That was when Agni noticed the energy building in the creature¡¯s horns once more. It was preparing for another attack.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll be able to defend against that a second time!¡± Agni could feel a lump in the pit of her stomach as a sense of dread slowly overcame her.

    ¡°If I¡¯m going down, I¡¯m taking you with me!¡± Agni shouted as she dashed forward. She didn¡¯t expect for her attack to do anything, she didn¡¯t even expect it tond ¡ª she simply didn¡¯t want to be defeated without doing *something*. *Anything*. Luckily, the creature did not possess its normal mobility or speed while preparing to use its vicious area of effect attack. This worked in Agni¡¯s favor as she leapt forth, bridging half the distance in a single step and then she nted her feet and swung the Halberd downward with all of her might. The first blow sent the creature¡¯s head hard into the ground, disorienting it.

    Completely surprised by the sess of her attack, Agni began to swing her weapon wildly. She chose the halberd because she liked the feel of it, it was heavy and powerful. This weight came in handy as she began to repeatedly smash the axe de into the creature¡¯s skull. Though most of the damage was absorbed by the antlers, the fierce blows broke away the hard mineral deposits and eventually found its way into the creature¡¯s skull. It fell to its knees quickly, allowing Agni to pierce it through the chest several times to finish it off.

    She stood there heaving wildly as she watched the light leave the creature¡¯s eyes. She pierced it through the skull once more for good measure, using all of her strength towards a downward strike before she remembered that Katrin was severely wounded.

    Agni dropped her halberd, causing it to recall into her storage untilter use, as she ran over to Katrin who was still on the ground.

    ¡°You really showed it, who¡¯s boss.¡± She said through the pain. Katrin¡¯s wounds were extensive. Unlike Agni who only suffered mild damage, Katrin¡¯s body had severe electrical burns in several ces ¡ª including her face.

    Based on the blood trickling out of the corner of her mouth, Agni surmised that she probably was suffering from internal damage as well.

    ¡°Shit. This is bad.¡± Agni said as she knelt before Katrin.

    ¡°Potion.¡± Katrin grunted.

    As if a light bulb went off in her mind, Agni remembered the starter potions. She quickly opened her inventory and clicked on the potion :

    [Yue Leaf Restoration Pot x 3

    Restore a small amount of health. (250 HP). ]

    She clicked the item urgently and was next confronted with a new alert.

    [Use on Self or Party Member Katrin?]

    ¡°Katrin dammit!¡± Agni nearly shouted as her growing concerns got the better of her.

    The quantity decreased by one and a translucent, green aura surrounded Katrin¡¯s body in the next instant. Agni watched with bated breath as her HP bar rose, fillingpletely and the electric burns on her hands, chest and face slowly faded away.

    ¡°This is amazing. And this was only a weak potion?¡± Agni thought to herself as she helped Katrin to her feet.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Yea. Thanks. I thought I was a goner.¡± Katrin said with a smile. Though her body was healed her clothing was burned in various ces.

    ¡°Oh! Agni! You¡¯re in bad shape too!¡± Katrin said, cing her hands on Agni¡¯s cheeks as she began to ess the damage.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Agni said, suddenly feeling a bit embarrassed now that Katrin was so close. Agni was rarely used to people showing concern for her. The feeling was nice, so nice in fact that it made her forget about the asional twinges of pain she was now experiencing.

    ¡°Stupid Grimlock.¡± Agni thought to herself as Katrin continued to make a fuss over Agni¡¯s injuries.

 Chapter 17: Dark Wood

    Chapter 17: Dark Wood

    Despite the fact that Agni had 0 modifiers forbat she still gained 215 XP for defeating the creature, half of which was shared with Katrin. As for her wounds, she decided to ignore them for now. Between the both of them they had 5 HP potions remaining. Since a single potion could fully restore their health, they decided to hold onto the for emergencies. Also Agni was confident that her health would slowly recover. Within an hour she would be fine, based on her experiences in sparring.

    Katrin on the other hand doted now more than ever.

    ¡°Here, please take this!¡± She said as she practically forced an item into Agni¡¯s hand. It looked like an old beat up piece of parchment.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Agni asked, but had she taken a few more moments to inspect the item she would have known :

    [Lesser me Stream x1

    A scroll infused with fire element energy. When used a burst of fire will erupt from within and the scroll will be consumed.]

    ¡°Oh, nevermind. Did you make this?¡± Agni asked as she recalled just a few minutes prior when Katrin was on the ground. Most likely she was attempting to reach for the scroll when the lightning attack happened.

    ¡°Yes! It¡¯s how us Scribes defend ourselves.¡± Katrin replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s really cool.¡± Agni remarked, she felt kind of envious. At this point she could only create fireballs and sparks.

    ¡°They take quite a while to make and honestly mine are still fairly weak. But due to these I leveled up pretty quickly. He he¡±. Katrin was so cute when she smiled, this was a thought that constantly entered Agni¡¯s thoughts.

    ¡°Take these as well.¡± Katrin then added, handing Agni two more scrolls. One was a lightning element variety and the other was wind element.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s safe to say we should probably keep going.¡± Agni then said.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be further than three or four hours from here on foot. If we keep walking at a steady pace it should be no problem.¡±

    Unlike before Agni¡¯s sense of impending dread was gone, had that Grimlock perhaps been following them? If so, perhaps it was the torches. As this thought came to mind Agni suggested that they avoid using light as they traveled. It would make things more difficult but with the light of a half moon they would be able to see enough to make their way. If necessary Agni could also use her magic to create and sustain a fireball for a short time.

    After being suddenly attacked Katrin was easy to convince, in fact she allowed Agni to take the lead at this point. The good thing about the experience was that Katrin was now being extremely vignt and this allowed Agni to focus on leading the way.

    The map cursor put them a little more than half the way at the moment but Agni¡¯s mind was elsewhere. Did Wa really expect the adventurers to find their way to the town unharmed or was this some sort of test. If Agni had to guess it was probably thetter. Wa didn¡¯t seem like the type to baby anyone, but she also didn¡¯t seem like the type to lie or misinterpret situations. It was quite possible that maybe she expected most adventurers would be able to handle something like this.

    Thinking back to the encounter with the Grimlock, it only took striking at the right moment to win the battle. Although Agni could see things ying out much differently ¡ª realistically the worst thing that could happen was being sent back to the Tabernacle to respawn. Ultimately Agni decided that perhaps she was at fault for simply being too slow to react. With this in mind she vowed to do better the next time she was faced with danger.

    The evening wore on but their pace was considerably slower than before. This was due to the fact that the were moving in pitch darkness. Much as Agni suspected the creatures were all around, as they walked the forest trail they could see the dim light from the antlers of Grimlock stags in the distance. At least Agni assumed they were the same creatures¡­

    They were too far away for the system to register or identify and the mood made it difficult to share conjecture with Katrin who was now sweating profusely as she clinged to Agni¡¯s arm. Agni couldn¡¯t me her, after all just one strike nearly depleted her health. Katrin barely had time to react, panicked no doubt. What¡¯s more, she wasn¡¯t wearing any significant armor ¡ª just simple cloth clothing. The thought of seeing Katrin¡¯s burned body ultimately made Agni more protective. She couldn¡¯t help but find herself thinking things like :

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe they did that to your beautiful face!¡±

    And

    ¡°I¡¯ll protect those massive udders if it¡¯s thest thing I do!¡±

    Thoughts like this had be fairlymon to Agni over the past few days. As a man she¡¯d probably admonish herself for thinking this way, but as a woman she felt totally liberated. In fact, she nced down at the patch of missing cloth on Katrin¡¯s dress which was burned away during the battle. The soft shine of her buxom gave Agni some measure of peace and simultaneously pumped her up for action.

    That being said¨C after the initial adrenaline of the moment wore off and the cool chill of the night robbed Agni of her fire she simply felt weary. Her feet were aching from having walked so far. Her back was now beginning to cramp and she was sure Katrin felt the same way, though she dared not voice as much.

    At the current pace Agni estimated at least three more hours of walking, this was after having walked for a substantial amount of time after their initial encounter with the Grimlock Stag. She wasn¡¯t sure she could do it.

    ¡°Agni.¡± Katrin whispered as she shook Agni¡¯s arm. She pointed to the distance ahead, further out a dim light could be seen.

    ¡°Is that¡­ a campsite?¡± Agni¡¯s heart thumped with both hope and a sense of caution. Who would be on the path at this time of night? If anyone it was probably another group of adventurers. Was it safe to sleep out on the road like this? Agni¡¯s mind raced as she mulled over the idea of approaching the light. Soon enough Katrin¡¯s suspicions were confirmed. As the pair approached they heard a voice whisper :

    ¡°Who goes there?! I always wanted to say that.. Ha ha. Oh, it¡¯s you two.¡±

 Chapter 18: Campfire Stories From Beyond

    Chapter 18: Campfire Stories From Beyond

    ¡°P-purscha? Is that you?¡± Katrin ¡®s voice was shaky due to the fact that the voice echoed from the trees.

    ¡°Of course. Who else would it be Kat.¡± The adventurer known as Purscha made herself known, slinking out of the nearby treeline. She was wearing a deep brown cloak,plete with a hood that covered her face.

    ¡°Oh! Thank goodness!¡± Katrin said, holding her chest as she sighed. Agni had never really interacted with Purscha before but Abeni seemed to fall in line around her ¡ª thus Agni had no opinion of her one way or the other.

    ¡°What are you doing hanging out in the woods? Don¡¯t you know there are Grimlock out there?¡± Agni asked. She felt somewhat guarded for some reason. Perhaps it was due to her own weariness.

    ¡°Of course I do. That¡¯s why I¡¯m looking out. Keep your voices down..¡± Purscha replied as she moved towards the pair. Agni noticed the way the Nekomata moved, it was like silk ¡ª smooth and silent.

    ??Let¡¯s go.¡± Purscha said as she motioned towards the light of the campfire just a few meters down the path.

    ¡°Well, if I¡¯ll be damned! It¡¯s the weirdo!¡± Abeni nearly shouted.

    ¡°Keep your voice down, bonehead.¡± Purscha said with exasperation.

    ¡°Make yourselvesfortable.¡± Abeni offered.

    This was the first time since Agni had seen Abeni since their ¡°encounter¡± the previous night and she was honestly surprised. She pegged Abeni as the type to hold grudges based on her pushy personality. Was she actually the type to retreat when challenged?

    Katrin quickly took a seat near the fire, presumably to indulge in its warmth. Agni lingered for a moment longer, her gaze cast upon Abeni. In turn Abeni stared at her as well, expectantly waiting for her to take a seat. Eventually after some moments Agni sat down next to Katrin. At the campfire was another woman whom Agni immediately recognized, though this time she seemed to be fully dressed. It was the other Nekomata from the night before, the one whom Abeni was ¡°osting¡±. It seemed that perhaps the situation was consensual after all. As soon as their eyes met the Nekomata looked away, her face growing flush. It seems she felt a certain way about the previous night¡¯s events¡­.

    Purscha sat down next to Agni, making herselffortable, greeting the Subus with a sincere smile.

    ¡°So what are you two doing out here? I thought maybe you¡¯d have spent the night in the Tabernacle since we didn¡¯t see you on the road like the other girls.¡± Purscha remarked.

    ¡°You can only stay in the Tabernacle for 48 hours before being ejected. So we had to leave otherwise we might find ourselves outside of the sanctuary zone sometime in the night.¡± Katrin exined as she held her hands out towards the fire.

    ¡°Is it really that chilly out here?¡± Agni thought to herself as she saw Katrin warming her fingers.

    Purscha was wearing a hooded cloak, a leather vest and some skin tight leather pants. Her leather boots reminded Agni of the textbook definition of a thief or rogue. Abeni by contrast was wearing simr chest armor to Agni only it was clearly reinforced for better defense.

    ¡°Medium armor¨Cmaybe heavy?¡± Agni thought as she inspected the rest of Abeni¡¯s gear. She was clearly outfitted for some type of melee ss. Agni next cast her gaze over to the white haired Nekomata next to Abeni. Her skin was fair and pale, her eyes reddish in color. Her snow white hair was ented by two ck cat-eats peeking out from the sides of her head. She was dressed in what appeared to be a full suit of heavy gear which was confusing because based on her statue she was the most petite of the three. Aside from her thighs, all parts of her body were covered in armor, save her hands which were currently exposed. Even though the armor was beginner status like everyone else¡¯s it seemed more aggressive. This definitely didn¡¯t match the personality of the wielder by Agni¡¯s knowledge of her. Agni even spied a ratherrge two handed sword lying at her side.

    ¡°Who¡¯s your friend?¡± Agni asked, directing the question to Abeni.

    ¡°This is Kitai.¡± Abeni said, adding. ¡± She¡¯s a bit shy..you know, since¡­yesterday.¡±

    Agni felt slightly embarrassed, her eyes immediately drawn to Kitai who averted her gaze yet again. Clearly she was embarrassed. At least that¡¯s what Agni originally thought ¡ª but her intuition was telling her that perhaps there was more to it.

    ¡°Do you know how far we are from the town?¡± Katrin said, changing the subject.

    ¡°No. No clue. A few hours probly.¡± Purscha replied. She was now chewing on an apple and for the first time Agni got a good look at her face in the light of the campfire. Purscha¡¯s skin was tan, her long bangs fell just to her eye-line showing off her orange hair with brown streaks.

    An overbite gave her face character, as a sharp fang jutted out of the left of her mouth by a few centimetres.

    All three women were fairly attractive in Agni¡¯s mind, even Abeni as much as she hated to admit it. There was something she just didn¡¯t like about Abeni, something that irked her since the first day they met. She just seemed so¡­pushy. About everything.

    ¡°So¡­ this is awkward as fuck¡­¡± Abeni said suddenly, lifting her arms to stretch.

    ¡°Agreed..¡± Purscha immediately said. Kitai remained silent as she gazed into the fire.

    ¡°Um.. we- we got attacked by a Grimlock on our way here.¡± Katrin offered up for conversation.

    ¡°Wait¡­ you did? And you¡¯re alive?¡± Abeni said in disbelief.

    ¡°Thatst part wasn¡¯t necessary to say bitch.¡± Agni thought to herself.

    ¡°Mhm! You should have seen Agni. She pulled out her halberd and was like ¡®BOOM¡¯ ¡®POW¡¯ you¡¯re DEAD!¡± Katrin animatedly exaggerated Agni¡¯s greatness in the moment.

    ¡°Oh? Weirdo¡¯s a bad ass!¡± Abeni said with a chuckle. This kicked off a series of questions from the other adventurers. Though Purscha was watching guard in the woods, the trio had not run across any of the creatures for themselves ¡ª at least not directly. Purscha had been observing them from afar but none dared toe close to the camp. Ultimately Agni surmised that it was due to three reasons. The first was level difference. She wouldter find out that Abeni and the rest were already level six, five and five ¡ª Abeni being the highest level.

    The three also decided to use their LP (Level Points) the moment they got them which inted their stats well beyond what their stats should resemble at their current levels. Thest and probably most important reason was that they were a party of three. Simply put, because Agni and Katrin looked weaker they were probably attacked. This implied that Grimlocks may in fact be more than mindless beasts who carefully sized up their targets.

    Still, Agni had seen several Grimlock in the woods on their travels since their battle. She never saw the Stags together, they were usually several dozen meters apart. This also suggested the creatures might be territorial and anti-social with one another ¡ª another saving grace.

    The group of adventurers talked for quite some time about various things. In her ignorance Agni asked what adventurer¡¯s ss each of the people around her were, she found out that the Systema would reveal information like that upon leveling up ¡ª level 5 ording to the three party members there.

    Most of the talk centered around Agni¡¯s defeat of the Grimlock, forcing her to recall her short battle.

    ¡°So wait, your ss is Subus. But what does that mean exactly?¡± Abeni asked.

    ¡°You can use magic and weapons like a Halberd. What are some of your skills?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve never heard of a Subus before?¡± Agni asked, feeling shy suddenly.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Abeni said as she nced haughtily at Agni, cing her hand on her chin.

    ¡°So basically you don¡¯t want to tell us because you have shitty skills. Amirite?¡± Abeni then said as she pped her hands together.

    Agni grimaced then wondered if Abeni was simply ying stupid to embarrass her. As she sat there with all eyes on her she recalled Wa¡¯s words earlier in the day.

    ¡°Remember. Just be yourself. Everyone else in this world will. The good, the bad, the pure and the corrupt. They all leave their mark. Don¡¯t inhibit yourself.¡±

    With these words echoing in her head Agni puffed up her chest, took a deep breath and said :

    ¡°I get extra experience for fondling tits!¡±

 Chapter 19: Haze The Succubus

    Chapter 19: Haze The Subus

    ¡°Ha ha ha ha! WHAT?¡± Abeni shouted as she gripped her stomach and burst outughing.

    Agni expected this sort of response, she was somewhat mentally prepared as well but it still made her ears burn with embarrassment. Katrin¡¯s jaw dropped as she immediately whispered ¡°O-oh my..¡±

    Kitai¡¯s cheeks grew extremely flush while Purscha simply sat gazing at Agni with a strange look on her face and a huge smile.

    ¡°I can¡¯t help it. It¡¯s not funny okay!¡± Agni finally shouted over Abeni¡¯sughter, still she couldn¡¯t help but feel embarrassed somewhat.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Ok.. Ahhh I wasn¡¯t expecting that. I thought maybe your modifier was just..being weird or something. That¡¯s crazy. So like¡­ is that whatst night was about?¡± Abeni said as she wiped a tear away from her left eye.

    Agni groaned internally, Abeni was definitely trying to make her squirm at this point¨Cshe was sure of it. With no real answer Agni decided to do the only thing she could do, tap her fingertips together and throw out her best ¡°plead the fifth¡± vibe.

    ¡°OHHH! It WAS!¡± Abeni said again as she pointed at Agni¡¯s now reddening face.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it okay. Something happened. I don¡¯t know, I think one of my skills just activated and¡­I don¡¯t know..¡± Agni offered up as an excuse, but rather it was the truth. She didn¡¯t know why she took the actions she did, she simply feltpelled to do so.

    ¡°Abeni¡­stop. That¡¯s enough,stop giving her a hard time.¡± Purscha said firmly.

    ¡°Ugh, fine..fine. Sorry.¡± Abeni said after a few moments. She still chuckled asionally.

    Agni found a new respect for Purscha who was now smiling intently at her.

    ¡°What kind of skills can you use?¡± Katrin said, piping up after her initial shock wore off.

    ¡°I only have one skill I can use.¡± Agni replied.

    ¡°So¡­what is it?¡± Katrin seemed very intent on hearing about the skills of a Subus, in fact everyone did as all eyes were now on her.

    Agni sighed, resigning herself to the fact that this would most likely be the topic of conversation for the next couple of hours unless she answered all of their questions quickly.

    ¡°It¡¯s called Whisper. I haven¡¯t even used it yet, actually since it requires getting very close to another person.¡±

    ¡°Really? So could you use it on me? You have my permission ¡ª as long as it doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± Purscha added as she moved incredibly close to Agni.

    ¡°YES! Do it, please Agni!¡± Abeni said, excitement bubbling over from within. Agni gazed towards Katrin as well and seeing the strange look of determination in her eyes she realized she had no choice.

    Agni looked Purscha in her golden colored eyes and drew close to her, close enough to feel her breath as she thought back to Wa¡¯s instructions for activating a skill:

    ¡°To activate any skill you have two options. The first is simply to recite the name of the skill in your mind, or proceed with intent to activate the skill. Your Systema will in turn activate the effects on your behalf. Keep in mind, you may need to fulfill certain requirements or the skill won¡¯t activate.¡±

    In this case, ¡°certain requirements¡± were that Agni needed to be within whispering range. Other than that she had no idea what to do.

    ¡°Whisper.¡± She thought to herself with the intention of activating the ability. Agni could feel mana flowing towards her eyes and through the glossiness of Purscha¡¯s gaze she could see a bright pink glow.

    [To use ¡®Whisper¡¯ you must specify an action for your target to perform.]

    ¡°Hmm? I don¡¯t feel anything.¡± Purscha said secondster.

    ¡°It seems as if I need to give you some kind of directions. What do you want me to make her do?¡± Agni asked, turning to the others.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± For the first time Abeni seemed lost for words.

    ¡°Make her tongue touch your nose.¡± Katrin said.

    After awaiting approval from everyone else Agni shrugged and tried again.

    ¡°Whisper :Touch your nose with your own tongue.¡± Agni thought as more mana flowed towards her eyes. This time as her eyes began to glow Purscha¡¯s did as well along with the alert :

    [Whisper Attempt Sessful.]

    As instructed Purscha immediately attempted to touch her own nose with her tongue. After several tries she finally managed, after which time the pink glow that had ovee her eyes faded away.

    ¡°Wow.. that was trippy..¡± Purscha said as she came to her senses.

    ¡°It was like I was staring through a foggy pink filter. I could almost see myself doing as you instructed. That¡¯s amazing..¡± Purscha said.

    Agni noticed a distinct change in Purscha¡¯s bodynguage, though she didn¡¯t initially pick up on the meaning behind it.

    ¡°Do me next!¡± Katrin said suddenly, cing her hands on Agni¡¯s leg and drawing her face EXTREMELY close.

    ¡°What should Ipel you to do?¡± Agni then asked, of course, thinking of Katrin¡¯s undeniable appeal.

    The group of five continued going around in circles until Agni¡¯s MP ran out. At each use costing 5 MP she could only use it six times total (Purscha went twice). Abeni was served a bit of just deserts as Agni directed her to pull down her pants and allow Kitai to spank her a few times.

    Finally after discussing the capabilities of a Subus ss a bit more everyone decided to settle down to rest.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to keep watch for the next few hours. Abeni¡­go to sleep. I¡¯ll be waking you if I need to.¡± Purscha said as she pulled her hood over her head and returned to her post watching out for monsters. Despite all the noise the group made during the past couple of hours the Grimlock had not disturbed them at all. In fact, none could be seen in the immediate vicinity despite the fire. With this in mind both Katrin and Agni felt secure enough to finally fall asleep.

    Just before theyid down Abeni suggested that they join her party for the remainder of the trip towards town.

    ¡°These Grimlock won¡¯t bother you if you¡¯re with us. We might even be able to hunt a few tomorrow for practice.¡± This was what Abeni said as she offered a party invite to both Katrin and Agni. Having bonded with her somewhat over the past couple of hours Katrin canceled her party and both joined Abeni¡¯s. They all then retired to rest as it was now close to two in the morning.

 Chapter 20: Wakey Wakey

    Chapter 20: Wakey Wakey

    Almost as soon as Agni made herselffortable near the fire she drifted off into sleep. Her body was much more tired than she realized and she quickly fell into a deep, restful sleep ¡ª except¡­.

    ¡°Agni. Agni..¡± Agni awoke to the sensation of being gently shaken. She opened her eyes and looked about, only to notice the fire burned out sometime during her nap.

    ¡°It¡¯s Abeni, quick I need your help! She rushed off to fight a Grimlock!¡± It was Purscha¡¯s voice and the sense of urgency was unmistakable.

    ¡°What? Why would she¡­ugh..¡± Agni said, quickly getting to her feet. She moved to wake up Katrin who was only a meter or two away but Purscha grabbed her by the arm and whispered, ¡°There¡¯s no time!¡± as she pulled Agni away.

    The two dashed through the woods for some time. Agni kept her eyes peeled for any signs of Grimlock, but she didn¡¯t notice anything ¡ª which was good considering they were moving through the woods quite noisily at the moment.

    ¡°How much further?¡± Agni huffed as Purscha led her through the forest, it seemed so much easier for the woman in front of her. Agni noticed that a little light had begun to enter the sky, perhaps an hour or two before dawn which meant she had gotten very little sleep as is. Her body was still heavy and her speed was much lower than Purscha¡¯s to begin with thus she fell behind as Purscha darted forth and burst out into a nearby clearing.

    Agni prepared her weapon and followed suit, jumping out into the clearing ready to confront any foe in sight. To her surprise she didn¡¯t see anyone or anything. Rather than a clearing she was now standing near the bank of ake. The telltale signs of dusk break had begun to fill the morning sky in the distance.

    Had it not been for Agni¡¯s bewilderment she might have thought the view beautiful, the water shining against the still waters of theke.

    ¡°He he he.¡± Agni turned to her left and noticed Purscha step out of the shadow of a nearby tree.

    ¡°What? Where is she?¡± Agni grunted as she held her halberd at the ready.

    ¡°Sorry¡­¡± Purscha said, sping her hands together in a prayer motion.

    ¡°What? I don¡¯t¨C¡± Agni¡¯s voice was cut off by the sensation of being tackled to the ground. The blow wasn¡¯t painful, but it was enough to disorient her as Abeni pulled her to the ground and effortlessly pinned Agni down.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± Agni shouted indignantly, a twinge of anger in her voice as she gazed up at Abeni.

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s the look. The same look I had just the other day..¡± Abeni said as she pushed Agni¡¯s hands to the ground.

    ¡°Get off.¡± Agni said, suddenly realizing the purpose of her being called alone to the clearing.

    ¡°Grab her hands.¡± Abeni said to Purscha who was now standing over Agni and gazing down. Abeni was already nude, her chiseled body casting shadows in the dimly light dusk.

    ¡°Abeni¡­ I¡¯m serious. I¡¯m not in the mood..¡± Agni said, her cheek growing taut with annoyance. Purscha knelt down and held Agni by the hands, a mischievous smile spreading across her face as she licked her lips.

    Agni felt a twinge of heat shoot down her spine. Something about the threat of being pushed over the edge, beyond her current limits caused her body to react though her mind pushed for a stubborn response.

    She could feel the heat in her thighs as Abeni pulled her underwear off,pletely ripping them in the process.

    ¡°Abeni. Purscha¡­ let me go.¡± Agni said firmly one more time.

    ¡°If you want us to stop..then make us..¡± Purscha said as she leaned in and began to kiss Agni. Caught off guard by the soft, wetness of Purscha¡¯s lips Agni found herself plunging headlong into arousal. This happened even more as Abeni parted her thighs, though a part of Agni wanted to fight it ¡ª Abeni was much stronger than she. It was a simple matter to part her legs and begin running the tips of her fingers up and down Agni¡¯s lips.

    Agni¡¯s eyes widened as the yful groping turned into pration. The sensation was one she had not felt before, she didn¡¯t even dare to finger st herself! The feeling of someone inside her body was something she had yet to grow ustomed to ¡ª and for that very reason the thought and sensation drove her wild.

    Agni¡¯s eyes began to pulse with pink energy, a tell tale sign that her lust was beginning to overtake her. All three knew that if Agni really wanted them to stop, all she would need to do was use Whisper. And it was for this reason that the two aggressors persisted. Abeni saw it as payback ¡ª mostly. Now that Purscha and Abeni knew about the Subus ss in detail they finally understood why they were so attracted to Agni regardless of their feelings about her.

    Normally they would write her off as a weakling, not worth their time ¡ª after all Agni wasn¡¯t exactly in the ¡°big girls¡± league. She hadn¡¯t proven herself or earned that position, and try as Abeni might she couldn¡¯t quite resist the act of teasing or touching Agni every chance she got. However, due to Agni¡¯s aggressive reactions, Abeni felt somewhat out of ce. After all, how could the predator be preyed upon?

    Abeni¡¯s adventurer ss was ¡®Domineer¡¯. The warrior ss who survived on the battlefield by dominating anything and anyone standing in its way. And yet, with one nce from Agni¡¯s lust filled eyes she had been forced to retreat instantly. And now¡­.it was time to reim her dominance.

    The heating from Agni¡¯s body was like a signal for Abeni to press further, she thought to herself how she could really drive Agni wild as she continued to slide her fingers into Agni¡¯s wet box. Meanwhile Purscha hadpletely ignored pinning Agni down. She was now knelt over Agni as the two deeply explored one another¡¯s mouths. Agni¡¯s chest te was in the way but Purscha and Abeni had ample time to prepare for y ¡ª Agni was surprised she didn¡¯t see it sooner but aside from her hooded cloak Purscha waspletely nude.

    Agni slid one hand between the Nekomata¡¯s thighs and began to gently rub on her pussy lips, which were already soaked. With her other free hand she brought Purscha¡¯s perky, B-cup tit to her mouth so that she could flick her tongue along the nipple. Watching the two go at it made Abeni even more excited. Her only regret at this point was that she couldn¡¯t get that wet nket Kitai to take part¡­

    ¡°I know¡­¡± Abeni said to herself with a chuckle as she removed her fingers and licked them clean before assuming the position.

    ¡°Time to steal your soul.¡±

 Chapter 21: Soul Snatching 101

    Chapter 21: Soul Snatching 101

    Agni was so busy being undressed by Purscha that she paid little attention to Abeni¡¯s actions. All that she knew was that the sensation of stimtion ended for a short few moments. The second Agni¡¯s chest te was removed, she felt a firm tugging on her hips which caused her body to slide across the grass towards Abeni.

    The sensation of being handled both agitated and excited her. It was simply something she was not used to from her past life. She was once again being controlled, with Abeni at the helm. Agni caught a glimpse of Purscha¡¯s face, an expression of determined focus mixed with lust was sending a different kind of energy Agni¡¯s way.

    It happened so quickly, as arms wrapped from beneath Agni¡¯s thighs ¡ª Abeni¡¯s hands resting on her lower abdomen as the warm, wet sensation of a tongue graced her body. Abeni¡¯s tongue started so far down that Agni could almost feel it brush against her asshole. This made Agni quiver as a sense of paralysis overtook her body for the briefest of moments. She could hear Abeni chuckle as her tongue slowly slid upwards, the tip of it parting Agni¡¯s lips ever so slightly. Agni¡¯s mind and body were now working in overdrive. She¡¯d never felt such a soft, stimting sensation as this. The amount of sexual energy in her body was driving her to new heights effortlessly.

    Abeni lingers for a few moments near the top of Agni¡¯s lips before sliding her tongue deeper and flicking the tip against Agni¡¯s clit a few times, teasing her in the process. The tiniest of nudges from this action threatened to make Agni moan.

    ¡°Oh fuck..¡± Agni whispered, suddenly realizing the position she was in. What¡¯s more Purscha¡¯s eager hands caressed Agni¡¯s exposed breasts. The two were definitely doing a number on Agni.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    Back at the campsite Katrin awoke to the sound of words on the wind. It was then that she noticed most of the party was gone. She slowly raised up, ncing around as she wiped the sleep from her eyes. Kitai was the only remaining party member and she was fast asleep, nestled close to her broadsword.

    ¡°Agni?¡± Katrin whispered as she looked around.

    ¡°Agni!?¡± Katrin said suddenly, fearing the worst.

    ¡°Rx. She¡¯s fine.¡± Kitai said suddenly, having been woken by Katrin¡¯s obvious distress.

    ¡°What do you mean? Where is she? Where¡¯s everyone else?¡± Katrin ask as she crawled over towards Kitai.

    ¡°Near theke. It¡¯s on the map¡­¡± Kitai said as she pointed towards the general direction of the others.

    ¡°What are they doing?¡± Katrin next asked, her mind slowly drifting towards the worst.

    ¡°It¡¯s better to see for yourself.¡± Kitai said beforeying back down to rest.

    Katrin thought things over for a moment. As a Scribe she didn¡¯t really have a reliable means of surviving mostbat situations. Kitai didn¡¯t seem worried, thus she believed the situation to be something else entirely¨Cbut what?

    [You¡¯ve reached level 4.]

    The alert surprised Katrin as she didn¡¯t expect it. She then quickly got to her feet, her mind racing as she realized the implications of the alert.

    ¡°Oh no¡­ they must be off fighting somewhere!¡± Katrin had half a mind to wake Kitai, but she clenched her fists and hardened her resolve. She was an adventurer, she couldn¡¯t rely on others all the time.

    ¡°All I need to do is cross the forest. I- I can do it..¡± Katrin whispered to herself as she pulled out a scroll for each of her free hands ¡ª in anticipation of the enemy. It was nearing sunrise and visibility was fairly good.

    ¡°I can do it. I can do it..¡± She repeated to herself as she took off running in the direction Kitai pointed out.

    Katrin¡¯s run through the forest filled her with dread, but she also felt determined to break free from those emotions. She¡¯d found herself with a new lease at life and she wanted to make the most of it. Unlike most of the adventurer¡¯s Katrin¡¯s new life resembled her old to a shocking degree. Quiet, reserved, bookish, shy at times. She¡¯d always been that way into herte forties. Soon, before she knew it she was alone. Her life consisted of working, goal based living, ¡°get the paycheck¡± , ¡°Aplish the task to earn the reward¡±. These were the thoughts that consumed her days until ultimately her health failed her and she found herself in the world of Adventia. These were things she never mentioned to the others, because most didn¡¯t seem to remember much of anything before they arrived.

    When Katrin learned that she would have a new opportunity in life, she was excited. She entertained thoughts of swinging des or channeling awesome magical spells ¡ª going on adventurers and maybe even being the leader of a band of mercenaries. Her thoughts were in overdrive until the Systema applied to her the Scribe ss.

    ¡°Glorified librarian¡­¡± These were the first words Katrin inwardly thought upon receiving her ss. Still, having gained an immense opportunity she threw herself into the craft. If she failed at life this time, it wouldn¡¯t be due to old habits. And for this purpose, she pushed on through the dim dark of the forest, scrolls at the ready in case she needed to bare her fangs.

    But what she found caught herpletely off guard. Katrin¡¯s footsteps slowed the moment she heard voices on the wind. Airy moans, whispers, the sound ofmotion ¡ª bodies intertwined. As she came upon the clearing Katrin¡¯s heart skipped a beat and began to thump harder against her chest. Her eyes widened as she gazed upon the sight of Abeni and Purscha feasting upon Agni¡¯s body ; Abeni hungrily slurping at her pussy lips , Purscha caressing her abdomen as she licked and sucked on Agni¡¯s round tits.

 Chapter 22: Inclusion

    Chapter 22: Inclusion

    The sight of the threesome sent aplicated mix of emotions through Katrin. She first struggled to process the scene, her mouth agape as she dropped one of her scrolls. She quickly pressed herself against a nearby tree and continued to peek into the clearing six meters away. Her chest felt somewhat heavy as her heart pounded, adrenaline flooding her body. She¡¯d never seen such a thing in person, let alone experienced it. As she peeked around the edge of her hiding spot her mind was now racing as a strange feeling came over her.

    Katrin clenched her fist, bringing it up to her chest as she watched Abenipping up Agni¡¯s honey pot greedily. Purscha¡¯s zeal ¡ª the way she freely caressed and tasted Agni¡¯s body was making her¡­

    ¡°Is this¡­am I jealous?¡± Katrin posed the question to herself in disbelief. She quickly dismissed the thought, even as she felt the anger rising within her at the thought of others touching Agni so carelessly.

    ¡°And she¡¯s allowing it!¡± Katrin thought to herself. Her eyes shed angrily for a moment as she watched, but she couldn¡¯t help the fact that her eyes were now wandering. Purscha¡¯s open cloak disyed her slim, petite build. Her perky tits jiggled ever so slightly as she worked over Agni, her legs spread so that Agni could y between her thighs as well.

    Katrin had seen the glow of Agni¡¯s eyes before but never directed at her. This realization bought about a host of unrealized thoughts.

    ¡°Mine. She¡¯s mine. Stop.¡±

    A voiceing from the center of her chest demanded, yet she couldn¡¯t do or say anything. It wasn¡¯t really her ce, that was the logic she used to keep herself from reacting badly. Thus she snuck away after watching for a few moments more, returning to the campsite. Katrin was lost in thought, so much so that she didn¡¯t even notice Kitai watching her return. Sheid down and using her hand as a pillow tried to go back to sleep but her thoughts were working in overdrive.

    Katrin felt the familiar pangs of agonizing exclusion slowly threatening to swallow her up as tears came to her eyes. This is why she didn¡¯t notice Kitai getting up from her spot andying down next to her, wrapping her arm around Katrin¡¯s waist.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Katrin whispered softly as arge tear rolled down her cheek.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Kitai said, pulling Katrin closer.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Katrin said, trying to y off her emotions. In response to this Kitai grabbed her shoulder and gently tugged, prompting Katrin to roll over and face her. Their eyes locked and Kitai¡¯s gaze was one that made Katrin feel somewhat ashamed. Empathy, understanding.

    ¡°Did you know?¡± Katrin asked as she sniffled slightly.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Kitai answered, her hand reaching out to wipe Katrin¡¯s cheek. Then after several more moments she ced her hand on Katrin¡¯s face gently and leaned in to give her a kiss. Katrin was caughtpletely unaware and thus her body went rigid as Kitai¡¯s soft lips pressed against hers. The kiss was deeper than Katrin expected, passionate even as Kitai¡¯s tongue began to explore the taste of Katrin¡¯s lips.

    ¡°I¡¯m not her. And I¡¯m sure she didn¡¯t mean to inspire these feelings but¡­for the moment¡­¡± Kitai said hopefully as she trailed her hand slowly down Katrin¡¯s face. Her fingertips were so soft and gentle that Katrin could feel her heartbeat growing more fierce, her body slowly bing warm.

    ¡°I¨C¡± Katrin began, but Kitai ced a fingertip over her lips, pursing her mouth shut as she leaned in for another kiss. The kiss this time showed no sign of ceasing as Kitai¡¯s hands became more eager, caressing Katrin¡¯s massive melons through her shirt. Slowly, surely Katrin was pulled into an unfamiliar world of lust where her feelings were being turned on their ear. Rather than the sadness of being excluded, she was now reveling in the sensation of someone devoting all of their attention on her¨Cand her body.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Whispered Purscha as she watched the two from behind a nearby tree. She noticed Katrin watching almost instantly, as well as watching her leave.

    ¡°Some people just don¡¯t get it¡­ sometimes..you just have to do what you feel..¡± Purscha said as she smiled to herself and returned to thekeside clearing.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Agni had lost count of how many times she¡¯d been made to cum. All she knew is that her leveling prompts continued to roll in.

    [You¡¯ve reached level 2.]

    [You¡¯ve reached level 3.]

    [You¡¯ve reached level 4.]

    [You¡¯ve reached level 5.]

    She¡¯d never experienced a feeling this joyous as a man. It was as if her entire body, every fiber and cell worked towards a joyous purpose ¡ª one that lifted her soul from her body. She shaked, moaned, screamed, clenched Abeni¡¯s head as her sensations of lust rose and fell with each orgasm.

    Even Abeni began to wonder exactly when Agni would get enough, but there was no conceivable answer in sight. At some point Purscha pushed Abeni out of the way, determined to get her fill of Agni¡¯s honey pot as well. Unlike Abeni, whose tongue was strong and rough, Purscha gentlypped at Agni¡¯s body. This contrasting sensation created a slow build with explosive results.

    Agni was so loud that Abeni straddled her to ride her face to muffle her. She underestimated Agni¡¯s lust factor. Her Sulust was now raging wildly, out of control thus her strength had grown substantially. Agni clenched her arms around Abeni¡¯s hips and returned the favor by licking the juicy wet essence from her dripping lips. Agni then took to sucking on her lips long and hard, right over the clitoral hood. The result was that Abeni was now finding it difficult to contain her whimpers of excitement.

    The eroticism continued for the next forty minutes or so. Eventually Agni reached her limit,pletely drained of her energy from cumming so many times. The trio of womeny nude in the dim dusk light, Agni falling asleep again from the ordeal.

    Back in the campsite clearing Kitai¡¯s forting¡± of Katrin had also reached an orgasmic conclusion. The two slept in each other¡¯s arms, both for warmth andfort. Once more, into peaceful sleep Agni drifted. All in all she¡¯d only managed to get about seven hours of sleep in thest 30-35 hours, thus she felt much overdue for rest.

    Unfortunately¡­restful sleep was not to be had.

    ¡°Agni. Agni. Agni!¡± Katrin¡¯s voice awoke Agni with a start,rgely due to the urgency in Katrin¡¯s tone.

    ¡°Wake up. Agni, wake up, it¡¯s an emergency. They took our stuff!¡±

 Chapter 23: Level 7 Blues

    Chapter 23: Level 7 Blues

    All in all Agni reached level seven due to the morning¡¯s sexual escapades. Unfortunately what she ended up losing as a result didn¡¯t seemparable. It was now mid morning and it seems both Agni and Katrin overslept. That wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing given all the energy they spent just hours ago they were bound to have peaceful sleep. The problem was that, upon awakening, the remainder of the party was nowhere to be found.

    Katrin woke Agni up with such fervor that her shoulder was now tingling from the severe shaking. Her first thought was ¡°Wow¡± as she gazed upon Katrin¡¯s blush face on the brink of tears and nudity. She then realized she was in the same state ¡ª still naked and everything gone. After spending some time to calm Katrin down, Agni realized that sometime during the night all of their gear and a great deal of the items in their inventory had been stolen. This was of course what Katrin meant when she said ¡°They took our stuff!¡±

    ording to Katrin there was no possible way to steal or use someone else¡¯s inventory without their permission. It was possible, however, for a party leader to take or activate the items of another party member when they are incapacitated ¡ª aka asleep. Once this realization dawned on Agni, she realized why Abeni had been so nice the day before. She probably nned this the moment she saw the two stumbling through the darkness of the woods.

    ¡°I provided a service by helping you level, I¡¯ll take your stuff as payment.¡± This was the short message etched into the dirt of the path just near the campfire. Agni grumbled as a morning chill came upon her, being nude caused for several degrees of temperature difference after all. Katrin on the other hand couldn¡¯t stop crying silently.

    In her case it was slightly more understandable, after all, her scrolls were gone. It was the only means she had to defend herself. Thus, at a loss for words Agni decided to give Katrin a few moments for her emotions to run their course. This,in turn, reminded Agni of something :

    ¡°Weapon Call.¡± She said as she held her hand out. As she suspected the Beginner¡¯s Halberd was still equipped. A stroke of luck, they would at least be able to make it to town if they ran into trouble. The worst case scenario would be respawn. Given the situation Agni was surprised that she wasn¡¯t more angry. She definitely felt slighted, but two distressed women in the forest wouldn¡¯t do much good.

    [Agni Heartfyre]

    [Age : 18]

    [ss : Subus Lvl : 7]

    [Adv. Tier : 0 ]

    [Health : 112/112]

    [Mana : 104/104]

    [Strength : 12 (18)]

    [Agility : 23 (35)]

    [Speed : 12]

    [Soul : 25]

    [Charm : 53]

    Agni¡¯s stats improved considerably, all things considered. One thing she noticed, something that had been bothering her for a while was the fact that she couldn¡¯t find an XP progress meter anywhere. She could easily view her current XP, but as for the limit needed to level ¡ª it seemed nowhere to be found. Which in her mind meant it was intentionally designed this way. When she looked at it from this angle Wa¡¯s talk of adventure requirements made a bit more sense.

    Regardless, due to Abeni¡¯s ¡°help¡± Agni now had 10 level points and she decided to use them now. After having realized the importance of health duringbat she decided to use her growth points to raise her HP.

    Next to each listing on the growth chart was a small + icon. By tapping this she was able to increase whichever aspect of her growth that she pleased.

    [Raise your Health Growth Rate? Y/N]

    The value rose by three points from 5 to 8.

    [You will now gain a minimum of 8 health points per level.]

    ¡°Excellent.¡± Agni thought to herself as she got to her feet and stretched her body a bit. Despite theck of sleep she¡¯d suffered and the soreness she felt prior to falling asleep she felt great. So good in fact that Abeni¡¯s betrayal barely weighed on her mind. Instead, Agni¡¯s primary concern was reaching Grenvale.

    Rather than focus on all the items she lost, she decided to take stock of what still remained. Despite the fact that all of their gear was gone (even theirplimentary gear from Wa) it seems they were each left with one potion and one food item, ¡®Hard Loaf¡¯.

    It was now mid morning judging by the light outside and Agni felt it would be a good idea to get moving asap.

    ¡°Get on.¡± Agni said as she knelt down in front of Katrin.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Katrin said as she wiped away the tears from her cheeks.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get moving. We can¡¯t stay out here for too long. Soon the sun will be directly overhead and we don¡¯t have any water. We¡¯d better get a move on.¡± Agni exined.

    ¡°I can walk¡­¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Agni interjected. ¡°I just wanted to carry you. ..Is that okay?¡±

    Katrin nodded as she took Agni up on her offer. The familiar sensation of Katrin¡¯s busty breasts against her back soon filled Agni with a purpose as she lifted up and began to walk. There was silence, simply because Agni¡¯s intuition suggested to her that there should be ¡ª for the moment. She carried Katrin for quite some time before any words were spoken, instead Katrin rested her cheek against Agni¡¯s shoulder and hugged her snugly.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Katrin said suddenly after a time.

    ¡°For what?¡± Agni asked, after all, in her mind Katrin had nothing to apologize for.

    ¡°This. All of this. It was my idea to party up. It was my idea to stay at the campsite. This is all my fault. If I had never suggested any of this we wouldn¡¯t be in this situation.¡±

    ¡°You mean naked and barefooted, in the forest by ¡®this situation¡¯ right?¡± Agni tried to lighten the mood with a little joke and felt as if she¡¯d failed miserably.

    ¡°All jokes aside. You have nothing to apologize for. I.. I honestly felt something was off the moment we arrived at the campfirest night. I couldn¡¯t ce it, but something told me that Abeni wouldn¡¯t simply let things go. I didn¡¯t feel it was in her nature to do so. It¡¯s my fault, I should have listened to my intuition.¡± Agni replied.

    ¡°Besides, you¡¯re my party leader. Not Abeni.¡± Agni then added. She felt Katrin¡¯s grip tremble slightly.

    ¡°Did you know? I remember everything from my past life.¡± Katrin began as she spoke about how she really felt.

    ¡°Really? I can¡¯t remember much. I remember that I¨C¡± Agni paused as she thought about whether she wanted to reveal the fact that she used to be a man.

    ¡°I know. You were a man in your past life. Most everyone could tell.¡± Katrin revealed.

    ¡°Is that so? H-how?¡± Agni said nervously as she thought back on how she could have possibly acted to let such private information slip.

    ¡°The way you acted about everything. Particrly your body. It¡¯s hard to describe but, as a woman¡­ there¡¯s a certain way men and women act. It was obvious to most of us that you were having a hard time.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Agni said. Her mind immediately wandered to the most perverted thought she could imagine, which was that perhaps she¡¯d left a snail trail of love juice somece due to how wet she constantly was.

    Agni blushed at having even thought of something so ludicrous.

    ¡°In my past life I always felt that I messed everything up at critical times. In a word, I was just inept. A failure at making connections, a failure at seeding in my job¨C in the end I worked too much and enjoyed my life too little.¡± Katrin continued.

    ¡°That¡¯s why, when I arrived here and was presented with the chance to be an adventurer I wanted to grab the opportunity with both hands, firmly. But, I¡¯m already messing up again. It¡¯s like I can¡¯t help it.¡± Katrin said as her voice began to break again. Agni could feel the warmth of Katrin¡¯s tears streaming down against her skin as a solemn mood set in.

    ¡°Katrin. Send me that party request again.¡± Agni said suddenly.

    ¡°You¡¯re my party leader after all.¡± She added with a smile as the two continued towards their destination of Grenvale, the city of beginnings.

 Chapter 24: Grenvale

    Chapter 24: Grenvale

    ¡°How dare you storm into my Chapel, you impudent stripling. Did you think opposing me would be easy?¡± The rotund man¡¯s monocled face formed into a sneer as he gazed down at Agni with furious indignation. The cigar hanging at the edge of his lips smoldering bright red as he inhaled the smoke from his stogie angrily.

    He lifted his foot, bringing down the hard heel of his shoe against the side of her face. The thud against Agni¡¯s face resounded around the room. The subus rolled over onto her back, gazing upwards at the ceiling as she tried to move ¡ª anything, her arms, legs or even her tail would do. She shot a nce over towards a woman in the corner of the room who seemed to be looking on in horror.

    ¡°Rank Zero piece of garbage!¡± He said as he began toy into her, kicking her in the face and stomping her with each word he spoke.

    ¡°Garbage!¡±

    ¡°Insolent!¡±

    ¡°Trash!¡±

    After exhausting himself stomping Agni he pushed back his fine leather cloak and began to roll up his sleeves. This revealed a strange mark which resembled more of a brand than a tattoo, a skull with a python slithering from within one orbital socket. The man was well dressed from head to toe, his pants firmly pressed and pleated, his shoes spotless save for traces of Agni¡¯s blood on his heels and a shirt which resembled more of a fifties mobster garment,plete with the vestment. His grey, turned up mustache twitched as a vein threatened to burst in his temple.

    He gazed down at her, sweat beads rolling down his balding scalp before he sighed deeply as if he had reached a conclusion. Then within an instant he reached at the walking cane in his possession and pulled out a concealed de. He lifted it high above his head before bringing it down with a resounding stab, burying it several centimeters deep into the hardwood floor¨Cand Agni¡¯s chest along with the strike.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-3 Months Prior, aka The Present¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    After taking a break to eat their ¡®Hard Loaf¡¯ breakfast Katrin and Agni continued on their way to Grenvale. They finally arrived just after midday. Because Agni insisted on carrying Katrin the entire way the two were now drenched in sweat from the heat of the sun. Also strangely enough Agni didn¡¯t feel tired in the least.

    ¡°An adventurer¡¯s body is great!¡± Agni mused to herself with a wide smile painted as her expression. This was partly because her Sulust had begun to kick in, giving her extra strength. At the moment she felt like she could walk forever. Also the sensation of Katrin¡¯s nipples pressed against her back was the epitome of a morning blessing.

    The two exited the long walk from the forest and were greeted with the sight of Grenvale from afar. The city hadrge walls which extended easily a hundred meters or more up into the sky. It was surrounded by arge moat and from the looks of things there were two bridges which allowed one to enter the town.

    ¡°Agni¡­.¡± Katrin said as she clenched Agni tightly. Immediately Agni realized why Katrin was worried as there were tons of people lined up along the bridge and even more who were standing around in small groups. And they were stark naked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Agni said, resolving herself to take on the shame in Katrin¡¯s ce. She was already carrying her this far, after all what would it matter to endure a bit more on her behalf? If there was one thing Agni had learned during their first ¡°shady¡± experience in Adventia, it was that Katrin was something of a ¡°delicate flower¡±. In many ways she was trying her best to change from her old ways and this was something Agni could identify with. After all, having lived one lifetime in a man¡¯s body she was now faced with life as a woman, and a demonic no less.

    ¡°Easy.¡± Agni whispered to herself as she marched towards the bridge, lifting her head confidently as she moved. The word was an affirmation that marching into apletely unknown town, naked as a jaybird would be a piece of cake.

    And¡­she was right. As soon as she stepped foot near therge stone bridge leading towards the town the guards chuckled briefly and asked to see her Systema mark. Upon showing it they nodded, adding ¡°Wee to Adventia. All Rank 0 adventurers may enter the city without the need for paying a travel fee. I rmend you head to the Trainer¡¯s Chapel, you can find it not far beyond these gates.

    Agni couldn¡¯t help but notice the man¡¯s face of glee as he ogled her tits. Honestly she didn¡¯t mind ¡ª at least not as much as she thought she would. She then continued on her way, once again not drawing as much attention as she believed two naked women would. asionally groups of adventurers would turn to make eye contact. Some would chuckle to themselves while others would look empathetic¨Calmost sorry at their current plight.

    One thing Agni noticed was the fact that there were now many male adventurers around, she could tell as much due to her Systema upgrade. As Katrin previously exined, leveling up also upgraded the Systema to a degree. Now all Agni needed to do was focus on a person and a small box detailing information about them would appear before her. Name, ss and Rank ¡ª it was all apparent with a nce, at least as long as she could clearly make out the target¡¯s face.

    As she continued along the length of the bridge, some hundred meters or so, Agni realized that just about everyone along the way were adventurers. From the looks of things many seemed in a state of preparation, no doubt for adventures to be had. Katrin pressed her face down against Agni¡¯s back,rgely out of embarrassment but also perhaps she realized she would be harder to identify as well.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got some news for you honey. With tits that big anyone would see you from a mile away..¡± Agni mused to herself as she continued along.

    Upon reaching the other end of the bridge she thought that she might have to wait, but the guards near the gate waved to Agni and ushered her on through, adding that she should quickly make her way to the ¡°Trainer¡¯s Chapel¡± once again. She could do little else but nod given the situation, still she found it somewhat strange as to why no one questioned the fact that the two were nude.

    As the guards suggested (several times now) Agni made her way directly towards arge wooden building just past the gate. There were three stories to the building but other than that it didn¡¯t seem all that special.

    ¡°Chapel? It doesn¡¯t really look like a church¡­¡± Agni whispered to herself.

    ¡°Agni, y-you can let me down now.¡± Katrin whispered.

    ¡°Oh? Are you sure. So many people are still around¡­¡± Agni replied.

    ¡°Mhm.¡± Katrin let her hair down as she stood on her own two feet, this covered her nipples somewhat (her are still made an appearance peeking out from the sides). As for herdy parts, she used her hands to cover them for the most part.

    Agni led the way, pushing open therge wooden door before her. Outside the sound of hustle and bustle could be heard, but inside the building it was significantly more quiet. A young woman behind the desk looked up from behind her sses, apparently she was reading as the two entered.

    ¡°Oh. And here I was thinking all of the remaining newbies came earlier this morning.¡± The blonde haired, bespectacled woman said. There was a strange tone of delight in her voice and truthfully Agni could sense an eagerness already welling up behind the woman¡¯s gaze. It made her somewhat¡­apprehensive.

    ¡°Well.¡± The blonde said as she stepped from behind the desk at the far wall of the room.

    ¡°I¡¯m Bracha, and wee to the Trainer¡¯s Chapel.¡±

 Chapter 25: Rune Master

    Chapter 25: Rune Master

    The moment Bracha finished introducing herself a couple of alerts appeared for both Katrin and Agni.

    [Quest Completed : Trainer¡¯s Tutge]

    [Reward : 1,500 XP]

    [You¡¯ve reached level 9.]

    ¡°Ah, that was a big chunk of experience!¡± Katrin said, suddenly surprised by the alert. She lifted her hands suddenly before slowly cing them down again as a soft blush spread across her cheeks.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get you two some clothes first.¡± Bracha said as she nced the pair over from head to toe.

    ¡°Let me guess, bandits got you on your way here?¡± Bracha asked.

    ¡°Bandits? What? Well..sort of..¡± Agni said as she thought about the events which left her naked up until this point.

    Bracha motioned for the two to follow her further into the Trainer¡¯s Chapel. Just outside of the reception area were several rooms, the interior of the building looked more like an inn rather than a church.

    ¡°Why is this ce called a Chapel?¡± Agni asked curiously.

    ¡°Ah. Well, you were due to learn about thatter, but I guess now is as good a time as any. Basically, in this world the things that are valued are worshipped. In this case, since adventurers could be considered near godly beings ¡ª they call things like safe zones and guilds ¡®Tabernacle¡¯ and ¡®Chapel¡¯. ¡± Bracha exined as she led the two towards the end of the hall to an open bath.

    ¡°Feel free to take your time and rx. I¡¯ll bring you some clothing as well.¡± Bracha added before she turned to leave Agni and Katrin to their own devices. The two realized just how dirty they were as they scrubbed to prepare for their bath, no doubt due to having walked nude along the dirt path of the forest.

    They took a quick bath (and by quick, at least an hour) because they didn¡¯t want to keep Bracha waiting. Upon exiting the bath they found two pairs of simple cloth clothing neatly stacked near the door.

    ¡°Ah, excellent. You¡¯re done. Very well, let¡¯s get started.¡± They found Bracha back in the receptionist area reading a book much like before. This time she led them in the opposite direction down another hallway. Rather than bedrooms this hallway had several entryways which more closely resembled dojos on the inside. Each was slightly different and after passing the third of such rooms Bracha stepped inside of the fourth.

    ¡°Now. Your sudden appearance in this world may have left you with many questions. I doubt your Tabernacle Guardian answered very many of them and that¡¯s fine because it¡¯s my job!¡± Bracha said as she pointed to herself with her thumb. Agni didn¡¯t notice it before now due to the fact that she was in apromising position but Bracha was quite pretty. Her eyes were crystal blue and bright. Her skin was peach colored with a warmth to her cheeks. She was dressed in a mid thigh length skirt withrge frills, her thighs were visible up to the point that her knee high leather boots came into view. The color of her top matched the skirt, blue and sleeveless. Around her neck was a locket of some sort, star shaped and made of what appeared to be gold.

    ¡°Am I right to assume that both of you can use magic skills?¡± Bracha first asked.

    Both nodded, and thus Bracha continued.

    ¡°Great. Essentially the Trainer¡¯s Chapel is responsible for the process of getting you up to speed on the life of being an adventurer. Here at the chapel I focus on cing you with Rank one or higher adventurers so that you can adjust to life in Adventia. For me to do that, I¡¯d like to see a demonstration of your abilities. Either of you can go first.¡± Bracha said as she motioned towards both Katrin and Agni.

    Katrin piped up first. ¡°I¡¯m a Scribe, as I¡¯m sure you know. But, all of my scrolls were stolen¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes that would be a problem.¡± Bracha said as she held her hands forward, palm up. Both a scroll and feather pen appeared in each as she walked over and handed them to Katrin.

    ¡°These should work, yes?¡± She then asked, causing Katrin to nod in agreement.

    ¡°And you? Subus ss. I¡¯m honestly not familiar with demonic type adventurers. They are so rare. Only seven have ever been known to exist in the history of Adventia. What type of magic do you currently possess?¡±

    Agni lifted her palm and created the first element that came to mind, fire. The size of the fireball was muchrger than she was used to. Was it because the amount of mana she currently had was much greater?

    ¡°Ah, excellent. So then fire?¡± Bracha asked.

    ¡°No, I can use all of the elements. Although right now, I can only conjure five.¡± Agni said as she cycled through each of the elements to disy her skill.

    ¡°Interesting, this is Elemental Maniption, yes? That means it¡¯s not a ss rted magic. Can you show me your Subus skills?¡± Bracha then asked.

    ¡°Sure.¡± Agni said as she sidled closer to Katrin.

    ¡°Do you mind?¡± She asked before casting her ¡®Whisper¡¯ ability.

    ¡°Of course not.¡± Katrin said as she shook her head.

    ¡°Whisper : Do ten jumping jacks.¡± Agni ordered, her eyes glowing with pink energy as shepelled Katrin. As she watched Katrin¡¯s tits bounce freely, unrestrained without a bra, Agni wondered if there was not a bettermand to have given her. Still she couldn¡¯t help but be mesmerized by the sight of Katrin¡¯s breasts bouncing uninhibited beneath the tight cloth shirt.

    Katrin quickly grabbed her gtinous mounds upon finishing as the Whisper effect wore off.

    ¡°That¡¯s an extremely strong power. No wonder they say Specialist types are legendary.¡± Bracha seemed impressed by Agni¡¯s ability but she herself couldn¡¯t really feel as stoked. Any way Agni thought about it, the power didn¡¯t seem to fit her ideal of what an adventurer should be.

    ¡°Excellent, excellent.¡± Bracha then said as she focused on Katrin, awaiting a demonstration of her abilities as well.

    Katrin held the rolled parchment in her palm and closed her eyes for a moment, focusing as an aura of blue energy began to emanate from her body. This energy was then funneled into the parchment which began to float and unfurl. Katrin next pricked her finger with the feather pen and infused energy into it¡¯s point as she began to write on the very air itself. The strange symbol she wrote appeared out of nowhere and emzoned itself on the parchment before returning to Katrin¡¯s grasp.

    With the deed done Katrin stared down at the scroll for a moment before a look of surprise flickered across her face.

    ¡°Oh, this one has two uses now.¡± She remarked as she handed the scroll over to Bracha.

    ¡°A Scribe is one of the top three most coveted adventurer jobs. Scribes can make a ton of money with their craft, this is the first time myself that I¡¯ve actually seen the scribing process in person, well done Katrin.¡±

    Bracha took the parchment and inspected it for a moment before adding, ¡± This seems simr to my own ss, Rune Master.¡±

    Indeed, Bracha¡¯s info box listed her ss as a Rank 2 Rune Master.

    ¡°A Rune Master is a Healer category adventurer ss. I can use the power of runes, magical symbols, to enhance myself, others or even spells and items. For example ¨C¡± Bracha pressed her pointer and middle fingers together, straightening them as she formed a few swiping motions over the parchment in her other hand.

    A red symbol appeared briefly over the parchment and slowly shrank into it. Bracha then held the parchment up, pointing it away from Katrin and Agni before she activated the item. The sound of fiercely roaring mes filled the room as a massive stream of fire issued forth for quite some time. The forcefulness of the activation was enough to scare the wits out of Agni and Katrin.

    ¡°No way. That¡¯s so cool. Ha ha.¡± Agni couldn¡¯t help her response, for some reason the element of danger excited her. The feeling was so intense that her eyes even began to pulse with pink energy for a moment ¡ª despite the nervous sweat dripping down her forehead.

    Katrin on the other hand looked on in equal parts amazement and fear.

    ¡°Something like this is simple for me. I can greatly multiply the effects of an item like this.¡± Bracha said with a smile as the scroll finally ceased firing. She then handed the parchment back to Katrin with a warning, ¡± Be careful with it. It¡¯s still very powerful.¡±

 Chapter 26: Apprentice Adventurers

    Chapter 26: Apprentice Adventurers

    ¡°So, let¡¯s talk about your goals ¡ª namely, what are they?¡± Bracha said as she continued her lesson.

    Agni seemed lost upon hearing the question. This was not something she really considered. Agni wouldn¡¯t really consider herself self oriented. In many ways she was more of a giver than a taker, thus it never urred to her about what she actually wanted out of Adventia so far. Surprisingly, Katrin seemed to have an answer.

    ¡°I want to be a proper adventurer.¡± Katrin said decisively.

    ¡°And by proper adventurer you mean¡­.?¡± Bracha questioned her in an attempt to better understand Katrin¡¯s deration, though she had a hint that she understood already.

    ¡°Well, I want to be able to pull my weight in any situation. I want to be able to fight monsters, go on adventures and contribute to the party.¡± Katrin further exined.

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s a noble goal and easy enough, but honestly it¡¯s the minimum requirement of being an adventurer. You see, there are absolutely three things you need to know as an adventurer. The first is how to feed yourself, because after all if you starve to death on the streets that would be a pretty embarrassing First Death, yes?

    The second thing you need to know is how to fund your adventures. We adventurers don¡¯t generally have traditional jobs for various reasons, as an example ¡ª many crafters must venture into the wilds to collect materials that they can then sell. This is a fairlymon reason which leads to the final thing you need to know, how to defend yourself.

    Adventia is dangerous, and while cities have rules and a measure of safety within the walls, the world is a ce full of all types of creatures which could easily destroy two Rank 0 fledglings like yourself. When you can sessfully do these three things then you have reached the status of ¡®Apprentice Adventurer¡¯.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting two special cases to enter the Trainer¡¯s Chapel, truthfully I don¡¯t have any mentors for you two to link with. Scribe is a ss so valued that they usually work for entire cities. Grenvale is so smallpared to other cities that Scribes tend to go where they can make more money. After all, the ability to create use based weapons, items and gear is basically how many adventurers manage to conquer high level areas.

    As for Agni, your demonic ss is rare. Specialists tend to have very unique methods required for growth. There is one other specialist in this city, but I¡¯ve heard many terrible things about this individual. I can¡¯t, in good faith, introduce you to him as his presence casts a dark shadow. With this in mind, I¡¯d like to ask you two if you¡¯d mind me as your trainer for the next two weeks?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s better than getting acquainted with someone else we¡¯ve yet to meet.¡± Agni answered.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a problem with it either. You seem knowledgeable.¡± Katrin replied, in fact she seemed quite pumped, Agni noticed a fire burning in her eyes.

    ¡°Great! Normally this isn¡¯t a task I take on, my job is sort of like a Tabernacle Guardian¡¯s in the sense that I watch over this ce and help new adventurers. However, the Summoning Ritual only happens once every 3 months. Since all the other adventurers have been matched with trainers and this ce is empty there¡¯s not much I need to do for that period of time.¡± Bracha exined.

    ¡°In return, as customary with trainers I would gain 50% of your XP for the next two weeks. You would live here rent free, food and board. And during that time I will train you up in as much as I possibly can in order to help you be an adventurer worthy of conquering your goals.¡±

    *Ah, thank God. That guidance counselor question set me on edge. I guess I really should start thinking about what I¡¯d like to do with my life. Again.* Agni thought to herself.

    ¡°Great. Let¡¯s perform the pact then, Systema : Trainer¡¯s Pact!¡± Bracha said as she lifted her hand, palm outwards. Her Systema mark began to glow, issuing forth a gentle light. She nodded for the pair to do the same.

    ¡°Systema : Trainer¡¯s Pact.¡± Agni repeated, as did Katrin. After their marks were infused with energy they saw a new alert.

    [You¡¯ve entered a Trainer¡¯s Pact with Bracha Modesa, Rank 2 Rune Master. In exchange for her tutge you will sacrifice 50% of your XP gains while under her tutge. Confirm? Y/N]

    After the deed was done Bracha smiled at the two before adding, ¡°Let¡¯s get started, yes?¡±

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    Bracha, Agni and Katrin were now on the streets of Grenvale. With Bracha in the lead she began a guided tour of the city. It was during this time that Agni was really able to take in the sights. All around where people going about their daily lives. It was easy to tell the adventurers apart from themon folk, even without the use of the system. Their style of dress, usually leather or metal worked armor or gear, was a huge indicator.

    There were so many adventurer sses (of both genders) that Agni had never heard of in all of her days. When asked why there were no men in the starter group Bracha replied:

    ¡°That is standard. In general, the Summoning Ritual is a spell which captures and pulls willing souls from some other ce and gives them a second chance at life here. The gender alternates. This time women adventurers were generated, next time it will be men.¡±

    ¡°Is it normal for some people to reincarnate in bodies opposite to their original sex?¡± Katrin asked. Agni nced over with a smile as she thought *Nice going, thank you.*

    ¡°It¡¯s not umon persay, but it¡¯s really not a subject many people discuss I think. For me, I was always a woman, I just happened to be an animal in my past life. That made it difficult to adjust to human ways at first.¡±

    ¡°Really? Wow.¡± Katrin was amazed at all of the implications of Bracha¡¯s statement.

    ¡°Indeed. It¡¯s amon misconception that animals possess less intelligence than humans simply because they cannot speak. The reality is wemunicated in our own ways. As a result, I can talk to animals. Ha ha, it¡¯s a somewhat useless talent as not many animals exist in this world to begin with. This isrgely due to the Grimlock.¡±

    The Grimlock, just hearing that word was enough to make Agni¡¯s spine prickle. It seemed a bit of fear was imnted from herst encounter. The trio continued their tour with Bracha stopping to describe the purpose of key ces as they went along. The city of Grenvale was split up into four major sections. The Business District was at the center of the city and extended to the north east. This was the ce where one could buy just about anything.

    Next was the Entertainment District where Bracha imed nearly any type of hobby or pleasure could be found. This districty in the north west of the city. The south western part of the city was dedicated to guilds, or as Adventia called them, Chapels. This was the area they entered from, the South Western Gate.

    Finally, the south eastern part of the city was the residential area. People of all types lived there and it was the ce to visit if one wanted to rent a room or buy a home.

    ¡°Like any city, Grenvale has its darker side. Until you be ustomed to it, it¡¯s best not to wander too far off the known path.¡± Bracha warned, particrly as they passed therge gate which signified the entrance to the Entertainment District, better known as Sprim Row.

    Agni couldn¡¯t help but feel a strange pull towards the gate, it was almost as if her mouth had begun to water¨Cher palms growing damp. Her Subus Vision kicked in automatically, presumably due to all of the lust filled energy wafting her way. What she saw was a sea of yellow and red, indicators that the people behind that gate were searching to scratch a particr itch.

 Chapter 27: Shopping With Bracha

    Chapter 27: Shopping With Bracha

    Agni could feel her heart pounding as hundreds of thick white wisps of energy drew her towards Sprim Row. The lure was so powerful that she had slowly begun to lose herself. Agni noticed an older woman, a mature, standing just inside the gate. She noticed Agni¡¯s gaze and waved, blowing a kiss in her direction. With that Agni took two steps forward, her body acting on it¡¯s own before she came to.

    The sensation of Katrin¡¯s hands wrapped around her arm and the sound of her voice was enough to bring her back to her senses.

    ¡°Agni. Are you okay?¡± Bracha asked, there was a pleasant smile on her face as she did so.

    ¡°Y-yea..¡± She replied as she struggled to slow her heartbeat.

    *Dangerous.. I almost got swept in..* Agni thought to herself as she looked away from the nearby hostess. After taking a tour of the city,rgely by visiting the gate to each at the city central, Bracha decided to treat both of her new pupils to lunch. On the way back they stopped at a store in the center of the city, a well known shop for armor.

    ¡°This is one of the best shops for adventurers in the city, Gadsten¡¯s. Since all your gear was stolen, it¡¯s probably a good idea to get you refitted and also cover how gear works.¡± Bracha said as she walked into the shop.

    ¡°Hello Berlin.¡± Bracha greeted the shopkeeper, presumably before realizing she had the wrong person.

    ¡°The master is out. I¡¯m filling in until he gets back.¡± A young boy¡¯s voice said.

    ¡°Oh, the apprentice Berlin.¡± Bracha said with a smile. The young boy looked up from what he was doing behind the counter, a sneer of annoyance on his face as he did so.

    ¡°I have a name. Use it, Rune Witch.¡± the boy retorted.

    Agni could have sworn she saw a vein throb along the side of Bracha¡¯s temple but she dismissed it as imagination perhaps.

    ¡°My apologies, Ren. Could you please fit my two pupils here. Basics, I¡¯ll cover the cost.¡± Bracha said as she walked over to the counter. Now that she was closer Agni could get a good look at the young man. Bronzed skin, grey bowl cut hair, slim frame with boyish features and short. Very short. He was dressed in a yellow cloth shirt with leather boots, pants and gloves. What¡¯s more a curious tool hung from his head, useful for inspecting items up close if Agni had to venture a guess.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± The young boy grunted as he motioned for Agni and Katrin toe closer. Standing before him Agni realized the young man was no ordinary person.

    [Ren Kaito, Rank 1 Tinkerer]

    ¡°Your hand hornydy.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Agni said, obviously caught off hard.

    *Hornydy?* Agni could have taken it two ways, she decided that Ren was talking about the horns on her head.

    ¡°Your hand. Let¡¯s see it.¡± Ren said impatiently. Agni nced over at Bracha for confirmation before cing her left hand into Ren¡¯s palm.

    ¡°Never fitted a Subus before. This should be interesting.¡± Ren said, his voice low as a disy appeared before him ¡ª one that only he could see.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see. For weapons, it looks like you¡¯re already equipped with a halberd, but it¡¯s really crappy. You can fit light and magic ss armor. Weirdbination but, eh who am I to judge.¡± Ren continued speaking aloud to himself while Agni and Katrin looked on, confused but willing to go along with it due to Bracha¡¯s encouragement.

    After thirty seconds he then turned to Katrin, performing the same set of actions with different results.

    ¡°Light Armor, Crossbows, Guns ¡ª been a while since I¡¯ve fitted a gun ss.¡±

    Ultimately the assessment took only a couple of minutes before Ren turned to Bracha and ordered her to wait while he went to collect the items. Agni couldn¡¯t help but nce around the shop interior. Adorning the walls were various types of armor of all kinds and just as many weapons. Her eyes were drawn to a disy case next to the counter though, within were tons of small trinkets¨C essories.

    ¡°These are essories. A type of gear that only adventurers can wear. They tend to impart powerful effects for the wearer. They are also pretty expensive at times.¡± Bracha said as she scratched gently at her cheek.

    Soon Ren returned with what appeared to be two small spheres about the size of a baseball. He ced them unceremoniously on the counter-top and then quoted the price.

    ¡°3,800 Gols.¡±

    Bracha held out her Systema mark towards Ren and he waved his hand over his own. The transaction wasplete. Bracha then handed Agni the orb on the left and Katrin the other before she added, ¡°Now it¡¯s time for your first adventure.¡±

    So far the day had been spent soaking in exnations and demonstrations, which is why Agni was delighted that Bracha suggested leaving the city in order to get some experience as an adventurer. She was less delighted when she found out where they were going.

    ¡°The Lull Forest. The area just outside your spawn area.¡±

    ¡°But ..why?¡± Agni whispered in disbelief.

    ¡°Because you already have experience dealing with the enemies there, so you know what to expect. Rx, I¡¯m with you. There¡¯s absolutely no way you¡¯ll be in danger.¡±

    Though it made sense logically Agni wasn¡¯t so convinced. When the trio made it to the South Western Gate Bracha stopped at the guard station and waved her hand over arge crystal near the gate.

    ¡°This is the wayfarer¡¯s crystal. As you might have guessed, you can use your Systema for many things. Shopping included. I paid for your gear with my Systema mark, just like I paid the traveler¡¯s fee a moment ago.¡± Bracha said as she motioned for Katrin and Agni to follow.

    ¡°The traveler¡¯s fee is a standard, agreed upon way for the city to finance itself. Since Grenvale is run by adventurers, and most adventurers absolutely hate to be bound or restricted¨C this city has no taxes. In fact, most don¡¯t. Therefore, in order to leave and return to the city you have to pay a 25 Gol fee. This is the traveler¡¯s fee.¡±

    ¡°So I have to pay 25 Gol every time I leave and enter? Isn¡¯t that bit of a rip off?¡± Agni asked.

    ¡°Oh, no you¡¯re mistaken. The feests for 24 hours from the moment you pay it. And Rank 0 adventurers don¡¯t have to pay the fee at all until they hit level fifty.¡±

    When put that way, it didn¡¯t sound that bad. It was now around three in the afternoon and the trio had finally reached the edge of the forest. Before she stopped to address them once more.

    ¡°As you may have gathered by now, you can grow more quickly by focusing on activities that arepatible with your modifiers. But the reality is every action you take or experience will reward small amounts of experience. Hold up your Systema mark and say ¡®XP Disy On¡¯.¡±

    After doing as requested both adventurers received an alert.

    [XP will now be disyed to the user.]

    ¡°This is one of many Systemamands you can use. This will allow you to gauge just how much experience you get from any given action. There¡¯s one other factor to gaining experience that you may not be aware of. Experience gain is rtive in the sense that ¡®pure¡¯ experiences reward the most XP. As an example, you might gain 250 XP for defeating a new type of Grimlock that you encounter, but if you battle that creature again you will receive significantly less. If you were then to farm that creature you¡¯d progressively notice your XP gains dwindle. It¡¯s the same for all experiences, in short when you¡¯re acquiring XP you need to keep in mind to do and try things you¡¯ve never considered for the best effect.¡±

    Now that she thought about it, it made sense. After all, that threesome in the forest was apletely unique experience for her ¡ª once she¡¯d never taken part in, even as a man. The thought of lips and hands against her bare skin made Agni quiver slightly. This was in turn reced by a twinge of anger as she thought back to how Abeni robbed her blind.

    Still, she managed to gain six levels in one encounter where she¡¯d experienced several firsts. The first time fingers entered her, the first time she felt a tongue against her lips, the first time she¡¯d been with two people. The first time she experienced an orgasm as a woman¡­

    Agni caught herself as her Sulust began to run wild, she felt she was beginning to gain better control over it which, in a way, was good. Bracha¡¯s voice pulled her attention back to the moment at hand.

    ¡°Now, without further dy. Let¡¯s get going. The Grimlock here are mostly active at night, let¡¯s go set up camp before they begin to stir.???

 Chapter 28: Camping With Bracha

    Chapter 28: Camping With Bracha

    Within two hours time the trio made their way to a clearing off the beaten path. They also set up a campsite,plete with a campfire and a tent¨C just in case they decided to stay the night.

    ¡°When spending time outside of the cities you must be very wary that you do not gain the ire of enemies. To this effect there is a simple ward you can use with Systema.¡± Bracha held her left hand up in the familiar pose to cast a Systema spell before reciting the words : ¡°Systema : Level Ward.¡±

    A beam of light shot upwards from her palm and began to diverge, creating a spherical barrier which covered the campsite with a radius of ten meters.

    ¡°This Systema spell allows you to cast a low cost carrier that will intimidate enemies based on the user¡¯s strength. The enemies here will be shooed away easily, because I cast it. The effects might be different for you however. Which is why I want to give you these. Keep them and use themter on.¡± Bracha said as she bought out six miniature statues. Carved from hardwood, they resembled gnomes ¨C -each with a different expression or character design.

    ¡°What are these? They are so cute!¡± Katrin said as she immediately snatched the items from Bracha¡¯s open palm. Bracha chuckled to herself before responding.

    ¡°I¡¯m d you like it. One day you¡¯ll be able to make something like this.¡± Bracha said as she began her exnation.

    ¡°This is the same enchantment I just used, only cast by a higher level adventurer. This wards away any Rank 2 or lower monsters, guaranteed. They are called Ward Charms, and as you can see the person who makes them favors cute designs like this.¡± Bracha said as she picked up one of the pieces meant for Agni and danced it through the air.

    Half of Agni wanted to cringe at the levels of ¡°cuteness¡± surrounding her, but arger part wanted to coo over the items as well.

    *Oh my god. It¡¯s happening. I¡¯m bing a real woman.* Agni thought as she forced herself to calmly take the wooden miniatures. Bracha just smiled, as if she could somehow pick up on Agni¡¯s inner turmoil.

    It was still a few hours before dark, thus Bracha continued her education of her new pupils. As a Trainer , Agni found Bracha to be awe inspiring. She had already taught them so much yet the information came off as natural and informative. She left them wanting to learn more with each word she spoke. Already Agni had learned quite a bit about the new world of Adventia, for example killing normals or adventurers within city limits would be met with a fierce punishment. Cities were generally run by councils of adventurers dedicated to making each city a safe space and hub for the adventurers that resided there.

    When asked why this particrw was so important, Bracha¡¯s answer was :

    ¡°Because when adventurers die, several things happen. First it¡¯s important to understand that, even though hundreds of adventurers arrive in Adventia each year, there are roughly only 20,000 or so adventurers in this world. Why is that? There are several reasons, but the main one is the inherent danger involved with being an adventurer. You could be trapped in a rock slide, or killed by Grimlock. What¡¯s more, when an adventurer dies, and I mean truly dies due to ¡®Second Death¡¯, a normal will be randomly selected to take that adventurer¡¯s ce.

    This is why normals are so precious. Should something happen to thousands of adventurers at once, normals will have a chance to take their ce.¡±

    Bracha also noted that while many areas around Tabernacles or near cities were generally safe,ws did not exist anywhere else in the world. Which meant that if adventurers truly wanted to kill each other it would be a simple matter of partying with the victim and ending their life outside of city gates.

    This line of thought caused Agni to immediately think of Abeni. She wondered if Abeni would be the type to do something like that? After all she¡¯d proven herself capable of betrayal once already.

    ??Which is why you must always remember this : as an adventurer it is your burden to always consider the dangers and protect yourself no matter the situation. Truews, the ideals of fairness orpromise¨Cthese only exist as far as your ability to enforce the things you believe in.¡± Bracha¡¯s tone was firm as she spoke on this point, thus Agni realized the gravity of her words.

    Agni also learned that although thousands of adventurers existed, not many worked constantly. Many would go months without leaving the safety of cities, opting to live their lives freely doing whatever they pleased. This wasn¡¯t an option for all, but a great deal only epted jobs when convenient for themselves or their motives.

    At some point the conversation switched gears towards strength building, presumably because the sun was beginning to set.

    ¡°Before we get started, I¡¯d like to exin to you something that you wille to understand given time and experience. The easiest way to grow is to incorporate your modifiers into every action you take. Combat is ideal for this because almost all sses, regardless of category allow the adventurer to use a skill duringbat.

    The sense of danger and tension frombat against a challenging foe never grows old. There is a misconception that only fighter types level the quickest in this world,but the reality is those whoe to realize the value of cing themselves in constantly challenging battles will always grow more quickly. That is your goal starting tonight.¡± Bracha exined as she poked at the fire with a long stick.

    ¡°For a scribe, you can potentially write hundreds of words in a minute¨C this includes your scribe symbols. You can learn tobine symbols to givepound effects to your parchments and a dazzling array of spellsy at your disposal once you analyze them. So for you, I want you to assume a supportbat role where you attack from long range using either your crossbow or parchments.

    As for Agni, I know very little about Subus skills but I do know that the ability topel your foes is very strong. Imagine what damage you could do if you were able topel your foes to stand still while you strike them, or evenmand them to kill themselves. I don¡¯t know the specifics or limitations of your ability, but that¡¯s for you to find out. You have magic and your ss skills, utilize them both to the best of your abilities as much as possible.¡±

    ¡°With that in mind, let¡¯s spar for a bit.¡± Bracha said as she began to take off her clothing.

    ¡°Okay but..why are we getting naked?¡± Agni asked, a bit confused.

    ¡°Training of course. Agni, you leave yours on. Katrin, join me bare skinned.¡±

    ¡°O-Oh, okay..¡± Katrin said, a blush oveing her as she began to take off her clothing. Agni watched as Katrin peeled the taut cotton shirt up over her shoulders, her round breasts bouncing heavily as her titties dropped.

    ¡°Yes. I learned a bit about the subus ss earlier while you were in the bath. It seems your true powers only awaken when you are excited sexually, yes? The two of us should be sufficient.¡±

    Bracha¡¯s figure was truly impressive in the nude. Much like Wa¡¯s body her muscles were tone, though by contrast Wa¡¯s body gave off the impression of stone. Bracha¡¯s body resembled a boxer in the sense that her core was well defined, as were her shoulders and calves.

    Her breasts were ample c-cups, perky as the muscle density of her chest held them up well. Katrin¡¯s body was as impressive as ever though her expression was that of someone who¡¯d been roped into doing something oundish.

    ¡°Get ready.¡± Brachamanded as she rolled her shoulders and sank down into a fighter¡¯s stance.

 Chapter 29: Naked Sparring -- The Ultimate Training!

    Chapter 29: Naked Sparring ¡ª The Ultimate Training!

    Bouncing tits everywhere! The fierce jiggle which apanied a jab, Katrin¡¯s repeated attempts to grab Agni so that Bracha could pummel her ¡ª it was bliss in a different sense of the word.

    Much like Bracha suggested, the thrill of confrontation was very good for gaining experience. With every dodged or blocked strike Agni watched the XP alerts roll by.

    [+3 XP]

    [+6 XP]

    In addition, Agni couldn¡¯t help but be somewhat aroused by the fervent bounce that apanied each strike thrown her way.

    They had been going at it for the better part of half an hour at this point. ording to Bracha, an adventurer¡¯s stamina was directly rted to their level and rank. In her past life maintaining a pace such as this, moving and evading constantly, would have wiped her out within minutes. In this regard, Agni could do little else but marvel at the new constitution she possessed.

    Katrin was also trying her best. It was obvious she was an amature who had never thrown a punch in her life, still she managed to pressure Agni who was only keeping up due to her Agility stat.

    [Agility ¨C A measure of one¡¯s reflexes and mobility.] This was the description given by her status menu upon inspecting the stat itself. Being that it was one of Agni¡¯s highest stats she had absolutely no problem ducking and swaying to avoid hand to hand blows aimed at her. At least, she thought that was the case. Actually avoiding them both at the same time was quite challenging, this wasrgely in part to Bracha. She was a pro at striking. Punches, kicks even grab attempts ¡ª Bracha tried them all and usually at awkward times. Because of this Agni learned to minimize her movements, using only the energy and distance necessary to avoid being struck or captured.

    ¡°Nice, you catch on quickly.¡± Bracha said as she hopped backwards a few steps to create some distance.

    ¡°I wanted to get you used to this level ofbat. I feel fairly confident in sending you out into battle now, but it¡¯s time to kick it up a notch.¡± Bracha then walked over to Katrin and whispered something into her ear. Katrin¡¯s face went blush, turningpletely red before she nodded her head rather aggressively and turned to face Agni with a different sort of determination.

    *What the hell is that about?* Agni thought.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been using less than a fifth of my actual strength at this point. Let¡¯s make things a bit more difficult for you.¡± Bracha said as she struck a familiar pose, her pointer and middle fingers both straightened as she crossed an borate symbol into the air before her, effortlessly. The yellow symbol then drifted over towards Katrin and moved into her body causing a re of yellow energy to epass her body.

    ¡°Now.¡± Brachamanded as she dashed forward. Agni half expected her boast of using a portion of her strength to be just that. It was something masters in old stories say to rile up their opponents, but Bracha was not bluffing. Her speed doubled instantly and as Agni would soon discover so did her power. The first blownded at her unguarded abdomen, it moved so fast that Agni could barely tense her stomach muscles. This was enough to lift her off of her feet, though strangely enough the blow didn¡¯t hurt ¡ª the force of the blow was well ced, allowing Bracha to shatter Agni¡¯s sense of bnce. The next blow was the same, this time Bracha used her open fist to knock Agni a couple of meters away. Agni was so caught up in regaining her bnce that she failed to notice Katrin waiting nearby.

    Agni could feel her arms slide beneath her own, cing her in a full nelson but there was little she could do about it at this point. Katrin¡¯s grip was firm and Bracha¡¯s blow felt like it sapped the strength right from Agni¡¯s body. Then, something unexpected happened.

    ¡°Agni.¡± Katrin¡¯s soft, sweet voice whispered into Agni¡¯s ear.

    ¡°I want you to taste my love nectar. Eat my pretty bald pussy, please.¡± The contrast between Katrin¡¯s innocent sounding voice and the smutty wordsing out of her mouth were enough to instantly send a shuddering wave of carnal energy through Agni¡¯s body.

    Katrin could feel Agni¡¯s muscles rx as the familiar glow of pink energy took over her pupils. Bracha simplyughed, her hands on her hips as she gazed at Agni¡¯s Sulust skill.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see. Sulust, if I¡¯m reading this right¨C you can learn to control this ability at will. You can learn to master just about every skill you acquire and some will even evolve if you use them enough. This skill is a great boon to battle, you can basically raise your power and agility by a great amount instantly.¡±

    ¡°Um.. Bracha..¡± Katrin said, her voice full of timid energy.

    ¡°How long do you need me to hold her. She¡¯s too strong!¡±

    The sparring session ended there. Apparently in order for a Trainer to view skill data about another ss, that ss would need to use the skill in their presence. Bracha¡¯s only choice was to force Agni into a state of lust in order to better understand a few things.

    After getting dressed Bracha bid the two have a seat before her so she could discuss more of Agni¡¯s ¡°battle n¡±.

    ¡°From now on, there are two things I¡¯d like you to do, constantly as long as you¡¯re awake for the remainder of the week. That is to use your Subus Vision constantly and also to trigger your Sulust as much as possible. If you do these two things, by the week¡¯s end I¡¯m almost positive that you will be able to control your Sulust at will.¡± Bracha exined.

    [+5 XP]

    Agni was still raging, not from anger but the furnace between her thighs. The thought of tasting Katrin¡¯s lips were sending her mind into overdrive. Though Agni was cognizant of every word spoken by Bracha her mind was miles away as she imagined pushing Katrin¡¯s legs apart and sucking at the tender flesh along her inner thigh.

    [+5 XP]

    Groping her beautiful mounds and feeling the warmth of her skin against Agni¡¯s tongue¡­

    ¡°Um..Agni. Agni!¡± Katrin practically shouted, her face growing red as Agni realized once more that her tail was rubbing dangerously close to Katrin¡¯s crotch, even through her clothing.

    Bracha simplyughed to herself as she watched Agni wrestle with her tail.

 Chapter 30: Rematch

    Chapter 30: Rematch

    Before sending them out into the nearby forest to face their Grimlock foes, Bracha made a point to offer up some final advice.

    ¡°Potential points should be spent if possible. Unless you¡¯re saving up for something specific I rmend using the remaining 20 you possess Agni.¡±

    Agni had mixed feelings about this, partially because all of her Subus abilities seemed ratherme to her.

    ¡°Lame? On the contrary. Did you know that each time you rank up you acquire more potential points and skills to choose from? The first rank, reaching Rank 1 is the easiest to obtain. Many manage to do this in their first three months if they are serious about growing. Many others also make that their first goal, specifically so that they can unlock more potential points.¡±

    ¡°I had no clue.¡± It was true after all, Agni assumed that she would only have 50 points to y with. ording to Bracha, Agni and Katrin would both gain another 50 points upon reaching Rank 1. Rank 2 rewarded an additional 25 potential points. She had no clue regarding the other ranks as Bracha had yet to reach them herself.

    With this in mind, Agni decided not to be so stingy and reexamine her options, even taking on suggestions from Bracha.

    ¡°Did you know that some general skills allow you to use weapons, items or gear that might normally be specific to other adventurer sses? From what I can see, your focus tends to be mid rangebat. Even some of your Subus abilities point to this, for example the ability to extend your limbs, even your weaponry selection. With that in mind, have you considered a whip? A while has great potential for high damage, it¡¯s also very imposing.¡±

    Katrin received simr tutge as well.

    ¡°Because your speed is rather low, as is your agility you should focus on increasing your mana reserves and learning skills that will allow you to first defend yourself during battle. Then work on improving your ability to script offensively.¡±

    Armed with a general idea of the direction they wanted to go, Bracha then sent them out to do battle.

    ¡°Three hours, everyday for the next week. The best thing you can gain isbat experience and a feel for using your adventurer ss effectively.¡± These were Bracha¡¯s final directions as she sent the pair off. Now they were roaming through the woods, Katrin at Agni¡¯s side with her newly learned ability, ¡®Mana Shield¡¯ primed and ready.

    It wasn¡¯t long before they spotted a Grimlock, the same sort in their first encounter. Agni¡¯s mind began to race as she thought back to a litany of suggestions Bracha had given her earlier in the day.

    *Constantly use my Vision. Make use of my skills that y to my modifiers.* Agni repeated mentally as the Stag¡¯s horns began to illuminate the darkness. She grimaced slightly as a sense of pins and needles pierced her hands, nervousness was now setting in as Agni awaited the right moment to strike.

    [Fulger Stag Level 6

    A grimlock that can channel lightning in its horns. Can discharge it¡¯s attacks in an area of effect or single target manner. Seems to require significant time to perform it¡¯s elemental strikes.]

    Agni eyed the description of the creature noting that new information had been added, no doubt due to the earlier encounter.

    The Stag¡¯s horns began to surge with luminous blue energy as an arcing bolt of lightning formed, bouncing between both sides of the horns before shooting forth. Agni braced herself for what was toe next as Katrin stepped to the forefront and lifted her left hand.

    ¡°Mana Shield!¡± She eximed decisively as a round energy construct came into being, it grew into a radius of 3 meters and easily absorbed the lightning. The resulting impact sounded like the crack of a whip but Katrin easily endured the attack before she called for her party mate.

    ¡°Agni!¡± Katrin shouted as she then stepped aside, allowing the Subus to dash forth.

    Because Agni couldn¡¯t quite control her magic to project, she decided on the next best thing. By coating herself in a film of lightning energy she could decrease the effectiveness of the Stag¡¯s attacks against her. She rushed forward, beginning the swing of her Halberd before even calling forth her weapon.

    ¡°Weapon Call!¡± The halberd appeared mid swing as she aimed at the Stag¡¯s neck. As Agni expected the creature was agile but not good at moving backwards. It attempted to leap diagonally which only dyed the battle. Her halberd cut deep into the Stag¡¯s side, causing the creature to fall down on one knee.

    With her free hand Agni conjured a fireball, flowing half of her mana into it to further strengthen it. She then thrust the fireball directly into the creature¡¯s face as she recalled her weapon and lunged forth. The ming attack both ignited the creature¡¯s fur and also caused it to lurch backwards.

    [-3 HP]

    [-1 HP]

    Some of the mes sparked up and burned Agni¡¯s palm, but the damage was minimal. While the beast struggled to breathe , it¡¯s entire head ame Agni called forth her weapon once more and pierced the creature in the chest several times. Her intent was to puncture it¡¯s heart, but her aim was off thus after several piercing strikes the creature finally sumbed to it¡¯s injuries.

    Katrin watched the entire battle y out, her hands clenched as she watched on in consternation.

    [64 XP gained.]

    As the party watched the XP alerts roll by a second alert appeared.

    [Monster Drop Skill {Katrin} : Fulger Stag Dropped ¡®Crystal Horn¡¯.]

    [10 XP gained.]

    ¡°Crystal Horn? That sounds interesting.¡± Agni and Katrin both watched in awe as the creature¡¯s body began to fade away into thick ck particles. All that remained was a blue orb about the size of a basketball. Slowly the orb lost its transparency until finally their drop item was revealed, the Crystal Horn.

    [Crystal Horn ¨C Quality 65

    A material from a Fulger Stag Grimlock. Often used to make knife handles, or essories. Seble.]

    Katrin gazed at Agni, a huge smile on her face as she rushed over to hug her.

    ¡°We did it!¡± Katrin said as she felt ovee with joy. Agni felt the same way honestly, at first she was afraid but the rush of easily defeating a foe that had nearly killed them both was exhrating. As Agni gazed down at her singed hand a sense of determination overcame her.

    *I can do this. I can survive in this world.*

 Chapter 31: Training Day-- Err, Week

    Chapter 31: Training Day¨C Err, Week

    The next six days were a blur. True to her word Bracha made them battle Grimlocks constantly for three hours straight. By the end of the evening both Katrin and Agni were dead tired.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take these.¡± Bracha had a self indulgent look on her face as she demanded all of the monster drops from their hard work. Her reasoning was quite simple:

    ¡°Without me, you wouldn¡¯t be getting monster drops at all! Besides, you owe me for the gear. I can use these to pay off your debt.¡±

    Apparently in order to receive drops from Grimlocks, one had to ept the general skills ¡® Monster Drops¡¯ to do so. Several other useful abilities like this were locked in the General Skills category as well ¡ª such as various types of gathering for herbs, ores, metals and edibles.

    With those two reasons offered up by Bracha, they had little choice but to give up their drops for the next four of the six days. Luckily, Katrin and Agni gained much more in return than items from their efforts. By day two¡¯s end Agni had grown sofortable using her Subus Vision that the skill reached 25% mastery and gained a new effect.

    [Subus Vision ¨C (Passive) {25%} Use carnal energy to activate a special type of sight which reveals sensitive or erogenous zones on the body. Heightens your senses, allowing you to react more quickly. You can now see thermal energy within a distance of 6 meters. Cost : 0 ]

    While her Sulust still remained at 9% mastery, she felt somewhat closer to gaining control of it. Agni had slowly be aware of a ¡°second¡± energy coursing within her body each time the Sulust activated. She could feel this force growing until finally her senses ran wild, making it difficult to control herself. With more practice she anticipated being able to activate the skill at will.

    Katrin , on the other hand, made leaps and bounds when it came tobat. She switched from crossbow use to a special type of pistol called a ¡®Mag-Gun¡¯. The Mag-gun allows the wielder to fire condensed mana bullets. ording to Bracha :

    ¡°Most adventurers avoid using this type of weapon, because the bullet¡¯s power and effectiveness depend on the user unlike normal ammunition.¡±

    Bracha also clued them into another facet of strength growth that they¡¯d forgotten about. Wa mentioned the ability to sacrifice current XP in order to directly increase stats. The trade off being that the stat gain was very, very small (0.1 increments per 5-50 XP). Normally, leveling up or distributing level points would be quicker but ording to Bracha :

    ¡°Growing your strength quickly isn¡¯t always the goal. That¡¯s easy. Rather you need to focus on what type of adventurer you want to beter on down the road. Only by building a solid foundation can one hope to grow truly powerful.¡±

    However this method only worked to a degree as at some point the ability to raise their skills would be too costly to warrant raising their stats in this way. For every point gained the XP required increased slightly. For now it was somewhat manageable, but Agni could see why the method wasn¡¯t used much, if at all. In fact, the only reason Bracha mentioned it was because she was very insistent that neither Katrin or Agni use LP to raise their stats and offered this method instead. Agni felt affirmed in her thinking that, though it would take much more time, the gains would be better spent raising Growth Rates.

    After their first night in the Lull Forest Brachaid out their full training schedule. Each morning they trained their various skills and abilities with tasks dictated by her. For Agni she was sent to meditate just outside of the Sprim Row gate for an hour each day. This was as long as she could stand before her Sulust got the better of her. The goal was to be able to walk freely in the area while controlling her ability ¡ª eventually. For now, after each training session Agni was forced to return to the Trainer¡¯s Chapel and drench her head in cool water to cancel out the effects of her ability. Otherwise she found herself randomly groping Katrin, who seemed not to mind that much¡­

    Katrin spent her hour of morning training writing endlessly with weighted pens. Scribes used a set of 64 different symbols to obtain the effects they want to use in their craft ¡ª thus the faster these symbols could be written, the better Katrin¡¯s abilities to cast on the fly. Bracha offered up three different pens, each with a different density and Katrin would switch between them every ten minutes to strengthen the muscles in her hands.

    After their hour of morning training the two sparred together against Bracha who, as it turns out, was extremely strong. Despite their best efforts thebined forces of Agni and Katrin could not eveny a finger on Bracha.

    Next came an hour of magic practice for both. The goal was to empty and refill their mana as many times as possible using all of the skills at their disposal. For Agni this was her favorite time of the day, allowing her to freely experiment with her magic. She could now create projectiles which flew for a couple of meters before dissipating. Agni found that the more she mastered Elemental Maniption, the easier it became to have her magic do as she pleased. Absolutely thrilled at the notion of being able to hurl lightning bolts, she worked like a mad woman to great effect. By the start of day three she¡¯d managed to raise her Elemental Maniption mastery to 39%. By day six, she¡¯d managed to reach 47% mastery.

    Agni also learned that she could spam cast her Whisper skill in the mirror since she could notpel herself. This further contributed to raising the effectiveness of Whisper, which in turn increased it¡¯s range to 1 meter after she reached 10% mastery.

    In the afternoon the trio would rx, often taking baths together and touring various sights of Grenvale. Then, each day around five PM they would set out for theirbat training to repeat the process. After six solid days Agni had to admit to herself that she felt much stronger, despite still being a level 9 Subus. It seemed that acquiring mastery over skills and abilities was even more important than blindly amassing stats.

    Rather than repeat the schedule of the previous six days, Bracha informed them that they would be taking a special trip on the seventh day. Bracha¡¯s orders were simple, to prepare however they saw fit for travel into an unknown area. She offered them 2,500 Gol as a preparation budget from her own pocket (though Agni was sure they¡¯d made this money in drops several times over by now). After a couple of hours of prep, purchasing potions, Ward Charms and anything else they felt might be suitable, Katrin and Agni felt confident they¡¯d done all they could.

    ¡°Good. Now, it¡¯s time to venture into your first shard.¡± Bracha said as she gazed upon the two fully prepared adventurers.

 Chapter 32: Shard

    Chapter 32: Shard

    ¡°Did you know? The wayfarer¡¯s crystal holds another feature.¡±

    Bracha led Katrin and Agni to the south western gate once more for a foray outside of the city. Katrin and Agni couldn¡¯t hide their excitement, after all they were allowed to miss training for the entire day to go on their very first ¡°real¡± adventure. What wouldn¡¯t they have to be excited about?

    She was currently showing them one of the many features of the wayfarer¡¯s crystal ¡ª ¡®Recall¡¯. For a fee of either 100 or 450 Gols a single person or party could activate a one time spell that would teleport them back to the original point, the wayfarer¡¯s crystal essed to activate the spell.

    Truthfully Agni had been dying to ask about some kind of transportation. For a world with magic she¡¯d seen very little by way of quick traveling, thus she was pleasantly surprised to find a spell which allowed one to travel great distances in an instant.

    ¡°Recall is a spell that allows an adventurer to return to a specific wayfarer¡¯s crystal. If, for some reason that crystal can¡¯t be essed or no longer exists, the yer will spawn in their designated safe zone. Finally, if that ce can¡¯t be essed¨C they will be sent to the nearest Tabernacle.¡± Bracha exined.

    ¡°This is really useful. Why haven¡¯t we done this before?¡± Agni asked.

    ¡°Training. That and, there was never a need until now. Today we aren¡¯t going very far from the city but precautions are needed. This is the only option.¡± Bracha said as she paid the party fee for the Recall spell. Katrin watched her Systema mark glow briefly, signifying that the recall spell had been loaded into her system. Bracha then made one other request :

    ¡°The area we are traveling to today is dangerous, even for me at times. With that in mind, I¡¯d like you both to join my party so that I can better monitor your vitals.¡±

    After acquiescing to Bracha¡¯s suggestion the trio left the safety of Grenvale once more. To Agni¡¯s surprise they seemed to be headed in the same direction as usual¨Ctowards the Lull Forest.

    ¡°So what¡¯s this ¡®shard¡¯ you spoke of?¡± Katrin asked. Agni could tell she¡¯d been dying to ask that question for quite some time. In fact, questions were practically Katrin¡¯s favorite hobby aside from scribing.

    ¡°Shards are¡­ hmm. Kind of difficult to exin without experiencing them. It¡¯s probably best that I show you first.¡± Bracha said as she continued to lead the way. They walked much farther than usual, making the trip back to the Wilderness Tabernacle in one hike. Then Bracha led them to a pathway not far from the entrance barrier of the Tabernacle. The small, easily overlooked pathway led to a clearing with a hill which was dotted with less than half a dozen trees at the top. That and what looked like arge piece of floating ss hoving at the apex of the hilltop, or to be more precise a mirror.

    ¡°This is a shard.¡± Bracha said, motioning to the object as she and the others neared the strange phenomenon. Indeed, it looked very much like a mirror, save for the fact that it didn¡¯t seem to reflect images. Instead, when Agni gazed into it she could see a distant ce which resembled the forest in many ways. Trees, barrennd with sparse grass patches and dead twigs¨C in other words an inverse version of the Lull Forest. Upon looking behind the floating construct Agni noticed that it looked like any other object¨Caside from the fact that it hovered several centimeters off the ground.

    ¡°What is this ce?¡± Katrin mouthed , her hand covering both her lips and nostrils. She looked as if she was about to vomit, a clear expression of queasiness had overtaken her. Now that Agni thought on it, there was a strange scent which lingered in the air. Rancid, that was the first word that came to mind. The sort of smell that was subtle and unsettling to the nostril yet persistent enough that it simply wouldn¡¯t fade away.

    The more Agni stared into the mirror-like surface of the shard, the more she could feel a strange oppressive energy filtering out. With her upgraded Subus Vision she could see ack of warmth surrounding the object itself, this coupled with the atmosphere around the shard resulted in a sense of general difort.

    ¡°Some would argue that it¡¯s much too soon to show you this. But more adventurers die exploring shards than any other activity in Adventia. I think it¡¯s best for you to understand the true dangers of this ce. Follow me.¡± Bracha said as she stepped into the portal, the surface of the shard rippled, distorting the image within as she did so.

    Katrin nced over at Agni, her eyes filled with apprehension ¡ª and for once Agni could rte. Her senses felt as if they were inplete disarray. Everything within her screamed *Do not tread further.*

    Noticing the fear lurking behind Katrin¡¯s gaze, Agni decided to go first. She stepped towards the shard and immediately took notice of howrge it was. 2 meters wide and at least 3.5 in height, it was easy enough to enter but the sensation was unpleasant. As Agni ced her foot in first a cold chill moved around the surface of her skin until her entire limb felt numb. After a second she couldn¡¯t feel anything ¡ª it was as if her foot ceased to exist. Agni quickly pulled her leg back to reaffirm that it was still present. After a deep breath she then stepped inside, summoning all of her bravery.

    The feeling of cold numbness washed over her body, but only for a moment as all her senses blinked out of existence. There was a small moment in time where she couldn¡¯t see, hear, or smell anything. She felt as if she couldn¡¯t breathe either in the sense that she lost ¡°awareness¡± of her own body on such a level that she wasn¡¯t sure if she existed. This sensation was fleeting enough that the sudden urrence was enough to jolt her body into shock.

    The sight that awaited on the other side was, in a word, bleak. The deste world from within the shard¡¯s ¡®reflection¡¯ unfolded before her. What¡¯s more Agni realized that she was now standing within a mirror image of the area she previously saw. Dried grass and cracked dirt, withered and gnarled tees and a dry breeze which seemed to have a life of its own. The geography of the area looked familiar, yet it was all very much different. What¡¯s more, there didn¡¯t seem to be any sign of life in sight. The sound of birds, insects or even the rustling of bushes ¡ª as if an eerie silenceplimented the scenery.

    It took a few seconds for the feeling of numbness to wear off for Agni but then she felt the temperature against her exposed skin. Cool air, a chill more than anything really,swirled about as she walked over towards Bracha who awaited only Katrin at this point.

    Agni now felt as if a weight was pressing against her from all directions, the only way she could describe it urately was a sense of oppression. It was as if the atmosphere itself was heavy and foreboding. In fact, the dangerous energy Agni felt clung to her body like a mmy film which would not be loosened.

    ¡°What is this ce? It feels like.. death..¡± Agni said, her eyes widened, as she struggled to shake the sensation of unease which was now growing in the pit of her stomach.

 Chapter 33: But...What Is It?

    Chapter 33: But¡­What Is It?

    The two followed Bracha for thest five minutes or so, walking through a densely forested area which Agni barely recognized as the Lull Forest ¡ª or at least an area that resembled it. Agni couldn¡¯t help but feel cagey as her eyes darted to and fro, searching between the trees for some perceived threat.

    She¡¯d begun to sweat profusely and now her hands were shaking, adding a sense of confusion to the already disturbing situation. Couple this with the fact that her breathing wasbored and Agni found herself struggling to stave off a growing sense of panic. In fact she¡¯d only managed to keep it together thus far because of Katrin, who seemed determined to soldier along, regardless of the difficulty.

    ¡°Ugrk.¡± Katrin gagged as her nausea finally got the better of her, bringing her to her knees as she puked.

    ¡°I was wondering how long it would take for one of you to let on that something was amiss.¡± Bracha said, stopping to wait for Katrin to finish expelling her frayed nerves. She then added, ¡°Always trust your instincts as well as your perception. It could save your life.¡±

    ¡°This ce is not a normal realm. Your body is reacting to the atmosphere in this world of grey. There¡¯s a trick to fending off the oppressive feeling ¨C spread a thin amount of mana out across your body. From head to toe, imagine it as a coating to protect you from the oppressive energy that flows in this ce.¡± Bracha instructed.

    Desperate for some return to normalcy, Agni closed her eyes and did as requested. The sensation was strange, almost immediately the pressure let up and Agni noted that the feeling of oppression lessened based on how much of her own mana she used to build this ¡®coating¡¯. In all she used about 5% of her mana to create a manayerfortable enough to remove the mental and physical effects of the atmosphere. This did little for the persistent scent lingering in the air, Agni simply had to build her resolve not to focus on it.

    ¡°Bracha¡­¡± Katrin groaned as she fanned air towards her face.

    ¡°What¡¯s that smell. It¡¯s making me nauseous.¡±

    ¡°Miasma. All shards have it, some in varying degrees of density. Eventually, you can build up a tolerance to it but miasma inrge amounts is deadly. This is why we won¡¯t be staying around too long. There are just a few more things I want you to see.¡± Bracha said as she waited patiently.

    After Katrin spent a few moments gathering herself and creating her own such mana coating Bracha continued walking with them as she further exined.

    ¡°The main reason adventurers are called to this world is to wage war against the threat of the Grimlock. Grimlock are not creatures that normally reside in our world. Instead, they seem to originate from this dark ce. This brings me to the first thing I wanted to show you regarding shards.¡±

    Bracha held her hand out and began to push at the air in front of her. Amazingly enough her fingers met resistance as the air particles bent and stretched like a piece of cloth.

    ¡°We call this the veil. It¡¯s a phenomenon that exists inside shards. It¡¯s also responsible for expanding the shard¡¯s dominion. You see, each shard is like a miniature realm that is superimposed on top of our own world. If left unchecked, the boundaries of this shard will continue to expand.¡±

    ¡°So what happens when a shard¡¯s boundaries expand?¡± Katrin asked.

    ¡°When that happens, Grimlock can more easily make their way from this realm into the next¨C in other words our realm. If left unchecked, Grimlock will begin to flow from this world into ours.¡±

    *So why haven¡¯t we seen any Grimlock yet?* Agni thought to herself as she gazed around. This definitely had not turned out to be the type of adventure she expected to take. A bleak world that threatened to eat away at the mental and physical attributes of any who ventured inside of it. Normals and other inhabitants of Adventia would no doubt have a chance of survival here.

    *What if someone got lost here?* Agni shuddered at the thought.

    *Or worse¡­trapped.*

    Ever since Bracha called their attention to ¡®miasma¡¯ Agni had begun to feel as if her lungs were swirling with invisible particles that were now assaulting her body. She felt that perhaps this was in her mind, but the feeling remained even as Bracha led them to what she called ¡®the edge¡¯.

    ¡°This is the edge of the shard. This is the perimeter line, a barrier of sorts that shows the limit of this shard¡¯s expansion.¡± This time as Bracha reached out she knocked with the back of her hand, as if rapping on a door. A low pitched, clunking sound reverberated through the area, much louder than it should have. The sensation was like powerful waves of bass echoing through their body.

    *Everything in this world hates us¡­* Agni thought as she recoiled from the sound.

    The strange thing about the edge was that it seemed to go on forever behind the barrier. In fact, unless you looked really closely, you¡¯d never be able to tell a barrier was there in the first ce. Katrin, who was normally full of questions, hadn¡¯t spoken for quite some time. She was lost in thought as she took in the full experience of the shard world.

    ¡°How many shards are there?¡± She then asked.

    ¡°No one knows. Thousands, at the least¨C perhaps more. They dot Adventia¡¯sndscape from coast to coast.¡± Bracha replied.

    ¡°So Grimlock came from this ce and somehow pushed into our realm?¡± Katrin said as she reached out to run her fingers along the near invisible edge wall.

    ¡°Correct.¡±

    ¡°So where are the Grimlock now?¡± Katrin then asked as the soft, chafing sound of her fingers against the barrier echoed outwards, filtering through their bodies.

 Chapter 34: Red Shard

    Chapter 34: Red Shard

    ¡°The Guardian of the Tabernacle nearby has culled this hard of all it¡¯s enemies. After all, something this dangerous near a respawn point could be disastrous for adventurers.¡±

    That did make sense, now that Agni thought about it. The more she came to learn about shards the more she realized the danger they represented. Alternate realms, ovepping with reality that have the capability to spawn monsters and expand indefinitely. If left unchecked the world of Adventia would be crawling with Grimlock.

    ¡°To find some Grimlock we will need to visit a different point, yes.¡± Bracha said.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Ultimately they left the shard near the Tabernacle and continued to walk much deeper into the forest. Another two hours by Agni¡¯s estimate.

    ¡°Why haven¡¯t we seen any Grimlock yet? Did Wa y all of the Stags outside of the shards as well?¡± Katrin had proven herself to be a valuable resource for asking questions Agni probably should have considered at some point.

    ¡°While Grimlock certainly are active during the day, it depends on the species, truly. Fulger Stag aremon in this forest. They tend to be more active in the evening.¡±

    ¡°So where are they now?¡± Agni asked.

    ¡°In hiding, sleeping ¡ª who knows what Grimlocks do. Some make dens, others find caves or high reaching ces where humans cannot see.¡±

    *Much like animals, they tend to stay out of sight of humans¨Cunless they want something.* Agni thought to herself as she gazed into the distance of the forest. She wondered just how many of the creatures surrounded her at this exact moment. The thought wasn¡¯t exactly pleasant but she felt confident that if a wild Grimlock appeared, she could fend it off.

    The trio continued their hike through the forest for a little while longer. It was now mid afternoon judging by the position of the sun and the trio finally came upon their next shard.

    ¡°Bracha, how are you able to find these shards?¡± Katrin asked. Agni¡¯s mind had been so wrapped up in all the things she¡¯d seen and experienced during the day that she never even thought about it.

    ¡°Systema. Once you reach rank 1, your Systema will unlock features rted to dealing with shards. That includes marking the location of nearby shards automatically on your map.¡±

    ¡°Now, before we enter I want to teach you about Systema shortcuts. As you may have noticed, upon leveling your Systema¡¯s capabilities asionally expand or upgrade. Once you reach rank 2, you will even be able to customize your Systema¡¯s features. Once you reach level 25 or higher, I think¨C it¡¯s been so long I don¡¯t remember.¡± Bracha paused as she struggled to recall the exact level, ¡°Systema shortcuts will be made known to you. I say that because, even though they are inactive, if you know the rightmands the system willply. Shortcuts allow you to quickly use items switch gear or activate system features. I¡¯m going to teach you two such shortcuts right now.¡±

    ¡°I.C. : Yue Restoration Potion, Katrin!¡± Bracha said.

    Instantly a familiar green aura washed over Katrin¡¯s body as a healing potion was consumed from Bracha¡¯s inventory.

    ¡°Themand I.C. is short for Item Consume. It can be used for consumables to activate them without essing your inventory. Next is W.C..¡±

    As Bracha spoke the letters a short sword appeared in her right hand.

    ¡°As you may have guessed, W.C. stands for the Weapon Callmand. You can also use it like this : W.C. Dagger.¡±

    The shortsword in Bracha¡¯s hand was now reced by a small double edged dagger.

    ¡°Finally, I want to teach you one of the most importantmands. S.C., followed by the name of whichever Systemamand you want to activate. This can be used to activate the ¡®Recall¡¯ spell we have loaded in the Systema.¡±

    After a brief exnation and trying the feature out several times Bracha then directed their attention to the shard several meters away.

    Already Agni could feel the familiar sensation of oppression prickling against her skin. This shard seemed different however.

    ¡°There are two types of shards. PUD and Constant. PUD basically stands for Pop Up Dungeon and as you can see, PUD types have a red outline surrounding the entrance.¡± As Bracha pointed towards the floating object Agni indeed noticed a faint red line of translucent energy bordering the shard portal.

    ¡°Unlike the Constant shard we entered some hours ago, PUDs appear somewhat randomly. They will not disappear until adventurers go inside to defeat all of the Grimlock within. As for why it must be done this way, no one knows the true reason. Thus the names, PUD and Constant shards.¡±

    Bracha seemed as if she wanted to continue exining, but she decided against it before motioning for Katrin and Agni to follow her into the nearby shard. The same sensations began to overtake them the moment they stepped through. Feeling somewhat prepared they used the manayer technique only to find that it was much more difficult to sustain in this new shard.

    The atmosphere was even more oppressive, the stench permeating the air was now burning their nostrils slightly. Even visibility waspromised due to the grey , fog-like miasma which lingered around them.

    Simply maintaining a mana coating required roughly twice the mana as before. Even then, both began to suffer the effects of a dull headache within the first minute of standing about as Bracha waited for them to limate to their environment.

    ¡°I don¡¯t intend to offer you help unless you need it, and if at any time I feel you both are in danger I will recall us, yes?¡± Bracha looked to them both for confirmation before she nodded and allowed them to step forth into the surrounding area.

    Though Agni could not see the Grimlock she felt eyes upon her, it was an unmistakable feeling. She shot a nce over to Katrin who seemed ready to act at a moment¡¯s notice. Together the pair slowly moved forth into the misty grey of the red shard¡¯s confines.

 Chapter 35: O.P.

    Chapter 35: O.P.

    Unlike the previous shard the air within this one was stagnant. Whether due to the trees every three to five meters or the thick miasma which hung about like dense smoke one thing was certain ¡ª a stifling energy had gripped both Katrin and Agni.

    For the first time in a while they both felt on edge. It was as if their previous week of training amounted to nothing, despite all the gains they¡¯d made. Agni herself suddenly felt small and as a result her senses felt fragile and easily snapped. She stepped forward cautiously, her halberd at the ready as she walked. Katrin fell back to her usual position, to the rear and left of Agni as they moved. This was partially to keep an eye out for unseen threats and watch Agni¡¯s back. The other reason was that the Scribe ss was not particrly suited forbat, being able to only wear light armors like hides and other soft metals. Much like Agni, Katrin too was on high alert as she called forth her Mag-gun and prepared herself for imminent battle.

    Agni could feel her own thoughts spiraling into dire situation simtions. What if they were ambushed by several creatures at once? What if they were wiped outpletely in a single strike? Though this was a foe she¡¯d faced hundred times now, Agni couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that today¡¯s encounter might be different.

    The pair were about fifty meters away from Bracha, so far that they couldn¡¯t even see her within the mist, when the first of the creatures began to appear. They arrived as light blue pulses of energy which reminded Agni of a lighthouse. The blue energy pierced the mist briefly, ring up suddenly then fading away just as quickly. Soon they were surrounded on either side by half a dozen of the lights which blinked in and out of existence in the distance.

    ¡°Agni.¡± Katrin said, a sense of urgency lended to her voice. This drew Agni¡¯s attention towards a particrly close creature. As she took note of the nearby foe she was also struck with the realization that the Stags they¡¯d fought prior to now paled inparison.

    A dense shadow, approximately three meters in height stood stock-still next to them. It¡¯s appearance was so sudden that Agni wondered if it appeared from thin air itself. It¡¯s eyes held a particrly sinister intent, its killing aura easily transmitted. This in turn gave Agni room for pause as she gripped the shaft of her weapon.

    Katrin on the other hand pointed the muzzle of her gun at the creature¡¯s face, but did not fire. This was partially because the creature itself seemedpletely unconcerned though Katrin was sure it was aware of her presence. The Mag-gun was not the strongest weapon of its type, rather its attack power dependedrgely on the user of the weapon. This was due to the fact that mana was used to condense and fire bullets. The weapon did the bulk of the work, all the user had to do was supply the mana.

    In Katrin¡¯s case she could fire forty bullets in session before her mana was depleted. This was only under the condition that she didn¡¯t charge the bullets. When doing so, she increased the mana condensation of each bullet by feeding more energy to the gun. In this case when facing such an imposing creature, she used her instincts to determine how much mana she would need to infuse into a single bullet in order to gain the creature¡¯s ire. Currently she¡¯d fed 20% of her mana into a single bullet and the creature still ignored her.

    Agni on the other hand was experiencing the full intimidation of the creature¡¯s gaze. She watched the slow spark of asional lightning travel upwards along the horns of the Fulger Stag. This was something she¡¯d seen hundreds of times before,but what surprised Agni was the density of the mana particles she was now sensing.

    Upon dabbling more with her magic abilities, Agni came to realize that many aspects affected a spell or conjuration. For example, she could make the size of a fireballrger simply by feeding mana into it but that wouldn¡¯t necessarily make the fireball more dangerous. Mana was closely corrted with one¡¯s Soul stat. This stat formed the basis of what you could consider ¡®base damage¡¯ or effectiveness when it came to magic spells. But you could also condense mana by restricting its growth and instead more densely packing the particles together. As one would expect, this had an effect on any element it was applied to. For example, wind des would grow heavier and slower. Fireballs would explode and deal more damage, but this was the first time Agni had seen lightning which looked so pure and dense.

    She couldn¡¯t help but wonder what it would feel like to be zapped by energy like that, and the moment this thought urred to her she watched the worse case scenario y out in her head¨Ca shocking death! The reason the Stag didn¡¯t seem bothered by Agni or Katrin was because, to it, they seemed much weaker. Agni knew it subconsciously without even needing to admit this to herself or gaze into the creature¡¯s cold eyes.

    Agni focused hard on the Stag so that she could discern even a bit of it¡¯s info via analysis, the miasma seemed to interfere with this process which normally happened within a second or two.

    [Fulger Stag {?} Level 12

    Affinity : Lightning

    Vulnerability : Piercing Strikes 50%, Fire 75%.

    A Grimlock that can channel lightning in its horns. Can discharge it¡¯s attacks in an area of effect or single target manner. Seems to require significant time to perform it¡¯s elemental strikes.]

    Upon viewing the analysis info provided by Systema, Agni couldn¡¯t help but feel puzzled. The creature was within her level range, in fact she¡¯d faced off against level 10 creatures solo at a few points, so she doubted that two levels would make a significant difference. Thus Agni found it strange that such a creature would give off an ominous aura. What¡¯s more, the Systema upgraded itself based on the fact that she¡¯d been hunting a create deal of Grimlocktely. Around her 200th kill the system began showing even more detailed info. This was the first time Agni noticed the strange mark next to a Grimlock¡¯s name however and she wondered if it meant anything at all.

    Nearby Katrin¡¯s mind was racing as well. Normally she awaited some kind of signal from Agni before taking action but it had note. In fact Agni seemed at a loss for what to do for the first time ever. The thought of being potentially surrounded also made Katrin even more anxious.

    With these circumstances in mind Katrin decided to take a gamble. She ced 30% of her mana into a single shot and leveled her weapon at the creature¡¯s chest as she took aim and fired.

 Chapter 36: Battle In The Mist

    Chapter 36: Battle In The Mist

    Katrin hardened her resolve and fired the st that would kick off the battle, the Mag-gun recoiled from the power behind the shot. Immediately she prepared another bullet in the chamber as she began to circle the Fulger Stag, even before the first magic bullet struck the creature in the chest.

    The sound of Katrin¡¯s gun fire snapped Agni out of her trance-like state. She quickly reacted, preparing to swing the axe portion of her halberd as swiftly as she could. The goal wasn¡¯t to kill, rather to maim and prevent the creature¡¯s full mobility. Agni positioned the strike in such a way that the Stag wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid it even if it tried.

    The next few moments yed out in slow motion as therge mass of mana impacted the Stag along the front of its cor bone, the explosion resulted in a billowing wisp of blue energy which began to dissipate upwards. Around this time Agni¡¯s swing, fueled by both of her arms for extra speed and strength, impacted the creature along the right side of its abdomen.

    For a brief moment both of the women believed their attacks to be effective, so much so that they simply waited for a second or two. Agni was frozen in ce while Katrin stood, her gun pointed at her target¡¯s body. However, the creature didn¡¯t move ¡ª at all. Completely ineffective. The bullet quickly dissipated into nothingness and Agni¡¯s halberd met resistance at thest possible moment. The sound of the impact was blunted, dull, unlike the usual sound of metal slitting into flesh. Regardless the creature stood unperturbed, at least at first.

    Agni could have been imagining it but she felt as if she saw a furious expression of rage fill the creature¡¯s face. The next moment it¡¯s eyes glowed a dangerous blue color and lightning energy rose from the base of the Stag¡¯s horns to the tips. As this process happened small arcing strikes of lightning crackled and snapped the nearby air.

    *Shit!* Agni thought to herself as she prepared for the iing attack. She raised her halberd and sank it into the ground as she gripped the leather handle. Agni then rushed to infuse her own body with as much lightning energy as she felt appropriate while sinking into a somewhat crouched stance. Katrin on the other hand moved her free hand forward and extended her palm outward as her Mana Shield activated. The creature lifted it¡¯s head, the building lighting reaching a crescendo as its attack began.

    This all happened in less than two seconds, which for Agni was much too soon. The other Stags she¡¯d faced often took anywhere from five to ten seconds to charge the same attack she had nowe to dread. Even Katrin¡¯s face was one of shock, though her body had been trained to act against this particr foe, her mind was now reeling.

    *H-how is this one so quick?* She thought just milliseconds before the attack struck.

    Katrin watched pure white lightning whips arced forward from each point on the creature¡¯s crown-like horns. In turn, these whips had points which branched off and created other whips. The disy was both dazzling and terrifying. The points danced along the ground, issuing forth from the horns as they bent and crinkled, setting the dry dirt ame with sizzling power. Agni braced herself, setting aside another 20% of her mana in an effort to nullify the iing damage. During the previous week¡¯s training she¡¯d found this technique and percentage to be effective enough to minimize or sometimes even negate lightning damage altogether. Unfortunately this was not the case today.

    [-13]

    [-18]

    [-23]

    [-12]

    [-9]

    The number of times Agni was struck by the attack was both mind blowing and swift. Within a split second her health was nearly decimated by sixty percent. Katrin would not escape without difficulty either. While her mana shield fared better , the attackpletely drained her mana in a single strike. She was simply lucky enough to avoid being struck a second time due to her distance. Katrin couldn¡¯t help but feel light headed and disoriented, after all such was the effect of depleting one¡¯s mana suddenly.

    Agni forced all of her mana into her lightning cloak, gripping her halberd more intensely as she did so.

    [-9]

    [-7]

    She gritted her teeth as the blows kepting, the sound of surging lighting and popping energy echoed through the clearing.

    [-5]

    [-2]

    [-1]

    Finally, after nearly ten sessive strikes the creature lowered it¡¯s head slightly, ending the area of effect attack.

    Agni gritted her teeth as thest of the invading energy filtered through her body.

    [ 123 / 222]

    As she lifted her eyes she realized that she had been forced to her knees, the sight of the Stag was one who looked down upon his foe with unmatched sovereignty. What¡¯s more, unlike a normal Stag, it¡¯s horns still held more lightning energy to spare.

    *Shit. This one¡¯s too strong!* Agni thought to herself as she was forced to reexamine her opinion of her foe. She shot a nce at Katrin who, up until this point had been making an effort to stay mobile ¡ª after all this was the first rule ofbat for a gunner. Limited mobility resulted in death so always stay moving! But now Katrin was frozen in her tracks, her mouth agape as she struggled toprehend the sheer power of a foe that depleted her mana reserves in a single strike.

    The reason Katrin was in such shock was because her maximum mana was currently over 400 points. Her health by contrast was significantly lower at just around 195, in just one blow she would have been stricken dead.

    *One shot.* Katrin¡¯s face morphed as she struggled to ovee a sense of despair which began to creep into the back of her mind. One word began to form clearly in her throat. ¡°Impossible.¡±

    ¡°IC : Yue Potion.¡± Agni said as she slowly got to her feet.

    ¡°IC : Belle Potion.¡± She followed up her health recovery with a mana potion.

    Seeing Katrin falter, Agni knew she had to step in, regardless of how bleak the situation felt. Bracha was many things, talkative, insightful, strict and strong ¡ª but cruel was not one of them. No matter how Agni looked at things, Bracha would never ce them in a situation that was hopeless. This was especially true considering Bracha allowed them to properly prepare beforehand earlier in the day. In Agni¡¯s mind this meant Bracha understood what was toe, thus Agni considered it a part of her training where there was a chance to seed.

    Seeing Agni recover also gave Katrin the strength to snap out of her own shock as well.

    ¡°IC : Belle Potion!¡± Katrin practically screamed as a bead of nervous sweat rolled down her brow. She followed up thatmand with ¡°IC : Lesser me Stream Scroll.¡±. This time Katrin summoned forth an item scroll.

    After seeing the resolve to battle form in Katrin¡¯s eyes, Agni felt a newfound determination herself. She took in a deep breath and began to flow her mana into the tip of her halberd.

    ¡°Ignite.¡± Agni whispered, causing the head of the halberd to burst into mes. Both of the women prepared for round two of their tense battle in the mist.

 Chapter 37: Blood And Barrier

    Chapter 37: Blood And Barrier

    If normal strikes didn¡¯t work, they would have to target the creature¡¯s weaknesses. Over thest six days both Agni and Katrin had been honing their experience by constantly fighting. They had be exceedingly good at defeating Stags and pinpointed quite a few weaknesses besides the obvious. One was the creature¡¯sck of mobility. They could easily bridge great distances at a gallop, but mobility in nearby spaces was very difficult due to theirrge size. Thus, rather than move, Fulger Stags used their lightning to attack on their behalf. When they absolutely needed to readjust they would often pivot before dashing forward ¡ª because this was their quickest evasion technique.

    The women now worked to exploit this weakness. In addition to that, Agni nned to make full use of her halberd to exploit the creature¡¯s vulnerabilities ¡ª fire and piercing. Knowing that Katrin was on the same page, both sprung into action. Katrin¡¯s role was to attack the creature¡¯s legs to weaken them. She began firing a plethora of bullets at the creature¡¯s knees, this was easy because the creature moved even less than normal Stags.

    Agni lunged forward and swiped at the creature¡¯s face. She didn¡¯t expect tond a blow, rather it was a shot in the dark. She didn¡¯t expect the response she got however as the creature shifted the position of its head, knocking away the halberd with ease. Normally the halberd would deal some damage, chipping away at the mineral deposit of the horns. This time it deflected with a loud ng, nearly knocking the weapon out of Agni¡¯s grip. It took a moment for her to recover as the blow lifted her several centimeters off of her feet. In this short period of time the Stag lowered its horns and thrust it¡¯s head forward. The blow caught Agni in the chest, both lifting her and piercing her stomach in several spots. For the most part her chest te blocked the majority of the damage but the creature didn¡¯t stop there. As Agni flew backwards a few meters another jolt of lightning sparked forward and zapped her directly in the chest.

    [-22]

    Due to her agility it was easy for Agni to right herself and bring another swing to bear. This time she aimed for the creature¡¯s body as she lunged forth to recover lost ground. The attempted blows were more of a distraction than anything, the goal was never for Agni to take out the creature ¡ª it was to distract it. Katrin stopped firing seconds ago, she was now directly behind the creature in it¡¯s blind spot as she creeped forward ¡ª the me Scroll extended forth. Once she judged that she was close enough she timed the use of her item with Agni¡¯s second blow.

    It just so happened that Agni¡¯s blow was effective. And it seemed like the Grimlock was caught unaware as well. Rather than the strange feeling of resistance she felt before, Agni could feel her de cut¨Calbeit not very deeply. The resulting cut was little more than a surface wound which caused a trickle of blood to issue forth. It was at this moment that Agni noticed something strange. Or perhaps it would be more urate to say she ¡°sensed¡± it. Due to the dense miasma in the area and the amount of mana she¡¯d been forced to expend, Agi deactivated her Subus Vision. She turned it on now, a light blue filter covering her eyes as various colors began to take form before her. To use her enhanced thermal vision all Agni needed to do was think about it, upon doing so she noticed what appeared to be small ck particles. The resembled thousands of tiny bubbles constantly growing and fading away, the entirety of which formed a thin outline around the creature¡¯s body.

    A roaring sound echoed through the forest as Katrin ignited her scroll. The stream of mes which shot forth caught the creature on it¡¯s nk and for the first time it showed a reaction to pain. It was at this time that Agni also noticed the number of particles cloaking the creature diminish significantly.

    She was so focused on this that she forgot to follow up her second blow with another to distract her target. Thus the creature responded with a vicious hind quarter kick, Katrin expected this to a degree as they¡¯d used this tactic several times before. She did not expect the speed and power of the blow, which struck her full on in the chest, sending her flying towards a nearby tree.

    [-64]

    Agni could hear Katrin groan as she watched the HP decrease by 30% in an instant.

    ¡°Dammit.¡± Agni grunted as she resolved to light into the creature. She raised her left hand and formed a fireball, pouring a significant amount of her mana into it before she pointed her palm at the creature.

    ¡°You bastard. Don¡¯t fuck with me!¡± Agni grunted, her eyes taking on a pink glow as her Sulust began to take over. With that deration the fireball sted forth, mming directly into the creature¡¯s face. The resulting explosion caused the creature¡¯s head to snap back. Seeing that the ck particles decreased once more Agni realized that the creature was coated in some kind of protective barrier. Whatever this barrier was, it didn¡¯t respond well to magic.

    Agni nted her feet and prepared to put all of her power into her next blow as she reared back. The mes dancing on the head of her halberd red up, doubling in intensity and quantity before she struck a monstrous blow which cleaved the air. Much like before she aimed low and arced the de upwards to cleave, this time aiming at the Stag¡¯s front leg. She watched carefully as the halberd impacted, cutting inches deep into the Grimlock¡¯s thigh. She could see the small ck particles buzzing like thousands of tiny gnats as they were consumed by the mes now issuing forth from her halberd.

    This time, the ck particles did not return.

    ¡°Katrin, once more!¡± Agni shouted as she pulled back her halberd and twirled it menacingly in her hands. She stepped forth, undaunted as a feeling of savagery began to take hold.

    *If one hit won¡¯t do it, I¡¯ll just keep going!* Agni hardened her resolve as she did a three sixty spin and hopped, throwing the momentum behind the next blow. This too was a secret of dealing with polearms that she learned throughbat. In many respects it was easier and quicker tond blows by following the momentum of each action. Rather than attempt to sink her de into the creature¡¯s body, she now focused on ncing blows. With each impact she exhausted more mana to re her mes, spurring them to consume as much of the creature¡¯s barrier as possible.

    Katrin slowly got to her feet, clutching her chest as she did so. A trickle of blood ran down the side of her mouth, a signal that she suffered some sort of internal bleeding. She ignored this, however as she called forth another me Stream scroll.

    Without hesitation Katrin circled around to the creature¡¯s side, opposite of Agni and activated the scroll. Thebination of both attacks was enough to fully remove the creature¡¯s invisible barrier.

    Bracha, who had been watching the battle unfold from a distance, smiled to herself at their achievement. She¡¯d half expected the two to need saving from their first ¡°Grimlock Baptism¡±. She felt pleasantly surprised that they handled the evolving battle well.

    ¡°A Subus and a Scribe. Hmm..¡± Bracha remarked as she watched the end of the battle unfold.

    Seeing that the creature¡¯s barrier was finally reduced to nothingness, Agni pounced on the chance which presented itself. She took two hop-steps backward to create space and then lunged forward, the spear-like end of the halberd sinking deep into the heart of the stag. For extra measure she expended the remainder of her mana, igniting the entire creature¡¯s body ame from both inside and out.

 Chapter 38: Intens(er) Training

    Chapter 38: Intens(er) Training

    Katrin and Agni watched as the Stag sank down on all four of its knees, it¡¯s head falling to the ground as magical mes consumed its body. They were both injured, and in this case Agni was spent from the ferocity of herst attack. Katrin felt sure that her rib cage was fractured, as a constant stream of blood was now trickling from the corner of her mouth. Still both women stood before their fallen foe, eyes transfixed as they heaved deeply. Both were possessed by a look of unbridled aggression which they could not hide even if they wanted to. The battle had been that intense in the short amount of time it took to y out. They half expected the creature to rise and continue the battle, thus they could only rx after seeing the XP reward.

    [450 XP]

    Agni¡¯s adrenaline rush prevented her from feeling the sting of her stab wounds but now a dull pain was beginning to take hold. The pink light of lust faded from her eyes as the tension slowly began to leave her body ¡ª for a moment.

    ¡°That was intense.¡± Agni whispered as she gazed over at Katrin. The luxury of being an adventurer was that wounds easily healed, even those which might be problematic for others. With constant regeneration, however slow it may be, the act of regaining health would begin to stitch wounds and close gashes. This was already happening across both of their bodies from head to toe with each passing moment.

    ¡°Yea.¡± This was all the response Katrin could muster. It was the kind of experience that was mentally draining more so than physically. In fact, they both started to feel a sense of relief as they realized the worst was over.

    That is until more siren lights in the distance gave them reason to reconsider. As another of the Fulger Stags stepped into view Agni gritted her teeth and quickly refilled her mana before the next battle began in earnest.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    With the intensity of the battles both of the adventurers leveled up, and though they didn¡¯t get 450 XP for each enemy defeated, they did notice it was significantly higher than regr Stags. After engaging with five more of the creatures Bracha stepped forward to put an end to the day¡¯s training.

    ¡°You¡¯ve exhausted all of your restorative items. It would be careless to press on under these conditions.¡±

    ¡°SC : Recall.¡± Bracha then said, casting the spell that would send them back to Grenvale. Agni felt her body grow warm as a strange sensation began to drift upwards from the tip of her toes. If she had to liken it to something, it reminded her of the feel of carbonated water. This feeling made her feel light, yet itchy all in the same moment. It intensified until finally all was a white sh of light. Thest thing Agni saw was the sight of Katrin fading away into tiny orbs of light.

    The next thing she knew she was standing at the South Western Gate portal.

    ¡°Great job today. You handled your baptism well.¡± Bracha said as she smiled at both youngdies.

    ¡°Baptism?¡± Agni raised her eyebrows as she replied.

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s what adventurers call a trial-by-fire. It¡¯s one of the tests we use to determine if someone is suited to the adventurer¡¯s life. In both of your cases, you passed with flying colors.¡±

    ¡°As you may have guessed by now, in order to keep the shards from expanding and taking over territory someone must venture inside. Only by dealing with the enemies can we avoid the worst case scenario ¡ª world sync.¡±

    ¡°World Sync?¡± Katrin asked, suddenly growing more interested.

    Bracha nodded, then continued her exnation as the trio of women walked towards the Trainer¡¯s Chapel.

    ¡°World Sync is when a shard expands and manages to break the barrier between this world in the next ¡ª causing the two topletely ovep. You may have noticed, the creatures within that shard were much stronger than the normal creatures you¡¯ve been dealing with. Inside that world, the Grimlock are protected making them difficult to kill. If a shard expands causing a world sync then those creatures will be able to pass through at their full power, uninhibited.¡±

    ¡°You mean, that strange barrier?¡± Agni asked.

    ¡°Barrier? Well I guess that¡¯s one way you could put it. Once the creatures absorb a certain amount of magical damage, they be vulnerable to attacks.¡±

    Agni thought back to her use of Subus Vision during the battles. She was certain she¡¯d noticed the thin veil of rippling energy surrounding the Stag Grimlocks. Was this something not apparent to others? Regardless, Agni was slowlying to understand the threat represented by the Grimlock.

    ¡°Has a world sync event ever happened?¡± Katrin asked eagerly.

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s happened just three times in the history of Adventia. The results were catastrophic. Entire regions of the continent turned barren and dark. Even now, these ces are only fit for the strongest of adventurers to travel.¡±

    After returning to the Trainer¡¯s Chapel and rxing for a bit, the trio retired to the bath. This had be a nightly ritual for them. In fact, it was one of the portions of the day which Agni looked forward to the most.

    Bracha¡¯s body was toned and fit, while Katrin¡¯s was soft and curvateous. She couldn¡¯t help but ogle at all the ey candy before her. What¡¯s more the two had be sofortable around Agni that they often bathed side by side. The sensation of nipples brushing against her arm was electric, each time it happened Agni found herself biting her lip.

    This evening was no exception, except the moment waspletely spoiled by Bracha¡¯s sudden deration.

    ¡°For the rest of the remaining week, you will spend two hours a day inside the PUD shard we visited earlier. It will be good for your preparation, yes?¡± Bracha said casually as she squeezed a sponge, releasing trickles of water down along her bosom.

    ¡°Huh? W-why!?¡± This was Agni¡¯s knee jerk response, one that she practically shouted. Realizing that her reaction made her look somewhat uncool in the eyes of her mentor, she cleared her throat and slowly sank down into the warm water.

    Although Katrin felt the same way, she didn¡¯t voice her displeasure. A part of her wanted to shy away from the challenge, after all the pair only used five battles to burn through their entire stock of restorative items. These five battles onlysted roughly twenty minutes ¡ª max.

    *Ten times that amount of ¡®training¡¯? She¡¯s trying to kill us.* Agni thought to herself as she cut her eyes over at Bracha who seemed not to have a care in the world. Bracha was preupied with washing her body, so much so that she didn¡¯t immediately answer.

    Finally, after several seconds she then replied, ¡°Only by taking part in battles that expose your weaknesses can you hope to gain the type of strength you need to seed in this world. ¡°.

 Chapter 39: Free Your Inner Succ

    Chapter 39: Free Your Inner S

    ¡°So, Agni. How are you enjoying the ¡®female experience¡¯.¡± Bracha asked, out of the blue.

    ¡°The Female experience? I guess if you mean being a woman. It¡¯s..not bad. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that much different than being a man¨C¡°

    ¡°Psh.¡±

    The noise was so sudden that Agni wasn¡¯t exactly sure what to make of Bracha¡¯s swift dismissal.

    ¡°If that¡¯s what you think¡­you aren¡¯t doing it right! Oh, my dear pupil..¡± Bracha said as she moved to a position directly in front of Agni in the bath.

    ¡°To be a woman is magnificent. It¡¯s like¡­well. It¡¯s like being fed on a spiritual level. It¡¯s like, soaking in the very finest things and savoring them. It¡¯s quite like being a Subus, yes?¡± Though Bracha said as much in so many words, Agni still found it difficult to understand exactly what she meant. After all, Agni didn¡¯t really understand how to ¡°be¡± a subus either.

    ¡°Katrin my dear, am I right?¡± Bracha then asked as she cast a nce in Katrin¡¯s direction. Katrin had been allowing the sublime temperature of the water to soak in. She¡¯d be so rxed that she could do little else but nod at this point.

    ¡°See? Well. I think what will help you best is time and experience. You¡¯lle to understand soon enough, but¡­¡± Bracha¡¯s voice trailed off for a moment as she drifted closer towards Agni in the bath.

    ¡°What type of trainer would I be if I didn¡¯t endeavor to help you understand while I have you here, yes?¡± Bracha drew closer with each moment, Agni could now feel Bracha¡¯s hands brushing against her thighs beneath the water. The look on Bracha¡¯s face was one of mischief, Agni recognized it well as it was often the face Abeni would make.

    ¡°You¡¯re so repressed. So reserved. You¡¯re missing out on the best part of this world, you have to learn to loosen up and try new things. Everything, until you find something you love. No matter the experience, the trick to living a full life is to savor each drop, every morsel of a moment that finds its way to your doorstep.¡± Bracha had now made her way extremely close to Agni, straddling Agni¡¯s hips with her own. She could feel their breasts gently pressing against each other against the water.

    ¡°Tell me¡­ why is that so?¡± Bracha then said suddenly, her eyes locking with Agni¡¯s. Agni on the other hand had been hypnotized by the sight of Bracha¡¯s breasts, particrly her nipples which were pretty and pink.

    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­difficult. I honestly don¡¯t know why I¡¯m so hesitant. As a man..in my past life I¡¯ve seen more tits in the past ten days than I ever saw in ten years. By any man¡¯s ount this would be a dreame true. And yet¡­¡± Agni¡¯s voice trailed off as she struggled to give voice to current troubles.

    ¡°Let me guess. You were told no, that it¡¯s not right to look? Not right to touch? And..that¡¯s true. But only for men. It¡¯s a woman¡¯s duty to feel and caress. Here, I can tell by your eyes you want to. Touch them.¡± Bracha said as she lifted her breasts out of the water and pressed them against her chest. Agni couldn¡¯t help but savor the sight of Bracha¡¯s hands and the supple bulge of flesh between each gripping handful.

    ¡°You want to, I can tell. You want to touch them. You want to squeeze and rub them. Perhaps, pinch my nipples like so?¡± Bracha disyed her nipple pinching prowess, tweaking her own tips and pulling them several centimeters so that they sprang back into ce with a firm jiggle.

    Agni¡¯s eyes were now pulsing with lust energy as she gazed at the spectacle before her. Bracha continued on for several moments, pulling out all kinds of ¡°attacks¡±. Agni was well versed in such techniques. Cuteness, Sexiness, these could be easily disyed by striking certain poses, alluring angles or actions. The first that came to mind was the ¡®ahegao¡¯ face as a prime example.

    Agni¡¯s eyes were under assault, and to her chagrin it was working. Bracha had Agni wrapped around her finger as a floodgate of emotions began to thump about in her chest. These sensations rushed into her head, distributed throughout the entirety of her body resulting in a plethora of feelings. The two that she could readily identify were lust and tion.

    Despite this, Agni subconsciously resisted the feeling. ¡°Bad¡± or ¡°Impure¡±, these thoughts had been drilled into her through years of life¨Cboth subconscious or otherwise. She came from a world where looks were valued , vanity was the currency ¡ª selfies and nude shares. Social media likes which tranted into poprity¨Cas a man Agni had never been blessed to experience that side of life.

    Now that she was in the body of a curvaceous, attractive demoness she would have to endeavor to remove learned behaviors she¡¯d be ustomed to. Rejection, being noticed and ignored ¡ª and in turn growing to expect such treatment as the ¡°norm¡±. These were things of the past.

    Even now as Bracha teased her own breasts, jiggling and ying with them exclusively for Agni she had to fight to ¡°ept¡± the attention being shown to her. Attention that was freely given.

    ¡°Hmm. It seems this isn¡¯t enough to help you snap out of your rut. Oh well¡­I have other ways..¡± Bracha said, floating back several centimeters as she grabbed Katrin by the arm and gently pulled her close in one smooth motion. Now with Katrin sitting in Bracha¡¯sp more or less, she was free to do as she pleased. Katrin¡¯s bewildered expression quickly turned into one of mild ecstasy as Bracha began to breath against her neck.

    ¡°As a woman, you must savor and voraciously consume the things in life which elevate your mood. It¡¯s less about the end result, more about the here..the now..¡±

    Bracha¡¯s hands gripped Katrin firmly as they roamed, starting at her abdomen and rising to clench Katrin¡¯s round breasts. Bracha continued her ¡°lecture¡± as she began to massage Katrin¡¯s breasts, all the while kissing and sucking on her neck. As Bracha exined, Katrin quickly sumbed to the feeling, the sensation¨Cthe moment. Even if Katrin could refuse, her body wanted the next moment so badly that her mouth dared not utter the words.

    Bracha¡¯s gaze did not falter as she continued to tease Katrin. Her stare suggested something along the lines of, ¡°I know this bothers you. Why aren¡¯t you acting on it?¡± And she would be right. Agni could feel the fierce pull of a sensation welling up inside her chest. Territorial tendency perhaps? One word clearly rushed into her mind as she saw Katrin being ¡°taken care of¡± by Bracha.

    *Mine.*

    With her Sulust in overdrive Agni reached out and easily snatched Katrin from Bracha¡¯s arms, pinning thetter against her chest. For a moment Agni surprised herself, the two were now in a close embrace and she could feel both the softness and heat from Katrin¡¯s body.

    ¡°That¡¯s it. That¡¯s what I want to see! Free your inner Subus my dear.¡± Bracha said, shing a beautiful smile. Despite her earlier provocation, this time Bracha seemed legitimately proud, as if she¡¯d help Agni ovee a small hurdle on her step to being a proper Subus.

    If she¡¯d still been a man at this point, Agni realized that she probably wouldn¡¯t have understood the full gravitas of the exchange. But now she couldn¡¯t help but smile as Bracha drifted away to her corner of the bath.

    ¡°Agni¡­¡± Katrin said, looking up at the Subus.

    ¡°Y-Your tail. It¡¯s.. it¡¯s inside.¡±

 Chapter 40: Katrins Homework

    Chapter 40: Katrin¡¯s Homework

    The remainder of the bath went on without incident. At least Agni thought so. After exiting the bath and toweling off she noticed Bracha and Katrin huddled together a few meters away. Bracha seemed to be whispering something into Katrin¡¯s ear. After a few moments of listening intently, Katrin then nodded her head rather aggressively. This of course left Agni puzzled as they both turned and nced at her, then without a word walked off ¡ª Bracha¡¯s arm draped over Katrin¡¯s shoulder.

    The remainder of the evening was weird to say the least. They settled in to have some dinner at this point which was nothing out of the ordinary. What struck Agni as strange was Katrin¡¯s attitude. At every possible opportunity she would snatch food from Agni¡¯s grasp ¡ª at times even pulling food from Agni¡¯s te.

    After the fifth time in session Agni clenched her first and raised an objection.

    ¡°Tough.¡± This was Katrin¡¯s singr reply as she ate the final dumpling, a defiant look burning in her gaze as she did so.

    Agni¡¯s jaw dropped, she gazed at her normally sweet friend both amazed and appalled that she would say something so¡­calloused.

    Agni nced at Bracha who sat across the table from them snickering as they finished up their meal. What¡¯s more Katrin¡¯s extra aggressive attitude would not relent. From bumping into Agni in the hallway without so much as an apology, to cutting in front of her right as she went to use the restroom, the sleights were real and upfront.

    Finally, just a few minutes before bedtime Agni entered Katrin¡¯s bedroom, her thoughts were muddled as she decided how to express herself.

    ¡°Katrin..did I do something to upset you?¡± Agni asked. Katrin sat at a small table in her room practicing her scribing skills as she often did before bedtime.

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    That was all the answer Agni got.

    ¡°Okay.. Well.. is there something you want to talk about or¨C¡°

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Agni said, pausing for a moment, unsure what to do at this point. Katrin continued writing,pletely ignoring the confused Subus before finally Agni left the room, closing the door behind her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what her problem is.¡± Agni said to herself as she settled into bed, she decided not to let the building frustration get the better of her.

    *Maybe she¡¯s on her period.* Agni thought. After all, she¡¯d never experienced one personally but they apparently caused mood swings. It wasn¡¯t long before Agni fell asleep, after all the day was long and tiring to an extent.

    Then¡­.

    THUD.

    This was the sound of Agni¡¯s sleeping body crashing to the floor. She awoke with a start, having fallen out of the bed only to discover she hadn¡¯t rolled out ¨Cshe was pushed!

    Agni got to her feet, rubbing her left horn as it banged against the floor rather hard. For horns they were quite sensitive.

    ¡°K-Katrin? What are you doing in my bed!?¡± Agni¡¯s voice was a loud whisper as she thrust her hands down to her sides. Katrin was sprawled across the bedpletely, so much so that Agni couldn¡¯t climb into the bed if she wanted at this point. Though a vein was now throbbing in her forehead from having been so rudely awoken, Agni couldn¡¯t help but notice Katrin¡¯s form. She was dressed in little more than a robe, as was Agni. Her breasts were visible, partly because of the wild way she was positioned in the bed.

    She looked so cute that Agni couldn¡¯t help but ignore the anger rising in her. She sighed to herself and picked her pillow up from the floor before turning to go to Katrin¡¯s room instead. No sooner had she fallen asleep once more¨C

    THUD.

    This time Agni¡¯s face hit the hardwood floor with a weighty impact.

    ¡°You little bi¨C¡± Agni hopped up, obviously angry¨C yet she caught herself at the final moment. She took several heaving breaths before finally settling down. She then forced herself into the bed, lifting Katrin¡¯s arm and draping it across her chest. Though Agni had not had many opportunities to sleep in a bed with a woman, this was not how she envisioned it to y out. In her past life she spent a great deal of her time single, working and scraping to get by month to month. She had no time for women, or so she thought.

    SLAP.

    *Did she just p me in my mother fucking¨C* Agni¡¯s eyes bulged as she felt Katrin¡¯s hand p against her upper cheek. The impact was loud enough that her face was now tingling.

    *I SWEARTA GAHWD*

    Agni squinted her eyes as she struggled to contain her anger. She rolled over and gazed at Katrin, if only looks could kill ¡ª Katrin might be losing HP right now. This thoughtforted Agni for quite some time as she gazed upon Katrin¡¯s features.

    *She¡¯s doing it on purpose. She has to be. She¡¯s not asleep! She¡¯s NOT!* Agni continually told herself until finally the fierce fire in her heart faded and she fell asleep once more.

    Katrin on the other hand rolled over and stared at Agni¡¯s face for quite some time before pushing aside a tuft of Agni¡¯s hair and finally going to sleep herself.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    The next morning Agni awoke to find herself alone in Katrin¡¯s bed. What¡¯s more Katrin wasn¡¯t even in the room. She took her time getting up, after all she¡¯d felt Katrin nudging her in the side practically all night long.

    *This is probably the worst night of sleep I¡¯ve ever gotten.* Agni groaned to herself as she finally got to her feet and headed to her own room. After getting dressed she visited the cafeteria area where the trio usually ate lunch only to find both Katrin and Bracha finishing up breakfast.

    ¡°So¡­you didn¡¯t leave anything for me?¡± Agni asked as she looked around at the table. Normally there were three spots fixed, but today just two. Both simply shrugged then got up and moved to put away their dishes. As Bracha walked by she pped Agni¡¯s ass andmented.

    ¡°You snooze, you lose sugar cakes.¡±

    This was enough to agitate Agni even further but the icing on the cake was when Katrin sauntered by, condescending expression in full effect with a toothpick dangling from between her lips.

    Agni was immediately drawn into a subconscious battle. She didn¡¯t like the look in Katrin¡¯s eye one bit.

    *So you terrorize me all night and then have the audacity to¨C* Agni¡¯s mind went nk in that moment as a second stinging p echoed through the cafeteria.

    *Did she just smack the hell out of my ass?!?* Agni stood dumbfounded in silence as she struggled toprehend the fact that Katrin caused her cakes to jiggle.

    ¡°WHAT IS WRONG WITH¨C¡± Agni whirled herself around to protest only to find herself alone in the cafeteria.

    *I¡¯m going to kill somebody.* She chuckled to herself nervously as she clenched her own shoulders.

    *I¡¯m going to jail. I¡¯m going to jail. I¡¯m going to jail.* This was Agni¡¯s morning mantra and things did not get better. As they left the Trainer¡¯s Chapel and headed towards the Southwestern Gate Bracha and Katrin huddled together, walking just ahead of Agni. No matter how she strained her hearing she couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of the secrets being whispered between them. asionally they would look back at Agni and giggle before continuing on in this way.

    Through battles in the Lull Forest ¡ª

    ¡°Good job.¡± SMACK

    To battles inside the red shard world ¡ª

    ¡°Nice one Red!¡± SMACK, SMACK

    By the end of the day Agni gripped her halberd viciously in an effort to keep from blowing her top. It was apparent to her that Bracha was behind whatever ¡°this¡± was. For the life of her Agni couldn¡¯t figure out why Katrin was going along with it! This gave Agni all sorts of conflicting emotions. Insecurity. Anger. Confusion. Anger. Mostly anger.

    She¡¯d also discovered that she had violent reactions to having her ass pped out of the blue. Agni was so annoyed that shepletely ignored breakfast and a shower, opting for a bucket of water to wash up and an early retirement to bed.

    Teeth gritting, mind throbbing frustration ¡ª this was all Agni felt at the moment. She just wanted the day to be over with and it would have been, except¨C a few moments after shutting her eyes tofortable sleep¡­

    She woke up to Katrin straddling her¡­and taking off her robe?

 Chapter 41: Brachas Assignment

    Chapter 41: Bracha¡¯s Assignment

    ¡°Katrin?¡±

    ¡°Shh. Shh, shh.¡± Katrin said, pressing her pointer finger against Agni¡¯s lips to silence her.

    ¡°¡­.¡± Agni¡¯s face morphed into a clear expression of annoyance at this point. Guided mostly by irritability at ack of sleep and sufficient rest, she¡¯d finally reached the moment where enough was enough.

    ¡°Get off.¡± She said as she gazed up at Katrin.

    Katrin ignored herpletely, instead she leaned over and locked grips with Agni. She then pushed her hands down to the bed and whispered.

    ¡°No.¡±

    It was a simple denial but it agitated Agni to no end.

    ¡°Seriously. Katrin, I¡¯m not in the mood to y anymore.. Whatever game this is.¡± Agni said, her brow wrinkling as anger began to well up from within her chest once more.

    ¡°All day you and Bracha have been annoying me on purpose. And now you want to y? No thanks. I¡¯m not your toy!¡± Agni nearly shouted as she began to wiggle her hips, still Katrin wouldn¡¯t budge. She even tried to lift her hands, but to no avail.

    Katrinpletely ignored her requests, instead she began to kiss Agni¡¯s neck, biting ever so gently as she did so.

    ¡°I¡¯m serious. STOP!¡± Agni repeated as she grunted. Try as she might, she couldn¡¯t force Katrin to move.

    ¡°No. Make me.¡± Katrin said decisively as she continued to have her way with Agni. It wasn¡¯t even fun or pleasurable. For the first time a woman¡¯s touch inspired nothing but anger in her. She repeated hermands, ¡°Get up. Get off. Stop!¡± but Katrin ignored them all, intently focusing on her own desires.

    Agni¡¯s agitation reached a fever pitch as her eyes glowed a vibrant red color.

    ¡°Get Off!¡± She shouted. And this time Katrin obeyed, she had no choice but to as Agni subconsciously tapped into a portion of her Subus abilities that she wasn¡¯t aware she had ¡ª the ability to force others toply. Katrin¡¯s eyes took on the same red glow as she released Katrin from her grip and stepped off the bed. Unlike Agni¡¯s ¡®Whisper¡¯, this skill didn¡¯t fade away instantly.

    Agni sighed, biting her lip angrily before she swung her feet over the side of the bed and began to rant.

    ¡°I asked you to stop. I don¡¯t understand. Why are you acting like this? What have I done to you?¡± It was a few moments before Agni noticed the nk look on Katrin¡¯s face,pletely vacant and unaware of her surroundings.

    ¡°Katrin? Katrin!?¡± Agni shook her friend by the shoulders, but no visible change resulted. As the anxious seconds of realization passed for Agni, who realized what she¡¯d done, her feelings of anger quickly turned to remorse.

    ¡°Katrin?¡± Her voice cracked slightly as a tinge of regret mingled in with the panic now setting in. In that moment Agni¡¯s eyes faded in color, first turning pink then their normal amber color. As the change in Agni¡¯s mood also switched, Katrin¡¯s condition also receded. Unlike the effects of ¡®Whisper¡¯ which seemed to have no side effects, Katrin crumpled to her knees. Luckily Agni was there to catch her, cing her on the nearby bed.

    She pushed Katrin¡¯s brte colored hair to the side so that she could examine her condition. Though regained consciousness Katrin¡¯s breathing was raspy andbored. It was almost as if she was struggling to catch her breath. Finally after half a minute her eyes popped open and she gazed up at Agni who, until now, had been waiting with baited breath.

    ¡°Oh, God. I¡¯m d you¡¯re okay.¡± Agni said as a tear rolled down her cheek. Normally she wouldn¡¯t cry over something like this. Perhaps it was thebination of sleep deprivation and her own storm of emotions, but her primary feeling was that of relief. Overwhelming relief that brought tears to her eyes.

    ¡°Agni..¡± Katrin said as she finally sat up. Agni on the other hand sniffled as she wiped tears with the back of her hand.

    ¡°MARVELOUS!¡± The word echoed across the bedroom, apanied by the slow p of Bracha as she stepped out of the shadows from a dark corner of the room. For a moment Agni felt confused, she had no idea what was going on.

    ¡°Agni..¡± Katrin said once more, before looking down at herp. She grasped Agni¡¯s hand and pulled it into herp as if she wanted to say something.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Agni asked as her gaze bounced from Katrin back to Bracha.

    ¡°Agni. As I said yesterday..you repress yourself far too much. You need to be more open in order to use your abilities to their full extent.¡± Bracha exined as she walked forward to the center of the room.

    ¡°So¡­wait. You¡¯ve been annoying me on purpose all day ¡ª just to get a reaction out of me?¡± Agni asked. Katrin¡¯s head stayed down while Bracha nodded boldly.

    ¡°Get out.¡± It was the only thing running through Agni¡¯s mind. In that moment all her thoughts and emotions coalesced into a single phrase.

    ¡°Agni¨C¡± Katrin began.

    ¡°Get out.¡±

    ¡°Agni, a subus¨C¡± Bracha began.

    ¡°Whisper : Leave my bedroom.¡± Agni said, her eyes glowing fiercely as she gazed upon Bracha. In return Bracha¡¯s eyes flickered with pink energy, but only for a moment. The skill didn¡¯t take, much to Agni¡¯s dismay.

    She then looked upon Katrin¡¯s face and felt the anger returning with each passing breath. Finally, done with the stupidity of the whole situation, Agni sighed to herself as severalrge tears rolled down her cheeks. Then as sheid back down, she turned her back to both Katrin and Bracha.

    ¡°Get out. Now.¡±

 Chapter 42: Making up, The Oppai Way

    Chapter 42: Making up, The Oppai Way

    ¡°Go away. Don¡¯t make me ¡®Whisper¡¯ you.¡± Agni said between sniffles. Her mind was racing, mostly with anger but not with Katrin, who was now clinging to her, it was directed at herself. Simply put, she felt stupid. She felt stupid for showing concern at someone who was conspiring to drive her nuts. She felt foolish for being baited into such an obvious trap to begin with and she felt dumb for crying. Yet, she couldn¡¯t stop!

    In fact, the one thing she thought constantly amidst all her swirling emotions was *Do women cry this much all the time?*. Thinking back on the day Katrin and Agni arrived in Grenvale, Agni figured *Probably so.*.

    That still didn¡¯t ease the sting of the situation any less. Bracha left of her own ord, while Katrin simply refused and after the mishap with her Subus powers Agni didn¡¯t feelfortablepelling her to do so. While Bracha certainly seemed happy that Agni tapped into some unknown ability, the conditions under which it urred left something to be desired.

    Katrin¡¯s arms were wrapped around Agni¡¯s waist and she was adamant about staying. More than anything Agni just didn¡¯t want anyone to see her tears so ¡ª defeated by two women in one bold stroke, she simply cried to herself until her annoyance reached a sufficient level.

    ¡°Are you happy?¡± Agni asked.

    ¡°No.¡± Katrin answered. The entire time she¡¯d beenying next to Agni, spooning with her arms wrapped around Agni¡¯s waist. As much as she hated to admit it, the warmth from Katrin¡¯s body was somewhatforting.

    *Being a woman is confusing as fuck.* Agni thought to herself as she wiped thest of her tears.

    ¡°Then why did you do it?¡± Agni asked, her voice rising in volume before she decided to simmer down a bit.

    ¡°Because, I wanted to help you.¡±

    ¡°Ha! HA HA! Are you serious?¡± Agni replied. The reason wasughable to her. *Help me? Help me do what? Blow my Top? Spazz the fuck out?*

    ¡°Yes!¡± Katrin dered instantly as she nuzzled her face into Agni¡¯s shoulder des ever so gently.

    ¡°Get out!¡± Agni shouted, her anger getting the better of her as she struggled to physically remove Katrin¡¯s grip from around her waist.

    ¡°At least let me exin properly.¡± Katrin said as she held on for dear life.

    ¡°Let me go dammit. I just want to be alone. Katrin. KATRIN. DAMMIT I SAID STOP!¡±

    POP

    It was the sound of Agni¡¯s elbow crashing into Katrin¡¯s temple as she struggled to loosen herself from thetter¡¯s grip. The blow was swift and hard, still Katrin refused to let go.

    *I¡¯m so stupid..* Agni thought to herself as a rushing sense of regret began to overtake her. She could almost feel tears beginning to rise within the corner of her eyes yet again.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Katrin, I didn¡¯t mean to¨C¡°

    ¡°I know, it¡¯s okay. I ¨C I think I¡¯m bleeding on your sheets though.¡± Katrin¡¯s voice replied.

    ¡°W-what? Are you serious? Oh my god! I¡¯m sorry.¡± Agni said as she turned to face Katrin who was indeed bleeding from a small gash alongside her face.

    ¡°Agni. You¡¯re a subus. A lust demon who feeds on the carnal energy of others¡­ Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time you started acting like one?¡± Katrin began as she grabbed Agni¡¯s doting hand and pushed it down against her bosom.

    ¡°What does that even mean? And what does that have to do with this situation?¡± Agni asked.

    *If I knew how to be a woman, much less a subus ¡ª this would be a whole lot easier.* Agni thought.

    ¡°It¡¯s not soplicated¡­just do as you feel. Whatever you feel. Just¡­stop repressing yourself. I spent a lifetime doing that in my past life. It won¡¯t get you far in life, in fact you¡¯ll just pile up regrets. I wouldn¡¯t want you to make the same mistake I did. That¡¯s why¡­that¡¯s why you needed some tough love!¡± Katrin replied.

    ¡°Bracha asked me to help you get past your mental block. And it worked, sort of, even though it took a while¡­¡± Katrin exined.

    ¡°So pping my ass 20 times a day was therapy for me? Is that what you¡¯re saying?¡± Agni asked as she grinned. At this Katrin just smiled and nodded her head.

    ¡°Wow, you really are bleeding on my sheets. It¡¯s like a period for your forehead.¡±

    ¡°Woman beater. Pervert. Hentai.¡± Katrin replied with a teasing tone.

    ¡°Serial ass pper.¡± Agni retorted.

    ¡°Bedroom bandit.¡± She continued, causing Katrin to chuckle.

    ¡°The tearful Subus¡¯s fiery deration ¡ª ¡®Get out, Now!¡¯ ¡± Katrin eximed in a very animated way.

    ¡°Ouch. Ok, that kinda hurt. A little bit.¡± Agni replied.

    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll¡­just go with the flow and act on how I feel at the moment. But¡­don¡¯tin to me if you get groped all day¡­¡± Agni warned.

    ¡°I won¡¯t need to worry about that.¡± Katrin replied confidently.

    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Because I Bracha and I gave you plenty of chances and you failed.¡±

    ¡°Oh HO! Oh, so it¡¯s like that.¡± Agni said as she gritted her teeth. Katrin nodded her head eagerly as the cut from her forehead finally closed up due to her natural regeneration.

    ¡°Pfft. Wait til bath time. I¡¯ll show you.¡± Agni said.

    ¡°Why wait til bath time all talk subus!¡± Katrin said as she pulled her robe open, exposing her breasts.

    ¡°Oh? Someone¡¯s bold. I don¡¯t mind if I do..¡± Agni said as she began to make ¡°creeper¡± hand movements while drawing closer.

    ¡°Ah, wait! Wait! I¡¯m sorry. I haven¡¯t mentally prepared yet!¡± Katrin finally squealed as Agni drew too close forfort.

    ¡°This is the least you deserve.¡± Agni said as she began to caress Katrin¡¯s tits, bouncing them into one another and finally tweaking her nipples before she stopped. Katrin covered her face as Agni had her way with the D-cup mounds on her chest.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you get away with cuddling¡­.this time¡­¡± Agni added before turning over to go to sleep.

    ¡°Agni.. Your tail won¡¯t stop¨Cuwa, it¡¯s sliding in again!¡±

 Chapter 43: Servant Of The Little Folk

    Chapter 43: Servant Of The Little Folk

    The two ended up falling asleep once more and Agni was both surprised and annoyed to find that Katrin managed to sleep without elbowing her every 30 minutes.

    *She was definitely doing it on purpose!*

    The two arose and made ready for their daily schedule as usual only today things were different. Normally Bracha would meet them in the reception area, exin the day¡¯s focus then they would have breakfast before tackling the rest of their training.

    Today Bracha was found in the cafeteria, unchanged from her pajamas ¡ª in this case a see through night gown.She was enjoying her breakfast as the pair entered.

    ¡°Morning!¡± She said, with a bright smile to greet them. Unlike most days Bracha¡¯s hair was down and frazzled. The mark of bed head and unkempt beauty. As the morning light filtered through a nearby window Agni couldn¡¯t help but be caught off guard somewhat.

    Seeing this dazzling sight Agni found it difficult to stay angry, though that was her original intent. Bracha with bed hair was simply too cute, and her gown made it even more difficult to maintain an angry mood. Agni nodded without saying a word, which in turn caused Bracha to grin. Bracha then nodded to Katrin and breakfast began in earnest.

    After the two sat down and began their breakfast Bracha began to hum to herself. There was silence on agni¡¯s part, but not in an awkward way. In fact Agni¡¯s mind was racing as she struggled to figure out the best way to get back to normalcy. The one thing she learned from yesterday was that she needed to make a conscious effort to make her feelings known on any given matter. Her intuition led Agni to believe this was the step she should take yet now she was stumbling around for words. Fortunately this was circumvented when Bracha was the first one to breach the subject.

    ¡°Feeling better now? It can¡¯t have felt good to have dealt with so much yesterday.¡± Bracha said as she looked up from her te.

    ¡°Yea.. sort of..¡± Agni replied, though inwardly she still felt annoyed listening to the person who caused the drama say such a thing.

    ¡°Still the fact that you tried topel mest night makes me so proud.¡± Bracha said, a strange smirk forming on her face. She looked like a proud mother and Agni couldn¡¯t tell if she was being made fun of at this point so she put her head down and continued eating. In hindsight it was probably a foolish idea to ¡®Whisper¡¯ Bracha in the first ce. She knew it wouldn¡¯t work ¨Cshe¡¯d tried it multiple times every day for the past week. No dice.

    *If you wanted me to ¡®Whisper¡¯ you..why didn¡¯t you just say so..* Agni then thought. Although she was still sore at having been goaded into a reaction, she understood the reason behind yesterday¡¯s hijinks. Direct attacks against the ¡®passive aggressive¡¯ mentalplex she harbored. Pushing her until she erupted and became morefortable speaking her mind, and it worked. Agni did feel better..to a degree. With that in mind, Agni resolved to work in earnest towards being more true to herself.

    ¡°So, what are we doing today?¡± Katrin asked as the question had been on her mind for quite some time at this point.

    ¡°Today marks the eighth day of your two week training period. Starting now until thest day, you¡¯ll be in charge of your own fate. Your goal for the next week is to grow in strength as quickly and as much as possible. By week¡¯s end, I¡¯ll appraise your progress. Keep in mind that strength isn¡¯t measured solely by one¡¯s level. It is the ability to do what is needed, yes?¡±

    Bracha¡¯s tone was more casual than usual and though Agni couldn¡¯t help but feel slighted at having been made to cry, breakfast was beginning to make up for it. Besides, Agni could tell that Bracha had no ill will towards her despite yesterday¡¯s oue. And, in a way, Bracha¡¯s methods did work¡­.

    ¡°So, basically we¡¯re transitioning into full time adventurers and you want to see how we¡¯ll do on our own.¡± Agni summarized.

    ¡°Correct!¡± Bracha replied.

    ¡°Hold out your marks.¡± She then ordered before extending her own. Once the three marks came within proximity of one another a faint shimmer of energy signaled that they were connected. Bracha then waved her hand over her own Systema mark and both received an alert.

    [8,321 Gol Received.]

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Katrin asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s your share of Gol from monster drops over the past week.¡±

    This somewhat changed Agni¡¯s mood towards Bracha , forcing her to think, * She¡¯s too good at making up. Good food¡­money¡­adorable bed-head¡­*

    Agni shoved a piece of sausage in her mouth before further thinking *I should probably take notes.*

    There were no morning training sessions, at least not ones guided by Bracha. She further exined that they were 100% free to go about things in any way they saw fit. She also told them that any advice henceforth would cost them. In Bracha¡¯s own words :

    ¡°Experience is a sort of currency in itself. And not just the sort you earn from battling Grimlock, I mean the sort thates from umting life experiences. Therefore, it¡¯s customary that if you ask for something you must be willing to pay in exchange. This is an unspoken rule amongst adventurers. We only help others on our whims or when they are willing topensate. Furthermore, the person epting the request has the right to set a worth they feel is appropriate.¡±

    After giving them their share of the money the two got dressed and headed to Gadsten¡¯s. This was, of course after Katrin tested the waters by asking Bracha to give her a hint about what should be done next. A hint that cost 10 Gols.

    ¡°If I were you, I¡¯d get some better gear.¡± Agni could see the glint of happiness in Bracha¡¯s eyes as she took the Gols and skipped away. Agni couldn¡¯t help but be drawn to the sight of Bracha¡¯s thighs as her gown bounced up and down, nearly exposing her ass. Bracha was of course, not wearing anything beneath the gown.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Inside the shop the scent of polished leather and oiled des filled the air.

    ¡°Welco¨C oh, it¡¯s just you two. I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re still alive with that armor boughtst time.¡±

    *¡¯Just us two¡¯? What kind of greeting is that? And didn¡¯t you SELL us that armor?*

    Ren, the Tinkerer. The tan skinned, grey haired young man who looked more like a teen than an adult, and apparently acted like one too. He was the rude person behind the counter today.

    ¡°Ahem. Hi, I was thinking of getting some new gear.¡± Agni said, attempting to start the conversation off on a better note.

    ¡°Obviously. This is the smithy shop.¡± Ren interrupted as he turned away from a nearby table to face Agni and Katrin.

    ¡°So? What do you want? I¡¯m busy.¡± He then added.

    ¡°You little shit.¡± Agni whispered through pursed lips. Katrin just chuckled and patted her on the back before moving through the store to check out some of the items on the shelves.

    ¡°Is there any way to determine what¡¯s what? I can¡¯t seem to get more than a basic description from any of these items.¡± Agni asked as she walked forward, determined to ignore Ren¡¯s abrasive personality.

    Ren folded his arms and nced at Agni, sizing her up for a moment before he extended his palm and said. ¡± 25 Gols.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Agni asked.

    ¡°30 Gols.¡± Ren then said.

    Agni recoiled, gritting her teeth before she finally walked over to the counter and ced her hand into Ren¡¯s palm. Unlike before with Bracha a new interface appeared withmand prompts.

    [Ren Kaito, Rank 1 Tinkerer is requesting 35 Gols to trade information about the ¡°Systema features¡±. Proceed? Y/N]

    Agni struggled to maintain a calm face. Inwardly she was now scowling as Ren constantly increased the price on the information she desired.

    *Yes dammit!* Agni growled internally.

    [-45 Gols deducted.]

    ¡°WHAT!¡± Agni shouted as she snatched her hand away and stared incredulously at the adventurer behind the counter.

    Ren simply sighed before casting her a condescending nce andunching into his exnation.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t know, because you¡¯re a rank 0 but the Systema has certain safeguards in ce in order to efficiently use energy. Have you ever wondered what the Systema is? It¡¯s aplex magic spell that we adventurers share and use to make our lives easier. When we rest, we sacrifice small amounts of mana to maintain it for ourselves and others. This is how Systema is able to provide a service for us all.

    Because the Systema has limited resources like any other magic spell, the features it will allow ess to are limited based on necessity. The main reason is to efficiently use mana required to power the spell. The second is that all adventurers won¡¯t need every single sub-system associated with full system settings. For example, how many items have you gathered? Probably none. This is because you don¡¯t have the sub-system module to identify which items can be gathered. All areas have them, you just never noticed¨Cright?

    This is all exined once you reach a certain level of strength and the Systema allows you to upgrade it manually to suit your purpose. You can, however, make use of the modules you need even if they are currently hidden.¡±

    Agni went from livid to impressed in a matter of moments. Despite his thorny demeanor there was a certain charm in listening to someone knowledgeable as they spoke. She wasn¡¯t exactly sure of the value of Gols at this point, so that wasn¡¯t the bother. What made her angry was that he kept raising the price! After hearing his exnation though she felt somewhat better as it was quite detailed.

    ¡°So how do I learn to use modules?¡±

    Ren cut his eyes at her as a smirk creeped across his face. He held his palm out yet again before replying, ¡± 10 Gols.¡±

    ¡°You little!¡±

    ¡°30 Gols.¡±

    ¡°UWAH! Ok, ok stop raising the price! I¡¯m sorry!¡±

    All in all Ren made a sum of 100 Gols from Agni whereas she learned that modules were tied to general skills or level. Some general skills cost 0 potential to learn, but the main reason Agni never bothered with them is because their name and description were unclear. She had no way of knowing what they were or what they did ¡ª that is until she learned the exact name of the module she wanted, which was Gear Analysis 1. Upon having Ren exin and guide her, Agni finally unlocked the sub-system that allowed her to view detailed information about equipment.

    [Beginner¡¯s Halberd ¨C R0

    Atk ¨C 8%

    Crit Rate- 12%

    Crit DMG ¨C 1.10

    Weapon Skills ¨C N/A

    Charges ¨C 0

    Desc : A halberd that most anyone can use provided they have a minimum of strength.]

    [Beginner¡¯s Chestte ¨C R0

    ssification : Light Armor

    Dampen ¨C 5%

    te ¨C 1

    Abs ¨C 0 / 0

    Spirit ¨C N/A

    Recharge Time ¨C N/A

    Desc: A chestte made from treated leather,yered for extra protection.]

    Although Agni didn¡¯t want to admit it, she had no idea what any of those attributes meant. Some were obvious to an extent while others would definitely require some exnation.Thus she sighed to herself, realizing what must be done. Agni turned around to notice the smug look on his face as Ren waited expectantly for even more of her Gols.

    ¡°Ugh.¡± Agni groaned as she walked over towards the counter once more, a somewhat dejected look on her face. Katrin looked on in amusement, chuckling to herself as she continued to shop¨Cshe waspletely determined to stay out of it!

 Chapter 44: Master Of The Little Folk

    Chapter 44: Master Of The Little Folk

    ¡°R- err, Mister Ren. I would like to know more about how to read the specs on weapons and gear. Could you please tell me?¡± Agni formed her words carefully as she struggled to control the twitching of her eyebrow.

    ¡°100 Gols.¡± Ren said cooly as he examined his fingernails for imaginary traces of dirt.

    ¡°Mister Ren, can we perhapse to some kind of agreement?¡±

    ¡°110.¡±

    Seeing that he wouldn¡¯t budge an inch, Agni decided to retreat for the moment, instead turning to Katrin for advice.

    ¡°Hmm.. You¡¯re still doing it.¡± Katrin responded, before continuing to browse the store.

    ¡°Doing what? What am I doing!?¡± Agni asked aloud as she clenched her fists.

    ¡°130.¡± Ren said.

    *You¡¯re being a marshmallow, and frankly it¡¯s making my skin crawl. Just ¡®Whisper¡¯ him and take what you want!*

    Agni stopped in her tracks as an unfamiliar female voice echoed from within her mind.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± She whispered, but the voice remained silent. *Did I just imagine that?*

    ¡°This is just business, it¡¯s to be expected that you gain as much as possible while giving the least. If you keep letting him boss you around he¡¯s going to continue.¡± Katrin said as she pressed her pointer finger against her chin. Agni felt awed by Katrin¡¯s mature outlook on being swindled by a midget, yet in the same breath the advice didn¡¯t sit well AT ALL. Agni frowned a bit, prompting Katrin to continue.

    ¡°You have to assert yourself! Let him know you¡¯re not a pushover!¡± Katrin said, wagging her finger as she borated on her earlier statement.

    *What the busty bimbo said!* The voice echoed in Agni¡¯s mind once more.

    ¡°Excuse you? And who the fuck are you?¡± Agni practically shouted. Katrin shrank back slightly, a look of confusion on her face. Agni had to correct herself and try to exin.

    ¡°That¡¯s not. I wasn¡¯t talking to you Katrin¨C¡°

    ¡°Ahem. 210.¡± Ren said loudly, mistaking Agni¡¯s outburst for defiance.

    ¡°No! Wait, that wasn¡¯t meant for you!¡± Agni said, rushing to the counter and grabbing Ren by the hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure we can work something out..right?¡± Agni said, giving her best to show some sex appeal. She opted to copy one of Bracha¡¯s moves from a couple of days ago¨Cunfortunately it fell t.

    ¡°230!¡± Ren said as she smoothly freed his hand from her grasp, a look of disdain spreading across his face.

    *Oh,ho HOOOOO ¡ª you little fucker.* Agni was practically fuming at this point.

    *It¡¯s your fault for being a marshmallow. SOFT, SQUISHY, MARSHMALLOW.* The voice taunted, practically stomping on Agni¡¯sst bit of restraint.

    ¡°Tell me what I want to know, now you little shrimp! And you¡¯ll do it for free! OR else I sock you on the top of your misshapen child-like head you little numbskull!¡± Agni¡¯s eyes shed ominously as she issued themand.

    [¡®Whisper¡¯ Mastery has increased to 30%. You can now attempt skill activation at will.]

    ¡°Fine.¡± Ren relented as the skill took hold.

    ¡°Both weapons and armor will improve your performance by percentage. For example, the type of weapon you use will determine which of your stats is used to calcte the base damage. Using your halberd, or any heavy weapon as an example ¡ª power will be used as base damage. The ¡®atk¡¯ attribute of the weapon then boosts your base damage by various factors ¡ª for example, how skilled you are at handling your weapon, the chance of triggering a critical strike and also the amount of extra damage dealt when a critical blownds.¡±

    ¡°Armor is a little different. Armor reduces any damage you sustain overall, armor can also nullify a certain amount of iing damage when the blow strikes the armor directly. In addition, some armors have ¡®te¡¯ which is a sort of HP for armors. Damage sustained will be absorbed in this case, and the te of an armor piece must be depleted before HP damage can be dealt.¡±

    ¡°Last, but not least¨C both armor and weapons have what are known as Alter Functions. Armors tend to house abilities that can defend, evade or otherwise save the wearer. As you may guess, weapons focus on offensive abilities. These can be used or triggered free of mana cost, at will. Alter Functions are extremely rare and valuable so consider yourself lucky if you find such gear.¡±

    Finally, after saying a mouthful the Whisper effect ended and a mild look of confusion passed over Ren¡¯s face.

    ¡°Hmmph.¡± Agni grunted as she turned to nce at Katrin, who was now giving a thumbs-up of approval.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    With a bit better understanding of weapons and armor, Katrin and Agni were both able to make much better selections. Katrin chose under armour, leather bracers, leather boots and her normal Scribe¡¯s dress. Her Mag-gun remained the same as, ording to Ren (who had beenpelled to exin for free¨Cyet again) :

    ¡°Mag-guns aren¡¯t traditional weapons. If you inspect this you¡¯ll see that her gun¡¯s attributes are way different.¡±

    [Mag-gun(RK) ¨C R1

    Atk ¨C Variable

    Crit Rate- Variable

    Crit DMG ¨C Variable

    Weapon Skills ¨C Mana Infuse {Infuse elemental or non elemental mana into bullet constructs}

    Charges ¨C Infinite

    Desc : A finely forged mag-gun, created by Ren Kaito.]

    ¡°The ability to deal damage will dependrgely on how the wielder uses the weapon. Condensed bullets are slower, but more powerful. Shaping the bullets to be more pointy will lend piercing characteristics. Elements can even be infused into the bullets. All of these factors require the user to make use of their knowledge for ¨C¡°

    ¡°Okay. You¡¯re talking too much.¡± Agni interrupted.

    Agni¡¯s gear on the other hand didn¡¯t change all that much, she simply got upgraded versions with more Dampen value, the attribute which decreased damage sustained by a percentage.

    ¡°All in all thates to 22,595 Gols. Pay up, nubs.¡± Ren said after finally tallying their purchases.

    ¡°Wow that¡¯s super expensive!¡± Katrin thought to herself as she picked up a few of her pieces and proceeded to ce them back on the shelf.

    ¡°Wait. Hold on Katrin.¡± Agni said confidently as she gazed at Ren.

    ¡°Give it to us for free.¡± Shemanded.

    ¡°Don¡¯t press your luck, tit¡¯s mc-gee.¡± Ren replied instantly.

    ¡°W-what? Okay.. seventy five percent off¨C¡°

    ¡°Nah.¡±

    ¡°Sixty!¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    ¡°Fifty?¡±

    ¡°Get the fuck out.¡±

    Having be addicted to the sensation of imposing her will with whisper, Agni was now confronted by a new problem.

    *Why is he talking back. Do what I say you little runt.* She thought to herself as her mind began to race.

    *That¡¯s because you¡¯re pressing your luck. You gotta know what you can get away with.¡± The female voice said once again. This time it was louder and more defined, it sounded like¡­a kid?

    ¡°Okay. And what do you propose? Miss voice who¡¯s living in my head rent free.¡± At this point Agni had no choice but to go with it, after all this was the lesson Bracha so desperately wanted to share.

    *30%.*

    ¡°But that¡¯s almost all of our money!¡± Agni retorted.

    *Yea. But that¡¯s all you can get away with, because you¡¯re a MARSHMALLOW.*

    *Why is everyone testing metely?* Agni thought to herself before finally offering 30%.

    ¡°Done.¡± Ren said, his eyes zing over with pink energy as they sealed the deal.

 Chapter 45: Get Out Of My Head!

    Chapter 45: Get Out Of My Head!

    ¡°Katrin! Katrin!¡± Agni gripped her friend¡¯s arm tightly as she pulled her close. The pair had just left Gadsten¡¯s.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong Agni?¡± It was obvious to Katrin by Agni¡¯s expression that something was amiss.

    *Did she shoplift?* Katrin¡¯s mind wandered as she prepared herself to dash just in case. The two left the store as the owners of 2 sets of brand new adventurer¡¯s gear. Katrin was proud of Agni, after all 30% off a sale was a HUGE discount.

    ¡°I think¡­I¡¯m cursed. I keep hearing a voice that tells me to do morally questionable things.¡± Agni¡¯s face had taken on a serious look, but due to Katrin¡¯s own wild thoughts she couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Byparison hearing voices didn¡¯t seem like that big of a deal.

    ¡°Mmm. Did you make small talk with the voices?¡±

    ¡°First off, it¡¯s just one voice. I¡¯m not crazy or anything. Ha ha.¡± Agniughed nervously. ¡°And no, I didn¡¯t. But she just won¡¯t shut up. At all!¡±

    *I heard that , MARSHMALLOW SUCCUBITCH. BWA HA HA.*

    ¡°Oh my God, Katrin she¡¯s so petty and childish too. She keeps calling me names, but they aren¡¯t even good insults. I can¡¯t even get motivated enough to be upset at this point.¡±

    *WHAT? I heard that!*

    ¡°Mmm. Did you try asking her name? I have an idea of what it could possibly be but¡­¡± Katrin replied.

    ¡°What do you mean? Is this normal?¡± Agni asked,tching her arm within Katrin¡¯s as they walked. Today it was Agni¡¯s turn to glean somefort from the warmth of Katrin¡¯s body.

    ¡°Not exactly normal but, we do live in a world with magic and monsters so what is ¡®normal¡¯ really? If the problem is what I think, a familiar wouldn¡¯t be that out of the ordinary. I read that some sses do have them.¡± Katrin continued.

    ¡°Are you a familiar angry little girl?¡± Agni said aloud. She did this purposely to antagonize her and also hear Katrinugh.

    *I¡¯m not a little girl, marshmallow queen. Hmmph.*

    ¡°But you ARE a familiar then?¡± Agni next asked.

    ¡°Angry little familiar. You probably have t-rex arms don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Agni..people are staring..¡± Katrin said as she tilted her head downwards and put some pep in her step. Still, she couldn¡¯t help butugh to herself.

    ¡°Grr. She won¡¯t answer me now. Katrin, what¡¯s a familiar?¡± Agni asked after finally giving up her own taunts.

    ¡°It¡¯s sort of like a magicalpanion. Different familiars have different functions.¡±

    ¡°Mhm..and?¡±

    ¡°And, in order to use them you have to fulfill certain conditions but, I couldn¡¯t say what those conditions are. It¡¯s different for each kind of familiar¨C or so I¡¯ve read.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°And? That¡¯s all I have right now Agni.¡± Katrin couldn¡¯t help butugh in delight at this side of Agni¡¯s personality. For once Agni was the one clinging to Katrin, and it felt nice.

    ¡°So, what else would you like to do? We¡¯ve got the whole day ahead of us.¡± Katrin then asked.

    ¡°Mmm. No clue. Bracha didn¡¯t give us any specifics and I¡¯m NOT paying another soul for advice today. Maybe we should just take a day off and worry about it tomorrow.¡± Agni offered. It was true that they¡¯d been training nonstop ever since they left the Lull Forest and reached the city of Grenvale.

    *Sprim Row.* The voice said.

    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea but, we only have seven days left, Agni. Then we really are on our own. While money isn¡¯t really that difficult to get, there¡¯s still a lot we don¡¯t know yet¨C¡± Katrin expounded on her thoughts as to why they should use every moment avable to them.

    *She¡¯s right. But go to Sprim Row FIRST!*

    Agni tried her best to ignore the small voice ringing clearly through her head.

    *Marshmallow Bitch, I know you hear me!*

    *MARSHMALLOW SUCCU-BITCH, MARSHMALLOW QUEEN, YOUR PUFFY TITS ARE LOPSIDED, BAKA BAAAAAAAAKA*

    *Today really is the day for people to test me. Do they want me to lose my shit?* Agni thought to herself as she was forced to listen to a repetitive chorus of childishly worded insultsced with profanity.

    ¡°Katrin, hey. I have an idea, let¡¯s go to Sprim Row.¡± Agni said, finally relenting, else she feared she might be driven mad.

 Chapter 46: Sprim Row (1)

    Chapter 46: Sprim Row (1)

    ¡°I don¡¯t know Agni¡­are you sure about this? Have you learned to control yourself yet?¡±

    ¡°No. Not fully but¡­something tells me this is where I need to go.¡±

    *Yea¡­ me. I¡¯m telling you.* The voice chimed in.

    *Shh.* Agni replied mentally.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a while now. I think the only way I¡¯ll really be able to get a handle on the ability is if I do what Bracha suggested¨C just go along with it.¡±

    ¡°Mmm¡­ that¡¯s all well and good but¡­ the moment I see you losing control I¡¯m pulling you out¡­¡± Katrin couldn¡¯t help but feel concerned, while she didn¡¯t terribly mind the idea of Agni losing herself ¡ª the idea of allowing less ¡°reputable¡± women to participate was the personal line Katrin refused to cross.

    *I draw the line at escorts!* Katrin sealed her determination with a fist pump, leaving Agni to wonder exactly what was going on. The walk to Sprim Row from the Central Square wasn¡¯t very long and within twenty minutes the pair made it to their destination.

    ¡°Agni, are you sure about this?¡± Katrin asked once more. She had to admit that her reason for asking was purely selfish. The thought of foreign hands groping Agni¡¯s body caused Katrin to feel¡­..ufortable.

    *Stop being a wimp and go.*

    ¡°Yes. Even the angry voice in my head agrees.¡±

    *My name is Sh, remember it.*

    ¡°Sorry, I stand corrected. Her name is ¡®SHOO-LAHHHH¡¯.¡± Agni mimicked Sh¡¯s proud deration. She then noticed the familiar lure of carnal energy emanating from the gate to Sprim Row which quickly began to steal her attention.

    ¡°Is your mommy not with you today, youngdies?¡± The voice of a mature woman rang out across the distance.Agni soon recognized it to belong to the dark haired vixen fromst week. Tall, with long ck hair and stunning magenta colored eyes. Today, instead of the see through fabric, she was wearing a fuschia colored kimono with orange and red flowers as well as royal purple trim along the edges. She even wore breast wraps and straw sandals known as zori topliment the style. A beautiful red, purple and white ornate hair pin entuated the outfit perfectly to match the sash around her waste. Her beauty was dazzling, so much so that both Katrin and Agni found themselves mesmerized by the older woman as she strolled over to them.

    Seeing the awestruck state of both youngdies, the mature chuckled to herself.

    *I still got it, I suppose.* With that in mind she extended her hand, revealing impably polished nails.

    ¡°I¡¯m Zura. And you are?¡± The dark haired vixen known as Zura awaited a response which took several moments toe.

    ¡°Agni.¡±

    ¡°Katrin.¡±

    ¡°Well, Agni¡­Katrin. I can tell you¡¯re new to this marvelous world of Adventia. Would you like a tour of Sprim Row? I promise I¡¯ll treat you right.¡±

    *Yes.* The voice firmly stated.

    *Stay out of this chibi.* Agni answered mentally before responding verbally.

    ¡°Mhm.¡± Agni grabbed Katrin¡¯s hand and Zura in turn grabbed hers as she led them into the gates of Grenvale¡¯s Entertainment District, Sprim Row.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    ¡°Your kimono is beautiful Z.¡± Katrin said as she took in the tall, sleek figure of the dark haired Z.

    ¡°Thank you, Katrin, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Z¡¯s expression was soft and alluring, so much so that even Katrin felt like a schoolgirl upon making eye contact with her. For Agni Z¡¯s fragrance was mesmerizing. A soft gentle scent which tantalized her senses and made her want to draw closer with each moment.

    She could feel herself already slipping into the familiar sensation of being ovee by her Sulust, only this time there was a slightly annoying voice echoing through her mind.

    *If you want to gain control over this ability, you need to follow the blonde one¡¯s advice.*

    *Blonde one? You mean Bracha?* Agni inquired via her mental link with Sh.

    *Yes. She¡¯s right. You can¡¯t fully gain control over your Subus abilities until you learn to stop resisting your urges.*

    *So¡­for example the urge to grope any woman I find attractive¡­* Agni countered.

    *Yes¡­and no. Just because you have an urge , it doesn¡¯t mean you need to act upon it. You just need to need to recognize it withoutbeling it as ¡°dirty¡± in your brain.*

    *But.. Groping random women is dirty Sh¡­* Agni protested. She and Katrin were still being led by the hand, further and further away from the Sprim Row gate. It was as if Z immediately took control of the situation and even if there was resistance initially, Agni had absolutely 0 desire to fight the flow she was being swept into.

    Although Agni¡¯s mind was being overwhelmed with stimulus of all types she clearly understood and registered everything that was going on around her. She could see every person, feel the energy in the air ¡ª it was as if she was bing intoxicated by the carnal energy lingering about. She nced to her right or left from time to time and noticed all sorts of things which would be considered ¡®illegal¡¯ in her past life. Shady dealings in alleyways just off the main path, glimpses into drug dens (or at least what she assumed to be drug dens based on scents emanating from within a few of the buildings). Agni also heard raucous cheering or arguments from nearby taverns which suggested gambling establishments. Of course she had no clear proof without seeing it for herself¨Cbut she imagined Sprim Row to be such a ce and it seemed more apparent with each step.

    At this thought Agni nced back to check with Katrin.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine.¡± Katrin said, confirming for Agni that this indeed was not Katrin¡¯s scene. Then again, if Agni was honest with herself it wasn¡¯t exactly her ¡°scene¡± either. The only thing drawing Agni to this ce was the intense carnal energy which seemed to grow even more powerful with each step Z guided them on.

    [Z Rigart. Courtesan, Rank 3.] This was the info description which appeared as Agni gazed upon Z¡¯s back. Normally it would be weird to allow aplete stranger to pull you along like this but Agni didn¡¯t mind. Her intuition suggested that Z was not a threat, and ironically enough she felt an undeniable feeling of familiarity from her. This was also Agni¡¯s first timeing into contact with a Rank 3 individual, this thought lingered in the back of her mind as Z finally slowed her pace and turned to face her twopanions.

    ¡°This is the heart of Sprim Row, The Silk Road. Here you can find just about anything your heart desires ¡ª for the right price.¡± Z said as she motioned towards a nearby stall. Agni noticed that there were several creature organs hanging from a clothesline, all dried and presumably for sale. Immediately next to that stall were several dozen trinketsid out for disy. Z watched as both Agni and Katrin made their way to the stalls, enthralled by the selection of what appeared to be trinkets.

    ¡°essories my dear? We have some of the most potent Cast Use essories you can find in this region!¡± An older man with greying hair and a rugged beard greeted the two adventurers as they perused his wares.

    ¡°Single use?¡± Katrin asked as she picked up an essory that resembled a ne with a small, ck orb attached.

    *He¡¯s going to try to dupe you. Be careful.* Sh warned.

    Agni nced up at that moment to notice the man hastily trying to conceal a look of tion at having found someone gullible.

    ¡°Cast Use essories are consumables that generally hold powerful enchantments. They can only be used a certain number of times, but their abilities are coveted by adventurers from all corners of Adventia. And mine are some of the finest.¡± The manunched into his sales pitch, making sure to flourish his hands in an borate way while attempting to highlight only the best of his product¡¯s uses.

    ¡°How can I tell what each essory does?¡± Katrin asked as she inspected each of the essories in line. Z looked on from a meter or so away as if to keep an eye on the situation unfolding.

    ¡°Wellss, that will be¨C oh, say 5 Gols? It¡¯smon knowledge after all.¡± The man replied. Katrin nodded her head and the transaction waspleted in an instant.

    ¡°Adventurers like yourself would do well to look through the general skills list when you have time. There are hundreds of abilities and skills that are beneficial. For example, essory Appraisal. With that you can identify the qualities of an essory easily, otherwise its impossible.¡±

    *Hmph. Useful info at an affordable price. Imagine that¡­* Agni thought to herself as she could feel a face twitch slightly from annoyance.

    *I¡¯m going to wring that brat dry!* She thought as she recalled her exchances with Ren Kaito in Gadsten¡¯s shop.

    ¡°So.. is there a general skill that will allow me to appraise the value of items and objects?¡± Katrin then asked. The older man simply smirked, as if he was praising Katrin¡¯s observational skills.

    ¡°Indeed. That would be another 25 Gols if you want me to exin it to you.¡± He said, extending his palm for another exchange.

    ¡°No thank you, that won¡¯t be necessary.¡± Katrin remarked as she put down the essory she was currently holding and smiled graciously. Z also smiled pleasantly as she looked on, the older gent shot a nce to her and nodded his head before bowing to Katrin and Agni as they went on their way.

    The ¡®Silk Road¡¯ was actually a cross section of two long main street style roads , lined with street stalls of all types. In the center where the trio now stood was the central square of the district and it was crawling with people of all types. Adventurers, normals and what Agni quickly learned were also NPCs.

    ¡°Katrin, what do you know about NPCs?¡± She asked upon noticing the Systema¡¯s description of a nearby teenager.

    ¡°I have no clue honestly, I never knew such a thing existed.¡±

    ¡°I can tell you¡­ if you¡¯ll do me the honor of walking me to my Chapel¡­¡± Z interjected, cing her arms around both Katrin and Agni as she pulled them closer to her. Agni couldn¡¯t help but be drawn into the sensuality of Z¡¯s gaze, so of course the answer was ¡°Sure.¡±.

 Chapter 47: Sprim Row(2)

    Chapter 47: Sprim Row(2)

    ¡°NPCs are about what you¡¯d expect. They are natural born residents of Adventia and legends say some NPCs are responsible for summoning us here, though I¡¯ve never seen any evidence of that. If ¡®normals¡¯ are adventurers who have had their abilities restricted or stripped, then NPCs are a step down even from that. They don¡¯t seem to influence the world atrge and, for the most part, act as background characters¡± Z exined.

    ¡°As for your other question, Value Assessment is the name of the general skill.¡± Z said as the trio walked along. They left the Silk Road and continued along the straight shot from the Sprim Row gate and further still into the deep of the district. With each step taken Agni couldn¡¯t help but grow more anxious, it was as if her senses were relishing the energy swirling about.

    ¡°I¡¯ve met a Subus before.¡± Z said suddenly, as if she noticed Agni¡¯s current state.

    ¡°I knew from the first day I saw you that you wanted to visit this ce. Why didn¡¯t youe sooner?¡± Z asked as she continued the conversation. Her tone was that of someone who was moderately curious.

    To this, Agni didn¡¯t really have a reply, other than she would feel ¡°improper¡± by doing so. She couldn¡¯t even ce where this notion had been drilled into her psyche, but it was one that dictated her every action as a subus, particrly due to the fact that her strength seemed so deeply rooted in sexuality.

    *It¡¯s because you¡¯re boring. Ba ha ha!* Sh chuckled obnoxiously, in fact theugh was so petty and loud that Agni couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, honestly.¡± Agni replied as she looped her arm within Katrin¡¯s and kept walking.

    *Are you sure I can gain control of my Sulust bying here? I feel myself losing control by the second. It¡¯s getting very¡­.difficult to keep my cool.* Agni asked as she directed her thoughts to Sh.

    *Control isn¡¯t the point. How can you control the rain or the wind? Would you control the ocean? You¡¯re thinking about this the wrong way, which is why you suck at this.*

    At this response Agni could only remain silent. It was true that she was having great difficulty learning to properly use her Subus powers. It was also true that she made a subconscious habit of repressing her desires at every turn. Not all of them, for example she ate, slept and asionally masterbated (quite furiously) ¡ª but when it came to act thought as it rted to being lewd with another person, there was a huge invisible wall.

    This wall stood in direct contrast to the veritable ¡°flood¡± of lust and desire which assaulted her regrly. Standing in the shower she would think back to an erotic moment, or while in the midst of battle she would find the thrill of danger so exciting that she¡¯d simply be wet. It was true enough that Agni never once thought about allowing those sensations to run their course.

    *Can it really be that simple Angry Sh?* Agni asked.

    *It¡¯s just Sh. And yes, it¡¯s that simple¡­*

    *Sh¡­ what are you? Are you a familiar like Katrin says?*

    *Yes. And No. You¡¯ll understand soon, and you¡¯re very close. Let¡¯s just say I need you to get a hold of this Sulust stuff just as badly as you want to. So do your best.*

    Friendly Sh was actually nice to speak to. The second Agni had this thought Sh tainted it with a reply.

    *I¡¯m always nice, Subitch.*

    ¡°And¡­she ruined it.¡± Agni whispered to herself.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Z asked, having heard Agni¡¯s words to herself.

    ¡°Nothing. So, what do you do here in Sprim Row?¡± Agni asked, mostly as a means to change the topic.

    Z nced over at Agni and smiled broadly before responding, ¡°What do you think?¡±

    After seeing a light blush appear across Agni¡¯s face Z chuckled before replying, ¡°I was just joking dear. But your thoughts probably aren¡¯t far off the mark. My adventurer ss is ¡®Courtesan¡¯. As you might expect, I started out as a Prostitute. You can imagine my surprise when I was pulled into a new world, only to discover that my use was to please others instead of myself. Not only that, I needed to use my body to do it.¡±

    Katrin noticed a hint of sadness and regret within Z¡¯s eyes as she continued to speak.

    ¡°It definitely did a number on my self esteem. I¡¯ll be honest. Ha ha. You see, I¡¯m one of the very few adventurer sses that can get by without venturing into the field.¡±

    ¡°Wait, you said you started out as a¨C¡± Katrin began, but found herself stuck on a certain word, out of respect.

    Z smiled at this, because she¡¯d just met Katrin and already she was being shown respect that she generally wasn¡¯t given.

    ¡°A prostitute.¡± Z added, allowing Katrin to continue her question.

    ¡°Mhm. But your adventurer ss is Courtesan. How does that work?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that. Well, you¡¯re Rank 0 so you may not know, but each rank you obtain will upgrade your adventurer ss. It¡¯s sort of difficult to exin but, basically if you imagine yourself expanding in every sense of the word ¡ª physically, mentally, even in terms of your potential and ability ; that is the true meaning of a rank up. In my case, the name of my ss changed as well. One day I was a prostitute and yearster, I became a Courtesan.¡±

    ¡°Of course, there are tons of benefits thate along with that.¡± Z said as she slowed down,ing to a standstill in front of arge building with borate designs out front. At some point the trio entered a fenced courtyard with vibrant green grass, which was a stark contrast from the drab and brown buildings which dotted thendscape of Sprim Row.

    Golden Lotus¡¯ embroidered against the backdrop of red silk curtains which blocked the view inside the two story building before them ¡ª it was the first thing Agni and Katrin noticed. Additionally, for Agni her senses were now flowing in overdrive. Her eyes flickered with pink lust energy as she stood before the source of overwhelming erotic energy. And it was strongesting from this building, particrly the second floor.

    ¡°For example, being the owner of my own Chapel here in Grenvale.¡± Z said as she introduced her twopanions to her base of operations, the Silken Petal.

    ¡°This is yours?¡± Katrin asked, her eyes lighting up as she gazed upon the beauty of the building and the surrounding yard. A flower garden on either side of the pathway leading up to the door, both of which were full of all sorts of nts. Trees which bloomed with pink buds, some of which were adorned with small fruits. And near the entrance of the building were two statues of beautiful women, both picturesque ofdies d in little else than satin strips. As the trio neared therge wooden double doors of the establishment a youngdy stepped out and bowed deeply to greet them.

    ¡°Wee to The Silken Petal.¡± She said.

    The woman was dressed in the same transparent material as Z during their first meeting, but this hers white instead.

    ¡°Oh¨C Lady Z. I was wondering when you¡¯d arrive.¡± The youngdy said, her head still bowed as she nced towards the trio walking towards her.

 Chapter 48: Silken Petals(1)

    Chapter 48: Silken Petals(1)

    The inside of the Silken Petal was even more luxurious than the outer appearance.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you own this ce Z.¡± Katrin remarked as Z led the pair through the receptionist area of her brothel.

    ¡°Yes. Though, it¡¯s a given that any adventurer who reaches rank 3 or higher would need to do at least this much in order to survive.¡± Z remarked as she led the pair to her own private quarters, a small office near the back of the building.

    Along the way they took note of the myriad of rooms, each of which were open save for the ones in use. Agni half hoped to hear a muffled scream or moan, but no such luck ¡ª the walls were thick and sound proofed.

    ¡°The Silken Petal is my pride. One of the few good things toe from this adventurer¡¯s life of mine.¡± Z said as she took a seat on a sofa in the far corner of her office as she beckoned Agni and Katrin to do the same.

    ¡°So.. I can tell the allure of this ce is growing on you, young Subus.¡± Zmented, no doubt having seen Agni¡¯s response to the atmosphere. Her eyes had be a bold, pink color, now slowly mingling with a darker, red tint.

    ¡°Something like that..¡± Agni replied.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be shy¡­or coy here, after all. Everyone has needs, desires and wants. Why¡­you could probably have a few of yours tended to while you¡¯re here¡­¡± Z said as she pushed her hair to the side.

    ¡°Like?¡± The offer sounded somewhat intriguing to Agni who was slowly opening up to the idea of indulging in something¨Cthough she wasn¡¯t entirely sure what¡­

    ¡°The Silken Pearl offers almost anything your heart can desire. Kinks of all types, women and men that will tickle your fancy. Softcore, hardcore.. Romance, we even offer therapy sessions for people who just want to talk. You see, as a Courtesan, my job is to provide people a service that fulfills them. Not necessarily just the body, but also the mind¨Cthe heart, sometimes even the soul. So, with that in mind¡­¡± Z said as she got up and moved over to the opposite side of the U-shaped couch.

    ¡°I suppose the real question that needs to be asked is ¡ª what do you desire?¡± Z said as she sat down next to Katrin and put her arm around her shoulder.

    This same question hade up a few days prior with Bracha.

    *What is it that I desire? What do I want? Why is that so hard to answer?* Agni thought to herself.

    *Because you don¡¯t know yourself.* Sh responded.

    *That¡¯s¡­.probably true but. How do I remedy that?* Agni asked telepathically.

    *Simple. You just try a bunch of things until you learn what you like. Experience, that¡¯s what you need.*

    *Is it really that simple?* Agni asked, to which Sh remained silent.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, honestly. What do you want Z?¡± Agni replied.

    ¡°Hmm. That¡¯s a tough one. When you¡¯re in my line of work, you spend a great deal of time pleasing others. So much so that you can easily be disconnected to what your own heart truly desires.¡±

    At this moment one of Z¡¯s attendants entered the room with several sses of wine which she ced on the table before them. Z nodded, acknowledging her service before the young man disappeared from the room.

    ¡°But, if I had to choose. A Subus. There are a fair number of people who would pay thousands for just one hour of your time. After all, it¡¯s not everyday you meet a sex demon in the flesh.¡± Z remarked as she picked up a ss of wine and took a sip. Agni could smell the fragrant scent of acidity from the red wine and it caused her mouth to water ever so slightly.

    ¡°Me? People would pay for me? I find that hard to believe. My looks are average and.. I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m terrible in bed. I can¡¯t remember thest time I had sex¡­¡± Agni confided nervously as she blushed at the thought.

    ¡°Ha ha ha. Ahh¡­¡± Z erupted into a heartfelt bellyugh upon seeing Agni¡¯s reaction to the idea of selling herself.

    ¡°You truly are innocent. But¡­you were made to indulge. It¡¯s part of a demon¡¯s charm. As I mentioned, I¡¯ve been with a Subus long ago¨Cwhen I was still a rank 1 adventurer. It was more than just sex. She seemed to know every ce to touch and when to do so, I¡¯d never been so invested and soon I found myself erupting from even the sensation of her breath against my flesh.¡± Agni could tell that a wave of erotic energy overcame Z¡¯s body as she spoke, her Subus Vision revealed as much¨C but even then it was so apparent that even Katrin had begun to feel envious.

    *Envy. That¡¯s true¡­ the way she describes the sensation¡­. I can only imagine what it would be like to savor every moment. Each and every drop until¨C¡± Agni stopped herself, without thinking really.

    *Sigh. You¡¯re hopeless. How many times do I have to say it..* Sh said, her voice having taken on a tone of exasperation.

    *I know.. I know, I¡¯m sorry.* Agni responded. Immediately after she did so, she wondered why she felt it was appropriate to apologize in the first ce.

    *It¡¯s not like I did anything wrong..* She thought next.

    *Exactly. You haven¡¯t done anything wrong¡­it¡¯s normal to indulge in fantasy. It¡¯s even more normal to experiment with those thoughts. That is what being a subus is all about savoring those moments and consuming them so that they feed your lust..*

    Sh made apelling case. Even now Agni¡¯s body had grown quite hot, hotter still by the moment as she noticed Katrin beginning to heat up as well¡­

    ¡°Oh, and people would pay nearly as much for a Scribe my dear..¡± Z said, casting a nce to Katrin who, until now was struggling to avert her gaze from Z¡¯s heaving bosom.

    ¡°I think I have the perfect thing for you two. It will be my treat.¡± Z said with a broad smile as she stood up and walked towards her desk. She lifted an item which resembled a conch shell and spoke softly into it before returning to sit once more, this time next to Agni.

    The warmth and softness of Z¡¯s body was enough to make Agni bite her lip in anticipation¡­.

    *Anticipation of what?* She thought to herself.

    *You know. We both do.* Sh responded.

    Just a few secondster two people entered the office, one a tall blonde haired young man with tan skin and well chiseled muscles. The other was a young woman who resembled the man in every aspect save her feminine features. Both were wearing togas¡­and little else.

 Chapter 49: Silken Petals (2)

    Chapter 49: Silken Petals (2)

    *Never doubt the great Sh again, you pleb!*

    Even Sh¡¯s constant taunts were not enough to ruin the current moment of sheer rxation and bliss washing over Agni at this time.

    ¡°These are my two most talented masseuses. Please, the massage is on the house. Why not experience just a sample of what the Silken Petal has to offer.¡± Z¡¯s introduction waspletely underwhelming to the experience.

    The two lead both Agni and Katrin to a nearby room with two massage tables and washed them beforeying them down. Then the single most memorable experience of her life in Adventia began. The twins, as they were called, were adventurers who often took on jobs at the Silken Petal. While they yed monsters and cultivated their strength in their normal adventuring life, they also enjoyed making extra money by using their hands in a most unorthodox way ¡ª massage therapists.

    As if the pair had some sixth sense for relieving tension, their hands started at the feet, flexing and bending the tones and ankles ever so gently. The warm oil drizzling against Agni¡¯s skin was enough to make her bite her lip, but the sensation of having said oil worked into her tense flesh was simply divine. Firm hands caressing the back of her calves, running up along her thighs and applying just the right amount of pressure with thumbs to send shivers up her spine.

    The sensation was so epassing that for a moment Agni forgot where she was and drooled on the massage table. Then, in an instant the two switched. With a pair of feminine hands working her muscles over it was as if the experience had begun anew. Agni could feel her feet and toes turn to jelly beneath this woman¡¯s grip and the sensation worked itself well up to her lower back before the two switched out again.

    ¡°Uhn.¡± Agni could hear the soft moansing from Katrin as the professional rubbers did their thing and Agni couldn¡¯t me her. If she wasn¡¯t so rxed from the mind blowing sensation of fingertips dancing across her flesh, she might have had a mind to do the same¡­

    This continued forever, and yet too short a time before their lower and upper backs were thoroughly taken care of. Just when they thought the encounter was over Agni heard the soft patter of falling cloth as the pair of masseuses freed themselves of their togas.

    The sense of anticipation dulled only inparison to the feeling of skin on skin, oil and warmth soaking into her being with each passing moment. Agni clenched her face pillow as her mind began to work in overdrive. She could feel everything and the service providers were wless with their service.

    The strong, chiseled curvature of a man¡¯s body pressed against her own was such a stark contrast to the soft, silky feel of a woman¡¯s skin that Agni began to find herself torn. This wasrgely due to the sensation of heat throbbing between her thighs as all sorts of thoughts began to y out in her mind.

    Finally, after an hour of mind numbing, highly stimting massage therapy the pair stopped short of the full treatment ¡ª promising that they could indulge in everything the next time they returned.

    Agni could only chuckle as she eyed thedy masseuse, her eyes drawn almost immediately to the woman¡¯s dark nipples which beckoned to be teased and suckled by Agni¡¯s mouth. The woman noticed her gaze and didn¡¯t seem bothered, in fact she winked and licked her lips in response before leaving both Katrin and Agni to get dressed.

    ¡°A-Agni. Are you okay?¡± Katrin asked.

    Agni could tell Katrin¡¯s body was flowing with ecstasy from one nce with her Sulust, thus she just chucked to herself before responding.

    ¡°I feel great. I can¡¯t exin it but¡­¡± Agni¡¯s face contorted as a fever blush rose up and settled in her cheeks.

    ¡°I can barely contain the wonderful sensation rising up in me. I just want to¡­. I just want to¡­¡± Agni¡¯s eyes settled on Katrin who had taken a few seconds too long to get dressed. In an instant Agni was behind Katrin, running her fingertips along Katrin¡¯s smooth, oiled body.

    ¡°Hmm¡­just a little bit¡­¡± Agni whispered as her hands greedily began to fluff Katrin¡¯s body, touching her in every spot that would make her squirm. Blowing against the nape of her neck, nibbling kisses along her earlobe, running her fingertips along Katrin¡¯s sides and settling a gentle grip on her love handles, these were just a few of the coordinated attacks Agni indulged in as she savored the moment.

    Katrin¡¯s response was a series of muffled, low moans as she tilted her head back so that Agni could easily suck the sensitive flesh on her neck.

    Katrin¡¯s body responded well, indeed she didn¡¯t voice a single rebuttal as Agni tested the waters by running her fingertips between Katrin¡¯s thighs for a brief moment.

    ¡°Ah, this really is fun. I love it.¡± Agni said as the grips of lust washed over her mind like waves against the shoreline.

    ¡°I¡¯m d you are enjoying it. In that case, I have one more thing to show you.¡± Z¡¯s voice rang out, interrupting Agni¡¯s ¡°assault¡±.

 Chapter 50: Watcher (1)

    Chapter 50: Watcher (1)

    ¡°Ahh.¡± Agni barely had time to voice her discontent before several people entered the room and grabbed her by the arms. They came for Katrin as well, dragging the two out of the room and in opposite directions. Thest thing Agni saw before Katrin was pulled around the corner was the expression of confusion and dismay on her face.

    ¡°I would like to show you something.¡± Z said as she grabbed Agni by the hand and led her personally, the other attendants broke off at this point.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about your friend. She won¡¯t get into too much mischief. I¡¯m d to see you were enjoying yourself back there.¡± Z said as she pulled Agni along through a slender corridor with a small ck door at the end.

    *You¡¯re close to a breakthrough now¡­* Sh said suddenly.

    *That massage was so rxing..I fell asleep ha.* Sh also added.

    *Agreed.*

    Agni couldn¡¯t help but wonder where Z was taking her yet in some regards it didn¡¯t matter. It had been a while since she felt so¡­.good. Her spirits were high and her body was stress free¨Cas if all the built up emotional and physical trauma simply melted away.

    ¡°There is something I¡¯d like you to see¡­something I rarely show others but I think you can appreciate it. That is¡­if you have the courage to enter..¡± Z stopped just outside of the slender, ck door. It didn¡¯t seem like anything out of the ordinary, yet Agni could tell¨Csomething interestingy beyond its boundaries. Her senses told her as much.

    With this Z smiled and proceeded to walk away, looking back only once as she left Agni to her decision.

    For Agni, however it wasn¡¯t much of a decision.

    *I think I really like being swept up in the moment, the emotion.* Agni mused as she ran her fingertips against the base of her throat. Standing totally nude, her body warm and rxed from the past few moments she ced her hand on the door and twisted the handle ¡ª all in anticipation of what was toe.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡°So soft. And your hair smells so good. Ah, I just love touching you!¡± One of the womentched onto Katrin¡¯s arm continually said this as her soft hands began to wander. Katrin had been continually doted on since the moment her and Agni parted ways. With one woman on each arm and a man at her back, Katrin was given a ce on afortable sofa as the trio of attendants further showed her with affection.

    The young man at her rear was gently running his fingers through her hair, massaging her scalp in the process. The youngdies paid special attention to Katrin¡¯s hands and fingertips. Though Katrin was concerned about being parted from Agni, this too was nice in it¡¯s own way. She quickly settled into the feeling of being pampered, her eyes closed as a content expression overcame her.

    ¡°Your friend Agni won¡¯t be gone long. Let¡¯s talk, you and I. ¡± Z¡¯s voice said, suddenly bringing Katrin back to her senses. Z was now sitting directly in front of Katrin, looking up at her as she knelt and began gently rubbing the soles and forefront of Katrin¡¯s feet, just beneath her toes.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    Darkness and the gentle sound of strenuous activity were the first things Agni noticed upon entering the ck door. The temperature of the slender hallway which she found herself in was several degrees warmer than the area of the building she¡¯d just left. If she had to guess, she was in some sort of secret walkway.

    After allowing her senses a moment to settle, Agni realized that the sound in the distance was that of sex in the air. She was drawn to it, slowly, silently making her way down the pitch ck corridor towards several small beams of light which pierced the darkness. As she neared one she realized she was now gazing into a peephole. The first two were empty, unupied but the third proved to be the source of much to take in.

    ¡°Ah, ah!¡± A young woman moaned as the man behind her gripped her hips firmly and thrusted his pelvis. Agni took note of her expression , the angle in which the peep hole was ced allowed her a perfect view. Beads of sweat dripped down both the young woman¡¯s face, as well as the man behind her as they went about the task of pleasuring each other.

    ¡°Mmm. I¡¯m cumming!¡± She moaned as she slid one hand between her thighs and began to rub on her clit as the pping sound of his hips increased in fervor. With each stroke the bed shook fiercely and the young woman clenched the sheets as if she was about to lose all control. With each thrust Agni watched until the man¡¯s body seized up, no doubt because the woman¡¯s pussy clenched him, draining him of all his juices.

    As she breathed heavily the young woman nced up and their eyes met. For an instant, Agni wasn¡¯t sure whether the woman saw her, but as her lover backed away and a new man took his ce it was obvious. The woman knew she was being watched, and Agni could also tell it turned her on even more.

    Agni realized that several men were in the room, each of them taking both their time and turns pleasuring themselves and the young woman with them. A devilish smile spread across the woman¡¯s face as she licked her lips, her expression only changing as she felt the girth of a new shaft sliding deep inside of her.

    The scene was so erotic, so sexually charged that Agni had begun caressing her own breasts, eventually sliding her hand down between her thighs and edging herself. She gently rubbed her middle finger against her lips causing them to grow wetter by the moment as the lure ofpletion threatened to ovee her.

 Chapter 51: Watcher (2)

    Chapter 51: Watcher (2)

    ¡°Ahh, so good.¡± Agni was practically purring at this point as the sensation of overwhelming lust took over.

    *This is too much¡­ it¡¯s driving me over the edge¡­* Agni thought to herself as she watched the young woman be taken.

    *One¡­two¡­.four people? Oh my..* Agni thought to herself as she counted the bodies in the background. One man stepped forth and took up a position on the bed as the young woman was flipped over onto her back. Agni couldn¡¯t help but notice the fairness of her skin, creamy and silky smooth¨Cdrenched with sweat as the second man gripped his rod and pressed it against the lips of the woman.

    She bit her lip for just a split second then began the act of feasting on his cock, gripping it by the base and hungrily sucking at the head of his dick. Agni couldn¡¯t help but admire the gusto in which she attacked the situation, it was almost as if her mouth formed a vacuum seal around the head of the man¡¯s penis.

    The more Agni watched, the more she was drawn in ¡ª her fingers working faster and faster by the second to please her aching body. There was no logic, only the sensation as waves of pleasure began to wash over her body, causing her thighs to quiver with each passing moment.

    The view within the room heated up with each passing moment as the woman¡¯s beaus pinned her legs up into a V shape and began to fill her tight, wet pussy to the brim with each stroke. They took turns pleasuring themselves, and her as well as a third found a spot on the bed to be jerked off by her eager hands.

    *Fuck this is so hot..ah I can¡¯t take it!* Agni moaned to herself as a wave of wetness drenched her aching pussy. She eagerly bit at her lips, her face contorted in an expression of lust and ecstasy as she came for the first of many times.

    The men were not gentle, and even the act of ravishing her body was a boon to Agni¡¯s lust. Soon Agni found herself furiously rubbing her own clit, her fingers slipping into her juicy, wet body asionally as she determinedly pleasured herself.

    Deep, pounding strokes and moans of muffled pleasure filled the air until finally the young hostess drained all of her nearby boy toys of their energy and cum.

    ¡°Fuck..¡± Agni whispered to herself as she desperately tried to stoke an unquenchable thirst.

    [Sulust has reached 27% mastery. Ability has been upgraded. Requirements for summoning familiar have been met ¡ª visit the Demonic Chapel in Kirlunst to perform the summoning ritual.]

    Agni would have been more happy about the next alert, if she wasn¡¯t so damn horny.

    [Carnal Meter unlocked. You can now store and utilize erotic energy to enhance your subus ablities and skills. Sulust ability relies on Carnal Energy to activate.]

    Having made herself orgasm a second time, Agni finally came to her senses somewhat as she took note of the pair of alerts. However the lure of even more erotic energy pulled her into a different direction further down the hallway.

    SMACK

    SLAP

    ¡­..

    SMACK

    Agni could hear the sound of flesh being ¡°punished¡± with each step. Finally, upon reaching the peephole, her eyes widened as she noticed the debauchery in y.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you lick my heel¨C if you squeal for me.¡± A tall, slender woman ¡ª at least 180 cm in height towered above her target, a chubby balding man. He squealed in response to her taunt and moved to flick his tongue against the stilettos on her feet. In her hands she held small leather whip with dozens of strips at the end and she patted it against her hand with the most seething of disapproving looks as her expression.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t give you permission to move!¡± She growled as she moved her foot and pressed the front of her shoe down against his brow. Unable to resist, his head impacted the floor with a soft thud. It looked ufortable to say the least, though¨Chis face said otherwise.

    ¡°That¡¯s it¡­ worship me like the filthy rat you are.¡± Her voice contained a voracious delight, as if she was savoring every moment. The man¡¯s ass wagged in the air and it was now apparent to Agni that he was bound by the wrists, hands tied behind his back. As she looked on, she noticed a truly cringe inducing smile painted across the man¡¯s lips as he gazed upwards. It was obvious what his eyes were transfixed upon.

    The woman was d in ck ¡ª strips,ce and leather. Her dress came up to a dangerous length just six cm below her love mound. And it was doubtful that she was wearing any panties at all. This was made clear by the outline of her nipples ¡ª the fabric clinging to her body was so tight that underwear would be obvious.

    She lifted her heel and brought it down upon the man¡¯s shoulder de, slowly grinding the point deep into his flesh until a whimper issued forth from his mouth. Though her face was covered by a Vian masquerade mask which extended just past her cheeks and nose, Agni was able to make out a wicked smile of delight. She flicked her tongue against her beet red lips before she raised the whip in her right hand and began whipping the man furiously.

    ¡°You¡±

    SLAP

    ¡°LIKE IT¡±

    SLAP

    ¡°Don¡¯t you?¡± Agni couldn¡¯t tell if there was disgust or lust in her voice, perhaps both. The sight was both disarming and alluring. Agni could feel her own body responding, her nipples growing hard, her lips quivering. For a moment she released a long, deep breath which she¡¯d been holding in.

    It was at this moment that the whipping noise ceased and the tall dom nced over in her general direction. It was just for an instant, and no eye contact was made ¡ª so Agni assumed she was in the clear.

    ¡°So you¡¯re underestimating me. Do you think I don¡¯t know?¡± She brought the whip down again, as if taking out some pent up anger on the man pinned beneath her feet.

    ¡°All peeping birds will be punished.¡± She said as she finally lifted her foot from his back, having drawn blood in the process. She then squatted before the crumpled man, spreading her thighs in the process so that he could have a good look at her paradise.

    ¡°Feast.¡± Shemanded as she grabbed him by the back of the head and lifted his face to her lips. She pressed the man¡¯s face into her body without care for his well being, as if she wanted to smother him in her flesh. She threw her head back for the briefest of moments, her body shuddering as the man hungrilypped at her body. The sound of his slurping sucks and moist licks filled the air.

    The woman shuddered a few more times under the waves of pleasure she was now experiencing before she cocked her head to the side and gazed in Agni¡¯s direction.

    ¡°All peeping birds will be punished.¡± She repeated again, licking her lips as she said so.

 Chapter 52: Too Familiar (1)

    Chapter 52: Too Familiar (1)

    Agni held her breath as she walked the corridor, her mind racing as she moved towards the exit.

    *That was intense¡­* She thought to herself as she opened the door. To her surprise, Z was waiting on the other side with a difficult to read smile on her face.

    ¡°So..what did you think?¡± Z asked as she took Agni by the arm, pulling her near.

    ¡°That was¡­I ¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± Agni replied.

    ¡°Mmm.¡± This was all Z said as she began to walk, arm in arm, with Agni.

    ¡°How did it make you feel¨Cwatching?¡± Z asked. The question was so direct that Agni blushed before answering.

    ¡°I liked it.¡±

    ¡°Would you ever¡­participate in anything like that?¡± Z¡¯s next question was somewhat expected, but still Agni had no response ready.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know..¡±

    ¡°I see. Your mind says no but¡­¡± Z stopped and took up a position in front of Agni, pressing her fingertip against Agni¡¯s chin as she spoke.

    ¡°What does your body say? Does she react¡­to the things you find¡­. Foreign? Do you find yourself craving¡­lusting..needing?¡±

    Z¡¯s direct nature was making Agni sweat, but not in a bad way. The darkness, the idea of watching from the shadows was appealing but Z¡¯s conversation was making Agni bashful. What¡¯s more, Z was quite aware of this. Perhaps she had figured Agni out from the moment they locked eyes.

    *That¡¯s probably enough¡­for now¡­* Z thought to herself as she took Agni¡¯s arm and continued walking with her.

    ¡°Ah¨C Agni!¡± Katrin shouted as Agni and Z rounded the corner. Katrin quickly freed herself from the groping hands of several young women who looked thoroughly disappointed.

    ¡°Aww.¡± One youngdymented as she folded her arms and frowned.

    ¡°She got away. Tsk.¡± Anotherdy whispered.

    ¡°K-Katrin? What¡¯s wrong.¡± Agni whispered as Katrintched onto her free arm.

    ¡°N-Nothing.¡­¡± She said, a nervous tone to her voice.

    ¡°So¡­ what do you twodies think? The offer still stands¡­working with me would be¨C¡± Z stopped as she searched for the right word, ¡± enlightening.¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll pass. Ha ha.¡± Katrin answered almost immediately as she chuckled nervously. Agni caught a nce of Katrin¡¯s robe hanging off her shoulders as another youngdy on the nearby sofa licked and sucked her fingers. She could almost guess what happened.

    ¡°It sounds nice but¡­ I¡¯ll have to decline too.¡± Agni responded.

    ¡°Aw!¡± All of the women in the room practically moaned in unison with disappointment.

    ¡°Well, I expected as much but, the offer still stands. As I said, people would pay handsomely for experiences with a Subus. There¡¯s also a huge demand for wholesome women too¡­¡± Z said as she cast a nce in Katrin¡¯s direction.

    ¡°Regardless. You cane back any time¨C you know the way now right?¡± Z said as she grasped Agni¡¯s hands, sping them together as she spoke.

    ¡°For a massage or ¡ª anything else that tickles your fancy.¡± Another escort said as she waved at Katrin.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    A different sort of relief filled Katrin as the pair exited the Silken Petal some twenty minutester.

    ¡°They really like you, don¡¯t they?¡± Agni asked,ughing to herself.

    ¡°A little too much..¡± Katrin returned as she waved back to the sixdies standing at the entrance of the building.

    ¡°What¡¯s not to like though am I right?¡± Agni said with a nudge as she and Katrin walked out of the gates leading into the brothel. All of the attention being poured upon them was both exciting and tiring. Though it was only mid afternoon they both felt rxed and tired.

    *Oi.* Sh¡¯s voice said suddenly.

    *Yes?*

    *Did you forget? You got what you wanted back there. You may praise me.* Sh replied.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right¨C my Sulust ability did improve.¡± Agni whispered.

    ¡°Really? That¡¯s great. Then it means the trip was a sess, right?¡± Katrin replied.

    ¡°Mhmm. It seems like the ability changed as well. Let¡¯s see.¡± Agni said as she paused to open her Skills menu.

    [Sulust ¨C (Passive) {27%} +5% Strength, Agility and Speed when activated. When the Carnal meter is full, +15 additional percent to Strength,Agility and Speed. Cost : 0. ]

    ¡°What does it say?¡± Katrin asked as she crowded Agni to see.

    ¡°What¡¯s a Carnal Meter?¡± Katrin then asked.

    ¡°I think, when the ability rose in mastery something new unlocked.¡±

    *Wrong.* Sh said.

    *What do you mean, ¡®wrong¡¯?*

    *You¡¯ve always had a Carnal Meter. You just didn¡¯t realize it. The more in tune you be with yourself, the more you¡¯ll discover even more abilities.*

    *Like?* Agni asked, but she received no answer.

    ¡°Um..Agni? Are you okay?¡± Katrin asked, having noticed the fact that Agni seemed to be staring off into space.

    ¡°Ah, yea. Sorry, just.. Talking to Sh..err- I mean the angry voice.¡±

    ¡°O-Oh..¡±

    ¡°So basically, if I understand right, this third meter in the upper left corner of my HUD is Carnal Energy. I already have quite a bit, so let¡¯s try it out.¡± Agni said as she closed her menu and uttered the words.

    ¡°Sulust¡­activate!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­..Did it work?¡± Katrin asked after observing for a moment.

    *HA HA HA! What the hell was that? Dork.* Sh said as sheughed obnoxiously.

    *If you know something then say so¡­* Agni thought.

    *Nope.* Sh replied.

    *Then what use are you?* Agni retorted.

    *BWA HAHA. SUCCULUST POWERS ACT-UH-VAYTE.¡±

    ¡°It looks like I¡¯ll have to figure this one outter.. And Sh¡¯s not being any help. Let¡¯s just¡­go.¡± Agni replied as a mood of annoyance settled over her.

    The two walked for quite some time, having quite a ways to go before exiting Sprim Row. Along the way they stopped at various street stalls and even made a few purchases. It wasn¡¯t long before they left the Silk Road area and were on their way to the Sprim Row gate.

    *Oi.* Sh said.

    *Shut up. I¡¯m not in the mood.*

    *Oi. Seriously.*

    *What Sh? What do you want? I¡¯m not in the mood right now.*

    *Someone¡¯s been following us since we left the Silken Petal.*

    *Wait¨Creally?*

    *Yes. Don¡¯t look back. But there are three of them. They will probably try something when we near the gate.*

    *Why didn¡¯t you say something earlier?*

    *Because¨C I wasn¡¯t sure until now. But they¡¯re definitely watching both you and Katrin.*

    Upon hearing this Agni stopped in her tracks and turned around, cing her hands on her hips as she shouted, ¡°I know you¡¯re there. Come out.¡±

    Katrin seemed confused, that is until three grifty looking men stepped out from the shadows.

    *Agni ¡ª behind you!* Sh said, alerting Agni to the fact that three additional people stepped out onto the street just two meters behind them.

    ¡°Huh!?¡± Katrin said as she drew near to Agni. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± She whispered as she cast nces towards the men who were now closing in from all directions.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Let¡¯s find out.¡± Agni replied, her eyes taking on a pink tone as one of the men stepped forth to speak.

 Chapter 53: Too Familiar (2)

    Chapter 53: Too Familiar (2)

    ¡°Youdies lost?¡± The ¡®leader¡¯ of the band stepped forth, a husky man with thick, bulging muscles and a bald head.

    [Fargo Reiner Rank 1 Warrior]

    ¡°No, we¡¯re fine.¡± Agni responded, as she nced at the other two men at Fargo¡¯s side. Both of them were Rank 1 as well, and from the look of it Striker category. The Striker category of adventurers focused on close rangebat ¡ª tanks, damage dealers, etc.

    These particr adventurers had very generic ss descriptions ¡ª one Warrior and two Fighters.

    *There¡¯s also a Pdin ss and two Shield Bearers behind you.* Sh added.

    ¡°Are you sure? Maybe we could¨Cshow you around.¡± Fargo said as he walked closer.

    Agni cast a nce at Katrin who was now gripping her arm rather tightly. And Agni couldn¡¯t me her, their wonderful afternoon was slowly turning into an annoyance.

    *Be careful, something seems off.* Sh said, before she added¨C*They definitely have an agenda.*

    *Yea. Kidnap.* Agni replied as she called forth her halberd and mmed it¡¯s end into the cobblestone street.

    ¡°That¡¯s far enough. Whatever you have to say, you can say it from where you stand.¡± Agimanded as she carefully listened for signs of movementing from her rear.

    ¡°Ha. This one¡¯s got some fire in her. Rx littledy, we just wanna talk.¡± One of the Fighters to Fargo¡¯s left said. His voice had a slimy feel to it, as if he was relishing in delight with each word. Sadly, Agni recognized that feeling ¡ª it was one she regrly indulged in when it came to erotic moments. It was as if she could feel the moment against her lips, savoring each drop.

    ¡°And it takes six people to talk?¡± Agni rebutted.

    ¡°Heh.¡± This was all the reply Fargo gave.

    ¡°Fine. Truth be told, we¡¯re looking for able bodied people to join our Chapel. A Specialist ss and a Scribe would be a great benefit to our Chapel¡¯s prestige. We were only hoping to talk to you for a moment. The extra men are simply due to the area, it¡¯s dangerous here on the streets of Sprim Row¨Cjust so you know.¡± Fargo said.

    While his reasoning sounded logical, there was something off about the situation. Agni only doubted herself for a moment until she nced over at Katrin¡¯s face ¡ª the level of difort there was enough to harden her resolve.

    ¡°No, thanks. We¡¯re not interested.¡± Agni said as she grabbed Katrin by the wrist and moved to walk between the group of men to her rear.

    ¡°But, you haven¡¯t even heard our proposal yet.¡± Fargo said as the men before Agni moved to close ranks and block her exit. Agni stopped in her tracks and inhaled a deep breath before sighing.

    Every shred of her being as bounding with the same adrenaline rush as the moments leading into a battle.

    ¡°I should have known. The day was going too well. I was content. Feeling great¡­and you just had to mess it up.¡± Agni spoke loudly as her senses sharpened to a dangerous level.

    ¡°Fine. Since you gentlemen seem hellbent on blocking the way, I¡¯ll just make you move. Let¡¯s do it then.¡± She growled in anger as she released Katrin¡¯s hand and twirled her Halberd effortlessly. The group of men chuckled to themselves, clearly feeling superior in their numbers.

    ¡°Go. Make sure not to hurt them too much.¡± Fargo directed as he gave a nod of his head.

    [¡®Devilish Intuition¡¯ Unlocked.]

    The alert caught Agni¡¯s attention for only the briefest of moments as the three men in front of her began to move.

    ¡°Halt.¡± Agnimanded, forcing one of the approaching adventurers to halt in his tracks. She dashed forth and thrusted an upwards palm strike,nding directly on his chin. The blow was powerful enough to lift him off of his feet, jarring his brain in the process. He fell to the ground with a hard thud as one of the men to Agni¡¯s rear made a whistling sound in response to her show of ability.

    ¡°One shot. The boss is going to reward us well.¡± The man could be heard saying. The other two Rank 0¡¯s hopped into action, calling forth their weapons ¡ª two broadswords, one for each as they dove into battle.

    ¡°Katrin. Are you good to go?¡± Agni asked.

    ¡°Y-Yes!¡± Katrin responded, calling forth her gun and a scroll.

    ¡°Try not to hurt them too bad.¡± Agni said as she evaded sweeping blows aimed at her arms and legs.

    *As I thought, they¡¯re trying to abduct us by force. In that case I don¡¯t need to hold back.* Agni thought to herself.

    ¡°Kill your partner here.¡± Shemanded, forcing one of the Guardians to turn on the other. He fiercely began attacking his cohort, allowing Agni to team up against him and knock his de from his hand.

    The extended range of ¡®Whisper¡¯ and it¡¯s upgraded usage was ideal for the situation. As the Guardian cleaved through hisrade, the effects of his Whisper effects broke. This was also the exact moment Agni chose to thrust the butt of her halberd into his throat and flow lightning energy through it, incapacitating him in one swift strike.

    As the body of the in Guardian began to fade away, no doubt recalled to whatever spawn point set by the hapless adventurer, Agni turned to face the other three adventurers before her. Katrin had her gun pulled as she eyed the trio for any sudden movements, the pair now focused all of their attention on the remaining three attackers.

    ¡°Check them.¡± Fargo said, turning to the person on his left.

    The man lifted his hand, as if casting some sort of spell. Secondster a shimmer of light floated upwards from his palm and he suddenly began reciting detailed information about both Katrin and Agni.

    ¡°Not even level 50? And these guys were downed in an instant? That¡¯s the power of a legendary ss I suppose.¡± Fargo replied as he listened to the man¡¯s results.

    *They shouldn¡¯t be able to scan us. Is this some kind of skill?* Agni thought to herself as her grip tightened on her halberd.

    *Clearly these two aren¡¯t as weak as the others.*

 Chapter 54: Ranked Adventurers (1)

    Chapter 54: Ranked Adventurers (1)

    As Agni focused her thoughts she realized that her past tutge with Wa bore unexpected fruits. She could hear Wa¡¯s voice spurring on her actions.

    ¡°This world may have manyws of reality that resemble a ¡°game-like¡± world, but I assure you, it is real. As an adventurer you may feel near invincible at times. While an arrow to the eye socket may not necessarily kill you, a punctured heart may only drain 80% of your health in a single blow¨C rules ofbat still apply. If you are struck in a vital point then you WILL experience a world of pain, regardless of your level ¡ª at least to a certain extent. If you¡¯re ever in a life or death situation, or even if the odds are stacked against you ¡ª always target your foe¡¯s vital points.¡±

    Wa¡¯s guidance came flooding into her mind the moment Katrin and Agni were surrounded and the Subus made good on the knowledge. It most likely helped that her first three attackers overestimated her due to her Rank 0 status, after all Agni assumed that there was no way one could judge strength other than rank. This assumption was nowing back to bite her in the neck as three foes before her seemed to be able to urately gauge her strengths as they stepped forth to do battle.

    ¡°You two, take the Subus and don¡¯t pull any punches. Rough her up nicely, but don¡¯t kill her.¡± Fargomanded as the two men at his side were spurred into action on his order.

    ¡°I¡¯ll handle the Scribe.¡± Fargo said, a broad smile spreading across his face as he licked his lips. Katrin grimaced as a thought of the man¡¯s tongueing anywhere near her body was enough to make her want to vomit. She firmly grasped the scroll in her hand as she held her Mag-gun at chest level, ready to fire at any time.

    Agni felt a sense of oppression as she gazed upon the two men walking towards her. It was something that her body recognized from the heat of battle ¡ª being confronted by foes who were superior. She clenched her halberd and lowered her stance in preparation of the encroaching threat, her senses sharpening to a razor¡¯s edge so that she could react at any given second.

    ¡°Heh. She¡¯s ready to go, isn¡¯t she?¡± The dark skinned of the two fighters said as he pulled a long, pointed dagger from a conceal sheathe. A broad smile shed across the Fighter¡¯s face as a fierce, red energy began to emanate from his body. The aura epassed his body like a gently burning me as a wave of intensityshed into Agni. The feeling of intimidation was so intense that she struggled to stand her ground. Because she¡¯d faced off against so many Grimlock in the shards already, her body reacted on it¡¯s own by likening the experience to the atmosphere and presence of enemies within the red shard world.

    Agni quickly created a mana cloak in proportion to the perceived threat facing her, something she¡¯d learned to do by intuition. In this case, she chose correctly as after doing so the feeling which made her want to shrink away in fear faded away. The Fighter¡¯s face took on a hint of surprise as he flicked and flipped the dagger in his grasp.

    ¡°Ha. She nullified my ¡®Intimidation¡¯ skill. I guess Specialist categories really are different.¡± He responded as the red aura slowly faded away from his body.

    ¡°Well, the boss said to take her without killing her. It will be a pain if she spawns out. Let¡¯s go with the usualbo.¡± The dark skinned man said to the pale skinned fellow to his left. This Fighter had a distinctive face tattoo which covered the entire left side of his face. It reminded Agni of her own magic circuits which appeared any time she used a substantial amount of mana.

    The pale skinned man smirked, then made a quick movement to unsheathe a dagger along his waist. In themotion of that moment Agni¡¯s attention was divided for a split second ¡ª and this is when the dark skinned man chose to strike by hurling his dagger directly at her face.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    ¡°If youe quietly, I promise things won¡¯t get too physical.¡± Fargo said with a grin as he reached for arge, wide, de along his back. He effortlessly pulled forth his weapon which seemed peculiar to an extent. It¡¯s length was roughly one meter in size , while it¡¯s width was twenty cm.

    Katrin gripped her pistol and released a couple of shots. In her mind the time for talk had passed and she would not be outdone by Agni. She didn¡¯t expect the shots to strike her opponent, rather they were sent just to test his reaction. Fargo didn¡¯t move, rather he held his de frontward, the end pointing towards the sky as he gripped the handle with both hands.

    Katrin watched with astonishment as her bullets simply disappeared the moment they struck Fargo¡¯s de. Rather than impact and dissipate, the bullets themselves seemed to be absorbed. Behind the de of his weapon Fargo grinned, betraying his need to gloat at disying but a fraction of his ability.

    *Guardian ss, huh?* Katrin thought to herself as she essed her foe.

    From what Katrin knew, there were practically hundreds of adventurer sses in Adventia. Of those, the mostmon seemed toe from two categories ¡ª Strikers and Casters. The number of Beastmen came in as a close third. Nearly seventy percent of the poption were attack type sses. Among Strikers, Guardians were known as one of the more useful sses for their ability to deal with Casters and other Strikers alike. Now Katrin understood why as she watched Fargo¡¯s de begin to resonate faint blue particles of mana energy.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    Agni couldn¡¯t help but focus on the sound of Katrin¡¯s gunfire, unfortunately it was ill timed as the dagger was quickly careening towards her face. Agni shifted her weight to the side and began her swing to attack the iing Fighter and this is when she realized that she¡¯d lost track of him entirely.

    ¡°Where did he go?¡± She whispered to herself as she gazed around wildly. The dark skinned man still stood a few meters away, grinning as he lifted his hand. The dagger passed by uneventfully but in another moment it returned to it¡¯s wielder¡¯s grasp. As Agni struggled to register what was happening she felt an overwhelming sensation of heat ovee the back of her neck. It was as if she could feel the ¡°danger¡± directed towards her.

    *Agni! Duck!* Sh shouted.

    Hearing this Agni did as told, squatting to touch the ground as quickly as possible. The sound of splitting air whistled by just a few centimeters above her head as the presence of the second Fighter became known. He faded into view, as if a cloak of invisibility was being eaten away by some unseen force. The pale skinned adventurer had a sinister smile on his face as he stood, his arm extended ¡ª as if he¡¯d just attempted to swat Agni at the back of her neck.

    ¡°She¡¯s good, Glint. Really good.¡± The pale skinned man said as he gazed down at Agni who had nearly been caught unaware from the stealth attack.

 Chapter 55: Ranked Adventurers (2)

    Chapter 55: Ranked Adventurers (2)

    After a brief moment of surprise Agni regained herposure and swung her halberd as hard as possible, the sound of the de cleaving the air was fearsome. Her goal was to sink the de into the pale man¡¯s hip but he easily avoided the blow by hopping backwards with a few nimble movements.

    Agni gritted her teeth as a wave of anger and disbelief began to ovee her.

    *He almost took me out with one blow!* She thought to herself as a sense of realization set in. This was the power of a Rank 1 adventurer? In one short exchange she¡¯d nearly been knocked out effortlessly and one of her foes hadn¡¯t even begun to show his skills yet.

    ¡°Interesting.¡± The dark skinned man named Glint said as he pulled a second dagger from his waist strap and walked towards Agni confidently. It was clear that he nned to engage her directly without regard for anything he¡¯d seen her capable of. This much was apparent from the swagger he exuded as he gripped his des and headed towards her.

    Agni tried her best to focus on the man behind her, but with Glint pressuring her it was a lost cause. With this in mind she decided to be proactive and take the initiative. She got to her feet and dashed forward, timing the swing of her halberd to where Glint would be, almost impably. This didn¡¯t work however as Glint simply stepped forward by several strides and rolled his body, positioning both des to cushion the impact of Agni¡¯s halberd shaft. With the momentum and power of her blow effectively nullified, Glint proceeded to attack.

    His blows were blinding and difficult to predict, and because Agni was now in an awkward position she could do little to react. Glint smashed the round pommel of his daggers into Agni at will, striking her first in the sr plexus. The blow was enough to make her feel like doubling over and indeed her body reacted as such but Glint¡¯s next strike smashed her in the side of the neck causing her vision to flicker. He followed this up with several other blows, each lifting her feet from the ground slightly until she was being savaged like a hovering punching bag. Though the blows didn¡¯t deal a huge amount of damage on their own, due to the positioning and force behind the strikes Agni found it difficult to recover. As the blows lit into her she did the only thing she could think of, surge her mana wildly. She timed the attack with Glint¡¯s iing blow, infusing it with the power of wind, the easiest to conjure and manipte. The burst of energy traveled outwards from all directions, slicing at anything nearby ¡ª including Agni¡¯s exposed arms and legs.

    Though the st was ast ditch effort to keep from being pummeled until unconscious, it seemed to be enough to force Glint to take a few steps backwards. He lifted his arms in a cross shaped guard as the winds tore into his leather bracers, ripping through them and spurting blood everywhere in the process.

    ¡°Tsk. This one¡¯s tougher than I gave her credit for.¡± Glint said through clenched teeth as he red at Agni.

    He¡¯d purposely held back on the lethal blows, otherwise she¡¯d be filled with gouging knife wounds at this point but it seemed he wouldn¡¯t be able to hold back *that* much. Without alerting Agni, Glint gave the signal to his partner, Ashe, the signal to attack. Their n was to apply pressure from all angles, slowly sapping the strength of their target before knocking her out. It was a method they employed to great effect ever since their arrival some two years ago in Adventia.

    That is, until they ran afoul of that man a few months ago. Glint dismissed the unpleasant thought from his mind and decided to focus on the battle instead. *Damn Specialists.* Glint thought to himself as he prepared for the next strike ¡ª just in case the Subus managed to evade Ashe¡¯s stealth attack once again.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Katrin noticed the fact that Agni was being handled from her vantage point in the battle but there was little she could do at this point. Fargo was proving way too troublesome of an opponent to deal with simply. Her only saving grace was that Fargo didn¡¯t seem to be taking things seriously at this point. Rather than attack her directly he seemed to be waiting for his partners to overwhelm Agni. Katrin felt a sense of desperation creep across her mind as she focused, attempting to analyze the battle unfolding before her.

    Much like her initial onught, Katrin fired off several bullets, each designed to test her opponent¡¯s reactions. No matter where or how Katrin targeted her shots were absorbed by Fargo¡¯s de or avoided altogether. What¡¯s more, Fargo¡¯s Guardian de was now glowing with a fierce aura of blue mana energy. It resembled mes as he waved it to and fro effortlessly to catch each bullet she fired his way.

    *Tsk. This is only fueling his skillset!* She thought to herself as her mind raced. She couldn¡¯t help but think back to some of Bracha¡¯s words during this time of challenge.

    ???A Scribe isn¡¯t a traditionalbat ss, but that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re without ways of fighting. As a Scribe everything you read and learn can be used as a tool ¡ª even a weapon. Take this for instance.¡± Bracha held up a small, purple and gold trimmed book before handing it to Katrin.

    ¡°If you memorize these and apply some creative thinking, you will always have a way to defend yourself.¡± Bracha said as Katrin took note of the book¡¯s title on the cover page, ¡°A Magician¡¯s de.¡±

    Katrin decided to take a gamble, ying it safe obviously would not work. She lifted the scroll in her left hand and activated it, forcing a stream of mes to shoot forth from the parchment of the scroll. Fargo simply lifted his de, extending it towards the fire with a smile on his face as the weapon began to absorb the fire element and ingratiate it into the mana he¡¯d already collected.

    As the parchment disintegrated in her palm, Katrin used her free hand to cut several mana symbols in the air before finally pressing her hand to a nearby wall. A rippling wave of mana expanded from the contact point and traveled down along the wall before reaching the ground. At that point several jutting spikes of earth element began to pierce upwards from the ground as the attack traveled towards her foe.

    ¡°Oh?¡± Fargo remarked, surprised to see a rudimentary ¡®free magic¡¯ spelle from a Scribe.

    ¡°So this is how a Scribe fights hmm? By using your enchant symbols to programplex spells into the environment around you?¡± Fargo swiped his ming de, the aura surrounding it was now that of actual fire as hemanded a portion of the energy to detach and sh with Katrin¡¯s earth spikes. The result was an explosion which sent rock and dirt flying in many directions.

    ¡°I never imagined this would be fun. You¡¯ve got my attention.¡± Fargo said as he sank down into a serious battle stance for the first time.

 Chapter 56: How A Scribe Fights (1)

    Chapter 56: How A Scribe Fights (1)

    Katrin gritted her teeth as she realized that the battle had now begun in earnest. She resolved herself for the battle after finally deciding on the tactics she would use. She recalled her Mag-gun and instead decided to proceed empty handed, taking up an open handed martial stance.

    ¡°Oh? Are you sure? You might notst longer than a few seconds.¡± Fargo said, he disapproved of her choice yet he couldn¡¯t help but feel excited at the prospect of the fight. Normally he hated his job as a snatcher. It was something wholly beneath him as a Striker. Preying on the weak or helpless frustrated him to no end andtely Gaines had only requested new adventurers.

    *I¡¯ll be happy when this all dies down and I can enjoy some free time. I hate that fat fuck, with all of my soul.* Fargo¡¯s eyes shed dangerously of mana as an explosion of energy washed over his body.

    Katrin felt a sense of pressure ovee her as the mood suddenly changed. Not only was mana a conduit for magic, but it also allowed emotion and intent to be transferred. Sometimes it could even alter the effects of spells used for free-form magic users. Katrin had read as much but it was her first time experiencing it firsthand. The impression she got was like facing a massive wall and it bared down upon her causing an ufortable feeling of oppression to cling to her.

    She couldn¡¯t help but feel pressured, her body reacting on reflex to force a hard gulp. Itsted for only a moment as she clenched her fist before the battle continued in full. Fargo walked towards her confidently until he reached a distance sufficient enough to bridge the distance in a single move.

    Meanwhile Agni had her hands full with two highly skilled opponents. With her ¡®Whisper¡¯ ability sealed she couldn¡¯t help but stay on the defensive. She¡¯d been trying topel her opponents from the beginning but one of them would always interrupt hermand. Glint particrly was fond of sticking close to her to take advantage of the fact that she was unable to use her halberd effectively at such a close distance. His experience inbat had already exposed weaknesses that Agni never thought about. She was now learning the hard way that all of her abilities were suited to mid and long rangebat. When it came to melee she was woefully unprepared. At this point the only thing keeping her afloat was her Agility score.

    Agility was different from speed in the sense that it allowed for quick evasive motions, whether full or partial in nature. Ducking, weaving, side steps ¡ª these were abilities that Agni practiced constantly during the past week and a half of her new life in Adventia. The problem was that due to the experience of her attackers any edge she had was minimal at best. She was barely avoiding the tip of Glint¡¯s des while Ashe¡¯s ambush attacks forced her to take the brunt of a blow from one or the other.

    In the event that Agni was able to activate her Whisper ability, it would only take hold for a second, and that time seemed to decrease in duration each time she used it on one of her attackers. Furthermorepelling them to fight one another or simply kill themselves seemed to be impossible altogether. She was forced to dance between attacks while watching for Ashe¡¯s irregr strikes. It was only a matter of time before she slipped up and with that in mind she decided to abandon the use of her halberd altogether.

    *You¡¯re going to get captured like this! I know a better way!* Sh mind-shouted as an alert suddenly appeared before Agni.

    [Acquire the ability ¡®Iron Fangs, Iron ws¡¯? This will cost 10 PP. Y/N]

    *What?* Agni¡¯s slight moment of distraction was enough for Glint to catch her with a gash along the exposed flesh on her thigh. Agni gritted her teeth and ignored the pain which was now setting in as she focused on Sh¡¯s words.

    *You can fight hand to hand with this ability. It will turn your fingers and teeth to sharp instruments of death at just a thought. It¡¯s the only way you¡¯re going to break the stalemate.* Sh exined.

    Agni had been saving her Potential Points, not because of her desire to obtain wings, she would manage that with her next rank up. Instead she simply nned on acquiring the most useful general skills to suit her. Realizing now that Sh was right, she had no choice but to acquiesce.

    *Yes!* She confirmed mentally, and the prompt disappeared, subtracting ten of her remaining 30 Potential Points and learning the ¡®Iron Fangs, Iron ws¡¯ ability.

    [Acquire ¡®Extend¡¯? This will cost 5 PP. Y/N]

    *UGH! You¡¯re making me use all of my PP.* Agni mentally grunted as she focused on dancing between Glint¡¯s des and moving to avoid Ashe taking a ce behind her.

    *Shut up and do it. I have a bad feeling about these goons, and Katrin¡¯s fighting all by herself.* Shmanded, defiantly. Agni ignored it because she felt the same. Ever since she acquired a new passive, Devilish Intuition, it had been helping her in many ways. In fact, it was due to this ability that she was able to avoid being checkmated by her two aggressors. She could ¡°feel¡± Ashe¡¯s attacks more than sense them. His technique made him invisible unless she was using Subus Vision, only at the moment of striking would he be revealed and by then it would be much toote.

    Devilish Intuition allowed her to avoid his strikes regardless of whether she had eyes on him and the ability was being forged in fire with each attempt. The more her opponents attacked her, the more she could feel the harm being directed her way. It was as if their intent to injure her became perceivable and she used this to augment her natural Agility. If not for this ability, she would no doubt have been defeated within seconds.

    Agni quickly epted the second suggestion of Sh. She already knew what the abilities were, but to her they both seemedme at the time ¡ª thus she never even bothered to obtain or experiment with them. There would be no harm in acquiring either as long as her mastery with both failed to exceed 5% by the time the battle ended. It was a risk she was willing to take though. Agni was quickly learning that ss rted abilities were the bread and butter of an adventurer and they were almost always superior to general skills.

    *Now listen up. I know how to end this stalemate.* Sh directed as the two began to fight with theirbined forces.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    Katrin¡¯s opponent had been growing more fierce by the moment. She got rid of her gun and opted to use her Scribe runes to do battle. By adopting what resembled the stance of a four legged creature, Katrin was able to force her body to move while keeping contact with the ground. In turn, this allowed her to activate runes on the t surface of the ground. The battle unfolding resembled something out of battle between a wizard and a knight.

    Katrin activated random elements, realizing that her foe only seemed to have one weakness at this point ¡ª his abilities were close to mid range. He could absorb only intangible magic types, thus most of her strikes consisted of earth attacks. Particrly, she used rising spikes of earth to attack her lunging foe. He would easily sh them with his de, but this too was part of Katrin¡¯s ns. She noticed that each time he cleaved one of her attacks the flickering blue me of his de would diminish.

    In addition to these attacks Katrin had also begun to test various low level magic types. Within the world of Adventia magic was split up into roughly three tiers. Lesser, Greater and Celestial. Furthermore, there were over twenty known elements with several ranks of their own. Low level magic could be considered rank 1 elements of Lesser Tier.

    So far, earth element had proven to be the most effective. Although Katrin had only three earth element skills she could use at the moment, she only used ¡®Terra Rising¡¯ to lull her opponent into a false sense of security. She found the darkness element to be the next effective, with poison being useful as well. Once she confirmed that both of these additional elements would work she began to formte a n to either injure or immobilize her foe.

    In order for a Scribe to activate magical spells, they would need to carry a relic with the spell inscribed on it. In Katrin¡¯s case she had several dozen types of scrolls in her inventory. As long as she had the mana required to activate a spell, she could avoid consuming a scroll¡¯s use in order to create the magical effect. This was done through the use of a specific rune. The only problem was that Katrin needed her cast runes to be within a specific distance of another object or surface to take hold. This resulted in her animal-like crouching style that she was currently using.

    Fargo was careful to keep her away from the walls as much as possible due to Katrin¡¯s tactics. His reaction speed was sharp, suggesting to Katrin that he also had a much higher Agility score. Thatbined with his ability to quickly swing such arge, t de suggested he also had a great deal of Strength stat as well.

    With each blow that Katrin avoided she would be forced to practically frog leap with the power of all four limbs in order to avoid downward or horizontal blows. Most of the time this resulted in a slight moment of imbnce as this was something Katrin had never practiced ¡ª it was born simply out of necessity and desire to win. Over time she made adjustments, using less force and more finesse but regardless moving in such an unfamiliar way was taxing on her body. Thus, the moment her reactions were a hair too slow Fargo broke through hertest barrage of ¡®Terra Rising¡¯ spikes and swung his de with a battle-lust crazed re.

    Cursing the fact that she didn¡¯t have enough time to put her full n in motion, Katrin hastily took action. She pped both hands down on the ground after forming two quick Scribe symbols, causing two thin tendrils of darkness energy to shoot forth. She then hopped backwards to create distance as Fargo reacted to her ensnarement.

    He cloaked his freehand in fierce blue mana mes and swatted at the tendrils of darkness. The pair of magical constructs quickly dissipated under the power of his own blows as he continued his lunge towards Katrin.

    It was at this moment that the second rune triggered, having been dyed by Katrin just a moment. Two more tendrils captured Fargo, wrapping around his forearm and waist. His forward motion slowed, but only momentarily as Fargo expended more of his ming aura to once again dissipate the magical contracts.

    He grinned and set his sights on Katrin once again, now realizing that she was in perfect range for a blow. He didn¡¯t intend to kill her, thus he would tten his de on impact, making his strike more of a p than a slice. Confident that he¡¯d managed to checkmate his opponent he swung his de, and that¡¯s when Katrin chose to strike.

    Her hands moved almost in a blur as she began writing a plethora of Scribe symbols in the air, then pressing her palm to her own body. She covered her chest in three separate runes in less than a second and activated them just as quickly. A ¡®Terra Rising¡¯ earth spike jutted forth from the spinning runic circle near her bosom, with another shooting forth from her abdomen. With both hands in an awkward position and such forward momentum Fargo could do little else but take the strikes head on. He was surprised that Katrin¡¯s battle sense was so well honed, especially as the first spike pierced his shoulder at the exact point where his armor was weakest. He made sure to protect his head and heart as most would and Katrin anticipated as much. The Terra Rising spike she created was slender ¡ª more like a spear than a spire of jagged earth. Thus it easily pierced her foe¡¯s armor, stabbing through his forearm and into his shoulder, impaling him with a portion of his own force.

    What¡¯s more the second attack was more jagged and struck at his midsection where the armor was weakest. The attack cut into his abdomen causing Fargo¡¯s eyes to water as he coughed up a spurt of blood.

    The third and final symbol activated, causing a stream of toxic poison to spray directly into Fargo¡¯s face. The poison element ability was enough to cause his skin to burn fiercely, it felt as if thousands of tiny knives were stabbing his face. He pressed his eyes shut to avoid being blinded, but he couldn¡¯t help taking a heaving breath of the mist-like poison thus his lungs were now on fire as well.

    He could only struggle, waiting for the effects of the spell to wear off. Despite all of his injuries the blows weren¡¯t enough to kill him outright. Thus he pulsed his remaining umted mana fiercely in a bid to burn away the constructs guing him.

    *You little bitch. I¡¯m going to kill you!* He growled in his mind as he flexed his muscles in an attempt to weaken the stone spears. With his eyes pressed closed and rage oveing his other senses, Fargo didn¡¯t even see what came next. Katrin took her time, tracing the same magic symbol on the surface of her palm multiple times before adding a second symbol. The four symbols merged as one as she pumped much more energy into the result than necessary. Finally she got to her feet and walked forth, thrusting her palm into his nose with all of her might before she released the full effect of her Scribe spell.

 Chapter 57: How A Succubs Fights

    Chapter 57: How A Subs Fights

    The resulting st was enough to force the sound of a muffled explosion to echo through the nearby environments. At least, the first one was ¡ª the second was more fierce and much louder. Fargo¡¯s body lurched despite being pinned by Katrin¡¯s surprise ensnarement as the second explosion resulted in stter of blood which forced Katrins¡¯ grip free. The attack was utterly devastating. Unbeknownst to Katrin, Fargo had been rendered unconscious from the viscous rattling of his brain against his skull since the very first attack.

    Fargo¡¯s face and Katrin¡¯s hands each shared the brunt of the brutal attack, but it was Fargo who suffered the most. His mana energy slowly faded away, his body going limp in the process. There was a reason why Katrin preferred not to use this particr type of Scribe casting ¡ª it could backfire and hurt the user which was currently happening. The first st made her palm go numb, the second caused her to lose feeling in her hand while the third st exploded forth, igniting her hand and Fargo¡¯s face aze. The force from the final and most powerful st was so powerful that Fargo¡¯s body was forced backwards, arcing through the air several feet before hended hard on the street, face down.

    She¡¯d prepared herself for the pain, but she waved her hand to douse the mes, finally being forced to use mana to extinguish them. As she gazed down at her hand the fingers were almost mangled and reduced to ckened masses. Her palm was rife with deep cuts which flowed freely of blood.

    Katrin¡¯s forehead was now beaded with sweat as she gazed upon the corpse of her foe, his hair and by extension his flesh was still burning which filled the air with the sickening scent of charred flesh.

    ¡°Shit! Ashe!¡± Glint shouted as he pressed his attack to keep Agni pinned down. Out of the corner of her eye Agni could see Ashe¡¯s thermal image moving towards Katrin who waspletely distracted by both the pain and her focus on Fargo¡¯s crumpled body.

    *Now! Use Extend!* Sh shouted.

    Agni realized what Sh had in mind but she still had yet to use either ability she¡¯d just acquired. She realized in a split second that the odds of her defeating her foes would drastically drop if Katrin was put down, thus she did the only thing she could do ¡ª she took a gamble.

    Pushing her senses to the limit, Agni focused her intent to activate ¡®Iron Fangs, Iron ws¡¯. Her hand was already in motion before the skill could even kick in, she would either face the pain of broken fingers or surprise her foe. She could feel her fingers as they grew more heavy, denser. This feeling extended to the fingers and fingernails on both hands as both her fingers and her nails turned a shiny sheen of ck. Rather than attempt to avoid Glint¡¯s knives, Agni directed her strike at Glint¡¯s face ¡ª particrly his eyeball. While Glint was prepared for dirty fighting, in fact Agni¡¯s telegraph of her intent was so obvious that he grinned to himself at her newbish behavior.

    He underestimated the fact that Agni¡¯s fingers could snap the de of his weapon. Not only did this ur as he moved to sh her, but her fingernails also extended at thest moment. Like pointed spears themselves, gouging Glint¡¯s eye and nearly piercing himpletely had his reflexes not kicked in. He swayed at thest possible moment, but not before the piercing attack imed vision in one of his eyes. He mentally prepared himself for the pain and in the process left Agni a nasty gift by jamming the broken dagger into her thigh as he tumbled backwards onto his ass.

    As Glint looked around he felt cornered and his wilder reflexes kicked in. He prepared his second de as he struggled topensate for his eyesight. Pain washed over him, robbing him of his normally sharp senses in the process. He half expected her to finish him off, after all the critical blow damaged his health severely. Yet the attack did note.

    As he struggled to make sense of it all he finally realized what had happened. Agni used the surprise attack against him, and indeed she tried to kill him in a single strike but her intent was never Glint. He saw the true extent of Agni¡¯s ability, Extend, as the fingers from her right hand had grown several meters. Ashe had been impaled mid stride in several ces, all of them fatal. Kidney, lung in several ces and even close to his heart, Agni¡¯s attack was brutal, efficient and unexpected. Bybining the two abilities she¡¯d just acquired at the behest of Sh, Agni was able to expend mana to harden her fingertips and nails to the likeness of iron. Furthermore by using Extend she could cause parts of her body, namely fingers and her tail to lengthen. Because of her panic, as well as her desire to avoid losing the advantage, Agni had ced a significant amount of her remaining MP into this technique.

    What would normally amount to centimeters of growth shot forth like piercing spears of flesh and easily pierced Ashe¡¯s leather armor in a plethora of positions. The strike was somewhat unwieldy to handle and onlysted for a few seconds before Agni felt too weak to maintain the weight of her body¡¯s new distribution, thus her fingertips began to retract like a tape measure. Her talon like nails removed both chunks of flesh and trails of blood as they came back to her with a snap.

    The gash on Agni¡¯s leg was worth it, so much in fact that she began to chuckle to herself. Ashe¡¯s face was contorted in both surprise and pain as he struggled against the flow of blood that was both leaking from his body and simultaneously filling his lungs. With hisst dregs of strength faltering, Ashe fell in a heap to the ground and breathed hisst amidst the sound of raspy gurgles.

    Agni gloated that the attack had fared so well. She felt that with the tables turned both she and Katrin would now be able to get away easily. The battle had been fierce. Six against two yet they had somehow managed to ovee the odds against stronger opponents and the numbers threat.

    That¡¯s why she waspletely caught off guard by what happened next.

    *Agni! Agni!* Sh¡¯s voice rang clearly in Agni¡¯s mind, snapping her full attention on her remaining enemy. At first she believed he would attempt an attack while she was distracted, and she was right¨C partially. Pain shot through her thigh as she shifted her position to face Glint, only to notice that his arm was extended, almost as if he¡¯s just¨C

    Upon realizing what happened Agni turned to warn Katrin, but it was toote. Glint tossed his remaining daggers with all of his might, burying both to the hilt in Katrin¡¯s chest. One pierced her lung while the other her heart , forcing the brave young adventurer to her knees in the same blow.

 Chapter 58: Bloody Result

    Chapter 58: Bloody Result

    Agni¡¯s voice was stuck in her throat as she watched Katrin sink to her knees. A sense of panic set in as she watched her first party mate, her friend fall t in a matter of seconds. She made to move but a sharp pain in her thigh caused her to reconsider before Sh¡¯s voice echoed in her mind.

    *She¡¯s still alive, but you need to act fast! Her health is fading fast. Use a potion on her!* Sh said. Agni ventured a nce at Katrin¡¯s health bar and realized it was true, though her health was dangerously low and fading by the moment, Katrin was still hanging on by a thread.

    ¡°Dammit! IC: Yue Potion, Katrin!¡± Agni shouted as she cursed her ownck of preparation. Never in her wildest dreams did Agni believe she would get pulled into a life or death battle inside the city of Grenvale. Despite all of Bracha¡¯s low key warnings to stay on the well traveled path she had found herself in grave trouble almost immediately without hardly any restoratives to her name.

    Meanwhile Katrin¡¯s world was spinning. Her lungs struggled to intake the air she desperately needed as blood began to fill them and her heart was on fire as blood began to spurt from the wound in her chest. She could feel her life force slipping away as she began to grow cold. Her only sce was in the fact that she¡¯d taken out one enemy by herself.

    In her previous life Katrin was a nobody. A wallflower that most everyone she encountered would easily forget. She didn¡¯t get on well with her coworkers due to her shy and inward nature. Her family was non-existent from the age of twenty and thus she was forced to make her way in the world on her own.

    She had a few flings, as any woman had, terrible luck at romance and even more terrible times with building a career. In the end, she remembered dying before she reached old age, yet as a middle aged woman she was full of regrets. She had no doubt that these lingering thoughts were enough to answer the call of Adventia.

    When Katrin found herself in a newnd with a young, attractive body she took it as a second chance at life. She was determined to grab it with both hands. Though she only remembered key portions of her past life, there was a strong sense of determination to make full use of the one she currently had.

    She started by pulling the knife out of her lung first and tossing it to the side. This was no easy feat as her limbs were heavy andcking feeling. She doubted that she would even have the strength to do what she needed at this point ¡ª to pull out the remaining dagger and heal herself before bleeding out.

    ¡°Dammit! IC: Yue Potion, Katrin!¡± It was Agni¡¯s voice, which forced a pained smile across her bloody lips. The blood within her began to recede as the wound in her lung burned and tingled. This was a sign of her wounds healing, as she¡¯d felt many times under the effects of healing potions. The way healing potions worked were a mystery, much like magic in such a world, yet they would address any wounds first, then focus on restoring health.

    Because Katrin still had a dagger embedded in her heart, that wound could not be healed. The potion instead focused on healing the rest of her bruises before finally restoring a bit of health. She was around 10% of her HP by this point and her limbs now had the strength to move once more, yet she was fading fast.

    With anotherbored push of both willpower and strength Katrin pulled the other dagger from her chest as a wellspring of blood issued forth. This time she used the second potion herself. While Agni was busy haggling over prices, Katrin was looking at various things in Gadsten¡¯s shop. One of which were potions of various types. She found a few that could help them in their travels, and though they were expensive she grabbed one of each at the time.

    ¡°IC : World Dew Potion.¡± Katrin said hoarsely as a second wave of healing washed over both her and Agni. The potion she used was abined effect potion which restored 300 health and 150 mana for each member of the party. It had cost a pretty penny and it was something she was hoping to save for dire emergencies, this was one such emergency.

    Agni felt the tingle of healing ovee her, but that sensation was overshadowed by her enemy who had gotten to his feet and managed to deliver a crushing blow to her abdomen, kicking her in the ribs and cracking them in the process. With her attention divided and his numbers dwindling, Glint the wounded and remaining snatcher had to act.

    *There¡¯s no fucking way I¡¯m going back empty handed. I¡¯ll be yed alive!* He growled inwardly as he took action with an almost murderous intent.

    Meanwhile Katrin struggled to wipe the blood from her lips as she felt the wound on her chest slowly sew itself shut. In the process she¡¯d sacrificed almost all of the potion¡¯s health restoring benefits to heal the deadly wound, thus her health only bordered at 15% of her total while her mana was brimming full.

    She allowed the pain to subside fully before attempting to get up, unfortunately she waspletely unprepared for what happened next as the charred face of Fargo appeared above her and stomped her chest viciously.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe¡­you nearly killed me!¡± He growled as his foot came down on Katrin¡¯s diaphragm. The resulting blow shattered her ribcage, forcing several shards of bone into her once healed lungs again. Fargo had no intention of allowing her to use another potion so he reached into his own inventory and pulled out an amulet, holding it upwards as he spoke.

    ¡°Glint. Weaken her, but don¡¯t kill her. We¡¯ll lose our heads if wee back empty handed after all this trouble.¡± Fargo¡¯s rage was unmatched, yet he spoke clearly and decisively. This was because, despite his anger he was happy that someone could bring him to such a state in an exciting battle. In a different ce and time, he¡¯d have congratted Katrin but when dealing with monsters there was no room forcency or camaraderie. And *he* was not to be trifled with.

    The amulet shone with a flicker of purple aura as it¡¯s effects took hold.

    [Utility Seal : Item and Inventory ess has been sealed.] This was the alert which shed in front of Katrin and Agni¡¯s eyes. The truth is, even if they wanted to continue healing themselves they had no ability to do so. Katrin used thest of their healing potions just moments before Fargo¡¯s sneak attack. His foot was still pressed against Katrin¡¯s abdomen and she was aware that he could have crushed her further if he chose to do so, yet he didn¡¯t. He watched her like a hawk as the purple colored magic filtered upwards into the sky and formed a half-spherical dome. All people within this barrier would be inflicted with the Utility Seal ailment, including Fargo and Glint.

    Katrin¡¯s mind raced for a way to defeat her enemy, but she knew the moment that she reacted Fargo would intercept her attack. She only had one card left to y. It was a dangerous one, but she would do it anyway. She took several deep breaths, as best she could with the weight of Fargo¡¯s foot on her. It seemed as if the amulet was the type that required mana to be constantly fed into it to achieve its effect. She suspected as much because though Fargo had her pinned, he hadn¡¯t taken action against her nor was he using his enchanted Guardian de. Thus it woulde down to focus and speed. Katrin wasn¡¯t confident in either category, so she calmed her mind as best she could before grabbing at a scroll she¡¯d stashed beneath her garments.

    It was moist, filled with her own blood but it unfurled just the same as she activated the magical item in one swift motion. Fargo grinned at first, before the biting mes leapt out of the scroll. When Katrin knocked him cold and nearly killed him due to shock and sheer damage, a fear was imnted in Fargo. This was the only reason he stepped back initially, after all in his mind a Rank 0 Scribe¡¯s mes would be child¡¯s y if he had his weapon at the ready. Unfortunately he didn¡¯t and so he decided to y it safe. The stream of mes were so powerful that he felt his charred face tingle with pain, they even managed to further damage his foot which was closest to Katrin.

    ¡°T-These aren¡¯t the mes of a novice. That would have easily killed me!¡± He grunted in disbelief as a cold sweat overcame him. This was the same scroll that Bracha enchanted with rune magic and allowed Katrin to keep. She¡¯d been tempted to use it many times, but after seeing its powerful effects she decided to save it for a dicey situation. From that moment on she¡¯d carried the scroll on her person as ast ditch safety measure.

    The moment Fargo lifted his foot, Katrin got to her feet, leaving the magical scroll fixed in its cast position just centimeters above the ground. Her body groaned as bones pierced into her flesh, but she gritted her teeth as she quickly began creating another makeshift spell. This would be herst attempt to end Fargo once and for all. The item he was using worked both ways, she was sure of it ¡ª otherwise he¡¯d have healed himself by this point.

    Fargo was taken aback by both the strength of the mes and Katrin¡¯s movements. He lost a precious couple of seconds, but that was all Katrin needed as she finished her spell and tapped her chest, shooting forth a thick, spear shaped earth spike which was aimed directly at Fargo¡¯s face. The next few moments yed out in slow motion as the spire traveled forth, threatening to impale her foe instantly. Only Fargo¡¯s skill and experience were enough to save him. His footing was awkward, thus all he could manage to do was use gravity and his own weight to alter his position. The earth attack gouged a deep cut into his already scarred face, grating against the bone as it passed.

    Fargo summoned the remainder of his experience and sheer will to step forward and deliver another crushing blow to Katrin¡¯s abdomen. This time the air rushed from her body, lifting her several centimeters from the ground as she doubled over, yet refused to fall. This single move was enough to end the sh earth spell she cast, causing the earth spire to crumble in mid air. She moved to bring her hands together once more to weave symbols but Fargo was much quicker. He grabbed her right wrist and pivoted, bringing both himself and her arm behind Katrin¡¯s back. He then fell forward with all of his weight, forcing Katrin to the ground. His next move was toy her on her back with her hand still behind her back as he mounted her so that she could no longer escape.

    Fargo managed to do all of these things without disrupting the effects of his amulet, using his position as a straddler to push his hips down and secure Katrin¡¯s pinned arm while using his free hand to pin her left. With all of her movements sealed Katrin was surprised to find that Fargo¡¯s eyes no longer spoke of anger, but respect and admiration.

    ¡°Give up. There¡¯s no way you can win. Hell, I¡¯m a rank 2 Guardian and even I¡¯m still losing.¡± Fargo said, his voice was firm, but sincere as he gazed down into Katrin¡¯s eyes. He meant every word, and in fact he was beginning to identify with his foe more and more by the second. He even considered letting her go, if not for the consequences such an action would bring down upon him. This thought forced him to try to use words of reason to get through to her.

    ¡°I¡¯m a Rank 2 Guardian. You¡¯re just a Rank 0 Scribe. Your ss isn¡¯t suited tobat, so you never had any hope to defeat me from the beginning. Just stop struggling, it will make things easier from now on.¡± Fargo¡¯s words were meant to share some semnce of resignation with Katrin, but for her it only reminded her of the life she once sought to desperately escape.

    What bubbled up from within her heart was not the will of one who would submit, but rather something else.

    ¡°Ah.¡± She said with a sigh as she finally stopped struggling.

    ¡°Agni¡¯s going to be pissed.¡± Katrin said as she looked up at Fargo with a devious smile. The look in her eye and the tone of her voice set Fargo on edge. He¡¯d seen it before, and on asion worn the same expression. It was that of a person who managed to win, despite the odds. She activated her final trap card as a massive earth spike ripped through her abdomen and pierced Fargo in the same movement, impaling and lifting them both.

 Chapter 59: First Death (1)

    Chapter 59: First Death (1)

    *I -I can¡¯t believe it. She got me. Ha¡­ ha ha ha.* Fargo would have spoken the words if his defeat would not have been so immediate. Still, despite the pain of argence of earth gouging his body, he allowed a bloody smile to spread across his lips. In that moment, after the surprise fell away and his anger subsided, he felt truly grateful to his enemy.

    *Well, at least it wasn¡¯t boring. I can¡¯t say I look forward to what happens next¡­.but¡­ at least this much was enjoyable..* He gazed down at Katrin only to notice a smile on her face as well.

    *Ah, I see. So you enjoyed it too. That¡¯s¡­good¡­* These were Fargo¡¯sst thoughts as the light of life left his eyes. The pair of adventurers were ravaged, both taken out by the ferocity of Katrin¡¯s final strike. She was careful to infer to her enemy that she could only create symbols by using both hands together. It was a skillful trick she used to manipte her foe however slight, thus the moment her right hand was pinned she used the time to trace a Scribe script rune against the ground and reinforce it with all of her remaining mana.

    The result was a spire of earth which easily pierced her body and Fargo¡¯s heart. Because of her already low health, this blow was enough to instantly relieve Katrin from her ownbored pains and separate her foe from his own lifeforce.

    The use of the inventory sealing item was a double edged sword, allowing her to strike a fatal blow to an already wounded opponent. Now matter how powerful an adventurer one was, critical blows to the body resulted in losing massive chunks of health. Whereas normal people would instantly die, as long as an adventurer had enough health remaining they would not die right away.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    The next thing Katrin knew, all was dark. Her body felt quite light, as if she was drifting along in an endless sea of nothingness. It was dark, but not devoid of light ¡ª a strange mixture that caused her senses overwhelming peace.

    In the instant it happened she felt free, from the pain that ravaged her body as well as the tension that gripped her mind during the final moments. She hadn¡¯t felt such calm ever before, not even during her death in her previous life. This sensation seemed tost a short time, though she felt she couldn¡¯t urately perceive time. It felt fuzzy, passing quickly, yet each moment was stretched to the utmost.

    She could see random shes of memories, both from her previous and current life until finally she was face to face with herself. At least, a version of her old self. She remembered it well. Olive colored hair, cut short in a business style. Her business overcoat was long sleeved over a blouse while her pencil skirt clung to her petite frame.

    This was a stark contrast to her current form. Now that Katrin realized it, she waspletely nude, though this didn¡¯t rm her in the least. Her round mounds of E-cup breasts rested on her chest as she gazed down at the length of her body. She was slightly taller than her counterpart by several centimeters. Her bust was vast byparison, as were her curves. Even her body was more fit.

    Now that she thought back on it, her current body was much more shapely than her past one, in a way it matched more closely the ideal of what Katrin had always wished for herself. Borderline C-cup breasts, in a word she used to be so ¡°smol¡±. Timid as well, the alternate version of herself seemed to fidget thought she wasn¡¯t moving at all. Instead, red, box-framed sses covered her face which was cast downward as if she attempted to hide from any gaze levied her way.

    Katrin couldn¡¯t help but feel sad for the one that used to be her, so she extended her hand with a smile, remembering all the painful moments that caused her to develop such aplex about the beauty that was herself. She also resolved in that moment to let them go.

    The two aspects of Katrin grasped hands and in a sh of light merged into one as a bright light enveloped all that Katrin could see. The next thing she knew, she was opening her eyes to the afternoon sun in a familiar ce. She found herself floating in a pool of water which she quickly remembered to be the spawning pool of the Wilderness Tabernacle.

    She took a few moments to enjoy the sensation of the water against her bare skin before moving to the edge of the pool to get out. Unlike her previous spawning in the area everything was quiet and still. She could hear the peaceful nature of the ce as birds chirped in the distance and a calming, gentle breeze carried the scent of earth along its wind.

    ¡°Wee, young one. I didn¡¯t expect to see you back here so soon. Troubles?¡± Katrin turned to her right upon realizing she was not alone. There, sitting on a nearby rock was Wa, guardian of the Wilderness Tabernacle. Her bronzed, weathered skin and stern expression was both reassuring and simultaneously disheartening as she finally realized that she was miles away from her teammate who was currently locked in a life or death battle.

    Now that the water¡¯s buoyancy no longer surrounded her, Katrin felt very heavy. Her body was sluggish as if she could barely gather enough strength to even walk.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you can even move. First Death will do that to you.¡± Wa remarked as she got to her feet and handed Katrin a towel, along with a fresh change of clothes.

    ¡°First Death?¡± Katrin said as the feeling of disorientation slowly faded away and the events of herst moments reyed in her mind vividly.

    ¡°Yes. First Death. Come.¡± Wa said as she walked towards the familiar direction of the Guardian Statue.

 Chapter 60: First Death (2)

    Chapter 60: First Death (2)

    ¡°Huh?¡± Katrin said as a wave of surprise overcame her. Her body felt sluggish, so much so that she nearly toppled over her own weight as she began to follow Wa. Suddenly her bnce pitched her forward and she fell to her knees with a soft thud.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my body? Why is it so heavy?¡± Katrin asked as she slowly struggled to get to her feet.

    ¡°As I said, First Death. Your body is in a highly vulnerable state. Right now you¡¯re about as weak and fragile as any normal human being ¡ª just one mortal blow could end you.¡± Wa responded without even bothering to stop.

    Katrin gritted her teeth as she slowly stood, wobbling a bit in the process. Sure enough she noticed a new icon in the lower left portion of her viewport. Focusing on it allowed her to better understand the effects of the strange status ailment now impairing her functions.

    [First Death ¨C (11:57:13). Develed (Currently Level 2) ¨C 50% to all Stats. Regeneration rate and amount of HP and MP reduced by 50%. Sustaining further injury could be life threatening or fatal.]

    ¡°This is¡­really severe.¡± Katrin said as she suddenly felt a pain in her abdomen. Though her body hadpletely healed she could clearly still feel shes of the trauma in her mind. She sighed, wrapping the towel in her hands around her chest and slowly following Wa to their destination. After a slow, achy walk across several meters, Katrin finally stood face to face with the guardian of the Wilderness Tabernacle once more.

    ¡°Is there anything you wish to ask? In this world, as I¡¯m sure you¡¯vee to understand, knowledge isn¡¯t free. I¡¯ll answer two questions only, the rest you must pay for as a service.¡±

    Bracha was right, to an adventurer everything must be earned, thus Wa¡¯s attitude made perfect sense. Katrin had a pretty good idea as to her current situation. She also realized that it would be more than half a day before the effects of First Death wore off.

    ¡°When can I leave?¡± She asked.

    ¡°You can leave at your leisure, though I wouldn¡¯t rmend it. Nothing is keeping you here though. I will offer you this advice though ¨C anytime you return to a safe zone that isn¡¯t within a Chapel walls you may only linger for so long. The blessing of this Tabernacle affords you 48 hours at most before you are forcefully expelled.¡±

    Katrin immediately realized that Wa was being more helpful, perhaps due to the fact that Katrin was rtively new to this world. With that in mind she thought of her second question.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Agni couldn¡¯t believe her eyes. She watched the bloody earth spire rise up several meters and impale both Katrin and Fargo in an instant. Much like the other defeated adventurers their bodies broke apart into spheres of light and drifted away as if caught by a wind. For a moment she struggled to wrestle with the anger building in her heart. Her eyes pulsed with dangerous energy, unlike the normal pink color they were now glowing red with rage.

    She quickly turned her attention to the remaining member of the ambush party, her only sceying in the fact that Katrin wasn¡¯t truly dead.

    ¡°You bastard!¡± She shouted as she lunged forth and swiped her ws at Glint¡¯s face, attempting to steal the sight from his other eye. He made sure to backstep at least half a meter, veering to the side as well in order to avoid Agni¡¯s w extension ability.

    *Shit! I can¡¯t believe that Fargo was defeated by a damn Scribe. Gaines will have my head if I don¡¯t produce results now!* Glint¡¯s thoughts grew desperate as he flicked his wrist, awaiting the return of the daggers he¡¯d tossed to y Katrin. He was left fending off Agni¡¯s wild attacks in the short amount of time that would take. Her blows had be even more powerful, fast and dangerous as her ears grew more elf-like, pointy. Her incisors also grew several centimeters until they jutted from the corners of her mouth. A crazed expression painted her face as she battled Glint who, at this point, was having much more difficulty keeping up.

    His eye was still bleeding feverishly and the pain was nothing to sneeze at either. Much as he expected, Agni began to mix in extension as part of her strikes against him. Her fingertips grew several inches and this coupled with her hardening ability was responsible for leaving at least one deep gash across his chest before the enchanted daggers finally returned to Glint¡¯s grasp.

    His adventurer ss, Fighter was skilled in just about all types ofbat but his favored weapons were a trio of enchanted daggers. They allowed him to throw his weapons with reckless abandon and in exchange for a bit of mana he could recall them at will. He¡¯d used them to y many monsters and adventurers but he easily found himself pushed back by the Subus¡¯ raw fury.

    Shebined her natural agility with her newfound strength. What¡¯s more her words themselves seemed to affect Glint now. Rather than the slight sense of pull she exerted just minutes ago he could feel a deeply oppressive force that gathered around his limbs like chains with each word she spoke.

    The problem was ¡ª

    ¡°Die!¡±

    ¡°Bleed For Me!¡±

    ¡°Grovel, Worm!¡±

    Each heavy blow was apanied by an order which, though he could only feel the force for a second at best, was enough to slowly whittle down his remaining strength. At thestmand he felt his knees buckle, helpless to resist Agni¡¯spulsion. As his knees hit the cobblestone road he was now breathing heavily, gashes on his arms, chest and thighs. Due to the vicious nature of her assault his weapons never even made a return, he lost control of the technique and was now on hisst legs. Still, Glint¡¯s mind never stopped moving.

    *If she gets too overzealous I can easily turn this around..* This was his thought as he imagined all of the best ways to take her out with a single strike. Agni stopped her assault and gazed down upon him as if he were the epitome of filth at the bottom of her feet.

    As he expected Agniprepared for herst strike by rearing back to sh him in the face. He¡¯d purposely adopted a stance on his knees to lull her into such a strike. He twitched his fingers, activating his des once more so that they would strike Agni at the opportune moment. One aimed for her abdomen, the other for her leg to both wound and incapacitate her. His reward would be grand fornding such a high value target, so though his face was downcast and motionless Glint¡¯s anticipation was overflowing.

    The dagger¡¯s shot forth with unprecedented speed, for Glint could control the return of his weapons based on the amount of mana he poured into their runes. He gritted his teeth as the savory sensation of besting his opponent almost made his mouth water, his face twisting into a sneering gloat.

    At thest moment Agni halted her movement forward and took but a single step back. This was enough to dash Glint¡¯s hopes of mounting aeback victory and because he was so helpless on his knees he couldn¡¯t defend against what happened next.

    Agni¡¯s fingertips shot forth, extending over a meter and piercing him in his shoulder, chest and abdomen. With her other hand she repeated the same action, sinking her hardened fingernails into Glint¡¯s body with ease beforending a kick hard to his temple which nearly knocked him cold.

    ¡°Ah, you like to y? Fine. Let¡¯s y.¡± Agni said, her eyes now pulsing with red energy which absolutely bubbled from the depths of her anger. She grasped Glint by his throat and sank her ws deep into his abdomen, giving them a twist before she tossed his body against a nearby wall.

    Without giving Glint a moment to respond she summoned forth her halberd and pierced his shoulder to the nearby wall before pulling her weapon out forcefully. This caused a spurt of blood to spray, covering Agni¡¯s lips and face. She flicked her tongue to capture the taste of his essence, fully lost to the symphony of anger and revenge which gued her mind and heart.

    ¡°Pick up your knives.¡± Shemanded as she drew closer to Glint. He was now sweating profusely as he struggled to resist her directives. She grabbed him by the cor and pulled him face to face as she issuedmand aftermand for him to follow. With each Whisper he felt his mind slowly breaking until the next thing Glint knew he was holding a dagger in each hand.

    ¡°Kneel.¡± Shemanded, and his body responded in mind, forcing him to a prostrate position. She circled him slowly like a predator eyeing her prey before she took up a spot at his back. He could feel the weight of her breasts against his shoulder des as Agni wrapped her arms around his neck and gently hugged him. With her senses in such disarray, the subus side that she¡¯d been struggling to suppress was now free to reign. Every emotion was hers to indulge in, every second was hers topel. She could feel how hard Glint¡¯s heart was beating against his chest, each thud was like a melodic rhythm which spurred her on.

    She bit her lip as she flicked her tongue against his ear lobe and bit his neck gently. Meanwhile Glint was bewildered andpletely afraid. He¡¯d been struggling to shrug off the effects of her skill but the best he could manage was muscle spasms. Her proximity to him made the technique all the more oppressive, as if there were a thousand hands with a firm grip holding down his every movement and thought.

    She lingered on his neck, biting down and pulling the soft flesh there between her teeth until she felt his body tense in difort.

    The most sultry giggle erupted from her mouth as her grip around his neck tightened and she drew closer to his earlobe.

    ¡°Pierce your lung with one of your des.¡± Shemanded. Her voice was silky and smooth, as if it was the most natural thing in the world to desire. Thus Glint¡¯s hand shook as he desperately fought themand, but to no avail. The de pierced his chest and found its way to the mark. His own experience worked against him as he used the very best ce to strike against himself.

    ¡°Now..¡± Agni said, switching earlobes and drawing even closer,¡± Use the other to pierce your heart. Die for me, k?¡± Shemanded as her body and mind reached a fever pitch of ecstasy. She relished the thought of the de sinking deep into his skin and listening to the sound of his fading heart beat ¡ª a fitting end to a bitter enemy.

    She couldn¡¯t help but sink her ws into his cor bones as she watched him press the tip of his dagger into his flesh once more. Glint¡¯s hands shook profusely as he struggled to stop this mad game and then he focused with all of his will and resolve.

    *No, No, No!* He repeated to himself in order to fight his urges, his eyes pressed shut to focus better. And suddenly he felt the pressure relieve against his body. The weight of Agni on his shoulders disappeared and the oppressive force binding him lessened as well. Within a few moments he could feel his muscles too. He opened his eyes, hoping to quickly capitalize on the brief moment, only to find Agni staring him in the face, just centimeters from his ¡ª close enough to kiss even.

    For an instant he was caught up in her eyes which shed with such domineering energy that he waspletely distracted by both her beauty and the torrent of emotion concealed beneath them. She wrapped her left hand around his head and slowly leaned in, pulling him ever closer and for a moment she was all that he wanted. So much so that he didn¡¯t feel the pressure on his chest as the de slowly began to sink into his chest.

    When Glint finally realized what happened Agni was on top of him, straddling him as she slowly shoved the dagger into his heart with her right hand. Their gaze never broke, making her fiery red eyes thest thing Glint saw before he perished.

 Chapter 61: Wake Up

    Chapter 61: Wake Up

    Agni awoke with a start as she gasped for air. She couldn¡¯t remember why she was dreaming or what she was thinking of, but it was enough to set her on edge. This was a stark contrast to the silken sheets and soft bed she was nowying on.

    There was a soft fragrance lingering in the air that reminded her of the ce she now found herself ¡ª The Silken Petal. She could hear the sounds of ecstasy in the air as she sat up boltright, craning her neck to listen. From the sound of things a couple was going at it in a room not far from hers. Her body ached and she felt rather tired, but that didn¡¯t mean she forgot about the sequence of events from earlier. Her mind unraveled itself, rewinding to an undisclosed time just hours before as she gazed out of the nearby window. She realized it was now evening in the city of Grenvale.

    Agni gazed down at her fallen foe, having imed his life with his own weapons. She could remember the sense of smouldering rage mixed with justification as she watched his body form into light spheres and alight towards the skies. Until that moment her breathing was measured and focused, but as soon as her foe was in she found herself feeling weary and weak. She could hear Sh¡¯s voice in her head, finally. The truth was she¡¯d been hearing the familiar¡¯s voice all along ¡ª she simply blocked it out due to rage. But now she couldn¡¯t tell what was being said, instead she felt sleepy thus everything went ck as she fell face forward after taking a few steps.

    And then she woke up in the Silken Petal somehow, with seemingly several hours having passed. She got to her feet to check her injuries only to find that she was stark naked, so she stood before a nearby fullbody mirror to check her body. She ran her hands against her neck and down along her breasts, giving them a small jiggle before moving them down to her waist. Everything was in order.

    *Oi. Are you listening now?* Sh said out of the blue.

    *Yes. Do you know what happened after I cked out?* Agni mind-asked.

    *Of course. You passed out, so one of us had to keep an eye out. By the way, next time if you¡¯re going to battle some kidnappers ¨Cmake sure they are all dead.* Sh added before exining that one of the weaker enemies was nearly knocked out.

    *If it wasn¡¯t for that little runt Ren, you¡¯d probably have ended up in God knows where.*

    *Really? Ren? The guy we swindled?*

    *Persuaded.* Sh corrected.

    *And yes. He picked you up and carried you to the Silken Petal.*

    *Hmm. Maybe I had him all wrong..* Agni said as she thought pensively.

    *Hell no! That little creep groped the fuck out of you while you were passed out.*

    *Ha, really?* Surprisingly Agni didn¡¯t seem to mind too much.

    *You¡¯re a weirdo. I¡¯d be pissed if someone yed with my tits like that.* Sh asserted.

    *Hmm, I don¡¯t know Sh.. You sound like a smol girl.. Do you even have tits?* Agni said, a smirk forming across her lips as she thought.

    Sh was awkwardly silent, thus Agni chuckled to herself before saying out loud, ¡± Ha. I¡¯m sorry, it was a joke.¡±

    ¡°What was a joke dear?¡± Agni turned to notice Z standing in her doorway, her kimono half open and looking quite alluring. Agni could taste the essence of lust upon her, it glittered across her forehead in the form of sweat. Though she looked well ¡°exercised¡±, her hair was immacte, not a hair out of ce and her dark locks trailed down to the middle of her back. Agni still had yet to get over the allure of the mature mistress of the Silken Petal. Every time she saw her she just wanted to ¡ª

    She caught herself as she felt the lust energy building in her eyes. Surprisingly Z smiled, offering no resistance to the obvious thoughts Agni was now having.

    A chubby adventurer wobbled as he passed the door, stopping to nod at Z before he continued about his way bashfully upon having seen Agni.

    ¡°If you stand around like that so often, you¡¯ll end up taking all of my regrs.¡± Z said with a warm smile as she walked towards Agni. She stopped just centimeters away from the Subus and began to check her from her crown to her toes for injuries.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to have too many injuries. But for some reason you were passed out on the roadside. A patron of mine brought you here, saying that he would have felt bad if someone had robbed you. Do you mind telling me what happened? Also, where is your beautiful, busty Scribe friend?¡±

    Agni recounted the story of what happened during their battle with the snatchers.

    ¡°Do things like that happen often in Sprim Row?¡± Agni asked. Now that she thought about it, no one bothered to voice aint or even look towards the grand battle in the street.

    ¡°Yes dear. This ce is what you¡¯d call awless zone. I think.. Most cities have them. There is no world where those who are impoverished don¡¯t exist. We are the dregs, the outcasts, the criminals and the thieves of Grenvale. You can find just about anything in Sprim Row¨C except kindness.¡± Z said with a bittersweet smile as she sat down on the nearby bed, crossing her legs as she did so.

    Agni couldn¡¯t help but be drawn to the sleek alluring sight of her milky skin and the contrast against her purple floral kimono.

    ¡°Well, you and Katrin seem capable. And you say she defeated a Rank 2 Striker type adventurer all by herself? She¡¯s much tougher than I gave her credit for. Even as a Rank 3 it would be difficult for me to take on more than two or three other adventurers at a time. My ss isn¡¯t exactly built forbat.¡± Z winked as she spoke.

    ¡°Yea. This is..the first time this has happened. What do I do?¡± Agni said as she prepared to exchange some Gols for advice. Z dismissed the notion with a wave of her hand and patted the bedside, requesting Agni to take a seat near her.

    ¡°First Death isn¡¯t reallyplicated. It¡¯s a system imposed consequence for failure that renders you weakened. Worst case, you could die again and be a Normal, which many adventurers would consider a fate worse than death actually.

    Your friend will be affected for some period of time, I honestly forget how long. You see it changes with every rank gained. I can¡¯t imagine it will be longer than a day for a rank 0. For me, I think the effectsts almost 2 months.¡±

    ¡°Two months? That¡¯s crazy!¡± Agni nearly shouted.

    ¡°Mhm. But, that¡¯s the price you have to pay for power in this world¡­I suppose.¡± Z seemed to have epted it as a way of life by this point.

    ¡°Anyway, you¡¯ll be able to reach her the moment she decides to step out of her spawn point. I¡¯m guessing you two are still connected to the Wilderness Tabernacle, yes? That¡¯s the nearest one from here.¡±

    Agni nodded, prompting Z to continue.

    ¡°Well, in that case, she can eithere back to Grenvale of her own ord, which I wouldn¡¯t¡¯ rmend. Not only does the affliction seal your strength significantly, delevel you and weaken your body but it also blocks ess to all of your equipment.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a nightmare. What if you¡¯re attacked by monsters?¡± Agni asked.

    ¡°I think that¡¯s the point dear. This world is not forgiving, and to be an adventurer you need to be resourceful. Good at a trade, strong, or have connections. Any of these things can help you to be better able to live in this world.

    My ultimate point is that, to survive you need both luck and strength. I believe First Death is a reminder of that for us adventurers. Besides, monsters aren¡¯t the only thing you need to worry about during First Death¡­¡± Z said as she got to her feet. A small flower shaped charm bangle around her wrist began to glow faintly.

    ¡°I like you Agni, so feel free to drop by anytime. Though I doubt after today you will want to visit Sprim Row all that much. Feel free to gather your strength and stay as long as you need.¡± Z said before answering the call of her own business.

 Chapter 62: Long Walk

    Chapter 62: Long Walk

    Z was wrong about one thing, Agni would love to visit the Silken Petal as much as possible. The erotic energy in the air made her body tingle, but she knew she had more pressing things to do. She quickly got dressed and made her way out of Sprim Row, taking special care with Sh¡¯s help to avoid being followed.

    Based on Z¡¯s information, the foes she defeated some time ago would still be incapacitated but who¡¯s to say different people wouldn¡¯t show up? That was one blessing of the First Death, weaker adventurers would always recover more quickly. As long as they could hide out to regain their strength all would be well.

    Once she left the Entertainment District Agni then took a detour to Gadsten¡¯s shop. She wanted to thank Ren in person for his assistance in her time of need but the shop was closed. So she continued on, this time stopping at the Trainer¡¯s Chapel to speak to Bracha. Upon informing her of the altercation she asked a curious question.

    ¡°Did you see if any of the men who attacked you had this mark?¡± Bracha asked as she used her rune master mana to trace a particr symbol into the air. It zed with blue energy before slowly fading away. The image reminded Agni of a skull with mes within it¡¯s hollow sockets.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so.¡± Agni responded honestly. At this Bracha rxed a bit, but also quickly changed the subject.

    ¡°Are you going to get here tonight? By yourself?¡± Bracha asked.

    ¡°Yea. No point waiting until tomorrow. Besides, I rested a bit already.¡± Agni replied.

    ¡°Spoken like a true adventurer.¡± Bracha said with a smile.

    ¡°Would you like me toe with you? I¡¯ll be happy to apany you for a fee of 1,200 Gols.¡± She then added.

    *Urgk. 1,200? That¡¯s tant robbery.* Agni thought to herself.

    *Yeap.* Sh said in agreement.

    ¡°And it¡¯s not robbery. I often hire my services out for well over 10,000 Gols.¡± Bracha added, as if she could read minds. She followed her sales pitch with a bright and cheery smile, which made it difficult for Agni to refute her statements even if she could.

    ¡°No, thank you. But soon!¡± Agni added before excusing herself to go on her first solo journey since she¡¯d made her way to Adventia. Soon she was out of the city proper and headed into the nearby Lull Forest. She stuck to the path, mostly because she wanted to reach the Wilderness Tabernacle as quickly as possible. Her n was to engage in a few battles, solo while she waited. Along the way Agni thought of many things, mostly the events of the past week and some days of living in Adventia. She¡¯d already had a threesome, been robbed, forced to battle pokemon-esque creatures called Grimlock, met many colorful people and somehow managed to enter her first party.

    She managed to grow more ustomed to life as a woman as well. If there was anything that today¡¯s events taught her ¡ª it was to enjoy the moments while theyst. Her perfect day was quickly ruined by a meaningless ambush.

    *Don¡¯t forget me dummy. I know you were busy diddling yourself when it happened, but you also got a quest to summon me.* Sh said, as if she was intruding on Agni¡¯s thoughts.

    ¡°I¡¯m not even sure if you actually exist.¡± Agni said aloud, chucking to herself as she continued along her walk.

    *Woooooow. And after I saved your ass in that fight too? Okay. I thought we bonded for a moment. Now I¡¯ll terrorize you in your sleep. May you be sentenced to eternal sand bags beneath your eyes, peasant Subus.*

    The two continued their long walk, making their way towards the Wilderness Tabernacle and the time where they would reunite with Katrin.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Meanwhile, somewhere in the city of Grenvale¡­

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that six of you got wrecked by two rank zeros, HA! Gaines is going to have your ass in chains for weeks, fucking losers!¡± A short young man said as he gloated over Glint, Ashe, Fargo and the rest of his crew. His skin was a bronze color, his eyes amber and his hair stark white. He was wearing a traditional mage¡¯s attire ¡ª a ck hooded cloak embroidered with stars, a waist pack and his weapon of choice, a floating book known as a Grimoire. He was no taller than 161 centimetres at best, but being a rank 2 adventurer gave him cause for cockiness.

    ¡°You weren¡¯t there. You have no clue how it went down. So don¡¯t talk down to me, you little imp.¡± Fargo said as he gritted his teeth. He wanted to get to his feet and tear the Blight Mage before him into pieces, but in his current state he was courting death even talking back. In fact, even barring the effects of First Death which he would be forced to deal with for weeks toe, he still probably couldn¡¯t defeat the young man known as Ziphr who stood before him.

    ¡°Heh.¡± The young man known as Ziphr chuckled to himself, his expression never changing from one of pure condescension, as he looked down upon the six men before him. It was customary to wait in the ¡®Hall Of The Broken¡¯ upon being defeated, Chapel God¡¯s orders. The ce was little more than a room with dim lights and several wards in ce to preserve life.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re lucky. Gaines won¡¯t be back for a few more days. So you¡¯re off the hook until then. You better enjoy it¡­¡± The young Blight Mage said before turning on his heel and disappearing into a mass of living ck mes.

    *You little shit.* Glint¡¯s veins were throbbing in his temples as he clutched his fist. If he wasn¡¯t enduring Firth Death at the moment he too would have attacked the pipsqueak for such tant respect.

    Fargo saw his partner¡¯s anger and nodded his head, forcing Glint to abandon the idea entirely.

    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for our ¡®restriction¡¯, we wouldn¡¯t be in this mess. Let¡¯s endure it as best we can. Until that monster returns anyway.¡± Fargo said, forcing all of the broken men crowded around him to whimper in dismay.

    As angry as he was, even Glint shivered at the thought of what Gaines would do when he found out about their failure to capture two prized targets.

 Chapter 63: Revival

    Chapter 63: Revival

    Agni spent the rest of her time awaiting Katrin¡¯s departure from the Wilderness Tabernacle. During the wait she hunted lone Grimlock Stags and conversed with Sh to pass the time. Due to the fact that both still were in the party together, Agni could check Katrin¡¯s status at any time as well as her location via the world map and minimap features. What she didn¡¯t n on was the duration of the ¡®First Death¡¯ status ailment which forced her to wait until the wee hours of the morning.

    Due to the Grimlock¡¯s propensity for being active in the evening, Katrin decided to spend the night and leave early in the morning once the effect wore off. She found Agni sleeping just outside the barrier to the Wilderness Tabernacle in the early hours of the next day.

    ¡°Hey, sleepy head.¡± Katrin said, her voice low just in case a Grimlock happened to be nearby.

    Agni raised her head, her eyes meeting Katrin¡¯s though she was still mostly asleep.

    ¡°H-hey..¡± She tried to match Katrin¡¯s energy, only to fail spectacrly ¡ª especially with Agni¡¯s severe case of bed head. Katrin on the other hand looked impable. She seemed alert and ready to journey.

    ¡°Are you sure you should be sleeping out here? That¡¯s quite bold¡­¡± Katrin said as she took a seat next to the sleepy subus.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Sh¡¯s keeping watch.¡± Agni responded as she stretched. The truth was that she spent so much extra energy farming Fulger Stags that she was dead tired at the moment, working on barely two hours of rest.

    Katrin could tell just as much by a nce, she¡¯d never seen her party mate so sleepy.

    ¡°Ha ha.¡± She chuckled to herself. Indeed, Katrin¡¯s good mood was rted to the fact that she no longer felt like shit. The effects of ¡®First Death¡¯ were terribly draining on the body. Extremely low energy from the ¡®de-level¡¯ effect, halved stats which resulted in significantly lower strength and a general sense of weakness. Even recovering was a hassle so stepping foot outside of any safe zone in such a state was akin to a death sentence under most circumstances.

    Katrin spent most of her time gathering knowledge during her brief stay at the Tabernacle, after all it was one of the major focuses of being a Scribe ¡ª that and, of course, scribing. Wa was kind enough to allow Katrin to read all the books she wanted and in turn Katrin greedily soaked up that knowledge, learning much more about the lore of the world of Adventia in the process. She was sure to use this knowledge sometime in the future, but for now the two focused on returning to Grenvale.

    Their return to the Trainer¡¯s Chapel was uneventful and after allowing Agni a few more hours of sleep, the two decided to continue their goal to acquire new strength before the remainder of their final two weeks of tutge expired. With this in mind, theirtest battle was very eye opening. They decided to spend their time during the day honing their individual skills as best as possible. Agni realized the value of long range attacks and began to focus on gaining mastery over her Elemental Maniption. Katrin on the other hand began to save up for an item known as a Grimoire. A Grimoire was a magical book that contained all of the spells a magic user knew. It was a mystical weapon more akin to a magical familiar than any gun , de or polearm. For Katrin it would eliminate the need to touch t surfaces directly, with her Grimoire near she could use any spell she had ced within it¡¯s pages. Unfortunately, this required Katrin to actually learn the spells rather than use pseudo spells via her scribe magic.

    It was an eptable tradeoff to her, so she also acquired a magical specialty. Rather than acquire the ¡®Elemental Maniption¡¯ ability, Katrin chose ¡®Earth Mastery¡¯ and ¡®Air Mastery¡¯, two of the mostmon elements. Unlike maniption, masteries allowed one to learn spells and add them to one¡¯s knowledge. The ability was needed to acquire affinity in the element and also to use constructed spells, spells with specific steps for casting.

    While Agni could use constructed spells if she desired, it would cost her more mana because she didn¡¯t know or use the proper hand seals to activate or manipte the mana and elemental mix. On the other hand, for Katrin she would use much less mana bybining hand seals and using her mana to manipte the energies that were channeled. It made magical use more practical, in exchange for sacrificing control and allowing the hand seals to automate some of the process.

    In addition, the Grimoire itself also further decreased the mana costs as well as improved the spell effects as long as the Grimoire was forced open to the corresponding page of the spell in use. This could also be controlled mentally, and as such the Grimoire, when equipped, would block off a small portion of the user¡¯s Mana points. This served to allow the user to activate the Grimoire freely and it was a small sacrifice many magic users were willing to take for the ease of use.

    The final benefit of a Grimoire, as Katrin learned from Wa, was that it could allow her to activate freely any of the spells she learned using her Scribe abilities as well ¡ª since they were etched into the pages of the Grimoire itself.

    On the other hand, Agni, having gotten a feel for her ¡®Whisper¡¯ ability decided to keep the new abilities ¡®Iron Fang,Iron w¡¯ as well as ¡®Extend¡¯. She liked the idea of having a mid-range attack that she couldunch simply by pointing her fingers as well as an unarmed melee option. Thus she sparred with Bracha during the daytime hours and thenter at night Katrin and she would use their newly acquiredbat styles to quickly be ustomed to them.

    With her remaining 15 Potential Points, Agni decided to improve herbat ability even further. She acquired a skill called ¡®Toughness¡¯ for 5 PP, which allowed her to gain 5% resistance to physical damage, (upon mastery, up to 15%) and it¡¯s counterpart, ¡®Resistance¡¯ which performed the same except for magic damage.

    Finally, at the behest of Ren, Agni also acquired the ability to use Whips by purchasing ¡®Whip Mastery¡¯ with her final PP.

    ¡°So long wings. Maybe next rank!¡± Agni mused to herself dejectedly as she thought about all the fun she was missing. With all of her PP spent, Agni felt even more confident that she could better handle situations like the ambush in Sprim Row. The two threw themselves into their training, returning to the Trainer¡¯s Chapel each night ¡ª tired as dogs. So much so that after their bath they would both climb into the same bed and fall asleep, wild style with arms, legs and elbows being ced in reckless abandon.

    Finally, in the blink of an eye their first two weeks in the world of Adventia hade and gone.

 Chapter 64: Celebration

    Chapter 64: Celebration

    ¡°Welldies, today is the day! It¡¯s time to see just how far you¡¯vee,yes?¡± Bracha said as she stood before the pair in their usual training room.

    Bracha¡¯s golden blonde hair shone in the dimming light of the sunset. It was thest day of their training and the sun was falling to boot. Bracha instructed the pair to return early so that she could ess both of their progress.

    Bracha walked up to Agni as she¡¯d done so many times in the past, using the power of her Systema and ability as a trainer to inspect both her stats and abilities.

    ¡ª¨C

    [Agni Heartfyre]

    [Age : 18]

    [ss : Subus Lvl : 21]

    [Adv. Tier : 0 ]

    [Health : 324/324]

    [Mana : 434/434]

    [Carnal Meter : 0/???]

    [Strength : 25 (38)]

    [Agility : 49 (74)]

    [Speed : 25]

    [Soul : 51]

    [Charm : 99]

    **Growth Chart**

    HP ¨C 8

    MP ¨C 13

    Str ¨C 2

    Agl ¨C 2

    Spd ¨C 1

    Soul ¨C 2

    Charm ¨C 4

    **General Skills / Abilities**

    [Mana Well (Passive) +30% Mana, scales with level.]

    [Mana Spring (Passive) +50% Mana Regeneration speed.]

    [Element Maniption (Active) {52%} ¨C Use mana to directly manipte the properties of ambient magic particles and create elemental constructs.]

    [Toughness ¨C (Passive) {2%} +5% Natural Damage Reduction to Physical Attacks.]

    [Resistance ¨C (Passive) {0%} +5 Natural Damage Reduction to Magical Attacks. ]

    [Whip Mastery ¨C (Passive) {6%} Gain the ability to use and master whip-like weapons, with practice. ]

    **ss Skills / Abilities**

    [ Demonic Heritage (1) ¨C Abnormal strength bestowed by your demonic bloodline. +50% to base strength and agility.]

    [Sulust -(Passive) {32%} +5% Strength, Agility and Speed when activated. When the Carnal meter is full, +15 additional percent to Strength,Agility and Speed. ]

    [Subus Vision ¨C (Passive) {25%} ¨C Use carnal energy to activate a special type of sight which reveals sensitive or erogenous zones on the body. Heightens your senses, allowing you to react more quickly. You can also toggle erogenous vision off and on at will. ]

    [Whisper ¨C (Active) {45%} By speaking to someone you canpel them to take action. May not work based on distance and willpower of the target. Range : Intimate/1 Meter]

    [Iron Fangs, Iron ws ¨C (Passive) {15%} Allows the user¡¯s nails and teeth to be as hard as most metals at a whim. ]

    [Extend ¨C (Passive) {7%} The ability to use mana to cause your fingers or tail to extend. The greater your mastery the longer you can maintain the extension, as well as greater lengths.]

    [Potential : 0 / 50]

    [Current Exp: 16 / 1,000]

    [Level Points ¨C 2]

    [Primary Modifier : Carnality ¨C 300%]

    [Secondary Modifier: Mysticism ¨C 200%]

    ¡ª-

    ¡°I¡¯m very impressed Agni. It seems you took my advice and finally used all of your PP as well. Good job.¡±

    Bracha next moved to Katrin, activating the same ability in order to take a look at her build:

    ¡ª¨C

    [Katrin Indress]

    [Age : 18]

    [ss : Scribe Lvl : 23]

    [Adv. Tier : 0 ]

    [Health : 192/192]

    [Mana : 487/487]

    [Strength : 26]

    [Agility : 40]

    [Speed : 41]

    [Soul : 72]

    [Dexterity : 71]

    **Growth**

    HP ¨C 4(6)

    MP ¨C 21

    Str ¨C 1

    Agl ¨C 2

    Spd ¨C 2

    Soul ¨C 3

    Dexterity ¨C 3

    **General Skills / Abilities**

    [Mana Well (Passive) +30% Mana, scales with level.]

    [Mana Spring (Passive) +50% Mana Regeneration speed.]

    [Earth Mastery (Active) {16%} ¨C Use mana to directly manipte the properties of ambient earth energy and magic particles to create elemental constructs and advanced spells.]

    [Air Mastery (Active) {16%} ¨C Use mana to directly manipte the properties of ambient air energy and magic particles to create elemental constructs and advanced spells.]

    [Vigor ¨C (Passive) +2 additional Health per level gained.]

    [Grimoire Mastery ¨C (Passive) {15%} Gain the ability to use and master a Grimoire. ]

    **ss Skills / Abilities**

    [Eidetic Soul (1) ¨C The monstrous ability to retain knowledge with 80% efficiency as long as it¡¯s learned through reading.]

    [Quick Hands -(Passive) {67%} +35% hand speed when Scribing Runes.]

    [Speed Cast ¨C (1) Half the amount of time for spell activation.]

    [Scribe Enchant ¨C (Active) {62%} Weave magical runes to achieve various effects. Can be used to impartsting effects to inanimate objects.]

    [Potential : 0 / 50]

    [Current Exp: 112 / 1,000]

    [Level Points ¨C 0]

    [Primary Modifier : Scribing ¨C 250%]

    [Secondary Modifier: Bookish ¨C 175%]

    [Tertiary Modifier : Craftsman ¨C 75% ]

    ¡ª¨C

    ¡°Hmm. This is interesting Katrin. Would you mind exining your reasoning behind acquiring a Grimoire?¡± Bracha asked upon having inspected Katrin¡¯s current build.

    ¡°I see. Interesting. While spell casting wouldn¡¯t necessarily you much by way of XP bonus, you¡¯re right ¡ª using a Grimoire in conjunction with your Scribe abilities would be a perfect way to be a powerful spell slinger. I never thought of that¨C then again, my magic is different from yours. Well done!¡± Bracha said upon hearing Katrin¡¯s reasoning for her choices.

    ¡°Welldies. I think you¡¯ve done exceedingly well with the time you¡¯ve been given. I think you¡¯re ready to step out into the wide, wonderful, dangerous and beautiful world of Adventia, yes?¡± Bracha said as she suddenly drew close to Agni and Katrin, her hands behind her back. Bracha smiled as she then took both youngdies by the hand and led them to the back of the Trainer¡¯s Chapel.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a surprise for you, a going away party!¡± Bracha dered as she led the two youngdies along by the hand. Momentster¨C

    ¡°This is a surprise? We¡­do this every night¡­¡± Agni whispered as she began taking off her clothing which was caked with dried Grimlock blood and saturated in her own sweat. It was unavoidable during battles to end up covered in a foe¡¯s life essence, despite the fact that corpses would disappear rather quickly. Agni always found it strange, but soon became ustomed to it as aw of the world.

    ???Yes, but not everyday do we drink.¡± Bracha said as she held up tworge bottles of wine.

    *I¡¯m not old enough to drink* Was Agni¡¯s first thought, a remnant from her old life as she realized such rules didn¡¯t matter in a new world such as Adventia.

    The two normally took turns scrubbing and rinsing each other, but today Bracha insisted that they both have a seat on the wooden stools provided while she pampered them. The three nudedies chatted about various things as Bracha went to work, first dousing them both with warmed water (courtesy of Agni and Fire magic), before she used soap to vigorously scrub their bodies.

    Agni thought it was rather suspicious that it was a very normal rinsing, because Bracha was prone to ¡°y¡± with them both asionally ¡ª especially Katrin. At first this bothered Agni, after all she wasn¡¯t really used to such attention but after the past two weeks she¡¯de to expect and growfortable with it.

    It seemed that asional groping ¡ª as long as there was no pration, was a norm between women in Adventia. At least women familiar with one another. After they were all clean, Bracha having rinsed prior to their return, the trio found themselves in the steamy water of therge, wooden bath once more. It was more like a small swimming pool rather than a bath, though the water only rose to around the level of Agni¡¯s knees.

    ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I hadpany. I¡¯m going to miss you two honestly.¡± Bracha confided in the two adventurers as she took a spot between Agni and Katrin, putting her arms around each. Bracha was a very attractive woman, her skin was tanned ¡ª which seemed natural considering she rarely left the confines of the Trainer Chapel. Her blonde hair and pretty green eyes were a nice contrast while her body was wless. Smooth skin, very little body fat and the appearance of slightly chiseled muscles in various ces. Bracha affectionately ran her fingertips against both women¡¯s shoulders as she spoke.

    ¡°It¡¯s too bad Agni never let me puff puff while she was here.¡±

    *Oh here she goes¡­* Agni thought as a smirk filled her face.

    ¡®Puff Puff¡¯ was Bracha¡¯s term for motorboating and nuzzling breasts ¡ª particrly Katrin¡¯s. It had be sort of a ritual during their time and Agni realized why. Katrin¡¯s massive DD mounds representedfort. They were great to sleep next to, to squeeze, the asional suckle or simplyfort groping. What¡¯s more, although Katrin was normally very protective of her body she didn¡¯t seem to mind when Agni or Bracha teased or touched her.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just spend myst moments with Katrin, yes?¡± Bracha said, pretending to be dejected as she focused all of her attention on Katrin who simply chuckled.

    ¡°For a subus she sure is stingy with her body right Katrin-chan?¡± Bracha continued as she groped and pressed her face against Katrin¡¯s body.

    ¡°There there.¡± Katrin said, indulging Bracha by patting her head.

    ¡°She can¡¯t help being a stick in the mud.¡±

    Agni¡¯s jaw droppedpletely as the words left Katrin¡¯s mouth.

    Sh erupted into belly strainingughter in Agni¡¯s head.

    ¡°I- I am not!¡± Agni said incredulously as her face turned red from embarrassment. Bracha did not fail to miss the opportunity ¡ª after all it was the one she created. She swiftly focused her attention on Agni, using the crack in her defenses to cling to the subus gently and run her fingertips against Agni¡¯s abdomen just beneath the surface of the water.

    Agni felt the heat of embarrassment rise up from her chest as Bracha¡¯s hands began to explore her body, slowly inching further down towards herher region. She snuggled Agni so affectionately that it was hard to get her off, usually she would stiff arm Bracha before she got anywhere close.

    *Stop being such a stick in the mud. Just¡­.enjoy yourself.* Sh¡¯s voice rang out once more after she finishedughing her head off.

    *I am NOT a stick in the mud!* Agni mind-spoke viciously.

    Agni???s focus was pulled back to the matter at hand as Bracha¡¯s touch lingered around her inner thigh. Agni could feel herself slowly melting beneath Bracha¡¯s caress when another hand appeared from her right side. It was Katrin who had now joined in. Agni felt something was amiss when she realized the familiar blush of drunkenness which appeared on Katrin¡¯s cheeks.

    ¡°Are¨Care you two drunk?¡± Agni asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about ¡®drunk¡¯¡­but I feel good.¡± Katrin said as she ced her head on Agni¡¯s shoulders nced upwards, batting her eyes seductively.

    *Fuck, she¡¯s so hot.* Sh and Agni both mused in unison. Agni was surprised,she¡¯d never seen Katrin as the aggressor. She was even more surprised to find Katrin was the first to lift her breast and begin caressing it. Finally Katrin¡¯s soft, warm lips found their way to Agni¡¯s nipples and began to lick and suck on them hungrily. Meanwhile beneath the water Agni couldn¡¯t help but quiver as Bracha and Katrin both inched closer and grabbed the intersection of her knees, spreading her thighs wider.

    ¡°When did you two even drink!? And why didn¡¯t I get any?¡± Agni asked as she nced towards the two bottles, of which one was nowpletely empty.

    ¡°Hmm? While we were rinsing your back.¡± Bracha said. Thinking back, there was a moment when the two decided to ¡°pamper¡± Agni.

    *You sneaky¡­* Agni couldn¡¯t finish her train of thought as waves of stimtion began to ripple across her body.

    Soon any measure of resistance Agni had was gone. Katrin nibbled at her earlobe, asionally moving further down to the side of her neck, even the cor bone. Bracha on the other hand had a firmer grip which was now tracing long, slow streaks along Agni¡¯s inner thighs. The sensitive flesh there made her body quiver in anticipation. Bracha continued further, never prating Agni but simply edging her as she ran her fingers against Agni¡¯s lips with the most gentle of pressure.

    Thebination of warmth from both Bracha and Katrin was enough to send Agni into bliss. It was around this time that she had an epiphany. She realized that sex was just a means, what she actually enjoyed most was savoring the emotions and sensations that apanied experiences like this. She couldn¡¯t help but think back to the night Abeni and Purscha ¡°invited¡± her to thekeside and the undeniable energy between the trio as they yed with each other¡¯s bodies. She remembered just how fast and hard her heart thumped in her chest at the sensation of a tongue pressed against her lips, she could even remember how wet Purscha¡¯s body became in response to Agni¡¯s advances.

    The mood whenpared to the current experience was more thrilling but no less intoxicating. Among two familiar people Agni could only describe the current exchange as ¡°steamy¡±. Katrin¡¯s advances were seeped in the throes of lust, every movement or touch was deliberate and passionate. Bracha¡¯s caresses were devised to send fire to every corner of Agni¡¯s body, she wasn¡¯t pleasuring her but rather teasing her senses. Bringing the desire to its limits.

    *So, now you get it. Being a Subus is about enjoying the moment, savoring everyst drop of emotion. The pleasure..well that¡¯s just a plus.* Sh whispered. It was also apparent to Agni that Sh was feeling the same pleasure as her voice carried a tone Sh desperately fought to conceal.

    The trio spent a long while in the bath, taking turns pleasing one another before each had their fill of fun.

 Chapter 65: Come And Gone

    Chapter 65: Come And Gone

    After having had their fun the trio retired to bed, refreshed, rxed and content. This time Bracha joined them and they all fell asleep together. With no particr need to awaken early they all enjoyed ate morning, arising just an hour before midday.

    ¡°Uggh.¡± Katrin groaned as she sat up and nced around. Bracha was already up, standing at a nearby window. Katrin felt like her head was about to split open as memories of the previous evening slowly started to dawn on her. Bracha twerking, Katrin bouncing her titties and givingp dances¨Cthese were just a few of the things that shed through her head.

    *Oh God. I totally embarrassed myself.* Katrin thought.

    ¡°Good morning, Katrin. You slept well, yes?¡± Bracha asked as she strolled over and sat on the nearby bed. Agni was still asleep, a small trail of drool trickling from her lips. Bracha couldn¡¯t help but chuckle to herself while Katrin¡¯s face turned beet red. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and took several deep breaths as she recalled her advances from the night before.

    ¡°No need to worry dear. We may have been drunk but she wasn¡¯t.¡± Bracha said, pointing at Agni.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m going to go get dressed.¡± Katrin said as she got to her feet and headed towards the nearby bathroom.

    ¡°I guess she¡¯s still a bit shy.¡± Bracha said as a pleasant smile appeared. She nced down at Agni for a few more moments before she reared back and pped the subus¡¯ ass so hard that even Katrin was forced to nce back into the bedroom.

    ¡°What the hell was that for!?¡± Agni shouted as she iled uncontrobly. Her ass cheek was burning, Bracha no doubt left a mark. Despite all of this Agni felt her clit throb, so she couldn¡¯t be that upset¡­

    ¡°There¡¯s some important info I¡¯d like to share with you two before you head out. Meet me in the lobby once you¡¯re ready.¡±

    It took both women half an hour to get ready, moreso Katrin than Agni. They found Bracha awaiting them at the front desk with a pleasant smile on her face.

    ¡°So, I¡¯ll ask again ¡ª what are your ns?¡± Agni remembered Bracha asking a simr question the first time the pair entered the chapel, naked with only a few Gols to their name.

    This time Agni had an answer.

    ¡°I want to awaken my familiar. For that I¡¯ll need to visit the Demonic Chapel in Kirlunst.¡± Agni replied.

    ¡°Interesting. And you?¡± Bracha said as she nced over at Katrin.

    ¡°I think I want to learn more about magic. After gaining a bit of experience I think it¡¯s the best course of action for me.¡± Katrin replied.

    ¡°I see. In that case, I have one final duty and also a rmendation for both of you.¡± Bracha said as she got to her feet. She lifted her left hand and in the process Bracha¡¯s systema mark shimmered as she dispelled their link as both Trainer and Pupil.

    She then proceeded with her advice.

    ¡°Since both of you can be considered beginners in magic in many regards, perhaps you should join a magic based chapel, yes? Magic can indeed be a powerful asset in many situations. Also, the trip to Kirlunst is somewhat problematic.

    Kirlunst is a city well known to ranked adventurers due to the fact that it¡¯s considered the capital of the region. To get there you will need a certain level of preparation and strength ¡ª usually. However, if you join a Chapel you may be able to use a quicker method of transportation.

    If I was going to suggest a chapel, I¡¯d visit Mystic Tower, further down the main street. It¡¯s a rather popr and well known chapel that focuses on training magic users of all types.¡±

    Bracha then took a seat and stared at the two adventurers intently. Both of them, in return stared back, as if awaiting more guidance.

    ¡°Is¡­is that it?¡± Agni asked after a short time. Bracha simply nodded, before adding.

    ¡°You have enough knowledge to keep yourself fed, protect yourself and grow stronger if you need to. Which path you take from here on out is up to you. Of course, you can always drop by sometime if you get lonely. I¡¯ll be here.¡±

    Agni couldn¡¯t help but feel as if there was more to be said between her and Bracha yet she simply smiled and bowed her head slightly before ncing at Katrin.

    ¡°I feel kind of sad.¡± Katrin said, lowering her head a bit. Agni couldn¡¯t help but agree. Ever since they arrived at Grenvale, the Trainer¡¯s Chapel was basically their first home. A source offort , safety and arge part of their everyday routine.

    ¡°Why?¡± Bracha chuckled as she ced her hand on her chin. Although she understood the sentiment and felt somewhat the same, it wouldn¡¯t show on her face.

    ¡°Because, I¨C¡± Katrin replied as she struggled to find the words.

    At this Agni just ced her hand on Katrin¡¯s shoulder before she bowed deeply to Bracha.

    ¡°Thanks for your guidance.¡± She said, prompting Katrin to do the same.

    Bracha simply smiled as she thought about how boring it would be without the two around. For a moment she struggled with the urge to leave her duties and travel with the two youngdies even further but ¡ª that wouldn¡¯t do for a Trainer.

    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure.¡± She said finally, nodding to both Agni and Katrin before the two finally made their way out of the Trainer¡¯s Chapel and onto the bustling morning road of Grenvale.

    ¡ª¡ª-Elsewhere In Grenvale¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me that two rank 0 weaklings defeated all six of you effortlessly?¡± This voice belonged to a rather husky man sitting behind a desk, the billowing smoke of arge cigar flowed upwards and filled the room with a particrly fragrant scent.

    Fargo hated answering to this man with every fiber of his being yet he found the words came easily when he considered the alternative. He and the other ¡°failures¡± had been called to the third floor of the Chapel, where they were now being admonished for their failure just less than a week prior.

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s correct.¡± Fargo replied as he nced over at the young man standing aside the desk of the Chapel leader. Zipher Einrei was a Blight Mage, bronze skinned, amber eyes and white hair. Fargo was a fair judge of people and he couldn¡¯t help but think that Zipher reminded him of a rabid dog. Erratic, willing to bite at anything just for a bit of fun.

    *Perhaps a dog isn¡¯t the rightparison. More like a wolf¡­*

    The sound of chuckling filled the air for a moment, belonging to the man shrouded in cigar smoke. He spun around in his chair, revealing the glint of a monocle and several golden rings each withrge gemstones embedded within them. He was well dressed from head to toe, he always was. It was the one thing Fargo found remarkable about his oppressor and there was very little else of admiration about him.

    *Maybe..his ruthlessness is to be admired.*

    ¡°Tell me about these two.¡± He said after a time. Though the man¡¯s features were mostly shrouded in shadows as he sat behind his desk, a glint from his monocle shone briefly as he ced both hands on the desktop before him.

 Chapter 66: Mystic Tower

    Chapter 66: Mystic Tower

    ¡°This looks like the ce.¡± Agni said as she stopped in front of arge building just a few blocks away from the Trainer¡¯s Chapel. Thanks to Bracha¡¯s directions, the Mystic Tower Chapel was fairly simple to find.

    Unlike the prior chapel the two stayed at, the building was slightly more colorful. Green pain with deep brown trim. Agni wasn¡¯t exactly knowledgeable about architecture, but she imagined the trim to be made of stained oak or some other type of hardwood ¡ª if such trees existed in this world.

    Agni nced over at Katrin who still seemed a bit bummed about parting ways with Bracha as she took Katrin by the hand and led her into the doors of the Mystic Tower Chapel. They found themselves in a ratherrge hall, of which several tables were ced on either side of the far walls. At the tables were many different people dressed in various garbs. A great deal of them resembled the textbook appearance of magic users. Robes, staves and some even hadrge, pointy hats. It resembled a tavern more than a chapel, at least to Agni¡¯s eyes, after all she didn¡¯t have much experience with Chapels either.

    As she and Katrin walked down the center of the hall she realized that the word chapel was quite apt to describe the scene. Generally in churches, there was a singr aisle with pews to both the left and right leading towards the pulpit. Theyout was somewhat the same, but rather than arge statue of Jesus near the end, there were three counters simr to the one Bracha often sat behind. Each had a different function and two of them were in use as several adventurers crowded around each of the youngdies in charge. The hall itself hadrge pirs every two meters or so, six pirs total with a long, red and gold trim carpet leading the way.

    ¡°Hello. Wee to Mystic Tower. How can I help you?¡± An older, ginger haired woman spoke up, her voice easily catching Agni and Katrin¡¯s attention as they neared the trio of counters.

    ¡°Yes. Could you¡­ tell me a bit about the process of joining a chapel? I¡¯m pretty new to all of this.¡± Agni asked as the two arrived in front of the counter.

    ¡°I thought so. I would have definitely noticed a Scribe and a Specialist ss entering the Chapel before.¡± The name written on the woman¡¯s tag was ¡°Gigi¡±, but due to Agni¡¯s ability to discern info freely, she realized that Gigi was short for Georgina.

    [Georgina Valentine

    Rank 1 Spellde

    Allegiance : Mystic Tower]

    Gigi¡¯s skin was fair and filled with freckles which Agni immediately felt drawn to, after all she had a thing for freckles! Her hair was shoulder length, and she wore light armor as if she was prepared to leap into adventure at a moment¡¯s notice.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s been a few weeks since thest summoning, so I¡¯m guessing you two areing from an apprenticeship¨C right?¡± Gigi asked and the pair confirmed.

    ¡°Ah, the Trainer¡¯s Chapel. Bracha helped me out a lot when I first arrived too. That makes this easier then. In essence, you can think of a chapel as a sort of guild. There are two types of chapels, temp and contract. Temporary chapels, such as this one, allow adventurers toe and go as they please to an extent. Contract chapels will require an adventurer to fulfill certain terms before they can exit.

    There are a lot of benefits with joining a chapel, for example, in Mystic Tower the members enjoy a blessing that allow them to quickly and more easily acquire magical proficiency.¡±

    ¡°Blessings?¡± Katrin asked. It seemed that the lure of new knowledge to consume had finally pulled her from her thoughts.

    ¡°Yes. Blessings are benefits that all members of a chapel share upon bing a member. Generally, the better your standing with a chapel, the more potent the blessing you can obtain. For contract chapels the blessings are also more powerful since you¡¯re making a biggermitment.¡±

    ¡°So when you say contract, does that mean a signed contract?¡± Agni asked.

    ¡°Sort of. Contracts are made using your Systema link. The terms of the contract are made apparent to you before you sign, you just have to agree to them. Your systema also tracks the progress of your contract so that you don¡¯t have to. Amon example of a contract is to acquire a certain number of Gols. Once this is done, the contract is consideredplete and you can either choose to ept another or perhaps move on to a chapel more suited to your tastes.¡±

    ¡°Interesting. That¡¯s really convenient.¡± Agni mouthed as she thought about the possibilities.

    ¡°Indeed. Would you two like a tour? Mystic Tower is a magic oriented chapel that focuses on building strength for all types of adventurer sses that handle magic.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not busy are you?¡± Agni asked as she nced to the side at the other two counters at her right.

    ¡°Oh¨Cno.¡± Gigi quickly replied.

    ¡°Those two desks are for members. Most of my work rtes to neers and honestly I rarely get new people toe in. Thirty minutes away from the desk won¡¯t hurt.¡± Gigi responded as she got to her feet. Gigi was taller than Agni anticipated, with a slender build. Her arms were rather long and her under armor was red in color while the ting she wore was akin to reinforced leather. At her side was an unusual sword, it looked like a normal shortsword except the de was covered in what appeared to be runes.

    Gigi exined several things about the chapel as the trio moved from point to point within the building. She exined that there was lodging for Chapel members, several rooms to practice magical abilities and techniques, and she even exined more of the benefits of being a chapel member.

    ¡°Do you happen to know why the guilds here are called chapels?¡± Katrin asked as they continued their tour.

    ¡°You know, I used to wonder the same thing when I first arrived in Adventia. After all, this world does have Gods and Demons. You¡¯d think that chapels would be reserved for entities like that but, chapels are named based on the notion that people worship the things they desire.¡± Gigi answered.

    ¡°In this case, Mystic Tower is a group of people bonded by the desire to improve their magic, however small or great that growth might be. In a sense, because we devote our time and energy to this task constantly ¡ª it¡¯s something we worship. It¡¯s what we covet above all things.¡±

    *That..actually makes a lot of sense..* Agni thought to herself, thankful that Katrin had the curiosity to ask such a question.

    ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with the Subus ss and I know very little about Scribes, other than they make awesome gear. What types of magical abilities do the two sses possess?¡± Gigi asked as she led them towards one of the tables in the lobby area.

    Agni felt a sense of dreade over her, she was still struggling with a way to tactfully tell people that she essentially was a sex fiend. Luckily Katrin seemed to sense her conundrum and borated on her behalf.

    ¡°I want to use an extension of my Scribing abilities. For that I need to fill my Grimoire with spells to use. As for Agni, her ss isn¡¯t rted to magic so much as the fact that she¡¯s acquired Elemental Maniption.¡±

    ¡°Ah! Okay, got it! Actually, we have quite a few people like yourselves who have be a part of Mystic Tower. I¡¯m one of them. As a Spellsword, my ss has the ability to absorb the elements and redirect them at will duringbat. I actually learned Elemental Maniption as well in order to give form to some of my magic infused strikes. I can do all sorts of things I normally wouldn¡¯t be able to with practice.¡±

    After a few more minutes of small talk Gigi then asked if they wanted to join the chapel.

    ¡°I would rmend that you first join as a Temp member. You can try things out for a while with no pressure. So¡­ what do you say?¡± Gigi asked with a smile as she looked from Agni to Katrin and back again.

 Chapter 67: A Pair Of Witches

    Chapter 67: A Pair Of Witches

    ¡°Um.. I¡¯m not so sure about this¡­.¡± Agni said as she stepped out of a nearby boarding room. Both she and Katrin were led to this ce by Gigi upon agreeing to be members of Mystic Tower with the express intent of getting them dressed to ¡°fit the part¡± of magic users.

    ¡°OH, you two look great.¡± Gigi said as the pair stepped out of the room and into the nearby hallway. Agni nervously tugged at her with apparel. It was little more than a ck matching two piece covered with a maroon colored witch¡¯s coat¨Cplete with a hood and ck, thigh high boots. Although Agni loved the way the fabric clung to her skin, she felt much more exposed. She kept pulling down the fabric of the long sleeved coat which barely covered her thighs. She rounded out her outfit with a pair of long, stocking style gloves which were embroidered with various types of floral designs as well.

    Katrin¡¯s outfit was a little less revealing. She wore a traditional witch¡¯s dress, green in color with silk-like fabric. Her dress was also short with the styled tattering of the edges falling just above her kneecaps. She also wore a traditional witch¡¯s hat, pointy and tall with a golden sash around the brim. Unlike Agni, her footwear was only ankle high boots.

    Gigi was practically beaming as she watched the two fidget and adjust to their new clothing. Somehow Agni was beginning to think that Gigi was using them to live vicariously.

    ¡°All of your gear is magic enchanted for resistance. Of course, it¡¯s loaner gear but it¡¯s well maintained. Perfect for whates next. By the way, let¡¯s get the formalities out of the way.¡± Gigi instructed as she smiled broadly and lifted her left hand, revealing her Systema mark. Agni immediately noticed that it looked a bit different from her own. All Systema marks had a different insignia, based on adventure ss, but what was strange was a second circle meeting the edge of therger systema mark.

    The mark began to glow as an alert appeared before both make-shift witches.

    [You¡¯ve been invited to join the Mystic Tower Chapel as a Temporary. Do you ept? Y/N]

    Upon epting they were both met with a few alerts.

    [You¡¯ve received the blessings of Mystic Tower ording to your Chapel ranking.]

    [Mana Regeneration +20%.]

    [Mana Recovery Rate +10% {Home} / +5% {Outer}.]

    [Mana Efficiency Buff +5%.]

    [You are now protected by the Mystic Tower¡¯s zone effect.]

    [Would you like to set your spawn point to the Mystic Tower Altar? Y/N]

    ¡°What does ¡®Home¡¯ mean?¡± Agni asked upon inspecting the other benefits bestowed upon her.

    ¡°Home refers to the chapel itself. By the way, please set your spawn points at this time. Basically, you¡¯ll return to this building next time you¡¯re defeated. But such a thing wouldn¡¯t happen to either of you, am I right?¡± Gigi said.

    From this answer, Agni surmised that ¡®Outer¡¯ referred to being outside the chapel, which meant all of the other benefits were constantly active.

    After setting their spawn points to the Mystic Tower Alter, Gigi then led the two young women to one of the sparring rooms within the chapel. Unlike the training area of the Trainer¡¯s Chapel, this room resembled a forest ¡ªplete with dirt, grass, shrubbery and trees.

    ¡°This is one of our enhanced training areas. It can be configured ording to those who want to utilize it. For now this seems suitable, based on your skillset right Katrin?¡± Gigi said as she led them into the center of a wide space which reminded them both of a woond clearing.

    ¡°While you¡¯re within this Chapel, you will be protected from the effects of first or second death. This chapel is designated as a safe zone by the Chapel leaders so while you can still feel the weight or pressure of attacks, you won¡¯t suffer any physical harm. This makes it perfect for trying out magic.¡± Gigi exined.

    ¡°Before we get started, show me a little of what you can do.¡±

    She motioned to Agni first, who pulled down her rising coat once more and lifted her hand. Of the energies she felt mostfortable using, Agni decided lightning might be a more impressive showing. She created a growing spark of blue lightning energy which crackled and popped outwards as it expanded. After a few seconds she ceased the demonstration and ced her hands to her side.

    ¡°Hmm. Is that all you can do?¡± Gigi asked.

    ¡°No..¡±

    ¡°Great. Then show me, don¡¯t hold back.¡± Gigi said.

    Agni decided to use a fireball this time, thus she conjured a ball of me about half the size of a basketball and used her control over mana to fling it three meters into the distance.

    ¡°Better. But.. there¡¯s a lot of problems with that. We¡¯ll address those in a minute. Katrin? You said you have a Grimoire. Have you awakened it yet?¡±

    ¡°Awaken?¡± Katrin asked as she called forth her Grimoire. It was a rather in looking book and if agni didn¡¯t have the system to mention otherwise, she¡¯d have thought it was a dictionary.

    ¡°Yes! Oh this is exciting. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen anyone use a Grimoire.¡± Gigi remarked as she stepped forward and began to exin the process to Katrin.

    ¡°Grimoires are considered living weapons. They are a particr category of weapon that can be binded with the user so that no one else can utilize them. In exchange, the item will grow along with the user in various ways. The process of preparing such an item is called awakening. And it¡¯s rather simple, you simply need to share your DNA with the object while infusing it with some of your mana.¡±

    ¡°You mean¡­like¡­blood?¡± Katrin asked.

    Gigi chuckled, ¡± You could use blood if you wanted, but something as small as a hair will do.¡± In one quick movement Gigi plucked a hair from beneath Katrin¡¯s hat and then beckoned to Katrin to hold the book with both hands. She ced the hair on the cover of the book and stood back as Katrin began to activate her mana. A dull blue light radiated , enveloping both Katrin and Agni in an almost fluorescent glow as the in looking book began to float. The hair sank into the cover of the book and the energy surrounding the Grimoire pulsed several times before it¡¯s cover opened.

    The pages began to turn on their own several times, front to back before the book finally hovered near to Katrin and lingered in the air. To Agni¡¯s eyes the book seemed to have grownrger and aged, as if it was a favored novel to be read at every chance. The brown color of the cover turned more reddish and cracked with age, while the corners of the book were capped with silver metal ends.

    ¡°I never get tired of watching that. It¡¯s so damn cool!¡± Gigi said, stars were apparent in her eyes.

 Chapter 68: Magic Tutorial

    Chapter 68: Magic Tutorial

    ¡°Now you canmand your Grimoire to activate with just a thought. Every spell that you acquire will be stored within it¡¯s pages.¡± Gigi replied. The tall red-headed woman then took a few steps back and asked Katrin to also show what she was capable of.

    Agni watched as Katrin closed her eyes and the pages of the Grimoire began to flip until the spell she wished to use was activated.

    ¡°Darkness Tendrils. That¡¯s really good for a beginner.¡± Gigi said as she watched several long, thick masses of darkness energy burst from the ground and il about wildly.

    After a few moments of deep thought Gigi then added some advice.

    ¡°Not to sound overbearing, pushy or condescending ¨C¡°

    *Wow she covered all of her bases before speaking..* Agni thought.

    ¡°But there are several basic ws that you both need to correct in order to be able to use magic effectively. Let¡¯s start with Katrin, since she has less work to do in this regard.¡± Gigi finished.

    Agni couldn¡¯t help but gulp upon listening to Gigi¡¯s words.

    *Does that mean I really suck at magic? I mean I know I¡¯m not that good but¡­*

    ¡°Magic is easy to use, but your understanding of the principles of magic are what will set you apart from others. As an example of what I mean, everyone knows what fire is but very few people truly understand the nature of fire. Once you grasp this, because you understand how fire is naturally, your me magic will also grow ordingly. The difference is like night and day.¡± Gigi said as she held up her hand and conjured a fireball. She then requested that Agni do the same. Uponparing the two side to side, there were quite a few differences. The first major difference was that Gigi¡¯s magic was controlled and effortless while Agni struggled to keep the form of her spell. The mes flickered wildly like a candle struggling to stay lit, oftentimes Agni¡¯s fire wildly searched for air. The second difference was the duration of the spell. Agni could only keep her magic active for two minutes while Gigi had no problem conjuring her fireball indefinitely.

    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll bite. How do you do that?¡± Agni asked as she rested her hands on her knees, the act of using all of her mana was akin to being winded after a long run.

    Gigi smiled before giving her answer.

    ¡°Magic refinement. It¡¯s amon mistake that many beginners make. It¡¯s simple to conjure the energy, but the moment you do it begins to slip away right? That forces you to continually conjure more energy in order to sustain your magical construct. Ultimately you end up spending so much of your mana that you tire yourself out to create a simple spell effect. Magic refinement is the answer to this problem. Instead of allowing the energy you umte to continually dissipate, you capture it and recycle it endlessly. Once you master this technique, you will more than quadruple the amount of mana you have avable.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡± Katrin eximed, as if she¡¯d reached an epiphany.

    Certainly it did make sense.

    ¡°Let¡¯s assume that this amount of mana is equivalent to one unit.¡± Gigi continued as she used her free hand to create a small orb of mana. It was about half the size of a marble.

    ¡°Something like this only requires the bare minimum amount of my mana. What¡¯s more I can sustain it infinitely. That means I can also use my mana now to do things like this..¡± The small orb of mana began to grow as it hovered above Gigi¡¯s palm until it reached the size of a beach ball.

    ¡°This is almost 100 timesrger. I¡¯m basing this on the amount of mana I used. If the small sphere was 1 unit, then this one represents 100 units. At this point, all I need to do is wait for my mana to refill in order to further augment the technique. Why is this important? Because what you know as spells are essentially these stepsbined into a magical circle. A magical circle is nothing more than mana script, themands used to perform these actions. As a magic user, all you do is supply a spell mana and you must have either an affinity for, or understanding of the element you want to use. Fulfill these two requirements and a spell will activate.¡±

    Gigi¡¯s exnation to Agni shifted towards Katrin at this point so that they could both understand how magic works.

    ¡°So magic spells aremands that allow magic to be cast more simply. Does that mean you can¡¯t scale the power of magic spells?¡± Katrin asked.

    ¡°Yes and no. Perhaps, power is the wrong way to describe it. The effect of a spell is determined by your understanding of the principles of that spell, your affinity and your own Soul stat.¡±

    *Ah. So that¡¯s what Soul is responsible for.* Agni thought to herself as Gigi continued the exnation.

    ¡°To make your spells stronger, you simply need to be more knowledgeable about the magic you use, on an intimate level. You also need to grow stronger as an adventurer. But, you can¡¯t use extra magic to make your spell more powerful. This is because, as you might have guessed, a magic spell already has specific instructions on how to form and activate the magic.¡±

    ¡°Interesting.¡± Agni whispered.

    ¡°Indeed. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t get enough of using magic. Almost anything is possible with it.¡± Gigi said as she canceled the effects of the fire orb and instead raised her other arm above her head. The sphere of magic grew twice asrge within seconds.

    ¡°Naturally, magic also follows thew of nature. The more mana you amass in a single area, the harder it bes to control it. This is currently my limit for raw mana. And when you mix an element into mana it bes even more difficult to control.¡± Gigi closed her eyes briefly, as if to concentrate, causing therge mass of mana to turn into a bright white sphere with a blue sheen outlining the lightning magic.

    ¡°Some elements are more difficult than others to properly manipte. For example, lightning is unruly and free running. You can¡¯t control it, rather it must be guided, pulsed or restricted to achieve the effect you want.¡± Therge mass of lightning element quickly began to dissipate as Gigi dissolved the demonstration.

    ¡°So, any questions so far?¡± Gigi asked as she folded her arms and gazed at the two adventurers before her. Each seemed lost in their own thoughts as they made sense of Gigi¡¯s instructions.

    *I¡¯ve learned more here in half an hour than I did in two weeks under Bracha¡¯s instruction.* Agni thought to herself. She suddenly began to feel more and more confident that their decision to join a magic oriented chapel was the right one. As a mid ranged Specialist ss she had ess to all sorts of martial weaponry, while her selection of Elemental Maniption was more a selection made on a whim. She rarely used her magic duringbat save to protect herself or to strike close range blows. The main reason for this was the extremely high mana use associated with her abilities. Since Agni had been using magic at every chance, she couldn¡¯t get rid of the ability even if she wanted to due to her current mastery of Elemental Maniption.

    Lately she¡¯d begun to think that she chose poorly but Gigi had alleviated all of her concerns and even showed her even more potential for the ability.

    ¡°No. No questions.¡± Agni responded upon realizing that she was being spoken to. Katrin simply nodded.

    ¡°Well then. How about we put your new knowledge to use? Knowing something is great, but utilizing it makes all the difference.¡± Gigi said as she tapped her temple several times.

 Chapter 69: Omni

    Chapter 69: Omni

    The next fifteen minutes were spent practicing magic refinement by the pair of newbie magic practitioners. For Agni she found her newfound knowledge refreshing. She cycled through each of her magic elements, Fire, Wind, Water, Earth and Lightning using each to create a sphere. It took her only a few moments to understand Gigi¡¯s exnation intimately.

    Mana was like an extension of one¡¯s body, or rather it was more like having an extra limb in some ways. She could ¡°feel¡± the mana even with her eyes closed. Due to this, she could also feel the mana particles slipping away initially. After a few tries Agni identified and anticipated the way that the stray magic particles would move and began to recapture them, sending them back to the center of the magical mass. Mana behaved more like a mass of matter in space might, with a center of gravity. Due to this a sphere was the mostmon shape of all magical constructs and also the easiest to practice magic refinement on.

    At first, Agni practiced with immutable energy, that is mana without an affinity. This energy was generally blue in color. Within the first few minutes she managed to cut down the lost amount of mana to 50%, and within the first five 90%. She could tell that it would still take some time to master, but the fatigue from using prolonged magic was significantly diminished. What¡¯s more her mana was able to outpace the amount of energy she used to sustain the technique so Gigi¡¯s words were indeed true ¡ª she could sustain this indefinitely. She would practice to avoid wasting any energy at all in the future, but for now she decided to move to the next step ¡ª moving her mana.

    This was something Agni managed to aplish almost instantly. Once she acquired the ability of Elemental Maniption, she could already perform the task. The main issue that prevented her from using the technique effectively was once again the mana expenditure. After moving a mass of magic particles a certain distance from her body, she would be forced to endure a dip in mana. This dip wasn¡¯t constant, but it urred based on distance. First three meters, then two meters, then eventually every one meter.

    With Gigi¡¯s help Agni learned that she was also doing this wrong as well.

    ¡°It¡¯s better to think of magic maniption in terms of pushing and pulling rather than exerting constant force. For example, imagine ying baseball or tennis ¡ª when the ball is struck it travels regardless. Magic is the same.¡±

    After putting Gigi¡¯s guidance into practice Agni once again was surprised with the results. She could force an orb of magical energy forward over six meters before the mass of magic would extinguish on its own. The distance was rted to the amount of mana she used to ¡°push¡± the construct, while the life of the construct was rted to the amount of mana she infused within it.

    Finally, after getting even more familiar with her magic she decided to incorporate elements into the mana sphere and perform the same actions. The effects were roughly the same, although Agni found that dealing with elements required a certain level of consideration when handling all of the aforementioned aspects of magic use. At her current stage of proficiency, she could only aplish everything she needed to do at 50% effect. Still, this was enough to more than double the amount of magic she had for use. She couldn¡¯t help but beam with pride as she watched the flickering orb of fire element hover in her palm.

    She felt it was a good stopping point, so she decided to watch Katrin at work. Now that she got a good look at her, Katrin looked absolutely smashing in her witch¡¯s outfit. Her dark hair and emerald green eyes shimmered as she diligently put effort into her tasks to activate magic. She found that Katrin was even better than her, for she created several spheres of different elements and was manipting them independently. The grimoire she had given life to just minutes before hovered next to her, taking on a different outline of magical aura with each mental instruction Katrin gave it.

    ¡°Gigi..¡± Agni said as she watched Katrin practicing with her free-magic.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t Katrin have any magical tattoos?¡± Agni asked.

    Gigi thought for a few moments before responding.

    ¡°Oh!¡± She said, finally understanding Agni¡¯s question.

    ¡°You mean magic veins. That¡¯s actually a good question.¡± Gigi responded.

    ¡°There are two methods for conjuring mana. Inner and Outer. Generally, people fall into one category or the other. In Katrin¡¯s case, she¡¯s an Outer user. I guess the best way to exin it is, Outer users rely on the ambient energy within the environment to conjure spells, in fact that energy makes up the majority of their spells. Inner users use more of their own mana reserves, the amount of ambient energy they use is much smaller.¡±

    ¡°So¡­what¡¯s the difference?¡± Agni then asked as she watched beads of perspiration shimmer along Katrin¡¯s brow.

    ¡°There¡¯s a few key differences. Inner users have magic veins to quickly move the mana power around their body. Since it¡¯s local energy, it¡¯s much quicker. This makes Inner users better with free-magic. Outer users have to gather the energy, so it takes longer, but because the energy they pull isrgely from the environment it¡¯s much more potent and pure. This means it¡¯s also more powerful.¡±

    ¡°Oh..that makes sense. But..then why don¡¯t my magical veins activate all of the time?¡± Agni asked.

    Gigi stared at her for a few moments, seemingly as if she was lost in thought before a lightbulb went off in her brain.

    ¡°No way. You¡¯re an Omni?¡± Gigi seemed legitimately excited, so much so that she grabbed Agni¡¯s hands and held them as she drew face to face.

    Agni couldn¡¯t help but notice the freckles on Gigi¡¯s cheeks as her pale skin grew flush from the excitement.

    *She¡¯s so cute.*

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Agni asked, trying not to get too wrapped up in Gigi¡¯s aura.

    ¡°That¡¯s someone who can do both! You can literally choose whether you want to use Inner or Outer depending on the situation. You may even be able to use both at the same time.¡±

    Gigi was clearly more excited than Agni about this. It didn¡¯t seem like that big of a deal, but then again Agni¡¯s knowledge of magic was also very limited at this point.

    ¡°That¡¯s like¨C really rare! I only know one other person who¡¯s an Omni and that¡¯s the co-leader of the chapel!¡± Gigi resorted to unabashed excitement the moment Agni¡¯s energy didn¡¯t match her own, she even bounced as she spoke.

    ¡°This¡­.this is great!¡± Gigi said with a spin before finally turning to face Agni yet again. Katrin, who¡¯d been listening to the conversation as she practiced also stopped at this point.

    ¡°Let¡¯s spar!¡± Gigi said as she took a few steps back and pulled her weapon from the sheathe on her waist.

 Chapter 70: Battle Witches (1)

    Chapter 70: Battle Witches (1)

    *Seems like she¡¯s been anticipating this from the beginning.* Agni thought as she watched Gigi bounce on her toes with excitement.

    As she nced downwards in the dimming light, Agni noticed what appeared to be faint threads of light embedded in her clothing. She quickly realized that these were threads allowing magic to freely course through her equipment. She wondered if all Magical gear had the same thin threads of mana flowing through them.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really have a proper weapon..¡± Agni said, wishing to avoidbat for apletely different reason. The two-piece of magically infused gear was a bit embarrassing for her. Logically she knew it didn¡¯t make sense as she had been ced in many situations much worse already but she was beginning to feel ¡°exposed¡±. For mana to flow freely it was important for all magic users to expose their skin to a degree, but even Agni felt like this might be a bit much. Even her light armor covered more skin!

    *These boots are also somewhat constricting, I won¡¯t be able to use the full range of my agility in these..* She thought this as she tugged at the bottom of her witch¡¯s coat, trying in vain to pull it further down.

    ¡°That¡¯s not a problem! Many magic wielders don¡¯t use weapons. And now that you have a few pointers you should be able to do the same as well.¡±

    ¡°Besides,¡± Gigi said, her words of excitement lingering in her throat, ¡°this will be a very valuable experience for you. I¡¯ll make sure to educate you well.¡±

    *And by educate she probably means to thoroughly trounce us.* Agni sighed.

    ¡°Let¡¯s give it a go¡­ I¡¯m curious how we measure against a trained magician.¡± Katrin added. Given that she was interested Agni was hard pressed to weasel her way out of it. She hopped on the balls of her toes a few times and flexed her legs to better gauge the range of motion in her knee high boots. It wasn¡¯t as bad as she originally believed so finally she shook her head in agreement, thus winning a bubbling smile from Gigi.

    Gigi then turned and walked several meters in the opposite direction. The training room was ratherrge, providing ample space in all directions with the three of them standing near the center. Since the area looked like a forest, all save the wooden door serving as the entry point, the borders of the room were covered in trees with thick trunks, bushes and brush and tall grasses.

    The time of day in the room was deceiving as well, when they entered it was midday, if one were to look up at the ceiling they would gain the impression of a bright sunny day. After just half an hour the sky favored twilight and various creatures began to stir. Agni could see fireflies in the distance hovering around in various ces. Despite theck of ¡°sunlight¡± various nts began to glow giving off enough light to function despite the change. This was apparently normal to Gigi who ignored it entirely while both Agni and Katrin gazed around in wonderment.

    ¡°We¡¯ll take it slow at the start. And don¡¯t worry too much about getting hurt ¡ª or hurting me.¡± She said as she held her unusual sword at the ready. The weapon reminded Agni of martial arts films she¡¯d seen in a past life. She instantly recognized a design that favored Han-style chinese swords. What made the de different were therge magical runes that lined the de¡¯s length. Agni noticed it before the first time she and Gigi met, but now in the dim light she noticed the runes beginning to glow, no doubt Gigi was flowing her mana into the de.

    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯ll get started, I guess.¡± Gigi said with a cheer that did not match her appearance. Her eyes, though nearly squinted shut seemed focused and her smile seemed anything but nice. Agni could feel a quiet sense of pressureing from the Spellsword. This suggested that Gigi was strong in her own right.

    Agni lifted her hands, a bit unsure of what to do at this point, so she simply created a fireball and waited while Katrin began tracing Scribe script letters into the air before her. Since she had a Grimoire she didn¡¯t need to have paper or another surface nearby, she could direct the magic to the pages of her book. She didn¡¯t need to capture the spells, just cast them ¡ª thus the pages in her magical book stayed empty unless she wished to purposely add the spell.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡± Katrin said, mostly to alert Agni to her intentions, but Gigi simply nodded and began to slowly walk towards the pair. There were roughly 6 meters between them at this point which was why neither Katrin or Agni expected Gigi to bridge the distance in a few seconds. Gigi leaned forward, almost as if she was about to fall face forward, Agni could feel a shifting in the air as wind magic swirled about Gigi¡¯s feet. With a single step she bounded 2 meters, and with another she bridged the remainder of the distance, hopping upwards into the air as she did so.

    In mid air Gigi lifted her de across her chest to prepare for a cross sh, her eyes glowing with ming red energy as wind element coalesced around the de within her grip. Agni was, for a moment, struck with awe at the fluid movements of her opponent. It wasn¡¯t until she could feel the pressure from Gigi¡¯s impending attack that she felt the need to act. Agni lifted her hand and directed it towards her opponent, forcing a burst of lightning to shoot forth. This wasn¡¯t enough. Gigi used her free hand to swat the lightning bolt away and swung her weapon in a cross sh motion. Though she was still in the air a strong gust of wind pressure pushed both Katrin and Agni backwards effortlessly. Agni¡¯s hood flew upwards as she covered her face and Katrin was forced to hold onto her hat, or else it would have been gone as well.

    The wind st was heavy and dense, as if dozens of hands were pressing against Agni with a constant pressure. Thissted for at least five seconds and when the pressure died down and the whistling winds ceased Agni found Gigi standing motionless several meters away.

    She couldn¡¯t help but feel amazed as a sensation of being windswept tingled against her exposed flesh. She gazed upon Gigi¡¯s countenance as she stood motionlessly, confidently with her weapon at her side. The runes on Gigi¡¯s weapon were now glowing orange, pulsing as the de swirled with fire.

    Agni couldn¡¯t help but be impressed. In one fluid strike Gigi had managed to put them on guard and exude enough pressure to drive them back.

    *Interesting.* Agni thought to herself as she mentally epted the challenge, her tail swishing back and forth as she called forth a fireball. Agni nced at Katrin, a signal that the two were ready to battle in earnest now.

    Katrin pointed at Gigi, her Grimoire shed for a moment with a green glow as the power of earth erupted near Gigi¡¯s feet. It was a trivial matter for her to leap to the side, avoiding therge rectangr mass of earth energy that jutted upwards. Agni was waiting for this moment and willed the fireball in her possession to fly forward while Gigi was moving through the air. The attack would have worked, had Gigi not used the power of wind to push herself away. She easily avoided their attacks as a girlish smile curled around her lips. Her eyes glowed in the dimming twilight as she once more stepped forward to mount an offense.

    Agni created two more fireballs, one hovering in each palm as she stepped forward to continue pressing her attack. Based on Gigi¡¯s exnation of Inner and Outer magic, her strikes would be the quickest while Katrin¡¯s might require more time to activate. As she moved forward Agni continually fired new sts of fiery magic. With her new advances in magic she could easily keep up the pace infinitely, but she soon realized that the same was true for her opponent.

    Gigi would simply wave her ming sword, swatting away each orb of fire as they moved towards her. With a ming sword in one hand and her free hand conjuring wind element, Agni could sense that another wind st would soon be headed her way. She decided to press the attack in the hopes that Gigi would lose track of Katrin¡¯s motions even for a split second. Thus she ran forward and engaged in hand to hand striking. It wasn¡¯t her forte, but considering the fight against the snatchers merely a week ago she felt much better at it than before. She gave up on tossing fireballs as she neared Gigi and instead attempted to ram them directly into her. Magic could be affixed to any point the caster desired, within reason. The easiest locations were ones near to them. In this case Agni created them at a point near her fists. Much like Agni expected, Gigi was very skilled inbat. The blows she attempted to rain down were easily avoided simply by the swaying of Gigi¡¯s body. Furthermore any unpredictable strikes were swatted away with Gigi¡¯s ming runede.

    No more than ten seconds had psed before Agni found herself being pushed back. It wasn¡¯t due to Gigi¡¯s strikes or even overwhelming force ¨Crather she was simply too agile and quick. Soon Gigi began flourishing her de towards Agni¡¯s iing strikes, negating thempletely. Finally Gigi lifted her free hand and released a tunnel of wind that literally took Agni off of her feet and sent her flying half a dozen meters backwards in the process.

    Katrin stepped up at this moment, firing off several small fragments of earth element. She created many of them in the hopes that an opponent of superior nimbleness would have difficulty evading them. They numbered nine in total and fired in rapid session, Katrin both fired and created them two at a time, her current limit. This technique was done using free-form magic, thus it wasn¡¯t a spell. Every step of the process required her focus and Katrin was pushing herself to the limits in order to suppress Gigi¡¯s movements.

    It worked surprisingly, partially because Gigi was rooted in ce from using the wind st. The first three earth shards struck her, shattering into pieces as the heavy pelting blows smashed into her side and sternum. Gigi raised both her free hand and her sword in order to avoid some of the pellets. In response to this Katrin began to vary the size of the earth bullets, making some smaller and others more dense. The result was that Gigi was soon forced to dash in order to avoid a trail of gatling like attacks.

    Agni on the other hand wasing to her senses. She realized now just how the sparring room worked. Rather than dealing physical damage, mana would be removed in its ce. In addition, the mental effect was like having a ck out. Agni could feel her senses dull somewhat as her vision faded slightly. She could tell that absorbing too much damage would cause her to pass out. Realizing this she gritted her teeth and got to her feet. Though physically she was fine, she suddenly felt annoyed at having been flung like a human sack.

    As she got to her feet she could feel her magical veins flowing with energy, her eyes took on a familiar pink hue as deep purple lines which resembled tattoos more than anything appeared on her cheeks and forehead. They extended downward across her chest, arms, abdomen and all the way down to her toes ¡ª she could feel the magic power coursing through her like the rushing warmth of a steamy bath. Agni then ced her hands in front of her chest, pushing her fingertips together, for some reason this felt ¡°right¡± to her.

    In an instant she called forth arge ball of mes which lingered less than a meter before her chest and hands. In the dimness of twilight the orange light shone against her features, illuminating the intense focus with which she began to construct her attack.

    With her own intent she reshaped it several times and each time it grew she would further condense it by half, pushing the energy within the sphere to its limits. She repeated this process four separate times before finally feeling resistance against her own intent. The strike was ready, and she had only used a quarter of her mana to conjure it.

    Agni then willed the magic orb of fire to fly forth, pushing it with a moderate pace. Since it was about the size of a beach ball it didn¡¯t move as quickly but that was okay, she had something else in mind. With the amount of mana infused in the technique she was confident that she could sustain it for quite some time, she waited for the technique to near Gigi who was currently circling towards her to avoid Katrin¡¯s pelting sts. Agni purposely fired the magic to force Gigi to move closer towards Katrin, as the st was easily avoided by Gigi her opponent picked up speed. Gigi dashed towards her, de at the ready but Agni wasn¡¯t concerned ¡ª she released the impromptu hand seal as she willed the traveling orb of mes to redirect itself. The rebound required another half of her current mana but in exchange she tripled the speed and instantly changed the direction of the st.

    Sensing errant mana behind her Gigi¡¯s face morphed once she realized that she would not be able to avoid the furious me attack of the subus. This slight moment was all Katrin needed to pour on the pressure, pelting Gigi in the thigh and lower leg with several shots as the ball of me smashed into Gigi from behind and exploded at Agni¡¯s behest.

 Chapter 71: Battle Witches (2)

    Chapter 71: Battle Witches (2)

    ¡°D-did we go overboard?¡± Katrin said in a panic as she watched the explosion of mes consume Gigi. She walked towards Agni pensively, her hands sped against her bosom as she moved. Her eyes were transfixed on arge mass of swirling mes six meters away (roughly 18ft).

    ¡°No. I don¡¯t think so anyway..¡± Agni said.

    ¡°When I got hit with her magic earlier it didn¡¯t hurt. I just felt pressure and then a sense of mana loss. I almost cked out. That¡¯s probably what happened. We should check on her though¡­¡± Agi expounded as she began walking towards the spot of the explosion. Throughout the short but fierce battle thendscape of the training room remained unchanged, Agni could only admire the rules of Adventia.

    ¡°Wait. Something¡¯s not right.¡± Katrin said as she stared into the mes of the explosion. They should have dissipated within moments but instead they began to form a sphere. The energy was hollow in the center and waves of me cycled along the surface of the magical construct. Soon a rush of air filtered outwards, strong enough to give Agni pause as Gigi stood unharmed in the center of the sphere.

    ¡°Whew. That was really unexpected. I didn¡¯t imagine you two to catch onto magicalbat so quickly. And I only gave you a few pointers too.¡± Gigi¡¯s voice was rxed, calm even as if their attacks had been shrugged off altogether.

    Agni couldn¡¯t help but grit her teeth, biting her lip in the process as Gigi released her magic, the sphere of mes must have been created at thest moment in order to negate the damage of Agni¡¯s fire attack.

    It was the same sort of trick that Agni regrly pulled against Fulger Stags who often used lightning element to great effect. Rather than taking the full brunt of the magical attack head on, Agni would fill her body with as much lightning as she could safely muster. This would oftentimes half or even cancel outpletely the energy directed towards her. Gigi¡¯s application of this principle was on a much higher level, however.

    ¡°But I¡¯m d. It¡¯s been a while since I had a good sparring session. The power of a Specialist ss is nothing to sneeze at, and you evenbined both Inner and Outer techniques in thatst strike. Agni, you¡¯re amazing!¡±

    The praise filtering from Gigi¡¯s lips was somehow tinged in Agni¡¯s mind. Once again the young woman¡¯s words didn¡¯t match the energy Agni was perceiving. She felt like she was facing a wild beast and when the mes subsided she soon understood why.

    Gigi¡¯s body had undergone several changes, the most prominent were her eyes and her hair. Thick magical lines appeared along her cheeks and forehead, these were Gigi¡¯s magic veins and they glowed with red energy. Her eyes were also aglow with a ming red energy, so much so that it looked like her pupils were on fire. Her hair, on the other hand, had actually taken on the appearance of mes. Gigi¡¯s ginger colored hair was infused with fire element, causing her strands of red hair to catch alight and defy gravity. It gave the appearance that her entire head was on fire. For a moment Agni felt as if she was staring at a goddess from some sort of fairy tail. What she was witnessing was amazing and it defied the logic of everything she knew up until that point.

    *Magic is really capable of something like this?* Agni found herself subconsciously taking a step backwards, she felt unsure of what to do next. Meanwhile Katrin was having a simr dilemma. In order topensate for the speed of conjuring earth element, she needed to use additional mana to quicken the process. Firing so many sts for so long had depleted over half of her mana. While she was relieved that Gigi wasn¡¯t injured, she felt a sudden shift in the woman¡¯s demeanor. In a word, it was intimidating. She got the distinct impression that Gigi wasn¡¯t taking the battle very seriously before now, but that just might change.

    While this wasn¡¯t a battle for life and death, Katrin resigned to pushing herself at all times after her First Death experience. The most prominent thought which came to mind is that she didn¡¯t want to be seen as useless. Despiteing to fetch her after the battle, Agni had never directly asked her about her death experience. In a way it bothered Katrin, she knew Agni cared but she could also tell that Agni was somewhat perceptive of Katrin¡¯splex. This in turn made her feel somewhat insecure. In order tobat this Katrin had been feverishly attempting to study magic and make ns for contingencies inbat. This shift in her ownbat style was definitely a step in the right direction, but she was currently ill equipped to handle such an opponent. Herck of experience as well as herck of spells didn¡¯t give Katrin very many options and even with Agni she doubted that they would be able to sessfully defeat Gigi based on the disy before them.

    She didn¡¯t really have an effective way of conveying all of these thoughts, so instead she simply pushed them away.

    *Winning or losing doesn¡¯t really matter in this instance.*

    Katrin thought to herself as she formed her resolve. She lifted both her right and left hands, calling forth earth and air element masses of magic. These were the two specialties Katrin chose after much consideration, partially because they were plentiful and easier to manipte for her.

    *The important thing is to get some experience, as much as possible.*

    Thus Katrin stepped forward, despite the gnawing feeling urging her to do the opposite. A bead of sweat slowly dripped down her brow as she leveled her hands at Gigi and fired both orbs of magic at her. She didn¡¯t even wait to see whether the spells made contact, she then began to activate two Scribe Script runes to activate Terra Rising and Earth Shard. By using her Scripts she would have less freedom than using free-form magic, but more speed.

    Agni took several deep breaths as she watched Gigi step out of the small crater created by the explosion. The sudden flurry of spells activated by Katrin snapped her out of her distracted mind.

    *Is this some kind of intimidation spell?* Agni thought to herself as she recovered and quickly began to follow suit. This time Agni decided on adopting a tactic simr to Katrin¡¯s first attempt. Agni disliked using water element for one reason only, it was much too weighty. Conjuring and manipting the magic simply felt ¡°heavy¡± inparison to all of her other elements save earth. In fact, this was also the reason that Agni avoided using earth element whenever possible. Agni noticed that Gigi only used fire and wind elements thus far, so she decided to try using opposing elements for the time being.

    Much like before, Gigi swatted her rune de to destroy Katrin¡¯s projectiles, but this time a single wave of her de caused the mes to extend several meters in an arcing strike. The rolling wave of mes destroyed several of Katrin¡¯s earth shards and also moved like a whip, threatening tosh Agni across the chest. She bought her arms up at thest moment but the impact once again caused her mind to briefly flicker. In that instant Gigi chose to strike her first. With her quick step it was a simple matter to bridge the distance and perform two strikes. Agni half expected her arms to be cleaved in two, instead she felt a heavy, oppressive weight as Gigi¡¯s magic infused de bared down on her, forcing her guard apart. The second blow came just momentster, catching Agni on the shoulder. She instantly knew that if she weren¡¯t in a training area her vicle would most likely have been shattered.

    *How can she be so powerful!* Agni thought, her mind racing back to their encounter with the snatchers.

    *Were they really just that weak?*

    Agni was forced to kneel by the consecutive blows but she still leapt backwards and released a small flurry of water element orbs. They stretched and undted as they flew forward, pelting Gigi across her chest several times before she was able to swing her de again. Despite her speed, when swinging her weapon she couldn¡¯t manage to deflect smaller more urate attacks. Agni thanked Katrin for exposing this weakness and quickly began the process of creating more magic orbs. While Agni didn¡¯t need to use her hands for this task, it simply felt more natural for her to do so.

    Gigi didn¡¯t stick around to take more water sts though and she twisted, pivoting on the balls of her foot as she swung her de once again. Anotherrge wave of fire magicshed out, this time it was much faster and difficult to evade. As Gigi used several mid range attacks, Katrin focused on long ranged ones to provide support. Since she was now using Scribe Script to activate spells she was forced to abandon any measure of control, these were more like summoning spells that performed a set action. She used her magic with both precision and aggression, her hands seemed to almost blur as several pirs of condensed earth jutted upwards and quickly began to catch up with Gigi who skillfully darted around them. Now that Katrin was using spells Gigi could easily anticipate the size and shape of the strikes, thus they were little more than distractions.

    At first Gigi thought that Katrin might be the more troublesome of the two, after all she had seen Grimoire users in action quite often and their ability tobine spells was something to watch out for. But when Agni used such a powerful attack it forced Gigi to not only use a great portion of her mana on a mana expensive barrier, but she also took quite a bit of damage as well.

    If she wanted to end the battle and not be shown up by twoplete novices she needed to end things quickly. The pot shots the pair were peppering her body with weren¡¯t helping either.

    *When did zero ranks get so strong? This is nuts!* Gigi thought to herself as she felt her senses sharpen. Although she was slowly being pressured by both of her opponents her Spellsword ability ¡®Dominion¡¯ was now in full effect. It was responsible for the change in her appearance and had the added effect of enhancing the power of her own elemental strikes within a certain radius ¡ª ten meters.

    This could be considered a medium range on any battlefield, the only trade off was increased mana costs. In addition to this , Gigi was now using wind magic inbination with fire magic to extend the range of her me strikes even further. With less than six more swipes she would be running on fumes practically. Still, she couldn¡¯tin, more than anything she felt alive when pushed to her limits. Gigi couldn¡¯t help but smile as the two new recruits rose to meet her expectations!

    *Wind steps, each one uses mana.* Gigi thought to herself as she used mana enhanced evasion magic to help avoid Katrin¡¯s cascading earth strikes.

    *me Strikes..* She thought as she swung her rune de towards Agni who was struck by the first blow and even managed to retaliate before using some of her own fire magic to lessen the impact of Gigi¡¯s second me strike. At this point even infusing her de with mana was bing difficult. She noticed the mass of mes covering her weapon flicker slightly even as she had this thought.

    *At best one or two more strikes. I better make them count.* Gigi thought inwardly as she reared back and cleaved downward with her de. The vertical me strike was meant for Agni who, as Gigi predicted, would side step it. She purposely slowed the attack and used less energy to bait her opponent. With Agni now leaping to the side both she and Katrin had be aligned. Gigi stepped to her left even further and then dashed forth at an awkward angle for Agni. Gigi¡¯s body maintained a low posture and rose into the strike, at thest possible moment she red up the remainder of her magical energy, choosing tomit fully to the attack.

    Arge wave of vertical fire magic, twice as powerful as the previous one was released at near point nk range against the Subus. Katrin was just three meters behind Agni and also directly in line with this blow. Gigi¡¯s intent was to strike them both with a single blow and either way after this bold move the spar would be done!

 Chapter 72: Bewitching Tails

    Chapter 72: Bewitching Tails

    At least that was Gigi¡¯s n. Agni¡¯s features lit up as the fierce me energy split the air and traveled towards her. She threw up her hands in reflex, dreading the impact toe and ¡ª nothing. After several seconds Agni opened her eyes only to find apletely unexpected scene.

    Tails, specifically four of them, all covered in fluffy soft fur. The fur was colored red, brighter than the ginger color of Gigi¡¯s hair and nearly one fourth of the tail¡¯s length was white at the tips. The second thing Agni noticed was her position, she was now a couple of meters away from Gigi ¡ª much closer to Katrin. Agni looked up at the busty brte who also seemed genuinely perplexed.

    ¡°What¡¯s ¡­.going on?¡± Agni asked cautiously as she slowly got to her feet. The gently swaying double pair of fluffy fox tails turned to reveal a youngdy.

    *S-short.* Was Agni¡¯s first reaction while the second was *Cute.*

    Indeed, the person standing before them was no taller than 121 cm. Herplexion was pale and the color of her skin was closer to Gigi¡¯s than Agni¡¯s or Katrin¡¯s. Her hair was also white, save for the tips which were inverse to the color of her fox-tails, red tips. In a word, she was very smol and cute. She resembled a child in many aspects, so much so that Agni was getting the irresistible urge to hug her and y with her ears which sat atop her head tall and proud like a fox. The way the young girl was staring didn¡¯t help either. She nced over at the pair of confused adventurers and simply said.

    ¡°Nyah?¡±

    *It doesn¡¯t match¡­that¡¯s what a cat would say¡­* Agni thought as she dusted off her witch¡¯s coat. She couldn¡¯t help but notice the way the young girl was gazing at her, as if essing her. Her violet colored pupils seemed more animal-like than human as they formed a slit typical of beastmen category adventurers.

    ¡°What are you wearing?¡± The smol girl¡¯s voice equally matched her stature and appearance. Her eyes seemed more sleepy than surprised. Agni couldn¡¯t help but notice a pair of streaks on the young woman¡¯s cheeks. They resembled magic veins though Agni also recognized them for¡­.

    *Whiskers?*

    The smol girl was dressed in a rather in yukata, ck with various orange flowers across the fabric. Due to the need of allowing her multiple tails freedom, the yukata was modified in the back and shorter than usual in various ces ¡ª particrly around the ankle and wrist area. There were several slits , one in the back and two additional ones on either side. The mysterious girl had what appeared to be a bamboo fishing pole leaning across her shoulder and an ornate fan in her other hand. She nced at both Katrin and Agni for just a moment before turning her attention to Gigi who didn¡¯t seem surprised but rather nervous.

    ¡°Exin.¡± The smol girl said as she flicked her wrist causing the fan in her right hand to close instantly. At the same time the bamboo rod tapped against her shoulder with the other hand.

    ¡°Um..well¡­¡± Gigi began as she looked down and began fumbling with her fingertips.

    *Tsk. I got caught. I should probably fess up¡­* Gigi thought to herself before resigning to tell the truth.

    ¡°These are two new recruits to the chapel. I just wanted to give them a tour and show them the ropes.¡± Gigi said, being very careful to summarize her intentions concisely before the gaze of the young girl standing before her.

    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be at the front desk. What¡¯s more your tours are limited to fifteen minutes max¡­you¡¯ve been away for almost an hour now.¡±

    ¡°Urgk.¡± Gigi said with a flinch as she realized the person before her pretty much knew everything, as she suspected.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Doyenne Vivian. I got a little bored, honestly. And.. I got carried away. Please forgive me.¡± Realizing that she couldn¡¯t conceal much of the situation from her superior, Gigi decided it best to be proactive and apologize in full.

    ¡°Hmm. Well, I¡¯ll let it go¡­this time. But only because you managed to find two rarities.¡± The young woman who was apparently named Vivian then looked back at the puzzled duo of adventurers.

    After forcing Gigi to offer them a sincere apology and return to her station at the reception desk, Agni and Katrin were left alone with the strange young kitsune.

    ¡°My name is Vivian. I basically run things around here.¡± The young girl raised her hand, extending it to be shaken by both Katrin and Agni. Now that she was standing a bit closer Agni could see her status.

    [Vivian Lex

    Rank 3 Vixen

    Allegiance: Mystic Tower (Founder)]

    ¡°Oh! That exins things quite a bit.¡± Agni whispered to herself as she shook the young woman¡¯s hand. Katrin too found herself rxing a bit more now that the mood switched to something more rxing.

    *How is this little girl the founder of such arge chapel?* Agni thought to herself. During the tour Gigi proudly shared that the Mystic Tower chapel had just over sixty contracted members. Also ording to Gigi that number made Mystic Tower the fourthrgest chapel in Grenvale.

    ¡°So where did you two learn to fight like that? It¡¯s not often that zero rankers can hold their own against someone of a higher rank¨Cand someone who¡¯s trained no less.¡± Vivian¡¯s tone was matter of factly, her expression didn¡¯t deviate at all. She still seemed doll-like, almost sleepy.

    ¡°We had a lot of practice. He he.¡± Katrin offered, finally feeling as if she could speak.

    ¡°We were at the Trainer¡¯s Chapel up until this morning.¡± Agni also shared.

    ¡°Oh, well that exins it. Bracha is a pretty well known battle maniac. Sort of like Gigi.¡± Vivian said, giving the impression to the pair that the case had been solved.

    *Battle maniac? What?* Agni thought to herself.

    ¡°So..is that why you two are cosying as slutty witches? Did Gigi put you up to this?¡± Vivian next asked as she used the closed fan to point at their outfits, particrly Agni¡¯s. She even used the tip of her fan to slightly lift up Agni¡¯s coat, forcing the subus to hastily pull down her clothing.

    ¡°Yes! It wasn¡¯t our idea!¡± Agni said as a rare feeling of embarrassment overcame her.

    *I knew these clothes weren¡¯t normal! What kind of witch wears a bikini!*

    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t look that bad.¡± Vivian offered as she turned and motioned for both of them to follow her out of the training room.

 Chapter 73: Led By The Tail

    Chapter 73: Led By The Tail

    ¡°Excuse me ¨Cemm? Doyenne Vivian was it?¡± Katrin said as the pair followed the chibi through the chapel.

    ¡°Hmm? It¡¯s just Vivian. Doyenne is just a title which refers to the leader of a chapel.¡± Vivian replied without looking back. Agni couldn¡¯t help but take notice of the young girl¡¯s tails. Each of them swayed gently as Vivian walked and they looked so soft to the touch. Agni was filled with the urge to reach out and touch one, in fact the more she felt she shouldn¡¯t the stronger the urge became.

    ¡°Oh, I see. Well then, Vivian. How did you, um ¡ª what happened back there?¡± Katrin was struggling to articte her question because frankly she didn¡¯t quite understand either.

    ¡°Oh. That was nothing. I just smothered her magic.¡± Vivian held up her fan and flicked her wrist, disying it for both of them to see. It portrayed a fox with four tails which resembled Vivian herself in ssic japanese art form.

    ¡°You smothered it?¡± Katrin asked. At this Agni felt somewhat relieved, partially because Katrin seemed as ufortable in this situation as she was. Being led around by a cute little girl who obviouslymanded so much power. The sequence of events seemed and felt¡­.unlikely.

    Katrin¡¯s difort made Agni feel less awkward and for this she was thankful.

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s not tooplicated, you just need to apply enough of your own magic force to your enemy¡¯s magic. It¡¯s just another way of canceling damage.¡± Vivian said, exining things once again in a very matter-of-factly way.

    ¡°Oh.. but I didn¡¯t see any magic besides Gigi¡¯s.¡± Katrin seemed genuinely interested and was shrugging off the awkwardness by the moment. Agni realized that her curiosity about pretty much anything was driving Katrin¡¯s line of questioning.

    ¡°Well.¡± Vivian said as she stopped in her tracks and turned to face them both.

    ¡°I could exin why but..that¡¯s my secret. K?¡±

    Agni clenched her hands, resisting the urge to pinch Vivian¡¯s cheeks.

    *Don¡¯t do it Don¡¯t do it Don¡¯t do it.* She repeated constantly in her head while imagining headpats and tail fluffs.

    Not only was she cute, but she struck a ¡°kawaii¡± pose as she gave her reasoning to Katrin. Even the super inquisitive Scribe was forced to forget about fishing for answers in the face of such overwhelming cuteness.

    They continued in silence for a few more minutes before finally reaching Vivian¡¯s office near the back of the chapel on the ground floor.

    ¡°So, it looks like you two are already members. What¡¯s your purpose at Mystic Tower?¡± Vivian said as she took a seat behind a ratherrge desk in the office. She pointed towards two of three chairs positioned in front of the desk. Agni couldn¡¯t help but notice all of the items within the office. Scrolls, crystal balls, even a few weapons which Agni was unfamiliar with. Behind the desk were three katana des, their sheathes each had a different design. Dragons, flowers and petals along withplimenting handles for the swords.

    ¡°We want to learn how to better make use of our magical abilities.¡± Katrin said after finally making herselffortable.

    ¡°I see. Is it the same for you slutty witch?¡± Vivian said, directing her attention to Agni.

    *I¡¯m not¡­.ugh.* She thought to herself before replying.

    ¡°I¡¯m a Subus¡­.not a slutty witch. And yes, I¡¯d like to learn how magic users do battle. It would be very helpful.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Why¡¯s that?¡± Vivian asked as she opened a ss jar on her desk and pulled out several small marble sized candies. She offered one to both Katrin and Agni before shrugging and tossing all three into her mouth.

    ¡°Why? I mean.. I don¡¯t know. I never really thought about it beyond that.¡± Agni answered.

    ¡°Hmm. It seems like Bracha didn¡¯t really exin things to you all that well.¡± Vivian sighed before she sat back in her chair somewhat.

    ¡°As an adventurer you don¡¯t really need to risk life and limb battling monsters. In fact, you can lead a life offort by doing tons of other things. Adventia is that kind of world.¡± Vivian then exined.

    Agni never really lent this much thought but now that she thought about it¡­

    ¡°As long as you can maintain your status as an adventurer you can pretty much go wherever you want and do whatever you want within reason. Don¡¯t get me wrong, battling Grimlock ¡ª it¡¯s a necessary thing and it keeps us safe from the expansion but that¡¯s not all there is to being an adventurer.¡± Vivian said as she made herself morefortable to borate.

    ¡°The vast majority of adventurers rarely leave the cities and even more never surpass rank 0. Do you know why that is?¡± Vivian asked.

    ¡°Mmm. Because..the requirements for remaining an adventurer are sox?¡± Katrin asked. This was something that Agni often thought about as well. Now that she¡¯d spent thest two weeks of her new life as an adventurer, she realized just how simple it was to acquire enough experience if she¡¯d actually put more effort in. Wa was indeed correct, if anyone couldn¡¯t aplish that simple task in a small amount of time they simply weren¡¯t qualified.

    ¡°That¡¯s a part of it. It¡¯s not all that difficult to acquire levels starting out. In addition, everyone has the same requirements in the beginning. It¡¯s not umon for some people to simply acquire a single level or stretch their learning curve in order to stay rank 0. In fact¡­ almost sixty percent of the adventurers in this world do the bare minimum just to get by.¡±

    ¡°Despite this, there really isn¡¯t a penalty for staying within this lower rank, so I ask once again ¨Cwhat¡¯s your motivation for advancing?¡± Vivian posed the question once again, this time her hands were folded as she awaited a reply.

    Katrin was the first to speak.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already spent one lifetime on the sidelines. I refuse to make it two. I want to live my life to the fullest and for that I need to experience as much as possible.¡± Katrin¡¯s expression was firm and full of resolve. Agni could feel her passion as she spoke and for that reason she also felt as if any answer she could give simply wouldn¡¯t be good enough.

    After a long while Agni finally responded.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any grand ambitions or goals at the moment. I also want to experience this world and as much as it has to offer.¡±

    ¡°I see. In that case, would it surprise you to learn that magic is used for much more thanbat in Adventia? You can use it to find jobs, like a Scribe for example is used to create all sorts of enchanted items, even highly valued gear. The main reason I asked is simple, I just want you to realize that you have many more options than endangering your life fighting against the Grimlock.¡±

    ¡°I see. But we¡¯ve already fought quite a lot of Grimlock.¡± Katrin said as she pressed her finger to her top lip in thought.

    ¡°So it¡¯s really not that scary anymore.¡± She added.

    ¡°Wait¨Creally?¡± Vivian asked as her fox ears perked up atop her head.

    ???Mhm. Fulger Stags. Oh, god so many.¡± Agni whispered.

    ¡°And the ones inside the blood shards are just the worst.¡± Katrin was the one to moan this time as she recalled all of the effort it took to take down even one of the Grimlock in a red shard.

    ¡°Are you two serious? You..really fought inside a red shard?¡±

    The pair nodded their heads in unison, as if entering a blood shard was the most normal thing in the world.

 Chapter 74: The Feelings Of A Ranker

    Chapter 74: The Feelings Of A Ranker

    ¡°How many people were in your party?¡± Vivian asked, her eye twitching slightly.

    *T-they¡¯ve got to be lying. There¡¯s no way Bracha would do something so reckless.* Vivian thought to herself as she struggled to maintain her calm.

    ¡°Just us.¡± Katrin responded, with Agni nodding to herself.

    ¡°Well, Bracha was with us..¡± Agni then added, causing a bit of relief to wash over Vivian.

    *They must be trying to impress me since I¡¯m the Doyenne.* Vivian thought to herself, until she heard¨C

    ¡°But Bracha never helped us fight. Alsost week we went into the blood shard on our own.¡± Agni said.

    *Y- you what?!? Reckless! Foolish! Do you know how many adventurers die in blood shards? This can¡¯t be right.* Vivian¡¯s thoughts were racing as she struggled to calm herself down.

    Agni felt as if she saw a vein throb in the young girl¡¯s temple but she dismissed it after a moment of thought.

    ¡°If this is a joke it isn¡¯t funny. Blood shards are very dangerous. It¡¯s not something you can waltz into without being fully prepared. The enemies inside blood shards are anywhere from twice to ten times as strong as their counterparts.¡± Vivian exined.

    ¡°We know. Even the Fulger Stags were pretty tough, but it¡¯s not like they were unbeatable. Once you get used to fighting them they are actually pretty easy to take down. They rarely move out of the way when you attack them and some of their magic strikes are so obvious that they can be avoided. The only real danger is ¡ª ¡°

    ¡°Do you have any proof?¡± Vivian interrupted with a wave of her hand. She was now furiously crunching on the candies in her mouth.

    ¡°Sure.¡± Katrin responded as she opened her inventory and quickly called forth a monster drop.

    ¡°This is¡­a Fulger Stag Horn.¡± Vivian said as she eyed the long piece of shattered animal bone in Katrin¡¯s grasp.

    *There are so many tales of zero rankers being killed by enemies inside the blood shards. How did these two manage alone? With a party of two no less?*

    For Vivian it simply blew her mind that anyone would speak so casually of cing themselves in danger. It was the same reason she regrly found herself annoyed with Georgina. The foolhardy girl would constantly seek battles and even excitedly speak of the day when she could face off against the ¡®Grimlock Threat¡¯.

    Vivian was obligation bound as a third ranker to participate in quelling the expansions. For her it was a very annoying job that she would have to do monthly. She¡¯d seen her fair share of blood and carnage in the process. One wrong move could cause entire parties to fall to ruin and for her it was mind boggling how anyone could aspire to thrive in such situations.

    However she couldn¡¯t really exin her position, after all there were unspoken rules within the world of adventurers. The higher up in rank one rose, the more limitations would be ced upon them to a degree by the system itself. While the number of privileges far outweighed the detriments some knowledge simply couldn¡¯t be shared without penalty. The existence of the expansion was one of them. Like clockwork within the world of Adventia blood shards would begin the process of expanding rapidly, spawning dozens of Grimlock in the process. To make matters worse the more blood that was shed, the worse the situation would be.

    *The entire eastern range of the continent is filled with hundreds of second and third rankers who barely manage to keep the lid on Pandora¡¯s box and these two are just fine? It¡¯s¡­difficult to ept.*

    With this in mind Vivian decided to change her tactics. At first she wanted to sway the young adventurers to explore their other options rather than flocking to battle. But there was one simple way to test whether they had the capability to handle Grimlocks or if they were only fit to be town-rats.

    She interrupted Agni¡¯s exposition on the annoyance of having her gear charred by errant lightning strikes to make a suggestion.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be the first to admit,bat is sometimes unavoidable. That¡¯s why one should always learn to defend themselves as best as possible. You could certainly learn a great deal about using magic by studying within these walls but since you have experience in the field already, how would you like to join our expeditionary sses? They are aimed at helping to improve the survival rate of adventurers by pairing them with more experienced leaders. This would probably be more helpful¡­in the long run.¡±

    ¡°Expeditionary sses? Could you exin please?¡± Katrin asked.

    ¡°We gather together inexperienced adventurers, group them based on their strengths and weaknesses and then have them participate in livebat. They are monitored to avoid trouble and the conditions are substantially less dangerous than entering a blood shard.¡±

    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be too much trouble. What do you think Agni?¡± Katrin asked. Agni was surprised that Katrin would even ask her input. After all she was the party leader.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine with whatever you¡¯d like to do.¡± Agni said with a shrug of her shoulders. For the most part this was true. Although..

    ¡°Oh. I was wondering ¡ª Bracha mentioned that this chapel has ess to some kind of transporter or warp device? Would it be possible for me to use it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not totally impossible, but generally free use of the transfer gate is reserved for contract members. There¡¯s also usually a fee as well for use. What¡¯s your reasoning, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡± Vivian said.

    ¡°To visit the city of Kirlunst in order to awaken my familiar.¡± Agni replied.

    ¡°Wow, you have a familiar as well? That¡¯s a very rare ability and it could be super useful. Though I have a hard time imagining what power your familiar would provide you with as a subus.¡± Vivian seemed to fall into genuine consideration at this point.

    ¡°Very well. If you can perform well during the expedition, I will personally take you to Kirlunst. I have quite a few associates there and I know the city.¡±

    Agni still couldn¡¯t believe that such a cute teen was speaking to them on equal terms but she had no reason to decline such a deal. It was apparent that after a few minutes of conversation that there was much more to Vivian than meets the eye.

    ¡°Great. One other thing¡­are there any other clothes I can borrow?¡±

 Chapter 75: Black And White

    Chapter 75: ck And White

    **Note that in this chapter I decided to retcon Katrin¡¯s tit size. They are now E-cups.**

    ¡°So¡­ I¡¯ve never really worked with a Subus before. What type of abilities do you have as a specialist?¡± Vivian asked this as she faced the door while Agni and Katrin changed their clothes.

    Agni thought for a moment before replying ¡°Sexy crowd-control.¡±

    She was currently in the nude, her soft silky skin exposed and yet she felt less awkward in the raw. She even took note of the shape of her own body at this time, ncing at herself in the mirror. She felt that her tits were well shaped and perpetually perky despite their C-cup size.

    *How does that even make sense?* Agni thought to herself as she looked around the armory. Indeed there were various suits and outfits to choose from. Gigi chose their gear thest time and due to the fact that it was being borrowed neither Katrin nor Agni felt the need to object.

    This was the first time that Agni was in a ¡°shopping¡± experience. She was slowly beginning to see the appeal it held for women. So many fabrics, textures and colors ¡ª it was sending her heart into a gentle flutter as her mood began to infinitely rise.

    ¡°Katrin¡­we have to go shopping for clothester..¡± Agni said as her hands were drawn to several outfits which hung neatly on wooden clothes hangers. Meanwhile Vivian cocked her head back slightly to take in the sights.

    *Her body is definitely fit enough. But what does that even mean? Sexy crowd control? I heard demonic type sses are very desire driven but this one seems normal enough. Even for a supposed demon of lust.* These were Vivian¡¯s thoughts as she nced over Agni¡¯s naked form.

    *The tail is¡­.different though¡­* Vivian thought inwardly as she resisted the urge to grab it.

    *That¡¯s rude¡­you can¡¯t go around fondling people¡¯s tails¡­* She finally settled this matter with a single resolute thought.

    Meanwhile Katrin was simply watching Agni change.

    ??So..you¡¯re not going to pick something different?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I kind of like what I¡¯m wearing, but the color is my only gripe.¡± Katrin said as she looked down at her traditional witch¡¯s outfit. The clothing was incredibly light and felt great against the skin.

    ¡°Oh. This would look great on you!¡± Agni said as she grabbed a hangar and thrust it towards Katrin.

    ¡°Really? You think so?¡± She said apprehensively. ¡°This isn¡¯t normally my color though..¡±

    ¡°Yes. And I¡¯ll wear this one.¡± Agni said with a broad smile as she fingered the cloth between her hands.

    While they were changing Agni was struck with a moment of envy as she watched Katrin call forth a bra and panty from her inventory.

    ¡°W-where did you get those!?¡± Agni asked, suddenly realizing that she could use some extra support.

    ¡°I always keep these with me. A girl¡¯s got to have some support¡­especially for breasts like these.¡± Katrin shifted her position with a slight bounce so that her free E-cups would jiggle before Agni¡¯s eyes.

    *Normally I¡¯d love that sight but..I want a bra!* Agni thought to herself as she nced down at her own c-cup tits.

    ¡°We definitely need to go shopping..¡± She said once more.

    ¡°So wait¨C you haven¡¯t been wearing any underwear at all?¡± Katrin asked.

    ¡°Well¡­no¡­.¡± Agni responded, suddenly feeling her ears grow warm.

    A few minutester both adventurers werepletely changed.

    They both opted for ssic colors, ck and white. In this case, Katrin lost the baggy witch¡¯s outfit for a less traditional ankle length form fitting dress. It was ivory white in color and due to her massive mounds Katrin¡¯s bosom pressed together, almost flowing over the scoop cut of the dress¡¯ neckline. She also wore a witch¡¯s hat to match, this one was a little less tall and morefortable, allowing Katrin¡¯s wavy brte locks of hair to freely fall downward. The outfit waspleted with matching cross tied sandal ts and a pair of elbow high white gloves. Katrin looked very stylish as the gloves were finger-less and also form fitting so they wouldn¡¯t be a hindrance in a pinch.

    By contrast Agni was dressed in all ck. This was a contrast to her crimson colored hair and normally red eyes. She too wore a moderately sized ck colored witch¡¯s hat on her crown which had a maroon colored sash around the base of the hat. She selected the same type of form fitting dress, however this one had sharp angles as a jagged edge which stopped just past her knees. Rather than the thigh high boots, Agni opted for some sleek, ck shin high alternatives with t heels. Her dress was alsofortable and easy to move in, the v cut of the ck number also showed off her cleavage. The only trouble was Agni¡¯s tail, but she decided to coil it around her waist to avoid the need of modifying her dress.

    Agni had a pair of ck gloves as well which rose almostpletely to her shoulders. Rather than fingerless, these gloves were more aggressive as the fingertips were shaped like ws. Seeing the slick styles they chose, Vivian also decided to get involved. She went to a certain corner of the room and came back with three items. Two nes, each withrge iid gems which she handed to both of them.

    ¡°This is¡­really nice.¡± Agni remarked after viewing the amulet¡¯s effect, it allowed her to regain 2 additional points of mana each cycle.

    ¡°These? They are just basic trinkets. Nothing too fancy.¡± Vivian replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure our Scribe here will be able to make much better gear in time.¡± She then added as she watched the pair ce on the essories.

    ¡°This one is for you. I¡¯d feel morefortable if you had some kind of weapon. You¡¯re morefortable using mes right?¡± Vivian said as she handed Agni a magician¡¯s staff.

    ¡°Ugh. I can¡¯t use it.¡± Agni whimpered after checking out the extended weapon. Her system marked the item as inessible, making it useless.

    ¡°I see. What types of weapons can you use?¡± Vivian asked.

    ¡°Spears. Halberds. Bo Staves. Scythes ¡ª oh and whips.¡± Agni listed off the types of weapons essible to her.

    ¡°A staff should do it then.¡± Vivian went back to the armory and came back with a simple hard wood staff roughly 2/3rds of Agni¡¯s height.

    ¡°This one doesn¡¯t have any effects, but you can channel mana through the runes embedded along the staff¡¯s length.¡± Vivian exined as she handed the weapon over to Agni. The pair looked each other up and down, feeling content that their outfits were nowplete. Despite looking create all of the pieces were enchanted with various protections :

    [Midnight Dress ¨C R0

    ssification : Magic Armor

    Dampen ¨C 3%

    te ¨C 5

    Abs ¨C 75 / 75

    Spirit ¨C N/A

    Recharge Time ¨C N/A

    Desc: A form fitting dress imbued with protection from mystical materials.]

    ¡°This is actually better than the other armor I was wearing.¡± Agni thought to herself as she nced over the stats of her currently equipped dress. te was equivalent to ¡°defense¡± in video games while Dampen could be considered damage reduction. Abs was rted to an armor¡¯s own personal ¡°hp¡± and could be considered an even further barrier to taking damage. The boots , hat and glove each had simr ratings.

    ¡°Those trinkets are prettymon. If you stick around I¡¯ll show you the good stuff. Maybe.¡± Vivian said as she flicked open the fan she carried about. This time the image revealed a moon lit night as the half moon hid behind several clouds. Vivian smiled, though Agni couldn¡¯t quite understand the meaning of this, as she led them out of the armory and across the chapel to the courtyard.

    Along the way Agni noticed Gigi who seemed annoyed that she was now stuck at desk duty. Agni waved and in response Gigi perked up, smiling as the trio made their way to the open courtyard. When they walked out of the building they realized it was closer to midday and there were almost twenty people gathered together in the center of the open space. The Mystic Tower courtyard had a long cement pathway leading to the center where a single statue of Vivian stood. There underneath the shadow of the statue were the members of the expeditionary ss.

    ¡°Oh ¡ª Doyenne. What brings you to visit us today?¡± A young elven man asked as he interrupted his exnation to those crowded nearby.

 Chapter 76: Expedition Party (1)

    Chapter 76: Expedition Party (1)

    It was the first time Agni took notice of an elf in the world of Adventia. He was rather short at just 137 cm (4.5 ft), yet he had an air of distinction about him. Blonde hair and deeply blue eyes with a dignified gaze. His voice was almost piercing as he spoke over the crowd of people who turned and parted way for Vivian and the two witches apparent who followed.

    ¡°Hello Archmage Oliver.¡± Vivian said, bowing her head slightly as she and the pair behind appeared before the elf.

    [Oliver Pagnal

    Rank 2 Archmage

    Allegiance: Mystic Tower]

    ¡°I¡¯vee bringing two new additions to the Forest Expedition. I¡¯d like you to pair them with one of the groups and bring them along.¡± Vivian said as she motioned towards Agni and Katrin.

    She then added, ¡°They have practical battle experience inside shards already, so you shouldn¡¯t have too much cause for concern.¡±

    ¡°Is that really true?¡± Oliver cast a disbelieving gaze towards the two adventurers. His appearance was impable, not a hair out of ce despite having long shoulder length hair of his own. His velvet red cloak was a stark contrast to the earthy colors of his clothing, which was fine with embroidery and very well made.

    ¡°Y-yes.¡± Katrin muttered upon realizing that Oliver was speaking directly to them now instead of Vivian. Agni just nodded. There was something about the elf that made her feel¡­.guarded.

    ¡°I see. In that case, you two will be excellent additions to the expedition.¡± Oliver said after a moment.

    ¡°Yes. Please take good care of them, they¡¯ve even ventured into blood shards and lived to tell the tale.¡± Vivian also said as she folded her hands into her kimono and nodded.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Did she just say a blood shard? Two zero rankers?¡±

    ¡°No way!¡±

    Several people within the group began to mutter upon hearing the Doyenne¡¯s deration and even Oliver¡¯s disbelief seemed to take on a whole new level.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­impossible.¡± Oliver said on reflex, yet Vivian¡¯s expression suggested that it wasn¡¯t a jest.

    *Is venturing into a shard really such a significant thing? Somehow I feel like maybe Bracha had us doing crazy things¡­* Agni thought to herself. She couldn¡¯t help but fidget a bit as she could feel dozens of eyes upon her, some envious and others filled with doubt.

    Oliver corrected himself quickly. As a man of culture he felt it was necessary to always keep hisposure. Besides, if his interpretation of Vivian¡¯s subtle cues were correct ¡ª

    ¡°That¡¯s simply amazing. I was just finishing up the instructions for the group here. Since you two are experienced that saves me both time and energy of needing to exin again. As for the group, I have the perfect one in mind.¡± Oliver said as he lowered his head to Vivian once more.

    ¡°Great! In that case, I won¡¯t keep you.¡± Vivan said to Oliver before turning to Katrin and Agni.

    ¡°Come and see me after the expedition. We¡¯ll discuss Kirnlust.¡± Vivian said before parting ways with them.

    ¡°Ahem. Well then, a Scribe and A Subus. Interesting to say the least.¡± Oliver said as he stepped forward, extending a handshake to both Katrin and Agni. He then nodded for them to follow along as he guided them through the crowd. Though it wasn¡¯t readily apparent upon arrival, the group of people had already been split into several smaller groupings. After a brief moment¡¯s walk Oliver stopped in front of a group of four people, motioning towards them.

    ¡°These four will be your party mates for the duration of the expedition. For safety reasons, each group is bnced ording to utility and strength.¡± Oliver¡¯s Systema rune shimmered as he spoke and just a momentter a prompt appeared for both Agni and Katrin.

    [You¡¯ve been invited to join the ¡®Expedition Party -4¡¯. This will form a temporary alliance party. This will not interfere with your current party. Confirm Y/N.]

    Upon epting Katrin and Agni noticed that several other lines of character data appeared for their new party members.

    ¡°If you have any other questions, feel free to consult some of your party mates. Good luck young witches.¡± Oliver said as he bowed his head slightly and walked back towards the front of the crowd once more, leaving the pair with four new adventurers.

    With the inclusion of Katrin and Agni, there were now four women and two men in their small group, each presumably magic users of some type.

    *Suddenly I feel a bit..overdressed.* Agni thought inparison to her new party members.

    ¡°Um, wee. I¡¯m Gates. Bell Gates. I¡¯m the party leader for this expedition.¡± One of the young men said.

    [Bell Gates

    Rank 1 Spirit Mage

    Allegiance: Mystic Tower{Temp}]

    Gates had short brown hair, green eyes and a boyish appearance. He was garbed in deep green robes with a matching hat which rivaled Katrin¡¯s in height. He also carried a gnarled wooden staff. Katrin was beginning to feel as if being short in stature was a pattern for magic users as Gates himself stood around 155 cm tall (just over 5 feet). Agni and Katrin both shook his extended hand as he introduced himself.

    ¡°Since we¡¯ll be working together for this expedition, I think some brief introductions are in order. This is Merri.¡± Gates said as he motioned to a tan skinned youngdy who seemed more like a knight than a magic user. She had arge shield draped against her back and a mace resting at her side. This, coupled with armor that was heavy in nature gave her somewhat of an imposing look. The fact that she was a minotaur didn¡¯t help either, as her long ivory colored horns rose high above her head which was covered with short, two toned hair. Blonde and brte rested on top of one another, giving Merri a very distinct look. Still, Merri¡¯s gaze was rather timid. She shifted her eyes from a book in her hand only to nce towards the two new additions before quickly turning her gaze downward yet again.

    [Merri Magstrani

    Rank 0 Tower Guard

    Allegiance: Mystic Tower{Temp}]

    ¡°This is Ariadna.¡± Gates said, continuing with his introduction, as he pointed to a ck d youngdy to his right. She seemed wholly disinterested in anything going on but Agni couldn¡¯t help but notice her style. Unlike Merri, Ariadna¡¯s style could be most closely considered as modern. She wore a sleeveless short overcoat with flurry white trim around both the cor and shoulders. Beneath this was a solid ck body shirt which clung to her tightly. Her makeup was exceptionally well done which made her slim body and face stand out even more as she had a purple half moon just a few centimeters below her left eye. Dark eye shadow entuated her fair skin and her lipstick was two-tone, purple and ck. Ariadna¡¯s hair was done up in a ponytail, yet due to the length and positioning it caused her hair to stick straight upwards. For Agni it reminded her of a certain anime ninja.

    Ariadnapleted her outfit with ck leather pants and a matching set of ck leather boots which resembled patchwork more than hide. Agni couldn¡¯t help but notice both a dagger and shortsword hanging on either side of Ariadna¡¯s slim waist.

    [Ariadna Vix

    Rank 0 Trickster

    Allegiance: Mystic Tower{Temp}]

    The young woman known as Ariadna noticed Agni¡¯s gaze and after a short time of pretending she begrudgingly nodded a greeting.

    ¡°Andst but not least, our healer, Sypha.¡±

    [Sypha Armstrong

    Rank 0 Light Weaver

    Allegiance: Mystic Tower{Temp}]

    The young man known as Sypha had a rather striking appearance. His eyes were crystal blue while his hair was light grey, almost white, and pointed downward in a spiky manner. Though the length of his hair was short, the styling was very eye catching. His white hair was a perfect contrast to his bronze skin and piercing eyes. Agni couldn¡¯t help but notice a faint blush appear on Katrin¡¯s cheeks upon taking notice of him.

    *Hmmm.* Agni thought to herself with a pleasant smile. As she nced back towards Sypha she was surprised to find his gaze directed towards her. Sypha¡¯s outfit was also a variety of magical robes, pants and shoes. The Light Weaver nodded towards both women as Gates finished his introduction then directed his attention towards Katrin and Agni who both realized the rest were waiting for their introduction.

    ¡°Oh!¡± Agni said, finally realizing her mistake.

    ¡°I¡¯m Agni Heartfyre. This is Katrin Voss. Subus and Scribe.¡±

 Chapter 77: Expedition Party (2)

    Chapter 77: Expedition Party (2)

    In the courtyard there were six groups, many of which consisted of four to six people per. Agni¡¯s group was thetter being the only group with six people in it. Gate briefly exined the purpose of the expeditions as Oliver spoke at the front of the crowd.

    ¡°Is this your first expedition?¡± He first asked. Seeing that both Katrin and Agni nodded affirmatively, he continued whispering to his group.

    ¡°I see. That¡¯s really strange that you already havebat experience within a shard then. How long since your arrival? I realize that¡¯s kind of a taboo question among adventurers but.. I¡¯m genuinely curious.¡±

    ¡°Mmm. A couple of weeks at this point.¡± Katrin replied as she pressed her fingertip against her lip.

    ¡°W-what? Seriously? You two just got here. That¡¯s crazy.¡± Gates remarked. Agni couldn¡¯t help but notice the eyes of their other party members flit in response to their answer as well.

    ¡°Is it? I¡¯m not really sure..ha ha.¡± Katrin chuckled as she rubbed the back of her neck. Agni couldn¡¯t agree more with Katrin¡¯s reaction.

    *This is¡­really weird. Grimlock aren¡¯t that hard to defeat. Why is it so few people have encountered them? Do the majority of adventurers really just stay in the city all day?* Agni wondered.

    ¡°Well anyway, this expedition is basically a trial by fire for the most part. People like myself who work for the chapel and also have experience are paired with others. The goal is to safely allow people to engage Grimlock in a somewhat controlled environment. But..¡± Gates exined.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t always mean it¡¯s 100% safe. People still die on expeditions.¡± The woman known as Ariadna said,pletely interrupting Gate¡¯s description.

    ¡°R-right..¡± He said reluctantly, almost as if he was trying not to scare the other party members. Agni and Katrin weren¡¯t the least perturbed but Merri quivered slightly as she heard the word ¡®die¡¯. She hid it well though by engrossing herself further into the small book in her grasp.

    ¡°So, what kind of Grimlock have you faced off against?¡± Gates next asked.

    ¡°Fulger Stags. A ton of them. Hundreds by this point. So many, I hope that we will be dealing with anything but Fulger Stags¡­¡± Agni responded, her eyes taking on a somewhat nk look.

    ¡°You mean the reindeer looking things? No way. I heard those things killed a party of six justst week.¡± Merri said, the news of this was enough to force her to put away her book and join the conversation. Agni was surprised that the minotauress¡¯ voice didn¡¯t seem to match her well chiseled body.

    *M-mouse like¡­* She thought to herself as she listened to Merri speak.

    ¡°You heard right. The Ghost de Chapel lost six temp members. Crazy stuff. Luckily we never start out with something like that. We¡¯ll be facing off against slimes.¡± Gates responded.

    ¡°Slimes? Wait¡­¡± Ariadna said, her face contorting slightly as her wheels began to turn.

    ¡°Slimes are terrible. You¡¯re really starting us out with those? That¡¯s ridiculous!¡± She finally said after a few moments.

    ¡°Umm. What¡¯s so bad about slimes?¡± Katrin asked.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Gates seemed a bit apprehensive to answer but Ariadna had no problem filling them in.

    ¡°If you like your clothes and hair where it is, it¡¯s best to avoid slimes altogether. I mean, they are easy to defeat but¡­¡± Ariadna replied.

    ¡°Slimes are immune to physical damage of all types. In a way, they are perfect practice for aspiring magic users. The only problem is slimes are also highly acidic. Just one spurt of slime acid is usually enough to melt clothing and produce light acid burns. They can even cause blindness if you¡¯re not careful.¡± This time Merri chimed, prompting Gates to nod his head.

    ¡°Indeed. Merri is 100% right. Slime acid can easily destroy magical gear and eat through weapons or armor. It¡¯s a big part of why it¡¯s near impossible to damage them with normal weapons. But¨Cas I mentioned¨Cslimes are extremely weak versus magic. This is a sort of test. It allows the overseers to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of adventurers. Then we can help cover for those weaknesses to help you stay alive out there.¡±

    ¡°Well..I¡¯m okay with anything as long as it¡¯s not Stags.¡± Agni said with a smile.

    ¡°Fall in!¡± Oliver¡¯s voice rang out across the courtyard, prompting the parties to split up into two lines and march towards the center of the courtyard. There, just beside arge water fountain was a glowing magical circle.

    ¡°Step forth, one party at a time. When you pass through the warp sigil please step aside for the next iing party.¡± Oliver instructed as he watched each group slowly proceed into therge magical circle and disappear in a blink of light. Soon it was their turn and the moment she stepped into the light Agni could feel a strange sensation ovee her. She felt lightheaded, her body was as light as a feather and she felt as if she was floating away. This sensation onlysted for the briefest of moments before all turned white. The next thing she knew she was standing in a small woond clearing. She immediately recognized it as a replica of the training room ¡ª or rather the training room was made to resemble this ce.

    ¡°Come. Let¡¯s not cause an ident.¡± Gates said after briefly checking to see that everyone stepped through together. The party of six stepped to the side with three other groups and awaited the remainder of the advancing parties.

    ¡°Gates. I was wondering, what¡¯s the difference between an alliance and a regr party?¡± Katrin asked.

    ¡°Oh. That. Well, alliances allow multiple parties to band together and reap some of the benefits of a party. Mostmonly it¡¯s used for chapels who want to explore zones together. It¡¯s really handy and doesn¡¯t interfere with party settings which are also really important. It can be a pain to constantly configure your party¡¯s settings.¡± Gates responded as he nced around the environs.

    Agni was also taking in the sights. It was still mid morning and the sun was shining brightly above in a cloudless sky. The woods area was vibrant with greenery and thick trees withrge circr heads near the summits.

    ¡°Party..settings?¡± Katrin asked.

    ¡°Yes. There are a great deal of benefits to ranking up. You learn more about the details of your Systema at that time as well, and party settings are one of them. Of course, you could always tip me a few Gols and I¡¯ll happily exin¨C¡°

    ¡°No thank you. I was just curious. I don¡¯t mind waiting.¡± Katrin said , shing her best smile which to Agni was akin to a beam of sunlight ¡ª filled with warmth and beauty. Apparently it had the same effect on Gates as he totally disregarded Katrin¡¯s t refusal and blushed slightly as well.

    Katrin however was unaware of this secret superpower which caused Agni to chuckle to herself.

    ¡°Great. Everyone¡¯s made it through. Today¡¯s exercise is simple. Here in the Woods of Erim your goal is to defeat as many slimes as possible. The group that manages to do so in three hours will receive chapel points as well as a reward package. How you and your group go about it are up to you, but I have to warm you ¡ª no PVP! And try not to interfere with others as best as possible¨C I assure you that there are more than enough slimes to go around.¡± Oliver said as he walked from group to group, handing each alliance leader a small wooden figurine which resembled a mushroom man keychain.

    *S-so cute¡­* Agni thought to herself as her eyes began to glisten.

    ¡°This is a Return Relic. It¡¯s a simple trinket. It allows one or more people to return to a previously marked point.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s like the Wayfarer¡¯s Crystal!¡± Katrin said as she drew near and grasped Gates¡¯ hand to share in examining the Return Relic.

    ¡°Aha, yea. Exactly.¡± He responded, once again blushing slightly while Katrin remained oblivious.

    *I can¡¯t really me the guy. Katrin¡¯s cleavage is a very impressive sight..* Agni mused inwardly as she watched Gates squirm, struggling to keep his eyes averted from Katrin¡¯s chest.

    After Oliver finished exining the rest of the expedition¡¯s rules, as well as how to use the Return Relic he used his Systema to create an alliance quest for each party.

    ¡°Is this also something to be learnedter on?¡± Agni asked as she stared at the quest info.

    ¡°Custom quests? Oh, yea. But you¡¯d need to reach rank 2 for that apparently.¡± Gates replied before turning to face all of his party members.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s time to get a move on. Let¡¯s go, I know a decent spot where we won¡¯t be disturbed.¡± Gates said.

 Chapter 78: Slimes Are Perverts (1)

    Chapter 78: Slimes Are Perverts (1)

    *Are you having fun!?* Sh¡¯s voice rang out over the sound of chatter nearby.

    *Sh? You scared the crap out of me. Where have you been?*

    *I haven¡¯t been anywhere. I couldn¡¯t speak. That stupid chapel you joined has protections up that interfere with non guild entities!*

    *Oh. Wow, really? Sorry.*

    *Sorry? That¡¯s all you have to say?*

    *Well¡­what do you want me to do about it? It¡¯s not like I can change the chapel rules¡­*

    *That¡¯s true but¡­dammit. Anyway. I can¡¯t talk to you when you¡¯re inside the chapel so if you want something you¡¯ll have to step outside.*

    *Oh¡­.okay. But what would I want from you?* Agni asked.

    *Plenty of things.* Sh immediately answered, followed by an awkward silence.

    *Like? Example please.* Agni thought.

    *Well, like.. I, I saved you from those snatchersst week remember?*

    *That¡¯s true¡­you did but..you also torment me daily with insults. To be honest, Ipletely forgot about you.* Agni was mostly joking but she got the distinct impression that she managed to hurt Sh¡¯s feelings.

    *It was a joke.* She quickly thought, hoping to recover the situation.

    ¡°Hmph. It better have been!¡± Sh¡¯s voice rang out loud and clear, so much so that everyone nearby turned to look at Agni who had absolutely no exnation for them. Thus she grabbed Katrin¡¯s arm and hid her face.

    ¡°W-was that Sh? Can she speak now?¡± Katrin asked as she smiled to ward off the plethora of ¡°wtf¡± looks being directed her way.

    ¡°I have no idea. We were just arguing and then she¡­got really loud. Katrin, I¡¯m scared, she¡¯s trying to possess me.¡± Agni whimpered, feigning distress as she clung to Katrin even more.

    *Shut up stupid. Nobody wants a body with deformed tits.* Sh replied, this time in Agni¡¯s mind.

    Agni smirked as she was able to sense Sh¡¯s yful intent.

    *So how did you do that just now?* Agni asked.

    *I don¡¯t know. Why are you scared I¡¯ll embarrass you some more?* Sh responded.

    *Yep.* Agni responded instantly.

    Soon the groups split up and went their own way and with Gates leading, Agni¡¯s group soon found themselves deep in the Ermin Woonds. Along the way Gates had several questions for them,rgely pertaining to their magical abilities.

    ¡°So you fought to a draw with Gigi. Interesting, so you two really are skilled.¡± Gates said as he walked along casting a spell in the process. His pointer finger began to glow as an orb of translucent mana epassed the tip. Gates swished his finger back to and fro several times before a puff of smoke urred, apanied by a brief sh of light.

    ¡°What¡¯s that? It¡¯s so cute!¡± Agni practically shouted as she rushed over to Gates¡¯ side.

    ¡°This is a Spirit. I¡¯m a Spirit Mage so I can borrow their powers for a ton of different things. This one,¡± Gates said, referring to the creature which was now hovering in front of him, ¡°will allow me to track our prey a bit easier.¡±

    The spirit was green in color and forck of a better term resembled a cluster of leaves and mud. The reason Agni found it ¡°cute¡± was due to its shape, which was more like a miniature child. The small creature motioned ,pointing Gates in a particr direction as the group made their way through the forest.

    ¡°S-So. How are you today?¡± Katrin said as she moved to keep pace with Ariadna.

    ¡°Fine.¡± The reply came.

    ¡°I see. It¡¯s a bit warm out today. Are you going to be okay?¡± Katrin then asked, in reference to the fact that Ariadna was decked out in ck from chest to feet.

    ¡°Yep.¡± The Trickster once again responded.

    ¡°I see. If you don¡¯t mind me asking¡­what kind of abilities does a Trickster ss have?¡± Katrin next asked.

    Ariadna finally averted her gaze from the path before her to nce at Katrin as a strange smirk appeared on her face.

    ¡°This.¡± Ariadna said as she disappeared from Katrin¡¯s side. Katrin was startled, so much in fact that she jumped backwards a few steps as the sight of Ariadna faded away.

    ¡°W-what happened? Are you invisible?¡± Katrin asked loudly as she poked her hand towards the position of Ariadna¡¯s disappearance. In reality Ariadna had moved to the back of the party, just being Sypha due to the ability of her skill ¡®Shadow Step¡¯. She seemed genuinely pleased with herself as she watched Katrin gaze about helplessly. Sypha could only smirk as he continued walking. He was in the rear with Ariadna while Merri was just in front of them, several meters away. At the forefront of the party was of course Gates and the Subus, Agni. Sypha watched her the most. There was something about her movements that drew his gaze.

    As if she could sense him looking she turned her head and took notice of him, their eyes meeting for a short time.

    *I wonder why he keeps staring at me.* Agni thought to herself as she turned around to y with Gates¡¯ spirit more. The creature didn¡¯t have a voice but rather it made a strange cooing sound each time she used her pointer finger to massage it¡¯s stomach.

    *That ass.* Sh said.

    *Stop being stupid.* Agni responded.

    *I bet he¡¯s still looking if you turn around again¡­*

    Agni wanted to dismiss Sh¡¯s train of thought, so she gazed back once more and Sypha was indeed still staring in her general direction.

    *Told you.* Sh said with a chuckle.

    *Silence, possessor spirit. The power of Christpels you.*

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    ¡°This ce is much less imposing than the Lull Forest.¡± Agni remarked as they finally came to a stop some thirty minutester. Gates had given up using his own spirit, which made a permanent home on Agni¡¯s shoulder at this point. Katrin nodded her head in agreement, though she was still sulking somewhat at Ariadna¡¯s earlier trick.

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s peaceful. Well, that is if you can get past all of the slimes.¡± Gates chimed in as he stopped in his tracks and looked around.

    ¡°Alright. Just a brief recap ¡ª slime¡¯s acid will eat through pretty much anything but it won¡¯t deal serious damage outright. If you find your health toopromised Sypha will heal you. Other than that ¡ª split up into teams of three and fan out. I think we¡¯ll be able to defeat more slimes this way. Meet back here in an hour for a small break.¡± The minute Gates finished speaking a new timer appeared in Agni¡¯s HUD.

    *That¡¯s really handy. I should hurry and reach rank one..* Agni thought.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see. Katrin, myself and Merri. I think you would be a good pairing.¡± Gates said as he pointed to each.

    ¡°That leaves Agni, Ariadna and Sypha.¡± Gates said , motioning to the remaining members of the party.

    ¡°This way each group will have a support member as well as two attackers. We¡¯ll make short work of these slimes.¡± Gates had just finished speaking when the sound of rustling bushes drew everyone¡¯s attention. A small green blob, transparent in nature slowly wobbled out of the brush and made its way towards the nearest person ¡ª in this case Agni.

    *C-cute!* She said as she knelt towards the iing creature.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me they were so cute?¡± Agni asked, barely able to contain herself due to the wibble wobble of the Grimlock¡¯s forward motion.

    ¡°Agni, that¡¯s not really a good ide¨C¡± Gates began, but it was toote. The moment Agni reached out to touch the slime a spurt of green liquid issued forth from an opening one could assume to be it¡¯s mouth. Agni was quick, but not fast enough thus the slime¡¯s acid sprayed forth catching both her and Ariadna in the process.

 Chapter 79: Slimes Are Perverts (2)

    Chapter 79: Slimes Are Perverts (2)

    The sensation of tingling pain was the first thing Agni noticed, particrly along the right side of her abdomen and arm. The acid of the slime busily ate away at her clothing and within half a dozen seconds her skin was exposed to the air. Luckily adventurers were tough, if not she shuddered to think of the world of pain she might be enduring!

    [-2]

    [-3]

    The damage numbers rolled in for quite some time before finally subsiding.

    ¡°You little..¡± Agni grunted as she red up a fireball and sent it flying towards the basketball sized blob. It was a reflex due to being attacked, so Agni didn¡¯t expect much but the creature caught ame instantly and half a minuteter waspletely dead, deted as a mound of ming goop.

    ¡°That was like¡­.hair spray catching fire¡­¡± Agni remarked with a smile as she turned to face everyone else. Immediately Gates¡¯ face turned stark red and he averted his gaze. Ariadna, who had been too busy grimacing at the slight pain then took a look at Agni and herself before covering up. Her response was much like Gates¡¯. Sypha on the other hand stood stone still, his eyes transfixed on Agni.

    As she gazed from face to face she began to notice something was off. Eventually Katrin pointed down to her abdomen and the realization that she was now exposed for others to see ¡ª particrly her right breast. Her skin had taken on a light red tone, no doubt due to the agitation of the slime acid. Even now her wound was beginning to heal, but the nudity was obviously making everyone else ufortable. Everyone except Agni.

    ¡°What? It¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t seen a tit before¡­¡± She remarked as she proudly ced her hands on her hip. Ariadna didn¡¯t agree, thus she shook her head fervently.

    ¡°You have no shamedy.¡± Ariadna said as she quickly drew close to Katrin, in this case most half of her top was gone, revealing both breasts and a slender smooth stomach. Katrin felt somewhat amused that the woman who¡¯d been avoiding her was now using her as a shield from the eyes of many.

    ¡°Agni..it¡¯s not really about being ashamed. You may be¡­causing problems for the guys present..¡± Katrin said as she motioned towards Gates, who seemed to be trying very hard not to focus on Agni¡¯s curves.

    ¡°Oh¡­ I see.¡± She said, finally deciding to cover up. She cut another nce at Sypha, who simply smiled before finally averting his gaze as well.

    ¡°I figured something like this would happen. Just not so darn soon. We didn¡¯t even get to cast the Barrier spell.¡± Gates said as he reached into a small pack on his waist. It seemed like no more than amon waist pack but he pulled forth several long cloaks which were designed to fall to one¡¯s ankles.

    He couldn¡¯t help but nce down at Agni¡¯s exposed nipple as she reached out to take one of the cloaks.

    *P-pink!* He thought to himself as he stole a peek. He couldn¡¯t help it, it was practically calling out to him. As if she could read his mind Agni had a strange smirk of satisfaction upon her face. Even she herself didn¡¯t understand her current mood towards nudity¨C in her past life she might have been embarrassed based on the situation. But now in Adventia perhaps she¡¯d be entirely toofortable with her own nudity.

    *I guess that¡¯s what happens when you get groped everyday for almost two weeks straight¡­* Sh whispered. Agni thought about it for a moment and she couldn¡¯t really dispute it, thus she simply nodded her head as she thought back to Bracha¡¯s bathroom antics.

    ¡°One for each of you but I have to warn you ¡ª DON¡¯T wear it until after we¡¯re done hunting slimes otherwise that will get ruined as well.¡± Gates cautioned, having finished handing out the remainder of the cloaks to everyone. Agni once more caught a peek at Ariadna¡¯s breasts. Somehow most of her overcoat remained intact, though it was eaten through in several ces. Her underarmor waspletely eaten away however, exposing her modest yet perky B cup breasts. Agni subconsciously licked her lips, something which Ariadna noticed immediately before hiding behind Katrin once more.

    Realizing her error Agni shot a nce over at Katrin who simply shrugged a bit, apanied by a chuckle. She then tapped her cheek, just beneath her bottom eye lid as a sign to Agni that her eyes were now glowing.

    ¡°Oh shi¨C¡± Agni said as she looked downward in an attempt to hide the rather obvious lusty sensation oveing her. Being nude before someone was one thing, but having a group of strangers know you¡¯re turned on is just embarrassing¡­

    ¡°Ahem. Sypha, can you activate the spell?¡± Gates then asked as he turned to the only other male in the vicinity.

    *I wonder how many other guys are getting an eyeful right now..* Gates thought to himself as he folded his hands before his abdomen and awaited Sypha¡¯s Light Weaver magic.

    Sypha stepped forth and pressed the tips of his fingers together as a soft light began to glow around the contact points. These lights quickly expanded to the size of marbles before finally disappearing, a momentter Agni felt a strange sensation and noticed a haze appear over her vision. Thissted for just a fleeting moment but she suddenly felt a thin veil of energy draping her body.

    ¡°This is a barrier of some sort?¡± Katrin asked as she reached out to pinch the top of her hand, only toe into contact with what appeared to be a mesh of translucent magical energy. It only seemed visible when agitated, thus the effect looked as if Katrin was pulling at stocking-like material.

    ¡°Yes. It will act as a deterrent to slime acid. But the barrier feeds on your mana, so taking damage will drain your mana. In addition, the barrier will need to regenerate to continue protecting you so you will still need to be mindful of attacks. As ast resort, you can reserve the cloaks for our meet up and if necessary wear them back to the chapel.¡± Gates said, exining once more the use for the cloaks, most likely because he caught a glimpse of Ariadna¡¯s breasts in the process of speaking.

    ¡°To avoid any awkward situations, it¡¯s probably a good idea to switch up the groups. How about this? All thedies will go together, while us two will form the second group. I don¡¯t think it will be too much of a problem for me with my spirits if you back me up Sypha.¡± Gates said. Sypha nodded in agreement, his stoic features failed to betray either disappointment or reluctance.

    Before Gates could dally any longer Ariadna piped up, ¡± That¡¯s great! Let¡¯s get going Merri!¡± She said as she draped the cloak over her chest and grabbed the minotauress by the hand. Katrin smiled and nodded to Gates before she followed along with Agni falling in behind her.

    ¡°Those damn guys. They knew this would happen!¡± Ariadna said as she strutted away from the meeting point at full speed. Her face was slightly blush and she seemed rather angry.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t think so. That was probably a mistake Aria.¡± Merri interjected, sometime during her mad walk Ariadna released Merri¡¯s hand allowing her to walk on her own.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Ariadna grunted in response.

    ¡°W-what do you think Katrin?¡± Merri asked, seeking to add Katrin into the mix, mostly to lighten the current mood.

    ¡°Oh. Yes, I agree. Gates seems like a good boy. I don¡¯t think he would purposely get us nude. After all, he did take good care to exin what might happen¡­¡± Katrin replied quickly.

    ¡°Yea. He could barely look at us. I think if sneaking a peek was his motive he would have been ogling us..¡± Agni said.

    ¡°Oh? You mean like you were staring at me, weirdo?¡± Ariadna retorted without looking back.

    ¡°Weirdo? Ouch. That hurts.¡± Agni replied, thinking back to her good friend Abeni who constantly used the same insult.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t help it.. I¡¯m a Subus. A lust demon.. If I like something I see¡­¡± Agni replied rather lowly, almost pouting as she did so.

    Ariadna clenched her fist upon hearing Agni¡¯s words and suddenly she was thankful for being at the front of the party line as she felt her face growing rather hot.

    *Don¡¯t apologize to that washboard chest. She should be happy if anyone wants to look at those mosquito bumps!* Sh suddenly chimed in.

    *Sh.. Stop! What if you identally say that out loud!* Agni admonished, though she couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as she thought back to the sight of Ariadna¡¯s bare breasts. The group of four walked for approximately two minutes before Ariadna motioned for them to halt.

    ¡°There¡¯s a few of them up ahead. Almost¡­five. It should be easy with your magic.¡± Ariadna said, referring to both Agni and Katrin.

    ¡°That¡¯s true but¡­will we really learn how to deal with them if we snipe them from afar?¡± Katrin asked unexpectedly.

    ¡°What? Do you want to lose your clothes? They are impervious to weapons. Why do you need to go toe to toe with¡­..those things!¡± Ariadna whispered viciously.

    ¡°It¡¯s a learning experience. I sort of agree with Katrin here.??? Agni said, immediately backing Katrin¡¯s logic.

    ¡°I¡­I kind of agree too¡­¡± Merri said, shrinking back as Ariadna red at her in disbelief. It was obvious she felt betrayed by Merri¡¯s insistence as well.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you actually want to fight these little perverted monsters? What¡¯s wrong with you? UGH!¡± Ariadna said as she folded her arms and vented her frustration a little too loudly.

    ¡°A-Aria, watch out!¡± Merri said as she stepped forward, hand outstretched as she attempted to pull Ariadna out of the way ¡ª but it was toote.

 Chapter 80: Slimes Are Evil

    Chapter 80: Slimes Are Evil

    Once more the Trickster ss adventurer was doused by slime¡¯s acid. Since she¡¯d forgotten to stow away the cloak, which was hastily tossed over her left shoulder, thus it was quickly dissolved along with it arge hole in the magical barrier.

    What¡¯s more, Ariadna wasn¡¯t attacked by a single slime, but multiple. The masses of acid flew through the air, some spreading apart and others clinging together like water droplets. The spherical shaped ones hit Ariadna¡¯s back like bullets and burst on impact whilst the rest caught her on various parts of her body. The impact resembled a bucket of water being poured across someone¡¯s shoulders.

    She released a yelp of pain mixed with surprise as she jolted away from her position, but it was toote. The entirety of her overcoat and shirt was melted away, along with half of the barrier spell which caused a translucent white aura film to be visible against Ariadna¡¯s body.

    ¡°These things are evil!¡± She shouted as she turned around, swordsword in hand. Ariadna was prepared to dash forth and deal some damage to her wobbly foes.

    ¡°W-wait!¡± Merri shouted as she attempted to grab the Trickster, but Ariadna would not be stopped!

    ¡°I just bought this outfit, now I have to get it repaired!¡± She shouted, her face full of fury as she moved. Ariadna¡¯s freehand began to be filled by small ck dots of energy which resembled growing fungus. The mana masses ballooned, forming together into onerge mass of magic which Agni quickly recognized as Darkness element magic. She then leapt forward and came down with her shortsword, cleaving the targeted Grimlock clean in two.

    ¡°Ariadna, stop!¡± Merri shouted as she too stepped forth, preparing therge shield on her back for use.

    ¡°I thought slimes were impervious to weapons?¡± Agni asked as she prepared a fireball in each palm.

    ¡°I thought so too. Gates said as much, but maybe he was mistaken?¡± Katrinmented as she called forth her Grimoire which lingered next to her left shoulder just less than half a meter behind her. The living book was charged with a glow of green energy, signaling to Agni that Katrin was preparing an earth element spell of some sort.

    Altogether there were just five slimes, and after a few seconds it was apparent to Agni that their caution was unwarranted. Ariadna by herself seemed to be enough. After slicing through the first slime, Ariadna directed her charged darkness spell towards two a couple of meters away. At first it wasn¡¯t obvious the effect her spell would have, but soon ck scythes of darkness rose from the ground nearby her targets and came slicing downward onto the creatures¡¯ body.

    ¡°Wow. What is that? It¡¯s¡­really cool!¡± Agni mouthed as she watched Ariadna work. Merri too stepped forward, but rather than attacking she used herrge buckler to block the acid attacks of the remaining slimes on Ariadna¡¯s nk. Surprisingly enough the shield didn¡¯t melt either! Ariadna quickly took care of three slimes and moved onto the other two, repeating her earlier tactic of slicing the nearest slime and using darkness magic on the remaining one.

    The battle was over in less than a minute ¡ª or so they believed. As Ariadna was walking back towards the group with a look of self satisfaction on her face she was pelted from behind by multiple balls of acid. The same held true for Merri ¡ª and although her armor was more resistant to the acid, it still managed to eat a significant hole through the metal.

    ¡°I thought they got them all..¡± Agni said as she tossed a fireball in the direction of the attacks, but strangely enough she was having trouble locating the attackers.

    ¡°Dammit. What the?¡± Ariadna practically shouted as she grasped her back, wiping away the quick dissolving goop with her free hand. She looked around, desperately for her attacker, only to realize far toote that the slimes she dispatched with her de simply split in two. A flurry of forward motion erupted just under Ariadna¡¯s gaze as a small green ball shot upwards towards her and mmed into her abdomen. The blow was powerful enough to cause the Trickster to step backwards, clenching her stomach in the process, as air was knocked from her lungs.

    ¡°Holy shit!¡± Agni eximed as she watched the smaller slimes begin tounch themselves towards both Merri and Ariadna. Merri was having an easier time fending off the creatures due to her shield but not much. The creatures could not onlyunch themselves but also began to take on shapes as well, some resembled spiked maces, others cones or squares and all of their strikes looked like they hurt!

    ¡°Agni.¡± Katrin said, nodding towards Agni as she began casting a spell. The color of her Grimoire¡¯s magic changed from green to light blue as bursts of wind des shot forth and sliced two of the creatures in mid air. Agni directed a pair of fireballs and managed to blow up the remaining two without much resistance.

    Although the creatures weren¡¯t strong it was obvious that the group of adventurers underestimated their prey. Ariadna was nowpletely topless and half of her pants legs were gone. To make matters worse, Ariadna¡¯s shortsword fell apart, the acid having eaten the de clean in two. Merri, on the other hand, was staring down at her half destroyed shield as the makings of a cry lingered in the corner of her eyes.

    It was a strange sight to see a tall, muscr woman with minotaur horns begin to sniffle. Strangely enough, Agni felt harassed enough for the both of her party mates. Ariadna¡¯s hair was messed up and disheveled while Merri was struggling to process all of the small (andrge) holes and cracks in her armor. Agni could clearly see the minotauress¡¯ six pack beneath a half dissolved armor te. Even one of her bracers had been eaten away.

    ¡°They want us to kill more of these things?¡± Ariadna stammered as she slowly walked back towards Katrin, who had already begun to use a potion on the two adventurers.

    ¡°Save it. I don¡¯t need it.¡± Ariadna said with a wave of her hand. It was true, though she¡¯d been struck several times the blows were apparently only able to keep the Trickster off bnce. Agni wondered what would happen if the slime had performed such attacks at its original size.

    ¡°These little demons are evil.¡± Ariadna groaned as she rubbed her stomach. She then paused and nced at Agni¡¯s horns which poked out ever so slightly from beneath her witch¡¯s hat.

    ¡°No offense¡­¡± She then added.

    ¡°None taken.. He he.¡± Agni replied.

    ¡°Um..here. Take this. I probably won¡¯t need it. Probably..¡± Agni said as she handed her cloak over to Ariadna.

    The ck haired girl looked at the gesture, as if unsure what to make of it before she responded, ¡°Thanks.¡± The look of anger on her face softened somewhat as she epted the cloak from Agni gratefully.

    ¡°That was only¡­ six of them! What are we going to do?¡± Merri asked dejectedly as she nursed her ruined shield. Unfortunately there was not much Agni could do to make Merri feel better about her predicament, save a shoulder pat.

    ¡°How about¡­Katrin and I take a crack at it next?¡± Agni offered, after all she was beginning to feel guilty for having a hand in their current predicament. The next forty five minutes would be a very sobering experience for all involved. They continually engaged small groups of slimes and little by little their patience (and their clothing) were worn away despite all of the protections in ce.

    By the time the four youngdies returned to the meeting point they had learned several valuable lessons about dealing with slimes. For example, slimes can morph their body into whips tosh out. Slimes can fall from trees, crawl from behind rocks, or even wobble out of bushes. What¡¯s more, slimes of differing varieties exist! Green slimes could be considered the basic, while red and blue slimes each have matching affinities and abilities. Imagine a ming fist to the chin ¡ª such a blow caught Agnipletely off guard and in the process triggered her anger.

    After nearly setting the woods on fire with fire magic, the three cloaked girls returned to the meeting point. Agni was forced to share a cloak with Katrin whom she was carrying piggyback as they returned.

    ¡°This has gotta be biased against women. Sexism! That¡¯s what it is!¡± Ariadna said as she walked back towards the meeting point dejectedly as she kept a keen eye out for any of the wobbling invaders. All in all they¡¯d managed to defeat quite a number of slimes, but that was also responsible for their current plight.

    By slicing the creatures in two with weapons, the kill count would increase. Unfortunately, the smaller the slimes became, the more quickly they could move and attack. They¡¯d managed to kill just over a hundred in less than an hour ¡ª but their clothing was the biggest casualty.

    Even Agni was beginning to pout somewhat by this point.

    *I could easily destroy them if I could use my Halberd.* Agni grumbled to herself. Sh¡¯s incessantughter wasn¡¯t helping either. Every time Agni would get tagged from behind or squirted Sh would erupt with joy.

    *Ugh. Shut up. It¡¯s not that easy. You want to try? Huh!?* Agni inwardly eximed.

    ¡°No thanks. I¡¯ll pass. Hey, remember when the one fell on your head and you started stumbling around like a blind man? Ha! I wish I could record it and show it to Bracha.¡±

    ¡°Um.. Agni, are you¡­okay? I keep hearing strange voicesing from you. I wasn¡¯t sure at first but¡­now..¡± Ariadna said as she nced back at Agni. Apparently Sh managed to speak aloud once more.

    ¡°You¡¯re not¡­possessed or something are you?¡± Merri asked as she struggled to hide her physique beneath the cloak lent to her by Gates. Despite having a muscr and fit body, Merri¡¯s breasts were easily C-cups. Her tan colored nipples peeked through asionally as she moved.

    ¡°I also heard a voice several times. It sounded like a little girl. Mostlyughing. Maniacalughing¡­ it sounded ¡­..¡± Merri paused for a moment as a nervous look overcame her.

    ¡°Evil.¡±

    ¡°Well, sometimes I do feel like I¡¯m possessed. Or maybe even cursed¡­.but no. It¡¯s my familiar. My rude, unruly familiar!¡± Agni said aloud, mostly addressing the reply to Sh.

    *Hmph. I might be rude, but at least I didn¡¯t get drooled on by jello snacks.*

    ¡°She¡¯s just got a sassy mouth. I honestly don¡¯t know much about familiars myself so I can¡¯t tell you why you¡¯re hearing her.¡± Agni responded.

    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Katrin pointed out. Katrin was the lucky one, although her dress waspletely dissolved by slime acid, she managed to maintain both her boots and witch¡¯s hat. The men were nowhere around, so the women made themselves at home as they took a load off.

    ¡°I¡¯m already tired. I just want to go rest..¡± Ariadna said as she took a seat next to Katrin and Agni. She seemed to have softened up somewhat since their shared trauma.

    *But then again baring your flesh to someone can bond you in a certain way.* Agni thought to herself. Ariadna¡¯s look was very striking, her hair was pitch ck with streaks of purple and asionally grey hairs. Her eyeshadow was purple and multi toned and the Trickster had long eyshes. At first Agni thought they might have been fake, but the more she looked the more she realized the opposite.

    Merri on the other hand had already begun to read a book, almost as soon as the group took a seat.

    *She really loves to read¡­* Agni thought as she squatted, allowing Katrin to hop down off of her back.

    ¡°How are we going to share the cloak now?¡± Katrin asked.

    ¡°Eh. You take it. I don¡¯t really care that much. Besides, I can switch back into my armor for right now.¡± Agni said, doing as she suggested with ease. The group ofdies barely had time to rest their heels before the sound of rustling andmotion found them again.

    ¡°Ugh. Why won¡¯t these wiggly blobs leave us alone. Agni can you just zap them or something?¡± Ariadna said as she slowly got to her feet, preparing to take off her cloak in order to fight.

    ¡°Huh? Gates?¡± Katrin said as she got to her feet. Gates came sprinting out of the nearby woods, his clothes dissolved to ribbons and barely hanging onto his body. Sypha was not far behind them and both looked rmed as theyid eyes upon the group of women.

    ¡°Run! It¡¯sing!¡± Gates shouted as he dashed towards them, ushering them away in the process. The nearby trees where both men entered the small clearing began to shake as arge, three meter tall slime squeezed its way out to confront the group of six adventurers.

 Chapter 81: Slimes Fight Back (1)

    Chapter 81: Slimes Fight Back (1)

    The situation was so dire that Gates didn¡¯t have time to react to the state of the women in his alliance party, besides he wasn¡¯t faring that much better. Still he was happy to see them, between the six of them¡­ maybe they could do something!

    Now the main problem would be orders duringbat, with a group of people who had never adventured together it would be nearly impossible to effectivelymand teamwork. Luckily Gates knew a little about each of his party members, through questions along the way he realized that his firepower lied in both Katrin and Agni while he and Sypha would normally act in support roles.

    ¡°What the hell is that you¡¯re bringing back with you!?¡± Ariadna shouted as she jerked her cloak closed around the edges. Suddenly she was feeling even more exposed.

    ¡°S-slimes react poorly to light magic! It causes them to aggro and fuse together!¡± It was all Gates could say as he hurried towards thedies.

    ¡°Get ready for battle! Agni, Katrin ¡ª keep your distance and fire off spells. Sypha, focus on healing and support for everyone! The rest of us will engage, we need to bring this thing down quickly!¡± Gates shouted as he spun on his heels and called forth a gnarled wooden staff. It reminded Agni of something a wizard from an old ¡®Last Fiction¡¯ game would use.

    Agni and Katrin were quick to adjust, preparing for the battle. Agni felt at home in her magical armor while Katrin donned nothing but a cloak, witch¡¯s hat and the heel high boots she¡¯d been wearing. Her Grimoire floated by her side the second she made up her mind to fight, it¡¯s pages flipping constantly as a light blue glow surrounded it.

    [Gunge Slime Level 45

    Affinity : None

    Vulnerability : Elemental Magic 200%

    Resistance : Physical Weapons. Light Magic 200% Darkness Magic 50%]

    One or more slimes which bonded together. It¡¯s attacks are extremely unpredictable and erratic.]

    ¡°Level 45? What happened to cause something like this to appear?¡± Agni shouted as she prepared a fireball hastily andunched it. Her spell hit the mark without needing to influence its trajectory ¡ª but it simply impacted therge mass of gel and dissipated. The surface of the creature¡¯s body quivered, as if it had taken on the qualities of a stillke being disturbed, but that was it. The creature continued moving, but rather than the strange way of wiggling it now began to tack itself onto the ground for more traction, the bottom of its ¡°body¡± looked like dough being pulled and stuck to the ground in dozens of points as it began to move even more quickly.

    The eye less creature seemed to have no trouble sensing the group of adventures as both Agni and Katrin had begun to move. The other four remained somewhat clustered together, Agni assumed this was due to the battlemands Gates issued just moments before but her assumption would be wrong.

    *F-fight? In this state!? It¡¯s one thing to bare my body before other women but..* Merri¡¯s thoughts were racing. Truthfully she found her new, muscr body and minotaur features to be off putting. Her body phobias were running at an all time high considering that she was armed with little more than an ill fitting cloak, remnants of her Guardian shield and her will to do battle (which was now shaky at best). Still, when pressed by the enemy before her Merri couldn¡¯t help but act. True to its description the creature rolled towards them, stopping three meters away as it prepared to strike.

    The only ones who seemed rmed were Gates and Sypha, in fact Gates was wildly cutting the air to summon forth spirits he deemed appropriate for the situation. Beneath his robes Gates was fit, with a slender build that bulged slightly of muscles. Agni couldn¡¯t help but notice, her mind was drawn to details and features now like this. A different sensation came over her this time as she struggled to focus.

    *T-this might be harder than I thought.* Agni thought inwardly, though for a different reason. She had little experience with men since arriving in the world of Adventia. In fact, today was the first time she¡¯d even been within the proximity of the opposite sex. Thus she was having conflicting emotions. Her body reacted like any person¡¯s might upon seeing someone rtively attractive of the opposite sex. The familiar sensation of heat building between her thighs caused Agni to gently bite at her lips. But¡­

    *But..he¡¯s a guy! Am I bi-sexual? What the fuck!* Her mind was racing in overdrive, despite the situation at hand. She would have so many things to sort outter, but for now she chose to focus on the battle at hand. Thus she pushed the sensation of gentle heat to the edges of her mind as she prepared two more fireballs.

    Upon seeing the effects of Agni¡¯s fireball, Katrin grimaced. She expected the creature to be tough considering their level difference but seeing hardly any reaction made her nervous. She couldn¡¯t help but think back to her First Death experience. Even though she could alwayse back given enough time¨C death still hurt! Both physically and mentally, it left a wound that was difficult to describe. With this in mind her resolve to win became a great motivator and arge spike of earth shot upwards from beneath her target, piercing through it entirely.

    For a moment it looked as if the creature had been in, all movement stopped as therge earth spire skewered it. But then, secondter it¡¯s body rippled ominously ¡ª both Katrin and Agni , who had their fair share of battle experience, felt something was off. Everyone else waspletely oblivious until the attack came.

    As the surface of the Gunge Slime came to a stillness several dozen projectiles issued forth, almost like a wall of slime bullets. Unlike the normally soft and squishy body of the slime, these felt like rocks and each was about the size of a strawberry.

    Agni took up her ce in front of Katrin on instinct, it was her role to prevent Katrin from taking as much damage as possible in their party so her reaction was automatic. She lowered her stance and crossed her arms into an X shape, tensing her abdomen as half a dozen of the slime pellets struck her.

    *What the fuck! These things hurt!* Upon being struck Agni realized that the slime pieces were more like crystal shards instead of balls and just as hard.

    [-9]

    [-15]

    [-10]

    The hits kept rolling in though she kept her eyes firmly on the foe before her. Behind her Agni knew that Katrin was casting even more spells so she stood her ground for a few seconds longer, even after the assault of slime pellets subsided.

    Her party members didn¡¯t fare as well as she and Katrin. Sypha was forced to his knees as the majority of projectiles seemed aimed at Gates, who had somehow managed to gain the creature¡¯s enmity. Using his abilities as a Light Weaver Sypha created a construct of magic which resembled arge, translucent te. It was roughly 1 meter in height and width and easily 5 centimeters in thickness (3 ft by 3 feet, 5 inches thick).

    Unfortunately the shield was not enough and he barely managed to maintain it after the fourth pellet. It required sheer willpower and half of his mana to keep the shield from shatteringpletely. Several of the pellets broke through, cracking the light construct and striking Gates on the face and waist. Sypha didn¡¯t escape unscathed either as he took several of the slime shards to the chest, one of which was now embedded in his upper right shoulder.

    Due to the position of the men, most of thedies behind them remained uninjured. This wasn¡¯t due to a sense of misced chivalry, but rather out of respect for their bodies. Even in this situation Gates wanted to be as respectful as possible, thus he turned his back to them immediately and faced the enemy. He was now regretting that situation. He could feel a cold sweating over him as a warm sensation of blood trickled down the side of his face.

    *Dammit.* He thought inwardly as he breathed in several deep breaths. Gates was only level fifteen. As party leader he had intimate knowledge that most adventurers wouldn¡¯t. For example, the level of his party members. He could even take a look at their stats and he¡¯d done just that. By far, the strongest of them were the Scribe and Subus. With their levels in the twenties Gates thought that they would have a fighting chance. Each time the slime absorbed another it grew stronger, not necessarily in the physical sense but its health grew as did its ¡°intelligence¡±. This was why he and Sypha had problems to begin with, they underestimated the fact that a mass ofbined slimes would grow more cunning.

    The original n had been to meet up with the women and bombard the creature with as much magic as possible. Gates was now regretting the fact that they didn¡¯t just escape. He cast a nce towards thedies at his back in the short reprieve allotted to him during battle, for luckily the salvo of slime shards was short.

    Merri seemed panicked, but she had her corroded shield in hand. Realistically she might be good for defense if Gates used some magic to infuse her. Ariadna on the other hand seemed less useful, from what he knew of her Trickster ss, she specialized in deception and close rangebat for the most part. Gates doubted that using subterfuge against a slime would be all that effective, partially due to the state of her clothing. She was almostpletely nude, only a scrap or two of her original outfit remained around her neck.

    Agni and Katrin reacted quickly and appropriately, thus reaffirming to Gates that their battle experience was real. If anything, he now held even more respect for them. Katrin¡¯s choice to skewer the n-like monster wasn¡¯t wrong ¡ª there was just an unforeseen consequence to doing so. Gates could never have predicted that the monster would counter in such a way. One third of his health was gone, though he had little to begin with.

    *But what the hell is that Subus made of? She freaking tanked six of those bullets and isn¡¯t even bleeding!* Gates couldn¡¯t help but smile at the thought, for it was reassuring that his original assessment wasn¡¯t that far off the mark.

    ¡°Agni. Katrin. Slight change of ns. We¡¯ll distract it. You will be our main attackers!¡± Gate said suddenly after a few seconds of careful thought. Besides, a few seconds was all the time they had. The Gunge Slime¡¯s body began to shrink inwardly,pacting in upon itself as it shattered and grinded therge earth spire Katrin used to pierce it.

 Chapter 82: Slimes Fight Back (2)

    Chapter 82: Slimes Fight Back (2)

    As Gates finished his spells three magical beings appeared before him, each resembling a small humanoid norger than a 3 month old child. One was wreathed in mes with ck eyes and orange pupils. The next made of water with white eyes and ck pupils, the final was madepletely of earth, patches of grass and bits of rock protruded randomly from its body and its eyes were yellow with green tinted pupils. This trio of spirits represented the limits of Gates¡¯ powers as a Spirit Mage.

    In general there were two paths a magic user could choose upon learning of their abilities. One was to choose general abilities which wouldpliment their ss abilities, the other was to choose general abilities which would further strengthen their ss abilities. Gates decided to go all in. As a Spirit Mage he could summon spirits from the nearby environment, or even make pacts with spirits so that he would always be able to use them. At current, his limit was 3 pact spirits which, when summoned would reserve 30% of his mana per spirit. The remaining 10% could be used freely, but Gates didn¡¯t care about that ¡ª he simply used that mana to reinforce himself during battle.

    Gates held his staff facing the slime and used his bond with his spirits to begin the attack.

    ¡°Ariadna. When you see a chance to jump in ¡ª take it.¡± Gates said as the earth and water spirits took action.

    ¡°Merri. Take this.¡± Gates next instructed as his me spirit floated over to the minotaur. It hovered before her, the mes whichposed its body red up before it reverted into a wisp of mes and entered Merri¡¯s shield.

    Though the gear was severely damaged it still functioned and the energy caused the shield to glow bright red. Merri nodded in affirmation, finally shaking away her doubts as she stepped forward besides Gates.

    ¡°This is stupid.¡± Ariadna said as she too stepped forth, both of her hands were bubbling with overflowing darkness energy.

    ¡°We should just run. It¡¯s not worth risking First Death over.¡± She added, though the expression on her face suggested she was feeling up to the challenge regardless.

    ¡°Some fights you can¡¯t run away from.¡± Sypha said as he finally got to his feet. He pulled the protruding slime shard from his shoulder and lifted his hands, bringing them together as he sped them. Once more a barrier of protection covered each of the party members as the battle began in earnest. At the same time a thin, threadlike strand of light appeared just centimeters before Sypha¡¯s hands and floated over to his wound. The thread formed a needle made of light near one end and began sewing his cut, stitching the flesh back together. It happened in less than two seconds and as soon as the sewing was done the wound healed itself ,as good as new.

    Meanwhile Katrin had been carefully observing the Gunge Slime after its attack and she used the time to prepare several Scribe style magic attacks. Much like what she¡¯d done against Fargo, the snatcher, she used the pages of her Grimoire to load several spells. She was now prepared to release them upon her unwitting foe. She noticed that Gates¡¯ Earth spirit seemed to be having the most effect. The Earth spirit which was sent upwards into the air above the battlefield would asionally puff its stomach and fire sharpened shards of earth and rock towards the slime. These easily pierced its soft body and even remained embedded in the Gunge slime¡¯s flesh. In addition to this, Katrin also noticed severalrge chunks of dirt and rock from her own earth strike which still persisted inside the slime. Armed with this knowledge she decided on her n of attack.

    Agni too took a few moments to prepare for battle, but in a different way. Since the Gunge Slime was within range to be Whispered she tried it various times. The way Agni could tell whether Whisper worked sessfully was a feeling. It was like a strand of ¡°connection¡± between her and her target. What¡¯s more, over time she¡¯d developed a sense for the possibility of using Whisper, and now she was sensing that Whispering the Slime was impossible.

    *But why? It works on Fulger Stags.* Agni wondered. Despite the fact that she ¡°felt¡± Whisper wouldn¡¯t work against this particr enemy she also ¡°felt¡± that she couldpel a foe like this.

    *Maybe I don¡¯t have the right kind of skill?* After making a mental note of this Agni decided to switch tactics.

    *If fire isn¡¯t effective. Maybe lightning.* In terms of the elements which were easiest to use, fire and wind came first. Earth, while simple to use, traveled too slowly for Agni¡¯s taste. Darkness element was simrly slow but it also felt ¡°alive¡±, as if simply by using it the element would slowly consume her. She¡¯d never bothered to attempt using Light element magic, but seeing as how the creature was immune to it Agni decided against it. Lightning wasn¡¯t difficult to handle persay, but in order to avoid injuring oneself knowledge of how electricity behaved was important.

    ¡°Short surges. Short surges.¡± Agni said as she gritted her teeth and focused on imagining a sphere of mana within her abdomen. She next imagined threads of mana coiling upwards through her chest and along her arm, slowly snaking into electricity as it reached her fingertips. The result was a short st of lightning which struck the slime like a high impact spear. She repeated this several times, zapping the creature until the mass of mana she¡¯d set aside was consumed. With each st the Slime quivered as the electricity flowed through its body causing it to wobble.

    As if the spell was sending its senses into disarray, the surface of the slime¡¯s body stretched and receded. She¡¯d been so consumed in casting the spell that Agni finally noticed all eyes were on her for a brief moment.

    ¡°W-what?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Nothing..¡± Gates replied as hemanded his spirits to attack.

    *What the hell? She¡¯s using Outer and Inner casting at the same time? I¡¯ve never even heard of that.* Gates thought to himself, and he was certain all of the other magic users felt the same even if Agni wasn¡¯t aware.

    His spirits danced to hismand, the Earth spirit floated upwards, higher above the battlefield to take up a superior vantage point while the Water element proceeded forth spewing water pellets as it circled around the slime. Gates¡¯ focus was solely on the enemy, his goal was to whittle away at the creature¡¯s strength as much and as quickly as possible. To this end the water spirit continually circled the slime, drawing its attention from the Earth spirit as it fired group after group of water pellets. The magic infused water reverberated through the air as it smashed against the gtinous flesh of the Gunge Slime.

    In response the slime fired even more pellets of slime, several of them tore through the spirit sprite, but due to theposure of its body the creature simply reformed itself. On the other hand Gates felt a bit of physical strain, a consequence of being a summoner type caster.

    ¡°Katrin. Are you ready?¡± Agni asked. She¡¯d only been lingering to give Katrin as much time as she needed at this point.

    ¡°Almost. A few more seconds.¡± Katrin responded without breaking concentration. Meanwhile Merri had taken to circling the Gunge slime as well, stepping forth a few steps ahead of Gates who resembled a maestro directing his choir.

    ¡°Something seems weird.¡± Ariadna whispered to herself as she watched the battle. The slime hadn¡¯t moved very much at all in the past half a minute. The water attacks were pelting the creature mercilessly, while it seemed as if Agni¡¯s lightning did significant damage. If this monster was deathly weak against elemental magic, why wasn¡¯t it trying to avoid any of the strikes levied its way?

    ¡°Are they not even hurting it?¡± She wondered aloud, thus she decided to test her theory. The power of a Trickster lied in the ability of misdirection against one or more foes. With everyone¡¯s gaze centered on the slime Ariadna became practically invisible, even to her own allies. Rather than invisible, perhaps unnoticeable was a better way to describe it. She circled around the slime as well, closely following the water spirit as she did so. Only when she directly passed into Gates line of sight did he register Ariadna was no longer behind him.

    ¡°It¡¯s too much.¡± She whispered to herself before breaking off from the battle and taking a ce next to Agni.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Agni asked as Ariadna stopped next to her.

    ¡°The mass of slime is absorbing almost all of those attacks. I mean¡­I¡¯m sure some damage is being done but we will really need some powerful spells to put a dent in this thing¡¯s vitality.¡± Ariadna exined.

    ¡°Wait. How did you know I was here before I spoke?¡± The ck haired Trickster asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand the question.¡± Agni responded, at that moment Katrin tapped her on the shoulder, signaling that she was ready to release her spells.

    Ariadna stepped back, though she still wondered why her Trickster misdirection didn¡¯t work on the Subus. Katrin stepped forth , making her way towards Gates¡¯ side as shemanded her Grimoire to act. The book flew forward from her side and upwards into the air, soon it took its ce directly above the creature, hoving just one meter above its crown. The pages of the Grimoire turned quickly and each flutter released an earth spell ¡ª in this instance a spike of earth which jutted forth like a spear. The attacks were released one by one in rapid session, fifteen total as they pierced through the slime down to the ground.

    Everyone nearby, with the exception of Agni, watched on in awe as Katrin littered the creature¡¯s body with earth spears. The creature could do little else but quiver as the strikesid into it, and finally the attack ended ¡ª but Katrin wasn¡¯t done.

    Katrin raised her hands, calling forth anotherrge spire of earth from beneath. This spire was twice as thick and easily pierced the creature nearly splitting it in half. She followed this up by another attack of the same magnitude which further gouged the slimy flesh of the creature until it waspletely pinned and pierced amidst a mass of earthen spikes.

    ¡°Holy shit! Did she just release over a dozen spells back to back? How is that even possible?¡± Ariadna practically shouted, the loudest anyone had ever heard her be. Gates waspletely floored, so much so that he lost focus of his water spirit for just a moment.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­really impressive¡­ ¡± Even the normally quiet Sypha was forced to respond.

    ¡°We did it! Although I didn¡¯t get to do anything.¡± Merri said as she watched the mass of rock spires and slime gel shift beneath her gaze.

    *It¡¯s not dead!* Sh shouted in Agni¡¯s mind.

    *Really? That seems like overkill. Are you sure?* Agni asked.

    *Positive. Look.*

    Just as Agni cast her nce towards the mass of rock and ooze, a loud cracking sound reverberated through the air followed by a pop. The mass of earth spires and spears imploded inwards on themselves as the Gunge Slime constricted itself, crushing them in the process. The ends which protruded from its green flesh fell to the ground while the bits remaining inside were condensed , pressed into spheres of dirt and gravel.

    ¡°Something¡¯s not right.¡± Agni said as a sense of unease began to overwhelm her. The sensation was faint at first, she watched the creature¡¯s movement as it shrank smaller and smaller. Eventually it was one third of its original size and as it ceased moving the sense of dread reached a fever pitch in the back of Agni¡¯s mind.

    ¡°It¡¯s about to attack!¡± She shouted as she moved to dash towards Katrin and Gates, who¡¯d stepped towards the front of the battle line in hopes to end the skirmish. The mass of slime began to shake and shudder. Then the contents of its body, thepressed spheres of dirt and dust, were expelled in all directions as the creature bloomed to its original size in an instant.

 Chapter 83: 3S

    Chapter 83: 3S

    The first thing Gates noticed was the sound of his own breathing. At some point during the attack he¡¯d briefly lost consciousness. The side of his face was warm and flecks of red clouded the vision from his right eye, he quickly put together the situation as he pushed himself up on his elbows. He needed to get a clear picture of what happened, so he receded into his own mind and forced himself to remember all he could¨Cand quickly.

    Agni barely finished her warning when the attack urred. From all directions shards of condensed rock were propelled outwards like bullets in one swift expansion. The area of effect attack was so swift and powerful that nearly all the members of the party were left staggering, injured or crumpled on the ground.

    Thanks to Agni¡¯s warning, Merri ¡ª who¡¯d beenmenting her inability to act, moved first. She lifted her melted shield which still contained fire element mana and leapt towards the nearest person at her side. At the same time she forced all of the contained energy outwards, making use of her adventurer ss¡¯ unique abilities. A Tower Guard could absorb elemental magic within the shield and use it to defend or attack. In this case, Merri gritted her teeth as she fired a roar of mes towards the slime. She knew the st would not be enough to even harm the creature but she hoped it would destroy as many of the projectiles as possible.

    Ariadna could feel the stinging pain of several pelting store shards which easily tore into her skin and bloodied her with wounds. She covered up instinctively but this was little help, that is until Merri stepped in front of Ariadna and shielded herpletely with her own body.

    Sypha waste reacting, as he¡¯d been caughtpletely unaware so by the time he brought up his hands he¡¯d been struck several more times. Had Gates not called forth his spirits to sacrifice themselves the pair would have been in an even more dire situation. The majority of the stone bullets were fired in Gates¡¯ direction, no doubt in order to take out most of the Gunge Slime¡¯s foes. Katrin, Gates and Sypha all stood rtively close to one another so if they were struck half of the party would have instantly been disposed of.

    Sypha forced all of his mana into a protective light barrier which resembled a mix between a half semi circle and a curtain. The pellets struck the magical construct at full velocity and some of them broke through, as if a plethora of rocks were being hurled at a curtain. In order to better defend Sypha, Gates forced his water spirit to take up a ce just behind the light curtain. The earth spirit then appeared just behind the water spirit and reformed itself into a te of earth which widened for optimal defense.

    Agni was torn about what she should do, she felt she had to protect Katrin, after all it was instinct after spending so much time with her. With this in mind she decided to do the only thing she could ¡ª she leapt forth and unleashed as much fire as possible towards her foe. Rather than focusing the mes, she simply allowed them to run wildly while she assumed a defense stance. This was the best she could do given such a short time, wind magic wouldn¡¯t have been strong enough to make a difference while earth magic was too sluggish to react with.

    She focused on improving the heat and density of the mes which cost her a significant amount of mana, but the desired effect worked to some degree. She found herself pelted by only a few of the earth bullets and burning the rest or at least slowing down their velocity somewhat before they struck her. Katrin, having seen this formation plenty of times before, took her ce behind Agni and prepared a healing potion just in case.

    The salvo of earth bullets onlysted for less than five seconds but it was enough to bring the party to the brink of ruin. Halfway through Sypha¡¯s light curtain, which attempted to shield everyone at least a little, was shredded beyond belief. He purposely made itrge enough to shield everyone to some extent but this also made the spell much weaker. That , coupled with the fact that he was still maintaining everyone¡¯s barriers caused Sypha to crumple to the ground in exhaustion as the light construct and their barriers disappeared.

    He himself was bleeding from the abdomen as a rock shard jutted from his side. Gates didn¡¯t fare any better. He too was forced to use every ounce of his mana to mount some sort of defense. By using the water spirit as a thin barrier, he hardened the water to dampen the impact of bullets.

    Unlike Sypha¡¯s light magic which could be stretched much further, Gates¡¯ water could only cover a square shaped area of 1.5 by 1.5 meters (4 x 4 feet). Because of this, he could only cover the area directly in front of Sypha and his earth shield was even smaller at half that size. The water spirit was instantly overwhelmed by the sheer number of bullets and the earth shield shattered slightly before the attack was done. Both he and Sypha were pegged by several bullets, one of which struck Gates on the temple and knocked him down. Another ripped into his shoulder as he crumpled down to one knee.

    When all was said and done Gates looked around wildly, trying to process the battlefield as a case of mild disorientation gued him. Merri was still standing, though her eyes were nk ¡ª she was out on her feet though she still grasped her shield and defended her partymate to thest.

    Ariadna was now grasping at a wound on her stomach and , like Merri, several spots all over her body were now bleeding from the sheer impact of the rock bullets. Syphay a few centimeters away from Gates, passed out due to exhaustion from over exerting his mana. His wounds were minimal, but not life threatening.

    He next turned his attention to Katrin and Agni and to his surprise they were the only members of the party still on their feet. What¡¯s more Agni¡¯s eyes had taken on a reddish tint which made her appear more fearsome than Gates had initially believed her to be.

    ¡°Potions.¡± He grunted as he began to fiddle with his inventory, he said it loud enough so that anyone conscious would begin the process of healing. Once more, retreat crossed his mind but as he cast a nce at the slime. He was surprised to see that the creature was now less than half of its original size.

    *Wait? What?* He thought to himself, at first dismissing the sight as a delusion.

    [Gunge Slime Level 23

    Affinity : None

    Vulnerability : Elemental Magic 200%

    Resistance : Physical Weapons. Light Magic 200% Darkness Magic 50%]

    *Level 23..did this thing get weaker due to our attacks?* Gates wondered as he hastily triggered the use of a Greater Yue Potion. The effects were felt by all of the party members as each received an equal portion of 1,000 hp¡¯s worth of restoration. Furthermore Gates noticed that Katrin was busily using potions of her own.

    ¡°Merri? Merri!¡± Ariadna¡¯s voice had taken on a note of concern as she gentlyid the minotaur down.

    ¡°Ariadna, move Merri and Sypha to the back row. Katrin, Agni you two can still fight right?¡± Gates asked.

    ¡°Fight? We should be running away!¡± Ariadna shouted as she pulled Merri the minotaur by her underarms.

    ¡°No. Those attacks worked. Its level is almost halved. We can end it.¡± Gates said as he got to his feet, calling forth his staff which had been knocked away during the previous attack.

    *I sacrificed two spirits in order to stay in the fight. I¡¯ve still got the me spirit. Now that the Slime is near their levels I¡¯m sure the two casters can take it on and I¡¯ll provide support. Now I just have to convince them.* He thought to himself as he watched the Slime wobble in the distance. Since it expelled all of the earth shards within its body it had not moved.

    *Cooldown period?* Gates thought as he turned his gaze towards the two party members behind him. He wiped the remaining blood from his forehead, the potion had long since closed his wounds and restored a fair measure of his health. He wondered why Oliver, the expedition leader would have granted each party leader such a powerful potion but now Gates could only specte. It was insurance, in case something like this happened.

    ¡°It¡¯s weakened. One more serious push and we can take it down.¡± Gates said as he once more began the process of calling forth a spirit. Forcibly released spirits would take some time to return, but the me spirit immediately answered its call. Gates then used his staff to cross the baby-like spirit floating next to him.

    A swirling power of energy rose upwards from Gates¡¯ feet and focused itself into the gem on his staff before transferring into the me spirit. The humanoid spirit turned into a sphere of mes and doubled in size before shaping itself into a ming eagle that shrieked. With each p of its wings Agni and Katrin could feel the heat emanating from the spirit.

    ¡°Think you¡¯re up for it?¡± Gates asked as he lowered his staff to his side. He wasn¡¯t exactly confident in his ability to lead, at most he was only party leader due to his rank and seniority with the Mystic Tower chapel. He knew motivational speeches were not his strong point, thus he made a show of preparing for battle in the hopes that he could sway the others.

    The truth was, more than anything he hated to lose and defeating such a powerful foe would bring Gates one step closer to his own personal goals. If the two strongest members of the party decided against it, he would be forced to end this battle regardless.

    ¡°Running away was never an option.¡± Agni said, her voice taking on a certain mix of coldness mingled with fervor. Katrin nodded in agreement as she prepared forbat herself by casting a few Scribe script spells.

    *It seems like I was worried for nothing.* Gates thought to himself as a smile appeared across his face. The Spirit Mage, Scribe and Subus stood side by side as they prepared for the final sh with the Gunge Slime.

 Chapter 84: Fiery End

    Chapter 84: Fiery End

    Ariadna had reached her limit. The frightening attack disyed by the Gunge Slime was just the icing on the cake. Truth be told, she never wanted to join a Chapel or fight monsters anyway. Her skillset was much better suited to being a pickpocket and she was perfectly content with that but Merri was not.

    ¡°Merri. Are you okay?¡± Ariadna asked as she knelt over her unconscious friend, inspecting her wounds in the process. Though the healing potions had done their job, marks still remained along with dried blood. She ced Merri¡¯s shield to the side half expecting a response but none came. Ariadna sighed before turning her attention to the other injured party member, Sypha.

    His wounds were less numerous though he was still in the same shape, unconscious. Ariadna recognized it to be due to mana exhaustion. Her emotions were running in overdrive at the moment. Anger and fear intermingled with one another as she struggled to deal with conflicting thoughts. On one hand she wanted to pay back against the creature responsible for their current plight, and on the other she felt inadequate to the task. She had half a mind to join the remaining party members but she also wanted to safeguard the injured from any other blobs who dared wiggle their way.

    In the end Ariadna decided to stay hidden in the bushes near the edge of the clearing. One way or the other the battle would be decided, and if they failed she would just take Merri, Sypha and escape. She fingered the Return Trinket in her hands as she peered through the bushes at the battle now taking ce in the center of the woond clearing.

    ¡°It might be too dangerous to use earth element. That leaves fire and wind. You two should be capable of that right?¡± Gates said as he stepped forward.

    ¡°Of course.¡± Agni said with a nod, Katrin also agreed.

    ¡°Good. Then let¡¯s make this easy on ourselves. That creature has dropped in level, it¡¯s now more or less around the same strength as you two. Both of you hang back and prepare your strongest spells. I¡¯ll engage it. When you¡¯re ready and you see an opening fire.¡± Gates revealed his n as he walked forth without awaiting confirmation.

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit disappointing¡­but I¡¯ll go along with it. I really wanted to teach that slime a lesson.¡± Agni said as she watched the wobbly mass begin to inch towards the trio of adventurers.

    Gates struck first by pointing his finger andmanding the ming hawk to swoop in. It shot forth, searing the air as one of its wings sliced into the Gunge Slime. The creature strank away, avoiding all of the damage, causing Gates to wonder if this would be as easy as he¡¯d anticipated. Still he stepped forward and with a wave of his free hand the staff he carried set aze with a me issuing from the gemstone at its tip. He thenunched himself into the fray as a secondbatant leaving Agni and Katrin to their own devices.

    ¡°Katrin. I have an idea.¡± Agni said as she drew near, whispering to the Scribe in a witch¡¯s hat.

    Gates meanwhile dashed around, he wasn¡¯t as nimble as Agni or as fast as Ariadna but even he realized that mobility was the number one rule in a fight. He circled the creature and onlyshed out with his staff when his fire hawk spirit moved in to approach. Gates knew that his melee abilities were non-existent but there were a few pieces of knowledge driving him at the moment. The first was his spirits. Now that he¡¯d sacrificed two of his spirits he gained 60% of his mana pool back to use freely. The second was that his spirit transformation would onlyst three minutes before his spirit would not only revert but disappear to regenerate for a few hours. Thest was that he didn¡¯t need to get that close to inflict damage¡­

    Gates swung his ming staff and a whip-like de of mes issued forth and struck the Gunge Slime, inflicting real damage. At the same time the fire spirit swooped down, talons at the ready to gouge flesh out of the creature. The attack worked well, so much so that Gates was able to easily avoid the Grimlock¡¯s retaliation ¡ª several pelting slime balls which it fired in rapid session.

    By distracting the slime¡¯s attention on two fronts Gates was able to whittle away at the creature using ming attacks. Seeing that this was effective Gates decided to go all in by raising their attack frequency to the limits. Each me Whip strike cost Gates magic but he didn¡¯t care, this would be his final contribution to the battle while the others prepared. The spirit soared through the air like a real hawk, twisting and turning as it avoided slime balls before circling about and shing the Gunge slime with wings of me time and again.

    Gates also made ample use of distance to stay at medium range while alsoshing away at the creature. Closing distance would have allowed him to deal more damage but this way the slime could not retaliate. As long as he stayed a safe distance away and attacked constantly, the slime balls were much less painful than the rock shards. Gates also realized something else important, the slime could only expel high velocity projectiles by shrinking its body. Forty-five seconds into his one man assault Gates was beginning to feel as if he¡¯d overestimated the creature.

    With both himself and the spiritnding attacks at will Gates felt it was only a matter of time until the Gunge Slime keeled over ¡ª that was until he suffered an unexpected strike. Gates stopped moving only long enough to swing his staff and it was then that the Grimlock chose to strike. It¡¯s green flesh rippled, as if it was preparing another slime ball but suddenly a long tendril of slime shot forth. It was like the extending of a pole, so fast and unexpected that it caught Gates in the ribcage. The blow was so powerful and jarring that Gates only held onto his staff by sheer willpower.

    His eyes bulged fiercely as the dense mass of hardened slime fractured one of his ribs with a single strike. His first impulse was to create even more distance but first he would have to free himself! The slime¡¯s extension strike pushed him along through the air, forcing Gates to shift his bnce to the left in order to rotate himself off of the impact. The slime¡¯s ¡°pole¡± stretched several meters past Gates¡¯ location, giving him a small amount of reprieve in the process.

    This was short lived as a second extension strike traveled towards Gates, followed by a third and forth. The slime was now firing off these attacks in rapid session with seemingly no end and Gates quickly found himself on the losing end of the battle as he lunged, rolled and dodged each iing blow as quickly as his agileness would allow. Only his me spirit, which continued its assault, was able to impart Gates with a measure of breathing room.

    Gates picked up the pace almost immediately as he dashed forward, a trickle of blood issuing from his lips.

    *Bastard!* Gates thought inwardly as he was forced to once more reconsider his method of attack. With himself now free from rapid attacks it was now the hawk being pushed back. It seemed the slime could extend portions of its body from virtually any direction and the hawk was clipped several times. Had it not been a magic construct it would have been pierced through entirely.

    Gates shot a nce over towards Agni and Katrin, both of whom were busy casting spells. Gates could only admire the freak which was the Subus, for she was once again using abination of Inner and Outer casting. Katrin on the other hand was not using her Grimoire as he expected, but rather gathering a great deal of mana to herself using Outer casting.

    Gates realized they might need a bit more time so he gritted his teeth, wiped the blood from his chin and decided on a rather reckless course of action. His abdomen ached with each breath, but he was sure that his lungs weren¡¯t punctured. Thus he closed distance on the Slime once more, dashing forward as close as he could get. At the same time hemanded his me spirit to fly upwards into the air ¡ª and that¡¯s when he saw it.

    A mass of fire magic, roughly six meters in diameter hovering high above the slime. The sight was enough to stop him in his tracks in disbelief, for the magic was not onlyrge but densely packed. There was no doubt that Agni had spent the entire time gathering and condensing mes repeatedly in order to create an attack of his power at her rank.

    *This is easily something a second rank magic user could make.* Gates thought as he gazed up at the mass of fire. Unfortunately the split second of distraction also put him in a precarious position. The slime¡¯s body shuddered and released a trio of extending slime poles, each of which smashed into Gates full on. He attempted to protect himself after the blinding pain of the first impact made his body shudder, but this was for the most part futile. He was lifted off his feet once more and carried by the first impact while the second and third struck his me staff, cracking it in the process.

    The me enchantment flickered, faltering as Gates sailed through the air andnded with a thud on the ground. From the edge of the clearing Ariadna watched, gritting her teeth as she contemted using the Return Relic.

    *Why aren¡¯t they helping?* She thought to herself as she watched Gates skid across the grass. She held the item up as if she was teetering on activating it when a hand grabbed her wrist.

    ¡°No. Not yet.¡± Sypha said, apparently havinge to from his stupor.

    ¡°What do you mean? He¡¯s going to get killed. There¡¯s no way that three people can defeat a monster like that if six failed.¡± Ariadna said, voicing her displeasure.

    ¡°Look.¡± Sypha said as he sat up, pointing his finger above the clearing. Ariadna¡¯s face turned white as she realized what was about to happen.

    *Fuck this hurts!* Gates¡¯ mind was wracked with pain, several ribs shattered at this point and most likely some internal bleeding as well. Yet he didn¡¯t care. He could only smile, even though he clenched his stomach and grimaced in pain. He shot a nce over towards Katrin as if to say, ¡°Not yet?¡±

    Katrin nodded her head and mouthed Agni¡¯s name, the signal to begin. From the moment Gates decided on their n of attack Agni felt a dull sense of frustration eating away at her. Normally she would vent this in battle by cleaving or striking something. Since those two options were off the table and Gates assumed the role she initially wanted, Agni felt she needed to do something extreme to vent her anger.

    Agni immediately took a seat, assuming a meditative position after exining to Katrin what she had in mind. She spent the next couple of minutes in intense focus as she used all methods avable to her to create the most powerful magical attack avable to her at the moment. Normally something like this in the heat of battle would be impossible but with a party of multiple people¨C

    *I¡¯m going to end you.* Agni thought as her eyes popped open. She sped her hands together and surged her mana to force the mass of mes downward. The air in the clearing shifted somewhat as therge fireball began to drop onto the unsuspecting slime. Gates yed his part to a tee, using his me spirit until the veryst second to annoy and distract the Gunge Slime before finally recalling it from service.

    The ball of mes wasrge enough in itself topletely consume the slime but Agni had taken things to a whole other level. As the ball of mes came down on the slime a shrill sound echoed through the clearing. It was like the sound of ice pressed against a hot t top grill. The creature¡¯s body girated wildly as it struggled to shrink and condense itself to escape the falling mes.

    At that moment Katrin activated her own magic which also was centered high above the clearing. So as not to interfere with Agni¡¯s fire, Katrin created a mass of wind magic higher above. This now fell downward as well, spiraling until a column of wind was created. The winds brought new life to Agni¡¯s fire, mingling together with them until both spells became one. Even Gates, who had an idea of their tactic did not expect this.

    *Unison magic? This is crazy!* He thought to himself as the wind column burst into mes and turned into a nine meter high spinning twister of fire ¡ª with the Gunge Slime trapped in the center.

    Agni could now feel her mana dropping quickly, Katrin¡¯s wind magic was feeding on her own to make it stronger, but it was also more difficult to maintain and control. She focused on shrinking the spiraling mes of the spell, closing the slime in so that not even a single drop of the creature¡¯s flesh would remain.

    The spellsted only a few seconds, but it was enough. Both Katrin and Agni were drained, their manapletely spent as a heat filled wind expanded outward and rushed against everyone within a ten meter (30 ft) proximity. The gust was so strong that Gates felt as if his whole body might catch aze while Ariadna ducked behind the bushes as the tree branches shook and fluttered.

    When everyone opened their eyes again all that remained of the slime was arge circr scorch mark, carved into the earth in varying degrees by both me and wind.

 Chapter 85: Results

    Chapter 85: Results

    ¡°Holy shit.¡± Ariadna whispered as she cautiously stepped out from cover of the nearby bushes. She inspected therge ring of circr grooves and singed circles where the Gunge Slime had once been as she took in the ending to such an intense battle. Gates slowly got to his feet as well as he nursed his abdomen, the pain of broken ribs still lingered but his spirits were quite high upon being presented with three new alerts.

    [Slimes Defeated : 163 ]

    [+2,300 XP]

    [You¡¯ve reached level 17.]

    ¡°Ha. ha ha ha ha.¡± Gatesughed to himself as he took note of the amount of experience he gained from a single battle. It was more than he¡¯d acquired in the past month or two alone. He turned to face the rest of his party, giving them all a thumbs up and pearly smile as he walked towards Agni and Katrin. Soon Sypha joined them, and after tending to their wounds he used his Light Weaver abilities to bring everyone else to normal as well.

    ¡°How did you two learn to use Unison magic?¡± Gates asked as the group sat in a circle, taking a well deserved rest before they walked back to the meeting point.

    ¡°Is that what it¡¯s called?¡± Agni asked, as she gave a shrug. Katrin had no idea theirbined attack was a thing either. In the end they both just had an idea and went with it.

    ¡°Yea. Unison magic is an advanced type of magic where two magic usersbinepatible spells for effects that are dozens of times more powerful than usual.¡± Gates exined as he chewed on some jerky ration.

    ¡°That was certainly incredible. I¡¯ve never seen it done in person before.¡± Sypha said as he took partook in some of the jerky shared by Gates.

    Agni felt less impressed, after all she was just doing what she wanted to do. Katrin likewise was interested, but ultimately she and Agni oftenbined their efforts to topple foes so it wasn¡¯t a huge deal to her either.

    After taking a moment to conceal themselves properly, the alliance of party members trekked back to the starting point and arrived with roughly twenty minutes remaining. They were surprised to find almost all of the other members of the expedition awaiting their return. They were even more surprised when they saw the state of everyone else.

    Most all of them werepletely naked, the slimes had proven to be quite a challenge for therge gathering of adventurers. Their expressions were grim and depressing, as if they¡¯d suddenly stepped into a difort they¡¯d never known. The only adventurer who was still fully clothed was the expedition leader, Oliver Hill.

    The short statured elf eyed them with curiosity the moment the party of six stepped into the clearing.

    ¡°What¡¯s this? We finally have a group of people who managed to keep their clothing intact ¡ª well for the most part.¡± He remarked as he cast a nce at Ariadna, Gates and Sypha. Of the six, these three were wearing the least. Gates had only scraps of his pants and shoes, along with his hat. Ariadna was stark naked, save for the cloak which Agni lent her. Sypha¡¯s shirt and most of his pants had melted away as well, but the cloth was enough to cover his manparts.

    On the other hand, Agni was wearing her armor, which was rtively undamaged. Katrin was dressed in her boots and hat, the only part of her outfit which remained from their slime hunting. Her cape was pristeen however and served to conceal herrge E-cup breasts for the most part.

    Merri too was nude beneath her cape, save for her boots and a few parts of her armor. Her muscr frame made it difficult for her to cover up properly but she solved this by holding her corroded shield in front.

    ¡°Well done.¡± Oliver remarked as he motioned for them to take a ce within the group of adventurers. The six could feel all eyes on them as they moved, some filled with envy and others disgust. Such was the way of the world, when some rise others fall ¡ª and all six of them, having lived previous lives, thought absolutely nothing of the disdain being directed their way.

    ¡°Well, it seems that everyone has returned.¡± Oliver Hill said a few minutester after three more adventurers returned and reported that half of their party had been wiped out.

    ¡°Looking around at your faces, I think the point of this exercise has be painfully apparent. There are many adventurers in this new world. In fact, there are thousands. And of that amount only a fraction bother with the job of Grimlock culling. After today, I think you all gathered here havee just a little closer to understanding why that is.

    The Grimlock you fought today are among the absolute weakest you will ever encounter. And, without exception, everyone here suffered attacks from these creatures. A few adventurers even experienced First Death. But, would it surprise you to know that even these Grimlock, these lowly slimes could be much stronger?¡± Oliver paced back and forth, his hands behind his back as he spoke. His voicemanded the attention of the nearly thirty adventurers before him, partially due to the fact that many had been humbled.

    ¡°Shards. Some of you here may have heard what these are. A few of you here have even ventured into them. Inside of shards, your protection against immediate death is meaningless. And inside of shards, creatures like those same slimes you encountered are exponentially tougher. It would be easy if adventurers could simply ignore these mysterious doorways into an alternate realm that seems to exist parallel to our own, but that¡¯s not possible.

    The Grimlock wander out and infest areas if left unchecked ¡ª like what you see in this area. Some Grimlock are so numerous that they infest the areas near the shards. The only way to prevent this world from being overrun by Grimlock is to dispatch them. What¡¯s more, there¡¯s another secret to shards which make them even more terrifying.¡± Oliver stopped as he turned to face the adventurers once more before continuing.

    ¡°Shards expand their influence. The worlds within them grow, and if left unchecked the foes within will be even more powerful. When a shard expands too much, ovep urs. Ovep is ,simply put, when the two realities superimpose on one another and Grimlock can freely move about in our realm with no limitation to their strength. The shard disappears and all the Grimlock within it are free to run amok as they please.¡±

    Now that she thought about it Agni remembered Bracha exining the expansion of shards as well.

    *She never mentioned they were so dangerous though.* Agni thought as she listened to Oliver¡¯s speech.

    ¡°Today¡¯s expedition serves a few purposes. The most important lesson you can learn is your limits. This knowledge will save your life some day and allow you to grow stronger. The second, and perhaps more important purpose is to help you understand that living a rtively peaceful life is also an option for you. There are many functions outside ofbat that adventurers can fulfill and many ways to live with the abilities avable to you. If this experience was too harsh, too bitter and leaves you with a poor taste in your mouth, I say good. Use this experience to find new pathways to living in Adventia.¡±

    ¡°But for those of you who were thrilled by the challenge. For those of you who enjoybat, or those of you who simply crave the power to subjugate your foes ¡ª well, let¡¯s just say that there will be plenty of other expeditions. Adventia will always need those willing to challenge the Grimlock.¡± Oliver said as he ended his speech before moving onto the results of the expedition.

    ¡°Altogether, 443 slimes were destroyed.¡± Oliver began.

    ¡°This was between six different alliances. And, the alliance which defeated the most slimes is this one.¡± Oliver said as he pointed a gloved leather hand at Gates.

    Gates didn¡¯t seem surprised, but the rest of his team members were.

    ¡°This alliance managed to defeat over 37% of the slimes by themselves.¡±

    At this point several murmurs erupted from the gathering of adventurers as Oliver Hill stepped forward and raised his left hand. The Systema mark began to shine as he updated the slime hunting quest for all involved parties.

    ¡°Congrattions. All members of your alliance will receive a reward of 1,500 Gols and 25 Chapel Points once we return to the Chapel.¡±

    ¡°Wow!¡± Merri eximed. She¡¯d been filled in on the events of the battle after she passed out, but never would she have expected that her party woulde in first. She felt both happy and envious considering she was unconscious for the decisive battle. Within her heart she resolved to train herself more rigorously so that she could stand side by side with her party mates in the future.

    Ariadna was thinking alongpletely different lines.

    *Ugh. Now she¡¯s going to ask me to do things like this more often..* It was all the ck haired Trickster could think as she sighed to herself. Agni found it difficult to be all that excited, for she had no idea what Chapel Points were worth and the amount of Gols seemed quite low. She felt more excited ating in first, with this Vivian would definitely take her to Kirlunst so that she could learn more about familiars.

    After a few more words of encouragement from Oliver Hill the group of adventurers made their way into the transfer gate and returned to the Mystic Tower Chapel. The sight of dozens of nude and scantily d adventurers caused quite a few Chapel regrs to remark : ¡°Oh, they must have gone on a Slime Expedition. Ha ha ha!¡±

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Meanwhile, in a certain Chapel somewhere in the slums of Grenvale.

    ¡°Uhn! Uhn! AH!¡± The busty young woman screamed, her moans were a mix of pleasure and pain as the tall, husky man bending her over his bedside gripped her hips fiercely. A rather sadistic smile filled his face as he gazed down, causing his mustache to curl upwards. He enjoyed watching his dick slide in and out of the petite woman he was currently ravaging. His monocle gleamed in the dimness of light as he went to work intently on his current partner.

    *I can¡¯t get enough of fucking these petite ones. It clenches like a glove!* Indeed if one were to walk in on them in the act, it would look as if he was brutalizing the petite woman. She clenched the sheets fiercely as he pulled her hips into him with each stroke. He sensed her difort and it spurred him on as she gritted her teeth.

    He quickly grabbed her by the back of the head, taking in a hand full of hair as he proceeded to pound her harder, so much so that her stable stance broke and she was forced onto her stomach. She could do little but take his advances, her face contorted and turning redder as he pounded her for all of his worth. The pounding sounds of flesh pping against flesh filled the room and echoed down the hallway as he relieved himself, spurting deep inside the blonde¡¯s creamy wet pussy.

    *I love an adventurer¡¯s body. Something like this rarely tires me out anymore.* He thought as he looked down at the lowly rank 0 adventurer who was panting heavily, her body drenched in sweat.

    ¡°Get lost.¡± He said as he grabbed a nearby towel and patted his forehead dry. His eyes took on a purple glow as he issued themand and a magical sigil on the blonde¡¯s chest responded to hismand. Despite being dog tired and weak in the knees she was forced to obey, thus she quickly got up and walked out into the hallway, leaving all of her clothing behind.

    The tall, husky man closed the door behind her without a care in the world. She knew better than to disturb him however, so she covered her breasts and quickly walked down the hallway to her own room on the second floor of the Chapel.

    It was quite some time before a knock was heard at the door.

    ¡°Enter.¡± The rotund man said. He was now fully dressed in a dapper suit vest, dress shirt and dress pants. A fine watch hung from his right wrist and in this left hand was a designer walking cane with a skull relief as the grip. He was currently inspecting the intricacies of this walking cane as he sat behind his desk, as if he expected the person¡¯s arrival.

    When the door opened a short young man with dark skin and white hair stood in the hallway for a brief moment before he walked into the room.

    ¡°It smells like sex in here. Do you really have to fuck in your office?¡± The mage known as Ziphr immediatelymented as he strolled over to the desk. The rotund man didn¡¯t seem bothered, as if he expected some oundish thing from the mage¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Are they prepared?¡± He said simply as he got to his feet. The sound of the cane striking the hardwood floor made a particr sound that the husky man liked. It reminded him of a sledgehammer.

    ¡°Yep. Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to¨C¡± Ziphr said as he motioned, sliding his hand across his neck.

    ¡°No. They are still useful. The usual methods will suffice, but I want to hear from them first hand about the two adventurers who destroyed a party of six.¡±

    Soon both Ziphr and the well dressed, chubby man had moved to the basement of the Chapel. They were now in a room that resembled a dungeon of sorts, yet there were no holding cells. All four walls were rigged with dozens of manacles side by side. Quite a few of them were in use. Men, women, all naked battered and bruised. Some were bleeding, others were unconscious and all were in misery. The only things they had inmon were location and a strange mark at the center of their chest.

    Fargo saw the shadow of his ¡°boss¡± entering the dimly lit torture room. He¡¯d tried his best to prepare himself for the hell that awaited him after being defeated, but the sight and smell of the things that went on in this small room were enough to make any man¡¯s stomach turn.

    In a way he felt better, seeing that the man himself hade. It meant that now things could get underway, and the sooner the better. His only sce was that he wouldn¡¯t be exposed to Second Death. His only sce was also his only despair, for he would be tortured within an inch of it.

    Fargo shot a nce over to Glint, who was in the same situation. Stripped nude and strapped to the wall, both his dignity and his clothing taken from him. Even if they weren¡¯t affected by the debilitating effects of First Death it would be impossible to break the chains. Both physical and otherwise.

    Soon the man and his sadistic second inmand stood before the group of six, silence abound. The failures were silent because they knew it wouldn¡¯t matter, while the other two men were no doubt brainstorming devious ways to torment them.

    ¡°Tell me of the ones who defeated you. In great detail. And leave nothing out.¡± The rotund man finally said, his eyes turning purple as an oppressive mana seeped out from them. His gaze in the deep darkness struck enough of an imposing figure. His body wasrge, not just made of fat, but muscle. His forearms were thick, as were his arms and his upper body resembled that of a wrestler. There was enough strength in this man¡¯s hands to wring them unconscious easily, Fargo understood this. Yet every fiber of his body rejected his orders.

    The sigil on Fargo¡¯s chest began to glow with the same purple energy as a burning pain took over. Rather than physical pain it felt as if Fargo¡¯s mind was on fire ,he resisted it for as long as he could. Fargo clenched his fists as his body seized. He could hear the sounds of shouting from hispanions, the rotund man was using his ability to make them suffer on a whim. Themand was only directed to Fargo, everyone else was simply being tortured. He clenched his jaws in futility before his mind went numb and he was forced to spill the details of his battle in Sprim Row against a certain Scribe and her Subuspanion.

    ¡°Yes, Master Gaines.¡± Fargo said, his will having been sappedpletely by the power of another Specialist ss adventurer.

 Chapter 86: Cute A.F.

    Chapter 86: Cute A.F.

    ¡°Great work today everyone.¡± Gates said as the group gathered in a corner of the Mystic Chapel lobby. All members of the expedition finally made it back to the chapel, some were relieved and others agitated. Some even promptly made their way to the receptionist¡¯s desk in order to cancel their temporary membership to the chapel.

    Of the six adventurers only two were upset at how things turned out and both for different reasons. Merri felt that she hadn¡¯t gotten a proper chance to showcase her abilities as a Tower Guard while her friend Ariadna, the Trickster, was dreading the inevitable conversation with Merri.

    *I know it. She¡¯s going to sign up for the next expedition, ugh!* Ariadna thought as she cast her gaze downward.

    ¡°You know, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve been wondering for quite a while now¡­ how did that slime get so big?¡± Katrin asked. Now that Agni thought about it, she never really considered as much. That was when Sypha smiled sheepishly as he ced his hand behind his head.

    ¡°That¡¯s sort of my fault.¡± The Light Weaver said as he began to exin.

    ¡°My ss magic revolves around the use of light to heal and support myself and others. I can also use it in a limited capacity to defend myself if need be. I tried using some attack magic on the slimes, because I figured they were too small to stand up to it. Unfortunately, there was an adverse reaction. The slimes started bonding together¡­and they wouldn¡¯t stop. Eventually one huge slime appeared and¡­well you know how the rest of the story goes¡­¡±

    ¡°What? That¡¯s crazy! So all of those creatures formed together because you used light magic on them? Grimlock are ¡­scary indeed.¡± Agni replied as she thought to herself.

    ¡°Yes. It was troublesome to say the least.¡± Gates responded as he tapped his hands against a holographic disy floating just centimeters in front of him.

    [The Alliance has been disbanded by the party leader.]

    This was the alert the group received as Gates finished up.

    ¡°That was a hectic day to say the least.¡± He said with a sigh, prompting Sypha to agree with a silent nod.

    ¡°So we¡¯re free to go then?¡± Ariadna asked, mostly to sound sociable. She already knew her answer but despite her misgivings as a generally standoffish person, she had managed to bond with the members of this group to a degree.

    ¡°Of course. Of, before I forget. Visit the receptionist for your rewards. The CP has been automatically applied, but to use them and acquire your Gols you¡¯ll need to consult one of them.¡± Gates exined.

    ¡°Yea. I definitely need some new clothes¡­.¡± Sypha remarked, which once more called everyone¡¯s attention to theirck of attire.

    ¡°Y-yea, definitely.¡± Gates responded as he once more struggled to keep his eye level at a reasonable fixing.

    ¡°Well! Is there anything else I can help youdies with? If not, we¡¯ll excuse ourselves.¡± Gates asked, and thedies responded with nods so both he and Sypha excused themselves after saying their goodbyes.

    Surprisingly for Agni and Katrin, Ariadna and Merri lingered for a few more moments.

    ¡°So, are you two nning to stay at the chapel?¡± Merri asked first as she turned her attention to the two adventurers before her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. We haven¡¯t really thought about it. What do you think, Katrin?¡± Agni asked as she cast a nce at her party leader.

    ¡°I suppose. I mean we haven¡¯t really explored any other options.¡± Katrin said as she thought things over.

    ¡°Well, you can probablye and visit with us sometime. I mean, if you want.¡± Ariadna said.

    ¡°We stay here in the chapel as well after all. ¡± She added.

    ¡°Really? How does that work? Is there a nightly fee or something?¡± Agni asked.

    ¡°Walk with us to our room, I¡¯m starting to feel a bit¡­exposed..¡± Ariadna said as she motioned for the pair to follow both her and Merri. Agni took a look around and indeed noticed that many people were now staring at them, she had no doubt it was due to theirck of clothing but it didn¡¯t bother her much at all. The otherdies however¡­. Their expression was one of mild embarrassment.

    *Sh?* Agni called to her familiar as they walked , partially out of curiosity but as Sh suggested earlier in the day she simply couldn¡¯t be contacted within the chapel.

    *I¡¯ll have to ask Vivan about that.* Agni thought to herself as the group of young women finally made it to Merri and Ariadna¡¯s room. The room itself was rather spacious but it was set up bunk-style with enough room for four people if they desired.

    The moment the door closed both Merri and Ariadna tossed their cloaks to the side and began to move to their prospective corners of the room. Agni was so unused to seeing women toss their clothes aside, even after having been privy to it for several days now. On reflex she averted her eyes, but her subus urges quickly called upon her to indulge upon the bodies before her.

    Ariadna¡¯s long ck hair was eye-catching due to the long purple streak along its length. Agni couldn¡¯t help but watch as she stretched, pulling a rather long T-shirt up and over her perky B-cup breasts.

    *Her nipples are so pretty¡­* Agni thought as she took in the sight of Ariadna¡¯s pale, yet fair skin.

    Merri on the other hand was, in one word fit. Her build reminded Agni of a body builder in some aspects. Her arms, particrly her biceps were bulging. Her abdomen and thighs were also well defined. Her c-cups seemed firm due to the muscle content of her chest. Perhaps the strangest thought Agni held was her fascination with Merri¡¯s horns and tail.

    *I-I want to touch them.. Is this fetish?* Agni thought as she recalled having the same thought with Vivian.

    *M-maybe it¡¯s because I haven¡¯t met that many people with tails¡­other than me.¡± She thought to herself.

    *Mine only brings me grief¡­* Even now her tail was twitching, had Agni not taken to coiling it around her own waist she had no doubt it would be caressing Katrin even now. Merri also wore a t-shirt several sizes toorge for her. Neither woman bothered to wear panties and instead turned to face theirpany who simply watched.

    ¡°Oh. Do you not have spare clothes to wear?¡± Ariadna asked, suddenly realizing that Agni and Katrin were watching them dress.

    ¡°No. We haven¡¯t really been shopping yet.¡± Katrin responded with a pleasant smile.

    ¡°Whatttttttttttttt?¡± Ariadna said in disbelief.

    ¡°Are you¡­one of those kind of women?¡± She then asked.

    ¡°Those kind? What do you mean?¡± Katrin asked.

    ¡°You know.. Some people who are women now used to be men.¡± Ariadna responded, much to Agni¡¯s surprise.

    *Guilty!* She thought to herself.

    Merri nodded ferociously before adding, ¡°Only someone who¡¯s never been a woman before would forget to go shopping for the necessities.¡±

    *So¡­.they aren¡¯t like, upset ¡­they just think it¡¯s weird we haven¡¯t gone shopping?* Agni could admit their line of thinking was somewhat foreign to her. As a man shopping for clothes made her balls itch. She wondered how she would feel about it now, especially given the fact that she was having all kinds of thoughts.

    Cute things. Adorable things. The irresistible urge to fluff, touch or caress anything which made her heart quiver. This was an urge Agni had been struggling to suppress, violently at times. She realized it was irrational, after all she was no longer a man. Something in her past life made her extremely adverse to anything which could bebeled as ¡°kawaii¡±.

    Now that she thought back on it, the root of theplex came from the fact that women always used to call her ¡°cute¡± instead of ¡°sexy¡±. Something as simple as that was enough back then to make her hate teddy bears, ugly yet cute dogs and pretty much anything else associated with the four letter word.

    Yet, as she stood before the two scantily d women there was one urge overriding the appeal of lust¡­.

    *Their shirts are so cute.* Agni practically clenched her fist as she relented to the thought forming in her head. Even as these thoughts raced through her mind Katrin just smiled andughed. She was the only person who knew Agni¡¯s secret and Agni was fairly sure Katrin would never say anything. Katrin simply winked at Agni and exined that the pair had spent the prior two weeks training relentlessly under the instruction of their previous mentor, Bracha.

    ¡°Ah! That exins it! There¡¯s no way two zero rankers would be so good atbat!¡± Ariadna said. She and Merri had made themselvesfortable on the bottom bed of their respective bunks and also pulled up chairs for Agni and Katrin to sit. Through their conversation Agni asionally caught a glimpse between their thighs, which in turn made her heat rise as well.

    ¡°Agni, are you okay? You look a little flush.¡± Merri said suddenly. Her bronze skin was a beautiful contrast to her blonde and brte hair.

    ¡°Yes! I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry about me. I just get a little hot sometimes. Ahem.¡± She offered up, at which point Katrin giggled. The other twodies in the room looked at each other, wondering if they¡¯d missed something but Agni offered up little enlightenment so ultimately they continued chatting about various things.

    Agni¡¯s initial impression of Ariadna was someone who was a loner. Dark, brooding, female-batman, these were a few adjectives or phrases Agni might have used to describe her at the outset. But, after spending some additional time with the Trickster both in battle and now personally she realized that Ariadna was simply a watcher. She preferred to scope people out before choosing whether or not to open up.

    *I can¡¯t really fault that mindset.* Agni thought as she sipped on some purple juice the pair of hostesses produced at some point. Merri on the other hand, Agni couldn¡¯t figure out. At times she seemed confident and at others apprehensive. Her body didn¡¯t match her personality, because Merri struck Agni as the most feminine of all women in the room.

    After about two hours of talk about their collective experiences in Adventia, Merri asked the question that had been lingering within her mind for quite some time.

    ¡°Would you two party with Ariadna and I? We¡¯d really like to get some practical experience handling Grimlock. Maybe you could take us to the Lull Forest sometime?¡±

    ¡°Sure. That would be great!¡± Katrin replied almost immediately. Agni had no problem with this, so she nodded in agreement as well.

    ¡°R-really? Thank you so much!¡± Merri said gleefully. It was as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Ariadna couldn¡¯t help but smile for she realized that this must have been on Merri¡¯s mind for quite some time now.

    The four young women talked for a few more hours until thete afternoon before Katrin and Agni got to their feet.

    ¡°I just remembered, I need to speak to the Doyenne.¡± Agni said as thoughts of Sh entered her mind.

    ¡°Wait. You two haven¡¯t been shopping yet, right?¡± Merri said as she suddenly got to her feet and went to her dresser. She pulled out two of the same long T-shirts she was now wearing, each with a different animal design on the front. She handed Katrin a ¡°kero¡± shirt and Agni a ¡°kuma¡± shirt. Katrin responded with a ¡°thank you¡±, promising to return the shirt at the earliest convenience. Agni on the other hand stared down at the pink and grey striped shirt with a brown bear¡¯s cute face embroidered on the front.

    A small part of her wanted to fiercely toss the shirt, but arger part forced the cloth to her bosom as she relented to the storm raging in her heart.

    *Ah. I give up. It¡¯s cute as fuck.*

 Chapter 87: Fox Tales (1)

    Chapter 87: Fox Tales (1)

    The hot steamy water drizzled down as the woman standing beneath allowed the water to wash over her. Her fox-like ears twitched in pleasure as her body became even more rxed, it was as if all of the day¡¯s umted fatigue was melting away. The warm water against her pale skin caused a gentle blush in her cheeks, which were now slightly redder than the color of her hair. She ran her fingers down across her chest, dragging a bar of soap along with her in the process as she washed her breasts, which wererge and round¨C D-cups at the least. The woman indulged in her shower for several minutes longer before finally stepping out, feelingpletely refreshed.

    She was in a great mood, so she grabbed her towel and wrapped it around her head,taking special care to dry her ears and her hair, before she stepped out of her bathroom and into her living quarters. She had just started thinking about what to wear when she noticed somethingpletely unexpected, a person standing in her room! Her eyes flitted upwards, the first thing she saw was a person wearing a jean skirt along with a grey and pink T-shirt several sizes toorge. As their eyes locked she dropped the towel and a mortifying expression spread across her face.

    ¡ª-15 minutes earlier¡ª

    After parting ways with Merri and Ariadna, Katrin and Agni also decided to split up. Katrin wanted to look into renting a room in the chapel, while Agni decided to pay Vivian a visit. She couldn¡¯t wait to visit a new city and she was doubly excited about learning more about her familiar.

    After a quick chat with Gigi she made her way to the Doyenne¡¯s office on the ground floor of the Mystic Tower chapel. Agni poked her head in, only to find the room empty. She lingered around the entrance of the office for a few minutes and decided to ask Gigi once more about the location of the Doyenne, Vivian Lex.

    ¡°Well, if she¡¯s not in her office she might be in her quarters, up on the second floor. Many of the constant members live there¨Clike me!¡± Gigi exined.

    This led Agni to the second floor upon Gigi¡¯s directions, and after walking down arge corridor of rooms which resembled a hotel floor, she found herself standing in front of Vivian Lex¡¯s room. Once again Agni knocked, waited then poked her head inside. Empty!

    ¡°Where the heck is she?¡± Agni whispered before something caught her eye. It was a small plush doll on a nearby table just two meters from the doorway.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­.super cute.¡± Agni¡¯s nostrils red as she set eyes on the plush doll and several thoughts ran through her head.

    *I-I guess it would be okay to step inside for a little peek¡­.* She reasoned, though her motivation was flimsy at best. She ignored her better judgement and stepped into the room, ncing around as she did so. There was a luxurious bed that must have been a dream to sleep in, several dressers, two wardrobes and a couple of doors which led to side rooms.

    ¡°This is nothingpared to Ariadna and Merri¡¯s room.¡± Agni was truly impressed. The walls were adorned with paintings of all types and everywhere she looked was color and beauty. Flowers in vases doing their best to bloom, jewelry boxes Agni could only assume were filled with treasures, even indoor potted nts.

    She suspended her own awe after a few moments and turned her attention to the reason she decided to enter in the first ce¨Cthe plushie doll. The reason it caught her eye was because it looked just like Vivian! The tiny doll wasplete with her features, clothing, essories and even the four fluffy tails at the back. Agni savored the sensation of the fluffy fur against her fingertips as she wondered what Vivian¡¯s actual tail might feel like. She secretly resolved to touch it, at least someday, before setting the plush doll back on the table. She was just about to turn and leave when a sound caught her attention.

    A woman. Agni first noticed the smoothness of her skin and next the curvature of her body. Her hips were curvy and round leading up to a slim waist andrge D-cup breasts which jiggled softly as the woman walked. She stood about 152 cm(5 feet even) and her attention seemed elsewhere as an expression of contentment filled her face. Her body was devoid of hair, save for what was on her head, ears and tail. Agni was slowly being pulled into a dawning realization. Red hair, fox ears, four fluffy tails even more magnificent than ¡ª

    Agni¡¯s jaw dropped as she realized.

    ¡°V-Vivian?¡± Agni stuttered out of being struck with a weighty realization.

    *What happened? Did she grow up overnight? Those¡­tits look amazing.* Agni couldn¡¯t help but lick her bottom lip as her eyes traced downward towards Vivian¡¯s waist and even further down still. Even her pussy was bare and silky smooth in appearance.

    ¡ªPresent¡ª

    ¡°V-Vivian?¡± The Doyenne heard a familiar yet unexpected voice call her name, this immediately snapped her out of the good mood she was in. She reacted in a split second, mostly out of instinct as she ripped the towel from around her head and flowed some mana into it. The towel began to transform, morphing into a beautifully crafted katana de. Vivian¡¯s movements were hard even for Agni to register as she quickly bridged the distance across the room. Before Agni could even take another breath she felt the weight of tremendous force against her shoulders. For less than a second she was weightless, but she quickly felt her face pressed against the floor as Vivian bared down on top of her.

    The sound of the de mmed down in front of Agni and for a moment she sincerely felt as if she was about to die. The thought to struggle never entered her mind, the speed of the events transpiring left Agni absolutely no time to react let alone think. She waspletely pinned with a nude Vivian straddling her back, one hand holding the katana which was now jammed into the wooden floor of the bedroom. It¡¯s edge was facing Agni as the angry kitsune¡¯s tails flitted about wildly.

    ¡°What¨C what, Ugh!¡± These were all the words Vivian offered as she gazed down at the helpless Subus.

 Chapter 88: Fox Tales (2)

    Chapter 88: Fox Tales (2)

    Vivian wasn¡¯t angry, she was panicked! She was an extremely secretive person who liked to keep her hand concealed. In the short time span of a few seconds two of her biggest secrets had been exposed. She gazed down at the helpless Subus, her freehand was pinned beneath one of Vivian¡¯s knees while the other was clutching Vivian¡¯s own plush doll. With Vivian¡¯s freehand pressing Agni¡¯s head into the floorboard she would never be able to escape. Vivian immediately realized what happened, but that didn¡¯t make her any less annoyed!!

    *I suppose¡­.I didn¡¯t lock the door..* Vivian thought to herself, trying to hammer the reasoning into her own brain.

    *It¡¯s technically my fault but¡­she saw it!!* Vivian thought as her eye twitched and she felt her grip on the katana tighten.

    ¡°What¡ª what, Ugh!¡± She wanted to ask what Agni saw, but she knew! She could only do damage control at this point. Vivian reluctantly got to her feet, releasing Agni in the process and quickly moving towards the door. She concealed her true form, turning into the teenage version of herself before poking her head out of her bedroom door. Thankfully no one was in the hallway, otherwise she would have to resort to being a little¡­rough.

    Vivian lingered, her head poked out of the doorway for a few more moments to make doubly sure that no one could have seen. That¡¯s when she felt a strange sensation that made her spine tingle and her knees buckle at the same time.

    ¡°Wh-what are you doing!?¡± Vivian shouted as she twirled around, pressing her back against the open door in the process.

    Agni¡¯s eyes had now taken on a pink hue and a curious smile spread across her face.

    ¡°You¡¯re an adult. Which means I don¡¯t have to hold back. I can touch it as much as I want¨Cright?¡± Agni said as she began to crawl towards Vivian, a deviant¡¯s look in her eye.

    ¡°Touch what? W-wait a minute.¡± A strange sensation overcame Vivian as she tried to shrink back and failed, for she was now pressed against the door.

    Agni simplyughed as she drew near and began to gently caress Vivian¡¯s tail, pressing it against her face and running her hands along the length. Vivian couldn¡¯t move, partially due to the paralytic sensation of pleasure surging along her spine.

    ¡°Where are you touching!¡± She could only mouth a protest, but it didn¡¯t match her expression at all as a blush overcame her.

    ¡°Stop it! This isn¡¯t appropriate!¡± Vivian protested again as Agni snuggled close to her and continued indulging in the softness of Vivian¡¯s fluffy tails which were now practically covering her in softness.

    Thissted for several minutes until Vivian finally found the strength to escape by darting to a corner of the room.

    ¡°Aww. I just wanted to touch them more.¡± Agni said dejectedly. If it were Agni from just two weeks ago she would have cringed at the way she was currently acting. A recent myriad of experiences, both manufactured and organic, showed her that it was a woman¡¯s prerogative to savor the feelings whiche her way. In this way she learned to indulge in simple things. The way certain fabrics felt on her skin, the scent of floral bath water, the warmth of Katrin¡¯s bosom as the two slept in the same bed ¡ª she was slowly learning that she could consume these experiences and ¡°gain¡± something from them. Although she wasn¡¯t fully aware just what this ¡°something¡± was.

    It was for this reason that she now had 0 shame when it came to caressing the f*ck out of Vivian¡¯s fox-tails.

    *She let me do it so..secretly she doesn¡¯t mind. I¡¯ll have to work on her moreter..* Agni thought to herself upon realizing that she shouldn¡¯t push too far ahead in one encounter.

    ¡°Fine..¡± Agni said, feigning disappointment as she got to her feet.

    Vivian cautiously got to her feet, her hand pressed firmly over her breasts as she walked towards the door behind Agni, making sure to keep an eye on the subus. She then locked it and turned to face her visitor.

    Vivian wasn¡¯t exactly sure where to begin, this was the first time something like this happened. Her usual circle of acquaintances knew of her powers. Vixen was a Beastia category adventurer ss, a fox-humanoid with illusionary magic. More specifically, she had the ability to morph herself and certain items dear to her as she saw fit. While her body could only be aged forward or backwards, inanimate objects could be freely reshaped as she desired. Her ¡°towel¡± had always been a katana. At this point she used her unique magic to once more make her de into a towel and drape it around her abdomen.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Vivian said as she nced downward, her eyes transfixed on the floor.

    ¡°Hmm? I want to go to Kirlunst. I came to ask you about it.¡± Agni responded.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be coy. I meant, what do you want to keep this a secret?¡± Vivian asked.

    ¡°Keep it a secret? You mean the transformation?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That and the true abilities of my weapons.¡± Vivian replied.

    ¡°Those are weapons? Wow that¡¯s really handy. But, why does something like that need to be a secret?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re really naive, aren¡¯t you? Do you know how dangerous this world can be? Sometimes the difference between life and death is knowledge.¡± Vivian said as she walked towards a nearby wardrobe and revealed an assortment of kimonos and yukatas in various styles.

    ¡°Especially in a battle. If you can surprise your enemy and dispatch them with a single blow¨Cyou¡¯ve won. There are some limits but I can change the shape and characteristics of my weapons as I please. For example¨C¡± Vivian turned towards Agni and ripped her towel from around her waist. She turned it into a katana, this time it was much shorter in de length ¡ª at least for a moment as the de extended forth and stopped just 3 cm from Agni¡¯s face.

    ¡°Wow. That¡¯s really cool. I can do something sort of simr.¡± Agni said as she lifted her left hand and caused her fingertips to extend just over three meters, nearly touching the door of the bedroom. Vivian was both surprised and agitated.

    ¡°I just exined how keeping knowledge to yourself could be the difference between life and death¡­.why would you show me that¨C nevermind.¡± Still, she couldn¡¯t help but be impressed.

    *Specialist sses really are different. From what I know of subus that isn¡¯t even her main ability.* Vivian thought as she got dressed. Agni made herself at home, taking a seat on Vivian¡¯s bed as she ran her fingers across the silk sheets.

    ¡°So, I¡¯m asking what will it take for you to keep this a secret? These are two secrets I absolutely do not want to get out for various reasons. You¡¯re the first person to know both of these secrets. Knowing just one is manageable for me, but both is problematic.¡± Vivian said as she walked over to the bed and sat down next to Agni so that she could better gauge her response.

    Instead Agni¡¯s eyes were glued to Vivian¡¯s tails, prompting Vivian to sigh.

    ¡°I have a few conditions!¡± Agni finally said with a smile.

    ¡°A few? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re getting ahead of yourself? You do realize I could end you and no one would be the wiser, right?¡± Vivian asked as she folded her arms.

    In response to this Agni began to gently caress her nearest tail. Vivian felt a twinge in her spine as her body began to melt once again.

    ¡°S-stop it!¡± She stammered.

    ¡°My first condition is of course to apany me to Kirlunst. The second is to let me¡­call you Vivi and fluff your tails whenever I want.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Vivian thought her ears deceived her, thus her strong reaction.

    ¡°But¡­that¡¯s nothing. You realize you could ask for Gols, even Chapel points. Magical tools, gear ¡ª all of these would be reasonable. But you want me to take you somece I already agreed to and¡­.let you fluff my tails?¡±

    ¡°And to call you Vivi.¡± Agni added as she continued brushing Vivian¡¯s face against her cheek.

    Vivian had mixed feelings about Agni¡¯s demands. On one hand what she asked for was much less than Vivian expected. In a way this would solve two problems as Agni would be happy with simple demands being fulfilled unless¨C

    ¡°Okay. But you can¡¯t make any future demands about this and if you break your word the punishment will be¡­severe. You can¡¯t tell anyone! Not even Katrin!¡± Vivian was certain she¡¯d found Agni¡¯s ¡°angle¡± but the Subus immediately agreed. This left Vivian puzzled.

    *Wait. She was serious, that¡¯s ALL she wants?*

    ¡°Then it¡¯s a deal. Even in public, in front of your friends or¨C¡°

    ¡°Wait, wait wait wait! I never agreed to that!¡± Vivian protested.

    ¡°Huhhhhhhhhhhhh? You¡¯re already going back on your word? The Doyenne of Mystic Tower is not trustworthy.¡± Agni said, the expression on her face was both condescending and embellished.

    *She got me. Ugh.* Vivian thought as a cold sweat overcame her. She was so wrapped up in finding the angle that she forgot about the specifics.

    ¡°Fine.. just keep it to a minimum. Remember my status. Wah! W-where are you touching!?¡±

 Chapter 89: Kirlunst (1)

    Chapter 89: Kirlunst (1)

    ¡°Katrin¡­¡± Agni sighed, though she couldn¡¯t help but fight the curl of a smile at the edge of her lips. She shot a nce over at her partner who was currently pouting ¡ªplete with puffed cheeks and all.

    ¡°What?¡± She replied, begrudgingly.

    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault! She made me promise to go alone at thest minute.¡± Agni exined, but Katrin would not hear any of it. The furious thumping in her chest drowned out any words Agni might have to protest.

    ¡°Why?¡± She asked, finally ring at Agni as she rolled over onto her back. The pair were in their new lodgings discussing Agni¡¯s trip to Kirlunst at the moment. During the whole ¡°Vivian Revtion¡± Katrin had been busy procuring their new room which was just across the hall from Ariadna and Merri.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Vivi¡¯s weird! She¡¯s very secretive!¡± Agni replied. This wasn¡¯t exactly a lie, as Agni discovered Vivian¡¯s ability to shapeshift just the day before. Agni wasn¡¯t immediately sure why Katrin had to stay at the chapel either, all she knew was that it was a request from Vivian and that ¡°It would make things easier to manage.¡±

    And this revtion just thirty minutes before Agni was to leave caused the current predicament. Katrin. Pouting. On a bed, in her Kero t-shirt¨Cand nothing else.

    ¡°Oh? So it¡¯s Vivi now?¡± Katrin didn¡¯t fail to notice Agni¡¯s sudden familiarity with the Doyenne either.

    ¡°Ha ha ha.¡± Agni chuckled nervously.

    *Why is she acting like my girlfriend all of a sudden?* Agni thought to herself as she strolled over to Katrins¡¯ bedside. The busty Scribe immediately rolled her eyes and turned over to face the wall.

    *Wow. She¡¯s really upset. I thought she was joking..*

    ¡°Katrin. Katrin.¡± Agni said as she ced her hand gently on Katrin¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± She said as sheid beside Katrin and wrapped her arms around the Scribe¡¯s waist. Her hair spelled quite good.

    ¡°I¡¯ll bring you back a few books. Hmm?¡± Agni said as she pulled Katrin closer and wiggled her hips.

    ¡°They better be really GOOD books. There¡¯s no practical reason why I can¡¯t go with you.¡± Katrin¡¯s voice was unchanged, she was definitely annoyed.

    ¡°The best. The absolute best.¡± Agni responded.

    ¡°Hmmph.¡± This was the only response, it was as close to approval as Agni would get.

    ¡°Are you two always so¡­.friendly?¡± Ariadna asked. She¡¯d been watching the spectacle from nearby, a seat at a small round table. The Trickster was dressed in all ck as usual, only her essories, clothing and hairstyle changed. Today¡¯s look made her resemble a raver more so than an adventurer.

    ¡°Only when I¡¯m not being BETRAYED and LEFT BEHIND.¡± Katrin over emphasized her words on purpose as she got to her feet and walked over to Ariadna.

    ¡°Fine. It¡¯s okay. Go have a y date with your pre-teen. Ariadna and I will just spend our time doing some shopping while you¡¯re gone.¡± Katrin¡¯s expression changed as she sat down on Ariadna¡¯sp. The ck-haired Trickster suddenly felt flush as Katrin wrapped her arm around Ariadna¡¯s next.

    ¡°W-whoa! Hey, wait! Don¡¯t get me involved in your lover¡¯s spat!¡± She said as her face grew blush. Ariadna held her hands up and away from Katrin¡¯s body even as the Scribe pressed her bosom into the Trickster¡¯s cheek.

    *I-is this supposed to make me jealous?* Agni thought as thoughts of a threesome between her, Katrin and Ariadna began to take form in her mind. She quickly dismissed the thought as she realized fully what Katrin said.

    ¡°Wait. Shopping? We were supposed to go together!¡± Agni eximed as she put her hands on her hips.

    *Wow. I never thought I¡¯d get so bent out of shape about¡­.clothes shopping¡­* But she was genuinely upset!

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you can go shopping with ¡®Vivi¡¯.¡± Katrin said as she cut her eyes at Agni.

    *Wow. Okay so this is what we¡¯re doing.* Agni thought inwardly as she sighed.

    ¡°Fine. I guess ¡®Vivi¡¯ and I will get a move on. I¡¯ll see you twoter.¡± Agni said, not wishing to fight. Besides a strange emotion was welling up in her at the moment. Her and Katrin got along extremely well, so it was puzzling as to why this would be the thing to send her into a tizzy. Agni didn¡¯t want to speak too much, not without pondering things a bit more.

    *If Sh were here, she¡¯d definitely have some smart assed insight to share about this.* Agni thought. Despite the fact that Sh and herself were often at each other¡¯s necks they got along quite well. So much so that Agni was beginning to miss the sound of her childish taunts.

    *Then again, that¡¯s the whole point of this trip. I¡¯ll have to see about bringing Katrin along with me some other time!* Agni thought as she waved goodbye to Katrin, who was still sitting in Ariadna¡¯sp and fiercely pressing the Trickster¡¯s face into her breasts.

    The sight was endearing, but Agni felt it best not tough too much. Her past life had taught her quite well thatughing at the wrong time was enough to inspire a torrent of anger from a woman. As she left the living quarters Agni wondered if she would ever have a moment like that.

    Soon she was standing in front of Vivian¡¯s office on the first floor of the Mystic Chapel. Agni lifted her hand to knock when Vivian¡¯s voice came from behind.

    ¡°You¡¯rete. Let¡¯s get moving, I¡¯m pretty busy you know.¡± Vivian said as she flicked her fan, the same fan which Agni now realized to be a shapeshifted katana.

    ¡°I¡¯m notte¡­I got here when you told me to.¡± Agni responded, but then she thought twice upon realizing that she didn¡¯t actually have a way to tell time. She could have, in fact beente.

    *Maybe I should shop for a watch or something.* She thought as she added, ¡°Nevermind, sorry. Let¡¯s get going.¡±

    Vivian was wearing her usual, a floral yukata whichplemented her red hair, pale skin and white tips ¡ª both on her fox-ears and the tips of each of her four tails. Agni waved to Gigi as the pair passed the receptionist desk and stepped into the center of the lobby.

    ¡°So¡­where¡¯s this transport gate?¡± Agni asked as the two stopped between two columns of pirs.

    Vivian ced her hand into her shirt and pulled forth a medallion, one that had previously been concealed. She saw Agni eyeing it with the utmost curiosity so Vivian decided to exin its purpose.

    ¡°This is a Transfer Key. It¡¯s a magical artifact that allows one to use this chapel¡¯s transfer gate.¡± Vivian held the circr trinket up for Agni to take a look at. The Subus noticed that the surface of the metallic, jewel embedded object appeared to have several dozen lines that resembled circuits.

    ¡°Are these magic veins?¡± Agni asked.

    ¡°Veins.. Hmm. I guess you could say yes and no? Only organic entities, like Grimlock or us have magic veins. These are more like magical ¡®circuits¡¯. They carry mana energy.¡±

    ¡°I see. What¡¯s the difference?¡± Agni asked.

    ¡°Without getting too wordy about it, circuits only perform a preset function no matter what type of mana is infused into them. Mana veins allow you to use intent based magic¨Cfireballs, gale force winds, lighting, shape shifting¨Canything.¡± Vivian responded before she began to flow her mana into the medallion.

    ¡°Get closer and hold onto me.¡± Vivian instructed, and so Agni obliged. She wasn¡¯t expecting the spine tingling sensation of Agni¡¯s grip on one of her tails however, so she shot a nce at the Subus who essentially ignored her altogether.

    Vivian sighed as she attempted to focus, despite Agni groping her tails with reckless abandon.

    *I-I guess it does feel really good¡­her hands are very¡­.skillful.* Vivian thought to herself before focusing in earnest. A series of circles appeared on the floor around them, expanding as several more lines of light traced along the carpet and up along several of the nearby pirs. Soon Agni¡¯s view began to fade and all became light, followed by a brief period of darkness. She couldn¡¯t tell whether her eyes were closed or not, but the sensation of coolness suddenly overcame her body.

    A few momentster Agni found herself squinting her eyes as the light filtered down from the morning sun. Suddenly the pair were standing in a park, next to a ratherrge fountain. All about they could hear the sounds of nature and people¨Cgoing about their business, conversing or simply being active. The next thing which caught Agni¡¯s eye was the beauty of the surroundings. The park was vast and the myriad of trees had leaves which reminded Agni of autumn in New Ennd states. Further beyond that was what looked like a sea of houses, which in turn brought the realization that the two were now standing on top of a hill.

    ¡°Wee to Kirlunst. Capital of the central region of Adventia.¡± Vivian said with a smile.

 Chapter 90: Kirlunst (2)

    Chapter 90: Kirlunst (2)

    ¡°What¡¯s with the sudden erm, change?¡± Agni asked as she nced over at Vivian. The kitsune had now adopted her normal form as an adult but this wasn¡¯t the only change. She was also wearing a modified samurai set of armor. Rather than heavy tes across the midsection, this area was free and uninhibited. The same held true for armor on her thighs, leaving only her shins, feet, forearms, chest and shoulders covered in samurai ting.

    At her hip were now two katanas, one longer than the other, Agni could only assume that the two items Vivian constantly carried with her, the gourd around her waist and the fan she generally flourished were the two des. Their handles were beautiful as were the sheathes,traces of lotus flowers against a dark background made the light colored floral pattern pop. Even the samurai armor, which was the color of midnight held the same floral pattern.

    Agni couldn¡¯t help but admire the look, all things considered. Vivian was much more appealing in her mature form. She looked to be in herte twenties or early thirties. Her eyes were more alluring as a deep reddish color bordered them now drawing attention to the de shaped slits that formed her pupils.

    Her bust was quite impressive as well, the V shaped cut of her chest te revealed the plump push up of Vivian¡¯s bosom.

    *D!* Agni thought inwardly.

    *And you¡¯d be right.* Sh¡¯s voice responded.

    *Sh! You¡¯re back.* Agni thought as a smile of delight formed.

    *I never went anywhere¡­you just couldn¡¯t hear me¡­* Sh said in her usual smarty pants tone.

    ¡°As I said, I have secrets to keep and maintain.¡± Vivian responded. Even her tails grewrger and more fluffy in her adult form, giving the Kitsune an extra air of majesty. Vivian pushed a tuft of her hair to the side and turned to begin walking, this was apparently the only exnation she cared to offer on the matter. Agni decided to leave the topic alone for now and follow the Doyenne¡¯s lead.

    The ce they arrived from was indeed a park atop arge hill. There were many wooden benches, both fancy and functional for any to use. The cobblestone pathway created circr walkways around the centerpiece of the clearing ¡ª the fountain which Agni and Vivian were currently near.

    Surprisingly enough, no one was around on such a beautiful day. The autumn colored trees caused all sorts of vibrantly colored leaves to fall as a gentle breeze wafted by. It was one of the rare times that Agni was reminded of the length of her own hair, the breeze pushed it into view and covered one of her eyes in the process. Still she managed to keep up with Vivian who was now walking quite briskly.

    Agni didn¡¯t really say anything because her intuition led her to enjoy the silence and beauty of the walk. It was rare that she found herself outside of Grenvale and even more rare to be in such a natural ce without worrying about Grimlock attacks.

    This silence continued for quite some time as the pair made their way closer and closer to the southern district of Kirlunst, a ce full of shops and street stalls. Around the time they neared the street, having passed out of the park¡¯s aluminum fence, Vivian herself began to speak.

    ¡°You¡¯re quite lucky. Passage into Kirlunst isn¡¯t easy toe by for a rank 0. In fact, you¡¯d be hard pressed to find even one more zero ranker within the two¡¯s limits.¡± Vivian said as the pair finally stepped out onto the cobblestone streets of Kirlunst.

    Agni felt that the city was much more grand than Grenvale, and with good reason. Upon arriving she had a peek at the sea of buildings whichprised the almost star shaped city. Now, looking from the base of the buildings she realized they were taller and bigger than most in Grenvale. The street was also much busier and many more adventurers were present than in Grenvale. Rather than standing about talking or nning Agni noticed they were either shopping oring and going casually. This suggested to her that most of the adventurers lived within the city itself.

    ¡°Why? Is there some kind of discrimination against zero rankers?¡± Agni asked after having taken in the sights of her surroundings.

    ¡°No. Not at all. Adventurers have way too many enemies to fight amongst themselves over something so petty.¡± Vivian remarked as she motioned for Agni to continue following her. Vivian led the subus down a ratherrge street which was easily three times the width of Grenvale¡¯s widestne.

    ¡°It¡¯s because the city of Kirlunst is located in the center of the Central region. The area we just left, Grenvale is actually a month¡¯s travel by carriage. In fact, Kirlunst is a few weeks to a month from any of the so-called ¡®starter¡¯ settlements.¡± Vivian further exined, asionally she would nod to other adventurers who passed as well.

    ¡°Are we really that far from Grenvale? The weather doesn¡¯t seem that much different..¡± Agni thought as she looked at the passing adventurers. Indeed, as Vivian pointed out there were only first and second rankers everywhere Agni looked. Rarely she would even spot a rank three adventurer, but they were few and far between ¡ª perhaps one every two hundred individuals at best.

    ¡°No, not at all. If you could travel directly to Kirlunst from Grenvale it would probably only take a week on foot. The problem is forests, usually filled with Grinmock, or terrain which makes the pace slow going. I suppose if you fly it would only take you a few hours but, flight isn¡¯t something everyone is capable of.¡±

    ¡°Why would you even need to fly if transfer gates exist?¡± Agni asked.

    ¡°Mmm. I guess the best way to exin it simply is resources. Everything requires some kind of catalyst or resource ¡ª even magic. Think about it, to activate spells you have to expend mana. The transfer gate is the same, what¡¯s more the ability to move great distances instantly requires massive amounts of mana. This is usually only possible when many people work together.¡± Vivian replied.

    ???Anyway, back to your original question ¡ª traveling to Kirlunst is seen as a rite of passage for adventurers. A way to both test resourcefulness and grit. Most endeavor to make the journey a sort of pilgrimage. You¡¯ll find that you also get a certain level of respect from others by doing so. I guess you could call it a sort ofmunity bonding?¡± Vivian finished up her exnation as to why so few rank zero adventurers dwelled in Kirlunst.

    Agni took this to mean that if one was too weak or inexperienced they would never make it to Kirlunst at such a low level ¡ª unless they had help like a transfer gate.

    The two had only been walking for a minute or two but already the sound of mour was growing louder as they moved ever closer to the center of the town.

    ¡°So..wait. How did you cast such a powerful spell by yourself? Are you really that strong?¡± Agni asked, suddenly bing very curious about Vivian.

    ¡°Ahem. Well, I AM a third ranker. So I could probably do it once if I tried, but I would never be able to move any significant distance. It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s notplicated but the method isn¡¯t something you¡¯d really be concerned with at your rank.¡± Vivian exined.

    ¡°But¨C I¡¯m curious! Is it a secret?¡± Agni asked.

    ¡°No. Not really.¡± Vivian responded as she nced toward the subus who was now walking side by side with her.

    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll exin it. It¡¯s like a shared mana pool. Joining our chapel marks you with the chapel insignia right? Well, all members donate minute amounts of mana to the chapel¡¯s mana pool. This can be used for various things by the elders of a chapel. A good example of it is the chapel blessings you received upon joining.¡± Vivian further exined as she first pointed to her chapel insignia which revealed itself on her chest for the briefest of moments.

    As Agni recalled, the blessings associated with the Mystic Tower chapel were :

    [Mana Regeneration +20%.]

    [Mana Recovery Rate +10% {Home} / +5% {Outer}.]

    [Mana Efficiency Buff +5%.]

    *All rted to magic.* Agni thought to herself.

    *What else would they be rted to¡­*Sh chimed, her voice biting with sarcasm ¡ª which Agnipletely ignored.

    ¡°So all those blessings use mana from the chapel? That sounds familiar. Where have I heard something like that before?¡± Agni receded into her own thoughts as she struggled to grasp at an elusive memory.

    ¡°Probably this.¡± Vivian obliged as she lifted her left hand, showing off her Systema mark.

    ¡°Oh! You¡¯re right!¡± Agni said with a pat of her hand. She recalled someone briefly exining that systema marks used tiny amounts of mana in order to provide its benefit.

    *So chapels and the systema mark are alike in that regard.*

    The pair continued walking for a quarter of an hour as they discussed various things. Agni found speaking to Vivian to be rather enlightening, although she couldn¡¯t tell if Vivian was simply answering questions to avoid angering the subus.

    *If I was evil I could probably ckmail her into all sorts of mischief.* Agni thought, although it was simply that ¨Ca thought. Agni knew that if she managed to truly anger Vivian the Vixen would be able to swiftly smack her down with minimal effort.

    Just as this thought urred to Agni, Vivian stopped in front of a ratherrge building. They were now in the center of Kirlunst, surrounded by two and three story buildings from every direction within the massive square. The building directly in front of them resembled a gothic era structure,plete with imposing stone statues. What¡¯s more, the stone used to create the building as well as the statues was ashen grey, almost ck. It reminded Agni of charcoal in color and gave the building a rather strange appearance, that is to say it stood out.

    The three story building was surrounded by a ck aluminum fence, adorned with spear-like protrusions at the top of each bar. The metal rods rose upwards a full three meters (9ft), presumably to keep people from wandering into the well tended courtyard just out front of the building.

    ¡°This is the Demonic Chapel.¡± Vivian said as she pointed towards the building with a flourish of her hand.

    ¡°Correct.¡± A cold, deep voice said.

    Agni was taken by surprise as an old man appeared, seemingly from nowhere. He stepped out from behind a ratherrge trimmed tree, one of many that led towards the building¡¯s entrance. His appearance was quite a shock, his hair was short and grey ¡ª nearly white in color. His eyes were of a deep red color, crimson and darker than Agni¡¯s hair while his pupils resembled slits. Agni found his eyes quite striking, even more so due to a pair of round wireframe spectacles entuating them.

    His skin was well aged, yet he still maintained sticity. He seemed to be in his sixties, perhaps early seventies and hunched over slightly as he walked forth, his hands behind his back. He was dressed well, in something a businessman might don. Creased pants, a long white sleeved dress shirt with a designer vest and a red bow tie. Perhaps the strangest feature of his appearance were a set ofrge, curved horns which adorned his head.

    Agni recognized them as something a ram might grow, thus she couldn¡¯t help staring as the older man stepped forth. Despite his age he moved silently and effortlessly and within seconds he was staring at both adventurers from the other side of the gate.

    ¡°Vivian Lex. What a pleasant surprise. I would ask what brings you here today but¡­¡± The old man nced over at Agni, his eyes shining behind his round spectacles.

    ¡°A Subus. It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve met a rare demon type. Hello, I¡¯m Ogthin, keeper of the grounds. Wee to the Demonic Chapel.¡±

 Chapter 91: Chapel Of Demons (1)

    Chapter 91: Chapel Of Demons (1)

    ¡°Hello..Ogthin.¡± Agni responded. ¡°I¡¯m Agni, by the way.¡± She added.

    The man known as Ogthin bowed his head in her direction ever so slightly before turning to address Vivian once again.

    ¡°This one has a familiar she wishes to awaken. As you can see, she¡¯s only rank 0 but I think she¡¯s more than qualified to at least visit the Adventurer¡¯s city.¡± Vivian said to Ogthin. He nced over at Agni once more as if to reassess her.

    ¡°I see. Well, the Demonic Chapel takes care of our own so the reason is irrelevant. Besides, it¡¯s always a pleasure to meet a Leviathan ss.¡± Ogthin said.

    *Leviathan?* Agni thought, though she didn¡¯t voice her question.

    ¡°Indeed.¡± Vivian simply responded with a nod of her head.

    Agni was beginning to feel a bit confused by the conversation, she felt as if she was being excluded via inside knowledge. At times like this Katrin would definitely chime in and ask a well timed question.

    ¡°Well, it won¡¯t do to keep you twodies outside like this. I¡¯ll allow the young one in since it¡¯s her first time, as for you Vivian Lex¨C could you please present your coin?¡± Ogthin asked as he prepared to open the gate, apparently his request was just a formality. He waved his hand, prompting the gate to slide apart before Vivian even presented an old, ck coin.

    The coin itself resembled something that had been burned in a fire, it had traces of silver within it and the insignia of a demon¡¯s head in the center.

    Ogthin nodded and motioned for the two adventurers to follow him as the gate opened fully.

    ¡°Only adventurers who have demonic blood are allowed to enter the Demonic Chapel.¡± Vivian exined as she followed Ogthin, Agni falling in just behind her.

    ¡°Oh.¡± This answered one of Agni¡¯s more pressing questions, which was why Katrin was not allowed toe. Even if she had, there would have been no way for her to enter the building.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know chapels could be exclusive.¡± Agni remarked.

    ¡°They are few and far between, young subus.¡± Ogthin responded this time as he neared the front entrance of the Demonic Chapel. Upon closer inspection the building was made of stone marbled with grey and ck which caused the structure to look like charcoal from a distance.

    ¡°You¡¯re very observant.¡± Ogthin remarked as he observed Agni as she inspected the building¡¯sposition.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± She didn¡¯t feel as if she was doing anything which would win praise, thus Agni was caught off guard.

    ¡°This building is a mix of dark materials. Sulphur, onyx, sodalite and various others. The construction is used to both trap and contain energy. As a demon yourself, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve realized that you¡¯re very in tune with the auras of others. A person¡¯s intent, their emotions ¡ª it manifests in many different ways but this is amon trait amongst demonkin.¡±

    ¡°Trap energy?¡± Agni asked.

    ¡°Indeed. For demonic sses that feed off the energy of others its best not to let even a morsel go to waste. The structure of this building allows thetent energy to stick around long enough for it to be processed.¡± Ogthin further exined as the pair ofdies followed him into the building and he closed therge, red wood doors behind them with a wave of his hand.

    *I never expected something like that to be the meaning behind a ck building.* Agni thought, but that single thought was easily pushed to the back of her mind within an instant of stepping into the chapel.

    A wave of energy consumed her, it was almost as if a rush of air passed by. Agni¡¯s eyes took on a ferociously pink glow as her body tensed up for a few moments.

    *This is..someone¡¯s lust.* Agni thought as she cast her gaze around the reception area of the chapel. The same ck marblepositions were used for various tall columns which reached upwards to the ceiling. A long, red carpet extended the length of the room leading towards a magnificently sculpted statue. The floor was checkerboard, white and ck with minute gold trimmingced less than half a centimeter away from each te¡¯s edge.

    In the far corner of the reception area, this was where Agni¡¯s senses led her gaze as her tail swished to and fro uncontrobly.

    Ogthin watched all of this as it urred, he anticipated it in fact. It was a secret pleasure of his, watching the reaction of new demonkin the first time they set foot in a ¡°pandora¡¯s box¡±. The ¡°box of sin¡± as some other demons called it, was essentially a construct that helped to containtent energy.This was exactly in line with Ogthin¡¯s earlier exnation.

    The difference between this and any other box was that the Demonic Chapel spared no expense. That, coupled with the chapel¡¯s blessings, allowed any demonkin within the chapel¡¯s walls to enjoy a 95% increase in the amount of energy they could enjoy. Ogthin imagined this to be like a drug, and this wasn¡¯t far from the truth. He wondered if Agni had ever experienced such pure ¡°lust¡± before.

    Vivian as well reacted, having set foot in the Demonic Chapel for the first time in over three years or so. Her eyes, which always resembled a fox¡¯s took on a certain glow. Her canines lengthened, as did her fingernails ¡ª they now resembled ws.

    Ogthin allowed thedies a few moments to adjust to the sensations bombarding their bodies and minds before ushering them through the reception area. Agni couldn¡¯t help but stare as they went along. There were several people on either side of her, all different and preupied with their own endeavors. What¡¯s more she found it strange that no matter how much she stared none of them seemed to register her presence ¡ª or even care.

    Agni¡¯s eyes were immediately drawn to an act of exhibitionism, the lust energy emanated from there. The sounds of moans filled the air as a woman busily bounced on a young man¡¯sp. His cock was thick and bulging, Agni could see as much from the way her body gripped his shaft. She seemed to be totally engrossed, oblivious to the fact that anyone else was present, save her and her beau. The man was obviously not ordinary, his appearance was a bit shocking. His skin was fair and peach colored while he was simultaneously marked from head to toe with long ck stripes. They ran all the way down his body, making him resemble a candy cane in some aspects. Even his dick bore the marks, a fact that Agni couldn¡¯t help but notice.

    *I¡¯m totally eye fucking his dick. Wow.* She had mixed feelings about the spectacle after all, still she couldn¡¯t help but stare. The woman bouncing on his rod was totally normal it seemed, an adventurer ss magician. The man on the other hand was an Incubus.

    ¡°A sex demon, simr to yourself.¡± Ogthin exined, almost as if he¡¯d been observing Agni as they walked along.

    ¡°Incubus?¡± She echoed, her curiosity having been piqued.

    ¡°A sort of sleep demon. He can use his abilities to create a hypnotic state in his victims. While under the illusion granted by an incubus, a person¡¯s most coveted fantasy will y out. During that time the incubus feeds.¡± Ogthin exined.

    *And by feed he means fuck.¡± Sh¡¯s voice echoed in Agni¡¯s mind. Agni couldn¡¯t help but agree, the woman seemed to be awake, but upon closer inspection her eyes held apletely nk stare. She seemed to be riding on auto-pilot. Literally.

    The trio made their way out of the reception area and to an evenrger room, one which seemed to be a lounge area of sorts. There were even more demonkin in this area and most were conversing. The moment Agni and Vivian walked through the door all eyes were on them, a stark contrast from the previous room. Agni suddenly felt nervous, though she couldn¡¯t rightly exin why. It was as if an overbearing pressure had fallen upon her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind them. They are probably wondering why a zero ranker, regardless of ss, would be allowed into the chapel. The truth is one must usually reach rank one or higher to enter.¡± Ogthin said, once more, as if he could read Agni¡¯s thoughts.

    Thankfully it didn¡¯t take long for the trio to leave this room, they made a left at a long hallway and entered into a side room. After knocking and being allowed to enter, the scent of old scrolls and booksy heavy in the atmosphere. The room that appeared before them was one stacked with piles of books, parchments, maps and scrolls. The stacks were so high that Agni felt she might be buried with one wrong step. Fortunately a green and gold colored carpet led the way to a desk situated near the far wall of the room.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Another man¡¯s voice asked. There, almost hidden behind threerge piles of paper was another demonkin. His horns resembled Ogthin¡¯s in the sense that they were spiral ram style, but not nearly as impressive. His hair was like a mane almost, well groomed but thick nheless. He was also older, appearing to be in his early fifties or sixties, with a grey mustache and beard. His sses were also round, yet the lenses were so thick that Agni couldn¡¯t rightly see his pupils.

    ¡°Well?¡± He asked impatiently as he finally looked up from an unfurled scroll on his desktop.

    ¡°The Leviathan here would like to summon her familiar.¡± Ogthin said, seemingly unperturbed by the other¡¯s impatience. The robed man got to his feet, he was dressed in something that a schr might wear ¡ª baggy, free flowing robes.

    Unlike Ogthin his posture was a mess, the man hunched over slightly as he stepped forward from around his desk to inspect Agni. He drew so close that Agni could almost feel his breath upon her skin. Thankfully his hygiene was impable, he didn¡¯t smell at all like he looked.

    *Do older people even have a smell?* Agni wondered to herself as she tried not to show just how awkward she felt currently.

    *Yes. Yes, they do.* Sh responded.

    ¡°Hmm. Very well.¡± The impatient, older man replied with a wave of his hand. Give me a moment and we can perform the sacrifice.

    ¡°T-the what?¡± Agni echoed upon hearing his words.

 Chapter 92: Chapel Of Demons (2)

    Chapter 92: Chapel Of Demons (2)

    ¡°You should probably exin things a bit more¡­.properly, Ergthen.¡± Ogthin piped up, presumably because he sensed Agni¡¯s growing rm.

    ¡°Why should I do that? A sacrifice is a sacrifice. There¡¯s not much else to call it.¡± The old demonkin in the green and gold trim robes responded in kind.

    Ogthin sighed deeply before turning to address Agni.

    ¡°Familiars require payment to persist in this world. Once you provide that payment you can summon them. This is the ¡®sacrifice¡¯ my brother is speaking of.¡±

    Agni¡¯s mind went nk for a moment, as if a lightbulb went on in her mind.

    ¡°Ah! You two DO look alike!¡± She eximed.

    Ogthin simply smiled while Ergthen seemed irritated by theparison.

    ¡°Regardless.¡± Ergthen said in order to get back on track. ¡°You will need to sacrifice something in order to call your familiar.¡±

    ¡°I see. Like¡­what?¡± Agni then asked, growing more curious by the moment.

    ¡°What your familiar requires is a mystery. However, we have a way to determine this beforehand. For that, I¡¯ll need you to follow me err¨Cyour name is?¡±

    ¡°Agni. Agni Heartfyre.¡± She responded.

    ¡°Very well young Leviathan. Follow me.¡± Ergthenmanded as she began to briskly follow a secondary path between the towers of books. It led away from his desk further into the room.

    ¡°What¡¯s a Leviathan?¡± Agni decided to ask the question which lingered in her mind upon hearing the word.

    ¡°Mmm. Well..¡± Ogthin began to speak but he was abruptly cut off by his brother, Ergthen.

    ¡°A Leviathan is a type of demon. You could call it a hierarchy of sorts. The lowest tier is called Nephilim, and it is to be considered the mostmon type of demonkin. Next is Behemoth tier demonkin, and finally Leviathan tier which can be considered among the most powerful.¡± Ergthen exined.

    ¡°That¡¯s up for debate.¡± Ogthin responded, Agni detected a certain edge to his voice and she got the distinct impression he was agitated by having been interrupted.

    ¡°It¡¯s not up for debate. The strongest demons to ever live were Leviathans.¡± Ergthen countered.

    ¡°That depends on your definition of strength¡­¡± Ogthin countered.

    ¡°Perhaps..¡± Vivian interjected, partially to avoid more back and forth, ¡± You could exin the differences between the three. It would be easier for her to understand.¡±

    ¡°Hmmph.¡± Ergthen grunted while Ogthin simply smirked. The walk to their destination was not long. Thus Ergthen continued his exnation as he guided them.

    ¡°Nephilim are your average demon. They exist more as feral entities generally, preying upon the weak of body or mind. That¡¯s not to say demonkin are evil, because something like that isrgely subjective. What¡¯s good to one person is generally bad to someone else across the spectrum of existence. This has been historically proven time and time ag¨C¡°

    ¡°Could you, perhaps just get on with the actual exnation?¡± Orgthin¡¯s emphasis on the word *actual* was enough to win a scowl from his brother. Nevertheless Ergthen did as suggested.

    ¡°Behemoths are considered a step up from Nephilim. Vastly superior in strength, agility or toughness ¡ª sometimes all aspects. Leviathan are on a different level entirely once they reach their peak. Leviathan are able to wield what are known as ¡®vices¡¯, I¡¯m sure as a Subus you¡¯d know something about that.¡± Ergthen stopped walking once he found what he was looking for. A stone pedestal with an ornate, ck leather book. Agni¡¯s gaze couldn¡¯t help but fixate on the cover. It resembled something like dragon¡¯s scale ¡ª at least what she imagined such a thing to resemble.

    ¡°More to the point of why Leviathan are the most powerful of all demonkin, most demons have what you would call an affinity. These don¡¯t generally exist as magical affinities like me or water, but preferences on how a demonkin obtains the energy that empowers them. The mostmon affinity for a demon is fear. It¡¯s why many demonkin look fearsome to others, simply by having this gic feature they fulfill the requirement for gathering energy with their affinity.

    For example, as a Ram Demon I gather my energy from the acquisition of knowledge. Rather, I don¡¯t need to study, I must simply collect knowledge in its physical forms ¡ª the learning is secondary for me.¡± Ergthen exined as he pointed to the rows and rows of scrolls and books which filled the room. Indeed, he had many more than bookshelves and most of them seemed untouched for quite some time. In addition, there were many smaller pieces of parchment, some as small as scraps. Agni¡¯s examination of Ergthen¡¯s adventurer ss simply described him as a Rank 3 Keeper.

    *So..just collecting knowledge on¡­anything at all works for him? Isn¡¯t that like extreme hoarding?* Agni thought to herself.

    Ogthin chuckled right about this time. Ergthen ignored it and continued.

    ¡°Leviathans have this trait, but it manifests as what we call ¡®vices¡¯. Vices are traits that all living beings share and as such Leviathans can manipte or sometimespletely control these vices as they wish. You for example, once you¡¯ve done some growing ¡ª will be able to inspire a raging lust in most anyone with but a thought. But that is not what makes Leviathans so impressive.¡± Ergthen continued the process of blowing Agni¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Leviathans also have the capability to affect hundreds or even thousands of targets with their abilities at once. This, coupled with the fact that nearly all Leviathans also have natural affinities to magic as well, make them most formidable.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, that¡¯s true.¡± Vivian said after hearing the full exnation, apparently she was learning something new as well.

    ¡°So why then do you say that it¡¯s up for debate as to which tier of demon is strongest?¡± Vivian directed the question at Ogthin who was patiently listening to his brother¡¯s exnation.

    ¡°That¡¯s because, in order for a Leviathan to reach that level of power, it generally takes dozens or sometimes hundreds of years¨Cif ever.¡± Ogthin replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s not exactly urate. And you know it.¡± Ergthen responded, his words seemed measured as if he wanted to say more but a gaze from his brother seemed to silence him on the matter. Agni picked up on this but didn¡¯t necessarily feel curious about it so she ignored it.

    ¡°Behemoth types have impressive physical abilities from the start and the more they grow this only spirals into the realm of ludicrous. A single behemoth demonkin is often enough to solo a blood shard, and a mid level one at that.¡± Ogthin borated even more.

    At this, Agni¡¯s eyes widened. She tried to imagine the type of formidable strength it would require topletely destroy dozens if not hundreds of Grimlock by herself. It was something currently unfathomable to her.

    Despite this, Ergthen¡¯s earlier assertion that she would one day be able to affect hundreds with her power was very¡­attractive to her. Would she one day be able topel more than a single person? Her power seemed weak when shepared it to fireballs or tornadoes of spiraling me ¡ª still¡­..

    Ergthen seemed annoyed by his brother¡¯s words though he couldn¡¯t necessarily refute them.

    ¡°In any case. You are a Leviathan tier demonkin. You hold sway over the vice of lust. Learn to use it well and you will be a force to be reckoned with.¡± Ergthen said as he adjusted his sses and looked down at the ck bound book on the pedestal before all of them.

    ¡°Now. I think it¡¯s time for us to find out exactly who you are, Agni Heartfyre.¡± Ergthen said as an unexpected smile curled around the corner of his lips.

 Chapter 93: Tales Of Demons (And Familiars) (1)

    Chapter 93: Tales Of Demons (And Familiars) (1)

    Ergthen focused on the ck cover book sitting atop the stone pedestal for a short time then opened it¡¯s pages.

    ¡°This is the Chronicle of Demons. It is a record of all demons who have evere into existence in this world. From the moment you are inscribed within these pages your deeds will be inscribed.¡±

    ¡°Really? It¡­looks like a normal book ¡ª minus the creepy cover of course.¡± Agni remarked.

    ¡°Indeed. But it is a living artifact. It¡¯s abilities and powers transcend that of a normal object.¡± Ergthen exined as the book¡¯s pages began to flutter without his intervention.

    ¡°Is that like a living weapon?¡± Agni asked curiously as she stepped closer to the pedestal. Ogthin and Vivian stood behind her, looking on. What was toe was in no way foreign to them, so their interest was purely on the specifics.

    ¡°Yes. Have you encountered one? Living weapons are quite rare¨Cand expensive.¡± Ergthen responded. Agni nodded her head and mentioned Katrin¡¯s Grimoire.

    ¡°I see. This book also serves another purpose. May I see your hand, young Leviathan?¡± Ergthen extended his hand and awaited Agni¡¯s confirmation. As she reached her outstretched hand to meet his she felt a slight prick against her pointer finger.

    ¡°Ow!¡± Agni said, mostly on reflex as the tiny wound barely hurt. Instead a bead of blood appeared on the tip of her finger.

    ¡°Drip three beads of blood on the book¡¯s pages. The Chronicle will do the rest.¡± Ergthen directed, and thus Agni did as he said. She watched with bated breath as the first drop of blood fell into the book¡¯s fluttering pages. From the second her blood touched it¡¯s pages the book opened to a nk page. With the second drop of blood it¡¯s pages began to glow and text began to form on the empty pages. With the final drop of blood the book began to shake gently as it levitated upwards from the pedestal and positioned itself so that it¡¯s pages were directed at Agni.

    ¡°Good. Now, you should see a magical circle. ce your hand against it and infuse some mana into the magical circle.¡± Ergthen next directed.

    Agni did as he suggested, closing her eyes the moment her palm touched the page, mostly because it felt appropriate to do so. She found it rather difficult to infuse the page with her mana, however. She only intended to use a small portion of her magic power at first but she felt stifled and oppressed, she could only exin the sensation as a weight pressing down on her mana itself. She gritted her teeth slightly and forced her mana further, raising the pressure with each passing second until finally she was forced to push with all of her might. At this time she felt the sensation of ¡°weight¡± fly away and her mana flowed freely into the book.

    Agni opened her eyes at this key moment and discovered that the book was now shimmering with particles of red light energy. The words on her page continued to form as the book set itself on the table once more. After a few seconds the writing on the page wasplete and within the magic circle a hexagram was formed. In the center of this hexagram was a small, ck coin with the insignia of a demon¡¯s head at the center. Agni recognized this coin as the same item Vivian used to earn entry into the Demonic Chapel.

    ¡°Take it, it¡¯s yours. The coin before you is a special item. To bind it to you, you must flow your mana into it. With it you can enter the Demonic Chapel, as long as you possess it.¡±

    Agni picked the coin up from the open page and inspected it more closely. It seemed to be made of a metalparable to the same ck material as the building. She did as Ergthen said and used some mana on the coin, which was about the size of a walnut in diameter. The coin assimted itself directly into her body, sinking into her palm and alerting her to it¡¯s new location within her inventory.

    [ck Coin Acquired. This item will allow you entry into the Demonic Chapel of Kirlunst. Can also be used as a favor.]

    ¡°This can be used as a favor? What does that mean?¡± Agni asked.

    ¡°It allows you to gain the chapel¡¯s assistance with a problem of your choosing.¡± Ogthin responded.

    ¡°Hmm..¡±

    *That¡¯s sort of vague¡­* Agni thought to herself.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s see what your entry into the Chronicle says.¡± Ergthen said as he turned the book so that he could read the foreign script there. The letters seemed alive, they morphed before Agni¡¯s eyes until finally they resembled anguage Agni hadn¡¯t seen for some time ¡ª her nativenguage from her past life.

    ¡°The script on this page is visible only to a select few. You will always be able to inspect your own information while others will be ignorant of your info unless they have special knowledge to ess it. Or they are able to read it..¡± Ergthen exined as he gazed down at Agni¡¯s page.

    ¡°I expected as much, your natural elemental affinity is one of fire. Your namesake speaks to this so it¡¯s no surprise.¡± Ergthen said as he continued to study the page. It was clear to Agni that he was omitting most of the information there as his finger moved down the page, line by line.

    ¡°This is interesting.¡± Ergthen said as he eyed a specific line, tapping his finger against the page as he read. Agni awaited some kind of context to hisment but when Ergthen moved on she took extra effort to nce at the line in question.

    *Horn Pattern? * She wanted to ask what caught Ergthen¡¯s eye but she was halted by his next statement.

    ¡°Your familiar¡¯s name is Sh.¡± Ergthen said as he continued reading.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Is that also on the page?¡± Agni¡¯s eyebrows arched upwards as she leaned closer to the book.

    ¡°Oh¨Cyou already know your familiar¡¯s name then? This should be much easier.¡± Ergthen seemed surprised.

    ¡°We will need three items to perform the summoning ritual. mes, Blood and a piece of your horn.¡± Ergthen said as he closed the ck book before him and motioned for Agni and the others to follow him. Ergthen led them out of the book-filled room and into an empty room, much smaller in size. There in the center of the room was a ratherrge magical circleprised of several smaller circles within. They all touched one another in some way and were bordered by the same sort of morphing script as the pages of the Chronciple of Demons.

    ¡°Stand here, in the center.¡± Ergthen ordered as he once more took Agni¡¯s hand and pricked several of her fingers to draw blood. He then drew really close to the Subus, so close in fact that she felt somewhat shy. The older demonkin seemed to be examining her horns. He ran his fingers along them and poked them a few times before a shooting pain red up in Agni¡¯s skull.

    ¡°OW!¡± She shouted in pain for real this time as Ergthen snapped her left hornpletely in half.

    ¡°What the hell! That freaking hurt!¡± Agni practically shouted as she clenched her broken horn.

    ¡°Heh. Horns of lesser demons are always a bit sensitive. No worries, it will grow back if given enough time.¡± Ergthen replied as he took the piece of horn and cupped it into his palm.

    ¡°Drip some blood across this.¡± Hemanded. Agni obliged as best she could, choosing to ignore the throbbing pain in her broken horn. It was as if nerve endings were exposed to cold air, the pain was intense enough to make her grit her teeth.

    ¡°Good. Now, give me a moment to exit the circle, then you¡¯ll flow fire magic through the summoning circle. That should do the trick. Are you ready?¡± Ergthen asked, just to make sure Agni understood the process before beginning.

    ¡°Y-yea. I¡¯m ready. Let¡¯s do it.¡± She said as she winced in pain, tears practically begging to fall from the corners of her eyes. Agni couldn¡¯t help but pout slightly as she prepared to activate the ritual to finally summon her familiar.

 Chapter 94: Tales Of Demons (And Familiars) (2)

    Chapter 94: Tales Of Demons (And Familiars) (2)

    *This hurts worse than being kicked in the balls!* Agni could feel a sense of weakness mingled with pain ebbing through her body with each beat of her heart. The pain was akin to full body tooth pain and it stretched towards her fingertips and even her toes. Still she sped her hands together as the people within the room stepped out of therge magical circle at the room¡¯s center.

    Ergthen nodded to the subus and she began to call forth her magic, igniting a me in her ovepped palms. Due to the pain throbbing through her body the me flickered violently before ring up wildly to consume the broken horn and dripping bloodlets. The fire quickly spread, leaping from her hands to the magic circle beneath her feet. The magic traveled outwards, like a me following elerant as it caused the entirety of theplex set of magic circles to begin to activate.

    The fires, once a normal orange color flickered and drew darker, first red, then purple and finally blue as a wall of mes roared upwards around Agni. On the plus side, Agni no longer felt pain ¡ª or anything for that matter. Instead all she knew was silence, peace. She was in a dark ce but it felt strangely familiar to her. After a few moments of reflection she realized that she¡¯d receded into her own mind. It was the exact feeling one would get upon meditating. In the darkness of her own soul she suddenly felt as if she was not alone. She visualized herself there and the blue me stretching upwards as if being pulled like a strand of putty. The fire arced upwards and over her head, taking up a ce directly behind her as it began to take shape. The shape of a person. As Agni savored the warm,forting sensation of the experience she heard a sound which caused her to smile.

    ¡°It¡¯s about time. Noob.¡± Sh¡¯s voice echoed through the darkness as Agni stood back to back with the humanoid of mes. The mes expanded, consuming them both as Agni¡¯s eyes suddenly popped open. The wall of mes slowly receded as the wild me magic ran its course. Agni nced down at her palms to find that the contents thereof had been changed into a perfectly sphere-like gem. It was deep red with an orange glow in the center and Agni could tell, it was alive.

    *It¡¯s like a heartbeat.* With each passing moment the gem throbbed, sending a warm sensation through Agni¡¯s body. This pulse continued for several beats more before finally normalizing.

    ¡°It is done.¡± Ergthen said as the embers of mes finally disappeared.

    ¡°Is this another living artifact?¡± Agni asked, although she was already fairly sure of the answer.

    ¡°Correct!¡± Ergthen replied as he stepped forward and inspected the ruby red gem.

    ¡°This is the physical manifestation of your familiar. Normally a familiar is something that resides within. The ritual serves to give the familiar form by sacrificing certain aspects. In this case, your familiar Sh is a fire entity. Your horn served as the body while the blood bound her into being.¡± Ergthen further exined the purpose of the ritual as Agni gazed at the gem in her possession.

    ¡°Stop talking about me like I¡¯m not here.¡± Sh¡¯s voice echoed suddenly throughout the room. Rather than hearing it in her mind everyone took notice as the voice seemed toe from everywhere.

    ¡°Where are you?¡± Agni asked.

    The sound of sparking me sounded from Agni¡¯s right as an orb of fire appeared and grewrger, constantly until arms, legs and a head were formed. Now having a shape the limbs stretched out, feet touching the ground as the shape of a young woman came into being. Soon the fire receded, flowing into Sh¡¯s body leaving only her bare body in its wake.

    Agni couldn¡¯t help but smirk as she took in her familiar¡¯s shape, for Sh was almost exactly as she pictured her to be. Short! Easily 151 cm (4¡¯3) with beautiful blonde hair and orange, fiery eyes which resembled the same deep color of the gemstone in Agni¡¯s possession. Her body was slender, her chest was ¡ª as Agni suspected t. B-cup at best while her curvy hips gave the familiar an alluring appeal. Sh¡¯s hair easily reached down to her buttocks which made her seem rather wild looking byparison to Agni herself.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your face?¡± Agni asked as she began to chuckle.

    ¡°What? What¡¯s that? Rude bitch.¡± Sh responded as she began to scowl, which made things even worse. Her eyebrows were thick and arched, in fact they almost reminded Agni of an old school vampire. That, coupled with her sharp canine fangs indeed made Sh look like a little tyrant.

    ¡°That¡¯s it! That¡¯s your nickname, Little Ty-¡°

    ¡°Shut it.¡± Sh responded as she rolled her eyes. Clearly she could still tell what Agni was thinking. Despite their antagonistic words towards one another the two were actually feeling something else entirely. The bond was strange. Weing. Like¡­ innate kinship. Agni instinctually felt aware that Sh also shared this bond and after a few moments of snickering she walked over to Sh and gave her a big hug. The others watching half expected the familiar to protest based on her fiery way of speaking but Sh simply allowed it ¡ª that is until Agni began doting on her.

    ¡°You¡¯re so cute! With your angry eyes!¡± Agni practically cooed as she squeezed Sh by the cheeks.

    ¡°S-stop it! I¡¯ll murder you in your sleep! I¡¯m warning you!¡± Sh protested as she attempted to peel Agni¡¯s hands away from her face, but it was no use. She could only stand there in the nude, allowing Agni to love on her.

    After allowing them a few moments the onlookers broke up the spectacle.

    ¡°Ahem.¡± Ergthen cleared his throat rather loudly.

    ¡°So Agni. Now that the summoning isplete, you should have some idea of your familiar¡¯s ability. Sh, you are an imp, correct?¡± Ergthen asked.

    ¡°Mhm.¡± Sh responded as she inspected Ergthen from toe to crown. She didn¡¯t seem all that impressed¨Cor interested.

    ¡°Oi. Where are you looking?¡± She said suddenly, causing Ergthen to avert his eyes as his cheeks went red.

    ¡°Oh? You like what you see hmm?¡± Sh said as she faced Ergthen properly and began to p her palm against her bald pussy.

    ¡°Sh!¡± Agni shouted.

    ¡°Shush it. I¡¯m not timid like you.¡± Sh responded as she simply floated upwards. In the process two small wings formed on her shoulder des as they appeared in a sh of mes.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Agni¡¯s eyes grew wide as she watched Sh hover towards Ergthen who grew more flustered by the moment.

    ¡°Where did you get those!¡± Agni felt genuinely slighted.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got something better than useless milk mounds.¡± Sh responded with a condescending smirk as she began to hover around Ergthen from all angles.

    ¡°You like what you see old man? I might let you have a taste.¡± Sh said as she drew closer to Ergthen¡¯s face and floated upwards, positioning her hips directly within his line of sight.

    A swift tug on the imp¡¯s wings snatched her back to Agni¡¯s side.

    ¡°I¡¯m SO sorry!¡± Agni shouted as she covered Sh¡¯s mouth with one hand and hugged her closely with the other. The smol girl struggled as best she could but it was no use, she couldn¡¯t break Agni¡¯s grip. Both Vivian and Ogthin began tough their heads off as they watched the normallyposed Ergthen crack like an eggshell from Sh¡¯s overly direct taunts.

    *He doesn¡¯t know you¡¯re joking! You can¡¯t do that!* Agnimunicated mentally.

    *I know you freaking party pooper, and that¡¯s the fun part.* Sh responded before adding, *Let me go. You¡¯re just jealous because I have wings.*

 Chapter 95: Familiar Choker

    Chapter 95: Familiar Choker

    After producing a spare cloak for Sh and calming himself down, Ergthen continued with his original line of interest.

    ¡°A humanoid familiar is rare. So rare in fact that only three are known to have existed.¡± Ergthen remarked. The group returned to the ck book and he¡¯d begun filtering through its pages as everyone else watched patiently ¡ª everyone except Sh that is. Agni couldn¡¯t help but notice that the imp was taking in the sights and scents of her environment with rapid curiosity.

    ¡°So what does that mean?¡± Agni asked.

    ¡°It means¡­I have absolutely no idea what your familiar can be used for. Most familiars assist their masters in some way.¡± Ergthen said. The ¡°core¡± was a living object that could be considered Sh¡¯s body for all intents and purposes. By using Agni¡¯s mana as ¡°fuel¡± Sh could materialize herself uponmand. Only when the charge or supply of mana ran out would she need to return to the core to recover.

    ¡°Eh. I¡¯m nobody¡¯s servant. ¡± Sh chimed in. Her face seemed permanently unimpressed¨Cwith pretty much anything, that is unless she was hassling Agni or teasing Ergthen.

    ¡°R-Right. Nevertheless, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t really tell you what abilities your familiar may have. But, there is a way to find out. You should be able to focus on the core and you will gradually be aware of some capability.¡±

    Agni nced down at the almost tennis ball sized sphere in her hand and began to flow some of her mana into it.

    ¡°Aht aht aht.¡± Vivian said, stepping forward suddenly as she ced her hand on Agni¡¯s wrist.

    ¡°It¡¯s not nice to ask ady to reveal her secrets.¡± She then said, nodding to Agni. Ergthen and Ogthin both sighed, exasperated that Vivian moved to block their curiosity. Ergthen particrly seemed very annoyed.

    ¡°Fine.¡± He said as he tapped his hand against the stone pedestal.¡±

    ¡°Very well.¡± He relented as he then moved onto exining to Agni any other questions she may have had, as well as how to use her ck Coin. The ck Coin functioned as a key item that would allow her entry into the Demonic Chapel at any time. For non members it could also be used as a means to acquire assistance from the Demonic Chapel. Without one it would be impossible for non members to enter.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t¡­.be interested in joining the Demonic Chapel by any chance would you?¡± Ergthen asked. Agni felt his curiosityy more with Sh and her abilities rather than genuine interest, still she asked.

    ¡°Maybe. What¡¯s different about this chapel from any other?¡± Agni asked.

    ¡°Ha. My girl, there is a world of difference.¡± Ergthen smiled as he addressed the question with enthusiasm.

    ¡°You¡¯re a demonkin. Like other types of adventurers you have specific needs that are best met when you dwell amongst your own kind. For example, here you could indulge in your desires as you see fit without being made to feel untoward.¡±

    Agni¡¯s mind shed back to the Incubus and the sex spectacle in the lobby.

    ¡°What about the rank requirement? I heard there was one.¡± Agni asked.

    ¡°Well, yes¡­ that. But perhaps we could make an exception for a promising young Leviathan such as yourself.¡± Ergthen nced over at his brother Ogthin, who remained neutral in his demeanor.

    ¡°Is¡­is that it?¡± Agni asked. She couldn¡¯t help but think about all the blessings she received the moment she joined Vivian¡¯s Chapel, Mystic Tower.

    ¡°What about blessings?¡± She added, making her inquiry more understandable.

    ¡°Secret.¡± Ergthen replied, almost immediately. ¡°But also, worth it.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. What do you think, Sh?¡± Agni asked.

    ¡°Nope. Not interested.¡± Sh responded, leaving little room for doubt.

    Ergthen reacted as if he¡¯d been struck by an invisible dagger to his ulterior motives, he grimaced slightly before quickly recovering.

    ¡°I see. That¡¯s regrettable. Well then. You have the ck Coin, so you can return here at any time in the future. Don¡¯t forget about us if you encounter any difficulties in your journey.¡± Ergthen replied.

    ¡°Thank you so much Keeper Ergthen.¡± Vivian chimed in as she drew closer to Agni signaling an end to Ergthen¡¯s attempts to coerce even more information from Agni or make more offers.

    ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡± Agni said as Vivian began to lead her away from the stone pedestal and towards the exit of the room.

    ¡°How many times must I say this?¡± Vivian whispered as she drew away from Ergthen.

    ¡°Say what?¡± Agni asked, genuinely confused.

    ¡°You can¡¯t go around showing people all the cards you have at your disposal. You never know who might be tomorrow¡¯s enemy or how it will affect your future.¡± Vivian replied as she ushered the Subus into the hallway and awaited Ogthin to escort them out.

    ¡°You felt as if you could activate some kind of skill or ability, right?¡± Vivian then asked.

    ¡°Well¡­..yes.¡± Agni replied.

    ¡°And you were talking to a demonkin practically obsessed with new knowledge. He would have definitely tried to keep you and chronicle every facet of your power if you¡¯d let him.¡± Agni couldn¡¯t really argue with Vivian¡¯s words.

    *Why did you t out reject him by the way?* Agni asked Sh via telepathy.

    *Eh. Teasing him was fun, but this ce is kind of depressing. Dark, serious, moody. Besides, I just got free¨Cwhy would I want to tie myself down again!?* Sh responded as she stood next to Agni and Vivian. Soon the trio were escorted out of the Demonic Chapel and found themselves in the front yard of the building.

    ¡°Today was interesting to say the least. It¡¯s not everyday we meet a Leviathan, or provide new knowledge for my brother. I¡¯ll be looking forward to your impact on the world, young demonkin.¡± Ogthin said, as he browed graciously towards Agni. For some reason she felt this was out of ce so she tried to stop him.

    ¡°No. I should be thanking you. I mean, without you I never would have been able to awaken Sh.¡±

    After saying their goodbyes to Ogthin Agni was surprised to hear Vivian suggest a shopping trip.

    ¡°Your familiar core could be considered a world item. As such, it could be impossible for you to store it in your inventory. Have you tried?¡± Vivian asked as the trio walked along, well two of them walked ¡ª Sh hovered along behind them.

    ¡°No. I didn¡¯t.¡± Agni replied, taking the initiative to do so.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. I can¡¯t. Why is that? I¡¯ve never heard of an item that can¡¯t be stored.¡±

    ¡°You probably wouldn¡¯t have. World items are exceedingly rare. No one really knows the reason why, but I could specte. The most logical reason I could think of is so that the item doesn¡¯t get destroyed. If for example, an adventurer falls to Second Death, all of the items they stored are destroyed. World Items can¡¯t be stored and will remain behind in instances like that.¡± Vivian exined.

    ¡°What other reason could it possibly be?¡± Sh asked, suddenly curious after hearing Vivian¡¯s exnation.

    ¡°That whoever made these incredibly powerful items wants adventurers to fight andpete over them. If you think about it logically, it would be pointless for a powerful item to end up in the hands of some newb who barely knows how to use it. It makes sense for someone stronger to im the item and use it to its fullest potential.¡±

    Sh seemed satisfied with that answer and continued taking in the sights. Agni was surprised at Sh¡¯sck ofmentary, actually. Agni had grown quite used to ignoring random insults and chides throughout any given day. She already felt it was much ¡­quieter in her head now.

    ¡°So what are we shopping for?¡± Agni asked, realizing that their legs had carried them quite far from the gates of the Demonic Chapel.

    ¡°Well. As you know of my secret, I¡¯m pretty great at hiding things in in sight. I¡¯m going to do you a solid and help you hold onto that World item.¡± Vivian replied.

    ¡°Is it really that easy to have something like that stolen?¡± Sh asked as she floated ahead, casting her gaze upon various stalls. The scent of food was now in the air and Agni found herself growing more hungry by the moment.

    ¡°Of course. Barring normal pick pocketing, there are adventurer sses that can steal directly from others under certain circumstances. This doesn¡¯t even take into count if you be stunned or incapacitated..there are literally hundreds of ways to take something like that.¡± Vivian replied.

    Agni¡¯s mind immediately wandered back to that night in the forest where she¡¯d been fucked four ways from sunday and then robbed blind.

    *Freaking Abeni.* Agni¡¯s temple throbbed as she subconsciously clenched her fist.

    ¡°So what did you have in mind?¡± Agni asked as the trio of women finally came to a stop.

    ¡°Well. We¡¯ll have one of my good friends make you something nice.¡± Vivian said as the women came to stand in front of a particr store.

 Chapter 96: Familiar Choker (2)

    Chapter 96: Familiar Choker (2)

    Vivian led the trio to a shop, more specifically a specialty shop. The moment they stepped inside Agni could feel an intense sense of giddiness overwhelm her, there were so many sparkles! Particrly jewels, nes, rings and dozens of other essories.

    ¡°Vivian! What are you doing here!¡± An older woman¡¯s voice practically shouted as soon as the trio entered.

    ¡°Martha.¡± Vivian smiled and greeted her long time friend. Martha was an older woman, most likely in her fifties or sixties by Agni¡¯s reckoning. She wasn¡¯t an adventurer which meant¡­.

    *Normal?* Agni thought to herself as they strolled towards the counter.

    After a brief introduction and discussion the woman known as Martha showed them to the back of the store, revealing a workshop of sorts.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s see. You need something that can¡¯t easily be snatched even if it weren¡¯t binded to the user. I see.¡± Martha thought to herself as her gaze shifted between both Agni and Sh.

    Agni had questions.

    *She looks so normal. I always thought Normals would be¡­.like¡­NPCS or something.* She thought.

    *Ditto.* Sh responded.

    *And what¡¯s up with that serious case of raisin face? She¡¯s super old.* Sh added.

    *Well¡­you¡¯re not exactly wrong¡­* Martha indeed looked to be an elderly woman entering her sixties. Despite her good health and stout body, her face was well creased with lines. Despite this all she was fair looking with a pleasant smile.

    ¡°Which of you will be wearing this item?¡± Martha asked suddenly, snapping Agni back into focus.

    ¡°Um. Me? Maybe? Is it possible for¡­you know?¡± Agni directed the question to Vivian but all she got was a shrug in return.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good question. Let¡¯s find out. Martha, do you have a ring or something we can borrow for a moment?¡± Vivivan asked.

    The next test was to attempt to equip Sh, the imp familiar with an essory. It was done mostly to appease Vivian¡¯s curiosity as well as Agni¡¯s but Sh found herself to be genuinely interested too.

    All of her thoughts weren¡¯t immediately shared with Agni, unless she desired as much. She tested this the moment she obtained her own body with a nonstop barrage of insults. And right now Sh¡¯s most pressing desire was to simply not have to give up her body. She could, if she wanted to at any time. She was also aware that at some point the small amount of mana contained in the Crimson Core would eventually need to recharge, but she didn¡¯t care.

    Being formless had its own merits. She could see and feel things from Agni¡¯s perspective to a degree but having her own body was a thousand times better! Nothing beat the sensations, sights and sounds of everything around her. Sh was determined to experience them all and test every possible limitation.

    Even Sh was surprised when she received an alert to equip the ring.

    ¡°What the heck? I don¡¯t have a Systema mark.¡± She said as she stared at the floating prompt. She clicked the ¡®Yes¡¯ option and to her surprise the ring equipped itself to the first avable finger.

    ¡°Oh. It worked!¡± It was a struggle for Vivian to contain her thoughts. Afterall, she was the one who was adamant that Agni y her cards close to the vest. Agni was pretty sure she understood though, somehow what Sh was doing was not normal.

    ¡°This is unusual, right?¡± Agni asked, prompting Vivian to nod her head. Martha just looked on in confusion as she thought, *What¡¯s so weird about an adventurer wearing a ring?*

    ¡°So¡­would it matter if Sh wore it then?¡± Agni asked., ignoring Martha who was beginning to feel as if she was being purposely left out.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t see a problem with that under most circumstances but what happens when she needs to ¡®rest¡¯?¡± Vivian asked.

    ¡°Oh. True.¡± Agni responded as she ced her hand against her chin.

    Ultimately they decided to equip Agni with the new essory and at Martha¡¯s behest they even chose the perfect option ¡ª a choker.

    ¡°This fits all the requirements. Once you equip this someone would be hard pressed to remove it. Also, since the gem you want to affix to this is prettyrge it would be easier to have it hang. Actually, it would be best if we split it into several smaller pieces and¨C¡°

    ¡°No!¡± Agni, Sh and Vivian all shouted in unison, causing a bead of perspiration to appear against Martha¡¯s brow.

    ¡°What we mean is, this gem is very precious to her. It can¡¯t be altered in any way. The essory has tofortably meld with the gemstone.¡± Vivian corrected.

    ¡°This may help.¡± Sh said as she ced her hand on the stone, which was now in Martha¡¯s grasp. The tennis ball sized sphere glowed with fiery energy as it began to shrink, slowly and surely until it was norger than the size of a marble.

    ¡°Wow, this is amazing! You adventurers sure are lucky.¡± Martha practically beamed at Sh¡¯s demonstration of her abilities.

    *How did you do that?* Agni asked.

    *It¡¯s essentially a part of my body. Why wouldn¡¯t I be able to control its size?* Sh rebutted.

    ¡°Yes, with this size it should be simple to make you a choker. I can also make it much more sturdy, though you may have to sacrifice somefort. How often will you be wearing this piece?¡± Martha asked.

    ¡°As much as possible, so it should be asfortable as you can make it.¡± Vivian replied and Martha nodded as she got to work. It was the first time Agni got to take in the spectacle of crafting in the world of Adventia. Although it was clear that Martha was no adventurer, the process seemed a lot like alchemy to Agni¡¯s eyes. Martha lined up all of the ingredients and moved her hands as if she was casting some sort of invisible spell. Agni immediately realized that Martha was essing the Systema, despite the fact that there was no visible Systema mark on her body.

    ¡°Vivian¡­¡± Agni spoke up to ask a question but was met with the raising of Vivian¡¯s hand, as if to halt her.

    ¡°We¡¯ll discuss in a while.¡± This was all Vivian said , which made Agni feel as if Vivian had an idea of what she wanted to discuss. Sh too waspletely in awe of the crafting process. The items lined up turned into light orbs and danced around one another before joining together in order to create the choker itself.

    After the choker waspleted Martha held it up for inspection then passed it to Vivian. After a few seconds Vivian then made another request.

    ¡°Perfect. What do you think Agni?¡± Vivian asked as she passed the choker over to the Subus.

    ¡°This is a bit on the nose isn¡¯t it?¡± Agni asked as she gazed down at the essory. It was incredibly light to say it was created with metallic materials and cloth. The fabric against her hand was divine, like a delicate mix between silk and velvet which practically melted against her flesh. The main point of contention was the heart dangling from the front of the choker. It had wings and a subus¡¯ tail curling at the end of a small metal piece. There was a depression in the center of the heart which is where the core would reside.

    ¡°Well, I just figured¡­you know, it would be cute with your appearance.¡± Martha said as she sat back in a nearby chair and looked Agni over.

    *C-cute huh?* Agni thought to herself, suddenly reconsidering her gripe.

    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll take it like this.¡± She said finally.

    ¡°Great. Since I need to ce the gem manually it will take a bit more time. Say fifteen minutes? Feel free to make yourselves at home while you wait.¡± Martha said. She then turned to get to work.

    A few secondster Agni, Sh and Vivian were standing out in front of the store at Vivian¡¯s behest.

    ¡°You wanted to ask me something inside. I have a feeling what it is, but just to be sure¨Cindulge me.¡± Vivian replied.

    ¡°Oh. Martha¡­is she a Normal?¡± Agni asked, whispering at the final word. For some reason she felt it was appropriate to do so.

    ¡°Yes. I actually thought you would ask me how I know a Normal. Ha. Well, I don¡¯t mind telling you anyway.¡± Vivian replied, thus both Agni and Sh waited to hear the story.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re expecting. Don¡¯t get your hopes up too much!¡± Vivian said suddenly as she felt all eyes on her. She sighed before she began her own story.

    ¡°Martha is from my adventurer¡¯s ss. It¡¯s¡­what we call adventurers who spawn here at the same time. As you can guess, at some point she was a victim of second death. Now she is a Normal.¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯s she so old?¡± Sh asked, rather bluntly.

    Agni shot her a nce but the imp simply shrugged.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s a logical question. Adventurers never age. No matter how long we live in this world, that is unless ranking up alters our bodies. For the most part, we look the same as the day we are spawned into Adventia. However, falling to the ranks of a Normal will no longer bless you with strength or longevity. When an adventurer dies from second death, all of their belongings and Systema mark are erased. Their memories are also overridden and they disappear, dissolved into cubes of light.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­ you mean Martha has no idea that she used to be an adventurer?¡± Agni asked.

    ¡°Correct.¡± Vivian said with a nod.

    ¡°And her age?¡± Sh asked.

    ¡°As I mentioned, adventurers never age but former adventurers do. It was over fifteen years ago that I first met Martha and we were both younger then. For some reason after dying twice she aged dramatically.¡± Vivian replied.

    ¡°And her ability to craft, is that something left over from the Systema mark she used to have?¡± Sh asked. To this, Vivian also nodded.

    ¡°Or to be more precise, she still has a Systema mark, it¡¯s probably just dormant. Second death destroys memories, items ¡ª everything. Furthermore, the person is teleported somewhere into the world at random. These Normals then live a new life with some remnants of their old abilities. For this reason, most of the skilled traders you find who aren¡¯t adventurers are actually Normals.¡±

    ¡°Wow. I never would have guessed.¡± Agni replied. She felt as if her perception of the world had somehow shifted just from hearing this story.

    ¡°So how did you two manage to find each other again?¡± Agni asked. At that moment the door behind them opened and Martha appeared, holding a beautiful Crimson Choker in her right hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s done!¡± She said as a bright smile appeared across her face.

 Chapter 97: I Think, Therefore I Grope

    Chapter 97: I Think, Therefore I Grope

    Martha¡¯s craftsmanship was amazing. What was even more amazing was the fact that Agni acquired the essory for free.

    ¡°But why? Are you sure?¡± Agni was quickly bing used to the fact that she loved gifts, of almost any type.

    ¡°Martha is one of the chapel outfitters. She creates all sorts of gear for us with her abilities. It¡¯s already covered, and you¡¯re a member of the chapel right now so no worries.¡± This was Vivian¡¯s response to Agni¡¯s question.

    Agni was surprised just how well the choker matched her red hair and amber colored eyes. ck fabric with a deep bluish metal frame, the shrunken Crimson Core also pulsed with fiery energy within its ce on the Crimson Choker.

    ¡°I love it!¡± She said with stars in her eyes as Agni checked herself out in the mirror.

    ¡°Excellent! Now, let¡¯s see about you youngdy. I wasn¡¯t going to say anything since your with the Doyenne, but it really doesn¡¯t do for a youngling like you to walk around in the nude!¡± Martha said as she directed her attention to Sh.

    ¡°H-huh? Lady I¡¯m an adult.¡± Sh retorted, her face turning reddish from embarrassment.

    ¡°Besides, there¡¯s nothing wrong with baring my body!¡± Sh said as she folded her arms proudly.

    ¡°Yes yes,e along sassy child.¡± Martha said as she grabbed Sh by the arm and pulled her into a nearby room.

    ¡°Wah! Y-you¡¯re going to allow this?¡± Sh shouted at Agni, who could only giggle. ¡°Wait, stop!¡± Sh protested as the two disappeared, the wooden door mming behind them. Vivian and Agni listened to the sounds ofmotion and voices as the two tussled.

    ¡°Excuse you? I¡¯m the groper here. Where are you even touching?¡± Sh said, rather loudly. After some time the two returned, first Martha entered the room with a big smile while Sh poked her head out of the door first. She wore an expression of pent up resentment yet she stepped out for all to see nevertheless.

    Her hair was done in two ponytails along the side of her head, both of which reached down to about her waist. Agni had to admit this was a wise choice, she felt Sh¡¯s blonde hair was rather beautiful and it seemed wild and unkempt previously. Aside from this, Sh wore a sleeveless one piece dress that sported a single neck strap. This allowed her wings to move freely if she desired, though Sh didn¡¯t need to use her wings to hover at all. The outfit was apanied by stockings, casual shoes and painted nails and makeup.

    ¡°So cute!¡± Agni said as she rushed to coddle Sh.

    ¡°Urgk! Don¡¯t touch me! I¡¯ll burn you to ash while you bathe!¡± She protested, but that didn¡¯t stop Agni in the least.

    ¡°H-hey, watch where you¡¯re touching!¡± Sh mumbled.

    ¡°Well, today was certainly an eventful day.¡± Martha said as she escorted the trio of women to the front of her store.

    ¡°Be sure to visit again if you have any needs, Doyenne. Miss Sh, behave yourself.¡± Martha said as the trio made to leave. Sh grunted and folded her arms as she cut her eyes towards Martha. Agni and Vivian bowed to the woman and were soon on their way.

    It took them roughly half an hour to make their way back to the hilltop park overlooking the city of Kirlunst.

    ¡°Perhaps another time, when you¡¯ve truly made your way here we can discuss other things. There¡¯s much more to Kirlunst than meets the eye.¡± Vivian said as she checked the nearby area. There was no one around so she morphed herself back into her teenage form.

    ¡°Still taller than Sh.¡± Agni remarked, winning a hair tug from Sh.

    ¡°Uhn!¡± Agni sped her hand to her mouth in surprise but it was toote, the sound escaped her body involuntarily. She cut her gaze towards Vivian who simply smirked and shook her head while Sh chuckled to herself.

    *I guess I like having my hair pulled¡­.* Agni thought as Vivian held up her medallion and used it to trigger the teleportation. Within half a minute the trio found themselves back inside of the Mystic Chapel, in the center of the lobby.

    ¡°Surprisingly, I¡¯m tired.¡± Agni remarked as she stretched thoroughly. Though it was now only just after midday she suddenly had the urge to take a nap.

    ¡°That would be because you¡¯re azy sex-demon.¡± Sh chimed in. She was already pulling at the rubber bands that kept her pony tails in ce as she secretly cursed Martha.

    *Totally ruining my image!* Sh thought to herself as she grumbled inwardly.

    ¡°Thanks Vivi-chan!¡± Agni said with a broad smile. She was in a surprisingly pleasant mood at the moment all things considered. Agni felt strangely optimistic about the day, of course thest time she felt so good¨Cshe got ambushed by body snatchers in broad daylight.

    ¡°Ahem.¡± Vivian coughed in a rather animated way as two of the guild members overhead Agni¡¯s overly friendly statement.

    ¡°I told you to consider my image.¡± Vivian said as she leaned in closer to Agni.

    ¡°I did. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t grope your tail.¡± Agni whispered in response, prompting Vivian to lean away and regain herposure.

    ¡°ANYWAY, If you ever need help againe and find me. Good day Agni, Sh.¡± Vivian then quickly left. Agni was genuinely grateful.Afterall, a chapel leader must have a thousand things to do each day. The fact that Vivian would take time out of her day to even escort her for hours was a huge deal. This became more apparent as Agni walked back towards her room, many of the chapel members stared and whispered as she passed. Although they could have been staring at Sh, Agni got the distinct impression it was due to her overly friendly demeanor with the Doyenne. Even Gigi shot Agni a puzzled look, to which the Subus simply shrugged and smiled.

    In a way she quite enjoyed the attention.

    ¡°Katrin! I¡¯m home!¡± Agni shouted as she opened the door ¡ª only to find the room empty.

    ¡°I guess they really did go shopping without me..¡± Agni said as a bout of yawning came over her.

    ¡°So..what are we doing next?¡± Sh asked as she stepped inside the room.

    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m not sure. Honestly, I¡¯m really tired. I think I¡¯ll take a nap.¡± Agni responded.

    ¡°Yep. Definitely a nap. Naps are nice once in a while too.¡± Agni whispered to herself as she plopped down on her bed and made herselffortable. Soon she found herself falling into the folds of her bedspread, sinking into her pillow as dreams overtook her.

    ¡°She just¡­totally fell asleep on me..¡± Sh remarked as she sat down on Katrin¡¯s bed. Truth be told, she knew exactly why Agni felt so drained. It was a consequence of Sh¡¯s extended stay in her tangible form. She also felt tired, so tired in fact that after a short while she decided toy down in Katrin¡¯s bed and rest her own eyes.

    ¡°I can¡¯t getfortable.¡± Sh said after a minute, her eyes popping open in the process. She sighed before casting a nce over towards Agni, who was now fast asleep. The imp shrugged, got to her feet and kicked off her shoes before joining Agni in her bed. Soon they were both fast asleep, Sh content with Agni¡¯s newfound warmth and Agni content just to nap.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    ¡°Oh!¡±

    ¡°Katrin¨Cwhat did we walk into?¡±

    Agni¡¯s restful sleep was awoken by several voices. As she opened her eyes she immediately came to realize that she had been drooling somewhat ¡ª that was just how rxed she¡¯d been.

    ¡°Um..Agni?¡± Agni¡¯s eyes drifted towards the door only to notice Katrin, Ariadna and Merri huddled together, their expressions all differed. Katrin was blushing, yet there was a bit of anger mingled within. Ariadna covered her eyes, peeking between her fingers asionally while Merri seemed the most excited.

    ¡°This is right out of a girls love novel!¡± Merrimented as the trio continued to stare at Agni from the doorway.

    ¡°What the heck are you talking about?¡± Agni asked as she sat up, brushing away the sleep from her eyes and drool from her bottom lip. She couldn¡¯t help but realize that her body felt heavier than usual, thus she looked down to find her shirt bunched above her breasts and Sh clinging to her chest, one hand firmlytched to Agni¡¯s right breast.

    ¡°Oh.¡± Agni replied.

    ¡°Oh? That¡¯s all you have to say?¡± Katrin asked as her stance shifted somewhat.

    ¡°Yea. This is Sh.¡± Agni said, as if that exined everything. Ariadna and Merri looked confused while Katrin took a moment to register what was happening.

    ¡°Oh. OH! You mean this is Sh?¡± Katrin finally said as she stepped towards the bed, dropping her shopping bags in the process.

 Chapter 98: Midnight Nectar

    Chapter 98: Midnight Nectar

    Katrin found herself rushing to the bedside, a strange sense of relief oveing her as she did so. Her mind shed back to all the times she caught Agniughing or talking to herself like a creeper. Suddenly she felt foolish¨Cbut also relieved.

    *T-thank God she¡¯s not crazy or possessed!* The young woman known as Sh was still huddled up next to Agni, clinging to her even in her sleep. Katrin was surprised at how cute the familiar looked, her blonde hair was striking and Katrin couldn¡¯t help but run her fingers through it.

    ¡°She¡¯s adorable!¡± Katrin cooed as she took a seat at the edge of the bed.

    ¡°I know! Don¡¯t you just want to eat her up?! Ahem.¡± Agni couldn¡¯t help but be honest with the stupor of sleep hanging over her. She tried to conceal her overwhelming affection for the imp but it was toote. Merri and Ariadna also stepped closer to the bed so that they could peer over Katrin¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Okay, so this is your familiar. But..why is she groping you?¡± Ariadna asked. She felt everyone else in the room was a little too eager to ept the absurdity of the situation. As if groping someone was apletely normal thing. Merri didn¡¯t seem bothered, in fact she had stars in her eyes due to the excitement.

    ¡°This is rare! Humanoid familiars are super rare!¡± Merri practically eximed the moment she got over her initial shock. She nced towards Agni nervously, her eyes betraying the fact that she wanted to do it. Agni smiled and nodded, giving Merri the approval she needed.

    The minotauress stepped forward and also ran her fingers through Sh¡¯s golden hair and further down along her back towards the small, gargoyle style wings which protruded there. Much to Merri¡¯s surprise the wings were soft to the touch, fleshy and stretchy. The wings were predominantly ck and transitioned into a deep red color further near the edges and within the flesh folds.

    Ariadna just watched on in annoyance, mostly because she was being ignored for the most part, which is why Agni motioned for the Trickster to join. Unable to defy the Subus¡¯ innate charisma, Ariadna threw up her hands with a small shrug and gathered closer as well. The three spent quite some time admiring Sh while Agni recounted the story and purpose of their trip to Kirlunst. She also took special care to exin why Vivian didn¡¯t want to take the other adventurers, exining that it was a rite of passage amongst adventurers while avoiding Vivian¡¯s secrets.

    In the end even Katrin, who felt a particr way about being left behind, was forced to ept the exnation.

    ¡°Just don¡¯t do it again.¡± She said as she folded her arms and narrowed her gaze.

    ¡°O-okay.¡± Agni half chuckled.

    *She¡¯s serious. Super serious.* Agni thought. After prying herself away from the sleeping imp, Agni joined the other three women in talking about various things. It turns out, despite her annoyance with Agni that Katrin went shopping for her anyway. Agni was now the proud owner of a second ¡°cutesy¡± shirt and some pajamas. This went a long way to extending Agni¡¯s wardrobe which at the moment was practically non-existent.

    ¡°Merri wanted to get you something a bit more risque. But I wasn¡¯t sure if that¡¯s your style. You¡¯ll have toe next time.¡± Katrin said.

    ¡°What? She¡¯s a sex demon. I¡¯m sure she would have no problem wearing that.¡± Merri chimed in, to her own defense apparently.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Agni remarked, prompting Katrin to exin the outfit Merri suggested which was apparently enough to make a subus blush.

    ¡°Really Merri? You think I¡¯d wear something like that?¡± Agni asked, her cheeks growing flush. Now that she thought about it, she¡¯d never been that much for lingerie or sexy garments in her past life. She was often too much in a rush to peel things like that away. Still¡­the thought didn¡¯t turn her off.

    *Maybe I should try the sexy look sometime¡­.* Agni thought to herself. In the end the women all made ns to visit the Lull Forest in three days time. The goal was to do individual training and prepare for the adventure. Rather than a life or death outing, Agni and Katrin convinced the other two that it would be more like a camping party. Ariadna was highly skeptical, but she went along with it for Merri¡¯s sake. Surprisingly enough Sh slept the entire time and soon it was time for the fast friends to part ways. Agni took up a ce next to Sh in her own bed, ready to get even more sleep while Katrin retired to her own sporting the new nightgown she purchased.

    It wasn¡¯t long before Katrin had fallen fast asleep, content with the way her day ended. The shopping trip with Ariadna and Merri took her mind off of being left behind. In the end she realized that they actually got along quite well. These were among Katrin¡¯sst thoughts as she drifted off to sleep.

    Which is why when she suddenly felt warm she didn¡¯t really think twice about it. Although asleep, Katrin was aware of the sensation ¡ª she just didn¡¯t deem it necessary to wake up. This warmth gradually spread, from her abdomen upwards to her chest, even her neck at times. It was an undeniably stimting sensation.

    Katrin¡¯s thoughts soon turned carnal in nature. In her mind she imagined a faceless person teasing and caressing her body. Unbeknownst to Agni Katrin regrly thought about sex, in fact her body was raging for a man¡¯sfort. Katrin simply hadn¡¯t met anyone she deemed worthy yet but her inner thoughts could not deny that she craved something long and hard between her thighs.

    This was her first thought once the heat inspiring images came, the second was to give in to them wholly. Soon she was lost in the experience, one with all of the sensations her body was now feeling. The sensation of a mouth kissing and sucking on her neck, fingers tracing along her cor bone and further downward to her breasts.

    Katrin could feel the grip of a hand on her breast, caressing and massaging the soft flesh there. At times gently, others more firmly until her nipples were hard enough to scratch ss. Then warmth, wetness as a mouth covered them one by one, tasting the light perspiration starting to form all over Katrin¡¯s aching body.

    Soon Katrin imagined a hand sliding downward and she eagerly parted her thighs to wee the fingertips which slid into her panties and began to y. She was already wet, dripping from the pleasure, the nectar of her body forming a thick clear fluid. She could feel the hand teasing, ying against her body as it rubbed her juices back against her pussy lips. She could feel the pressure of two middle fingers against the flesh of her body, gently splitting her lips with each motion. Soon her clit was being stimted full on and Katrin couldn¡¯t help but clench the sheets, moaning and sweating profusely

    She bit her lip in anticipation as the fingers prated her, exploring her virgin body gently and easily sending shivers of pleasure along Katrin¡¯s spine. Katrin was now aware of the fact that she was breathing hard, her hips gyrating uncontrobly as the lust within her reached a fever pitch.

    The fingers skillfully guided her through the intense re up urring which saw Katrin¡¯s eyes pop open as she felt herself cum. For a few moments she gazed upwards at the ceiling, taking several deep breaths as she lingered in the feeling. Then she realized she was sleeping next to Agni and cast a nce her way. Luckily both the Subus and Imp were still asleep. Katrin felt a little relieved, even though she was sure Agni wouldn¡¯t mind it would still be a little awkward to exin slumbering orgasms because she needed some dick!

    Katrin turned onto her side after fixing her nightgown, which had somehow been pushed upwards, revealing her breasts. She then made herselffortable and drifted off to sleep once again. Meanwhile, on the other bed, Sh smirked as she continued to lick the remaining nectar from her fingertips.

 Chapter 99: A Familiar Power

    Chapter 99: A Familiar Power

    The next mid-morning Agni found herself alone with Vivian again, at the Doyenne¡¯s insistence.

    ¡°This is another training room, right?¡± Agni asked as she gazed around. The area resembled a wide open field for as far as the eye could see.

    ¡°Of course. This is the same one you used a few days ago. Are you¡­okay? Bump your head?¡± Vivian asked as she flicked her folding hand fan. Agni recognized the item to be one of Vivi¡¯s katana des. She could only surmise that the bamboo pole in the kitsune¡¯s other hand was the second katana.

    *She doesn¡¯t always carry that bole around though. I wonder what she morphs it into at other times?* Agni thought. Sh yawned, for a moment Agni forgot that the imp was even present. She seemed tired and uninterested yet Vivi also insisted the familiare along as well.

    ¡°Now. Since you know my secret, I think it¡¯s time for you to share one of yours with me.¡± Vivian said with a smile as she pointed towards Sh.

    ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± Sh asked between a stretch and yawn.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to know how you haven¡¯t reverted since you¡¯ve been summoned.¡± Vivian said as she tapped her bamboo pole against her shoulder, her four fox tails swayed gently to and fro, suggesting she was in a good mood currently.

    Sh froze up when she heard this question, for she¡¯d purposely been avoiding having the conversation for as long as possible.

    ¡°I-I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about. Heh..heh..¡± Sh offered along with a nervous chuckle.

    ¡°Cute. But no.¡± Vivi replied as she too chuckled.

    ¡°Familiars aren¡¯t entities that can be summoned constantly. ording to some research I didst night, familiars fall into two categories ¡ª Summons and Shadows. If I had to guess, you¡¯re a Shadow type, one that can act as a sort ofpanion for a limited time. But, even that has its limits.¡± Vivian exined casually.

    *Shit. She figured me out in a heartbeat.* Sh grumbled inwardly.

    ¡°Hmm? Sh¡­is that true?¡± Agni asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

    ¡°N-no?¡± Sh offered weakly, but it was pointless. Due to their bond Agni knew right away that Sh was full of shit. However, rather than getting annoyed with her Agni justughed, something Sh did not expect.

    ¡°Fine. Yes¡­I¡¯m a Shadow type. And yes¡­I need to return to the core in order to recharge my strength.¡± Sh relented and finally exposed the truth. However Agni just walked over to her familiar and ced an arm around her.

    ¡°Is that why you were so keen to explore everything yesterday? Were you¡­afraid to go back into your core?¡± Agni asked.

    ¡°N-no. I¡¯m not afraid of anything. Thank you very much. I just¡­¡± Sh began.

    ¡°You have no idea what it¡¯s like, to not have a body of your own. It¡¯s maddening, not to be able to eat or sleep, or feel anything.¡± Sh confided aloud.

    ¡°Hmm. I suppose you¡¯re right.¡± Agni said as she patted Sh on the head beforeing to a conclusion.

    ¡°Fine. You cane out whenever you want. You don¡¯t need me to call you forth.¡± Agni dered.

    ¡°Are you sure about that? I might do weird things to you in your sleep¡­¡± Sh¡¯s ears perked up and the corners of her mouth twitched a bit as she struggled against the urge to release a beaming smile.

    ¡°You mean like you did yesterday anyway? I¡¯ll be fine. Just¡­nothing too crazy..¡± Agni added as a stiption.

    ¡°That¡¯s problematic.¡± Vivian said suddenly.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Agni asked.

    ¡°Well, the main issue is using a familiar generally requires mana. If not for that, most familiars would be in constant use. Are you not feeling drained at all Agni?¡± Vivian asked.

    ¡°No. Not really. I feel fine. Oh¨C but I was pretty tired yesterday.¡± Agni recounted.

    ¡°Was that you Sh?¡± She asked next.

    ¡°Urgk.¡± Sh winced at having been seen through so easily yet again.

    *Well, I knew I wouldn¡¯t be able to hide it forever¡­* Sh thought inwardly as she nodded her head.

    ¡°And¡­Sh, you¡¯ve been outside of your core all evening?¡± Vivian asked, her mood teetering upon curiosity at this point.

    ¡°Yep.¡± Sh responded.

    ¡°So that means, you¡¯re definitely unique. I thought as much. I tried to find information about humanoid familiars and there are hardly any references to that. So..I guess my next question shouldn¡¯te as a surprise to you then Sh¡­¡± Vivian flicked her fan a few times as she spoke.

    ¡°No.. let me guess. You want to know what my abilities are..¡± Sh responded. At this point there was no reason to conceal anything.

    ¡°Indeed! You should have an idea, right? Also the main reason you didn¡¯t want to use the ability is that it will probably force you to rest. Am I also correct?¡±

    It was now bing slightly annoying to be seen through so effortlessly by Vivian.

    *Truly formidable. I will need to fluff those tails extra well in the near future.* Sh thought to herself as she resolved to take a small measure of revenge. Since she had no reason to conceal her motives Sh also neglected to conceal the same thought from Agni.

    *Sounds like fun. It has been a while¡­* Agni shared with Sh, causing the two to share a creepy smirk with one another.

    ¡°I see. That makes things difficult then. I wanted to help you learn more about your familiar abilities and offer some pointers.¡± Vivian said.

    ¡°Fusion.¡± Sh stated.

    ¡°I can fuse with her to a certain degree.¡± Sh borated as she pointed towards Agni.

    ¡°Fusion? I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing. You mean likebining into one?¡± Vivian became more interested by the second.

    *I was right to tell her to conceal this ability. The Demonic Chapel would be hounding her night and day if they knew.* Vivian thought to herself.

    Sh nodded in response to Vivian¡¯s question. After a few moments of thought Vivian ultimately decided to make a somewhat selfish request of Sh.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I know you value your newfound freedom, but I think we should explore the limits of this ability as much as possible. To that end, Sh will you activate the Fusion for me?¡± Vivian¡¯s request was expected as well by the imp. In fact she knew that the second she let certain key info slip that Agni would probably make the same requests. Still she wasn¡¯t upset. She¡¯d learned quite a lot in the past twenty four hours.

    One such fact is that as long as she was efficient in mana use, she wouldn¡¯t need to rely on Agni¡¯s mana reserves to sustain her tangible form. The second was that she too had a Systema interface of her own, though Sh wasn¡¯t entirely sure what that meant in the grand scheme of things. She also learned the thrill of new sensations and feelings as well as the joy of sleep ¨Ceven though she had very little the prior night. She also learned the sweet taste of Katrin¡¯s nectar¨Cfinally.

    *You ¡®what¡¯!?* Agni internally responded as she recoiled from shock, forcing a devious smile from the imp.

    *I¡¯ll tell you more about itter. Let¡¯s try this out. Truth be told I have been curious¡­* Sh thought, intentionally cutting Agni¡¯s interrogation short.

    ¡°Great. Whenever you¡¯re ready then.¡± Vivian said as she awaited the magic.

    ¡°So..what do I need to do?¡± Agni asked, she stowed away Sh¡¯sment for a definite talk at ater date.

    ¡°Simple. Just flow your mana into the core. You should understand more.¡± Sh responded as she did several body stretches.

    ¡°Little Tyrant.¡± Agni muttered before she ced her hand on the choker around her neck. She focused her mana, sending it into the Crimson Core which was a centerpiece of the choker itself. Soon a gentle flow of mana issued forth from the core and began to filter through Agni¡¯s body. The Subus couldn¡¯t help but close her eyes as the feeling took over, it was soothing while the sounds of a second heartbeat echoed, reverberated even throughout her body.

    Soon the gentle flow of energy turned inwards and Agni could once more hear Sh¡¯s voice, as if the imp was deep inside of her soul. Vivian watched on with rapt interest. To her Agni¡¯s body was covered in a thick aura of energy which flowed upwards like strands of smoke from an incense. Sh on the other hand grew faint and dim before turning into a fiery sort of mana that flowed into Agni¡¯s chest, particrly the choker and the Crimson Core embedded within it.

    The air in the training room began to shift as it flowed towards Agni, who was now consumed by mes. The fire ate up the avable air voraciously before ring up. To Vivian it looked as if Agni was made of pure fire, an Ifrit made of pure mes. With a burst of light the mes disappeared and what remained was the pair of Agni and Sh in their new fusion form.

    Agni slowly opened her eyes and for a moment she couldn¡¯t hear anything, save for the sound of a loud pulsing in her ears. Gradually this subsided and she focused on Vivian who stared at the Subus in awe, positioned just a few meters away.

    Agni felt a rush of power, indescribable which flowed through all of her limbs, even her tail. What was even more exciting was her new appearance. Agni nced downward, her mouth agape as she realized her body had undergone a dramatic transformation.

 Chapter 100: Gaines And Losses (1)

    Chapter 100: Gaines And Losses (1)

    ¡°Sh, are you seeing this?¡± Agni asked aloud as she inspected her transformed state. Her forearms and shins were d in thick, te-like scales. They were ebony in color with a fade in of deep vermillion near the edges. These scales ovepped each other,much like scale mail would do, forming a natural sort of armor. More than scales however the protrusions resembled a mix of bone and ting.

    This also extended to her chest as the scales arced around her breasts and curved, covering her nipples. Her midriff was bare, exposed but only to the waist. From the waist down more scales grew, as her skin took on a darker tone in several ces where smaller scales protruded. In these areas her flesh resembled that of a dragon maiden with various light and darker colorations surrounding the bundles of smaller scales which ran along her outer thighs. This transformation even reached to her tail, something Agni was keenly aware of due to the newfound heft of the limb. With just a single flick her tail swished through the air, making a fearsome slicing sound. It was now several times thicker and also fully ted making Agni¡¯s fifth appendage resemble a dragon¡¯s tail. Even the tip was more fearsome, shaped more like a spear more than a spade.

    ¡°This is¡­incredible.¡± Agni mouthed to herself before pausing.

    ¡°Sh?¡± She said again, before trying to contact her familiar with telepathy. Rather than getting a verbal answer the core within Agni¡¯s choker pulsed, the center of the gem-like sphere churned with ming energy.

    Instinctively Agni understood that this was Sh¡¯s response.

    ¡°You¡­ you can¡¯t speak?¡± Agni asked for confirmation. Once more the core hanging from her neck glowed in response, affirming the response to Agni¡¯s question.

    ¡°So. This is¡­Fusion. I must say it¡¯s rather breathtaking. You look much stronger in this form and way more demon-like.¡± Vivian said as she stepped forth, changing her fan into a hand mirror. Agni carefully inspected her appearance, even her face seemed different. She also became aware of the fact that her magic veins were now on full disy, she could see them pulsing just beneath the surface of her own skin.

    Agni¡¯s teeth also grew into sharper, longer points. What was most surprising , however, was Agni¡¯s eyes. Normally orange, they now seemed naturally pink with several alternating shades of light and dark. This made her eyes almost hypnotic to stare into and she couldn¡¯t help but smile upon noticing.

    ¡°This is¡­awesome..¡± Agni said as she touched her cheek, even though her fingers were covered in thick scales she could still register some of the sensations flowing through them.

    ¡°Indeed.¡± Vivian said in agreement as she took note of Agni¡¯s awe inspiring form.

    ¡°Your clothing disappeared though, all save the choker. I suspect that¡¯s due being attached to the familiar core.¡± Vivian observed. The ting covering Agni¡¯s body was like a suit of highly flexible armor which covered her outer portion. Beneath, the bottoms of her feet were bare ¡ª as were Agni¡¯s palms, lower back and abdomen.

    ¡°Any way you slice it, this form looks like abat form. Try using some magic.¡± Vivian suggested as she took a few steps backwards to give Agni some room.

    ¡°¡­.It¡¯s not working..¡± Agni said after a few moments. Conjuring lightning was a no go, it seemed. After a few more wasted seconds of attempting to use magic, the core flickered several times in a row prompting a spark of fire to issue forth near Agni¡¯s palm.

    Agni took this to mean that Sh was instructing her, thus Agni created a fireball. She was surprised to see the magic construct form instantly and twice asrge as she anticipated.

    ¡°That¡¯s ¡­a big improvement..¡± Agni said as the brilliant sphere of me cast light upon the surface of her pupils. What¡¯s more, she effortlessly summoned forth such a technique ¡ª Agni felt she was capable of much more.

    Almost as if Vivian could read Agni¡¯s mind she hopped backwards, creating several meters of distance between the two. The familiar sight of Vivian¡¯s body morphing into her normal form, an adult, happened next. This time she was still wearing the same yukata, though now the outfit was much more¡­.seductive.

    The fabric of the yukata exposed her shoulders and entuated her bosom. Since Vivian wasn¡¯t wearing pants one could almost see her panties beneath the edge of the yukata¡¯s end. Agni watched also as Vivian¡¯s two weapons shapeshifted, the bamboo rod turning into a long katana and the hand mirror shifting to a shorter katana.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get you used to this new ability of yours.¡± Vivian said as she assumed a martial pose, one sword directed towards Agni.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start with something light. Get a feel for your new body, then we will increase the intensity until you start to discover some limits.¡± Vivian exined as she motioned for Agni toe at her.

    ¡°Hmph. Very well.¡± Agni said as she swished her tail, a smirk filled her expression in the same breath. * I don¡¯t feel like I could lose to anyone right now.* she thought to herself and Sh agreed as the core pulsed with energy and Agni dashed forth to begin some light sparring.

    Agni found out that she could indeed be defeated by Vivian many times over the course of the next three days. During this time the Doyenne, Sh and the Subus would meet every morning and every evening to help Agni get a feel for her newfound ability. Slowly, surely, the powers and limitations of the technique also became more apparent.

    The limit for the fusion was two minutes at her current level of strength, this was confirmed by Sh as well. This duration could further be reduced based on just how much mana Agni had to spare prior to activating fusion as well as how much the Subus exerted herself.

    After using the technique Sh and Agni both would be fatigued, but much more so for the familiar. It would take roughly six hours of ¡°sleep¡±, that is receding into the core, for Sh to recover enough to either use the technique again or assume her tangible form.

    For Agni, the act of meditation or taking a nap was usually enough to recover from her fatigue. While the detriments of the fusion were somewhat unwieldy, the benefits more than made up for it.

    While in their fused state, Agni and Sh essentially became one with Sh using the entirety of her being to facilitate the change. Agni¡¯s physical resistance was off the charts, she could now deflect weapons with her forearms, shins or tail without any difort for the most part. Normal blows were also much less effective, she couldn¡¯t properly gauge just how effective due to the training room¡¯s protections but Agni felt her resistance to damage had more than doubled.

    Mastery over mes also increased dramatically, allowing Agni to tap into Sh¡¯s greater me maniption technique called ¡®Dominion¡¯. It essentially allowed Agni to activate her magic at any fixed point in 3D space within a ten meter radius of her position. What¡¯s more Agni¡¯s ability to gather and shape me energy was almost three times more quick and powerful. The downside was that the fusion ability blocked Agni from using any element that she and Sh did not have shared affinity for, in this case every element except mes.

    On the morning of the fourth day Vivian dered that today would be thest time for a while that the two would meet.

    ¡°I do have a chapel to run after all.¡± Vivian said with a smile. Over the past few days she felt she¡¯d gotten a better feel for Agni¡¯s personality through their sparring sessions. For this reason Vivian felt closer to Agni than anyone else in a long while. Even Sh hade to grow on her despite her crass attitude and reckless mouth.

    ¡°Fine, fine. We¡¯ve already kept Katrin waiting for almost a week. Let¡¯s wrap this up, we were supposed to go Grimlock hunting days ago.¡± Agni said as she ced her hand on the crimson core and flowed her mana into it. With a burst of fiery light she assumed her fusion form and pressed the attack without dy.

    ¡°Oh. And did I mention, I¡¯ll be using my full strength today as well?¡± Vivian¡¯s words were spoken calmly yet Agni couldn¡¯t help but notice the steely undertones within, as if her statement carried weight. Soon, Agni would find out that it was more than a statement.

    *Huh? Where did she go?* Agni thought as she dashed forward. All that remained in the spot where Vivian once stood were shreds of grass which fluttered about in themotion of movement.

    Agni was able to discern Vivian¡¯s strike just a split second before it connected, forcing her to stop in her tracks and lift her arms. The cross block was sufficient to guard against the strike Vivian leveled her way, but the force of the blow was a different matter. Because Vivian timed her blow in a way that Agni¡¯s bnce would be disrupted the Subus stumbled backwards, ultimately being driven several steps backwards.

    It took a moment for Agni to register what happened. In a split second Vivian bridged the distance and alsoshed out.

    ¡°Pretty good. Honestly, I didn¡¯t expect you to perceive my strike. I guess it would be okay for me to press a little harder then.¡± Vivian said as her eyes took on a faint glow of yellow energy. What came next left Agni struggling to keep up. Once again, as if Vivian simply blinked into existence next to Agni, a series of swift katana strikes rained down upon Agni. She shifted her weight deftly, leaning as she parried the katana blows with her forearms. This was fine in itself but Vivian¡¯s blows gave Agni no room to rest or counter. Each blow was both fast and heavy enough that it stifled any of Agni¡¯s efforts to counter strike. Sensing that this was done purposely Agni created some distance between the two, only to be struck at the base of her spine with Vivian¡¯s sword hilt.

    She wasn¡¯t imagining things!

    *This must be some kind of ability. What¡¯s Vivian¡¯s ss again? Vixen!?* Agni regretted not learning more about her Doyenne at this point.

    *Is this teleportation? Is she blinking around?* Agni¡¯s mind was racing while her expression was stoic as she turned to face her opponent. After a moment of thought Agni ignited her hands, covering them with mes before she slowly stepped towards Vivian, taking special care to observe each moment intimately. Now that her senses were focused solely on the moment Vivian made a move, Agni noticed something strange. Rather than dashing, leaping or even teleporting it seemed as if Vivian faded from existence. A momentter Agni felt the strength and pressure of a strike against her abdomen. It was powerful enough to disturb her breathing, which was a feat considering Agni¡¯s fusion form was much more resistant to physical damage.

    In response Agnished out in the direction she perceived Vivian to be in, at the same time she caused the mes covering her hands to re up as well. The result was a ming swipe that resembled a whip. Once more Vivian faded from existence and appeared from another strange angle, striking Agni on the shoulder this time. She followed that blow with a second from behind and a third to Agni¡¯s stomach. Each time Vivian faded away only to reappear elsewhere leaving Agni just a split secondte in her reaction time.

    A series of ring strikes roared through the air, each time she was struck Agni forced more of her mana outward to increase the strike zone of her augmented physical attacks. Still, this did no good, Vivian¡¯s technique was proving rather difficult to break through.

    ¡°So, is this the limit of what you can currently do? I have to admit, I was really impressed the first time I saw your fusion transformation. Now¡­I¡¯m not so sure.¡± Vivian¡¯s voice echoed all around as she spoke yet Agni couldn¡¯t pick up a trace of her position. Agni had to admit that the kitsune¡¯s words were a bit biting.

    *This was never realistic anyway. She¡¯s a damn rank 3!* Agni internalized as she gritted her teeth and fought back a wave of annoyance. She knew instinctively that this was Vivian¡¯s way of taunting her. It was at this time that Agni noticed the faint glow of the core around her neck followed by the activation of her Subus Vision.

    *Of course! Ipletely forgot about this!* Agni suddenly felt foolish as her vision altered into a world of blue apanied by various shades of yellow, red and orange. Vivian was now easy to spot. The mystery behind Vivian¡¯s ability to fade away was now solved as Agni watched a vapor-like mist of magic poured from Vivian¡¯s body. The next instant Vivian¡¯s bright heat signature dimmed, nearly turning the same color as the surrounding environment.

    *Is she invisible? That¡¯s..OP..* Agni thought inwardly though she didn¡¯t react, she didn¡¯t want to give up the element of surprise. Agni waited until Vivian moved in to strike before ducking the blow and spinning all in the same movement. Agni¡¯s tail struck Vivian squarely in the stomach, halting her in her tracks as a reverberating thud echoed throughout the training room. Seizing the moment, Agni alsonded two attacks with her mes, one was a jab to the Doyenne¡¯s face and the other was a fierce cross strike to the temple, causing the mes to spark up as a heat explosion erupted at point nk range.

    For a moment neither of the women moved and Agni wondered if she¡¯d done it. Only when a swiftly ced kick to the abdomen lifted the Subus from her feet did she realize Vivian was barely harmed. This blow was much heavier, causing Agni to exhale sharply, even drooling in the process.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. You managed to discern another one of my secrets almost effortlessly. What is it with you?¡± Vivian responded, a slight tinge of anger resonating within her voice.

    ¡°How?¡± She suddenly demanded as she fixed her yukata from themotion of their brief exchange.

    ¡°Hmm? I could tell you but..that¡¯s my secret!¡± Agni responded with a smirk.

    Vivian¡¯s reaction to her deration was not one the subus anticipated.

    ¡°Ha! Ha ha ha!¡± The kitsune nearly doubled over inughter, even holding her stomach as she did so. Although Agni wondered exactly what was so humorous she couldn¡¯t help but smile at the disy of unfettered joy.

    ¡°Ahh.¡± Vivian said as she took a deep breath, ¡± I¡¯m so d you finally get it! You¡¯re the best.¡± Vivian said as she wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.

    ¡°That being said, just because you know a few of my skills that still doesn¡¯t mean you can contend with them.¡± Vivian¡¯s demeanor suddenly grew more serious as she crouched, her des changing in length until they resembled kodachi rather than katana. The kitsune¡¯s tails flowed and swayed behind her, almost rhythmically, as Vivian hopped forth to attack. The first strike was easy for Agni to evade ¡ª or so she thought. As Agni stepped to the side the de of Vivian¡¯s weapon extended, catching her on the chin. A second blow quickly followed whichpletely destroyed Agni¡¯s bnce as the other extended de smashed into her ribcage.

    Vivian¡¯s attack resembled a de dance as she barraged Agni with several more strikes, each more tricky to anticipate than the next. Each time Agni felt she was getting used to the onught Vivian would lengthen or shorten the length of her des. At other times she would use the same technique as a feint to set up other strikes. Finally Agni was forced to create distance as she simply couldn¡¯t keep up with the speed of Vivian¡¯s movements. Unfortunately this was also anticipated by the Doyenne.

    Agni felt a heavy pressure thud against her abdomen as she hopped backwards only to realize the edge of Vivian¡¯s weapon was now pushing her backwards at an rming speed. The force of the extending de was enough topletely lift Agni off of her feet in the process and after a few moments Agni was sent sailing through the air. After the de extended just over six meters, it seemed Vivian¡¯s attack ran its course. Agni flew significantly further, sliding and rolling several more meters before she came to a stop, having gouged deep marks in the dirt of the grassy field.

    The strike was so powerful that it knocked Agni¡¯s breath away and forced her to stop breathing for several seconds after the fact. She grabbed her stomach and inhaled wildly as she gazed at the kitsune from afar.

    *This is the power of a rank 3? I¡¯d have been dead several times over by now if we weren¡¯t in this training space. I don¡¯t even think I managed to put a dent in her stamina at this point.* Agni thought as she slowly got to her feet. Due to the series of strikes rained down upon her, Agni could feel a significant dip in her own power. This was a sign that she didn¡¯t have very long to remain in her fused form. Once the fusion dissipated it was almost certain that Agni would pass out. Even in the best case scenario she would be severely drained.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll go all out.¡± Agni remarked as she got to her feet and stared across the way, her eyes fixed on Vivian, who simply waited for a response to her earlier onught.

    ¡ªRoughly half an hour after the conclusion of their sparring session, in the Doyenne¡¯s living quarters¡ª

    ¡°AHH!!! I can¡¯t believe she made me show all of my hidden cards! GRAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!¡± Vivian, now in her teenage form, practically shouted into a pillow as she iled wildly in her bed. She was having a hard timeing to grips with the results of the sparring session, despite the fact that she arranged the whole thing to assist in Agni¡¯s growth.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a real contest. I didn¡¯t even use half of my full strength¡­ rx, rx.¡± She told herself, struggling toe to terms with her annoyance. Her thoughts werepletely contrasting, however.

    *Unbelievable. Unfair! It took me years to hone those abilities and her stupid specialist powers saw right through them in less than five minutes.* Vivian rolled over as she bit the pillow, fire alight in her eyes. At the same time she fought back tears of frustration.

    *Uneptable! Uneptable!* She repeatedly thought as she bearhugged her body pillow then tossed it across the room in frustration before finally going limp against the silk sheets of her bed. After venting her own displeasure, Vivian couldn¡¯t help but think back to the final sh between her and Agni just a few half an hour prior.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll go all out.¡± said the Subus as she gazed towards the kitsune. Vivian, however, felt confident that there wasn¡¯t much more the Agni could do at this point. She¡¯d been present for every moment of training thus far, she felt she¡¯d sufficiently gauged Agni¡¯s abilities. Vivian was also rather confident in her strength as a third ranker. The two strikes Agni managed tond were barely enough to cause Vivian to grimace.

    She watched as Agni lifted her hands towards the sky and called forth a ratherrge sphere of fire magic which she then hurled towards the kitsune.

    *Child¡¯s y.* Vivian thought as she flowed mana into her weapon in preparation of a counter strike. She then took several hopping steps forward before leaping towards the fireball and cleaving it in two, using the ability of her de to extend and cleanly slice the mes.

    Fox demons , like all other demon-kin, had specific vices. For Vivian , hers was the acquisition and keeping of secrets ¡ª the more scious the better. Not only did acquiring and keeping secrets feed her, allowing her to more easily grow in strength, but she was also a deeply secretive person by nature. Deception and illusion weremonce for her, so much so that at one point in her life she even wore a fox-mask in her earlier years, hiding her identity in the process. After having lived this way for many years, it was ingrained in Vivian not to think twice about hiding her hand while exposing the methods of others. Thus she had no qualms about deceiving Agni during their battle.

    The first tactic she used was a derivative of Illusionary magic which allowed her to conceal her own appearance by refracting light dynamically. This was a skill that Vivian tirelessly honed and even now she could only use it for a short time. Still, it served its purpose ¡ª for a maximum of ten seconds she could make herself invisible for all intents and purposes. Whenbined with her de skill this would normally be enough to take out most anyone. In fact, the reason Agni was still standing despite Vivian¡¯s numerous blows was due to the protection of the training room. Within those walls losing health was virtually impossible. Rather than having health depleted, physical stamina as well as mana would be sacrificed instead.

    Vivian was aware of this, having been the one to design the chapel¡¯s training restrictions herself. Still, the feeling of needing to use more than one of her ¡°secret¡±bat methods grated on Vivian¡¯s pride. At some point the simple sparring session became a personal challenge,rgely in part due to Agni¡¯s nullification of Vivian¡¯s Illusion technique.

    The subus somehow managed to break the spell by simply observing it a few times. It was a mild annoyance but, being cunning by nature, Vivian always had multiple tricks up her sleeve at any given time. She moved onto the next method without fail, switching to use of her shapeshifting abilities to alter the length of her weapons. This was less of an issue for Vivian as Agni already knew of this ability. In fact, Vivian herself often shape shifted her weapons at will to resemble various essories. It was mostly done out of habit. By making clever use of shapeshifting and her finely honedbat skills Vivian managed to push Agni to the point of near exhaustion. It was only a matter of time before the fusion was undone and their sparring session would end.

    *My win. Well, that¡¯s to be expected. I probably got a little too invested because she irked me. I should apologize to herter..* Vivian thought, despite this a smirk shed across her lips as she cleaved Agni¡¯s final attack in two. Or so she thought.

    With a snap of her fingers Agni caused the two sphere halves to explode, catching Vivian in the st. Having been caught totally unaware Vivian couldn¡¯t even react. Both halves exploded simultaneously, expanding rapidly and meeting with Vivian in the center. Agni watched with bated breath, looking rather haggard from impending exhaustion. After a couple of seconds a smoking trail exited the ball of fire, Vivian was forced to hop backwards in order to escape the persistent me explosions.

    This was a minor inconvenience for someone of her strength, nothing at all ¡ª this is what Vivian believed. That is until she backed into several smaller stationary spheres of me which were positioned to surround her.

    *She anticipated this? I should have just leapt forward!* Vivian thought as she watched several dozen ming orbs materialize into existence from just as many positions and angles. Vivian struggled to recall the length of her extended de for it hampered her movement significantly. Unfortunately shrinking the de was more time consuming than extending it ¡ª

    The first explosion rang out as the once stationary spheres began to move towards Vivian¡¯s position. The first struck Vivian¡¯s lower back as she sailed backwards through the air, robbing her of the opportunity to regain her footing. Though the sts were much smaller than the first, each began to detonate in rapid session with Vivian firmly caught in the middle.

    *Shit!* She thought as she used her tails to cover up, closing herself in a ball as the series of chain explosions continued. Even though she felt the strikes would do little to harm her, Vivian still wanted to avoid taking unnecessary blows.

    Even with her tails covering her vital points the defense wasn¡¯t perfect, her legs and part of her arms were still exposed thus the attack quickly began to take its toll. Five seconds passed, then ten and Vivian realized that she was now stuck in a battle of attrition. The explosions were strong enough to prevent her from moving and so numerous that Vivian found herself rooted in ce from the force of the chain explosions.

    *This has got to be ¡®Dominion¡¯. What a terrifying ability!* Vivian could only think of Sh¡¯s smug face as she struggled to regain her bnce. As the explosions wore on Vivian could only steel her resolve and wait patiently.

    *She has to tire soon, right?* She reasoned with herself yet as twenty seconds passed Vivian now found her stamina to have taken a significant hit, dipping to just under 60%. A single st wasn¡¯t enough to worry over but dozens of sustained explosions managed to deplete almost 30% of Vivian¡¯s stamina in such a short time.

    ¡°You¡¯re getting a bit too cocky!¡± Vivian shouted as she gritted her teeth and morphed one of her katana into a metal pole. She then extended it, using it as a means to push her from the epicenter of the sts. As she peeked through a crack in her tails she realized Agni was continually making spheres and sending them forth. Even as Vivian moved she smashed into several of the aerial magic mines, but the end of the battle was near so she simply disregarded them.

    The sight awaiting Vivian as she burst through the screen of smoke and mes was a wee one. Agni seemed extremely taxed as sweat poured profusely from all over. The subus looked to be struggling to stay on her feet ¡ª these were all telltale signs that the fusion was faltering. All things considered, their scuffle barelysted two minutes.

    Having cleared the minefields Vivian unfurled her tails and reshaped her weapons in anticipation of their next moves. She hadn¡¯t exerted her full strength once during the battle¨Cin fact she made a point to only use about thirty percent of it. The exception would be the next strike, just to cement the fact that Agni still had a long way to go. Vivian¡¯s arms crossed her chest as her katana took shape, forming into their normal states ¡ª one long and one short. She arced through the air, her trajectory was perfectly on course to deliver the mother of all double cross shes.

    Just two meters before she bridged the gap Agni smiled wearily and clenched her fist. This simple act caused a small sphere of me to appear directly before Vivian¡¯s face. In an instant the ball of fire expanded rapidly while simultaneously maintaining its spherical shape. Soon it wasrge enough topletely engulf Vivian in its fury.

    For the briefest of moments Vivian couldn¡¯t think. Nor could she breath as fire robbed her of all sanity and oxygen. Then it just happened ¡ª her body reacted on instinct. A blue me ignited, covering Vivian¡¯s body in an aura of mes which quickly ate Agni¡¯s own fire. Within seconds the desperate me attack was consumed leaving Vivian standing before the copsed subus. For the briefest of moments Vivian lost herself and released just a fraction of her true abilities. Her entire body was aglow, consumed by blue mes which covered even her four tails. The switch in Vivian¡¯s mind which screamed ¡°attack¡± caused her to activate her final ¡°secret¡± in one momentarypse of judgement.

    Meanwhile, Agni¡¯sst ditch effort was enough to drive her toplete exhaustion. Consumed by the power of blue mes and having finallye back to her senses, Vivian watched as Agni¡¯s fused body began to glow and shimmer. A bolt of magical energy formed and exited Agni¡¯s body causing Sh to appear nearby. Both women were unconscious, having fully exerted themselves inbat.

    ¡ª¡ª-

    ¡°AGGGGGGGGGGGH!! I can¡¯t believe they made me use FOX FIRE. THAT WAS MY BEST SECRET!¡± Vivian iled her limbs wildly before screaming into a second pillow.

 Chapter 101: Gaines And Losses (2)

    Chapter 101: Gaines And Losses (2)

    ¡°Ugh. I¡¯m tired¡­¡± Agni groaned as she made her way back to her shared sleeping quarters. She didn¡¯t even remember how the sparring session turned out, but she assumed that she lost miserably. She awoke to a teenage version of Vivian who was keen to give her the following advice.

    ¡°In a life or death battle you¡¯d be toast. Never fight to exhaustion when you¡¯re alone otherwise you¡¯re done for. Also, you should practice ending the fusion forcibly.¡± Vivian seemed¡­strange as she counseled Agni on her final batch of suggestions before parting ways with the subus. Sh was now asleep, resting within the crimson core in order to regain her energy. Agni could ¡°feel¡± her presence and at the moment envied Sh.

    ¡°Why did I agree to go adventuringter?¡± Agni released another sigh as she pushed the door of her room open. Inside Katrin was doing her usual, practicing with her Scribe Script. Agni took note of several dozen folded cloaks piled on the table. Katrin sat nearby as she used her fingers to trace magical runes in the air. With each symbol created the magic flowed into her current focus, one of the many cloaks.

    ¡°You¡¯re on to cloaks now?¡± Agni asked, in reference to the fact that Katrin had upgraded from scrolls to equippable gear. Katrin¡¯s eyes shone with a magical glow of light blue energy as she simply nodded, her focus was working diligently on her own training.

    *Well, at least I can rest.* Agni thought as a yawn escaped her lips. She stretched as she wandered over to her bed and plopped onto it, the soft and silky sheets weing her in the process. Within moments a serenity found Agni as she cuddled up to her pillow, her tail twitching asionally as she fell asleep.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    The sounds of manic screaming filled the dimly lit torture chamber as Zipher Enrei also diligently went about his work. The work of inflicting pain. He¡¯d been at it for several days now and his only regret was that he couldn¡¯t work on each of the six men at once. His normally white hair was stained with blood that was not his own as was his cheek currently. This didn¡¯t bother him at all, in fact his philosophy was ¡°the more blood the better¡±. Still Zipher had to be careful, he didn¡¯t want to identally second death his little pets.

    He nced along the row of nude, shackled men. All of them hung limp, having been worked over dozens of times. Zipher simply couldn¡¯t get enough of the adventurer¡¯s unique constitution. No matter how many times he depleted their health it would eventually rise once more. The men before him were under his thumb on the best of days but with ¡°second death¡± status affecting them they were weaker than kittens beneath Zipher¡¯s heel.

    He pounded their rib cages mercilessly, at times pretending to be a boxer. Thirty minutester they were practically healed. This was one of Zipher¡¯s many experiments to see just how far he could push the body of an adventurer.

    ¡°Don¡¯t kill them all. Maybe one or two will be a proper lesson.¡± These were Gaines¡¯ words after obtaining the information he wanted to know. Zipher felt giddy at the thought that he might have two new special toys to break ¡ª a subus and a scribe.

    *I¡¯ve never had either before. I wonder how they would cringe for me.* Zipher traced his finger tip along the nearest man¡¯s body as this thought urred to him.

    *And they are women. Even better, I¡¯ll definitely spoil their little fuck holes.* A demented smile formed on Zipher¡¯s bronzed face causing Glint, the dark skinned man of the group to grimace in disgust.

    ¡°He. He he he.¡± Zipher chuckled as the thought of defiling more bodies caused him such tion while Glint felt sickened. It was apparent that the ¡°freak¡± was imagining something disturbing.

    *If I ever escape this ce, you¡¯ll be the second person I kill. Right after that fat fuck.* Glint could only clench his fists, he wasn¡¯t strong enough for much else.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see. I haven¡¯t tried¡­..amputation yet.¡± Zipher remarked aloud as he pressed his finger against his bottom lip to feign a bit of innocence. The men before him tried not to show fear, at least the ones who weren¡¯t broken mentally at having been tortured for days straight. Of the six, three simply stopped moving or reacting.

    *It¡¯s no fun when they don¡¯t react.* Zipher thought as he eyed one such man on the end. He decided to do the experiment on that man. Zipher wiped the blood from his hands, staining his white mage¡¯s coat bloody in the process. He then lifted his right hand and focused his mana to activate a spell.

    ¡°Blight : Severe Poison.¡± He said, making little effort to hide his malicious intent. A ck and blue tendril snaked through the air and traveled nearly two meters away before piercing the chest of the man furthest away from Zipher. Glint, Fargo and the rest of the men shuddered for they¡¯d seen Zipher¡¯s magic far too many times before.

    The magic vein throbbed the second it pierced flesh as if something was being transferred directly into the main¡¯s body. His veins turned ck, visible through his skin as Zipher¡¯s mana poured into the man¡¯s body and infected him with poison.

    With a loud, whooping cough the infected man coughed up thick, ck gunk ¡ª a mixture of blood and poison which was now overflowing from within. The once motionless man felt his body shudder uncontrobly as it fought to ovee the venom which burned through his bloodstream.

    Zipher knew this would not be enough to kill him, in fact he¡¯d learned that status ailments weren¡¯t enough to truly kill any adventurer ¡ª no matter how severe. Only direct damage could do so, or more specifically fatal damage. But would limb removal ssify as fatal damage? Well, that would be Zipher¡¯s test for today. The ck and blue magic tendril was retracted as Zipher stepped forward to take a closer look.

    Soon the man stopped moving, ck fluid dripping from his nostrils and mouth as Zipher examined his hanging body. Zipher used the poison to quickly damage the man¡¯s health, that and he simply enjoyed being sadistic.

    ¡°Hmm. Not being able to wield a de is annoying.¡± Zipher remarked but luckily he had a helper.

    ¡°You. Cut off his right arm. Start at the shoulder and cut it clean or else you¡¯ll be sorry.¡± Zipher ordered, speaking to a young woman who seemed incredibly ufortable. Nevertheless, she picked up a shortsword from the dirty, scat and grime covered ground and shivered while forming her own resolve.

    ¡°YAHHH!¡± She screamed as she raised the de, bringing it down with all of her strength. The blow was indeed enough to rend the man¡¯s arm clean off. However, the angle was awkward and she sliced off a bit more than she intended. The poisoned man shouted weakly, only because his voice was practically spent from shouting in pain, as blood sttered against the wall and floor. Several spurts of blood issued outwards before his adventurer¡¯s body began to stem the flow.

    ¡°Wait.. I-I¡¯m sorry!¡± The woman said as she backed away, dropping the shortsword as a crippling fear overtook her. Zipher simply lifted his right hand once more and fired the blight tendril, the woman turned to run out of terror and was knocked to the ground as the tendril roughly dug into the back of her head.

    Momentster she was pumped full of paralytic, so much that she could only cry silently ¡ª the remainder of her body was numb. Zipher recalled his tendril as he watched the poisoned man convulse and shake from blood loss. He was waiting for the particr moment when his health zeroed out.

    *Unconscious? No..he¡¯s¡­* Whenever an adventurer¡¯s health reached 0 while in second death status, unless they sustained a moral blow they would still be able to hang on by a thread. Thebination of poison, as well as a severed arm was apparently enough to keep regeneration from preserving life. Zipher watched as the man¡¯s eyes went nk.

    ¡°Hmm. I see. So severed limbs count as life threatening even for an adventurer.¡± He remarked. He turned away from the now hanging corpse for it held no interest anymore. Zipher knew what would happen next.

    He directed his attention to the paralyzed woman on the floor as he began to think about whichbination of ailments he could best use to punish her. Behind him the man¡¯s corpse burst into ck mes as the flesh began to melt away, revealing a skeleton which quickly turned into ash within the mes.

 Chapter 102: Unseen Chains (1)

    Chapter 102: Unseen Chains (1)

    After several agonizing minutes of listening to the muffled grunts of pain which echoed throughout the torture room, Glint¡¯s mind was ready to snap. Glint¡¯s brown skin was covered in thetest set of bruises and cuts and though he would soon heal, his body ached all over. Having been tortured beyond the point of exhaustion was causing his mind to fracture. Any more and he felt as if something inside of him would crack beyond repair. The youngdy, the one who managed to displease Zipher got off easy, her tormentsted only a short time. When all was said and done Ziphere released his hold over her, retracting the status ailments he¡¯d inflicted upon the adventurer and shooed her out of the torture room without further incident.

    *This ce is vile. It should not exist. If I ever escape, I¡¯ll burn it and every malicious hand within into ash.* Glint cursed his body, having been made far too weak to barely even walk properly by the second death status he now endured. He watched Zipher, the Blight Mage as he strolled back and forth. If Glint wasn¡¯t so used to the sight of blood, if he wasn¡¯t so desensitized to violence and torture at the hand of another, he might have been phased. The mage¡¯s normally pristine white magic cloak was deeply stained with blood from the waist down and even near the wrists. Zipher seemed to be pondering something as the other five men were forced to endure whatever the sadistic mage had in mind.

    For a brief moment Glint fantasized about sinking his dagger into the short, bronze skinned young man¡¯s vicle and giving it a brisk twist.

    *Then second death him again!* Glint thought as his eyes shed with anger, but only briefly.

    *Who am I kidding? Even if I had my full power I couldn¡¯t break free.* Glint¡¯s mind drifted towards the ve mark on his chest, a circle with a skull which resembled a tattoo more than a seal. He couldn¡¯t help butment his fate, along with his current situation. He nced over at Fargo, the Guardian and leader of the current party and saw that the bald, gruff looking man had his eyes pressed shut. No doubt he was trying to block out the sensations of pain, the scent of blood, urine and feces or the dozen other unpleasant aspects of the current situation.

    *I don¡¯t me him. We were all duped. We even..* Glint hesitated to linger on that thought as his memories began to filter into his brain, taking him back to the time when his own personal hell became a reality.

    ¡ª-

    ¡°It¡¯s headed your way!¡± The tall, husky man shouted as he swiped his long, wide broadsword downward. The impact of the de smashed the ground, sending dirt and grass upwards in the process.

    ¡°On it!¡± Glint shouted, his braids flowing in the wind as he dashed towards therge reptilian Grimlock which was now headed in his direction. He gripped the hilts of his weapons and leapt forth, spinning as he did so. With his full momentum and speed behind him, Glint buried his de to the hilt ¡ª piercing into the creature¡¯s body.

    ¡°Tsk. Tough bastard.¡± Glint remarked as the Grimlock writhed in pain before contorting its body to bring its tail around in counter attack. The tip of the Grimlock¡¯s tail caught Glint on the chest and knocked him backwards, causing him to lose hold on his weapons.

    ¡°Ha ha ha!¡± Fargo¡¯s voice boomed through the woonds as he threw his head backwards andughed.

    *Asshole.* Glint thought as she rolled and quickly got to his feet, gritting his teeth. With a wave of his hand Glint caused one of the embedded daggers to rattle and shake within the flesh of the lizard before recalling it to his grip.

    ¡°Ashe! Now!¡± Glint shouted as he focused on withdrawing the second de. The faint sound of footsteps could be heard as the third adventurer, a pale skinned man named Ashe made his way into the scuffle. For anyone else looking at the battle they would have seen what looked like a transparent man skulking about, some lesser learned adventurers might even consider him a Grimlock due to this concealment.

    Ashe took full advantage of his cloaking technique and measured his strike, hopping upwards for extra force as he gripped the hilt of his dagger with both hands and drove it downward into the skull of the reptilian Grimlock. The creature was instantly killed, as the stiletto de punctured its brain. Only its nerves continued to struggle as the tail and limbs thrashed violently for a few moments more. Ashe, having done his part to strike the final blow, was now fading back into view as his skill wore off.

    ¡°Good job.¡± Fargo said as he walked forth, his Guardian de resting on his shoulder. Ashe on the other hand was rooted in ce, heaving. The longer he was forced to hold his cloaking the greater the physical toll on his body ¡ª such was the price of his most useful ability as a Padfoot.

    ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say. You let us do most of the work..¡± Glintmented as he shrugged back the cape he was wearing and sheathed the two custom daggers in his possession.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve got to learn how to take creatures like these down. You¡¯re a striker after all.¡± Fargo said as he patted Glint on the shoulder so hard that he nearly lost his bnce. Glint couldn¡¯t really consider Fargo a friend, but he¡¯d proven to be apetent adventurer thus he followed him. The trio had been together for several months now at this point, their goal was to all reach second rank.

    *Who better than to get me there besides another second ranker?* Glint ignored the slight stinging sensation in his shoulder and focused on the prompts before him.

    ¡°So, how¡¯s the xp?¡± Fargo asked as Ashe, having finally removed his dagger from the Grimlock¡¯s skull, joined the other two.

    ¡°Tsk. Shit, of course. You can only get great experience on your first kill for a Grimlock. Every ying after that, not so much. Then again you already know that¡­¡± Glint remarked.

    Inwardly, he thought , *Just 10 xp¨Cfor that? It took us nearly five minutes to take down this creature. Clearly not worth it.*

    ¡°That¡¯s true. No worries though, this is just training. The best experiencees from shards. You don¡¯t need to worry about the diminishing xp gains inside the grey world.¡± Fargo stated.

    ¡°Yea, but the only safe shards are near Kirlunst. Anywhere else and you¡¯re basically rolling the dice with your life.¡± Glint retorted. Ashe, who was generally quiet, nodded in agreement. The trio imed their rewards, reptile scales, skins and other odds and ends before making their way back to Grenvale.

    They walked a good ways westward in their pursuit of new hunting grounds that would be suitable for three strikers without a dedicated support mage. Thus was the curse of the striker category, being a striker was rather simple ¡ª y to level. At some point, unless one continued to wander in search of new prey experience gain would slow to a crawl. Grinding was something Glint absolutely hated, yet it was a necessary evil.

    ¡°Nothing is ever easy. It took me nearly six months of constant grinding to reach rank 2.¡± Fargo admitted as the trio walked along the grassy hills which surrounded the city of Grenvale.

    ¡°But it¡¯s worth it.¡± Fargo added.

    ¡°The quests you can pick up in Kirlunst easily pay the best. Just a few and you can buy a home, just a few more besides that and you¡¯ll be set for a year or two.¡± Fargo continued.

    This simple motivationy at the heart of all three men, they simply wanted to live a better life on their own terms. To that end, rather than throwing themselves at monsters all day they decided to reach a sufficient rank and make their way to Kirlunst. There the n was to try their luck and make enough Gols to livefortably. This was, at least, the theory. Glint was no stranger to hard work or putting in effort. When he first arrived in Adventia he felt blinded by the allure of a world filled with magic and mystery. Once he saw people being eaten or ripped apart by Grimlock it changed his perspective. He¡¯d only been in Adventia seven months at this point but it was enough to change his mind about the illusion being a hero.

    He¡¯d never wanted as much anyway, he simply wanted to taste a life of adventurer! Instead he now found himself butting up against the ¡°wall¡± that all adventurer¡¯s faced at one point or another. The grind.

    The trio walked and talked for almost two hours, that¡¯s how long it took for them to walk back to Grenvale. Once there they decided to visit their favorite hang out, a pub in Sprim Row where they could enjoy some gambling, boose andpany of women.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we go to the Silken Petal?¡± Ashe asked as they neared the entrance of the pub.

    ¡°Do you have Silken Petal money?¡± Glint asked, being both serious and sarcastic in the same stroke. Ashe cocked his head to the side, as if to say ¡®point taken¡¯, before following his party mates into the establishment.

    It was a day spent like many before it, adventuring, chatting it up about dreams of a good life or even screwed up things they¡¯d seen before finally retiring to worldlyforts.

    *Simple times. Easier days.* Glint thought. Looking back he wondered what he could have done differently to avoid his current predicament. The answer had to be ¡®that¡¯ night.

 Chapter 103: Unseen Chains (2)

    Chapter 103: Unseen Chains (2)

    She gripped the base of his long, hard dick as she prepared to insert it. She was already dripping wet, her body tensed up from the anticipation as the head of Glint¡¯s cock exerted pressure against her lips. The woman was intent in her work, solely focused and determined to enjoy every moment of the current endeavor.

    *Cyn.* That was her name, Glint recalled as he thought back to the first night he and the peach haired adventurer met. As usual, after a day of grinding and exploration Glint and the others found some ce to hole up to relieve their daily stresses. That day was no exception, the only difference was after Ashe¡¯s insistence to visit a brothel they decided to do so. Only it wasn¡¯t the Silken Petal.

    *That ce was more like the dirty sock. The only good thing there was..her.* Glint wasn¡¯t necessarily a sentimental man but there was something about the chemistry between himself and this woman, Cyn. The moment their eyes met he could feel a bond which coiled its way into his heart. What¡¯s more, he knew the deal ¡ª she was a woman who frequentedpany of men as a living. Normally this would curdle any notions of romance before they took root but Glint also lived an entire life beforeing to Adventia, as most had. Death offered a new perspective along with a new way of thinking.

    The body was just flesh, the soul endured and only things that could damage the soul were truly defiling, at least this is how Glint came to reason. As such when he saw the damaged youngdy smiling, despite her profession and the atmosphere it was as if they were the only ones in the room.

    After just thirty minutes of yful banter the two made things more private which resulted in their current position. Namely her on top.

    She grinded her hips as she bit her lip in anticipation while the head of Glint¡¯s dick parted her body. This went on for several seconds more as Glint¡¯s hands found her hips and gripped her the moment she began to slide down on top of him. More than a physical connection, the vibe they shared tranted into a heightened feeling which Glint remembered for a long time afterwards.

    Rather than rock her hips she began to squat, moving up and down as she clenched her body. The look on her face, one of determination was also one Glint would be hard pressed to forget. It was as if Cyn was studying his face, as if to etch the moment into her mind.

    Their time togethersted through many positions and at least a couple of hours as they mutually drank the enjoyment of each other¡¯s bodies. When all was said and done both were covered in sweat, riding the high of a string of orgasms which left their legs weak and their adrenaline pumping.

    ¡°So..now that we¡¯ve fucked each other senseless¡­. What do you do for fun in this strange world?¡± Glint even remembered her first words after the act. From that point the conversation moved onto a myriad of topics. The two discussed their arrival in Adventia as well as their funniest or most embarrassing moments thus far. They talked about how strange it all was as well as the sense of irony they felt at bing ustomed to it so quickly. At this juncture Glint also clearly remembered Cyn¡¯s words.

    ¡°It¡¯s strange, the things you can get used to.¡± Cyn said as she gazed upwards at the roof, her eyes transfixed on no ce in particr.

    ¡°Do you have a chapel you belong to?¡± She then asked as she rolled onto her side, propping her head up against her elbow as she did so.

    ¡°No. I¡¯m not really a chapel kind of guy, to be honest. The whole idea of being anchored to one organization via contracts is just¡­well, it¡¯s like having a job. Why would I want to do that? Besides, why do they even call them chapels? Isn¡¯t that a bit..sacrilegious?¡± Glint responded, almost dismissing the notion entirely.

    ¡°Is it? I think¡­people worship the things they truly covet. Aren¡¯t we all like that on some level?¡± Glint didn¡¯t expect such a deep response during pillow talk, but he didn¡¯t dislike it.

    ¡°I guess.¡± Glint responded as his eyes drifted down towards the slope of Cyn¡¯s bosom. Her skin was fair and pale, which made the peach color of her hair stand out all the more. Glint couldn¡¯t help but notice a circr tattoo on the woman¡¯s chest. Even through the act of intercourse the mark caught his eye, for it was a bit macabre in some respects.

    ¡°A skull with a snake slithering through one of its eye sockets. That¡¯s..pretty hard core for someone in your line of work.¡± Glint said as he gently ran his fingertips against the tattoo.

    ¡°My line of work? Oh¨C I¡¯m not¡­a working girl. I just.e here from time to time.¡± Thankfully Cyn didn¡¯t seem offended, but Glint noticed that she quickly removed his hand from the tattoo positioned just between her breasts.

    ¡°Would you¡­ be interested in joining a chapel with no strings attached?¡± She grasped his hand, pressing it against her chest as she moved toy her head on Glint¡¯s stomach.

    ¡°Mmm. What¡¯s in it for me?¡± Glint asked almost immediately as he rested his free hand against Cyn¡¯s shoulder des.

    ¡°Mmm. Good question. Well, for one ¡ª I¡¯ll be there. I¡¯m a member, obviously. For two, like yourself I don¡¯t really like too many strings. You can leave at any time, but I doubt you¡¯d want to.¡± Cyn said as she continued exining. After a few minutes of discussing it was Glint¡¯s turn to respond.

    ¡°So you¡¯re telling me that I can join this chapel and in exchange for doing weekly errands I can double the amount of experience I get? With absolutely no strings attached? That sounds like bullshit¨Cno offense.¡± Cyn chuckled, offering a warm smile , almost as if she expected Glint to respond in this manner.

    ¡°Yes. It does sound crazy and unrealistic. I was pretty skeptical at first, but there¡¯s a bit of give and take involved.¡± Cyn sat up as she pressed her fingers against the tattoo on her chest.

    ¡°I knew there was a catch..¡± Glint said as he rolled his eyes.

    ¡°There¡¯s no catch, silly. We all share the XP gained amongst each other. Every time each of us take an action another member in the chapel gains a bit of experience. And you know how experience is awarded based on the actions you take¡­right? That means pretty much all day, everyday I gain experience whether I¡¯m actually doing anything or not. To say the amount of XP I gained has doubled is actually a lie. It¡¯s almost ten fold.¡± Cyn exined.

    ¡°What? No way. How long have you been in Adventia again?¡± Glint couldn¡¯t believe his ears.

    ¡°Just under two months now.¡± Cyn replied.

    *Holy shit. It¡¯s true.* Glint thought as he inspected her adventurer status. She¡¯d already reached rank 1 while Glint himself was still thirty or so levels shy from reaching level 100.

    *With something like this, it would be way easier to reach rank one. Even rank two wouldn¡¯t be trouble.* Glint¡¯s mind raced. He wasn¡¯t sure of the specifics but in theory there was already an XP sharing system ¡ª permanent parties. In theory it wouldn¡¯t be too strange for something simr to it to exist.

    ¡°And you¡¯re SURE there¡¯s no hidden terms to the contract?¡± Glint asked again, this time gazing directly into Cyn¡¯s eyes while he awaited an answer.

    ¡°Of course.I¡¯d never lie about something like my own freedom.¡± Cyn responded without missing a beat.

 Chapter 104: Contract (1)

    Chapter 104: Contract (1)

    ¡°Hey. Fargo. I heard about something interestingst night.¡± Glint said as he and his party mates walked to their usual training spot just a few kilometers west of Grenvale.

    ¡°Oh? You heard something interestingst night? I did too. It sounded like , ¡®Oh! Oh Glint! Touch me here.¡¯ ¡± Fargo did his best, most cheesy impression of Glint¡¯ste night antics ¡ª right down to groping his chest in a highly suggestive way.

    Glint rolled his eyes while Ashe chuckled to himself.

    ¡°Obviously, besides that¡­¡± Glint said, trying to change the subject, ¡± I heard about this chapel, Memento Mori. Supposedly you can join and leave freely, with no restriction. And while you¡¯re a part of the chapel you can double or even triple the amount of xp you gain.¡±

    ¡°Oh? That¡¯s weird. I was actually going to run the same thing by you two after today¡¯s grind session. I talked to a healer who mentioned the same ce a couple of days ago.¡± Fargo seemed surprised that Glint was the one to bring up a chapel.

    *He even sounds interested. I¡¯ve been trying to get these two to join a chapel for months now. Ashe just goes along with whatever Glint says and ..well Glint always dismisses it.

    I was certain he¡¯d do the same today, or at the least I¡¯d have to do a shit ton of talking to even get him to listen. Maybe the honey trap is really the way to go..* Fargo thought in response to Glint¡¯s surprise suggestion. In fact, Glint¡¯s dismissal was the only reason Fargo hadn¡¯t mentioned the chapel invite sooner.

    ¡°Ashe? What do you think?¡± Fargo asked. He wanted to be doubly sure so he posed the question to Ashe despite already knowing the answer. Ashe, ever the quiet one, simply shrugged and replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine with it if he is.¡±

    ¡°And¡­are you fine with checking this ce out? We don¡¯t really have tomit to anything. We just pop in, check it out and ¡ª if things are on the level we can see what it¡¯s all about.¡± Fargo asked, even sprinkling his proposal with an ¡°out¡± just in case. To his surprise Glint showed much more enthusiasm than Fargo ever expected.

    *That was way too easy. Maybe I should hire a special girl or two when I need to ¡®convince¡¯ him in the future.*

    That day went like any other. The trio visited their usual haunts, battling any Grimlocks they came up across and even sparring with one another when time allotted. Rather than returning to Grenvale and participating in general debauchery, they went to Sprim Row in search of Memento Mori.

    ¡°This the ce? It¡­ it doesn¡¯t look like it would fit in this part of town¡­.¡± Fargo said as the trio came to stand before arge, square-shaped three story building. From the outside it resembled a nightclub more than a chapelplete with door bouncers.

    ¡°Who referred you?¡± The burly adventurer asked the moment the party moved towards the entrance.

    ¡°Referral? Shit. I..I don¡¯t remember. I didn¡¯t catch the guy¡¯s name.¡± Fargo said as he ced his hand on his chin in thought. He seemed genuinely distressed, partly because he¡¯d finally gotten Glint to agree to something like this. It would be a bust if he couldn¡¯t get in the door!

    ¡°Cyn sent me.¡± Glint said casually.

    ¡°Very good. Wee to Memento Mori. We hope you enjoy your stay.¡± The burly adventurer who stepped up to speak bowed his head while the person behind him stepped to the side, allowing the trio to enter.

    Much like the outside of the building, the interior looked almost exactly like a nightclub. The atmosphere was dark and neon lights provided a pinkish-purple light to the environs. The scent of smoke and alcohol permeated the air the moment they stepped inside. The door quickly closed behind them as the chapel, which looked more and more like a lounge, turned to nce at them. There were assorted adventurers of all types sitting at tables or one of the two bars (one on the east and west walls of the lobby area). Every adventurer inspected the small party for only a moment before giving them a nod of approval.

    *Hmm. They seem pretty¡­.rxed here. This atmosphere ¨CI could get used to it.* Fargo thought to himself as he scouted out the room. To his knowledge there were adventurers from at least five categories of six, a good sign that the chapel was popr. All in all, about fifteen people sat in various groups dispersed throughout the room.

    ¡°There he is!¡± A woman¡¯s voice rang out over the sound of chatter. Glint stiffened up slightly, rxing only as the peach haired woman known as Cyn walked up to him and wrapped her arm around his.

    Fargo released a long whistle, to which Cyn simply smiled and ced her head on Glint¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°So you finally showed huh?¡± Fargo was surprised to see the healer he¡¯d spoken to a few days past present as well.

    With two familiar faces greeting them and a hospitable atmosphere things were going well. Only one of the trio would feel a sense of foreboding. At the time Ashe dismissed it as simply being the odd man out, but the more he nced around the more he noticed the asional nces in their direction.

    The second Ashe¡¯s eyes would meet with anyone they would smile and avert their gaze, or pretend to engage in conversation. Ashe was skilled in reading lips, so he soon realized that several of the tables were repeating the same conversation over and over. Still, despite this Ashe would never abandon his first and best friend Glint. Seeing Glint¡¯s smile as he was weed by not one but two of Memento Mori¡¯s members was enough to quell Ashe¡¯s concerns.

    ¡°Come, let¡¯s sit down and talk. What brings you to Memento Mori? You¡¯re joining I hope? I could really use some Strikers to help out on some tasks I have!¡± The healer said as he motioned for Fargo and the others to follow him to a nearby table.

    The next hour was spent in conversation and idletry. Fargo got to know the healer and even learned his name (Atru) as well as Cyn ¡ª Glint¡¯s new honey. They ordered mixed drinks, a rarity in an adventurer¡¯s worldrgely in part because acquiring a plethora of alcohols was notoriously difficult. They spoke about their recent adventures, as well as their troubles ranking and anything else that came to mind.

    Finally, after quite some time they found themselves with a proposal to join.

    ¡°I¡¯ve only been here for two or three weeks now, but in that time I¡¯ve easily gained one or two levels a day.¡± Atru said as he finally set his beer mug down on the table and wiped his upper lip.

    ¡°Really? You only gained one or two levels a day? I thought the experience gains were much higher?¡± Glint asked, to which Atru justughed.

    ¡°Indeed Glint. I gained those levels by simply hanging around the chapel though. I haven¡¯t actually done anything too demanding yet! I¡¯m itching to get out there!¡± Atru exined.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sold..¡± Fargo said, his cheeks blush from the drinks he¡¯d consumed within thest hour. He nced towards Glint, the person he assumed to be the deciding voice in the matter. Instead it was Ashe who spoke up.

    ¡°Glint. Can I speak to you for a minute.¡± Ashe said, he got to his feet without giving anyone at the table a chance to respond and soon stepped a few meters away.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Glint said as he practically peeled Cyn¡¯s arms from around his own.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Glint asked, having met his friend, who was now standing at the end of the nearby bar.

    ¡°I¡¯m getting a sketchy feeling. I don¡¯t know what it is.. But somethings off here.¡± Ashe said as she nced around. The patrons of the chapel, the adventurers Ashe assumed to be members, had long since began to ignore him. However something else stuck out in Ashe¡¯s mind as odd ¡ª all of them, with the exception of the bartender and the pair at their table seemed¡­.robotic.

    When Ashe pointed this out Glint naturally nced around. He couldn¡¯t sense anything out of order, but then again his sense for danger wasn¡¯t as keen as Ashe¡¯s ¡ª it was one of the reasons the two became such fast friends.

    ¡°Ashe.. I don¡¯t¨C¡± Glint was interrupted by the woman behind the bar, ¡°Can I get you boys something? Maybe another drink for Cyn? She seems to really like you mister.¡± Thedy said as she nodded towards Cyn who was waving for Glint to join them back at the table. Fargo was also looking on hopefully, a certain desperation painted on his face. Glint could imagine why, he¡¯d given Fargo such a hard time about joining chapels so his eagerness was to be expected.

    ¡°No, not drinks. Thanks.¡± Glint responded before pulling Ashe to the side.

    ¡°Is it something¡­life threatening?¡± Glint asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. But¡­it¡¯s more like a nagging feeling that something¡¯s not right.¡± Ashe replied. Glint thought things over for a moment before giving his final answer, ¡°Well. Let¡¯s just check it out. If you spot anything let me know with a signal and we¡¯ll make an excuse to get out of here.¡± Glint whispered as he gently punched Ashe on the shoulder. Ashe nodded and the two returned to the table. Momentster Glint nodded, signaling to an ecstatic Fargo that the two agreed to joining the chapel.

    ¡°Ah! Great! You guys are a lifesaver! Say¨C maybe all five of us can form a party once this is all said and done. That would be great, right?¡± Atru said, apanied by a warm smile.

 Chapter 105: Contract (2)

    Chapter 105: Contract (2)

    ¡°I¡¯m so d you came.¡± Cyn said as she walked closely beside Glint. The trio of adventurers were now making their way deeper inside of the Memento Mori chapel. Glint was surprised to find that the lounge area was merely one aspect of the building. Behind it there were many rooms,rgely emptied or unupied. There were also many more people. The small group of people continued to walk and talk about various things with Atru at the lead.

    Cyn and Atru ignored everyone else altogether but Ashe couldn¡¯t help but notice ¡ª his senses were on edge. Nagging doubts had begun to take shape in his mind and with the scurrying of footsteps and averted gazes Ashe was feeling justified by his sense of phantom apprehension.

    *What do I really have to fear? Maybe being robbed or something? It¡¯s not like they can steal experience or second death us. We¡¯ll just respawn at the tabernacle. Anything we lose, we can get back with our own hands.* This was the logic Ashe tried to use to calm his foreboding heart.

    *So why do I still feel so¡­.*

    Ashe¡¯s ss, Deftde, functioned as a mix between melee and scout. By briefing using light magic to turn invisible or to misdirect his foes he could slip behind enemy lines. Along with this came a keen danger sense. It was more than just a feeling, for Ashe his skills as an adventurer were firing off ceaselessly ¡ª telling him that something was afoot.

    *There¡¯s a strange intent which permeates this ce. I can¡¯t put my finger on it.* Ashe was so rapt in his own thoughts that he didn¡¯t even hear Glint call his name.

    ¡°Ashe. Are you okay?¡± Glint asked. To anyone but Fargo and Glint, it would seem as if Glint was showing concern for hisrade but Fargo also took special interest in Ashe¡¯s answer.

    ¡°Yea. Peachy.¡± Ashe responded with a forced smile.

    At this Fargo furled his brow in confusion, for he thought everything was going well.

    *This is¡­the signal for ¡®take caution¡¯. But¡­where¡¯s the threat?* Fargo thought inwardly. Glint was also having the same conversation in his mind, though his train of thought was entirely different. He¡¯d known Ashe slightly longer than Fargo and in that time Ashe had never been wrong about an ambush, attack or even so much as a person with ill intent. This response put Glint on full guard.

    *We¡¯re in a chapel, so the number of things that could happen are pretty low. Still.. Ashe is never wrong.* Glint cast a nce towards Cyn who seemed to be genuinely enjoying her time with him.

    ¡°Keen.¡± Glint responded with the slightest of nods. Ashe then nced towards Fargo, awaiting some kind of confirmation from him as well. He gave one reluctantly before cursing inwardly, *Damn Ashe and his hunches. Well, I suppose this did sound a little too good to be true.*

    Rather than breaking rank to flee, the trio followed their hosts further into the chapel as they searched for a good excuse to detach themselves. Just a minute or twoter they reached what Glint assumed to be the inner hall of the chapel. The area was grand and decadent. Beautiful hardwood floors, exquisite architecture and evenrge photos adorning the walls. There was arge fountain at the center of the room and on the far western wall, a bar with hundreds of bottles of liquor. On the eastern wall a row of lounge style couches were positioned to create a semi circle with several smaller ss tables near them. The room was a mix of polished hardwood and gold trimming. Behind the fountain was a semi spiraling staircase which lead up to the second floor of the building.

    ¡°Ah. Wee. Cyn, Atru I see you have guests.¡±

    This was Glint¡¯s first time meeting Gaines.

    ¡°Gaines! What are you doing here? I thought for sure you¡¯d be out on business. Keeping a chapel afloat is never easy! Fargo, I¡¯d like to introduce you to the leader of Memento Mori, Enzo Gaines.¡± Atru said as he extended his open hand towards a tall, rotund man with thick limbs. Glint, being 185 cm himself (6¡¯1) was not used to looking up to anyone. Still, Enzo dwarfed the dark-skinned Fighter by several centimeters at 205 cm (6¡¯9).

    Gaines was impably dressed, with a mostly ck and white pinstripe vest over a long sleeved, white dress shirt. His pleated dress pants matched the vest,plemented by checkerboard fine leather dress shoes. He also sported a fur coat which made his broad shoulders seem a bit more regal.

    Gaines sported peppered hair, deep brown with grey tones. His hair was impablybed over and his mustache was just as well groomed.

    *Mario.* Glint immediately thought as he took note of Gaines distinct curved mustache. The most distinct feature of the imposing man, despite how well dressed or groomed, was a gold trimmed monocle ced over his left eye.

    Suddenly Glint found his observation of Gaines shattered as an extended hand reached out to him.

    ¡°Gaines. I¡¯m the leader of Memento Mori.¡± His deep voice was gruff, leading Glint to feel that Gaines was a man with arge presence. Glint epted the handshake with a head nod as Gaines introduced himself to each of the trio. Only Ashe seemed reluctant to go along with the flow and he simply bowed his head while declining the handshake.

    Gaines smiled before motioning for them to join him on a nearby couch.

    ¡°It¡¯s simple really. My unique ability allows me to share experience between party, alliance or chapel members. Sadly it¡¯s not good for much else. I¡¯m a mid rank two and I¡¯ve never even stepped foot onto a serious battlefield.¡± Gaines said as he sipped on some tea set out by an attendant.

    Having been blinded by the amount of wealth and Gaines¡¯ appearance, Glint failed to check his status at first nce.

    [Enzo Gaines, Synergist Rank 2]

    ¡°However, this ability allows me to get by. By making a chapel, I¡¯m able to share this ability with others. I only gain a fraction of the experience you all would receive but it¡¯s enough to eliminate my need to partake in direct conflict. Instead I can focus on business.¡± Gaines exined further.

    ¡°By bing a member of Memento Mori, you¡¯ll ept the seal and you¡¯re free to go about your life as you see fit. All I ask in return is that you visit the chapel asionally if you find new or interesting business opportunities. Money makes the world go round¨Cof course. Ha ha ha.¡± Gaines chuckled heartily as he continued to sip on his tea.

    Glint once more nced over at Ashe, hoping that his friend had discerned any hidden dangers by this point. He was met with a shrug and a look of uncertainty. It was true that Ashe was also beginning to doubt his own intuition. By all ounts Gaines¡¯ story was on the level.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m interested. And you¡¯re sure the only terms of the contract is that I can quit when I desire?¡± Fargo asked.

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll go a step further and tell you something most chapel leaders would never share. Use themand Systema : Contract Summary to view any contract presented to you in its entirety.¡± Gaines raised his hand, causing the systema mark there to shimmer with energy as the trio of party mates received a prompt.

    [Enzo Gaines has invited you to join the ¡®Memento Mori¡¯ Chapel as a Temporary Contract holder. Do you ept? Y/N]

    ¡°Feel free to use themand to check out the contract terms before you decide.¡±

    All three men did as suggested and the terms of the contract read only one line.

    ¡°To end your contract at any time, simply say the words ¡®Release Me From This Contract.¡¯ ¡± Fargo read the line out loud for all to hear.

    Of the three adventurers only one seemed to be having misgivings, still Fargo quickly epted. Glint, although he still felt Ashe¡¯s intuition was never wrong, saw no issues and thus epted as well. Only Ashe was left. In the end his lingered over the alert and his deciding thought was this, ¡°Whatever it is, we¡¯ll just deal with it together like we always do. I can¡¯t leave Glint to his own devices.¡±

    Ashe epted the terms of the contract and at that moment he felt a burning sensation against his skin. The feeling originated in his chest andsted for only the briefest of moments. Still the pain was enough to bring him to the point of shouting.

    ¡°W-what the hell was that?¡± Fargo asked, having felt the same searing pain. An answer never came, instead Gaines answered them with a devious smile ¡ª his eyes glowing with purple energy as he red at them.

    Glint could feel a shift in the atmosphere as a clear sense of aggression filled the room. The only thing that stopped him from drawing his de was the prompt which appeared near Gaines¡¯ now imposing visage.

    [Enzo Gaines, ve Master Rank 2]

 Chapter 106: Blood And Ash

    Chapter 106: Blood And Ash

    *From that point on, my life was a living hell. Gaines is not a man to be underestimated!* Glint thought as the sensation of metal biting into his wrists made his arms go numb. Glint¡¯s face contorted bitterly as he thought back to countless sleights, verbal and physical abuses, even murders he had to witness since bing Gaines¡¯ nearly one year ago.

    Things quickly turned sour the moment they willingly epted Gaines¡¯ proposal to join the chapel. He, Ashe and Fargo quickly learned the position they were in ¡ª the first act Gaines used to cement his dominance over them was to toy with Cyn in front of them. Unlike before, having been full of life and enjoying herself, Cyn¡¯s eyes were more like dead fish. nk and devoid of feeling. The only time she showed emotion was when she and Glint made eye contact. She averted her eyes in shame as Enzo Gaines gripped her by the hips and pounded her asshole viciously as everyone watched, helplessly. Glint would never forget the unfettered savagery in Gaines¡¯ gaze, he never broke eye contact with the Fighter ¡ª almost as if he knew this act would pierce to the heart of him.

    Gaines¡¯ ability, as Glint woulde to learn some weekster, was called ¡®ve Maker¡¯. Anyone who willingly or unknowingly epted a magical contract from Gaines would be marked by a magical seal. This seal manifested in the image of a Skull with a coiling snake bursting from one of the hollowed eye sockets. Once marked, Gaines could then enforce restrictions against a target. The moment Fargo and the others agreed to be a member of the Memento Mori chapel, Gaines enforced the restriction that they could never utter the words to void their contract.

    This was only the first of many restrictions which made their lives a living hell and any attempt to ignore or defy a restriction was met with a world of unceasing pain. The marked would suffer as foreign mana entered their body causing paralysis and a sensation Glint would be hard pressed to describe.

    If he had to liken it to anything, Glint imagined it would be acid coursing through one¡¯s veins and flesh at the same time. The pain was like countless needles constantly pricking from the inside out, each of his cells. Just a few seconds of the pain as enough to drive most people into a docile state and ce them solely under Gaines¡¯ thumb. Furthermore this sensation grew in intensity the longer one attempted to defy Gaines¡¯ will, eventually resulting in a most painful death ¡ª that is if Gaines felt inclined to allow one to die¡­

    Gaines forced everyone in the chapel to work for his benefit, what¡¯s more as ¡®the marked¡¯ a significant amount of experience was syphoned from everyone and given to Gaines himself. This further hobbled any hope of ever escaping Gaines grasp.

    ¡°Never speak ill of Memento Mori.¡±

    ¡°Never reveal the secret of my abilities ormunicate them in any way.¡±

    ¡°Never utter the words, ¡®Release me from this contract.¡¯ ¡°

    ¡°Never defy or harm Enzo Gaines or Zipher Einrei.¡±

    ¡°Never leave the chapel without specific instructions.¡±

    ¡°Never take your own life or allow others to do so in an attempt to escape.¡±

    These were just a few of Gaines¡¯ restrictions but perhaps the most terrifying part of Gaines¡¯ ploy was to checkmate any foolish or gullible enough to deal with him. Glint recalled watching what happened to one such person in vivid detail. Having failed Gaines, the man seemed unbothered and was led to therge fountain in the true chapel lounge. For some pain simply wasn¡¯t enough and others would allow their pride to shield them from any amount of suffering¨Cno matter how cruel. Such was this man, thus he didn¡¯t seem particrly bothered when he was led to stand before the fountain.

    Gaines ran the man through with the hidden de in his cane, which of course simply won a smile from the defiant adventurer. His blood quickly left his body and he fell, motionless with a smile on his face as he drew hisst breath. It was apparent that the man felt released, finally from Gaines¡¯ grip.

    Unfortunately that was not the case. Just momentster the same man was dragged back to the spot of his earlier execution. He waspletely unaware of the fact that Gaines forcefully changed his respawn point to a location within Memento Mori¡¯s walls. A particrly vengeful gleam of delight filled Gaines¡¯ expression as he grabbed the weakened adventurer by his hair, lifting him with one hand. He used the adventurer¡¯s face like a punching bag, brutally defeating the severely weakened man. Finally, after several agonizing minutes venting his anger, Gaines snapped the man¡¯s neck like a twig, nearly twisting his head off with his bare hands.

    Everyone gathered watched as his body was consumed by the familiar ck mes of second death, eventually all that remained was blood and ash. And even that faded away into the hereafter.

    Glint used being absorbed in his thoughts as a way of coping with the terribleness of it all. To think about it would drive one to madness, and even Gaines had a name for them ¡ª the broken. Glint shuddered as he thought about the sub basement where dozens of broken souls dwelled. Where *she* dwelled.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    Glint¡¯s eyes burned with unfettered hatred, an emotion that he was forced to swallow on the daily. He fantasized about breaking the unseen chains which bound him, going so far as to cut the mark from his chest at times. Unfortunately it would regenerate along with his flesh, still the act was strangely gratifying ¡ª if not insane.

    *Maybe I am already broken.* He thought to himself as he watched Zipher, who seemed to be lost in thought. Each of the five men dealt with torture in their own way. Ashe was always silent, yet observant. Fargo tried to send his mind far away from the pain. Glint often thought of days long past and the others seemed more broken by the minute.

    ¡°Ah. He did say one or two¡­.let¡¯s see.¡± Zipher repeated this phrase a few times more before Glint snapped back to the reality of his current predicament.

    *Two? What?*

    But it was toote, Zipher had already moved towards his chosen target.

    ¡°Wait¡­ no. Wait you bastard!¡± Glint shouted as he struggled in vain against rattling manacles and his own sluggish body.

    ¡°Zipher! What are you doing!? Stop!! I SAID STOP!¡± Glint bellowed as tears of desperation began to issue forth from his eyes. He heaved with all of his might, so much so that his body creaked, almost as if his arms would snap.

    ¡°Please. Stop. I¡¯m begging you.¡± Glint whimpered as he resorted to using words he despised the most. Yet to Zipher Einrei this was simply music to his ears¨C a beat to spur him to action. A demented smile curled the edges of his lips as he shot a nce over to Glint¡¯s face.

    *That¡¯s the one I wanted to see. He he he.* Fipher savored the sight of Glint¡¯s defeated, pleading expression as he walked over to Ashe and, for a moment, paused. He maintained eye contact with Glint before shrugging and turning to walk off.

    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll let you guys off the hook for now. You¡¯ve suffered enough.¡± Zipher walked over towards a lever and pulled it, allowing the manacle chains to cken and all five of the remaining men to fall to the floor with a thud.

    ¡°Th-thank you. We won¡¯t fail agai¨C¡± Glint said as he nced up from his position on the floor, but the sickening expression on Zipher¡¯s face told him all he needed to know. The ck tendrils of Zipher¡¯s Blight magic darted across the room and speared a startled Ashe through the heart. Ashe¡¯s body shook from the force of the attack, causing blood to gurgle out of his mouth and spurt along his chest.

    Ashe seemed just as bewildered and surprised as Glint. This reaction onlysted for a moment, suddenly he just seemed weary. Ashe cast one final gaze at Glint. It would be the final seconds they shared before the ck mes burst forth from Ashe¡¯s body, his flesh melting from his bones as second death imed him.

 Chapter 107: Intervention (1)

    Chapter 107: Intervention (1)

    ¡°Do it! Suck the fucking titty!¡± Sh shouted at Agni, who¡¯s only reaction was to avert her mouth like a child denies food.

    ¡°N-No!¡± She stammered through pressed lips as arge breast brushed up against Agni¡¯s cheek. Agni¡¯s toes curled as she pressed her eyes shut in a vain attempt to conceal the color of her eyes.

    *Resist!* Agni thought, much to the chagrin of a well vexed Sh.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-1 hour earlier¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    ¡°Huh? What the hell?¡± Agni uttered, having woken up from a peaceful night¡¯s sleep to a strange situation. Her face was covered in¨Csomething. If she had to guess, it was a pillowcase. She immediately noticed that her hands were bound, if she had to guess with rope. Likewise Agni was firmly seated in a chair, she could tell as much because the wood pushed into her shoulder des at an ufortable angle. Even her ankles were bound to the chair.

    ¡°Oh? I see she¡¯s awake.¡± It was Sh¡¯s voice, much to the surprise of the Subus.

    *Sh? What the hell is going on here?* Agni used her telepathy in a panic.

    *Did I get abducted overnight or something?*

    ¡°Eh, it¡¯s nothing like that. Rx.¡± Sh said as she gently tugged at the fabric, pulling the pillowcase off and revealing ¡ª their living quarters at the Mystic Tower chapel.

    Agni was even more surprised to find that she wasn¡¯t in the room alone. There were quite a few familiar faces to be seen ; Bracha ¡ª her mentor from the Training Chapel, Z ¡ª the proprietor and mama-san from the Silken Petal, several girls from the Silken Petal and even a few guys, and the dominatrix, the dark haired mature with a stern expression and fiery eyes.

    Even more puzzling was the fact that each of them were dressed as nuns or priests. Extremely sexy nuns and priests.

    ¡°Sh what¡¯s going on?¡± Agni asked, more confused than concerned at this point. Even Sh was dressed as a sister. She had a feeling that fuckery was afoot and her intuition was usually correct.

    Instead of giving her an answer, Sh ignored her altogether and turned to face Z as she gave the woman a nod.

    Z was surprisingly sexy in her slutty nun¡¯s habit. Her long hair was covered by the headdress but her bust was exposed, reminding Agni of the fact that Z was quite busty. Her DD cups were normally concealed by wrapping and a kimono or yukata, as were the curvature of her hips. Now, having been freed Z¡¯s breasts nearly burst from the dress which ran the length of her body down to the ankles. There were long slits along the front and sides of the dress which worked to reveal Z¡¯s legs and the sheer stockings which covered them. This outfit wasplimented by a pair of ck, open toed heels.

    Z walked forth, solemnly, her fuschia colored eyes fixed solely on Agni. She then knelt before the subus and bowed her head, offering a silent prayer before she stood, leaned forward and gently gripped Agni by the cheek.

    ¡°You guys? What¡¯s going on? I don¡¯t underst¨C¡± Agni¡¯s question was cut short by a sudden kiss from Z. Agni felt the tension leave her body as Z¡¯s tongue began to explore her mouth. Z¡¯s advances rimmed Agni¡¯s lips before slipping inside and gently sucking on the subus¡¯ tongue. Having been caught unaware, but also not adverse to the sensation filling her mind, Agni closed her eyes as a sense of rxation began to wash over her. The kisssted for quite some time and ended stickly, forcing Z to use her thumb to wipe away lingering saliva from Agni¡¯s face. Then, without a word Z stepped back and Sh stepped forward.

    ¡°We¡¯ve gathered here today to host an intervention for one, Agni Heartfyre. All those present, bow your heads and say your prayers.¡± Shmanded, causing Agni to once more feel extremely confused.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Agni said loudly in disbelief. The group of people in the room seemed to ignore her altogether and instead bowed their heads, as if offering prayers before they said in unison, ¡°Latom.¡±

    ¡°Sh. What do you mean by intervention? And where¡¯s Katrin?¡± Agni asked. Sh turned and pulled an aspergillum from her own nun habit. The outfit looked strange on the imp, her wings jutted out the back causing her to look like the demon she was. Sh then flicked the silver, rod shaped item causing water to fling outwards. Agni recoiled as the water hit her face before grimacing.

    *This is a freaking hp potion!* Agni thought with a scowl as she licked some of the concoction from her lips. The real reason she was annoyed is that the potion was staining her ¡®Kuma!¡¯ t-shirt. Ever since Agni received it from Ariadna she wore it as much as possible, particrly to sleep. In fact it was the only other garment she wore to bed, besides panties for maximumfort. Thus, she was tied to a chair in her underwear and a t-shirt.

    ¡°Stop it!¡± Agni growled, causing the onlookers to gasp and whisper among themselves. This in turn made Agni feel as if something was wrong with her. Sh, undaunted by the atmosphere, continued flinging ¡®holy water¡¯ several more times, this time purposely aiming for Agni¡¯s shirt.

    ¡°I said stop it you little psycho. You¡¯re taking things too far.¡± Agni warned as her eyes began to glow with pink energy. Sh smirked, something visible only to Agni which in turn caused Agni¡¯s temple veins to throb.

    ¡°Fine. I asked nicely.¡± Agni said, her voice taking on a low, serious quality as she closed her eyes and began to focus. Unfortunately¡­nothing happened. Agni intended to conjure mes and turn through her bindings. Instead ¡ª nothing.

    *Huh? I have enough mana. What¡¯s going on?* Agni thought, then as she examined her status she noticed a small icon in the upper left corner of the viewport.

    *Mana Seal?!* Agni¡¯s expression gave away her current train of thought, for Sh smiled devilishly, with a particr gleam in her eyes as she finally put aside the religious tool and turned to face the rest of the people gathered. Upon reading the description of the status ailment Agni realized that all of her options had been sealed. Mana Seal was a status ailment that both prevented mana use or activation of skills for as long as it was in effect.

    *I can¡¯t even use ¡®Whisper¡¯!* Agni thought inwardly.

    ¡°Let the ritual begin.¡± Sh said as she lifted her hands towards the sky and stepped aside. Z then motioned for one of the other women to step forth.

    ¡°Sh. You¡¯re pissing me off. Let me go. Now.¡± Agni grunted as she tried her best to loosen the ropes that bound her. Sh stepped around to Agni¡¯s rear, taking a ce just behind the subus as she ced her hands on Agni¡¯s shoulders. She then leaned in and whispered, ¡°Shh. Just let it happen.¡± Sh said as she patted Agni on the shoulders.

    The lone nun stepped forward, dressed in the same outfit as Z. The only difference was the length, instead of reaching down to her ankles the dress stopped short around mid thigh length. That and her bust size, she didn¡¯t fill it out nearly as well in the breast department. No, where this particr slutty nun excelled was definitely the hips, particrly her round ass. In fact, as the woman drew closer she locked eyes with Agni and lifted her modified habit ever so slightly. This revealed the fact that she wascking panties and also showed the edge of her stockings which rose almostpletely the length of her thighs.

    Agni could feel her hear thumping in her chest as the woman moved, now just centimeters away as she gyrated her hips then began rocking them rhythmically back and forth. Agni felt the heat within her body beginning to rise as her eyes were drawn to the melodic movements of the dancer who used the edge of her clothing as an invitation to paradise. The nameless nun had Agni straddled, she could feel the warmth and softness of the woman¡¯s body pressing against her own as the sensation of flesh against flesh tingled against Agni¡¯s thighs. The woman wrapped her arms around Agni¡¯s neck and drew her inward, resting Agni¡¯s face against her bosom as she continued giving herp dance.

    Agni could feel the familiar mes of lust kindling within, yet she struggled to keep them in check. She couldn¡¯t help but remember what happened thest time she allowed herself to be ovee. In Agni¡¯s mind she reyed the event of pouncing on Abeni and having her way with the shocked adventurer.

    *But..you liked it didn¡¯t you? And so did she..* Sh¡¯s voice chimed into Agni¡¯s mind.

    *No!* Agni tried to deny it but she quickly realized she was lying to herself as well as Sh. Sh could do more than read thoughts, it was also emotions she could discern. In fact, Agni had alsoe to realize that the moment Sh was summoned this bond had amplified several times over. It suddenly urred to her why an ¡°intervention¡± was being held now, of all times.

    *Face it. You have aplex. And we¡¯re going to get to the bottom of it!* Sh¡¯s voice echoed in her mind as Agni began to fidget nervously. Still, the woman grinding on her seemed undaunted as she lifted Agni¡¯s chin and began to nibble gently at Agni¡¯s lips. Agni clenched her hands and released a deep, heavy breath as the sensation slowly began to chip away at her own resolve.

 Chapter 108: Intervention (2)

    Chapter 108: Intervention (2)

    Agni felt her control slipping. It had been such a long time since she felt this way, so long in fact that a part of her was beginning to panic. The truth is, when it came to sex Agni felt¡­awkward. She couldn¡¯t exin the emotion, partially because it stayed in the background like some sort of silent stalker with cold, waxy eyes.

    One thing that Agni took note of was the plethora of emotions she was given to feeling at any given moment. If being a man was akin to a box of crayons, being a woman was like watercolor painting in terms of emotions. Everything was vibrant, new and intense. Something as simple as looking at Sh would illicit irresistible urges to cuddle or pinch her cheeks. Nevermind the hundreds of sexual impulses Agni struggled to deal with every day.

    Like a film strip of debauchery she would rey these missed opportunities as she felt her body tense, her eyes taking on a pink glow which indicated her own excitement. In fact she was doing it as herp dance began to border on obscenity. She could feel the warmthing from the young woman¡¯s body, a sensation that slowly began to stoke a fire within herself. Thoughts like modesty slowly began to push themselves out of Agni¡¯s brain.

    Seven people watching? Ha! This meant nothing ¡ª and that¡¯s the line where Agni found herself being sharply pulled back to reality. When she ¡®came to¡¯ she was gently licking and sucking at the young woman¡¯s neck ¡ª the contact was brief and only for a second but she¡¯d left a passion mark the size of two coins put together.

    ¡°Ahhhhh booo. Damn defective demon.¡± Sh muttered from behind as she watched Agnie back to her senses. It was obvious that the imp waspletely disappointed.

    Still, Sh had a n.

    *The closer you go to the line the harder it will be to sense it. Eventually¡­ you¡¯ll cross it. And then¡­and then¡­* Sh couldn¡¯t help but smirk as she thought of the possibilities.

    She even began to sing a song in her mind.

    *Tiddies n Ass, tiddies n ass ¡ª just can¡¯t wait for tiddies n ass!* To anyone watching Sh at this moment they would have noticed a fiercely tyrannical expression ovee her, followed by a gloating smirk.

    ¡°Aww. Why¡¯d you stop? I was really enjoying that sweet heart!¡± Thep dancing ¡®nun¡¯ughed with girlish glee as she ran the tip of her finger against Agni¡¯s chin. The woman locked eyes with Agni as she continued rocking her hips back and forth, working the rhythm into something of a hypnotic trance. Agni felt her hands twitch, suddenly she wished they were free so that she could grab a handful of ass and squeeze.

    She bit her lip in anticipation of this as her thoughts slowly drifted towards the sensual once more. Then ¡ª just as quickly as thepdance started it ended. Agni almost wanted to protest.

    She did in fact as her brows took on a ¡°wtf¡± scowl momentarily before she recovered herself.

    ¡°Next.¡± Sh said as she began to gently massage Agni¡¯s shoulders.

    *T-that feels good..* Agni could feel the edge of tension whichy buried deep within her heart slowly begin to melt away. This small distraction was enough for her to tilt her head back and gaze upwards at Sh, only to find the little tyrant¡¯s expression was a bit shocking.

    *She¡¯s..definitely got issues.* Agni thought, right before another woman¡¯s touch against her knee refocused her attention. A new nun, this one with apletely different set of assets¨C heavenly mounds, stood before her.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never had the pleasure of meeting a subus,before.¡± The girlishugh and the clear vibrant expression of delightful mischief was all it took for Agni to be invested. Much like thest ¡®nun¡¯ she began her work, gently brushing the tips of her fingers along Agni¡¯s inner thigh. The sensation was like electricity which traveled from her flesh and tingled her spine, creating a sort of euphoric temporary paralysis. After this sensation ran its course through Agni¡¯s body she couldn¡¯t help but squirm, attempting to squeeze her thighs together but to no avail.

    With Sh massaging her shoulders and the busty nun teasing the soft, sensitive flesh between her legs Agni was trapped in a different kind of ecstasy.

    *Prime the engine¡­and she can¡¯t resist..* Sh thought with a smirk. To all other onlookers she resembled a diabolical masseuse.

    Soon the busty nun took a seat, straddling herself across Agni¡¯sp as well. Her breasts were overflowing from the low cut, specially modified nun¡¯s habit. So much so that Agni could almost see her nipples peeking¡­almost. The woman grasped Agni by the back of her neck and pressed her breasts against the Subus¡¯ cheek while leaning forward until they were just millimeters apart.

    ¡°You look troubled my dear. Let me soothe the weight of all of your sins.¡± The nun said.

    She was sure that her words would elicit a powerful response, and indeed the nun was right ¨Cit just wasn¡¯t the response she expected.

    Agni¡¯s eyes went nk as a pained expression reced the longing behind her gaze. The nun immediately noticed the change, a massive shift in the current mood, and for a moment she felt as if she¡¯d misstepped.

    Even Sh seemed perplexed. Things were going so well in her eyes.

    ¡°Alicia. Let me¡­have a moment.¡± Z¡¯s voice pierced the moment of shifting silence, causing the busty nun to stand, offering Agni a smile and wink before she stepped aside.

    Suddenly Agni didn¡¯t have the strength to look anyone in the eye, her chin sank slowly as a torrent of thoughts filled her mind. Long forgotten memories which reminded her of a pain she had yet to relinquish hold over.

    ¡°I know that look.¡± Z said softly as she knelt before the bound Subus.

    ¡°Everyone, can you step outside for a few minutes please?¡± Z asked, adding ¡°Thank you.¡± As one by one the people within the room stepped out into the hallway. That is all but Sh. Although Z meant for her to leave as well, understanding the bond between her and Agni made her realize that her absence probably wouldn¡¯t matter.

    ¡°Memory flood.¡± Z said as she stood and nced towards Sh.

    ¡°Take these off.¡± Z instructed as she ced a gentle hand on Agni¡¯s knee. Half a minuteter the ropes which binded the subus were gone.

    ¡°It¡¯s.. a condition we adventurers suffer from. Some more than others.¡± Z said as she pulled up a chair and sat opposite from Agni who had now grown silent.

    ¡°It¡¯s when an action or situation reminds us of memories from our past life. Unfortunately, more often than not, those memories tend to be painful. It¡¯s like experiencing it all again, so vividly..¡± Z reflexively rubbed her own shoulder as she spoke.

    Sh lingered behind Agni and off to the side,pletely silent as she watched. It was unusual to see the subus down, in fact she¡¯d never seen it. Also the emotions that were seeping into Sh¡¯s heart were also¡­.

    The imp suddenly felt heavy, as if a great burden was weighing her down and the more she struggled to understand the feeling pressing down on her, the more Sh felt as if she was falling into an endless sea of sadness. The emotion was so intense that Sh herself started to tear up.

    ¡°My point is¡­ you¡¯ve been granted a new life. It wouldn¡¯t do to allow memories of your past to weigh you down and affect this opportunity. Whatever it is, clearly it left a deep impression on you. Something that¡¯s still holding you back. I¡¯ll listen, if you want to share it with me.¡± Z said, taking Agni¡¯s hands as she spoke.

    Z knew it wouldn¡¯t take much to get the ball rolling. As a Courtesan her abilities were simple yet invaluable to her job. ¡®High Empathy¡¯, an ability that allowed her to understand her client¡¯s needs on an intimate level. What was needed here was.. Catharsis. Still Z would never anticipate the heartbreaking words that came from Agni¡¯s mouth. Her face was still, reminding Z of a cidke¡¯s surface as the subus lifted her head. Two long streams of fallen tears wet her cheeks, with more falling by the second as she opened her mouth to speak.

    ¡°They, stole¡­ love from me.¡± With this tearful statement Agni¡¯s face slowly morphed as her exterior cracked, revealing a pained expression as a flood of tears began to fall.

 Chapter 109: Intervention (3)

    Chapter 109: Intervention (3)

    ¡°Twin mes. Soulmates. People often call it something along those lines. For me it was something which resonated deep in my soul the moment we first danced together. For months afterwards, she lingered on my mind.¡±

    ¡°Back then, I was just a young teen. Probably sixteen or seventeen at most. I was quiet, not necessarily shy. Just reserved. Observant. Of course I had innermost thoughts and like most people that age, those new sensations, dreams and hopes all mingled together ¨Caching to burst out.¡±

    ¡°I was no different, but in my case I kept a journal. Actually several now that I think about it. Composition notebooks four in total and each filled to the brim with the thoughts of a naive teenager who was totally andpletely enthralled. As you might expect, after she and I met most of my journals made her the center of attention.¡±

    ¡°Slowly, surely I worked my way into her circle of friends just for a chance to chat with her every now and again. Whenever the school hosted dances I¡¯d go to her and ¡ª just dance, that¡¯s it. Her touch was enough for me at that time. Gradually we began to talk more and had more sses together.¡± Z couldn¡¯t help but smile at the prospect of young love. It was a sweet, innocent feeling she¡¯d long since forgotten but as she sat before the weeping subus a hint of her emotions impressed upon Z¡¯s heart.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t long before the feelings I long held were bursting at the seams. I couldn¡¯t stop studying her face, the way her long brte colored hair traced down to the middle of her back. Her beautiful brown eyes, the freckles which dotted the brilliantndscape of her body. You¡¯d think I¡¯d never forget something like that.. Something as precious as that. But I did.¡±

    ¡°Life has a way of blindsiding you. Teaching you difficult lessons in the most simple of acts. The saying that just one action , one day can change your entire life is an understatement.¡±

    ¡°One day, while sitting in ss, a ssmate took notice of my journal. He asked if I could read it and in my mind I had no real secrets to hide. These were just thoughts, honest thoughts ¨Cwhat harm coulde from it after all?¡±

    ¡°That didn¡¯t strike you as suspicious at all?¡± Sh asked, breaking the silence as she wiped excess tears from her slightly reddened cheeks.

    ¡°At the time..no. I hate to admit I was young and naive.¡± Agni replied as she continued her story.

    ¡°So I handed over the journal. He thumbed through it, reading its pages. Meanwhile I was distracted by lessons. Ultimately he gave the book back and I went about my business. It wasn¡¯t long after, however, that rumors began to surface against me. Vile rumors ¡ª that I was a pervert, a sexual deviant, that I would fuck anything that moved. The reality was, I was a virgin and wouldn¡¯t lose my virginity ¡¯til several yearster. But to the faceless masses that didn¡¯t matter. People love rumors, they love to talk even more.¡±

    ¡°Over time the number of detractors against me increased. This spread into my close circle of friends. Ha. Friends. In reality, they said nothing to me and continued to whisper behind my back for their own amusements. Not one single person approached me to let me know what the situation was. It would be almost a year after the fact before I realized what happened.¡±

    ¡°Generally when I wrote in my journals I didn¡¯t look back on the entries. It was a way for me to seal the thoughts bursting out of my mind into a page. A form of therapy. The day I allowed that boy to ¡®borrow¡¯ my journal I was right. For the most part there was nothing in there that would interest anyone at all¨Csave me. Except ¡ª for my object of affection.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize back then that the human heart could be devious. I didn¡¯t know the shadows which lurked behind a smile, or malice disguised as friendly gestures. At some point while borrowing my journal he ripped a page from it, a single page. It was less that he stole thoughts and ideas and more about the content of that single page that woulde to affect me so for the rest of my days.¡±

    ¡°I must have filled countless notebooks with my thoughts, at least 4 by my count. Of those, only one day was spent in thought about sex. I remember wondering what it would be like, imagining the sloping valleys of her body as I indulged in the beauty of her. That¡¯s it. Just one indulgent thought was enough to ruin my life. Of all the pages, filled with love that he read over ¡ª he stole the single page which talked about sex.¡±

    ¡°He then used it like a weapon against me, a de meant to pierce and cut away at me. He shared it with his friends, one of whom was family with my love. He shared it with other students, anyone who would listen or look ¡ª and none of them dared to confront me or even mention it. Not even my ¡®friends¡¯. ¡± She clenched her fist fiercely as tears streamed down her cheeks. It was as if she was remembering just how foolish she¡¯d once been.

    ¡°Before long the entire school knew about what I¡¯d ¡®done¡¯. That is¡­ had a thought. And one way or the other people had their own feelings about it. My ¡®friends¡¯ began to distance themselves. The object of my affection did as well, not because of my interest but simply because of the people that were making it into a much bigger issue than it needed to be. Despite this, my feelings remained. Do you know how maddening it is to be approached by people randomly who said things like , ¡®You don¡¯t know what love is. You¡¯re confused.¡¯ People who felt inclined to judge you based on a handful of words,just one among hundreds of pages. The same people who couldn¡¯t be real, honest or up front about their own emotions to save their lives?¡± Her anger reached a crescendo for the briefest of moments, before she continued her story.

    ¡°It would be fine if it was just all talk. But I suddenly had guys I never met challenging me to fight to ¡®defend her honor¡¯. Groups of kids looking for me after school. Teachers who believed everything without even consulting me and treated me as if I were the problem due to their own personal bias.¡±

    ¡°Still, my love remained. No matter how tarnished or soured it had be. She¡¯d stopped speaking to me, refused to acknowledge my existence, letters or gifts. And in the end I fell into a deep depression. It¡¯s strange but, you never really realize the weight of emotions until they are bearing down upon you. You can only take the unseen arrows for so long, before the wounds begin to show.¡±

    ¡± It had been several years since I first met my love but each day since the incident was utterly depressing. I wallowed in it, but because of how things yed out I refused to acknowledge or vent it. My only way of coping was sealed ¡ª the journal. Having it used as an instrument of destruction turned me off to the idea of even using it to capture the emotions coursing through my heart. And in the end, day by day those emotions eroded away at my strength.¡±

    ¡°Until, one day I was finally forced to my knees as the sensation of death wed at me. At the age of 19 I had my first stroke. I remember thinking..that I wanted to live even as things went dark. In that instant I instinctively knew what needed to be done. I needed to separate myself from those emotions of loss if I ever wanted to stand a chance at living. For the same reason I also knew that I had to abandon my love for her which was so fiercely attached to all of my depression. When faced with unrequited love or life I made the decision right then and there ¡ª to erect a wall that would safeguard my heart. With all of my will and might I pushed it out of my mind and let go of the depression and sorrow which stole my vitality with each passing day.¡±

    Z reached out, grasping Agni¡¯s hands as the subus continued to recount the memories which were now flooding back in like a crashing tidal wave.

    ¡°It took years for my heart to recover to an extent that I could freely exercise again. It took even longer for my heart to mend from the emotional pain, such that I could even think of her name without feeling a tinge of remorse. Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t alive. Not really. Inside I was numb, more like this hollow puppet. Sure, I could walk, talk andugh but the joy of life was sucked out of me. Along with the pain and sorrow I¡¯d managed to also seal away a great part of me that was responsible for living, for feeling enthusiastic. My love for life itself was gone.¡±

    ¡°This feeling became a way of life, second nature until ultimately I didn¡¯t even need to think about the distance I ced between myself and others. The way of living developed into a seed which blossomed in my heart and strangled any hope of moving on. For as much as I wanted to survive, I¡¯d sentenced myself to a different kind of hell.¡±

    ¡°The gulf between myself and others was immeasurable and endless. And in the end I had no idea how to bridge it. What others see as a simple act, just reaching out to touch another person, is one of the things that scares me the most.¡±

 Chapter 110: Intervention (4)

    Chapter 110: Intervention (4)

    ¡°Oh, Agni.¡± Z whispered, her eyes locked on the subus who currently had her head down as tears fell on herp.

    Z could rte on many levels to the way that Agni felt right now. One of the moremon traits that all adventurers had was that they came from misfortune lives. She knew none who defied this observation, nor was Z herself an exception.

    She continued to grasp Agni¡¯s hands as Sh hovered just behind the chair, asionally wiping tears from her face as she sobbed silently. It seemed the familiar was taking the wave of emotions just as hard as the subus.

    Z began to gently rub Agni¡¯s hands with her own as a warm stream of mana flowed into them.

    *Let¡¯s see what we¡¯re dealing with.* Z thought as a disy window appeared, one that only she could see via use of her ss¡¯ Courtesan skills.

    *A Taurus in her past life. That exins a few things. Straight forward, honest¨Csometimes to a fault. Also headstrong, perhaps even stubborn. But¡­considering what I know of Agni¡¯s nature she¡¯s actually quite epting of sexuality. She didn¡¯t bat an eye being in a brothel and she seemed excited by it in many ways. It¡¯s almost as if she¡¯s struggling with two different mindsets. One one hand she wants to indulge in all of the candy, but the next moment something from her past holds her back.*

    *This just means that she¡¯s probably open to a great deal of experiences, or more specifically there¡¯s a lot she has to learn. In some ways she¡¯s like a virgin in life experiences¡­ In that case I should just..be honest.. I think she would respect that approach.*

    ¡°Agni. Do you want to get over yourplex?¡± Z asked.

    A silent nod as Agni lifted her head was the answer.

    ¡°Well, the good news is¡­this problem can be fixed rtively easily then.¡± Z said with a reassuring smile.

    ¡°But first, I want to ask you a few questions. They may be difficult to answer but..please be honest with me and yourself.¡± Z added.

    Agni nodded, causing Z to proceed with her questions.

    ¡°When you found out about your journal page being used against you ¡ª what did you do to remedy the problem?¡±

    ¡°I.. I didn¡¯t do anything. What can you do against rumors?¡± Agni replied.

    ¡°So you didn¡¯t even try to dispel any of the rumors?¡± Z followed up.

    ¡°Well, I did but the truth is no one believed me. At some point I just stopped bothering..¡± Agni confided truthfully.

    ¡°I see. The next question. If you met this person , the one responsible for your pain right now ¡ª what would you do?¡± Z asked.

    Agni¡¯s eyes shed with anger amidst her slowly drying tears but after a second to think she replied, ¡°Nothing. Probably.¡±

    ¡°Not even ask why? Or..whether he understood how you felt about his actions?¡±

    Agni felt the question was a mere afterthought. In her mind the damage was done so the reason was irrelevant. However, she nodded to mean that she would stick with her original answer.

    *Oh dear. You¡¯re too nice. So many people would have ended that pissant.* Z¡¯s poker face was impable even as this thought urred to her. Still, Agni¡¯s answer endeared her to the subus even more. The truth was that Z¡¯s keen senses of empathy and awareness allowed her to almost immediately understand when someone wasn¡¯t being transparent with her. And most everyone had something to hide, the kitsune girl Z met on her way to Agni¡¯s room. The red-head at the front desk. They weren¡¯t necessarily liars, but their minds, emotions and intentions wereyered.

    The reason she¡¯d taken such an interest in Agni was the subus¡¯ honesty. It was rare not to meet someone guarded, jaded or calcting. Z truthfully found it refreshing, the sensation it rewarded her with was like a cool drink on a hot summer¡¯s day. It was the reason she invited Agni to the Silken Petal in the first ce and the reason she never charged her for any of their interactions.

    It was also the reason that Z immediately agreed when Sh and Katrin approached her about helping to cure Agni¡¯s reluctance.

    ¡°I¡¯m tired of that defective demon masterbating all the damn time. We need to fix the problem at the source!¡± Z recalled Sh¡¯s pride as she proudly dered her master ¡®defective¡¯ at the time.

    ¡°I see. Onest question then ¡ª if I told you that I know how to fix your problem, starting right now¡­would you trust me and do as I say? Everything I say¡­with no questions asked?¡± Z asked, her grip on Agni¡¯s own hands tightening ever so slightly as she spoke. At this point Z¡¯s eyes locked with Agni¡¯s as she focused intently on understanding Agni¡¯s iing answer.

    The truth was, Z knew that for most people, trusting others with something important like this would be almost impossible. The answer wasn¡¯t important so much as what it represented.

    ¡°Everything? ¡­¡± Agni paused as she thought of all the possible implications involved with Z¡¯s request.

    ¡°As long as..you¡¯re not making me do anal¡­ sure.¡± Agni said jokingly as she finally gave her answer.

    Z maintained her delightly expression, while mentally she struck ¡°anal¡± off of her formted ¡®Agni¡¯s-To-Do¡¯ list. She chuckled as well, surprised that even in this situation Agni found humor in her own sorrows.

    *Still, there¡¯s a lot of work to do to repair your self image. Ahh, so much work. I¡¯ll turn you into a proper sex minx yet!* Z thought inwardly, delighting secretly as she began to fantasize of ways to help Agni reach her full potential as a subus.

    ¡°Deal!¡± Z replied as she patted Agni on the hand and bowed her head slightly.

    ¡ª¡ª¨C10 minutester¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡°Are you sure about this? It seems kind of counterproductive¡­¡± Agni murmured as she nced up at the three women now surrounding her. Each was so incredibly close that Agni could feel their body heat. She was effectively boxed in as all three of the naughty nuns stared down at her with smiles of anticipation on their faces. Agni was beginning to feel as if she was on someone¡¯s casting couch! The big booty nun from before joined forces with the busty nun and a third nun with evenrger breastspleted the trio.

    Z had taken a ce on the nearby bed while Sh lingered behind the subus as usual, mouthing off whatever she felt like articting.

    ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t question it¡­remember?¡± Z reminded, in actuality she didn¡¯t care whether Agni questioned her methods. She just wanted to build a sense of trust with simple exercises before throwing her off into the deep end¡­.

    ¡°R-Right¡­¡± Agni remarked as a stray titty pped her against the cheek.

    ¡°Unless you¡¯d like a man to join them..¡± Z offered as she nced towards one of two avable men in the room. Agni¡¯s eyes widened as she noticed their priest outfits, if it could even be called as much. The men were wrapped in leather which extended up along their legs and even around their members in various ces.

    Agni found herself gulping while simultaneously pressing her legs shut as her mind spiraled towards the idea of a penis sliding between her thighs. She closed her eyes and shook her head feverishly before practically shouting, ¡°I¡¯m not ready yet!¡±

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    ¡°I wonder what Agni and Katrin are up to at the moment.¡± Ariadna questioned aloud as she walked down the hallway corridor of the living quarters. Truthfully, the ck haired Trickster was bored. She wasn¡¯t used to being without her good friend Merri but the minotaur insisted on doing some ¡®solo training¡¯ asionally. Today was one of those days.

    Having grown close to the Scribe and Subus during their short time at Mystic Tower, their room felt like Ariadna¡¯s home away from home.

    *It wouldn¡¯t be weird for me to just pop in..right?* Ariadna thought to herself as she turned, stopping at the quarters for her two newest friends.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Ariadna said as she strained her ears to listen. She could have sworn she heard a muffled shouting from the room. She listened harder, the sound of her breath and heart beating in her ear as she struggled to pick up any sound at all.

    The faintest sound of crashing, perhaps something being knocked against or knocked over was enough for Ariadna.

    ¡°Hello? Agni? Katri¨C¡°

    ¡°Do it! Suck the fucking titty!¡± Sh shouted at Agni, who¡¯s only reaction was to avert her mouth like a child denies food.

    ¡°N-No!¡± She stammered through pressed lips as arge breast brushed up against Agni¡¯s cheek. Agni¡¯s toes curled while she pressed her eyes shut in a vain attempt to conceal the glowing pink color of her eyes.

    *Resist!* Agni thought, much to the chagrin of a well vexed Sh.

    Nobody knew how long Ariadna had been standing at the door, the bewildered expression painted across her bright red face was ssic.

 Chapter 111: Your Presence Is Required

    Chapter 111: Your Presence Is Required

    ¡°So¡­you¡¯re telling me that¡­ three half naked nuns grinding their bodies against you was¡­training?¡± Ariadna didn¡¯t seem convinced. She was currently sitting across from Agni and Sh while several other people watched on from within the room.

    Agni nodded, Sh shrugged and Z chuckled to herself.

    ¡°Yes dear. I¡¯m Z by the way.¡± Z, dressed as a sexy nun extended her hand to Ariadna who unfolded her arms if only to shake it.

    ¡°I see..¡± Ariadna said.

    ¡°Well, I try not to judge or anything¡­ it was just surprising, that¡¯s all..¡± She then added.

    ¡°It¡¯s a long story. I¡¯ll¡­exinter.¡± Agni said before shooting a nervous nce at Z who took it to mean that it was currently time to go.

    ¡°Well, Sh. Drop by any time. I think for now we¡¯ll be leaving. Oh, and Agnie and see me tomorrow morning so we can begin in earnest.¡± Z waved goodbye, as she was thest one out of the door. With that Agni could now breathe, the thought of leather wrapped dicks still made her somewhat nervous.

    *Definitely not ready!*

    Sh chuckled because she could hear exactly what Agni was thinking.

    ¡°Well, this shit is boring. I¡¯m gonna go put this nun outfit to use.¡± Sh said suddenly then made herself scarce as well. Ariadna waited until the door closed before speaking.

    ¡°Why is everyone leaving? Am I that boring?¡± She asked, feeling somewhat insecure suddenly.

    ¡°No¡­not really¡­¡± Agni offered as she struggled to articte an answer.

    ¡°I guess, it would be because Merri is the more outgoing of you two? Quiet people are always pegged as boring. Really¡­the exciting stuff goes on in here.¡± Agni said as she tapped her temple.

    ¡°Indeed.¡± Ariadna said with a smile, feeling somewhat relieved that at least one person understood.

    ¡°You look rather happy..did something good happen?¡± Ariadna was referring to Agni¡¯s tail which currently flicked back and forth.

    ¡°Hmm? Not really? Well, I guess I¡¯m in a better mood¡­¡± Agni had to really think about it.

    *Maybe Z¡¯s training really did work¡­* All in all, the nuns gathered around Agni and rubbed themselves all over her. A face full of titty from 3 directions apparently worked wonders. Furthermore Z gave Agni strict instructions not to react, no matter what while giving Sh the exact opposite directions to tempt Agni.

    Although Agni wasn¡¯t exactly sure of the purpose of the exercise, she couldn¡¯t really deny it¡¯s results. Especially considering that she¡¯d been crying just half an hour prior.

    ¡°Yea. I am in a good mood!¡± She said as the realization dawned upon her, causing the subus to perk up. Ariadna just smiled.

    ¡°So, where¡¯s Katrin?¡± The raven haired Trickster asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good question. I¡¯m told she had a hand in this morning¡¯s hijinks but I haven¡¯t seen her. Maybe we should have asked Sh before she left.¡±

    The two made small talk about various things, the sort of chatting that had no real point yet simply felt good. Ultimately the two were sharing augh as the door opened revealing both Katrin, Sh and Gigi.

    ¡°Oh! Hi Aria!¡± Gigi, the red-headed spellsword remarked as she waved.

    ¡°Ugh. Don¡¯t call me that..¡± Ariadna groaned before returning Gigi¡¯s greeting.

    ¡°Why not? I really like it.¡± Agni asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­.plicated.. Needless to say, only Merri calls me by that name..¡± Ariadna exined, although she didn¡¯t seem to mind thepliment.

    ¡°Boo.¡± Gigi could be heard saying as the trio walked into the room.

    ¡°And where have you been? Do you know what struggles I¡¯ve had this morning?¡± Agni asked as she squinted at Katrin. The Scribe just giggled and avoided answering the question altogether.

    Agni just sighed. *Her and that damn Bracha.*

    Agni found out that the Mana Seal status was actually a result of Bracha using her Runemaster abilities on her!

    ¡°Sorry! We just had to make sure you wouldn¡¯t run.¡± Agni reyed the sheer pleasure on Bracha¡¯s face as she undid the Rune seal ced upon her.

    ¡°Is that why you brought so many people with you!?¡± Agni remembered saying incredulously. Bracha just nodded and smiled.

    ¡°That and I really love cosy. Ha!¡± The tanned blonde said as she gave a twirl in her nun¡¯s habit.

    *She really just wanted to watch me squirm. It was practically her favorite pastime! * Agni¡¯s brows furrowed a bit.

    ¡°What are you thinking so hard about?¡± Katrin said as she leaned forth and inspected Agni¡¯s face.

    ¡°Hmm.. probably something naughty.¡± She added.

    ¡°What? I am not!¡±

    Katrinughed, offering Agni a warm smile before she remembered something important.

    ¡°Oh! Actually, Vivian wants to see us. We came to find you.¡±

    ¡°Us as in¡­me and Agni?¡± Ariadna asked. She was rather surprised, in truth.

    ¡°Well¡­no. Just Agni. Sorry!¡± Katrin apologized, feeling awkward suddenly.

    Ariadnaughed, she couldn¡¯t help it given how seriously Katrin was currently taking her feelings.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I just came to pass some time since Merri¡¯s taking on some temp jobs.¡± Ariadna exined.

    ¡°I¡¯ll drop byter.¡± She got to her feet and waved goodbye to both Agni and Katrin. She stuck her tongue out at Gigi who smiled absentmindedly and Sh didn¡¯t seem to care either way.

    ¡°Well? Let¡¯s get going.¡± Agni said as she stood up, stretching in the process.

    ¡°Are you nning to go dressed like that?¡± Sh asked, although she should be thest one to talk as she was still dressed as a slutty nun.

    ¡°Oh¡­ good point.¡± Agni realized she was still in her night clothes, a loose fitting ¡®Kuma!¡¯ t-shirt and a pair of two tone pink panties. Her hair was also done up in two pony tails, her favorite no fuss hairstyle.

    After a quick shower and a change into something more appropriate, Agni, Katrin, Gigi and Sh made their way to Vivian Lex¡¯s office at the back of the first floor.

    When the group entered they were surprised to find three other people aside from Vivian (who was seated behind her desk) in the office. One was recognized as Oliver Pagnel, a short blonde haired elfen man, the same one who led Agni andpany on their first expedition. Another was a dark haired youth with curly waves and green eyes.

    ¡°Gates!¡± Gigi shouted upon seeing the Spirit Mage standing near Vivian¡¯s desk. She ran over towards Gates and gave him a big hug, causing Gates himself to blush given the obviously serious nature inside the room.

    Oliver scoffed a bit, shifting his gaze towards the Doyenne who seemed oblivious to his displeasure.

    The final person was someone none of thedies had ever seen before. Seated next to Vivian¡¯s desk was a cloaked figure, one they quickly realized to be a woman based on her soft features and the strands of mahogany colored hair which fell from beneath the cloth of her hood. Agni couldn¡¯t help but take note of the woman¡¯s eyes. The cloaked woman nced over and the moment their eyes met sharp reptilian slits could visibly be seen amongst gently speckled eyes of brown. A salmon color was well pronounced in the woman¡¯s gaze and eye catching, second only to two horns which poked out along the woman¡¯s cheeks.

    The woman quickly essed each of the adventurers in turn before facing forward in her chair again.

    *Is that a Dragon¡¯s tail?* Agni thought to herself as she nced down along the side of the wooden chair. Indeed a thick reptilian tail protruded from the woman¡¯s cloak withrge scales of a golden color. The scales looked like oil to water, providing a unique sheen when exposed to the light that was definitely eye catching.

    ¡°Everyonee in and make yourselffortable where you can.¡± Vivian¡¯s voice drew their attention as she motioned for the person nearest to the entrance to shut the door.

    ¡°I have a particr request to discuss with all of you here. However I want you to be fully informed before you make your decision.¡± Vivian then said once the door was closed. Agni studied the Doyenne¡¯s face for any type of clue as to the tension which now filled the room yet all was still a mystery. That is until she nodded towards the mahogany haired young woman sitting across from her.

    The cloaked person nodded in return and turned to face the group adventurers. She pulled the cloak down as she stood, revealing tworge, pointy horns which ran along each side of her head, originating from just above and behind her ears.

    ¡°My name is Dea. I¡¯d like to make a formal request of the Mystic Tower chapel, but before that allow me to tell you my story.¡±

 Chapter 112: A Dragons Story (1)

    Chapter 112: A Dragon¡¯s Story (1)

    ¡°Tedrin, this is a terrible idea! Anything could happen inside these shards!¡± The mahogany haired dragon-kin known as Dea protested, and rather heatedly at that. Her slit-like eyes burned with anger as she pleaded her case.

    The dark haired elf known as Tedrin sighed, partially because he was tired of Dea¡¯s reckless mouth. It was a constant thorn in his side which sought to undermine him at every turn. In fact, he was so annoyed by her at times that he considered kicking her out of the chapel. The only thing which prevented Tedrin from doing just that was her ¡°obsession¡±.

    ¡°Listen, Dea. You may not know this but, just like adventurers, shards have their own ratings as well.¡±

    ¡°I¡­I know¨C¡± An obvious lie, which Tedrin ignored, continuing his exnation.

    ¡°And all of the shards we investigate or explore are fit for first rankers or less. It doesn¡¯t take twelve people to explore a single shard when half of them are second rankers with ample experience. Furthermore, we have more than enough supplies to get us through.¡±

    Dea heard the logic behind Tedrin¡¯s words, in fact she knew it to be true. Yet she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling of foreboding which lingered in the pit of her stomach.

    *Is this just because I¡¯m being separated from Chloe? It¡¯s¡­always so hard to tell.* Dea had an almost pained expression on her face as she considered this thought.

    ¡°At least put me in the same party as Chloe.¡± She said as she was forced to take a step back and gather her thoughts. No matter how hard she tried to push the sense of unease away from her mind it would not budge.

    ¡°Dea..¡± The blonde haired, blue eyed woman known as Chloe drew attention to herself as she walked up to the distraught dragon-kin and grabbed her by the hands.

    ¡°If we switch you to this party it would create more trouble than it¡¯s worth. Right now the parties are pretty bnced and it wouldn¡¯t make sense to have two defensive types on the same team. Right?¡± Chloe¡¯s words were gentle and careful, Dea knew her request was foolish, at least at face value. There was no way for her to express the full gravity of her emotions, so all she could do was nod her head and sigh in agreement.

    Chloe nced over at Tedrin, nodding her head as the other members gathered around the heated exchange were finally able to rx a bit. Dea on the other hand walked away towards a nearby tree and leaned against it. She was conscious of the frustration which lurked behind her gaze and she didn¡¯t want to frighten anyone, dragons were fearsome when annoyed after all.

    ¡°Dea. Hey. I know how important it is, how much of a hassle it must be, being separated from Chloe¡­¡± A deep voice boomed from behind Dea. She turned to face the familiar voice of the tan skinned man known as Gedo. Gedo was easily 190 cm tall (about 6¡¯1 inches) with ck hair which was closely shaved to his scalp carrying many borate designs.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to watch out for her. You have my word.¡± Gedo continued, despite his imposing figure Dea found his gaze and demeanor to be¡­reassuring.

    ¡°I know. I know you will. Thank you.¡± Dea forced a smile, Gedo¡¯s gesture made her feel somewhat better. After a few minutes of preparation, and allowing Dea to vent a bit more the two parties decided to part ways. Each party wasposed of the standard formation used by the Guiding Light chapel ; two Strikers generally an attacker and defender, One Caster, One Healer and the remaining two spots were filled with Utilities or Specialists.

    Because of Dea¡¯s unique abilities as a Draken Knight she was considered a specialist ss with highly defensive abilities. This was her current source of frustration. Her abilities could only truly be used in full when she was near the object of her affection, also known as her ¡®Dragon¡¯s Longing¡¯. In this case it was the young woman known as Chloe, a beautiful and caring Healer ss adventure who always treated Dea well.

    Dea found herself feeling more demotivated by the second.

    ¡°Okay. We do this as usual. Stay together, help each other out and if worsees to worse¨Cdon¡¯t hesitate to escape.¡± Tedrin exined to both groups as they prepared to enter their targets, a pair of precariously close shards just a few meters away. Dea nced longingly at Chloe who smiled and offered a wave as she stepped into her group¡¯s shard. Gedo bowed his head in respect and affirmation of his earlier promise as he headed in as well. Dea had to admit the sheer size of the de carried on Gedo¡¯s back was enough to reassure her.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get a move on. The sooner we clear the shard, the sooner lovebird here can be reunited with her longing.¡± The leader of group B, an elven woman by the name of Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra said in a manner that annoyed Dea to no end. Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra¡¯s hair was long, reaching down her lower back, and baby blue in color. Itplimented her pale skin which was covered in Elven runes of magic. As an Archer ss she had ess to a long bow and magically enchanted arrows ¡ª truly a force to be reckoned with.

    Dea nodded while cursing in her mind as she followed the remainder of her group into one of her least favorite ces in the world ¡ª a shard.

    Instantly the world faded away as if the group of adventurers were walking through a ck, swirling mist. When they came out on the other side all was grey within their view. It was something Dea simply couldn¡¯t get used to ¡ª the sheer grimness of it all.

    *I wonder if that¡¯s why they call the monsters from this realm Grimlock?* She dismissed this thought as the feeling of gloom began to settle in. Dea used her Mana Cloak ability almost instantly to counteract the natural effect of the shard world¡¯s miasma and stepped forward, making sure to move so that others could step infortably.

    While she scanned the environs and simultaneously inspected her own status Dea¡¯s annoyance began to grow.

    *I knew it would happen¡­ still I don¡¯t feel any better about it.* The mahogany haired dragon-kin thought to herself as she inspected the negative status ailment currently affecting her.

    [Drake¡¯s Tears ¨C Being separated more than ten meters from your Longing negatively affects your mental state, well being and ability to function. Reunite within a set duration or you will suffer temporary debuffs. 17:59:03]

    Dea grumbled as she picked the best target for using one of her Draken Knight¡¯s skills. Ultimately she settled on Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra since she would keep at the rear and was the most experienced.

    *It doesn¡¯t matter that much anyway, I suppose.* Dea thought as she walked over to the blue haired elf and lifted her right hand, touching her on the shoulder.

    ¡°Oh? I get the honor this time? I¡¯m truly touched, temperamental drake.¡± Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra couldn¡¯t resist taking a shot (she was an Archer after all) as Dea¡¯s palm was enveloped in golden energy which flowed forward into the Elf.

    *Fleeting Fancy.* Dea activated the skill by thinking it¡¯s name and within a few seconds the timer for Drake¡¯s Tears halted and a second status ailment appeared.

    [Fleeting Fancy ¨C Temporarily bless another being or object as your Dragon¡¯s Longing. Only half as effective as your actual obsession. 3:59:58]

    Despite feeling sick at the notion of obsession over the snarky elf, mentally Dea felt much better.

    *Ten percent increase in stats is better than nothing..I guess.* Dea sighed as she thought about how wonderful it would be to be partied with Chloe. Still, she pushed the thought out of her mind and followed suit as the Strikers of the party led the way. The melee warrior, a Fighter ss armed with a spear led the way while Dea took up second and Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra was further back bringing up the rear.

    The party was quickly alerted by Archer Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra that they were no longer alone. After marking their retreat path with a few well ced arrows, Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra gave the signal to strike. The battle had now begun in earnest.

    Dea regretted not paying attention during the briefing as she realized she had no idea what type of Grimlock she would be battling against. As such she allowed the Fighter to wade in first while she unsheathed the long sword strapped to her back, preparing for battle in the process.

    *Hmph. I¡¯ll just vent my frustrations on these things.* Dea thought as her normally brown and salmon speckled eyes began to glow golden with magical energy. The creature which stumbled forth was unlike any she¡¯d ever seen before.

    Short, not even 60 cm tall. It¡¯s skin looked hard, almost petrified like dried mud or rock. Several jagged protrusions jutted forth from its unnaturallyrge head which paled only inparison to its arms. Each of the creature¡¯s arms were almost as tall as its body, reaching up just above it¡¯s shoulders. This made the creature look awkward and unnatural due to its stubby, thick legs. Though Dea wasn¡¯t close enough to see any other features, the creature¡¯s red eyes shone vividly through the misty area within the shard world.

    ¡°Be on your guard. This Grimlock type isn¡¯t native to this area, it¡¯s not what we were prepared for.¡± Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra warned as she pointed her drawn bow at the strange looking creature. Dea felt somewhat intimidated hearing this, partially because ill feelings had been gnawing at her all along.

    *Something¡¯s already gone wrong.* She thought as she lifted her longsword and prepared for battle.

 Chapter 113: A Dragons Story (2)

    Chapter 113: A Dragon¡¯s Story (2)

    *Better safe than sorry.* Dea thought as she raised one hand causing gold energy to flow forth as she muttered the words ¡®Drake¡¯s Scales¡¯.

    This light stretched outwards in strands and curled around each of the nearby teammates, prompting an alert for each member involved.

    ¡°Only 5%.¡± Dea clicked her tongue in annoyance as the defense buffing spell took hold, giving each party member an additional 5% damage reduction. Dea could only think of the 15% she could be applying ¡ª if she was united with Chloe, that was.

    One of the party members shouted their thanks as they too prepared forbat. The spear wielding Fighter quickly realized that his choice of weapon was not a good match up. Normally spears would be a shoe in for piercing defenses but these small, stocky creatures used their massive forearms as shields. The moment the spear would evene close to piercing their bodies, the Grimlock would shift both their position and weight. This caused the spearhead to nce off of their hardened bodies.

    Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra, witnessing the skirmish from afar quickly sprung into action. She nocked three arrows simultaneously and fired them in rapid fashion. Two of the arrows nced away as well but the third found its mark ¡ª piercing the Grimlock threat through the eye socket.

    Of the three attacking creatures one was easily taken out, causing the Fighter to shift his focus. Dea hanged back on purpose, choosing to stay near Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra so that her buffs and spell could maintain their optimum power.

    ¡°Behind!¡± A Fire Mage shouted as she released a stream of mes from her fingertips. Dea turned just in time to notice one of the curious creatures just two meters away. Somehow it had managed to breach their lines and was now headed straight towards the elven Archer.

    ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t!¡± Dea shouted as she lifted her long sword and allowed it to hang over her shoulder like a baseball yer preparing to smash a strike. The moment the creature moved into distance she was greeted by its information and a chance to attack.

    [Lithe Golem

    Miniature golems that seem infatuated with rocks and metals. When they consume such materials their body undergoes a transformation ¡ª making them as durable as a mass of minerals.]

    Dea swung her de downward in an overhead arc, her goal was to bring the edge of her de down on top of the Lithe Golem¡¯s head and separate it from living. Unfortunately, the creature¡¯s head was every bit as hard as a thick shield. All Dea was able to im for her efforts were a small chunk of rock and pain.

    She immediately grimaced as her weapon nged and reverberated ferociously in her grip. It was a struggle for her to hold on at this point. The creature¡¯s face was small but considering that its mouth was broad and filled with dozens of sharp teeth. Dea was instantly reminded of a piranha as her eyes locked with the golem, the short creature lifted it¡¯s unnaturallyrge forearm andnded a blow squarely in Dea¡¯s gut.

    She grunted her teeth as she took the blow and lowered her stance to avoid losing bnce. Then she countered with another blow of her own, this time choosing an upwards sh. In order to connect she hopped backwards suddenly and cleaved her weapon upwards with a great deal of might.

    Having been caught off guard by this, the Lithe Golem wasn¡¯t able to cover up in time and Dea¡¯s de easily cut through to the creature¡¯s soft(er) belly and chest.

    ¡°Aim for their torsos! There¡¯s much less rock there!¡± Dea shouted as she wrestled her de from the creature and gave it a second piercing stab for good measure.

    The party continued this way for nearly half an hour. It wasn¡¯t due to their ineptitude, but rather the sheer numbers of their foes. The Lithe Golems continued to assault them, oddly enough in waves of three to five Grimlock each time. The Golems were much more agile than theirrger, lumbering counterparts but it mattered very little with urate long range fighters and Strikers working together.

    ¡°Rest up. Catch a breather, but don¡¯t get too rxed.¡± Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra said as the party found a nearby uprising of rock to take refuge near. Dea and all the other members of the party were keenly aware that camping inside a shard could be dangerous ¡ª still this was their job as a clearer chapel. To take on the challenge of the shards and clear them out before the problems became too serious.

    *Still. Something¡¯s bothering me.* Dea thought back to Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra¡¯s original statement at the start of the battle.

    ¡°Be on your guard. This Grimlock type isn¡¯t native to this area, it¡¯s not what we were prepared for.¡±

    For chapels that specialized in ¡°cleaning¡± shards, the process was basically a science. This routine allowed things to run both efficiently and without incident. For there to be ack of intel concerning creatures they might face ¡ª it seemed improbable.

    Shards were an enigma all unto themselves. No one truly understood how they worked or if there were rules governing their existence. Some shards wouldpletely copse once cleared. Others were persistent and needed to be cleared. To Dea¡¯s reckoning she couldn¡¯t recall a single time that enemies within a shard changed, however.

    Dea tried to fight it with every fiber of her being, the nagging sensation which wed at her. A feeling of slow burning dread that something was amiss. Even as she cleaved the Grimlock and coordinated with her party in battle, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder about the safety of Chloe and the others.

    This sensation welled up and formed in the pit of her stomach until finally Dea couldn¡¯t take it anymore.

    ¡°Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra. Something¡¯s wrong. This whole job feels ¡ª wrong.¡± Dea once again tried to voice her concerns to the party leader. She didn¡¯t expect things to go any differently than before with Tedrin. Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra surprised her however.

    ¡°Agreed. After we rest up,we¡¯re leaving this shard.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Dea seemed caught off guard. She half expected to be admonished, after all it was no secret that Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra took issue with Dea at times.

    ¡°I agree. The air here ¡ª it¡¯s all wrong. It doesn¡¯t feel right.¡± Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra further exined as she gripped her longbow.

    For Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra to use those words, it suddenly dawned on Dea why she was feeling so uneasy.

    ¡°We need to leave, now.¡± The dragon-kin suddenly insisted.

    ¡°Dea. I know that you¡¯re ¡®situation¡¯ makes you uneasy at times but¨C¡°

    ¡°No. You don¡¯t understand. I remember this feeling. It¡¯s¡­¡± Dea struggled to articte her thoughts.

    ¡°It feels like we¡¯re in a red shard.¡± Dea simply said her thoughts, partially because she knew how ludicrous her suggestion would sound.

    ¡°A red shard? Dea. You saw the shard before we entered. It was clearly not a blood shard.¡± Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra responded. Still, the elf didn¡¯t seem annoyed. She searched Dea¡¯s face for some sort of meaning to her words before she asked, ¡°What makes you think this?¡±

    ¡°When I first started in Guiding Light. I¡­ I sort of got obsessed over red shards. I know, I know it¡¯s stupid. I can¡¯t always help it. But for a while I was attached to one. Tedrin made me sit out the push to clear it but ¡ª against my better judgement I may have stepped foot inside¡­¡± Dea confided to her party leader.

    ¡°You what? Dea! By yourself?¡± Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra couldn¡¯t believe her ears. If she wasn¡¯t smack dab in the middle of hostile territory, she just might feel inclined to strangle the dragon-kin.

    ¡°I know. But my point is, the air, this¡­thickness of the miasma. It¡¯s not the same as normal shards. It¡¯s much heavier, more taxing. You feel it too right? It¡¯s the same as that time ¡ª maybe even worse.¡± Dea exined.

    Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra sat, assessing Dea¡¯s words for several quiet moments. Shard clearing was a dangerous job on the best of days. To Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra today seemed a bit too out of sorts. Strange monsters and the sheer numbers of them.

    *If this were another group of adventurers would they have even survived something like this?* The elven woman thought to herself. She then looked behind Dea, outwards at the swirling mists and realized that visibility had grown even worse. Suddenly Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra was beginning to regret opposing Dea and her ¡°feelings¡± so often.

    ¡°Everyone. Pack up. We¡¯re leaving now, and double timing it to the exit.¡± Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra said as she got to her feet. Within just two minutes everyone was on their way. They half expected to meet resistance on their way. But ironically enough ¡ª nothing. They walked as quietly as possible and proceeded as quickly as they could ¡ª but the miasma was thick like fog. If it weren¡¯t for Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra¡¯s abilities as a scout to mark surroundings with magical glyphs, the party would surely have been lost.

    ¡°Sound off.¡± Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra said as she skulked stealthily ahead of the party. She¡¯d taken the lead partially because of her need to lead the way. One by one the people in the party began to sound off, it was a quick way to keep track of each other in poor visibility situations.

    Dea mindlessly spoke up as the second person but she turned her focus outwards immediately after. She couldn¡¯t help but tense up, gripping her longsword as she peered around, hypervignt to any potential danger.

    ¡°I said sound off.¡± Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra repeated. At first Dea didn¡¯t understand the request, but she did as told once more. This time she paid attention to the result, however.

    ¡°Aye.¡±

    ¡°Here.¡±

    ¡°Here¨Chuh?¡±

    Both Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra and Dea turned their attention to the back of the party, quicklying to a halt as they peered into the miasma behind them. The Fighter ss Striker who had been tasked with bringing up the rear was nowhere to be found. Standing in his ce was a tall imposing figure shrouded in wisps of miasma. ¡°Retreat.¡± Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra said as she quickly nocked her bow and leveled it at the lurking threat.

 Chapter 114: A Dragons End (1)

    Chapter 114: A Dragon¡¯s End (1)

    The next few moments of Dea¡¯s memory were hazy at best. She remembered a battle breaking out as several of the remaining party members attacked the ominous figure. It seemed to be shrouded in the very mists of the shard itself and the miasma coiled around its limbs and torso like a snake. One thing Dea did notice were key features of the creature¡¯s appearance. First and foremost was the creature¡¯s height, it was easily around 200+ cm tall.

    Unlike the Lithe Golems this creature¡¯s body was sleek and muscr. The appearance of its skin held a certain sheen which reminded Dea of dolphin flesh, even though it¡¯s skin was pitch ck. Long pronounced lines ran the length of the creature¡¯s body. It¡¯s shoulders were muscr and well sculpted, it¡¯s biceps well pronounced and its forearms were several times thicker than the rest of its body.

    It¡¯s chest and shoulders were broad while it¡¯s head resembled more of a teardrop forck of a betterparison. There were no eyes to speak of ¡ª at least none that she could see, nor a mouth. The remainder of its body was shrouded in morphing miasma, but Dea doubted that these series of features contributed to the monster¡¯s sinister air. With just one look she knew ¡ª this creature was strong.

    In the next few seconds, her anticipations were proven correct. The me Mage lifted her knotted wooden staff and fired off a spell that she had at the ready. The sphere-like orb of mes expanded at an unprecedented rate and quickly engulfed the towering creature. At the same time Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra fired off two of her arrows.

    Dea¡¯s eyes zed over as the heat and light from the ming sphere backdrafted to her position. Still, she had to struggle to understand what she was seeing. The fireball slowly shrank in size until it fizzled out of existence, but that wasn¡¯t the issue ¡ª the problem was that the me Mage¡¯s head was gone.

    ¡°What the?¡± Dea mumbled as her eyes traced upwards from the headless body to the creature¡¯srge hand. The woman¡¯s head was dripping blood as her corpse spurted the same in all directions as it fell. The creature crushed her melon like it was a grape, forcing a hard exhale from Dea¡¯s throat.

    ¡°Retreat!!¡± Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra shouted again, this time more loudly. She once again nocked more arrows, this time she used her powers as an Archer to gather the elements on each arrow¡¯s tip and infuse them with magical power. me and wind howled in unison as she allowed the two magics to slowly meld before letting her arrows loose.

    The creature¡¯s movements were effortless and speedy as it snatched a nearby party member and lifted him easily. The man shouted and screamed, even as Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra¡¯s arrows pierced the air towards him. The creature¡¯s grip was monstrous and managed to easily crush his internal organs.

    Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra used the infused mana within her arrows to redirect their path, the arrows arced around the wounded meat shield and mmed into the ck skinned menace. As the magical forces joined arge explosion urred. Although Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra tried to mitigate the damage, her party member was caught up in it.

    *That may have been a mercy.* Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra thought to herself as the explosion sted the trapped adventure, depriving him of oxygen even as the creature¡¯s grip crushed his body like an aluminum can. Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra knew a dangerous enemy when she saw one, in fact the only reason she¡¯d paused to attack was to give the other party members time to flee. Immediately afternding her strike, the elf back stepped several times with her bow at the ready. She nned to fire off at least two more arrows on her way out ¡ª but she wouldn¡¯t get the chance.

    Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra was totally caught off guard by the creature¡¯s impressive speed, it seemed to fade into the miasma and appear near her in the next instant. She would have thought that perhaps the creature had teleported if she didn¡¯t see the shifting miasma trails near it¡¯s body as it cocked back it¡¯s left fist.

    *Shi¨C* Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra had little time to respond, bringing up her bow in an attempt to tank the strike. Her weapon was made of special wood which was light and harder than most metals, which is why she grimaced when the weapon cracked upon impact. In order to avoid losing her weapon altogether, Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra was forced to soften her guard. She could feel the overwhelming power behind the blow as her body groaned. Only her quick thinking and reflexes saved her from losing both arms. At the most crucial moment Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra hopped upwards and away, allowing the strike to push her more than crush her. Still, the damage was unreal. Her body sailed through the air beforending several dozen meters away.

    Dea was rooted in ce, partially because the sequence of events had happened so quickly that she had little time to react, let alone move. Half of the six member party was now dead or injured. Though she couldn¡¯t see Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra it was doubtful that she was dead ¡ª if such happened the buff from her Fleeting Obsession skill would have disappeared.

    Dea felt her heart run cold as the creature slowly shifted its weight, standing straight up as it seemed to nce around despite not having any eyes. In the next instant it was gone once more, the way it moved was almost as if it were leaping great distances by simply shifting its feet.

    And she ran. She wanted to go after Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra , to even stick close to any of the other party members but Dea¡¯s danger senses were now pulsing in overdrive.

    *This is what I felt. I knew it! I knew something terrible would happen!* As cold as it seemed, despite her party¡¯s precarious position , Dea only thought of Chloe as she ran. Her current party didn¡¯t matter, she simply wanted to escape the shard and meet up once more with Chloe. This singr thought drove Dea as she dashed through the wooded area. The environs were like a bleak and twisted inverse of the location from which they entered the shard world and she doubted whether she was even moving in the right direction, still Dea did not stop. She pushed all other thoughts out of her mind and honed her senses for impending threats.

    She knew how dangerous it was to recklessly move with such limited visibility but she didn¡¯t care. She needed to put as much distance between her and that monstrosity as possible. Through some happenstance Dea noticed the dim glow of LEe¡¯ahn¡¯dra¡¯s elven glyph, Pathfinder Glyphs which marked the way to the exit. She quickly veered off in that direction and picked up the pace.

    She inwardly cursed the fact that they¡¯d strayed so far from the shard¡¯s entrance even as the sound of footsteps behind her alerted her to another presence.

    ¡°Rx. It¡¯s me.¡± Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra¡¯s voice echoed as she quickly caught up to Dea.

    ¡°Have you seen anyone else?¡± She asked as the two ran side by side. For a desperate moment Dea considered not answering at all, but she grunted ¡°No!¡± between herbored breaths. Just one look at Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra confirmed that Dea¡¯s instincts about the creature were right ¡ª a stream of blood issued forth from Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra¡¯s crown, dying her baby blue hair and slender pale face in the process. Dea could also see that her fingers were broken in some ces.

    ¡°Keep running. No matter what. You have the path. It should be straight from here on out.¡± Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra said suddenly as her speed dropped and she gripped her bow as best she could.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± This was what Dea wanted to shout but as she turned to nce behind her the hulking form of the dreaded Grimlock parted the sea of miasma. It burst forth and immediately engaged the first person it saw, namely Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra. Somehow the elf had sensed its approach and dropped back to buy the rest of her party some time.

    Dea¡¯sst view of Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra was the sight of mana condensing around each of the arrows within the Archer¡¯s quiver. She pulled them out, her speed was a blur as she fired continually. Unfortunately this would not be enough. The creature brought its fist downward on Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra¡¯s crown, smashing her downward ruthlessly. A spurt of blood sted in several directions as her bones broke and her skull popped. The arrows which had found a home in the creature¡¯s face and chest slowly lost their mana and turned into nothing but normal arrows.

    Dea felt an unparalleled sense of urgency pushing her on as she turned ahead and focused her entire being into running. To her delight the shard¡¯s exit point was no more than six meters before her,but to her chagrin she realized none of that would matter if she was stricken down before she made it to her destination.

 Chapter 115: A Dragons End (2)

    Chapter 115: A Dragon¡¯s End (2)

    Dea first realized what happened as she was lifted off of her feet. The force of the blow was enough to force the wind out of her lungs temporarily as she was carried through the air andnded hard with a thud on the sparsely dottedndscape of grass and dirt. Her body rolled,nding next to a tree as her tail wrapped itself limply around her body. The creature had struck yet again, this time making Dea its victim. Perhaps it was the paralyzing sensation of being hit but Dea¡¯s mind was now dreadfully clear.

    Only her tail had saved her, it¡¯s thick protective scales acting as a buffer to the strike. Unfortunately she could no longer feel the appendage, it had gonepletely numb, crushed from the impact of the creature¡¯s singr blow. Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra was dead, she¡¯d seen the elf¡¯s demise herself just moments ago.

    She had only managed to take three more steps before she was attacked as well, leading to her current predicament. Dea¡¯s eyes widened as she realized she was no longer breathing, she thought her ribs may havepletely burst. After what seemed like way too long she was able to breathe again and she found this sudden inhtion was the stimulus for another reaction from the lingering predator. It turned its head towards her direction as its body tensed up in preparation to deal the killing blow.

    It was instinct which drove Dea to be silent andy still, along with the fact that her body was still recovering and most likely in duress. Due to this, the scarce sound, the rush of air filling her lungs was smaller than usual. She watched as the lumbering creature moved its head in her direction and bridged the distance with amazing speed. She knew that her life was forfeit in that instant and closed her eyes. The sound of a thunderous blow came, echoing through the woond area as Dea awaited a demise that strangely enough, never came.

    The creature struck the tree nearby, causing splinters and chunks of wood to fly in various directions as the tree was nearly brought down. As many wood splintersnded on Dea¡¯s face as she held her breath, careful to use the least amount of motion possible before inhaling. The creature was now directly above her, so close that she could have reached out to touch it¡¯s foot ¡ª if she was so inclined.

    For several moments she was frozen in both fear and panic, she could clearly see the creature from her vantage point on the ground but it seemed the opposite was not true. After standing motionless like a statue, no doubt attempting to listen for Dea once more, the creature shifted its weight and peered off into the distance.

    *No. Don¡¯te!* Dea wanted to shout these words as she heard the sound of heavy footsteps in the distance. The only other member of their party was now headed her way and right into a trap. But the words would note and just as the creature appeared, it left to deal with the iing member.

    Dea could only reason that the creature¡¯s strange behavior was tied to the fact that it couldn¡¯t see. She furthermore realized the creature was tracking down each of the party members by a keen sense of hearing. A few secondster thest indicator of the remaining party member faded out of existence.

    [Party disbanded.] The useless alert did little more than irritate Dea as her mind raced.

    *Just.. A few more steps.* Dea thought to herself as she craned her neck to look in the direction of the shard. Dying inside a shard was not like dying any ce else. Just one death would be all it took to lose one¡¯s life.

    She only had a split second to decide what she would do ¡ª and she chose to gamble big. She got to her feet as steadily and stealthily as she could, which wasn¡¯t very considering her tail plopped down against the ground. It was no longer impossible for her to use it, the bones within had likely been shattered even though it looked intact from the outside.

    The distance was so short, yet so far away. Dea was sure that if she tried to run again she would be caught. Thus she could only feint and hope for the best. She unsheathed her longsword as silently as she could then took a deep breath before tossing it at a tree not far from her position. She waited and watched as the de nged against the tree and fell towards the ground before she took off. Her body protested in every sense of the word. Dea was sure that her spine had been shifted a centimeter or two in several ces, but she ran nevertheless.

    She ripped off her waist pouch and tossed it behind her as she switched directions, a further distraction to shake her pursuer. She shed pieces of armor as she ran, all the while craning her ears as if it would make a difference to hear her impending demise. And suddenly it happened, the creature dashed forth, bridging several meters in an instant with its fist outstretched. Thest location where Dea tossed her chest te ¡ª but she was only two steps away.

    JUST TWO STEPS AWAY ¡ª when she felt the shadow of death lingering over her. The creature quickly picked up on her footsteps and course corrected. The blow struck Dea like a cannonball, lifting her off of her feet and severing her consciousness all in the same blow.

    ¡°When I came to, I was in the chapel, all alone. The creature¡¯s blow knocked me out of the shard, that¡¯s the only thing I coulde up with. Otherwise, I¡¯d have never survived.¡± Dea said as she finished recounting her tale. The faces of everyone in the room, save Oliver and Vivian all contorted with the same grim expression of disbelief. Agni nced over at Katrin who had a solemn expression simr to her own. Gates seemedpletely disturbed and Gigi¡¯s normally permanent smile was non-existent.

    The gathered adventurers could scarcely believe their ears as Dea recounted every gruesome detail of her foray into the realm of nightmares.

    ¡°I waited, for hours to see if anyone would return. The longest I could possibly stand beforeing to you, Doyenne Vivian.¡± Dea said as she nced towards the kitsune teen sitting across from the dragon-kin.

    ¡°And bought a butt load of trouble right to our door.¡± Oliver Pagnel said, his arms folded in perpetual displeasure.

    ¡°Stop Oliver. This was the agreement between our chapels and we will honor it.¡± Vivian said as she leaned forward in her chair to speak. The Archmage adventurer, elf Oliver Pagnel, waved off her order with one hand, but nevertheless remained silent.

    As far as Agni knew these two were the strongest in the Mystic Tower chapel. It was now beginning to dawn on Agni why they might have been called to Vivian¡¯s office. After listening to Vivian¡¯s exnation, the subus¡¯ suspicions were confirmed.

    ¡°Mystic Tower has been tasked with a rescue mission for the missing members of the Guiding Light chapel. It¡¯s possible that they may already be¡­¡± Vivian cut her eyes towards Dea briefly as she considered her words, ¡°beyond recovery. If that¡¯s the case, we too will make an escape.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like the people present here to assist with this task in two days time.¡±

    ¡°Two days time!? By then¨C¡± Dea was quickly silenced by a lift of Vivian¡¯s hand.

    ¡°The forty eight hour window is well within rescue parameters. Having been a part of a cleaner chapel myself in the past, there are strict protocols to be followed. I¡¯m sure Tedrin knows these rather well, after all we worked together in the past. Up to four days of rations are always carried. You did well bying to me today. I can now make arrangements to make our trip as safe as possible.¡±

    Dea looked as if she wanted to protest even further, but she was feeling deathly weak. She¡¯d put on a strong front as she stood to recount her tale but now her energy faded. There was also another reason that Dea buttoned her lips.

    *In two days¡­I¡¯ll be good to go.* She thought, and there was no way she would miss a chance to save Chloe at that time.

 Chapter 116: Prep Time

    Chapter 116: Prep Time

    ¡°Doyenne, no offense but this seems kind of¡­ out of our league.¡± Gates was the first to broach the subject with Vivian. He was obviously disturbed, no doubt he felt like he was in over his head. Agni could rte. Although she¡¯d been inside of blood shards on a few asions she had never encountered a Grimlock like the one Dea described. In fact, just listening to Dea¡¯s ount of her life and death struggle was enough to set Agni on edge. The thought of something simr happening to her or Katrin caused a seething anger to creep over her. At the same time, she could only think realistically.

    *Would we be able to survive something like that?* Even with Sh¡¯s help to fuse ¡ª Agni didn¡¯t believe so. In fact, no matter how she looked at it ¡ª the people within this room would be no match if a party of experienced first and second rankers were so easily dispatched.

    Agni also felt that this was Oliver Pagnel¡¯s reasoning ¡ª or at least something along those lines. He didn¡¯t seem to have any confidence in Vivian¡¯s judgement at all. He seemed both agitated and worried despite his appearance which suggested he was just in annoyed.

    Katrin also seemed lost in thought as she gazed downward. This was a rare urrence as Katrin always seemed to keep her eyes forward and her head up on principle. Knowing of Katrin¡¯s past somewhat, Agni realized that the gravity of the situation was most likely beyond their scope.

    ¡°I know what many of you are thinking.¡± Vivian said as she looked at Gates while addressing everyone present.

    ¡°And your right. Most of you won¡¯t be participating in battle. The n is to bring two teams, both of which will travel together inside the shards we need to explore. One team will be dedicated entirely to escorting wounded or surviving adventurers out of the shards. The other will be strictly dedicated to supporting the rescue team. Aside from me, Oliver Pagnel and Gigi will participate on the defense team. I¡¯ll also be requesting help from a few associates to fill out the remainder of the defenders. In short, those of you who I asked here will function as the rescue team.¡±

    ¡°All of you have previous experience in shards, so you all know and understand how to protect yourself against miasma. Furthermore, some among you also have experience with just how powerful Grimlock can be in the shard realms. Of all the members of Mystic Tower ¡ª you all are the best suited to this task. That being said, I want to make it quite clear ¡ª this isn¡¯t mandatory or forced. You¡¯re free to decline if you think you aren¡¯t up for it.¡± At this Oliver¡¯s expression contorted briefly into a faint sh of disbelief. He quickly recovered, leaving Agni to wonder what his reaction might have been about.

    Vivian¡¯s exnation did little to soften the expression of desperation which covered Gates¡¯ face. He still felt that something was missing.

    *Could we really even escape in a situation where something goes wrong? Just listening to Dea¡¯s story..* He had absolutely no confidence that he could.

    ¡°If you choose to join, you¡¯ll need to clear some time starting tomorrow for preparatory training as well.¡±

    ¡°Will thisst minute training make us powerful enough to deal with an enemy like the one she just mentioned?¡± Gigi asked. Of all the people gathered she seemed the least upset. Then again, Gigi¡¯s face was almost always fixed in a permanent smile.

    ¡°It¡¯s best not to think of the training as something that will make you ¡®powerful¡¯. What I can say is that it will make things much easier for you. Especially when ites to survival. It¡¯s also a valuable skill you can use once you pick it up.¡± Vivian exined.

    The space between Gigi¡¯s eyebrows scrunched upon hearing Vivian¡¯s answer, almost as if she was displeased. Still, she nodded, epting the Doyenne¡¯s answer.

    ¡°Finally, regardless of whether you¡¯d like to participate or not, I¡¯d like to request your help Katrin. As a Scribe your ability to create reinforced and modified garments would be essential to our preparations. You¡¯ll be paid of course for all the work you do.¡±

    ¡°Of course. I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°Excellent. I don¡¯t want you to undertake this lightly. As Dea here suggested, this is a dire matter but nothing we can¡¯t handle with the preparedness and careful nning. I¡¯d like you to take the evening and think it over. Tomorrow morning I¡¯d like an answer from each of you.¡±

    ¡°Doyenne Vivian. I¡¯d like to sit in on the training session if possible. I¡¯d also like to join the rescue party.¡± Dea said, her eyes full with hope.

    ¡°Of course. You should recover by then. Your skills will be helpful, as long as you can follow both my own and Oliver¡¯s orders.¡±

    Dea nodded quickly in agreement, putting the matter of whether she could join to a close.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to wait for my answer. I¡¯ll do it.¡± Gates replied. This genuinely shocked Agni, because from his demeanor she half expected he would fold.

    ¡°Me too! If Bell is going, I will too!¡± Gigi said with a bounce as shetched onto Bell¡¯s arm and pulled him close. Gates chuckled to himself, almost as if he expected such a reaction.

    *Maybe his reaction isn¡¯t all that unexpected. He was our party leader for the expedition and he seems to have a good sense for responsibility.* Agni thought to herself. And it was for this same reason that she felt Katrin may want to take up the offer as well.

    Agni herself didn¡¯t really have a reason not to go¨C aside from the obvious threat of death, but she personally had no feelings on the matter.

    *I guess I¡¯ll just talk it over with Katrin and Sh first.* She thought, finally making a decision on the matter.

    ¡°Which of you here have experience inside of shards?¡± Oliver Pagnel asked as he stepped forward. Agni couldn¡¯t help but notice that his expression was a bit softer now, though he still seemed displeased.

    ¡°I do. And so does Agni.¡± Katrin answered.

    ¡°Really? I¡¯d have never¡­expected you two to have practical field experience.¡± Oliver was genuinely taken aback by the news that two zero rankers were the more experienced of the group.

    ¡°I do as well.¡± Gates said. ¡°Though, not as much as these two.¡± He then added as he motioned towards Katrin and Agni.

    ¡°I see. Well, I can¡¯t dictate your choices in this matter. But, I¡¯d feel morefortable if you three agree toe along. The training I give you will increase the odds of your survival substantially.¡± Oliver said as he assessed Agni and Katrin by looking them over.

    *Odds of survival? Oliver, you¡¯re so tactless.* Vivian thought as she resisted the urge to face palm. It wasn¡¯t that she lied to anyone about her intentions, it was just that you¡¯d generally be more careful about wording in situations like this.

    Ironically enough Agni began to feel more interest based on Oliver¡¯s statement. It was enough to get her seriously considering the ¡°training¡± and what it might entail.

    *I wonder what it could be? It will onlyst a day or two at most. Can he really teach us something that impressive?* Agni was tempted to ept impulsively but she still thought it best to speak with Katrin first.

    Soon the meeting was called off and those involved now had a great deal to think about. In particr, Dea¡¯s story weighed on Agni¡¯s mind. She couldn¡¯t help but draw parallels to herself and Katrin just a few weeks past. In this new world of Adventia, death wasn¡¯t necessarily the end. A single defeat would cause a status known as ¡°Second Death¡±, rendering an adventurer deathly weak. Dea forced herself up and made her way to Mystic Chapel just so that she could make an attempt to save the other chapel members ¡ª all while suffering such a debilitating ailment.

    *How strong is she, really?* Agni thought to herself. She nced over at Katrin as the two walked back to their room. She felt like she¡¯d already made up her mind, somewhat. Agni wasn¡¯t necessarily interested in taking on a dangerous mission, but acquiring the ability to escape from a dangerous situation was much more attractive.

    *I really don¡¯t want to endure another traumatic event¨Cif I can help it.* Agni remembered thest time she saw Katrin ¡°die¡± before her eyes and the overwhelming rage that followed as she lost control.

    She also remembered how she regretted nothing that followed. This was in fact the first time she thought twice of the event.

    *He deserved it.* This was Agni¡¯s thought as she vividly recalled sinking Glint¡¯s own de into his still beating heart.The trio parted ways with Gates and Gigi, then went to their own sleeping quarters to discuss what they¡¯d like to do next.

 Chapter 117: Homework Salesman (1)

    Chapter 117: Homework Salesman (1)

    Agni felt restless upon waking. She wasn¡¯t entirely sure why but perhaps her dreams held the key? She had the wildest dream which left her body feverish to the touch ¡ª something about Gigi fucking her relentlessly with a strap on.

    She quickly dismissed the strangeness of the thought and stretched as she gave aplimentary yawn.

    ¡°Mmm? Sh?¡± Agni mouthed, she could only manage words in short effect ¡ª she was definitely not a morning person. Her choker glowed faintly, a sign that Sh heard her call. Agni found it weird that the familiar willingly receded into her confined space, but dismissed it as whimsy.

    *Maybe she¡¯s just tired.* Agni dragged herself out of bed and followed a morning ritual that she¡¯d quickly gotten used to since joining the Mystic Tower. Wash up, get dressed, eat with friends and then decide what to do for the day.

    In this case her daily activities were already decided.

    Soon Agni found herself walking alone through the city of Grenvale towards the district of town she found herself frequenting the most.

    Sprim Row.

    Although she was essentially walking into a slum-like area, Agni found that the people there didn¡¯t really bother her. Perhaps it was due to her mid-day battle to the death nearly two weeks past.

    Rather than focus on this, Agni was beginning to grow discontent for another reason.

    ¡ª¡ª-

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t Agni. I¡¯ve got to meet with Vivian to help prepare for the mission. I¡¯ve also got to do some training of my own.¡± This was Katrin¡¯s response to Agni¡¯s invitation to apany the subus on her daily adventures. Agni¡¯s response is what shocked her the most.

    ¡°H-huh? You¡¯re way too busy nowadays. I never see you!¡± The words escaped Agni

    s lips even as her hands went to her hips.

    ¡°Do you miss me?¡± Katrin smiled affectionately, chuckling as she did so.

    ¡°¡­.Yes!¡± Agni proudly dered, which made Katrinugh even harder.

    ¡ª¡ª¨C

    And it was true! The two spent literally everyday together for more than a month. Before Agni realized it, Katrin was her security nket. She was so used to having Katrin by her side that just two or three days of absence was enough to drive the Subus to feeling lonely ¡ª even if she was never truly alone.

    In fact, loneliness seemed to be the theme of the day as she walked the streets of Sprim Row. Sh wouldn¡¯te out, the only answer Agni got was.

    *I¡¯m tired. Leave me alone, I need to rest.*

    ¡°Ungrateful little imp. I let you use my body rent free and this is the thanks I get?¡± If Agni could see herself right now she¡¯d probably exim something along the lines of ¡°cute!¡±. One could see her current act of pouting as something along these lines.

    Soon Agni found herself standing in front of the third story structure of the Silken Petal. It remained the same as ever but something entirely different was out of ce this morning.

    ¡°Z? What are you doing outside?¡± Agni was surprised to find the owner of the Silken Petal standing at the front of the establishment.

    ¡°I had a feeling you¡¯d probably show up this morning.¡± Z remarked even as she stared affectionately at Agni. Z¡¯s fuschia colored eyes were beautiful in their own right and only served to amplify the Courtesan¡¯s natural beauty.

    ¡°It¡¯s a nice day. Let¡¯s walk.¡± Z then said as she pushed a strand of her long, ck hair to the side.

    And so the two took a stroll.

    ¡°Agni, have you ever thought about how much you¡¯ve changed since you came to this world?¡± Z began as the two walked side by side. Their destination was uncertain, but it was the least of Agni¡¯s concerns.

    ¡°No. Not really. You mean¡­besides the obvious?¡± Agni motioned towards her womanly figure.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a given. But¡­I¡¯m surprised you are still hung up on that. You¡¯re a woman now after all. You¡¯ve even begun to act the part.¡±

    ¡°Really? How so?¡± Agni inquired.

    Z chuckled, asting smile taking over her expression in the process.

    ¡°Well. for one. Your style of dress.¡± Z was referring to Agni¡¯s love for the casual whenever she could get away with it. Agni was currently wearing a tied t-shirt and a pair of blue jean shorts.

    ¡°I-it¡¯sfortable..¡± Agni felt as if she¡¯d been called out on something.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with it. It¡¯s just an example of how you¡¯ve be ustomed to a woman¡¯s body. For women,fort is paramount. But¡­even though you may have gotten used to a woman¡¯s body, you have yet to master a woman¡¯s mind or heart. You may not know this but ¡ª as women we are at the mercy of our moods many times.¡± Z exined.

    ¡°Our emotions are our greatest power. We could bepletelyzy one day and the next move with grace like a queen. Determined or unhinged. Our feelings often hold that much sway over us.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same for men though?¡± Agni asked. She didn¡¯t necessarily buy Z¡¯s exnation. In fact, it sounded somewhat sexist!

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve been a woman all of my life. Both of them. Also, I have special insight and tons of practical experience.¡± Z remarked.

    ¡°Have you ever given thought to why you¡¯re so resistant to being a subus?¡± Z next asked.

    ¡°Resistant? That¡¯s not really the word I would use¡­.¡± Agni said. She didn¡¯t necessarily have a problem with being a demon-kin. It was more of the activities associated with it¡­

    ¡°Do you know that adventurer bodies are resistant to normal diseases and sickness?¡± Z next asked.

    ¡°No. I had no idea. But now that you mention it.. I haven¡¯t ever felt sick or under the weather¡­¡±

    ¡°Mhm. That means two of the biggest reasons for abstaining to sex are no longer necessary. You can enjoy yourself ¡ª and the body of others as freely as you want. If sex and intimacy are natural¨Cand you¡¯re a demon that represents these ideals¡­ Why do you feel engaging in sexual acts is ¡®bad¡¯ ? ¡°

    ¡°What? I never said that¡­¡± Agni responded.

    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t. But¡­it¡¯s what you feel. The deepest part of you, perhaps a part you¡¯ve lived with for so long that you don¡¯t even recognize it. It¡¯s like a silent passenger in your heart and it pulls you in two directions constantly.¡± Z stopped walking and grabbed Agni¡¯s hands at this point, bringing Agni to a stop as well.

    On reflex Agni¡¯s first instinct was to feel ufortable. The sensation was so strong that she herself began to question it.

    *I..touch people all the time. Why is this any different? Is it some kind of skill?¡± Agni cast an inquisitive gaze at Z whose expression remained pleasant.

    ¡°You feel¡­antsy right? Nervous?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Agni replied slowly.

    ¡°That¡¯s a sign of emotional trauma. It¡¯s rted to yourplex. Subconsciously, you..feel like intimacy is a bad thing. Even the act of touching someone¡­or more specifically being touched¡­¡±

    ¡°I know but..that¡¯s what¡¯s so confusing. I¡¯ve touched and been touched..¡± Agni¡¯s voice lowered somewhat out of embarrassment, ¡± plenty of times..¡±

    ¡°And yet¡­you want to pull away¡­do you not? Do you find me unattractive Agni?¡± Z stepped forward so that the two were merely centimeters apart. Z¡¯s eyes held a warmth andfort that made Agni feel absorbed. Yet, as Z noted her body was reacting quite differently. Now that things were called into focus Agni could feel a sense of hesitancy which caused her to struggle against the urge to break contact.

    ¡°Intimacy isn¡¯t a sin. Neither is touching. Or caressing.¡± Z released her grip on Agni¡¯s hands and traced her fingers along Agni¡¯s cheek. Agni felt her heart skip a beat as she violently tried to reject the tender emotions swirling about in her chest. The reaction was so strong that Agni took a step back and simply stared.

    Suddenly a sense of disappointment quickly set in for the subus.

    *Why can¡¯t I do this? This should be nothing! I¡¯ve ¡­ I¡¯ve had threesomes! I¡¯ve been groped relentlessly by Bracha! I¡¯ve slept in the nude with Katrin ¡ª multiple times. This.. this doesn¡¯t make sense.* Agni¡¯s mind raced as she nced down at her hand which was now shaking like a leaf.

    ¡°Rx. It¡¯s okay.¡± Z¡¯s voice was as silky as it wasforting. She took Agni¡¯s hands in her own once again before she continued to speak.

    ¡°You know, there¡¯s one thing I noticed about you Agni. It¡¯s not necessarily a bad thing but¡­you tend to view the world in ck and white, yes?¡±

    Agni nodded in affirmation, ¡°Maybe?¡± She stopped to think for a moment then replied, ¡°Yea. Is that a problem?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­and no. You see to the truth of matters and because of this you can quickly understand anything if you have all of the facts. But if you look at it another way, you can also miss all of the subtle nuances that life has to offer.¡± Z exined.

    Then she did somethingpletely unexpected, she leaned in and kissed Agni. Not a superficial kiss, but a deep longing one which parted the Subus¡¯ lips. Agni was caught off guard for the briefest of moments as Z¡¯s tongue explored her mouth intimately.

    The kisssted only a few seconds but it was enough topletely clear Agni¡¯s mind of all chaotic thought.

    ¡°What was that for?¡± This was the first question Agni feltpelled to ask. Z¡¯s smile broadened as if she¡¯d just made a point.

    ¡°Absolutely nothing. It was just a kiss. It didn¡¯t have to mean anything. But more importantly¡­did you enjoy it?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes¡­¡± Agni felt somewhat bashful yet she answered all the same.

    ¡°Do you¡­want another one?¡± Z smiled gently as she caressed Agni¡¯s hands with her own.

    *Of course I do..but this is¡­* Agni thought inwardly.

    ¡°Weird? Unexpected? ¡± Z¡¯s words finished Agni¡¯s thoughts. It wasn¡¯t the first time something like this happened around Z or other adventurers for that matter.

    *Am I really so easy to read?*

    ¡°Why is it weird? Why can¡¯t it just¡­be what it is? Listen, you¡¯re pushing too much logic into the experience. Logic is the opposite of emotion and that¡¯s why there¡¯s conflict within you. You view them as two opposing forces that can either be on or off at any given time.¡±

    ¡°The reality is, they are two parts of you that should exist in harmony and bnce. Unfortunately, your bnce is off and it must be recovered. The sooner you learn this and put it into practice, the happier you¡¯ll be. And those invisible shackles you possess will quickly fall away.¡± Z further exined.

    ¡°You have to learn to be genuine to your desires, all of them. Intimacy is a part of sexuality but not the only part. Without exploring intimacy you will never reach the full height of sexuality ¡ª this is an undeniable truth. And the only way that you can get familiar with the unseen part of yourself is to explore¡­¡±

    This time Z grabbed Agni by the cheeks as she began kissing. Her mouth was more hungry with the second kiss and Agni found herself quickly being swept up in the passion. Of course she tried to resist but Z¡¯s technique was not to be underestimated. Soon Agni was washed away in the heat of the moment and her hands began to act on their own. Z neither shied away nor reacted as Agni¡¯s eager hands gripped her hips and began to squeeze.

    The kisssted for less than a minute but Agni found herself removed from everything else during the exchange.

    That is until she heard the sound of a clink. Agni¡¯s eyes popped open and immediately gazed downward at her wrist. There was now a slender silver bangle attached to Agni¡¯s wrist, courtesy of Z.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Agni lifted her hand and gazed at it, even as Z took a step away and straightened her kimono.

    ¡°It¡¯s homework. It will help you get over yourplex.¡±

    As Agni lifted the ¡°gift¡± to eye level a strange alert popped up.

    [Daily Task : Grope a stranger.

    Weekly Task : Give A Handjob]

    ¡°What the heck is this?¡± Agni asked as her eyes widened. Z simply smiled and repeated herself.

    ¡°Homework.¡±

 Chapter 118: Homework Salesman (2)

    Chapter 118: Homework Salesman (2)

    *Note that Oliver¡¯sst name has been changed to Pagnal.*

    Agni left the meeting with Z in a strange mood. She couldn¡¯t rightly discern her emotions, they were all jumbled. The only thing she could clearly feel was apprehension.

    *Who am I kidding? I might be afraid.* Agni thought.

    *Of course you¡¯re afraid. You¡¯re a goodie goodie.* Sh¡¯s ill timedmentary chimed in. She hadn¡¯t taken her physical form, rather she was still ¡°resting¡± inside of her familiar core.

    ¡°Oh! So now you¡¯ve got time to chat it up huh?¡± Agni retorted. Truth be told she was feeling a bit annoyed. She simply couldn¡¯t ce her finger on why. As she walked along she recalled Z¡¯s exnation of the small silver essory which rested on her wrist.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    ¡°This is something I had made, specifically for you Agni. It¡¯s a gift¨C so never take it off! Only I can remove it for you. This will be your salvation. Every day you¡¯ll get a random task which should bepleted. Doing these tasks will bring you one step closer to curing yourplex.¡± Z exined. She then turned to walk away.

    ¡°Is that it? Just..grope someone and the task isplete? And what about the weekly task!? That¡¯s a little¡­ I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m ready to experience a dick in my hand!¡± Agni objected.

    Z stopped and turned to face the subus with the most serene expression.

    ¡°Exploration is personal experience¡­ if I exin everything you¡¯ll never learn.¡±

    ¡°So¡­what happens if I don¡¯tplete the tasks then?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s a secret.¡± Z¡¯s lips curled, revealing a smile.

    ¡°Is there a penalty? Or punishment? It¡¯s not going to blow up is it?¡±

    ¡°Not¡­really a penalty but. You may regret it ¡ª in a sense.¡± Z¡¯s response was cryptic but Agni felt she wasn¡¯t being misleading either. With that the proprietor of the Silken Petal waved goodbye and returned to her establishment.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    ¡°It¡¯s just a quest. What¡¯s the big deal?¡± Sh chimed in as she separated herself from the core and materialized next to Agni.

    ¡°What¡¯s the big deal of groping someone? That¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s not normal. You¡¯re not supposed to go around groping people.¡± Agni responded.

    ¡°Why not? You can get away with it. You¡¯re hot. Most people will let you get away with anything you want as long as you bat your eyes or puff out your chest a bit.¡± Sh said.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­. That¡¯s wrong!¡±

    ¡°Why? You wouldn¡¯t be the way you are if you weren¡¯t meant to use your gifts.¡± Sh yawned, unamused by Agni¡¯s passion so soon after resting.

    *Ugh. That bitch did a number on my pussy. I can barely walk straight. * Sh thought to herself, opting to float instead of walk.

    She then floated towards a nearby person and casually groped his dick.

    ¡°H-hey! What are you doing?¡± The man shouted, mostly out of embarrassment. Still¡­he didn¡¯t shrink away from Sh¡¯s touch. In fact, his eyes held a different intent altogether. Sh simply smiled and floated back to her partner¡¯s side as the man watched the two continue on their way.

    ¡°Sh! You can¡¯t do stuff like that!¡± Agni said through gritted teeth.

    ¡°I did though. And he liked it. I could totally fuck him if I wanted to.¡± Sh¡¯s expression changed into one of both pride and mischievousness.

    Agni nced back to find that the man was indeed still gazing in their direction with a lustful look in his eyes.

    From that perspective she couldn¡¯t deny Sh¡¯s words¡­

    ¡°You think too much. That¡¯s why you¡¯re having such a hard time. Z literally just told you this. And here you are¡­again¡­over thinking.¡±

    ¡°But..¡± Agni began to protest.

    ¡°But nothing. Just a squeeze. That¡¯s it..¡± Sh floated upwards and faced the subus as she walked.

    *Ugh. What am I going to do with this one?* Sh thought to herself.

    ¡°If a guy is too much for you..just do a woman. Like her.¡± Sh said, nodding towards a nearby olderdy who happened to be passing by.

    ¡°I can¡¯t! That¡¯s sexual harassment!¡±

    ¡°Ohhh? Really? ¡± Sh made to float towards the woman, only to be caught by the arm by Agni.

    ¡°You¡¯d better not!¡± Agni practically shouted, causing several people to nce in her direction.

    Sh began tough her head off in her usual crass demeanor. Agni was always reminded of a serial snorter whenever Shughed.

    ¡°Ugh. You¡¯re so annoying.¡± Agni smiled, and finally gave way to chuckling. Sh¡¯sugh also happened to be infectious.

    ¡°So you can only act when your sulust gets the better of you andtely you¡¯ve kept it well under control. So¡­doesn¡¯t that mean you¡¯re a defective demon?¡± Sh teased, even as shetched onto Agni¡¯s back and made herself at home with a piggyback ride.

    ¡°Excuse you?¡± Agni¡¯s protests went unheard as Sh clenched her like a human backpack.

    *Shut up. When you¡¯ve had your pussy pounded for two hours straight thene talk to me. For now ¡ª let me have this.* Sh thought inwardly, for a moment her thoughts shed back to the previous night¡¯s encounter and she felt a warmth between her thighs.

    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll give you a piggyback for today and today only.¡± Agni responded as she and her familiar continued chatting on their way back to the Mystic Tower.

    The day was to be full of new experiences. In particr the group of adventurers were to meet and train with Oliver Pagnel, the Archmage elf. After returning, Agni and Sh joined the others; Gates, Gigi,Katrin and even Dea the Draken Knight as well. Their gathering ce was the courtyard of the Mystic Tower rather than a sparring room.

    ¡°Everyone¡¯s here. Good. We can begin now.¡± Oliver Pagnel said as he nced towards thest two people to arrive ¡ª namely Agni and Sh. Katrin chuckled, Gates nodded in their direction while Gigi smirked.

    ¡°Such a cute sight! You¡¯re giving your familiar tender love and care today Agni!¡± Gigi said as she got to her feet and ran to give them both a hug. Agni could have sworn she heard Sh groan with annoyance, but she dismissed it and waited for Gigi¡¯s firm embrace to end.

    As this urred she thought to herself, *Why am I not bothered by this? Is it because Gigi initiated?*

    ¡°Gigi since you¡¯re up,e and stand next to me.¡± Oliver Pagnel directed.

    ¡°Now. I¡¯m not one for long winded exnations. The technique I will attempt to show you is one that can save your life if you master it. Even learning about it can make you a much better fighter who is capable of sensing and dealing with magical threats as well. For this expedition into a blood shard, these skills will be needed.¡± The short statured elven man said as he paced back and forth before the small group of adventurers.

    Oliver was dressed in a long red cape which caused him to look more like a ranger than a magic user. His clothing was also more snug than traditional for magic users, although the fabric of his gear wasn¡¯t leather it was definitely close. Agni recognized this to be Magic Gear, one of the four types of armor one could wear as an adventurer. Oliver was decked out from head to toe in matching gear but the most eye catching feature was perhaps his ck gloves. They weren¡¯t generally something adventurers wore ¡ª even in the world of Adventia.

    ¡°Gigi, stand a few meters away from me. I want you to do your best to evade the attacks I¡¯m about to send your way.¡± Oliver instructed. Gigi quickly took up a position several meters away before signaling that she was ready.

    With that Oliver brought his hands together, cupping them as if he was holding an invisible ball. Within this ¡°sphere¡± several small purple lights began to shimmer into existence before bursting into mes violently. Rather than traditional fire, it was more like watching a dull sparkler. Agni immediately thought of stars.

    The small sparks were purple in color and quickly flew forward like bullets as Oliver¡¯s hands fell away from the invisible space containing the magic. In response Gigi deftly avoided the sequence of attacks simply by shifting her position or side stepping. Just about everyone present was capable of such a feat, thus the demonstration felt underwhelming.

    ¡°Now. Close your eyes and do the same thing.¡± Oliver instructed, this time as he created several orbs of magic that were muchrger than before.

    ¡°Hey..that looks like it would really hurt if it hits..¡± Gates murmured, and Agni was inclined to agree. She could ¡°feel¡± the intent of the magic from her ce nearby. Feel wasn¡¯t necessarily urate, it was more apt to say that the mood shifted the moment Oliver created his newest spell.

    ¡°Are you serious? We¡¯re going to be training with blindfolds now?¡± Gigi¡¯s smile never faded but it was apparent that she was taking Oliver¡¯s words at face value.

    ¡°Hmm. You¡¯re right.¡± Oliver said as hepletely dissipated the magic instantly.

    ¡°You should attack me first. The demonstration will be more effective that way.¡± Oliver then closed his eyes and waited.

    ¡°Get a move on. We don¡¯t have all day.¡± He chided even as Gigi seemed reluctant.

    ¡°Well. You asked for this.¡± She remarked as she pulled forth her de and lifted it skyward. Two meters above the tip of Gigi¡¯s rune sword a sphere of mes ignited. It grew in size until it was asrge as a cantaloupe before she leveled her de, forcing the fire sphere to fly towards Oliver Pagnel.

    For an instant it seemed as if there would be a terrible ident, but he easily stepped aside at the most opportune moment.

    ¡°Again. Don¡¯t stop attacking.¡± Olivermanded. And Gigi obeyed. She created several more attacks and fired them his way but none found their mark. The group of adventurers found themselves in amazement as Gigi took to melee strikes with her ming de. Oliver deftly avoided each swing of her weapon, and easily at that. Furthermore he did all of this with his eyes closed for nearly two minutes.

    ¡°Excellent Gigi. Well done.¡± Olivermended her after opening his eyes and pointing for the ginger to return to the rest of the group.

    ¡°What I n to teach you is called Mana Reading. It¡¯s not a skill or technique so much as an ability. And it will allow you to do everything you¡¯ve just seen and more.¡±

 Chapter 119: Mana Reading (1)

    Chapter 119: Mana Reading (1)

    ¡°This is¡­.harder than Oliver made it look!¡± Agni groaned as she fell backwards on her ass. The rest of the adventurers who¡¯d been invited weren¡¯t faring any better.

    Even Katrin was tuckered and the training session was only twenty minutes in. The theory behind mana reading was simple. Thus Agni kept reying Oliver¡¯s exnation in her head, with hopes of gleaning some sort of insight.

    ¡°Mana reading is an ability that allows you to read the ¡®flow¡¯ of mana which doesn¡¯t belong to you. ¡®What¡¯s the purpose of this?¡¯ you might ask. It¡¯s rather simple. If you can sense what magic ising your way, without the need to see it, you gain valuable time to react to said magic.¡±

    ¡°Of course, there are a few downsides to Mana Reading. The biggest downside is that, while you use it your mana will be limited proportionate to the range of your mana reading.¡±

    Oliver went on to exin the steps to activating this supposedly mystical ability.

    ¡°The first step is to create a tiny orb of non elemental mana. Ideally, the smaller you can make this orb the better. The second step is to multiply the process ¡ª create as many orbs as you possibly can and sustain them. The final step is what will take the most practice. ¡®Sensing¡¯ is something that you just get a feel for. I¡¯ll let you all try, without coaching for one hour. After all, lessons learned through trial and error are carried with you for life.¡±

    Everyone started out diligently with a full tank of optimism. Unfortunately repeated failures had begun to take a mental toll on everyone involved.

    ¡°I can¡¯t get it either!¡± Gigi said as she sank down to her knees. Ironically enough, most of them couldn¡¯t get past step one. It was apparently difficult to create tiny orbs of magic ¡ª let alone sustain their shape. What¡¯s more, by attempting to create so many mana constructs one was increasing their workload and spreading their awareness thin.

    The group had an even tougher time when they considered Oliver¡¯s example. None of them saw any such thing surrounding the mage as he demonstrated use of ¡®Mana Reading¡¯. Finally Katrin broke down and asked for a second demonstration.

    ¡°What? So soon? The hour isn¡¯t even up yet. Oh well. I guess it can¡¯t be helped. Maybe I can do you one better and give you a few pointers.¡± Oliver Pagnel remarked as he lifted his hand with the palm side up.

    ¡°Watch closely.¡± He directed.

    A clearly visible orb of blue mana appeared above his palm. This orb was easily the size of a softball, perhapsrger. It then split into two, creating two orbs of lesser but equal size. This created a chain reaction in which each new orb halved itself even further until there were dozens of tiny specks of mana energy.

    ¡°I can go even further, but for the sake of this demonstration I¡¯ll stop here.¡± Oliver said. He then used his control over the bundle of tiny mana particles to disperse them in various shapes. Squares, circles and even a sphere. Finally Oliver willed the orbs to surround him inside a barrier of sorts and he continued dividing them until they disappeared from sight altogether.

    ¡°It¡¯s still active.¡± Oliver remarked, then with a snap of his finger he dered, ¡± And now the ability is canceled. That is a demonstration of the first two steps involved. Carry on.¡± The elven man said as he walked towards a nearby bench and took a load off. Apparently he expected their training session to take quite a while.

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Sh seemed disappointed.

    ¡°He just showed us division with mana spheres. Anyone can do that!¡± the blond haired imp remarked as she ced her hands on her hips.

    No one else responded though Agni felt just about everyone present could agree.

    At least, Agni felt inclined to agree but Sh¡¯sst sentence made her reconsider.

    *Can anyone do that? It seems simple but¡­*

    Agni had been creating multiple orbs, not necessarily dividing a single source of power. She wondered what the difference was?

    She decided to do a little experiment to find out. Agni mimicked Oliver¡¯s technique with one hand and used the other to try her own method. After a couple of minutes fiddling about, Agni realized the differences were like night and day.

    She and everyone else had, indeed, been going about things the wrong way. By creating multiple constructs the drain on them increased with each new creation. By dividing a single construct many times, not only did the drain exerted decrease but the smaller pieces were also easier to handle. There was another major discovery which Agni made, and that was the ability to ¡°feel¡± the magic.

    By creating multiple constructs Agni had to disperse her focus, and due to this she lost a connection with mana she would normally have full control over. By focusing on a single construct and dividing it up into smaller pieces, this issue was avoided altogether.

    ¡°Ah! She¡¯s doing it! Tell me how you did it, you defective demon.¡± Sh shouted as she caught Agni replicating Oliver¡¯s earlier technique.

    The others quickly looked up from their own practice and were amazed to find that Agni was able to create spheres about half the size of marbles.

    ¡°That¡¯s great Agni. So how did you do it?¡± Gigi asked. KAtrin too looked hopeful for an answer as they crowded the red-haired subus. Agni was just about to spill the beans when Oliver cleared his throat rather loudly. Everyone directed their attention towards him just as he finished casting a spell. With a flick of his fingers a strange energy rune quickly faded into existence then disappeared. Agni heard a buzzing sound and she could feel pressure around the crown of her head before the same rune appeared just centimeters in front of her face. This magic expanded, fading out of existence altogether as it took effect.

    [You¡¯ve been inflicted with Silence Ailment.]

    ¡°What!? Silence?¡± At least that¡¯s what Agni wanted to say. The truth was her voice waspletely muted!

    ¡°No cheating. Work it out for yourselves. As you can see it took her a matter of minutes to reach stage two. There¡¯s no reason why you lot can¡¯t do the same.¡± Oliver folded his arms as a smug smile graced his face.

    Agni seemed genuinely rmed at having her voice snatched from her, whilst everyone seemed annoyed and disappointed. They went back to their own practice, making sure to linger close enough to keep an eye on Agni¡¯s progress.

    *Hey. Hey. Hey! * Sh repeated constantly, but Agni couldn¡¯t even use telepathy at this rate. She shot a ¡®i-would-strangle-you-if-i-could¡¯ nce towards Oliver who simply shrugged. She shook her head and resumed her training, she tried to ignore the sense of aggravation setting in.

    *Muzzle me will you!* She thought as she continued practicing for the remainder of the hour. During this time Agni decided to alter the training to suit her a bit. She knew that a single construct was the key to making the ability work but she practiced with two at all times. What¡¯s more, she also practiced dividing and joining the masses both simultaneously and alternating. There wasn¡¯t any particr reason she coulde up with for this, rather she just thought it felt right.

    The more she repeated these two processes in various ways, the more Agni felt proficient at them. Soon she feltfortable enough to say she¡¯d mastered the basics enough to try something more advanced.

    Since she couldn¡¯t speak and Oliver seemed determined to ignore everyone for the remainder of the time, Agni turned to attempting step three. That¡¯s when she realized the ¡®hidden wall¡¯ that this training represented.

    ¡°And time.¡± Oliver said as he got to his feet and approached the adventurers. Out of the six gathered for training, only two had managed to reach the second step while Agni alone managed to reach step three ¡ª at least in short spurts.

    Agni angrily pointed to her mouth, prompting Oliver to dispel his silence seal.

    ¡°Thank you!¡± She said, almost with a sneer.

    Oliverpletely ignored it.

    ¡°Great job. Now¡­let¡¯s get serious.¡± He said, causing bewilderment to everyone including Agni.

    ¡°But..we didn¡¯t even master the basics yet.¡± Gates remarked.

    ¡°I noticed.¡± Oliver replied.

    ¡°So¡­ how do you expect us to use the technique if we haven¡¯t managed to grasp the basics?¡± Gigi chimed in.

    ¡°Oh. I wouldn¡¯t worry about that too much. There¡¯s an old adventurer¡¯s saying, ¡®you can train for a hundred years to master what you¡¯d learn in an hour of battle¡¯. And I happen to agree. That¡¯s why for the remainder of the training, until you get the technique right ¡ª you¡¯ll be working with each other.¡± Oliver said with a self satisfied smirk.

 Chapter 120: Mana Reading (2)

    Chapter 120: Mana Reading (2)

    ¡°You and you. You and¡­you. There. These are your partners for the next part of the exercise. For the remainder of the next two day period you¡¯ll be training to use Mana Reading in an applicable way. Your training is quite simple. Gigi, once more if you please.¡± Oliver said as he motioned for the tall, red-headed Spellsword to step forth.

    Everyone was sorted into pairs just moments prior. Agni was paired with Dea. Katrin was paired with Gates and Sh with Gigi who was currently being ¡°borrowed¡± by Oliver.

    ¡°You and your partner will take turns assuming roles. Every five minutes or so, one will be the attacker and the other will be the defender. I say defender,but really your goal is to avoid damage. The attacker will create a small, non lethal orb of mana and fire it. The defender will avoid it by applying the Mana Reading technique, that¡¯s it! By the way, defenders, you need to keep your eyes closed the entire time.¡±

    ¡°What? That¡¯s¡­ impossible!¡± Dea nearly shouted.

    ¡°And yet, it¡¯s what¡¯s required of you.¡± Oliver replied nonchntly, without missing a beat.

    Dea gritted her teeth, no doubt as frustrations set in.

    ¡°So we¡¯re supposed to do this¡­despite not having grasped the proper technique from earlier?¡± Gates seemed less than impressed with Oliver Pagnel¡¯s teaching methods.

    ¡°Oh, that. There¡¯s no big secret to it. I¡¯ll exin in a way so that you can understand right now.¡± Oliver said with a shrug. He motioned for Gigi to return to her partner and then he distanced himself from his students.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see. The easiest way to exin it is, looking in multiple directions at one time. It is nearly impossible ¡ª right? That¡¯s what you¡¯re doing when you use multiple magical constructs at the same time. Gates, you understand what I mean¨C right? I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t pick up on this sooner.¡±

    Gates brow furrowed, even as he came to understand what Oliver meant. Gates¡¯ adventure ss was Spirit Mage. This allowed Bell Gates to call forth one or more spirits to do his bidding. In particr, Gates focused on elemental spirits as they were the easiest to manifest. He could alsomand many at a single time, or at least he could appear tomand multiple spirits at once. In reality, Gates directed each spirit using his will and mana to have it act ording to his wishes. If he didn¡¯t do this it would be nearly impossible to manually control the action of multiple spirits simultaneously.

    Gates¡¯ mind went into overdrive as he understood what Oliver was driving at. Spirits were sentient beings of the world of Adventia. In order to obtain their power Gates had to make a pact with the spirit beforehand and use his mana as a way to manifest the spirit. Raw mana was just that, a clump of mana with no purpose other than what the magic user deemed necessary.

    ¡°Right. But¡­ is that all there is to it?¡± Gates asked. Fundamentally Oliver was correct, but Gates still felt something was off about the exnation.

    ¡°Well, as I just said ¡ª looking in multiple directions at one time is impossible. It¡¯s better to focus on a single magical construct.¡± Oliver repeated his demonstration, this time using only a single orb of mana. He divided it several times, very slowly and watched the people observing him. Gates seemed to pick up on Oliver¡¯s subtle hint while the rest looked befuddled.

    ¡°Hmm. Maybe it¡¯s better if you feel the difference for yourselves. Everyone, follow along.¡± Oliver directed.

    He repeated the process having everyone step through it with them. Under his guidance everyone sessfully divided their magic into dozens of smaller orbs. A few were even surprised (particrly Gigi).

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying the process matters. Instead of creating a bunch of small orbs, we just need to create a single orb and divide it? Well, I¡¯ll admit this is way easier to handle.¡± Sh remarked.

    ¡°Correct. But it¡¯s not impossible to perform the process with multiple constructs¡­ just beyond your means.¡± Oliver closed his eyes and sped his hands together ¡ª almost as if he was reciting a prayer. Within an instant orb after orb began to appear around him until nearly a dozen were in ce. He then snapped his fingers and each orb began to divide on itself until the remnants of magic were no longer visible to the naked eye.

    ¡°Mana Reading is the act of creating an area of effect with your own mana. You must maintain a connection with each particle of mana collectively. Doing so will allow you to ¡®feel¡¯ when something has entered your sphere of influence.¡±

    ¡°When this is done, it¡¯s not impossible or an exaggeration to evade attacks of any type ¡ª even with your eyes closed. You could think of it as a seventh sense based around magical theory.¡± Oliver beamed, the first time any of the people present had ever seen him smile. It seemed the elf really enjoyed talking about magic.

    Agni had to admit, what Oliver had just done was impressive. He¡¯d shown them how difficult it could be to focus on a handful of magical constructs. He then shattered their perception bymanding dozens simultaneously for himself. Finally after a few seconds, Oliver released his technique. Rather than observing the dispersion of Oliver¡¯s mana, Agni ¡®felt¡¯ it fade away. It was most urately exined as a certain ¡°charge¡± in the atmosphere dispersing.

    ¡°This is a bit much for you as beginners. All you really need is one. One construct, with enough mana infused into it. Then split it into smaller orbs. As small as you deem necessary. There is no strict rule that you need to create ¡®particle¡¯ size mana.¡±

    ¡°This is simply my technique. Furthermore, you don¡¯t need to be confined by the shape or size of your Mana Reading field. Do what works for you. A cloak that assists with close encounters. A wide field thatpensates forck of movement. Your training now will be to develop a technique suited to you. Today and tomorrow are all the time you have. So take it seriously and make the most of your time. Now, let¡¯s get started.¡± Oliver¡¯s exnation was finally done and for once everyone looked excited to learn a new application of magic.

    Oliver had them stand three meters apart in pairs and alternate roles as he exined before. He instructed the attackers to show no mercy, while giving them only one rule ¡ª to avoid seriously injuring their partner.

    At the start of their practice Agni immediately thought back to the ¡®hidden wall¡¯ of this particr training. Oliver had exined a great deal, but he had not exined how to ovee the obstacle that everyone was now encountering.

    Agni chose to use a basic sphere shape for her Mana Reading field. She expanded it outwards to create a radius of one meter in nearly all directions. She then closed her eyes as instructed and signaled for Dea to begin.

    Of all of the trainees, Agni and Gates seemed to be closest to mastering the ability. There was just one problem which Agni could not create a solution for.

    The sting of Dea¡¯s magic bursting against Agni¡¯s chest and forehead was annoying. The training wore on for nearly an hour and every single time Agni would get hung up after the two minute mark due to one issue. Ack of mana.

    Creating the sphere was no problem. But each time Dea would fire off some mana it would collide with Agni¡¯s, destroying her mana particles in the process. Eventually, after a certain amount of time, Agni would simply have no particles left to utilize the ability properly. Furthermore, since she was in the middle of training , Dea didn¡¯t give her any time to perform the steps needed to recreate another Mana Reading field.

    Everyone struggled with the same issue, but not all of the trainees understood why. Gigi¡¯s aptitude for the technique was horrible. So terrible in fact that she gave up on evading blows just to re-activate her ability most times.

    Agni was 100% sure that this wasn¡¯t Oliver¡¯s intent ¡ª to train them in a way that might ce their lives in danger. Yet, the elf said nothing. He observed for nearly two hours before calling the ss to an end.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, for today. You all made pretty good progress. Tomorrow, we¡¯ll meet in sparring room one. Ten A.M.. Don¡¯t bete.¡±

    Oliver¡¯s appraisal of the training session left everyone bewildered. They felt like fish out of water flopping wildly in the mud.

    *Pretty good progress? What?* Agni thought even as she wiped a bead of sweat from her brow. She nodded in Dea¡¯s direction and turned to Katrin.

    ¡°That was¡­different. Not what I expected at all.¡± Katrin said. It was unusual to see Katrin displeased, about anything. Yet the training session had clearly left her in a tizzy. She was pouting, though Agni doubted that she herself realized it.

    ¡°See you tomorrow Sh.¡± Gigi said as she blew a kiss in Sh¡¯s direction. Gigi thentched onto Gates and had him escort her out of the courtyard.

    ¡°Looks like you and Gigi had fun today¡­¡± Agni remarked as Sh floated over towards them.

    ¡°Do you want to die?¡± Sh growled. Apparently she was also in a bad mood, though Agni felt that maybe the Sh¡¯s discontent was different from Katrin¡¯s.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go take a bath!¡± Agni said suddenly. She had no clue where the idea came from, frankly. The chapel had showers but Agni really felt a soak would be ideal for shifting the mood for everyone.

    Almost immediately Katrin¡¯s eyes lit up. Sh liked the idea, but naturally refused to let it show.

    ¡°Excuse me.¡± The voice came from behind Agni.

    ¡°Oh, Dea.¡± Agni replied as she turned to face the Draken Knight.

    ¡°Do you mind if I join you?¡±

    Dea¡¯s request was unexpected, but Agni saw no reason to decline.

    ¡°Sure. Why not? Although, I have to warn you¡­ The person we¡¯re going to visit has a serious problem with keeping her hands to herself.¡± Agni said, apanied by a slightly nervous chuckle.

 Chapter 121: Bathtime With Bracha (1)

    Chapter 121: Bathtime With Bracha (1)

    ¡°Ah!! Do my eyes deceive me? A Subus and a Scribe walk through my door! And an Imp too!¡± Bracha practically hopped over her desk and dashed towards Agni and Katrin. She greeted them with a wide armed hug, capturing them both like a mother who had gone far too long without seeing her children.

    Agni could even feel the moistness of a kiss against her cheek.

    ¡°Okay.. Okay..¡± Agni said through her smiles. Sh just watched the spectacle with her arms folded. She was thankful it wasn¡¯t her. Watching mushy stuff made her face itch.

    And then thirty secondster it WAS her. Bracha cradled the struggling Imp in her arms, despite Sh¡¯s expletive-filled protests.

    ¡°Oh! Don¡¯t be so coy, no? You and I are already best of friends, Sh.¡± The blonde haired mature said as she continued to hug Sh. Agni could tell she was doing it just to annoy the Imp, thus she had noints.

    *ept her love, you know you want it.* She thought, causing Sh to shoot a fierce re in her direction. The ocr exchangested only for a moment as Sh was forced to be swept away in Bracha¡¯s unyielding affection.

    After greeting her acquaintances, Bracha turned her attention to everyone who filed in after Katrin and Agni.

    There was a rather cute young man with short, boyish curls. The woman next to him was nearly as tall, her hair was fiery and fell just past her shoulders. Behind them were two more youngdies, one with a petite frame and long ck hair and purple highlights. The other sported two tone hair, both brte and blonde, along with a pair of minotaur horns. She was dressed rather stylishly, though her body was obviously fit.

    There was one other person who lingered near the back of the group. Had Bracha¡¯s observation been spotty she might have missed the mahogany haired dragon-kin. Her eyes were one of her most curious features. Bracha was immediately drawn to the salmon speckled color, the horns were the next most noticeable feature. The horn pattern was unique, especially the curvature as they curled around the ears and sat almost like a crown.

    ¡°Everyone,e in. I was just thinking about what to have for supper.¡± Bracha said with a pleasant smile as she weed everyone into the lounge of the Training Chapel.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    ¡°You¡¯re being trained by Oliver Pagnal? You two are moving up in the world, no?¡± Bracha asked as she sipped on a cup of tea. Nearly everyone else at the table had a cup as well, though the vors differed widely based on the person.

    Agni was currently drinking something vored with the unmistakable scent of Hibiscus flower.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± Sh said as she stared across the table from Bracha. The blond haired imp insisted that she not be sat next to Agni nor Gigi for some reason.

    *Hmmmm suspicious, very suspicious.* Agni squinted her eyes as she thought over Sh¡¯s behavior. Still, she dismissed it and listened to the conversation between Sh and Bracha.

    ¡°Oh, no it¡¯s a very big deal. Oliver Pagnal is an elf my dear.¡± Bracha said, as if it exined everything.

    ¡°Is there¡­something special about elves?¡± Katrin asked.

    Agni once again felt thankful that Katrin thought to ask so many inquisitive questions.

    ¡°Ah. Well you¡¯ve not been a resident of Adventia very long. So you wouldn¡¯t know but, your ss designation actually determines quite a bit. Take Agni here, for example. Demon-kin are known to be impulsive, sometimes to the point of being reckless. They can also be self absorbed and indulgent, what¡¯s more they generally don¡¯t regret their actions. The same holds true for other sses. Some sses change the adventurer into humanoid or mythical types. Another example of this is the young woman here.¡±

    Bracha motioned towards Merri who was currently at the end of the table with Ariadna carrying on a conversation very heatedly. Based on what Agni could hear, Merri was currently disappointed that she couldn¡¯t join the expedition in two days.

    ¡°Elves are known for their magical affinity. They have a keen sense to understand magic in ways that others may overlook. Oliver Pagnal is no different. In fact, he¡¯s worse. He generally only takes interest in people if he believes they have unique magic that he can study and make his own ¨C that is what an Archmage is after all.¡± Bracha further exined.

    ¡°Archmage?¡± Agni sat her cup down as her interest was piqued. At first she thought Bracha was just full of it. After all Agni was NOTHING like the description she just shared regarding demon-kin. But upon hearing about elves and thinking back to her trip to the Demonic Chapel, Agni had to admit Bracha may have been onto something¡­

    ¡°Yes. Archmage. It¡¯s one of the few Caster sses that you could consider pure magic based. They don¡¯t carry weapons or any tools. They can¡¯t even use them in fact. Instead, Archmages have the ability to use every type of magic possible. The caveat being that it also takes much longer for them to master new magic types.¡±

    ¡°Any magic? At all? How is that even possible. That¡¯s like a cheat.¡± Sh remarked.

    ¡°Indeed, but it¡¯s true. That elf is a highly skilled magician whose skills are coveted by many. His thirst for knowledge is insatiable and he¡¯s been known to do almost anything to acquire knowledge for magic that interests him. You all should be safe but¡­be cautious what magic you use around him.¡± Bracha warned.

    ¡°Hmm. Interesting.¡± Agni said.

    ¡°Um.. excuse me. Not that I mind the hospitality but, what are we doing here? I agreed toe because you said you¡¯d share some tips with me Agni.¡± The voice belonged to Dea, the Draken Knight. Even inside she still wore her hood, it almost concealed her face due to the way the dragon-kin averted her gaze.

    ¡°Ah. Well, believe it or not what I have to share is pretty simple knowledge and thoughts. Besides, everyone needs to rx a bit.¡± Agni responded. She could tell, her intuition afforded her a bit of empathy and Agni could feel the impatience within Dea. Considering her current situation, she was right to be.

    A dangerous, unheard of enemy. A group of adventurers stranded in a blood shard. It was definitely a dicey situation. Still¡­.

    ¡°With the tips I give you today, tomorrow should be much easier. We¡¯ve only got a little time remaining. I would think Oliver wouldn¡¯t sabotage our training but¡­you never know?¡± Agni offered to Dea.

    ¡°I¡¯ll stick around for another hour. But that¡¯s it. I can¡¯t be wasting my time. This is¡­important, I can¡¯t screw it up.¡± Dea¡¯s voice sounded pained more than agitated. Agni couldn¡¯t have been the only person to pick up on it. The Draken Knight subconsciously flicked her tail against the floor and sipped down the remainder of her tea.

    Agni nodded her head and nced down the table at her other acquaintances. Gigi managed totch herself to Gates once more. No matter how many times she saw it, Agni could only think of Gigi¡¯s overbearing nature shining through. Gates seemed wildly ufortable and Agni had an idea why.

    It wasn¡¯t that Gigi was invited, rather that she invited herself.

    ¡°Oh! You¡¯re going for a bath! It¡¯s been so long! I¡¯ming. Wait here!¡± The ginger shouted as she dashed over to Gates¡¯ side and practically dragged him over to the group of women.

    ¡°He¡¯sing too.¡± She volunteered while Gates simply looked bewildered. Katrin didn¡¯t seem to have an issue with it and instead wore a pleasant smile. Dea seemed ambivalent , Sh seemed agitated (but when wasn¡¯t she moody), and Gates had already seen nearly all of them nude. To her it didn¡¯t matter, so she easily agreed.

    Only after returning to their room did Ariadna and Merri get invited by Katrin making the rxation time more like a social gathering. Still, Bracha didn¡¯t seem to mind. Agni imagined that being isted in the same ce constantly was a lonely duty. Bracha had mentioned it many times, the ¡®burdens of being a Guardian¡¯. Thinking back, Wa probably felt the same way, though judging by Wa¡¯s personality it would never be shown.

    ¡°Well, everyone, it¡¯s time for the bath. I¡¯m ready, are you?¡± Bracha said as she got to her feet.

    ¡°The what now?¡± Gates asked, his eyes going wide.

    ¡°Gigi what¡¯s going on?¡± He asked. The mischievous ginger smiled and clenched his arm even harder, most likely so that he couldn¡¯t escape.

    ¡°No, wait a minute. I can¡¯t I mean¡­I¡¯m the only guy here..¡± Gates¡¯ face turned blush as he spiraled into panic mode. Agni gained a special sort of satisfaction from Gates¡¯ reaction and she suspected all of the women in the room did as well. Gigi had most certainly roped Gates intoing along without fully exining the situation. She¡¯d most likely done it purposely, in fact. Katrin was shy at times but when it came to nudity she seemed surprisingly willing. In fact, Agni couldn¡¯t remember a time in recent history where Katrin had shied away from allowing her massive tits to be seen.

    *Is Katrin secretly¡­.an exhibitionist!?* Agni thought with a smirk.

    It wasn¡¯t like Agni couldin though, she would most likely live naked if she could get away with it. Even now a part of Agni¡¯s brain fantasized about ditching all of her clothes and cannonballing into the bath (altho admittedly it wasn¡¯t that deep and would probably hurt). She wondered when this change took ce and she couldn¡¯t help but think back to Bracha¡¯s earlier words.

    ¡°They can also be self absorbed and indulgent, what¡¯s more they generally don¡¯t regret their actions.¡±

    Agni thought about it for a moment, then shrugged as she stood up and followed Bracha towards the bath. The rest of the people present seemed giddy, after all group baths were a luxury and apparently difficult toe by.

    ¡°No, wait. I¡¯m not mentally prepared for this!¡± Gates said as Gigi ignored all of his protests and pulled him along. Dea bought up the rear with a grunt. She still felt it was a waste of time but, if it would help to save Chloe¡­.

    *I¡¯ll do it.* She thought as she followed the others into the back of the Training Chapel.

 Chapter 122: Bathtime With Bracha(2)

    Chapter 122: Bathtime With Bracha(2)

    ¡°Gigi. Gigi¡­wait! I can¡¯t do this. It¡¯s not¡­.its not proper.¡± Gates protested, yet he was stillpletely ignored.

    ¡°Gates don¡¯t be a stick in the mud. When will you ever have thepany of so many beautifuldies again?¡± Gigi remarked. Sh smirked upon hearing this.

    ¡°He¡¯s got a point though¡­what if my toweles off? That would be super awkward¡­¡± Ariadna chimed in.

    Merri simply fidgetted, unsure what to say. She felt that her body was ¡°niche¡± that is, it depended on the tastes of who might be viewing.

    The bronze skinned, green eyes blonde that was Bracha reassured them all.

    ¡°Baths are the event which bring us all together, no? There is no need to worry. We¡¯re all friends here. Right?¡± Bracha said as she wrapped an arm around Dea. She pulled the dragon-kin gently towards her a few times as the Runemaster smiled broadly.

    *This will be fun¡­* Agni thought to herself as she watched the crew of people standing before the bath inside the Training Chapel.

    ¡°Why does our chapel not have one of these!?¡± Gigi¡¯s eyes lit up with fire and passion as she clenched her first. ¡°One of these¡± referred to the bath. Apparently the owner of a chapel could remodel it as they saw fit using the Systema mechanics.

    ¡°Because our Doyenne is a work-a-holic.¡± Ariadna said, even as she ced rubber bands into her hair to style it up into a bun.

    ¡°Come! Let¡¯s lead by example, perhaps they will feel morefortable if we get in first.¡± Bracha said as she practically dragged Katrin and Agni along with her towards the steamy water of the bath.

    Everyone had already taken a light shower and scrubbed. All that was left¡­ was to rx!

    Eventually everyone warmed up to the idea of a co-ed bath. They all wore towels, thus it was ¡°safe¡± for Gates, though Agni could rte to how he must be feeling. A hard dick in a room full of women was just inviting a certain type of attention.

    Then the idea of floating sperm in the water, most likely coaxed forth by Gigi or Bracha, filled Agni¡¯s mind and made her rethink her stance. It was toote by that point.

    ¡°Hey.¡± Agni said as she moved closer towards Dea, the dragon-kin.

    *She seems like a bit of a loner. I wonder if this is okay?* Agni thought inwardly. She and Katrin decided to make an effort to be social upon seeing Dea keep to the far corner of the bath.

    ¡°Hello.¡± The dragon-kin said as she shed a nce towards Agni then averted her gaze.

    *Is she ¡ª shy?*

    Agni drew closer, followed closely by Katrin and soon the trio struck up a conversation. Agni found it was easiest to speak to Dea about things she actually cared about, thus the main topic was their training.

    ¡°Dea¡­you¡¯re not feeling left out are you?¡± Katrin asked the question somewhere along the line.

    ¡°Well..I do feel like everyone here knows one another. But that¡¯s not it.. I just.. I used to be a man in my past life so things like this, in a body like mine are still somewhat¡­difficult to get used to.¡± Dea whispered, even has her cheeks turned a pleasant rosy red.

    ¡°What! Me too!!¡± Agni was so animated that the water sshed up as she drew closer to Dea, perhaps breaking a personal boundary in the process. Agni pulled so close that her breasts bumped against Dea¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Ah, sorry. I¡¯m still getting used to maneuvering these babies.¡± Agni said as she gently pushed her bust upwards a few times.

    Dea smiled for the first time in a while, and finally the ice was broken.

    Dea then looked at Katrin and her gaze slowly traced downward.

    ¡°How do you do it? They¡¯re so big. D-do you have any tips?¡± Dea then looked down at her own breasts, as if they were foreign objects which served more as obstacles. Katrin chuckled to herself and also drew near to discuss tactics for stabilizing the girls.

    She, Agni and Katrin spent a great deal of time chatting with one another while everyone else seemed up to their own thing.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    Gigi was currently fuming! This was because her ¡®date¡¯ had been stolen right out from under her.

    ¡°B-bracha was it? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re a little too old to be hanging all over my Bell?¡± Gigi¡¯s pleasant expression was extremely forced, in fact her eye twitched to repress some urge (perhaps violent?).

    ¡°Oh, nonsense! I¡¯m just being a good host. Right Bell?¡±

    ¡°H-huh? Oh. Sure..I guess.¡± Gates seemed to be sweating even in the bath. Bracha had essentiallymandeered the entire right side of his body and was now tracing her fingers through his curls. The reason Gigi was so upset is that the scalp massage from Bracha was currently sending Gates into a sense of euphoria.

    He struggled between rxing, then tensing up the moment he saw Gigi¡¯s re for what she felt was a ¡°betrayal¡±. In the end, Gates gave in entirely and allowed Bracha to massage his head to her heart¡¯s content.

    Meanwhile Sh did what she does best ¨Cshe trolled Gigi mercilessly. It mostly consisted of crassughter, pointing and the asional name calling.

    Gigi ignored it for the most part, but when she¡¯d had enough she grabbed Sh by the arm, pulling her near.

    ¡°So mouthy today. You were loud in a different wayst night.¡± Gigi leaned her face in, making sure that no one else could hear or see as she kissed Sh behind the ear. She then gently ran her fingers along the imp¡¯s inner thigh, taking a moment to tease beneath the surface of the steamy water.

    Immediately Sh felt her body turn into jelly and her heart thumped wildly. Gigi gently sucked on Sh¡¯s earlobe before distancing herself. It was quite a feat to render Sh speechless ¡ª yet Gigi had just done it.

    With that handled Gigi turned her attention back to Gates. This was a battle she was determined to win.

    ¡°Well then! I¡¯ll massage Gates too.¡± Gigi said as she rushed to his side and all but ced his free arm between her thighs. She easily trapped it there so that he couldn¡¯t move and hugged him closely.

    ¡°Oh? So forceful. Not all men like being abused.¡± Bracha¡¯s eyes shed with mischievous intent as she continued to gently stroke Bell¡¯s head. She even offered her bosom for him to rest his head.

    *And he took it! Bell!* Gigi could feel a smoldering sensation of jealousy as her heart twisted. Bracha just smiled and cast a condescending nce downward at Gigi¡¯s chest.

    The ginger scoffed in disbelief, the disrespect! She had practically suggested that Gates preferred more¡­.ample women.

    *It¡¯s not my fault they are modest!* She thought inwardly as her face turned red and her lip quivered. Gigi was a few seconds away from blowing her top¡­or crying, she wasn¡¯t sure which. That¡¯s when Bracha switched targets ¡ª to Gigi.

    The first thing Gigi felt was Bracha¡¯s soft hands resting on herp. The sensation of plump, soft breasts against her arm. Thissted only a moment as Bracha skillfully circled around her in the bath and wrapped her thighs around Gigi¡¯s waist, locking the ginger¡¯s arms in ce as well.

    ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± Gigi protested, but only for the briefest of moments as she felt Bracha¡¯s hands trace upwards, lifting Gigi¡¯s towel in the process. Soon her hands were cupping Gigi¡¯s breasts as Bracha¡¯s face lingered dangerously close to her freckled neck.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never toyed with a ginger before¡­¡± Bracha whispered.

    Gigi felt her heart flutter as she realized what was happening.

    *Why is this woman so bold!?* Yet¡­Gigi didn¡¯t mind¡­

    ¡°You look like a woman who likes it a bit rough, no?¡± Bracha said, she spoke just loudly enough for Gates to hear as she began to firmly caress Gigi¡¯s breasts.

    ¡°Look at him. He¡¯s getting hard just watching. Do you think he likes it? Does he want to see more? Should I show him these perky tits of yours?¡± Bracha asked, asionally she would gently kiss on Gigi¡¯s neck. Thebination of being constricted and teased simultaneously was enough to make water wetter.

    ¡°Perverts. The lot of you.¡± Sh mused. She was currently rxing her body in the warm waters of the bath. She called them perverts, but was wholly unbothered by the sight as she floated by.

    ¡°This bath is quite lively. Hee hee.¡± Merri said in a voice that didn¡¯t match her well chiseled body.

    ¡°Indeed.¡± Ariadna replied, though not in her usual sarcastic tone. Her eyes were currently closed as she reclined against the edge of the bath by cing a towel beneath her head. Merri simply smiled.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think you will get away my dear. Oh. Your body is so firm, yet soft¡­I think I¡¯ve acquired a new preference.¡±

    It took a moment for Merri to register that someone was speaking to her, let alone touching her. She reacted with a start, perhaps the most feminine reaction Bracha had ever seen. It was most endearing.

    ¡°You won¡¯t get away either gloomy girl.¡± Bracha said as she next floated towards Ariadna while she flexed her fingers in a decidedly creepy way.

    ¡°I¡¯m not gloomy, I¡¯m practical¨C hey, wait where are you grabbing? Uhn!¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­so you can make sounds like that. Interesting.¡± Bracha said as she floated away. Ariadna¡¯s face was beet red, made worse by the fact that she was so pale to begin with.

    At the opposite side of the bath Katrin, Dea and Agni were discussing various things. At first Dea was quite skeptical that just having an exnation of the training would even help but an hourter Dea felt much better about the training. With Katrin¡¯s help as well, they all decided to train together the next day.

    ¡°I¡¯ll miss the first few hours of the training session. I have to scribe enchant more gear for the expedition.¡± Katrin said.

    ¡°You can enchant items?¡± Dea asked.

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s one of my skills. I¡¯ve learned a lot in the past week. I spend a good deal of my time learning new scribe script and I¡¯m proud to say I¡¯ve even surpassed Agni in levels.¡± Katrin gave a big smile as she lifted her right arm and flexed her bicep. No matter how Agni looked, the word ¡°soft¡± came to mind.

    And then the whirlwind that was Bracha made an appearance.

    ¡°Your tail feels so very different from how I imagined.¡± Agni heard the voice before she saw the woman who¡¯d taken up position just behind Dea and was rubbing her hands all over the dragon-kin¡¯s tail.

    Strangely enough Dea¡¯s face turned red and she began to quiver. Her expression was nk, almost as if she was paralyzed.

    ¡°It¡¯s almost like a mix between leather texture and the hardness of armor..remarkable.¡± Bracha said as she continued to help herself to caressing Dea¡¯s tail.

    Agni sighed.

    *This happens everytime she has a little alcohol¡­*

    ¡°Katrin! My goddess! I would never forget you!¡± Bracha shouted as she tackle hugged Katrin and buried her face into the scribe¡¯s E-cup breasts. She nuzzled so aggressively that Katrin¡¯s towel began to slip.

    ¡°Wait, Bracha.. It¡¯sing undone.¡± Katrin protested, right before her towel could be seen floating to the bottom of the bath.

 Chapter 123: Consequences

    Chapter 123: Consequences

    The bath was great fun for all involved, even those who initially didn¡¯t want toe. Gates calmed down after having several shots forced upon him by Bracha while Dea seemed to have warmed up to everyone after being excessively groped.

    The women (and man) stayed in the bath for hours, discussing various things and rxing. asionally, one or more would hop out of the bath to grab more drinks or refreshments. Or perhaps simply to take a break from the water.

    It waster in the evening when Agni noticed a strange countdown prompt.

    [30¡­29¡­28¡­]

    The red set of blinking numbers continually counted down.

    Having noticed that something caught Agni¡¯s attention, Katrin floated over towards her in the bath.

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Katrin asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Something weird is going on¡­¡± Agni said as she studied the countdown and tried to make sense of it.

    ¡°What do you mean? Are you okay?¡± Katrin asked as she drew nearer and waved her hand in front of Agni¡¯s face. She did this because Agni¡¯s gaze seemed to go out of focus, almost as if she was staring into space.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. There¡¯s just a countdown.. It¡¯s slowly ticking down but I have no idea what it is or where it came from.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s strange..¡± Katrin responded before asking, ¡°How much time is left on the counter?¡±

    ¡°Mmm. Ten, nine..eight¡­¡± Agni continued until the timer read double zero and blinked several times.

    [You failed toplete the Daily Task. Prepare for your punishment.]

    Suddenly Agni realized the purpose of the counter. She looked down at the silver bracelet around her wrist and clicked her tongue. She¡¯dpletely forgotten about Bracha¡¯s ¡°homework¡±!

    Agni sat in the tub, motionless as she waited for something ¡ª anything, to happen. Several seconds passed and nothing.

    ¡°So?¡± Katrin asked, impatiently at that.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­not sure. Nothing happened as far as I can see.¡± Agni said as she held the silver bracelet up before her eyes. It was then that she noticed the essory had taken on a faint pink glow. Magic was coursing through the trinket and this magic slowly began to snake around her wrist and travel along her forearm.

    ¡°What the hell is this?¡± Agni said aloud as she began to tug at the trinket. Try as she might the essory could not be moved. The snake-like line of magic continued coiling and extending up the length of Agni¡¯s arm. It passed her bicep and then coiled around her neck briefly before making it¡¯s way downward. Like a living creature it slithered down into Agni¡¯s towel, taking liberty to crawl between her bosom.

    The sensation was like being tickled dynamically as the magic ran its course. It coiled around her right breast and slowly worked its way around her nipple before moving even further south. Agni couldn¡¯t help but yelp with surprise as the sensation of having her side tickled came into y. Katrin watched, her mouth agape as she struggled toprehend what was happening.

    Finally the magic stopped after squirming it¡¯s way down along Agni¡¯s body, it settled around her waist like a sort of belt. The words, [Commencing Punishment] shed briefly before the subus¡¯ eyes.

    ¡°W-what was that Agni?¡±

    Agni had a bad feeling, but all she could do was say, ¡°I have no idea! Zura gave me this bracelet and¨C¡°

    That¡¯s when she felt it, the strange sensation that overcame her lower body. Agni stopped talking and immediately clenched her thighs together as her hands shot downward to her crotch. She made an effort to get to her feet but she found both her willpower and her strength being sapped by the devious device¡¯s sinfully delicious magic.

    Strands of magic moved across her body in various directions, there was nothing Agni could do to stop them. One moved down towards her lips, two others coiled around her thighs and began to stimte the flesh along her sensitive flesh. Two more tendrils of magic moved upwards and coiled around her breasts, focusing their attention on her nipples. Another moved down along the crack of Agni¡¯s cheeks and took up residence in a position to begin gently rimming her ¡ª no matter how hard she clenched.

    The final tendril rose upwards and coiled around her throat. Before Agni could even protest she felt the sensation of so many erogenous zones being stimted that she could barely speak, let alone move.

    She clenched her fists as her nipples began to grow hard, taut. Shepletely forgot about holding onto her towel ¡ª she was well beyond that point by now. Katrin¡¯s eyes met with the Subus and for the first time in a long time a familiar pink fire was kindled within her gaze. Katrin slowly began to pull away, but Agni¡¯s hand shot out, grabbing the Scribe by the shoulder.

    She quickly pulled Katrin next to her and managed to issue a desperate plea.

    ¡°Please..don¡¯t ¡­ don¡¯t move. I can¡¯t¡­Uhn!¡± Agni nearly shouted as her head was flung backwards by the stimtion which was teasing and pleasing her simultaneously. Each of the magic constructs shaped itself into a tool best suited for the task. A tongue, fingers, even suction cups as they went about the work of doling out the naughty subus¡¯ ¡°punishment¡±.

    Even as pleasure coursed through Agni¡¯s body she could hear a slightly familiar voice, the woman¡¯s words were stern¨Cindeed as if Agni was now being punished.

    ¡°Yes. I expected as much. For you to slip up. You naughty little bitch. Don¡¯t resist. Every inch of you is mine tomand. You¡¯re going to cum for me until I¡¯m satisfied.¡±

    It suddenly dawned on Agni where she¡¯d heard this woman¡¯s voice from , the Silken Petal when ¡ª

    She didn¡¯t have time to think, a tendril of magic coiled around her throat, applying pressure to the sides of her neck. This in turn caused Agni¡¯s eyes to go wide. At the same time, the tendril showing attention to her ass had begun to gently slip inside, teasing her all the while.

    ¡°N-no. Wait.¡± Agni whimpered as she struggled to collect her thoughts, ¡°I- I don¡¯t like ana¨C¡°

    But the tongue shaped tendril plunged inside and began to rim her. The sensation was strange and it caused her to clench up for the briefest of moments. Katrin¡¯s eyes widened, she could only cover Agni¡¯s grip on her shoulder with her own hand and help her ride out the waves of pleasure which were now causing her body to shake. Katrinughed nervously as she realized this spectacle was far too much to go unnoticed.

    The tendrils continued teasing her body, caressing her ever hardened nipples, spreading her lips and teasing her clit ¡ª alternating between licking strokes and suction sensations. The tendrils danced along her inner thigh, making her juices flow out of control while the tendril tending to her asshole wormed its way further between her cheeks and slid inside deeper.

    Thebination of sensory overload was enough to cause Agni to lose herselfpletely. For a moment in time she forgot about everything and everyone. There was only the feeling, the deep and soul shaking sensation. She wasn¡¯t even aware that she was practically screaming at the top of her lungs.

    ¡°Do not disappoint me again. All little birdies must be punished.¡± The tendril around her neck tightened briefly, as if to entuate the seriousness of themand, before letting go entirely. All of the tendrils began to recede back into the magical construct around her waist and faded away, along with the belt.

    Agni was left huffing, her body still throbbing as she leaned her head against Katrin¡¯s shoulder. Katrin couldn¡¯t have moved even if she wanted to, Agni¡¯s grip was just that fierce.

    ¡°A-are you okay?¡± Katrin whispered as she turned towards Agni to inspect her. Though the bath area was steamy, Agni had severalrge beads of sweat along her brow.

    ¡°Y-yea. Thanks..¡± She said as she struggled to catch her breath.

    And then she caught sight of Sh¡¯s expression. The imp was floating over the water just less than a meter away with a smirk on her face. The moment her eyes met with Agni¡¯s she started bursting outughing. A sense of mortification slowly began to creep over the subus as she nced from face to face. Gigi¡¯s expression was the same as always, smiling and difficult to read. Gates on the other hand now had a visible erection which he was desperately trying to cover.

    Merri and Ariadna were staring, both with their mouths agape. Bracha was currently biting her lip from her position of ying with Dea¡¯s tail. The dragon kin seemed¡­..impressed.

    *Ahhhh my pusssyyyyy.* Sh mocked with a giggle via telepathy.

    It was only then that Agni realized she was still in a tub full of people, most of which had never seen that side of her before. Her face slowly began to turn red, and before anyone else could say anything Agni hopped out of the bath and excused herself.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that! I¡¯m going to kill Zura!¡± Agni mumurred as she walked around the corner and plopped herself against the wall.

    Still, she couldn¡¯t help but think that the experience had been quite amazing. She held up the bracelet once more, inspecting it. It had returned to its normal state.

    *Now it¡¯spletely innocent hmm?*

    [Daily Task : Kiss A Girl You¡¯ve Never Kissed Before.

    Weekly Task : Give A Handjob.

    Failure To Complete Daily Tasks Will increase the duration and intensity of your ¡°punishments¡±.]

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Agni grunted as she sank downward along the length of the wall.

    ¡°Dammit Zura..¡± Agni sighed as she gazed at the new alert before her.

 Chapter 124: Better Days

    Chapter 124: Better Days

    ¡°Leaving so soon? Bah!¡± Bracha said as she flourished around in the water. She was the only person still rxing in the bath.

    ¡°Yea. We¡¯ve gotta get up early tomorrow.¡± Katrin replied as she and the others left the bath one by one.

    ¡°Ahhhh. Even Agni? After the fireworks you put on you¡¯re leaving me too? Cruel, very cruel.¡± Bracha rested her head on the back of her hands as she spoke. There was a pleasant, content expression painted across her face. Her cheeks were rosy, from something other than the warmth of the bath water.

    ¡°Three hours of bathtime is a bit much, even for me.¡± Agni said, choosing topletely ignore Bracha¡¯s ¡°fireworks¡±ment.

    The green eyed blonde smiled as she watched herpany slowly leave her.

    ¡°They always go in the end.¡± She said, apanied by a sigh as she turned to face the empty bath by her lonesome.

    After getting dressed they all thanked Agni and Katrin for the invite to an unusual, yet rxing evening. Even Merri and Ariadna seemed to enjoy themselves despite being groped.

    In the end they all walked back to the Mystic Tower, each talking about various things along the way. For Agni, her conversation was with Katrin and Dea. Agni¡¯s initial impression of Dea was someone who seemed to be reserved and distant. It wasn¡¯t until striking up a conversation that she realized they actually had many things inmon.

    Upon reaching the lounge of the chapel everyone went their separate ways. Gigi dragged Gates off towards the male side of the living quarters. Ariadna and Merri parted ways at their room and Katrin, Agni and Sh escorted Dea to her door.

    ¡°I had fun. Thanks.¡± Dea said as she disappeared into her temporary sleeping quarters. She waved to the trio ofpanions before taking her leave. The sight greeting the dragon-kin was dismal to say the least. Dark, and empty room devoid of warmth. In some ways it coincided with how she currently felt.

    Dea took off her cloak and tossed it aside haphazardly, only taking note to remember where she¡¯d left it. The day was taxing, she was still struggling with the weariness that apanied first death. Luckily she would feel better tomorrow.

    Dea¡¯s thoughts were also constantly affecting her mood. Her obsession, Chloe, was often all that she could think of. Particrly being separated from her. That¡¯s why the unexpected invitation to a social gathering was exactly what Dea needed. Even as Dea plopped down on her bed, face first into the pillow, she felt a sense of separation anxiety. Normally this would be enough to keep her awake for hours, but today she was quite fortunate. She was far beyond exhausted and managed only to keep up by borrowing on the energy of others throughout the evening. Now, Dea could feel herself rxing wholly as she drifted off into a deep slumber.

    Perhaps this was Dea¡¯s reason for reminiscing about the past. Her mind quickly recalled her life as it used to be, before Adventia. Something about those days seemed so desperate, so important ¡ª yet she couldn¡¯t ce the necessity in hindsight.

    In fact, everything about her past life seemed so¡­normal. Born in the strange purgatory of a rural town. Living an ordinary life as someone who watched from the shadows but rarely got involved ¡ª normal. Military service which led to an exceedingly normal corporate work life. The same work life that would eventually take his life.

    On the particr day of his death, he felt tired. Extremely so, he took a seat to allow the spell to pass. It was one of thest things he remembered. Much like how he lived his life, he checked out to darkness and silence. He vaguely remembered a few things and others much more clearly.

    He vividly remembered the sound of his heart slowing to a halt, having been overworked for far too long. The sensation of tilting forward as his body fell forward like a rock. The sound of the impact ¡ª a crunch noise ¡ª which imed his life as hey broken and bleeding, the faces of coworkers full of panic as they gazed down at him.

    Still, he didn¡¯t think it was a terrible way to go. Like most of his previous life it was exceedingly normal. To die from overwork? Throwing oneself so wholly into an organization that rarely values you? A sad tale to be sure, but one repeated across the globe on any given day.

    Which is why he was pleasantly surprised to find himself alive when next he opened his eyes. In the body of a woman upon awakening, no less. Shortly thereafter he found himself in an even stranger situation ¡ª a half human, half dragon woman in a world where magic, monsters and even monster girls existed.

    ¡°He¡± was no longer an appropriate pronoun. ¡°She¡± had stout horns which curved around her ears to guard her face and cheeks. She had mahogany colored hair which trailed downward to the middle of her back and , at times was, unruly. She had brown eyes speckled with an unusual salmon color inside her slit iris, eyes that would asionally glow with a strange golden aura when provoked.

    She had pointed ears half covered in scales, the same kind of scales which graced her body in several ces. Along the outer wrists and ankles, even leading up the length of her spine and ending beneath her shoulder des. One of her most prominent features was her tail, long thick and scaled (130 cm, perhaps slightly less). The same tail which protruded from just above the hipline and asionally got in the way of all sorts of things.

    Her days were now filled with wonder as she slowly became ustomed to her new life and all the caveats associated with it. Avarice, it was the single word which urately described the ruling force within her life at the moment.

    This same force was one that held sway over many in her past life, a thirst for the material ¡ª usually wealth. An ideal that would cause many to kill or steal, even from elderly and children in her past world. At times she thought it was the price she paid for living a callow life, and at times it seemed more like a blessing.

    Despite this all she came to make friends and even found a ce to belong. She even recovered something she had long since forgotten in the days of her youth ¡ª a zeal for life. These thoughts rolled about in her mind until a single idea drifted to the forefront. If she wanted better days, she would need to reconnect with those who helped her to be the woman she was. Even as she slept, Dea formed her resolve ¡ª she would do what needed to be done to reim what was hers.

 Chapter 125: Day Two

    Chapter 125: Day Two

    ¡°So¡­that incident was due to some kind of bracelet that Zura gave you? I see.¡± Katrin said as she struggled to pull a t-shirt over her head. The sight of her in bra and panties was one that Agni would never get tired of.

    ¡°Yea.. basically.¡± Agni said from her position on the bed. She didn¡¯t want to get up, something that anyone could tell from her t-shirt and panties attire. Strangely enough Sh was fast asleep,pletely unusual for the imp.

    *What did she do that was so tiring?* Agni wondered. Nevertheless, she sat up and stretched. She had ces to be this morning before the training began in earnest.

    ¡°Katrin¡­..¡± Agni said as she leaned forward andtched onto the brte. Agni held her by the waist and clenched her.

    ¡°Why are you never around anymore!? I miss YOU!¡± Agni said as she feigned tears.

    Katrin chuckled as she patted the subus on the head.

    *Head pats¡­.actually do feel reassuring. Who knew?* Agni thought.

    ¡°You can¡¯t bribe me with head pats! Where do you go? Take me with you! And don¡¯t think I haven¡¯t noticed you sneaking out at night! Are you cheating on me?¡± Agni rambled off a list of her grievances, mostly to get them off of her chest.

    ¡°Sneaking out? No way. You must be thinking of Sh¡­¡± Katrin replied, rather suspiciously at that.

    ¡°Oh? I was just joking¡­ but now maybe I will stay up just to see.¡± Agni said as she looked up, cutting her eyes at Katrin.

    ¡°Okay okay. I¡¯ve got to get ready¡­ What I¡¯m doing for Vivian is very important for the expedition.¡± Katrin replied.

    ¡°She¡¯s also paying me! By the way¡­.¡± Katrin¡¯s expression morphed into a self satisfied smile as she curled her bicep.

    ¡°Level 45.¡± Katrin said as she struck her best body builder pose?

    ¡°What!?! How!?¡± Agni said, taken aback.

    ¡°You¡¯re LEVELING UP WITHOUT ME?¡± Something about the deration made Agni somewhat¡­.jealous.

    ¡°You snooze you lose, sucker!¡± Katrin offered as she stuck out her tongue. It wasn¡¯t often that Katrin poked fun at the subus, but when she did ¡ª arrows to the heart.

    ¡°Oh? Really?¡± Agni said as she released her grip and folded her arm. A part of her felt foolish, in her past life she¡¯d never give way to emotions like envy, jealousy or a sense of neglect. In the back of her mind this thought was present yet¡­.her body acted on its own.

    She was *actually* upset, thought she realized it waspletely illogical to be so.

    ¡°Fine.¡± Agni said as she began to pout. She turned her back to Katrin and struggled to settle the feelings welling up in her heart.

    *Why am I even feeling this way? It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t see her everyday or sleep in the same room or¡­* Agni could think of a million logical reasons why she should stop being a baby but¡­only one thing sprang to mind.

    *¡­Do I really want some attention that badly¡­?*

    Luckily Agni didn¡¯t need to agonize over the question. Katrin hugged her from behind, the softness of her breasts was only secondary to the warmth of her body.

    ¡°We¡¯ll definitely do something fun together after this expedition. We can even invite Merri and Ariadna too.¡±

    Agni struggled not to blush as the embrace made her smile. Something like this was a simple pleasure she¡¯d long forsaken in her past life.

    ¡°Fine..¡± Agni said, her voice rather low as she spoke.

    Katrin left and Agni got dressed. After spending twenty minutes rousing Sh, Agni made her way to Sprim Row.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡°What is this!?¡± Agni practically shouted as she jangled the loose fitting bangle on her wrist.

    ¡°It¡¯s homework.¡± Zura said as she took a sip of her tea. The two were now sitting in one of the lounge rooms of the Silken Petal. Zura sat opposite the pair as they had morning tea.

    Agni was so preupied with her own issues that she failed to notice the wink Zura gave to the blonde haired imp. Sh blushed and averted her gaze downward, quickly sipping on her own tea as the pair continued to speak.

    ¡°Okay¡­ but why can¡¯t I take this off!?¡± Agni asked as she tugged at the essory.

    ¡°Because it¡¯s training.¡± Zura replied as she crossed her legs, showing off a sleek, soft looking thigh and shin. Today she was wearing a mandarin style bull body dress. The slit opened up along the outer thigh and nearly exposed Zura¡¯s panties ¡ª that is , if she ever bothered to wear panties.

    ¡°What kind of training causes you to have an orgasm in front of strangers?!¡± Agni felt that Zura was ying things way too cool. Her energy was definitely NOT being matched.

    ¡°Is that what happened? Interesting. And¡­what did you do?¡± Zura took another sip of her tea, she was now keenly interested.

    ¡°The same thing she always does¡­¡± Sh muttered.

    ¡°Well¡­that was embarrassing..¡± Agni said as she recalled her own reaction.

    ¡°Did anyone make you feel like it was inappropriate?¡± Zura next asked. Agni immediately cut a nce towards Sh.

    ¡°Anyone else?¡±

    ¡°Well..no¡­¡± Agni responded honestly.

    ¡°Then¡­what¡¯s the issue? Besides¡­if you¡¯d just done the daily task none of this would have happened..¡± Something about Zura¡¯s cooler than cool demeanor was really throwing Agni off her game. It was calming¡­and she didn¡¯t want to be calm!

    As she searched desperately for some reason to be upset, the only thing she could think of was, ¡°What if I¡¯m in the middle of a life or death struggle and I start cumming my brains out? I¡¯m going on an expedition tomorrow!¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t happen. No worries.¡±

    ¡°Grrrrrah!¡± It was the noise Agni wanted to shout. The sound of exasperation ¡ª but she said nothing. Instead she just folded her arms.

    ¡°Fine.. fine. Stand up. I¡¯ll help you out.¡± Zura said as she sat her tea cup down and got to her feet. She then motioned for Agni to stand next to her, extremely close.

    ¡°Believe it or not.. This is to help you. So, I¡¯ll cut you some ck¨C just this once. ¡± Zura said as she gazed deeply into Agni¡¯s eyes. The subus was reminded just how beautiful the fuschia color of Zura¡¯s pupils was. Agni was so lost in her gaze that she failed to register what happened, until she felt something soft¡­warm¡­and moist?

    Agni gave a gentle squeeze as her eyes traced downward.

    ¡°You¡¯re pretty naughty¨Caren¡¯t you? Although, your hands are quite skilled¡­ ¡± Zura¡¯s face had taken on a faint blush as Agni realized she was gently rubbing Zura¡¯s lips.

    *Trimmed¡­* Agni thought.

    Zura leaned forward and gripped the back of the subus¡¯ head gently as she began to tongue kiss Agni. During this time Agni¡¯s fingers moved on their own, the feel of Zura¡¯s body was amazing. Her juices flowed so freely that Agni could tell ¡ª a sticky nectar was now coating her fingers.

    The kisssted for several heated seconds and then something unexpected happened. Zura pulled Agni¡¯s hand upwards and began to lick and taste at the juices umted there. She followed this up with another kiss, this time a stringy trail of clear fluid stretched as their lips parted. Zura smiled as she wiped the shared saliva from the edge of her lips.Agni surprised herself as she licked her lips, only to find the taste of Zura¡¯s body to be slightly sweet. Agni was then greeted with a new alert.

    [Daily Task: 48 Hours

    Weekly Task: None]

    Agni felt lightheaded and¡­extremely naughty. What¡¯s more¡­she wasn¡¯t sure how she felt about it¡­emotionally. Zura¡¯s movements were so calm and graceful that Agni never felt forced. In fact, she¡¯d been led along skillfully until everything was said and done. Now she was just¡­speechless.

    Even Sh was blushing, she tried to pretend she hadn¡¯t been staring ¡ª but it was obvious.

    ¡°I disarmed the item for two days. You won¡¯t have to worry about any tasks until then. In case you were wondering¡­the bracelet won¡¯t trigger if you¡¯re outside of the walls of Grenvale ¡ª and never in a dangerous situation.¡± Zura exined.

    ¡°However¡­¡± Zura said as she took a seat on the nearby couch. ¡°The ¡®punishment¡¯ level rises each time I have to do this. That means you¡¯ll have to do increasingly lewd things to appease my little gift or suffer more intense consequences¡­ Nothing a subus would be ashamed of¡­mind you.¡± Zura¡¯s smile was supreme. It almost made Agni forget how annoyed she was at the tiny little bracelet. Almost.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    In the end, Agni¡¯s visit with Zura didn¡¯tst much longer. After agreeing to visit the Silken Petal after the expedition, the trio of women parted ways. She and Sh had a date with an elf, one Oliver Pagnal ¡ª Archmage.

    By the time the two made it to the chapel everyone else had already gathered, all save for Katrin.

    ¡°Everyone¡¯s arrived. Today¡¯s training will be a little different.¡± Oliver said. Agni couldn¡¯t help but notice how impable the elven man¡¯s appearance was. Not a hair was out of ce, it was even slicked back into a clean ponytail. His features were quite youthful, long pointy ears and a hooded cloak were the prevalent features which stood out. That and his height, which was about 146 cm (4¡¯9 or so). His clothing resembled leather but Agni could tell at a nce that it was high quality Magical Armor. She knew as much because she herself could wear such gear if she felt inclined.

    ¡°Acquiring the ability to use a skill is one thing. But actually being able to put that skill into practical use is another thing entirely. The reason that some of you left without fully grasping the technique is that I wanted you to apply yourself to get as far as you possibly could. In the field you¡¯ll have to analyze situations, make correct decisions and your life may be on the line. This is especially true in theing expedition.¡±

    ¡°Today, you¡¯ll all learn how to properly do Mana Reading and then your doyenne and I will rigorously train you until we feel you¡¯re capable. Any who fail to meet our standards will not be able to join the expedition.¡±

    ¡°Wait, that¡¯s not what you said the other day¨C¡± Dea began to object, but Oliver simply held up his hand and continued speaking.

    ¡°It¡¯s for your own good. Besides, if you can¡¯t conquer this , there¡¯s no way you¡¯d be ready for a real expedition.¡±

 Chapter 126: The Power Of Intent

    Chapter 126: The Power Of Intent

    It would be another two hours before Katrin returned, apanied by Vivian Lex, the doyenne of Mystic Tower chapel. Everyone gathered had been up to training at their own discretion up until that point. Once everyone arrived, Oliver had them all gather and began the process of correcting their faults. He outlined the pros and cons of the technique and even exined step by step so that everyone could apply it at will.

    Oliver¡¯s exnation of Mana Reading was crystal clear. First the tinum blonde elf had everyone disy their current mastery of Mana Refinement. Due to its nature, mana was a mass of gathered energy. Once gathered it would naturally disperse given enough time.Mana Refinement was the ability to prevent your mana from naturally dispersing. Mastering this ability was enough to give a magic user more than ten times the avable mana to make use of. This was crucial for magic users as most of their abilities revolved around magic. In the heat of battle, a magic user without mana was as good as dead.

    Oliver made them all stand in a line and do the most basic of exercises, create a non elemental orb of mana. He then walked from person to person, cing his hand near each orb to ess it. Of the six people gathered, only three seemed to pass Oliver¡¯s test.

    ¡°Gates. Gigi, you two are expected to be masters of this basic technique. Frankly.. I¡¯m disappointed.¡± Oliver shook his head, his arms folded as he gazed at the two chapel members. Gates scratched the back of his head whilst Gigi shrugged.

    ¡°Sh. Agni. Katrin. You three are very close to fully mastering Mana Refinement. In fact, one of you has already mastered itpletely.¡± Oliver stopped in front of Sh and smiled. Agni¡¯s jaw dropped and Katrin was genuinely impressed.

    ¡°How? How are you better at this than me?¡± Agni asked.

    ¡°All you do is lounge around all day, eat and insult people.¡± Agni added as she squinted her eyes. She could never resist taking a jab at Sh. It was how the two shared their love.

    ¡°Meh. You¡¯re a defective demon, so it¡¯s a given that you would suck at just about everything you do.¡± Sh said as she folded her arms and puffed out her chest proudly.

    *Even tyrants can smile?* Agni shared the thought with Sh who seemed oblivious to the shots being fired her way.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing to be discouraged over.¡± Oliver said, ignoring their back and forth entirely as he focused on the Scribe and Subus.

    ¡°You two have only been members of the chapel for what? A couple of weeks now? Maybe even less. Yet you¡¯ve already surpassed two senior members.¡± Oliver seemed genuinely pleased as he heaped praise upon Agni and Katrin while making Gates feel even worse. If Gigi was feeling anything, it wasn¡¯t made apparent, for her expression never changed.

    ¡°And¡­finally the worst of the bunch.¡± Oliver stopped in front of the hooded dragon-kin and stared for a moment. Dea had been in a bad mood ever since Oliver announced his intent to hold back any of the people who failed to improve. Despite her best efforts, first death was making things very difficult for the Draken Knight. She found it difficult to move her mana properly, use skills or even walk straight. Her body and mind felt weak, Dea¡¯s only blessing was that she merely had an hour left to endure the status ailment.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re probably being affected by first death but¡­30%? Really?¡± Oliver seemed amazed at how terrible Dea was at magic refinement.

    ¡°What type of skills does a Draken Knight use?¡± Oliver then asked.

    ¡°Defensive. Warding and Buffs.¡± Dea kept her reply straight to the point, she hoped this would conceal her bad mood.

    ¡°I see. Well then it¡¯s understandable. Buffs and self skills generally don¡¯t require you to contain particles of mana, because you *are* the container. Very well.¡±

    Dea had expected to be admonished, but instead she was cut some ck. She blushed slightly as a feeling of relief and¡­admiration made her ears burn.

    ¡°Normally, I¡¯d have you all train until you reached 100% mastery with Mana Refinement. But we don¡¯t have that kind of time. As such, you¡¯ll be training multiple aspects of the technique at the same time to speed things up.¡± Oliver exined as he walked back and forth.

    Next he had each of the adventurers show him a magic spell. For Gates and Gigi he knew the results, but the next surprise came from the subus.

    ¡°Stop.¡± Oliver said as he paused and turned towards Agni. She cancelled the fireball she¡¯d been conjuring and paid special attention to the instructor.

    Oliver held his hand out, palm facing the subus and pressed it against her chest.

    ¡°The fuck?¡± Sh whispered, then she shrugged because she didn¡¯t really care that much.

    ¡°Now, another example please.¡± Oliver directed.

    Momentster his eyes widened.

    ¡°You¡¯re an Omni? Interesting. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve met another.¡± Oliver¡¯s normally stern expression was now morphing into one of happiness.

    ¡°Yes. I am. ording to Gigi.¡± Agni said as she shot a nce further down the line at the red headed spellsword.

    ¡°Gigi? You knew of this and you didn¡¯t say anything? Do you know how rare an Omni is? We must cultivate talents to their highest degree. Two failings in a single day, you¡¯re setting a record.¡± Oliver shook his head as he directed disappointment after disappointment at the ginger.

    Oliver sighed deeply and continued his exnation.

    ¡°Those of you who are Outer users will find this a bit easier to do. Inner users will just have to work a bit harder. Now to get started.¡± Oliver took several steps back and then faced everyone.

    ¡°Did you know that magic is more potent because of your intent? Gates, step forward.¡± Oliver waved the young man forward and had him stand directly in front of him, just a few meters away.

    ¡°Offensive magic is meant to hurt. Healing magic is meant to restore. There are different aspects to magic and each has an intention behind it. Spells are a specific set of instructions or rules that your magic will follow that simplify this process. Including the ¡°intent¡± of a spell. However, when using raw mana, your intention can be easily set.¡± Oliver lifted his right hand and conjured a ratherrge fireball. Rather than the normal orange and red mass of fire, it was purple with varying degrees ofvender and ck.

    ¡°Catch.¡± Oliver said as he willed the fireball to smash into Gates. Gates waspletely unprepared, in fact he only had time to lift his hands and cover up. Everyone was surprised as the impact of the fireball flowed outwards and smashed into them ¡ª at least their brains imagined it that way.

    What actually happened was less dramatic. The waves of purple fire were warm, soothing even. They felt their mental fatigue lessen, so that they were more alert ¡ª more fresh minded. Even Gates, whose body was engulfed in purple mes, was surprised.

    ¡°This is the power of intention. Although me is one of the most destructive natural forces, you¡¯re unscathed and even feeling better. Why? Because I infused this magical construct with my intentions, which were to refresh your mind. You¡¯re all ready to go right? As if you just stepped out of bed ¡ª eager to get your day going.¡± Oliver¡¯s smirk was normally annoying for the group but this time they had nothing to share but admiration.

    ¡°This is..so cool!¡± Gigi shouted as she looked at her own hands.

    Agni felt the same, regardless of how everyone else might think. Truth be told, it was something she always wondered. Agni used raw mana often, mana without an elemental affinity attached. She used it to practice various things and she always wondered how ¡®neutral¡¯ energy such as that would be so destructive.

    ¡°Those of you who have the ability to manipte various elements will immediatelye to understand that the system is applying the most appropriate intention based on your thoughts or feelings when you use free magic.¡±

    ¡°So, why is this important? Simple. Everyone can use non elemental mana. It¡¯s the basics of the basics. Which is why everyone can also infuse their intentions into said mana. At its core, you need to be able to infuse your mana into Mana Reading to get the desired result. There are rules to how this works, but it¡¯s the simplest exnation that allows you to get started. Let¡¯s see. Hmm¡­Gates you can fall back into line, Gigi step forward.¡±

    Gigi did as directed, she seemed much more giddy than a few moments previous.

    ¡°Mana Reading is, quite simply, an application of dispersing your mana particles with 100% uracy across an area of your choosing. It requires Mana Refinement to maintain, and Mana Infusing to give your energy an intent. Gigi. Fire your most powerful attack directly at me. And don¡¯t hold back.¡± Oliver said. Agni double took as she realized Oliver¡¯s body had slowly begun to be transparent. After a few lingering seconds everyone realized that Oliver was actually several meters away now.

    ¡°Is that an after image?¡± Dea verbalized everyone¡¯s thoughts as the ¡°image¡± of Oliver fadedpletely from sight. One among them was growing more pumped by the second ¡ª it was Gigi. She quickly unsheathed her runesword and began to build mana within it¡¯s de. Soon the de was covered in a heat that even the spectators could feel from a distance.

    Gigi¡¯s face was stered with the most insane smile, as if she¡¯d been given permission to act without regard for anything or anyone ¡ª true freedom. Oliver smirked and simply lifted one gloved hand.

    ¡°Come.¡± He said loudly and clearly as the Spellsword lifted her de, causing the mes dancing along the length of her weapon to re upwards.

 Chapter 127: A Masters Love Is Cruelty

    Chapter 127: A Master¡¯s Love Is Cruelty

    The mes of Gigi¡¯s de seemed to burn hotter than ever before, it was because she took Oliver¡¯s lesson on Mana Infusion to heart. She meant to cause her mes to burn hotter than ever before ¡ª and it was working brilliantly.

    ¡°Um..isn¡¯t this a bit dangerous?¡± Dea asked as she struggled to hold down the hood which covered her draconic features. Gigi¡¯s mes grew higher and taller by the moment, causing waves of hot wind tosh at the people behind her. The sword of mes grew nearly three meters in length (9ft) before Gigi saw fit to lower the fire sword in a single slice.

    Oliver looked unperturbed. In fact he was downright nonchnt as Gigi leapt forward to bring him into range of her attack. The de crashed downward, cleaving air and consuming it violently as it passed. Oliver lifted his extended hand and clenched his fist closed, slowly. In that instant the heat was drained from the atmosphere and Gigi¡¯s impressive attack quickly began to shrink, sputtering as the mes were deprived of fuel.

    In the end Gigi was left dumbfounded as she stared across the way towards Oliver Pagnal. The elven man had not moved a centimeter and barely shifted position at that. With a single motion he¡¯d somehow managed topletely extinguish Gigi¡¯s mes.

    ¡°Mana Reading. One could say it¡¯s a more¡­advanced application. But this much is possible using the principles of Mana Reading.¡± Oliver¡¯s voice broke everyone¡¯s stupor of disbelief, even Gigi¡¯s.

    ¡°How? How did you do that!?¡± Gigi practically shouted. One would have expected her to be upset. Instead she quickly bridged the distance between herself and Oliver and was now shaking him back and forth by his shoulders.

    After pushing an overzealous ginger away, Oliver exined what was to happen next.

    ¡°Mana Reading works by spreading your particles over an area of your desire. This area doesn¡¯t need to be sphere shaped, it can be irregr, rectangr ¡ª anything that feelsfortable to you. The main thing of importance is the intentions you set into your magic. I will say it again¨Cyour role during this expedition is not to battle. You¡¯re expressly forbidden to do so unless you have absolutely no choice. We are so serious about this that you will be expelled from the chapel if you fail to follow us on this matter.¡± Oliver¡¯s voice grew stern as he continued exining.

    ¡°As such, think well about what you¡¯d like your magic to do for you. You will wear these.¡± Oliver said as he handed out several blindfolds, each made of fabric so thick that it would be all but impossible to see through them.

    ¡°While you wear these, you will focus only on developing your Mana Reading. Your goal is to evade increasingly difficult attacks from myself and Doyenne Lex.¡± Oliver said as he motioned towards Vivi, who had been all but silent up until now.

    ¡°I only have one final piece of advice for you. You need to feel the shifting ¡®waves¡¯.¡± Oliver said as he took a few steps back and motioned for everyone to put on their blindfolds.

    For a moment everyone just looked from face to face, their gazes meeting and sharing a sense of confusion.

    ¡°Is he for real?¡± Dea muttered, even as she began to ce the blindfold over her eyes. Slowly everyone did as directed, and each was surprised to learn that the blindfolds were much more than cloth.

    [You¡¯ve been afflicted with Blind and Deaf status¡¯.]

    ¡°What the hell?¡± Agni said aloud, but the sound of her own words escaped her. She quickly removed the blindfold, only to realize that her senses were returned to her. She gazed around, bewildered and found that everyone else had the same reaction ¡ª all save Gigi who was smiling as she said, ¡°Oh! I like this!¡±

    ¡°Do you really expect us to train without being able to see or hear? We barely know what we¡¯re doing. And you haven¡¯t given us sufficient instructions. How do you expect this to work?¡± Dea asked, it was obvious she¡¯d grown annoyed. Agni couldn¡¯t help but agree on some points, though she wasn¡¯t as worked up as the dragon-kin.

    *Then again ¡ª it¡¯s not like my friends lives are on the line..* Agni thought to herself.

    Oliver sighed, then motioned for Vivian to take over. The Doyenne made her way before all of the people gathered as she prepared to speak her piece.

    ¡°Life isn¡¯t fair, I think we all know that. Neither is battle, in fact ¨C one could say that life or death struggles are one of the most natural, most cruel situations one could ever face.¡± Vivian met each of their eyes as she continued to speak.

    ¡°For this n to work, your senses need to be razor sharp. You need to react at a moment¡¯s notice and the best way for you to do that is to ¡®feel¡¯. Activate your Mana Reading and feel what¡¯s around you. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll start off easy to begin with and ramp up our efforts. Just don¡¯t expect mercy ¡ª your foe won¡¯t show you any. Likewise, we¡¯ll make every effort to bring you back safely ¡ª but there¡¯s no guarantee for anything in unpredictable situations. You need to be able to evade strikes or capture. This is the only way you¡¯ll get up to speed. Or¨C¡± Vivian paused momentarily as she shot a nce towards Dea.

    ¡°You can quit now. These are your options. Now, if you understand stopining and let¡¯s get started. You only have a fixed amount of time to prepare.¡± Vivian said as she motioned for everyone else to rece their blinds. Dea stared at the cloth in her grasp and grimaced one final time before she ced the blindfold over her eyes once again.

    The first twenty minutes of their training wasn¡¯t as bad as Agni imagined. The blindfold functioned like sensory deprivation and after a while Agni could keenly sense particles of her own magic more readily. In her mind¡¯s eye she imagined hundreds of small orbs of mana floating equidistant from one another. These orbs were just tiny pieces of her own mana, used to create a ¡°sphere of influence¡± via Mana Reading. The blindfold allowed her to get a better feel for sensing when something moved into that area of influence.

    It could be more easily described as a discement of her own ced mana particles, and through this she could locate intruding objects. It was here that Agni truly understood what she was being trained for. Duringbat, reaction time was the key to avoiding death or taking a mortal wound. With a sphere of influence extended around her she would have precious time to react to anything which mighte her way. With extra time even something like dodging arrows, fireballs or des with your eyes closed would then be possible.

    Oliver¡¯s advice also made more sense. ¡®Waves¡¯ referred to the way the mana particles shifted in position as something moved through them. In her mind¡¯s eye this almost looked like a stream of water functioning in reverse, still as an object parted the waves.

    The instructors began by moving in and out of their range, asionally it would be something as simple as passing by. At other times they would reach out and touch. It was after the twenty minute mark that things began to get more¡­.intense.

    In her mind¡¯s eye Agni could feel something small and circr traveling towards her. She imagined it to be a ball of sorts. She was surprised when an orb of magical energy quickly spanned the distance and smashed into her chest. The impact was forceful enough to knock her downpletely and cancel the Mana Reading she had active. Agni¡¯s first impulse was to rip off the blindfold and take a moment to recover ¡ª but she quickly realized that the attack she just suffered would be nothingpared to a creature that could crush rank two adventurers with a single strike. The added benefit of the sparring room made the entire ordeal painless as well.

    She got to her feet, the disorientation of suddenly being ¡°blind¡± gave her pause. She could feel her heart beating rather than hear it, a strange sensation to say the least. All was silence and darkness as she strained her senses along with the mana particles which had quickly begun to spread outwards in a sphere-shape around the subus.

    The wait was a challenge in and of itself, anxious moments between each attack made Agni quick to react to the smallest sensation. Agni slowly walked backwards to create some distance, there was no particr method to her madness, she just felt it appropriate. Even as she did so, a projectile was fired her way. Having experienced the sensation once before, Agni was ready this time. She hopped backwards at an angle to allow the projectile to safely pass by. Unfortunately this was a set up. During her quick movement to evade Agni found herself bumping into a nearby person, from the sensation she felt it was most likely a man ¡ª Gates.

    Not only did she need to pay attention to attacks but also the objects or people nearby. With this in mind Agni created more distance between the particles of her Mana Reading screen. This caused the entire sphere of tiny magic particles to expand outwards. She could now ¡°sense¡± a total of three meters in all directions (roughly 9ft).

    Agni realized that she was closely bunched together near several people, judging from their rough shape Sh, Gates and perhaps Gigi. If she had to guess this was intentional on the behalf of the trainers, and most likely part of the training as well.

    Agni smirked as she made room to move by hop stepping backwards a few times. It was right around this time that another two orbs were fired, each from different angles. She managed to evade one entirely, but the second caught her on the hip and knocked her off bnce. This short period of time was all her tutors needed to focus their attention on her.

    Agni could feel tworge masses moving towards her. Despite the fact that she had significant warning, she was not used to reacting to threats in this manner. She felt a sharp blow to her abdomen followed by one to the back of her neck. As she fell face forward Agni¡¯s view quickly faded into the true darkness of unconsciousness.

    ¡°Oi. Oi. Oiiiiiiiiiiii.¡± It was Sh¡¯s voice, apanied by the stinging p of Agni¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°Stop it, demon loli.¡± Agni nearly grunted as she got to her feet. Her head still felt somewhat woozy and there was no telling how long she¡¯d been out. At some point her blindfold was removed and everyone else seemed to be taking breaks. The other person who Agni surmised to be nearby was also unconscious, in this case Gigi.

    ¡°Break¡¯s over. Wake her up Gates.¡± Olivermanded.

    The group quickly got back to training, with the exercises growing progressively more intense. The moment Agni would get used to a particr attack or aspect of the training, Oliver and Vivian would shift tactics. She didn¡¯t have time to think about anything else except the task beforehand, avoiding the blows of her enemies by any means necessary.

    Agni realized one major weakness of the Mana Reading technique. In theory, if one could evade any attack they could win every battle. Unfortunately the ability required so much focus that doing anything other than staying on the evasive was impossible. Furthermore, in order to sustain a sphere of influence one needed to set aside a portion of their own mana. For Agni, in order to extend her Mana Reading to the maximum of five meters, it required over 90% of her mana.

    Since her Mana Refinement wasn¡¯t exactly perfect, this was the most mana she could devote to the task. Even this was something she could only sustain for less than a minute at a time. She wouldn¡¯t be able to use any other magic during this time.

    Train and train and train ¡ª it was all that was required. During this process Agni learned several interesting things, the first is that when magic was faced with other magical particles one set would cancel out the other. In her current case, unless she infused her own mana particles with willpower to sustain impact, she would lose them altogether.

    Something else Agni realized was rted to Oliver¡¯s speech about infusing intent into mana. She began to imagine the mana particles to have slightly adhesive quality. As she did so she could ¡°feel¡± the mana particles clinging to whatever entered her area of influence. Agni tried various methods for sensory using this method and ultimately she decided on one that she named the ¡®nerve¡¯ method.

    She infused her particles with the intent to cause a tingling sensation when they were disturbed. It was akin to having a second set of exterior nerves which caused her a slight sense of difort. She could freely fine tune this as she desired which in turn caused her to be more adept at evading. After all, who moves towards diforting things?

    Soon the mana attacks grew bigger and more heavy. Agni was struck with an extending attack of some sort several times, no doubt courtesy of Vivian. The force of the blow was enough to bring her to her knees and dry heave, though it didn¡¯t hurt it was unpleasant in and of itself.

    She would often feel the strangest sensations as attacks came from impossible angles ¡ª overhead, aimed at the nape of her neck and sometimes even from below. Agni imagined this was something that Oliver might have been capable of.

    By the end of the six hour training session Agni was beginning to grow fatigued. An adventurer¡¯s body was a truly remarkable thing. Agni could normally fight for hours on end without ill effects. Now, her body was covered in sweat and she found it increasingly difficult to lift her limbs. She hadn¡¯t been so wiped out since Bracha¡¯s intense all-day training regimen.

    Agni quickly came to realize the costs of using Mana Reading in a prolonged manner. The technique was mentally draining as well as physically draining. In fact, therger Agni made her sphere of influence, the harder it became to sustain. The sensation was like sinking into the depths of water, pressure felt applied from all sides.

    The trainers forced her to move constantly, to react to any threats. In her mind¡¯s eyes she was forced to keep track of the positions of others as well as iing attacks of increasing ferocity. At some point she lost track of time and relied on her body to move on its own, it was all she could do. She had no time to think or n ¡ª only evade attacks, sometimes by just a hair¡¯s breadth.

    Just when she thought that her body might give out ¡ª the attacks stopped and Agni felt a pair of hands lifting the blindfold from her face.

    ¡°Today¡¯s training isplete.¡± Vivian said as she moved to the next person and removed their blindfold as well. Once everything was said and done she and Oliver both stood before the trainees. Oliver¡¯s arms were folded while Vivian nced from face to face.

    ¡°Each of you here did well. For the most part you all have developed sufficient skill in Mana Reading. Get some rest. We leave at first light tomorrow morning. Report to the armory then so that we can properly outfit everyone. And remember, don¡¯t bete.¡± Vivian said as she nodded at each of the adventurers in turn.

    Oliver simply stood next to the kitsune with a smirk on his face as he looked at the group before him.

    ¡°Well done. I expected half of you to fail, honestly.¡± Oliver said, yet he seemed strangely proud.

    ¡°At this point you should have a rather good idea of how to use Mana Reading. It wille in handy tomorrow. I don¡¯t have anything else to add, the Doyenne has said it all.¡±

    The group of adventurers didn¡¯t speak as they were dismissed, in fact they all looked thoroughly harassed. Sh looked ready to pass out altogether and helped herself to thefort of Agni¡¯s back.

    Each of them were more than happy to make their way back to their respective rooms for some much deserved rest. It wasn¡¯t until Agni, Katrin and Sh reached the doorway of their sleeping quarters that Dea spoke up.

    ¡°Agni. If possible, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like your help with.¡± The dragon-kin said as she looked upon the subus. Even with the hopeful gaze in her eyes Agni couldn¡¯t help but feel somewhat intimidated as the diamond-like shape of a dragon¡¯s pupils focused upon her.

 Chapter 128: Expedition (1)

    Chapter 128: Expedition (1)

    The evening was spent recovering from their training and chatting about various things. By the next day everyone was refreshed, albeit most were annoyed at having to awaken so early. There was also the matter of Dea¡¯s request.

    ¡°Why do I have to do it? That sounds like some kind of weird hoo doo.¡± Sh said as she folded her arms. She was being rather obstinate at the moment.

    ¡°Because¡­I said so?¡± Agni said as she and the rest of the group walked towards the Mystic Tower Armory.

    ¡°If it¡¯s a problem I can always choose someone else.¡± Dea remarked.

    ¡°It works better when the target is someone I like, after all.¡±

    ¡°See? She doesn¡¯t even like me.¡± Sh added.

    The topic of discussion was rted to Dea¡¯s unique abilities as a Draken Knight. Her draconic blood gave her a unique disposition, extreme avarice. Instead of using gold as her object of affection, she bonded naturally with people or objects. This would allow her abilities as a Draken Knight to grow more potent. In fact, ording to Dea her true abilities could only be used if she had what she called a Dragon¡¯s Longing. An object or person with which she¡¯d formed a bond, the stronger the bond the stronger Dea¡¯s stats would rise in proportion.

    Unfortunately this effect would only activate while Dea was within a certain distance of her Longing. Dea¡¯s request was to use one of her ss abilities, ¡®Fleeting Fancy¡¯ to temporarily make Sh her Dragon¡¯s Longing. The imp¡¯s main objection to this was that she simply thought it was ¡®weird¡¯. Ultimately though, Agni overridden Sh¡¯s childish objections.

    Dea¡¯s brown and salmon speckled eyes flowed with golden energy as her ability activated. She ced her open palm against Sh¡¯s forehead and a strand of golden energy flowed forth, settling over Sh¡¯s heart before making an insignia which resembled the head of a dragon.

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Sh asked as she examined herself. She didn¡¯t feel any different.

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s it. As long as I¡¯m near to you I can make the most of my skill set and also offer slight buffs to anyone I¡¯m in a party with.¡± Dea exined.

    ¡°Oh? So I guess your stalker skill isn¡¯t totally useless.¡± Sh reasoned.

    Dea just chuckled and Agni was happy to see that she didn¡¯t take Sh¡¯s crass nature personally.

    Gates the Spirit Mage, Gigi the Spellsword, Katrin the Scribe, Sh The Imp, Dea the Draken Knight and Agni the Subus soon found themselves standing before the entrance of the armory. This ce was where chapel items and gear were kept.

    ¡°Good. Everyone¡¯s here.¡± Oliver¡¯s voice echoed from a short distance behind them as he walked up to the closed door and ced his hand on a small orb near where a door handle would normally be positioned. The orb glowed momentarily before granting ess to those standing outside of it.

    Inside they were greeted with the sight of arge rectangr room which resembled more of a gigantic walk-in closet of sorts. On the right wall there were various suits, tools and weapons while the left held many books and trinkets of various types.

    ¡°This is the Mystic Tower Armory. Don¡¯t touch anything, you can¡¯t afford them anyway.¡± Oliver said as he walked past Sh, who was currently eye fucking arge ornate ne. She clicked her tongue as he passed and cut her eyes towards him.

    ¡°Party pooper.¡± She muttered. Oliver led them deep into the room, arriving finally at a square shaped table with various piles of clothing draped over them.

    ¡°You can thank your resident Scribe for these. She spent a great deal of time honing her abilities as a Scribe so that she could create special gear for this expedition. Each is suited to your strengths and also provides you with better protection.¡± Oliver exined as he motioned for the group of adventurers to step forward. Visually the clothes looked like sleeveless smocks, all uniform in color. ck with silver trim in various ces, the fabric reaching down several centimeters below the waist. Below each bundle of cloth was a small trinket, the type differed based on the person who was to receive it.

    Oliver handed specific bundles to each person before continuing his exnation.

    ¡°Some of you may not be used to high quality armor, so I will exin a few of the benefits for you.¡± Oliver said in a tone that distinctly made Agni believe he didn¡¯t like ¡°broke people¡±.

    ¡°Hold up your garment. That will make this exnation a bit easier.¡± Oliver instructed, and everyone obeyed.

    [Mage¡¯s Gown (Apprentice) ¨C R1

    ssification : Magical Armor

    Dampen ¨C 15%

    Abs ¨C 3

    te ¨C 250 / 250

    Desc: A Mage¡¯s Gown created by Katrin Voss. Reinforced to take significant punishment.]

    ¡°It¡¯s obvious that armor of any type is meant to protect. Dampen refers to a piece of equipment¡¯s ability to reduce the damage sustained. This is percentage based reduction. For example, if you sustained 100 points of health damage, while wearing this you¡¯d only take 85 points instead. For a piece of cloth, the Dampen on these pieces are extremely high. Once again, thank Katrin. She worked tirelessly to improve her skill as a Scribe to make these.¡± Oliver once again nodded in Katrin¡¯s direction, causing everyone to shoot her nces. Her cheeks felt somewhat warm, as a formerly shy person she still had yet to be totally ustomed to attention.

    ¡°But, the benefits of this armor don¡¯t stop here. Abs refers to the ability of an armor to negate damage altogether. Sort of like ¡®defense¡¯ in an RPG game, if any of you were gamers¨Cno? Well..nevermind.¡± Oliver cleared his throat before continuing.

    ¡°The best feature of this armor is the te. Simply put, te is like a second health bar for the wearer. Any damage passed onto you will first pass through Dampen, Abs and finally be subtracted from te. In other words, wearing these will most likely double your vitality and in some cases triple it.¡±

    ¡°te is extremely rare to have on armors, partially because it¡¯s notoriously difficult to bring out of materials. Only high quality materials can even be used for the process. That means¡­you¡¯ll be wearing something that would cost you hundreds of thousands of gald. You can thank me now, these are my gifts to you ¡ª but only on loan. Once we return here, I¡¯ll expect these back.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Thank you Oliver!¡± Gigi said as she clutched the smock near to her chest and smiled.

    ¡°Ahem.¡± Oliver said, before continuing.

    ¡°Also as I mentioned earlier, Katrin worked closely with the Doyenne to create a secondary item which would further augment your natural abilities. What you got is based solely on that. Except for¡­.you.¡± Oliver said as he pointed towards Sh.

    ¡°Eh?¡± Sh responded, having been called out unawares.

    ¡°You. I¡¯ve never heard of your adventurer ss. So I have no idea what your build is like, nor your skill set. We made something generic for you.¡± Oliver said as he pointed towards Sh¡¯s cloth and also handed her a bangle which resembled Zura¡¯s ¡°present¡± to Agni.

    ¡°Adventurer ss? Sh¡¯s a familiar.¡± Agni remarked as she cast her gaze towards the familiar.

    ¡°You mean you never noticed? You two are together all the time. How could you not?¡± Oliver asked.

    It was true, but Agni had no reason to examine Sh. In fact, she never even thought about it!

    She took the opportunity to inspect Sh, only to discover that Oliver was indeed correct.

    [Sh the Imp, Sleep Daemon R0]

    ¡°Sh! When were you going to tell me about this?¡± Agni asked, her excitement reached a fever pitch.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know I needed to.. Honestly.¡± Sh said with a shrug.

    ¡°You really didn¡¯t know?¡± Katrin then asked.

    ¡°No¡­. did you?¡± Agni asked, even as Katrin shook her head affirmatively. Next was Gigi, Gates and even Dea. Suddenly Agni felt a bit stupid.

    ¡°Don¡¯t beat yourself up over it. I suppose I can understand how something like this would happen.¡± Oliver said, offering some rather unexpected sympathies.

    ¡°Anyway, the point is that these two items both go together topliment your natural strengths and protect you during this expedition. That doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re invincible though. The enemy we might encounter is a never heard of type of Grimlock.¡±

    ¡°Based on Dea¡¯s descriptions it has the ability to one shot even second rankers. At worst this gear will preserve your life for a single strike by offsetting damage to your vitality. At best, you may survive an indirect blow or two. The main point is that it will help you live, but it won¡¯t protect you from prolonged attacks.¡±

    ¡°The final point about these items is that you won¡¯t need to coat yourself with mana to avoid the ill effects of the shard¡¯s miasma. These enchanted items will do that much for you as long as they aren¡¯t broken. That¡¯s another trait of te. When te is depleted, your gear and all the effects attached to it will be rendered ineffective. Keep this in mind.¡±

    Agni nced down at her secondary item, a small silver ring.

    [Silver Band ¨C R1

    ssification : essory

    Desc: A simple silver band. Increases mana regeneration by 50%.]

    *Indeed, being able to regain more mana would be helpful.* Agni thought to herself.

    ¡°Sleep Daemon huh? We¡¯re definitely going to talk about thister..¡± Agni said as she squinted in Sh¡¯s direction. The imp just dismissed her gaze as she pulled the smock over her own dress.

    ¡°Great. Everyone¡¯s equipped. Now, let¡¯s get a move on. The Doyenne is waiting.¡± Oliver said as he moved to lead the group out of the armory.

 Chapter 129: Expedition (2)

    Chapter 129: Expedition (2)

    ¡°Thank you Katrin!¡± Agni said as she drew closer and nuzzled her face against the busty brte¡¯s own cheek.

    Seeing an opportunity, Sh and Gigi joined in as well, creating a group hug. Katrin just chuckled to herself as a gentle blush came across her cheeks.

    ¡°I knew you weren¡¯t cheating on me. Which is fortunate for you!¡± Agni whispered, which caused Katrin tough even harder.

    The amount of time Katrin must have spent on creating custom gear for everyone was substantial. Especially to create twelve high quality items in less than two days time. Agni could no longerin about her absence the past few days and resolved to n an activity with her best friend the moment they had free time.

    The group of seven made their way to the lounge where Vivian Lex, the leader of Mystic Tower awaited. Agni was also surprised to see another familiar face.

    ¡°Ah! What are you doing here?¡± Sh shouted as she pointed towards the blonde haired woman standing next to Vivian.

    She quickly turned, revealing her bronzed skin and mature features. It was Bracha! Her hair was done up in a bun, bound by an ornate chain. Her form fitting bodysuit reminded Agni of something Gigi might wear, almost to the tee. The deep grey bodysuit was also covered in various tes and pads, particrly along the vulnerable areas like the chest, shoulders, forearms, thighs and shins.

    The tes seemed to be imbued with magic, for magic lines could be seen visibly glowing from them.

    ¡°Surprised? You¡¯re surprised no?¡± Bracha said with a beaming smile. Her figure was impressive as usual, particrly her hips, as she offered a thumbs up. Vivian just sighed as she walked directly towards Agni, catching her by the arm to separate her from the others.

    ¡°Did you tell Bracha we were going on this expedition? Why? Why would you do that?¡± Vivian seemed more¡­.weary than angry, nevertheless she firmly gripped Agni¡¯s arm.

    *I¡¯m starting to feel like I¡¯m back in highschool.* Agni thought before answering.

    ¡°Y-yes. Should I not have done that?¡± Agni knew the answer based on Vivian¡¯s reaction, but still what else could she say?

    Rather than respond Vivian cast a nce over towards the bespectacled blond and sighed.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­not a terrible idea. Bracha is capable. She¡¯s a Guardian after all. Her personality is just a bit difficult to handle.¡± Vivian¡¯s grip on Agni¡¯s arm finally rxed. Bracha waved towards them both, offering another smile.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen her this happy¡­¡± Agni remarked as she nodded in Bracha¡¯s direction.

    ¡°That¡¯s because she¡¯ll do anything to get away from that desk.¡± Vivian remarked. She finally joined the rest of the group so that Vivian could finish preparing for the mission. Each member was handed out several items, most were high quality potions, Agni realized this because she¡¯d also gone shopping a few times andmented at the pricing.

    [Potent Belle Restoration Potion

    Restore a moderate amount of mana. 450 MP]

    [Potent Yue Leaf Restoration Potion

    Restore a moderate amount of health. (750 HP). ]

    [Greater Yue Leaf Restoration Pot

    Restore a 1,000 HP between all current party members equally ]

    Of the three potions, two were vast improvements over the normal versions, easily three times as strong. She also had previous experience with a Greater Yue Potion during the incident versus the slimes. Ironically enough, thinking about conflict caused Agni to think about the snatchers.

    It had been such a long time since Agni thought about them, or at least it seemed that way. She wondered, just for an instant, what those people were up to now? Agni¡¯s interest was sheerly out of curiosity. In fact she had to repress a scowl as her mind traveled back to the image of Katrin impaled upon a spire of rocks.

    ¡°What are you making such a serious face for? We haven¡¯t even set out yet.¡± Katrin¡¯s voice was enough to bring her back to the present.

    ¡°Just thinking¡­ about¡­.stuff.¡± Agni replied as her expression softened.

    Aside from the unexpected addition of Bracha, there was also another person. He looked¡­imposing to say the least.

    The man was tall, slender and fit. So fit in fact that his muscles resembled steel.

    ¡°Talk about zero body fat.¡± Agni whispered. It was hard not to inspect him from head to toe. The man had tanned skin, bronze in color which was slightly darker than Bracha¡¯s. His hair was ck with silver highlights, though it was unkept and spiky it exuded wildness. Across his left brow was a scar which trailed down along his eye and half of his face. Likewise there was a small scar across his lips along the right side of his face.

    He wore a cloth shirt made of decadent material, it was loose fitting and allowed one to see his bare chest and wrapped abdomen. His pants were made of the same loose fitting material as his shirt and all of those were covered by a sleeveless overcoat. His forearms were wrapped in fabric as well.The cor of the coat seemed wild and rugged as it was made of some sort of animal fur, the aesthetic matched the look in his cherry red eyes.

    This person gave off a steely demeanor, nonchnt and not to be fucked with ¡ª these were the two distinct vibes Agni picked up on. This sensation was amplified by his broad shoulders, building arm muscles and impressive height; he stood around 185 cm (6¡¯2 or so in feet). As such most people felt loath to speak to or approach the man. Except Sh.

    ¡°What kind of get up is that?¡± Sh asked as she pointed towards the wild haired man. She walked forward and grabbed a tuft of his shirt, fingering the material in her hands before she became deathly quiet.

    ¡°This is¡­..so soft¡­what is it?¡± Sh asked, she was genuinely surprised by the supreme feel of the fabric between her fingertips. If she could, she would wear clothing made of this material all of the time. The man shifted his eyes downward, as if he was witnessing a bug speak. He lifted his hand and raised it towards Sh¡¯s forehead, then with a single pluck of his finger Sh was forced to release her grip. The impact didn¡¯t sound like anything special, but Sh¡¯s reaction said differently. She immediately released his clothing and took a step backwards, even as her mouth opened to wordless protest. She gripped her forehead as her eyes bulged, a red mark had already begun to form on her pale, delicate skin.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch strangers. It¡¯s impolite.¡± His voice was deep and surprisingly silky. What¡¯s more it echoed despite the fact that he wasn¡¯t speaking very loud at all.

    He then directed his gaze towards Agni and began to walk her way. The sensation was difficult to describe, his gaze was like that of being singled out by a lion. Yet there was a strange sense of defiance bubbling up from within Agni. It screamed to her, ¡°hold your ground¡±, thus she straightened up and steadied her breathing as the man drew closer.

    Soon she and the man were standing before each other, eye to eye. She stared up at him, determined not to lose the silent fight despite the pressure this person exuded. Everyone else had already taken a few steps back, while Sh was busy struggling not to cry as a small bump formed on her forehead.

    The man¡¯s eyes had taken on a strange appearance. The edge of his iris was highlighted by a ring of energy, while the edge of pupils also glowed with the same sort of energy. Agni felt, for the briefest of moments that she was being stared into rather than looked down upon. The sensation caused her heart to beat ferociously. She thought the sound of thumping in her ears might even be hazardous to her health.

    ¡°So you¡¯re the new Leviathan huh?¡± He said suddenly after a few seconds of silence. He simply stood before her, hands in the pockets of his overcoat. His eyes moved across Agni¡¯s body from head to toe, as if he was essing every aspect of her.

    ¡°Well.. at least you seem reasonable.¡± He added, and then the intense pressure that Agni felt was gone. The man turned and walked back towards his original position, standing next to Vivian and Oliver.

    Agni felt¡­.confused more than flustered.

    *What the hell was that about?* Sh¡¯s voice rang through the subus¡¯ head.

    *Do you know that asshole?*

    *No..* Agni replied.

    *Well he seems to know about you. He called you a Leviathan.* Sh reminded her.

    *Yea..* Leviathan was a term Agni hadn¡¯t heard since her visit to the Demonic Chapel in Kirlunst. Leviathan, a ss of demon that was said to be amongst the most powerful. One capable of bending hundreds or even thousands to their will upon a whim through the power of vice.

    Sh made her way over to Agni, it was apparent that she was trying not to cry. She bit her bottom lip even as a small trickle of blood rolled down her forehead.

    *He did this with one finger?* Agni thought to herself as a hint of anger rolled through her. She fixed her own gaze upon the man, even as she inspected Sh¡¯s wound. It was already closing due to her natural regeneration as an adventurer. In all reality there was no need to make a fuss over it, but she couldn¡¯t deny¨C she was a little pissed.

 Chapter 130: Gardenia

    Chapter 130: Gardenia

    ¡°Everyone is gathered here. Good.¡± Vivian said. She looked much different from any other day, it was to be expected after all. They were about to head into unknown danger, anyone wise would take precautions. Vivian was wearing additional armor which made her resemble a samurai marching to war. Light tes along her forearms, upper arms, shoulders, chest, abdomen and along her legs. She even wore a custom made head piece which guarded her temples, cheeks and forehead. Gone was her usual kimono, instead she wore a skin tight bodysuit much like the one Bracha and Gigi wore beneath it all.

    Her two weapons , her shape shifting des, were already transformed and sheathed at her side.

    ¡°From here on out, the mission begins. The task is simple. Rescue the members of Dea¡¯s chapel, Guiding Light. There are two shards and we will search both, just to make sure there aren¡¯t any survivors in either. We will take any who are still alive outside of the shard, this will be the job of the rescue team. If they are injured, you¡¯re to use one of the many potions on them to preserve their lives.¡±

    ¡°Team one will consist of myself, Oliver and Ryo.¡± Vivian motioned towards the tall, well built man standing motionlessly next to her. Neither his gaze nor his demeanor shifted as Vivian continued her exnation.

    Agni was beginning to allow her agitation to get the better of her, partially because no matter how hard she tried she couldn¡¯t inspect this ¡®Ryo¡¯. His ss was a mystery, as was his rank. The harder she focused the more the words began to blur and distort. Ultimately she gave up.

    ¡°Team one is the attack team. If there is any trouble we will be the ones to handle it. Under no circumstances are you to engage unless your attacks serve to hasten your retreat.¡± Vivian exined.

    ¡°Team two is the rescue team and will consist of everyone else present. Because there is possibly a high number of people who may need to be rescued, I¡¯m also giving you these.¡± Vivian motioned for the nearest person to step forward and she ced a ne into Gates¡¯ open palm.

    ¡°This is an elerator. It is an extremely rare item. Normally something like this would only be used on the frontier, and even then only in dire situations. I say this so that you understand, don¡¯t activate this trinket unless your life is in peril.¡±

    ¡°For a short time, you will be able to double all of your current stats. Itsts roughly two minutes, perhaps less if you really push yourself. If you have to use this, spend every possible effort to escape the shard with the time you have.¡±

    Vivian handed off each of the nes known as ¡®elerators¡¯.

    ¡°Did you make these too?¡± Agni asked, her question was directed towards Katrin as she ced the essory over her own choker.

    ¡°No. I can¡¯t make something this powerful right now. Whoever did this is a master craftsman. ¡± Katrin remarked as she ced her own elerator on.

    ¡°Once this essory¡¯s effects wear off, you will feel the bacsh from the item¡¯s effects. In some cases it can be crippling so keep this in mind.¡± Vivian shot a particrly vicious nce towards Gigi who was eyeing the elerator with a dreamy expression painted across her face. The Spellsword quickly fixed her face, allowing Vivian to continue her exnation.

    ¡°With that, our preparations areplete.¡± Vivian exined.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯m with you guys, yes?¡± Bracha said as she ced her arms around Katrin and Agni¡¯s shoulders at the same time.

    ¡°How did you manage to get away? Didn¡¯t you say you weren¡¯t allowed to leave the Trainer¡¯s Chapel?¡± Agni asked as Bracha pulled them both closer.

    ¡°Secret, it¡¯s my secret!¡± This was all Bracha offered as she winked in Agni¡¯s direction.

    The people gathered split into their designated groups as Vivian started the process of using the chapel¡¯s teleportation.

    Soon everyone involved found themselves in a new destination, a ce that was familiar to some and foreign to the rest.

    Based on the nearby environment Agni felt the small town before her was somewhat nostalgic. She quickly realized that the trees which surrounded them on all sides resembled those which grew in the Lull Forest.

    ¡°Where is this?¡± Gigi asked as she cocked her head at an angle, pressing her fingertip to her lips.

    ¡°Gardenia.¡± Gates answered as he tugged at therge mage¡¯s hat he was wearing.

    ¡°Indeed. Gardenia. Town of normals.¡± Oliver said as he materialized along with the rest of Team one. They moved ahead of the others as the portal closed, leading the group towards a wooden wallposed of thick logs.

    ¡°Normals as in¨C?¡± Agni asked.

    ¡°As in¡­a town of former adventurers.¡± Katrin replied , her eyes shone a bit ¡ª a tell tale sign that her curiosity had been piqued.

    Agni thought as much but now that she knew for certain she was curious as to the fate of those who were no longer adventurers. Thanks to Vivian, Agni already met at least one such person ¡ª the shopkeep back in Kirlunst. She distinctly remembered feeling bad for Vivian at that time, having lost someone who was once a close party member.

    ¡°Why are we here?¡± Sh asked as she walked along with her arms folded.

    ¡°This ce is closest to where we need to be.¡± Dea added to the discussion.

    ¡°We passed through Gardenia on our way to the nearby forest. The shards aren¡¯t too far from here. Maybe an hour¡¯s walk at most.¡±

    The group now entered the unguarded gates of Gardenia, if they could even be called that. Although the wall was about four meters high (12 feet), there was no gate to speak of. One could literally wander inside, and that¡¯s what they did.

    For the most part the people seemed¡­.normal. Cloth clothes, simple appearance and technology. Nothing like the city of Grenvale which had well maintained streets and service crystals of various types at key points. Dirt roads, wooden homes which looked quaint and well lived in were the norm.

    What¡¯s more, the people in the vige seemed eager to avoid the group of adventurers altogether. The vibe that Agni got strongly suggested that they were somewhat unwee. This was confirmed as a young child moved a bit too close towards the group of adventurers. Agni offered her best smile and waved at the young boy, only for his mother to cover him in her arms, bow her head and carry her son away post haste.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­weird¡­¡± Agni muttered as the woman¡¯s eyes burned into her.

    ¡°It¡¯s not weird, it¡¯s¡­expected.¡± Gates chimed in, he kept his eyes forward as he continued to walk.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Agni asked, her curiosity had been legitimately piqued.

    ¡°Well, think about it dear.¡± Bracha said as she ced her arm across Agni¡¯s shoulders and began to exin.

    ¡°As an adventurer you¡¯re basically like a god to these people. Compared to them even the weakest adventurer is something to be revered. Your body will heal from wounds, even mortal ones if given enough time. Your strength can cleave stones, split trees and the earth. You can even use skills and magic which defy thews of the world, yes?¡±

    Now that Bracha mentioned it, she had a valid point. One that Agni never really considered.

    ¡°Yea. And some adventurers take advantage of that.¡± Gates said, and Agni couldn¡¯t help but notice a tinge of anger in his voice.

    ¡°Take advantage how?¡± Katrin asked.

    ¡°Well¡­if you were a god, ced in a situation that waspletely advantageous to you and there were no rules to restrain you ¡ª what would you do?¡± Bracha asked.

    ¡°Well, if it were me¡­I¡­I honestly don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never been put in a situation where I wielded that much influence.¡± Katrin said after pondering for a moment.

    ¡°I¡¯d have a bunch of willing ves who did my bidding and waited on me hand and foot!¡± Sh was honest and forting with her intentions as a little tyrant. Even Agni was forced to think about what she would do, though rightly she couldn¡¯t answer. A subus with aplex about sex was , in her mind, not the right person to ask. She couldn¡¯t even reconcile her own priorities currently, so of course there was no idea she couldment on what she actually wanted.

    As she stared from face to face, eyes locked onto her quickly averted and Agni began to realize that these people must have been abused in some form or another. To them a group of adventurers must have undoubtedly spelled trouble, or perhaps even death.

    *What even happens when normals die?* Agni wondered. She remembered having been told that normals were like reserve adventurers. Each time an adventurer somewhere perished due to second death they would be changed into a normal while another existing normal would transition into bing an adventurer once again. At least that was the story she¡¯d been told.

    She wondered how long that cycle had been forced to y out in this world. ording to Vivian, normals no longer had memories of their past lives or experiences. There was a good chance that the people staring upon her in reverence mingled with caution might have once been just like her.

    The town of Gardenia was very small. Perhaps three dozen or so homes nestled on either side of a road which ran the length of the settlement. Within a short amount of time the heroes exited the town of normals and moved further into the forest surrounding it.

    The further into the woods they continued, the more Dea seemed to be distant.

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Agni said as she slowed up to match the dragon kin¡¯s pace.

    ¡°Hmm? No. Not really. Just nerves¡­ I guess.¡± Dea held up her left hand long enough for Agni to realize that she was shaking uncontrobly.

    Dea gave a nervous smile even as she focused on steadying her breathing, which seemed to grow more heavy with each step. Everyone else was quiet, focused which in turn caused the mood to affect Agni. The only one among them who seemed unbothered was the tall, muscr man known as Ryo.

    The noise of rustling came from their rear. Everyone reacted quickly, turning to face their emergent foes. Several Fulger Stags lumbered out of the brush, so many that Agni wondered how she¡¯d failed to sense them.

    *Perhaps I¡¯m getting a bit rusty.* She thought as she materialized her halberd.

    ¡°Ryo.¡± Vivian¡¯s voice conveyed her all business attitude. Speaking the man¡¯s voice was enough to have him step forward.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± His hands were ced in his pockets, his grunt suggested that he resented the fact that he would even need to deal with such small fry. That didn¡¯t stop him from dispatching all of the creatures instantly, however. Agni¡¯s eyes widened as a wave of oppressive energy expanded rapidly outward from Ryo¡¯s location. The sensation was a strange one, for a moment it was as if time stopped and all color was drained from the world. Agni could feel a cold sensation creeping through her body, one that caused her to freeze in ce.

    In the next instant the sound of sttering, followed by falling corpses filled the air. Each of the Fulger Stags which emerged to attack were instantly taken out ¡ª by something. The truth was Agni had no idea what could have happened.

    As an ill chill settled over her brow Agni nced at the man standing just a few meters away from her. He shifted his gaze towards her, an eerie glow lingering within his eyes ¡ª traces of the powerful technique or magic he¡¯d just used to defeat dozens of foes instantly.

 Chapter 131: Enigma

    Chapter 131: Enigma

    For a split second Agni felt as if she was staring into the gaze of a predator, one running rampant and unchecked. The waves of energy she felt from Ryo were enough to cause her to take a step backwards unwillingly. Within a matter of seconds the oppressive energy on disy began to shrink away.

    The whole scene took ce in less than ten seconds, but to Agni it felt much longer. She turned to nce upon the faces of her nearby party members, only to find that they too were frozen in ce. It was not an isted sensation¡­

    A returning gaze at Ryo showed that he was now baring his teeth in a smile.

    ¡°Hmph. The weaklings can have those.¡± Ryo said as he pointed. ¡®Those¡¯ referred to drop items which littered the ground, more than Agni had ever seen in a single ce. Ryo returned to his position next to Vivian, allowing the others to feel slightly less on guard.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Gates whispered as he drew closer to Agni.

    ¡°No idea. But it felt¡­.¡±

    ¡°Invasive.¡± Gates finished the thought precisely. It felt as if her insides were mmy, cold and slimy. That didn¡¯t even begin to describe what might have been a hallucination, the world turning gray.

    [Bracha Modesa has invited you to join her party, ¡®Rescue Queens¡¯. Do you ept?]

    Agni shot a nce towards Bracha who seemedpletely unbothered by the whole disy of power. Instead she smiled and waved, prompting Agni to ept the invite.

    *Great. This is much easier in enemy territory. From here on out we shouldmunicate as much as possible without using words. This is what experienced adventurers do after all.* Bracha¡¯s voice echoed in the subus¡¯ mind.

    *What the hell?* Agni was genuinely surprised.

    *Agni? Why can I hear you right now?* Dea asked.

    *A very handy party module that allows one tomunicate with party or alliance members. Most people never purchase it, because they would rather spend their points on other things. I¡¯m more of what you¡¯d call a purist though.* Bracha exined. Now that they all joined her party they were all linked telepathically. For Agni it was simple to get used to, she¡¯d had Sh in her head for weeks already. The others struggled somewhat with the trick of intention needed to broadcast selective thoughts and hold others back.

    *This is so cool!* Gigi practically shrieked, apanied by a girlish giggle.

    *Ugh. Someone kill me.* Sh added.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get going.¡± Vivian said. ¡°Oh, and those have been left to you all if you want them.¡± The kitsune said as she pointed to the drop crystals on the ground.

    *Bracha¡­ what¡¯s the deal with this Ryo guy?* Gates was the first to share his thoughts as he knelt before a drop crystal and reached out to touch it.

    [Fulgurite ¨C An ore infused with lightning magic.]

    *You can¡¯t recognize one of your own kind Agni? Well.. I guess that¡¯s to be expected. He¡¯s a special case.* Bracha said as she too began to collect the drop crystals, unlike Gates she simply grabbed them up without inspecting them.

    *My own kind? Do you mean a demon?* Agni responded. She nced over in Ryo¡¯s direction, catching only the glimpse of his back as he followed Oliver and Vivian further into the forest.

    *Correct.* Bracha replied.

    Gates and Dea set about picking up the items, it didn¡¯t matter much to Agni for she¡¯d gathered a fair amount in the past. Katrin helped mostly out of a kind nature but she turned her gains over to Gates who happily took them.

    *That much was pretty obvious to me. He seems scary enough¨Cno offense to Agni or Sh.* Gates remarked. Agni couldn¡¯t even register aparison between herself and Ryo, so she had no qualms with Gates¡¯ assessment.

    *But what was that power he used? It felt¡­.it¡¯s hard to describe.* Gigi asked.

    *Mmmmm. I don¡¯t think I want to tell you. He he he.* Bracha thought.

    *What? Why not?* Agni felt a little agitated, though she really had no clue why.

    *Because, you¡¯ll find out soon enough, no?* Bracha thought, she then offered up a smile as she turned to join the rest of the high rankers. The walk to the shards was, for the most part quiet. This was due to the fact that everyone was lost in thought. Even the telepathic party link was silent.

    The walk from Gardenia, the vige of normals, was about an hour and a half to the blood shards. When the two groups arrived they found a scene that was less than optimistic.

    ¡°What? What is this?¡± Dea mumbled, her eyes growing wider as she stepped forth towards the front of the group. The two blood shards were located in a small clearing surrounded by dozens of trees, each about the height of three meters and half as wide. Furthermore they were treated to a strange and gruesome sight.

    The blood shards were extremely close to one another, less than a meter apart (3ft or less). The strange part was the energy bouncing between the two, deep crimson crystals. ck lightning, it¡¯s the best description for the phenomena they were witnessing. However, Dea was focused on something different altogether.

    ¡°No..¡± Dea stopped short before a particr patch of stained grass as she nced down at a bloody ne. She quickly knelt and grabbed the essory in her hands as she inspected it. There were dried blotches of blood along the gem whichprised the centerpiece of the ne.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Vivian asked as she stepped over towards the dragon kin. She immediately noticed the sight of blood drenched grass.

    ¡°This belonged to Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra. The leader of my unit.¡± Dea said as she struggled to keep her fears in check. She handed the item over to Vivian before standing again and taking a few deep breaths. The familiar feeling of foreboding once again took hold for Dea. She felt, more and more that today¡¯s outing would have grim findings.

    ¡°Chloe.¡± She whispered privately as she grasped the cloth of her cloak. Her free hand grasped the longsword at her waist as she struggled to steel her resolve.

    ¡°This is¡­dangerous.¡± Bracha said suddenly. Her voice was enough to draw everyone¡¯s attention to the two shards.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Oliver asked as he stepped forward.

    ¡°These two shards. Unless they are cleared now, they will fuse together.¡± Bracha said as she pointed towards the ck lightning which surged and arced only the length of the two crystals.

    ¡°Fuse? What do you mean? I¡¯ve never heard of that.¡± Vivian said as she stepped forth.

    ¡°Mm. Well, most don¡¯t. Because Guardians usually keep this sort of thing from happening.¡± Bracha replied.

    ¡°Exin.¡± Vivian seemed skeptical, yet intrigued. She couldn¡¯t help it, after all, her nature as a kitsune meant that umon knowledge was irresistible to her.

    ¡°Guardians, like myself, are given a single task and we can perform it however we please for the most part. In my case, I¡¯m the Guardian of the Training Chapel. As long as I fulfill that task, I have certain benefits bestowed upon me in return.¡±

    ¡°Right, but what does that have to do with this?¡± Vivian asked as she pointed towards the crystals.

    ¡°The Guardian of this area should have prevented the Grimlock and shards from growing out of control. As it stands, this area doesn¡¯t seem to be under the control of any one.¡± Bracha exined.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I follow you. I thought Guardian was just a pretentious title you all gave yourselves.¡± Olivermented as he folded his arms.

    ¡°You mean there¡¯s actual merit and status behind that title?¡±

    Bracha simply smiled and nodded.

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that whoever is Guardian of this territory is cking off¡­or worse?¡± Vivian asked.

    Bracha nodded affirmatively once more.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s this ¡®fusion¡¯ business about? I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing either.¡± Oliver asked. It was now his turn to be skeptical.

    ¡°Well, I assume you know how shards work, yes? In order to prevent them from expanding, someone has to go inside and either clear them of Grimlock or destroy the core to copse them permanently. The alternative is that one of several things begin to happen. ¡± Bracha continued.

    ¡°Shards continue to expand, and when they reach full expansion they can ovep on our realm. This allows all the Grimlock inside to freely move between our realm and theirs.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes. We already know all of this. Can you exin what this fusion is? Time IS of the essence.¡± Oliver said, rather grumpily.

    ¡°Fine!¡± Bracha remarked.

    ¡°Aside from ovep, shards can also divide into smaller shards. Shard fusion is the opposite. Two shards wille closer and closer into proximity, finally bing one. When this happens the domain within the shards increases exponentially, the enemies within be even stronger and in worst case scenarios, ovep may ur instantly.¡±

    ¡°What? That¡¯s¡­terrible. Why haven¡¯t I ever heard of shard fusion?¡± Oliver asked, he almost seemed annoyed.

    ¡°Generally Guardians are the ones that keep this kind of thing from happening. In other words, for many Guardians , it¡¯s their duty to prevent situations from getting out of hand.¡±

    Vivian remained quiet throughout the exnation while Ryo seemed disinterested in anything discussed. For Vivian she realized that Guardian was actually a sort of title given by the Systema itself. She knew that there were certain abilities and powers associated with it, but could never find out the truth behind such standing.

    Bracha¡¯s words shined more light on the mystery, yet provided many more questions as well. Based on the way Bracha chose her words carefully, Vivian surmised that there was much more to the conversation than meets the eye. Still, she didn¡¯t push the issue further.

    ¡°So where¡¯s the Guardian of this area? Do you know?¡± Vivian asked as she nced around. Indeed, there was no one nearby ¡ª Guardian, Grimlock or otherwise save them.

    ¡°That is the million dor question, isn¡¯t it?¡± Bracha smiled gently as she affirmed Vivian¡¯s realization with the point of her finger.

 Chapter 132: Vortex

    Chapter 132: Vortex

    ¡°So what can we do about this fusion? What¡¯s the best way to stop it?¡± Oliver asked.

    Bracha walked closer towards therge crystalline masses and began to inspect them. She lifted her hand and outstretched her fingertips, allowing magical energy to flow into the Systema mark there. Soon a magical circle appeared and expanded, spinning as if to gather data at Bracha¡¯s behest.

    After a few silent moments the construct disappeared and Bracha offered up her answer.

    ¡°It¡¯s too far gone. These two shards have almostpletely melded into one. Their ovep is more than 89%. For the most part this is almost a rank two shard.¡±

    *I¡¯m not even going to ask how you know a spell to analyze something like that¡­* Vivian thought. She cast a nce over towards Oliver at the same time. His eyes had taken on a purplish tint, his pupils were now reced with an inverted triangle nestled within a magic circle. This quickly faded away and Oliver shook his head as if to say, ¡°No use.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Vivian whispered to herself.

    ¡°Then we have no choice but to venture inside. Any idea on what we can expect?¡± Vivian asked as she ced her hand on the hilt of her katana.

    ¡°No. There¡¯s no telling what you will find. The only way to know for sure is to enter, there is one guarantee though ¡ª that monsters will be much stronger than we expected. Nothing the four of us can¡¯t handle though.¡± Bracha remarked with a confident smile.

    Just then Dea saw a shadow out of the corner of her eye. She shifted her nce in a direction to her left, but after a few moments she saw nothing. She craned her neck, doubling her efforts to hear or see anything but to no avail.

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Gates asked after a moment. The entire conversation set the Spirit Mage on edge. He¡¯d had many bad experiences inside shards, ones he¡¯d rather forget all too soon. He couldn¡¯t help but grip his staff to relieve some of the anxiety.

    ¡°No¡­¡± Dea said after a few moments. ¡°Nothing. Maybe I imagined it.¡± The dragon kin cast another nce in that general direction before pulling the edge of her cloak further down and directing her attention towards the conversation at hand.

    ¡°Everyone, onest check before we step inside.¡± Vivian ordered.

    ¡°Shard fusion? Bracha you never told us about that.¡± Katrinmented as Bracha returned to the rear guard.

    ¡°Really? I suppose it never came up, no?¡± the Runemaster offered with a smile. Agni was beginning to think Bracha¡¯s cheery disposition was a front based on deniability.

    Vivian created an alliance between the two teams, allowing everyone to share the ability tomunicate telepathically.

    *From this point on, cut all chatter and use telepathy tomunicate. Just focus on who you want to receive the message before you transmit a thought. You can even use it to direct your thoughts to all members of a specific team or a single person. Otherwise everyone will hear a thought you intend to share.* Vivian briefly exined.

    After one final check (and a moment for mental preparation) they began to walk towards the pair of shards.

    *Enter through the space between the shards.* Bracha transmitted.

    Those up front nodded and proceeded to enter.

    * I hate this part.* Katrin transmitted as their turn to enter the shard drew closer. Agni wholeheartedly agreed. The sensation of coldness which prated into one¡¯s body was difficult to get used to. It felt like death. Even with the protection of Mana Aura, the best one could hope for was the sense of pressure from all angles. It was like being submerged in water and the more dense or powerful the miasma surrounding, the more intense the pressure became.

    Soon all adventurerspleted their passage into the grew world of the blood shard. The inside looked like a grew world raining perpetual ash. Everything seemed devoid of color and life, that is, save for the brave few who made their way inside.

    *Everyone be on your guard. Use the formations discussed. Rescue Team, trail no further than two meters behind at any given time.* Vivian transmitted her directions, even as she started to move forward. For everyone else, this meant to activate their Mana Reading techniques and stand roughly one meter apart. The goal was to create a small circle of adventurers with Bracha bringing up the rear. Three feet was deemed the least taxing sphere of influence that the group of rescuers could maintain for long periods.

    The dim light which barely pushed through the thick veil of smoke made it seem as if they were walking through a sea of mist. Everything was deathly quiet, not because this dark worldcked sound, but because everyone did their utmost to be silent. After hearing tales of Dea¡¯s daring escape from the very same shard, everyone¡¯s mind was on one thing and one thing alone ¡ª survival.

    It yed out differently for each of them. For Gigi, she ¡®talked¡¯ a lot to diffuse her tension. This meantmenting on any and everything which caught her eye. Sh remained quiet, as did Agni, Katrin and Gates. All of them felt that it was pivotal to maintain vignce. Dea was perhaps the most quiet of all, she was currently struggling to maintain herposure.

    Though her mind ran vivid memories of her mad dash through the forest as she attempted to evade capture from an unknown enemy that seemed invincible. If not for her borderline obsessive need to find her Dragon¡¯s Longing, Dea would never have willingly entered another blood shard for as long as she lived. The dragon kin struggled with thoughts like these even as she moved along.

    *Oliver.* Vivian transmitted as the two groups came to a halt. The Archmage stepped forward just a few steps to the advance position and lifted a single hand. Purple energy began to flow forward, it was visible to the eyes and resembled ever expanding circles which echoed outwards from Oliver¡¯s position. He performed this mysterious action for nearly a minute, every so often he would shift the position of his hand or change his direction by degrees before finally his scan of the area wasplete.

    *This ce is huge. Well, it¡¯s to be expected since this is effectively two shard worldsbined.* Oliver exined his findings.

    *So big in fact that I can¡¯t find the confines of this ce ¡ª in any direction. I also didn¡¯t find any traces of life.* Oliver¡¯s thoughts trailed off for the briefest of moments. He cast a nce towards Dea before continuing.

    *But, that doesn¡¯t necessarily mean anything. I couldn¡¯t project my magic particles as far as I would have liked to. I did notice something strange though. It¡¯s difficult to describe. A storm perhaps?* Oliver exined.

    *It¡¯s like a vortex of¡­energy? Maybe it¡¯s some sort of natural event or urrence, but it¡¯s directly due east of us by about 6,400 meters (about 4 miles).*

    *Lead the way.* Vivian transmitted.

    *Everyone else, keep your eyes peeled for tents or potential hiding spots as we move.*

    Rescue work required meticulous observation in the best of conditions. With such poor visibility conditions, the stress of maintaining Mana Reading and the pressure of impending enemy attack ¡ª the rescue team was beginning to mentally build fatigue.

    Due to their slowed pace, it took them almost two hours to reach the ¡®urrence¡¯ that Oliver Pagnal mentioned. During that time he took charge, using his sensory magic to lead the others through the fog of miasma. They stopped asionally when they foundrge rocks, downed logs or other ces which might function as a hiding spot in the woond area. None of them yielded a clue as to what happened to the adventurers which came before them.

    Finally the alliance of adventurers were faced with something strange indeed. It could only be described as a vortex of miasma. The suction force of the vortex was so powerful that all of the lingering miasma in the area was drawn to it. By the time they came within viewing distance their visibility had improved significantly.

    The vortex seemed to defy thews of physics. Billowing grey mist folded in upon itself, flowing into a core which seemed to be powered by magic. The magical mass , to Agni, reminded her of a living hurricane. It¡¯s shape resembled nothing of the sort, for it was spherical in nature yet there was a distinct ¡°eye¡± filled with magical energy that freely churned and manipted the mass of miasma. The longer she stared into this mass the more she was able to discern the ¡°arms¡± of the storm which helped to furiously power the swirling mass of mist-like gas.

    *What is that?* Dea transmitted as she gripped the hilt of her de.

    *Oliver?* Vivian thought.

    *It¡¯s¡­ I honestly have no idea.* He thought as he held up his hand, signaling everyone to halt. The elf slowly, surely stepped forward as he took in the sight of the vortex before him. The mass itself was easily six meters (18 ft) in diameter. The closer he moved towards the vortex, the thinner the air became until Oliver could easily see everything in the nearby surroundings.

    At first Oliver believed that the alliance had stumbled into a clearing, but that wasn¡¯t the case. Everywhere he looked were the broken bases of thin trees and scattered tree trunks. From the looks of things the trees were easily snapped in two. Furthermore the bark covering the downed trunks looked as if they¡¯d been smashed with something blunt, like a sledgehammer. It was clear to him that these trees had been downed with sheer force.

    Seeing such a sight caused Oliver to pause, not out of fear, for he was exceedingly confident in his own skills. No, it was out of instinct. He paused for a moment and sharpened his senses, almost as if he was reading the atmosphere intuitively. His long, elven ears searched for anything that might lend his prudent actions credence. The sound numerous air currents, it was the sound of suction and billowing grey mist folding in on itself. He could hear something else mingled in with the nose. Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh. More than one, several almost simultaneously.

    Oliver closed his eyes, struggling to search for the realization that he felt was so near. And just like that, his eyes popped open.

    *Shit! Enemy, we¡¯ve¨C* Oliver¡¯s transmission was cut offpletely as the mass of mist began to behave ominously. One moment he was standing before the group and the next he was gone, swiped away like an insect to be swatted. All of them gathered struggled toprehend what they¡¯d just seen as the vortex began to shift in shape and seven appendages made of mist extended from the mass of miasma.

 Chapter 133: Seven, Five and Four (1)

    Chapter 133: Seven, Five and Four (1)

    *Oliver!* No one knew who transmitted the thought, just that it was full of concern. To their eyes the elven mage was there one second and gone the next, his entire body seemed pelted away like a human swatting a fly. The culprit was arge, thick column of miasma which resembled a functioning tentacle more than anything. This mass receded back into the vortex even as ominous movement began to ripple along the surface of the smoky mass.

    They were, all of them,pletely unprepared for what came next. For Agni she wasn¡¯t sure what made her nce upwards, perhaps it was her intuition. Maybe it was the hours she¡¯d spent honing her Mana Reading ability ¡ª her sphere of influence widened to its limits the moment Oliver had been struck down. What she perceived was enough to fill her with a sense of dread. Overhead something fierce wasing, and taking it head on might be deadly if not foolhardy!

    ¡°Sh!¡± She shouted, failing to conceal her voice, for the situation was just that dire. She reached out and grabbed the nearby imp by the back of her cor and yanked, hard.

    *Above!* Agni transmitted as she hopped backwards, moving as quickly as her movements would allow. Secondster a billowing mass mmed down onto the ground. The sound of the impact was heavy and resounding, as if a tree had suddenly fallen. Flowing folds of smoke rolled outwards from the point of impact, covering the ground with a rolling mist of miasma.

    There was an apanying crack as wood splinters shot up and filled the air, fallen trees were easily smashed by the force of the blow. This urred twice more in rapid session, each time the ground shook, downed trees snapped.

    Each of the blows were calcted strikes. Because of their positions multiple people would be struck by what was almost akin to a falling tree if they didn¡¯t tread carefully.

    A one suck blownded in a way that would have easily struck Sh, Agni and Gates altogether. Thanks to the subus¡¯ warning everyone managed to evade the strike deftly. The rescue group scattered in many different directions, abandoning their formation to im safety.

    Each of the mist like tentacles pressed deep into the soil, which was richly covered in decaying grass stalks. The earth groaned ever so slightly as the tentacles receded, dragged back towards the sphere-like vortex. They could only assume it was part of some kind of ¡ª

    *Grimlock.* Ryo grunted as he stepped forward, allowing a measure of magical energy to run wildly. His focus was therge mass of living miasma which seemed to ripple and sway impossibly. This was due to the fact that there seemed to be several of these tentacles and they appeared to function in tandem.

    The way the surface of the vortex shifted reminded Agni of one thing ¡ª chaos. To her it resembled a spinning mass of smoke mingled with a dense mana near the core ¡ª and she wasn¡¯t very far from the truth.

    *Watch out!* Vivian transmitted as she sprung into action. The tentacles were, once again on the move. Three more of the long, smoke covered tentacles split the air as they moved towards the adventurers. This time the blow was horizontal in nature, designed to take care of anyone caughtcking and catch up at least half of them in the process. To make matters worse, two more tentacles closely followed as if to catch those who were unwise enough to duck or jump.

    A perfect gambit, one that would stalemate any adventurer whocked preparedness or resolve.

    Ryo, who stood a few meters to the front, lifted his right arm and created a cross block to brace himself. The first blow was so powerful that the echoing impact filled the air ¡ª the strike was fully neutralized but not without cost. Ryo gritted his teeth, having been forced several meters from his original position before he could fully nullify the momentum of the blow. Secondster another tentacle smashed against his hip, but luckily the momentum was slowed by his previous action. This act alone was enough to provide everyone else the means to escape unharmed.

    Not one to pass up the opportunity, Vivian quicklyshed out with one of her des. She leapt forward and brought it down upon a nearby tentacle. Her blow was solid and true, but she was surprised to find that the smoke-like substance was less misty and more armor-like. As her katana cleaved downward Vivian felt something she¡¯d not experienced in a long while, resistance. It was rare that anything sliced by her would not fall apart or bleed.

    *Interesting.* She thought to herself.

    The surprisested only for the briefest of moments however. When the strike failed, Vivian tried again, this time cleaving diagonally downward as hard as she could. With her second attempt foiled she could not hide her disgust ¡ª for her de sliced shallow. The cut was more like a scratch than anything but it revealed a spurt of purple blood. This made it clear to the kitsune that they were dealing with a Grimlock rather than a sentient force of nature.

    Meanwhile the third tentacle sailed over the heads of Ryo, Vivian and Bracha who were at the head of the formation. It was as if the creature expected to catch at least one of its prey in the gambit, when it didn¡¯t happen the tentacle¡¯s trajectory quickly shifted downward. This resulted in an unexpected diagonal strike, putting the nearest person in peril ¡ª the Spirit Mage Bell Gates.

    Having scattered at Agni¡¯s earlier request, Gates immediately conjured several spirits with a wave of his staff. The earth spirits spouted from the grey and ck soil, one, one and one again. Soon three creatures quickly floated upwards above the battlefield with the intention of offering support fire. It was at this moment that Gates¡¯ caught motion out of the corner of his vision. As he turned his head to look, he was forced to lift his staff at thest moment in an act of self defense.

    *Shit!* He thought to himself as he braced for impact. He felt the force of the blow pushing against his body, yet he thought something was strange. A split secondter he opened his eyes to find Bracha. She used her own body as a shield to take the brunt of the blow, furthermore she seemed rtively unharmed as well. Due to the changing trajectory as well as the hastiness of the creature¡¯s attempt, most of the power dispersed. Bracha shrugged the tentacle away from her and lifted Gates by the hips with ease, pulling him along as she hopped further away from danger.

    *Are you okay Bracha?* Gates asked. It was all he could think to offer while being carried to safety, but secretly he cursed his ownck of awareness. He¡¯d purposely made his earth spirits smaller so that he could sustain both Mana Reading and his spirits. But the casting time pulled his attention in a single direction, causing such a mishap to ur in the first ce.

    *This is nothing.* Bracha said as shended and ced Gates on his own two feet.

    *No way. That¡¯s..* Gates transmitted as he grabbed her forearm. Her body suit was damaged, corrodedpletely by the creature¡¯s attack. Furthermore Bracha¡¯s back was in the same condition ¡ª at every ce where contact was made by the miasma tentacle.

    *Rescue team, fall back. Bracha, support.* Vivian¡¯s voice rang out through the alliance telepathy link.

    *You heard the woman.* Ryo also added. Gates couldn¡¯t help but notice that he too seemed to have been affected by taking the blow of the creature head on. His gear was ripped in several ces and what looked like a ck acid still lingered along his side as well. This acid busily ate away at his cloth gear, causing his body to turn red as it assaulted his skin.

    ¡°No way. Is that miasma? There¡¯s no way it could be that strong, could it?¡± Gates couldn¡¯t help but voice his concern this time.

    *Gates. Remember, use the link.* Bracha corrected him.

    *And don¡¯t worry about us. Avoid getting too close to this creature while we deal with it.* Bracha instructed, she offered up a smile of reassurance and motioned for everyone on the rescue team to take up a support position at the rear of the battle.

    *I can help.* Gates offered as he motioned towards his earth spirits which were drifting slowly towards the vortex.

    *No. Keep an eye on the perimeter. Make sure we aren¡¯t attacked by any other Grimlock. The second you see anything¨Clet me know.* Bracha ordered. She then turned and leapt forward to join the fray.

    Vivian and Ryo were busy dealing with a flurry of tentacles which seemed to move faster by the moment. In an effort to ovee their ability to dodge, the Grimlock abandoned power in favor of speed. This resulted in Ryo being struck more consistently, even as he put up his guard. Vivian on the other hand was able to avoid blows, even if she needed to use her katana to deflect them. Topensate for this Vivian shifted the shape of one of her katanas to better match that of a thick ded cleaver. This was partially to give her more defense options but also to help her mount a counter attack.

    This time when she sank her de into the creature¡¯s tentacle it cut much deeper. Still it wasn¡¯t enough to cleave itpletely in two.

    *Tsk. How thick is this thing?* She thought privately to herself as she dodged an iing tentacle.

    *Things just got really crazy didn¡¯t they?* Gigimented. She held her runede, a specialized weapon of her Spellsword ss, at the ready. Agni could tell that she was itching to take action, it was no doubt due to the incessant rebukes of the team leaders that Gigi managed to repress this urge.

    *Oliver! Shit. What about him?* Dea suddenly chimed in.

    *He¡¯s¡­he¡¯s dead.* Gates swallowed hard as the thought settled in amongst the group of adventurers. At that moment the memory of Oliver being wiped out of existence with a single strike was enough to make their blood run cold. Even Agni couldn¡¯t help but feel tense as a sensation of dread took hold.

    *Who¡¯s dead?*

    The group of adventurers perked up, ripped from their delusion as the voice of Oliver echoed through the alliance link.

    *Something like that wouldn¡¯t take me out.* His voice sounded¡­different from normal. It wasn¡¯t until Agni heard the sounds of rumbling, the faint sensation of shifting air currents drifting upwards, did she understand.

    High above the heads of everyone involved the miasma was being burned away or disced in equal measure. The sky swirled as magical energy condensed and began to charge and crackle. In the next instant a rain of lightning strikes began to arc downward, each more powerful and frightening to the next.

    The attack was fast, precise and furious. That tone, one that Oliver tried to hide due to pride andposure, was the sound of anger.

 Chapter 134: 7,5 and 4 (2)

    Chapter 134: 7,5 and 4 (2)

    The energy contained in Oliver¡¯s storm of lightning strikes caused the onlookers to cringe and cower. The sight of lightning striking the same point repeatedly evoked a primal response. Unlike natural lightning, or even magical lightning Oliver¡¯s spell took on a purplish appearance. The same purple energy, mingled with ckness that each of them had seen the Archmage use many times over.

    Even Ryo was forced to shield his eyes as the lightning reached its ninth strike before finally exhausting itself. It was only then that the effects of Oliver¡¯s attack became apparent. The thick cloak of miasma which coated their adversary had been zapped away, its greyish ck flesh made in for all to see. It¡¯s shape was unnerving to say the least. The creature hovered several meters off the ground, it was bi pedal with humanoid legs though they were unnaturally short. The abdomen was also human save for seven long tentacles which sprouted from the creature¡¯s body every few degrees from all angles.

    The creature had no neck or shoulders, instead the ¡®head¡¯ resembled a deformed dome. If Agni had to make aparison, the creature looked like an octo-human hybrid. It¡¯s tentacles were amazingly long, easily three times the size of its body and several red eyes dotted what could be assumed was the creature¡¯s forehead. No irises or pupils, simply the blood color of red.

    Then, just as quickly as the creature¡¯s strange visage was revealed, it began to gather miasma to coat itself once more.

    *Oh no you don¡¯t!* Oliver¡¯s voice echoed, followed by a beam of purple light which both illuminated his current position and traveled like a piercingnce. The beam found it¡¯s target and pierced the creature in what could be described as its torso. Purple blood spurted outwards as the creature gave a shrill cry. The sounds of pain were abhorrent to the ears, especially Vivian¡¯s and she shrunk away even as she struggled to keep her eye on her enemy.

    ¡°Make it stop!¡± Sh grunted as the noise reached a fever pitch and everyone guarded their ears. Then silence. The group of adventurers half expected the creature to die, but far from it. The miasma, which had begun to flow more freely within the area, seemed to halt itself. Small spheres formed as the partictes clumped together and were pulled towards the creature, coating it once more in an armor of miasma.

    *This is going to be harder than I thought.* Oliver transmitted. There was an obvious hint of annoyance mingled within his words.

    *Indeed¡­* Vivian agreed. And yet her expression was that of a smirk.

    *This thing? Are you seriously saying this poses a challenge?* Ryo asked, before adding. *I¡¯ll take this out in one blow.*

    Ryo then cracked his neck and began to stretch his shoulders. After doing so he started to flex his fingers, as if examining the state of his body. All the while magical energy flowed upwards, it was so thick and ominous that everyone nearby felt as if they should take a step back ¡ª all save for Vivian who seemed unperturbed.

    Ryo lifted his hands, bringing them upwards as the sound of crackling and pops filled the air. Thick scales of earth and rock began to sprout from his forearms, starting at the elbow and quickly covering his body all the way to his fingertips.

    *I¡¯ll show you how it¡¯s done.* Ryo transmitted as he further prepared himself for battle. The air around him seemed to shift and for a moment Agni felt as if she were witnessing some kind of distortion.

    *What the hell is he? That¡¯s..not normal¡­* Gigi remarked. Even she was beginning to feel mmy and ufortable despite the distance between them. The sinister energy flowing through Ryo¡¯s body quickly began to flow towards his fist. He then raised his hand high above his head, a demented smile revealing a pair of fang-like canines, before lowering his arm in a downward motion.

    The ground was the first thing to give way crunch as the creature¡¯s body lurched, as if a great weight now rested upon it. Everyone watched as the thick miasma covering the creature¡¯s body seemed to react to an invisible force, falling downward as Ryo¡¯s attack grew more intense.

    *This is¡­gravity magic.* Agni remarked as the realization suddenly dawned upon her. She watched as a radius around the floating creature ttened and sank downward. Downed trees were pressed into the ground and a near perfect circr shape was pronounced by the weight of Ryo¡¯s power.

    Gravity magic, something Agni had only read about in her limited magical studies. The idea of using such magic appealed to her originally, that was until she realized the requirements of activation. Gravity magic requiredbining multiple ¡®heavy¡¯ elements at its most basic level. Agni could barelybine Fire and Wind magic without Katrin¡¯s help, let alone use two elements simultaneously. The only attempt she made backfired, resulting in a rather shocking growing pain.

    Yet, the demon-kin before her made the application of such a magic seem effortless. What¡¯s more, it seemed to be working. With each passing second the ground jutted downward, causing deep grooves in the ground. Everything within the spell¡¯s sphere of influence was pressed down mercilessly ¡ª including their foe.

    And yet¨C the creature¡¯s armor held up. In fact, for as much miasma as it lost even more appeared to rece and further strengthen it. The creature could no longer move, as its tentacles were pinned to the ground yet it became clear that no matter how fiercely Ryo bared down upon his enemy that no real damage was being done.

    A scowl spread across his face as the energy concentrated within Ryo¡¯s fist finally ran its course.

    ¡°Tsk.¡± He said, verbally expressing his disapproval.

    *I¡¯ll take this thing out in one blow.* Oliver¡¯s voice transmitted, there was an obvious tone of sarcasm present.

    Ryo shot a fearsome re to his left and for the first time the rescue team noticed Oliver had slinked back towards them. From the look of things he had been clobbered pretty good. His hair was disheveled and much like the others, the cloth on his outfit had been burned away by the fiercely strong miasma which coated their foe like a suit of armor.

    The creature drew their attention once more as all seven of its tentacles freed themselves from the dirt and began to push the creature upwards from its ce at the bottom of the depression.

    *Ugh. I wouldn¡¯t have even asked you toe along if I was going to do all the work anyway.* This time Vivian was the onementing.

    It was a strange sight, to see an adventurer who presented like a teenager step forward.

    *I didn¡¯t want to use this in front of so many people.* She thought to herself, even as she activated one of her most closely guarded ss abilities.

    ¡°Fox Fire ¨C Oni Enchantment.¡± Vivian said as she lifted her right de above her head and brought it downwards with blinding speed. The de barely had time to alight with an eerie blue me before a supersonic slice ripped forward and cut into the creature¡¯s body. The single strike was enough to cleave the creature¡¯s tentacle clean off and severely damage another. Thick, purple blood spurted through the air as the miasma armor became defenseless. The sound of the creature¡¯s snake-like appendance thudding against the ground was apanied by flopping and seizing.

    The creature once more shuddered as a high pitched shriek rang through the environs. Not wishing to deal with the creature any longer, Vivian dashed forward. Her movements were so elegant and agile that Agni almost lost track of her in the moment. Three quick shes ¡ª this was all it took for Vivian to savage the creature. Blue mes issued from the deep shes inflicted on the creature. She easily imed more of the creature¡¯s arms, whittling it down to three instead of seven. In addition to this, arge diagonal shaped gash opened up along the creature¡¯s torso.

    This blow was enough to make the creature shudder and shake.

    *Hmph. I could have done that with one more strike.. Finish it now, Doyenne.* Oliver transmitted. It was difficult to tell if he was being impatient or jealous.

    *It seems like we were worried for nothing.* Sh remarked as she hovered near to Dea.

    *No. Stay on your guard.* Bracha cautioned. Her eyes were focused on the unfolding battle yet to most everyone present, her council seemed unnecessary. The creature attempted to counter strike with its remaining tentacles, but it was pointless. Vivian shed upwards, once with each sword and easily severed the creature¡¯s threats with precision and power.

    *Holy shit. I never knew the Doyenne was this strong.* Gates remarked. His eyes were transfixed on the sight of Vivian in all of her glory. Dual wielding two katana, each de was coated in a beautiful blue me which seemed to easily cleave through the miasma and allow for direct strikes.

    *Yes yes. I suppose it would be easy to destroy miasma with the mes that consume everything.* Oliver remarked.

    Vivian shot him a death re, as if he¡¯d spoken a bit too freely. This, in turn, caused Oliver to reconsider speaking any further.

    *Finish this thing off already.* Ryo transmitted. He seemed disinterested and disappointed rather than eager. Perhaps his earlier failure to end his foe contributed to that.

    *Fine. You all are no f¨C* Vivian responded, only to be interrupted by the creature¡¯s strange behavior. It¡¯s body shaked and shuddered for the briefest of moments before itunched itself skywards, rising so high in a matter of seconds that they could barely see the creature¡¯s shape amidst the miasma in the sky.

    *Is it running?* Vivian asked as she flung more supersonic fire from her de with a single swish of her arm. The attack struck the creature once more, causing blood and chunks of flesh to fall from the sky.

    *Lucky shot..* Oliver remarked.

    *Wait¡­* He then said.

    *Doyenne, above!* Oliver¡¯s thoughts spilled over and everyone immediately felt the urgency behind them. The miasma condensing at an rming rate high above the battlefield.

    *Bracha! Protect them!* Oliver shouted as he mmed his palms together and quickly raised both hands above his head. A barrier of purple energy quickly formed and shaped itself to extend outwards, this urred just as a barreling beam of concentrated miasma pierced the thick veil of stagnant mist and traveled downward.

 Chapter 135: 7,5 and 4 (3)

    Chapter 135: 7,5 and 4 (3)

    *Note that in this chapter I recton an earlier mistake. te is like a second HP for armor, while Abs refers to ¡®absolute¡¯ defense. Abs removes a finite amount of damage, while te acts as a second ¡®health¡¯ bar. Once te is depleted, the armor will be destroyed as it has exhausted it¡¯s ¡®life¡¯.*

    Danger poured forth from the sky, and it took the form of a rolling beam of condensed miasma. Oliver was the first to act, conjuring a powerful barrier and deftly manipting it so that it would act as a shield.

    The beam of miasma acted more like aser than anything. It smashed against the hastily made barrier so fiercely that Oliver strained to maintain his magic. The blocked or dispersed miasma rolled across the surface of the barrier and streamed down along the sides, falling to the ground in the process.

    The first blow sustained by the Archmage elf was enough to deplete the te protection on his gear by a little more than half. Now the remaining amount was slowly being eaten away by the lingering miasma which flowed downward and gathered around his ankles. The situation was no doubt the same for anyone caught up in the ssh effects of the attack.

    He could only do this much, avoid a certain death by being melted by corrosion in the form of grey and ck clouds. This was only manageable due to the fact that he activated a time release potion to constantly restore his mana. His MP was being utterly ravaged by the weight of the attack and the sheer volume of condensed miasma being fired his way. When his shield gave away, those beneath it would be washed in a wave of highly concentrated miasma and most likely die.

    45% protection from his gear¡¯s te remained.

    The ¡®beam¡¯ was actually condensed miasma charged with magic and ill intent. Oliver recognized this from the beginning after having been swatted like some sort of fly. However, just because his Evil Eye could discern the nature of the attack, that didn¡¯t mean he had the means to effectively neutralize it. Their best chance was Vivian, whose Fox Fire had a unique quality, one that Oliver could never hope to copy with his abilities as an Archmage.

    39%¡­

    Fox Fire, the blue, ethereal me which held the unique property of consuming any other magic it came into contact with. Using this Vivian was able to easily sh through the miasma armor, allowing her de to cleave into her foe relentlessly and efficiently. The situation would have been ideal if Vivian Lex had finished the enemy when she had the chance. Oliver knew she was capable of far more than she currently disyed. He also understood why she refused to use her true abilities.

    25%¡­

    *Damn demon kin.* Oliver thought privately, even has he strained against the iing attack which threatened to melt them all. For demons, above all else they valued their vices. Without exception every demon he¡¯d ever met felt this way. In the case of Vivian Lex, she thrived on secrets ¡ª the keeping and knowledge of them. The more well kept a secret, the more irresistible it would be to the Doyenne. This included any secrets about herself.

    21%¡­

    Oliver was fully aware of Vivian¡¯s ability to transform her appearance and her weapons. He also knew about Fox Fire because it had been used against him before. He knew that she could, without a doubt unleash much more of the unique element if she felt inclined. The main issue was that Fox Fire, by nature, was difficult to handle.

    19%..

    A small spark could grow into a fireball if it was fed enough mana from the user, inbination with any mana the mes consumed. Thus, Oliver also understood Vivian¡¯s need to be careful with the mes, for they were much more difficult to extinguish than normal magic.

    As for his other team members, Ryo was exceedingly arrogant in Oliver¡¯s mind. Perhaps even more so than the elf himself. To wander into a shard, a blood shard no less without any type of weapon or defense was beyond reckless. Yet¨Cthe Doyenne never voiced a worry or concern. In fact, as far as Oliver knew she¡¯d actively recruited this mysterious person specifically for this mission.

    13%¡­

    *Stupid.* He thought privately, once more. He would never rely on an unknown in a situation like this. If Oliver had to choose between two devils, it was best to choose the one he knew. The blond haired elf cast a nce towards Vivian, who was now covering her nose and mouth to prevent inhtion of miasma. The acidity levels were quickly eating away at the protections provided by their enchanted gear. Soon they would only have Mana Skin to protect against miasma burn and even that would not be enough.

    9%¡­

    *It¡¯s now or never.* He transmitted to the Doyenne.

    *Stop holding back and just do it. We can worry about the damageter!* Oliver practically demanded this of his chapel leader. His mana was reaching critical levels, as was his willpower to keep up the barrier.

    *Quit whining. I¡¯ll handle this.*

    It was the voice of the third man,Ryo. Until now Oliver had lost sight of him in themotion, in fact he hadn¡¯t even given much thought to the enigma that was Ryo aside from how useless he appeared to be. Sure, gravity magic was impressive, but even Oliver could use it freely to some extent. What else did this rude man even have to offer?

    Oliver racked his brain for the most efficient solution. Relying on luck in a life or death battle simply wasn¡¯t his style. He didn¡¯t want to give in to ¡®hopefully the attack will cease¡¯, or ¡®maybe the creature¡¯s strength will wane¡¯. Even ¡®this mysterious guy will handle it¡¯ was no good for him. He needed something decisive, a fatal option that would end the battle for good.

    In the split second Oliver devoted to this thought, Ryo disappeared. Oliver scanned the nearby environments for any signs of him and nearly shouted in anger as he found the young man.

    *Are you crazy!? Get back beneath the shield! The Doyenne will handle it!* Oliver forgot himself and broadcast his intent to the entire alliance group.

    *Silence. We aren¡¯t the same.* This was the reply which seemed to echo through the alliance link. Then something which defied logic happened.

    5%¡­

    Oliver watched as the highly concentrated miasma washed over the body of Ryo, burning away his clothing down to his underpants. The focus of the beam quickly shifted in his direction, consuming him entirely with their foe¡¯s rage.

    *Shit!* Oliver thought as he released the barrier and made a mad leap as far from the point of impact as possible. He was certain that Vivian was right behind him, but there was no such luck.

    *What the¡­* Oliver chanced a nce backwards and noticed that Vivian was standing stone still in the same ce, her gaze focused upwards. The ethereal blue glow of Fox Fire covered her body from head to toe, and it was growing in intensity by the moment. By coating herself in the demon wisp¡¯s me she was safe.

    What¡¯s more the cocky man, Ryo had also taken on a much different appearance as well. His upper body, once filled with the beginning of acid burns had healed over. In the ce of his wounds were assorted earthen tes and scales. His body was cloaked in a dual tone aura of ck and grey energy which seemed like the only force capable of defying what was toe. Ryo¡¯s once cocky features were now twisted in anger, rage even as he thrust his fist upwards and bared his teeth. It immediately reminded Oliver of something immeasurable in dread and power ¡ª a dragon.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­ She bought that guy here?¡± Oliver mouthed as he turned and stopped in his tracks.

    Oliver felt his blood run cold as a sphere of grey rapidly expanded outwards. He recognized the chill feeling of gravity magic, a force so closely intertwined with universalw that simply using it was considered by most as beyond dangerous.

    For the briefest of seconds time stopped and everyone within the sphere felt an unseen force weighing down on them. Thissted for what seemed like the longest second, then both the force of weight and the grey world were gone. What came next was a thunderous noise as something fell to the ground with tremendous speed and immeasurable density. The ground quaked and the earth rumbled as shockwaves reverberated through the air with such force that everyone with a radius of thirty meters was pushed back. All save for two people, Vivian Lex and the man known as Ryo. This was caused by the person whom Oliver realized was known by another moniker ¡ª Behemoth.

    The ground cracked in a spiraling pattern, then caved inwards. It was like an invisible hammer was falling upon one single spot. Repeatedly, shocking the earth and sky with each resounding blow.

    Everyone watched in awe, partly because they struggled to understand what they were seeing as Ryo snapped his fingers in repetition. Each motion caused another invisible hammer to fall, six total before finally all was still.

    *You went overboard.* Vivian was the first to speak. She allowed her Fox Fire aura to dissipate as she stepped forth towards therge, circr hole in the ground. The geometry of the pit was unparalleled in its superiority ¡ª a perfect circle some four meters deep. At the bottomy a bloody, quivering mass and something shining with a dark energy.

    *Bracha. This is the core right? I¡¯ve never seen one this..ominous looking.* Bracha quickly moved to Vivian¡¯s location in order to affirm the Kitsune¡¯s findings.

    *Indeed. But.. something¡¯s strange. This is inside of the Grimlock. Cores usually exist at a fixed point inside of a shard.* Bracha also seemed genuinely puzzled at this turn of events.

    *It looks like¡­this creature consumed the core.*

    *Is that even possible?* Vivian asked.

    *¡­Yes. I guess so. There¡¯s no other exnation.* Bracha offered up.

    ¡°Uhm, hello? Is anybody else paying attention?¡± It was Sh¡¯s voice, and there was a decidedly nervous tone mingled within it.

    *Use telepathy.* Vivian corrected almost instantly.

    *Shut up and look!* Sh retorted as she pointed towards the ground, just a couple of meters away from her position.

    There, a quivering mass of ck began to move. It resembled a pile of goop at first, but rapidly began to grow as it absorbed miasma. Within seconds the mass formed into something else entirely. What¡¯s more there were several dozen other masses littering the ground, surrounding them from all directions.

 Chapter 136: FFA

    Chapter 136: FFA

    *What the hell is that?* Dea shifted her stance, holding her weapon out before her. She took up a position near Sh, as was the n for their defensive position.

    *Get ready! Those are Grimlock! Defend yourselves!* Gates warned.

    *Grimlock? No way!* Katrin eximed. She¡¯d never seen the ¡®birth¡¯ of a Grimlock before, but she had no reason to doubt Gates¡¯ words. This wasrgely because the masses were indeed taking on monstrous form.

    *I¡¯ve seen these..they are the same creatures from before¡­* Dea¡¯s eyes widened as the masses quickly formed into short, stocky creatures withrge forearms and stodgy bodies.

    Everyone went on guard, realizing the situation they were now in. That is everyone except the attack team.

    *Where the hell did all of these Grimlocke from? Oliver. Can you do something about this?* Vivian asked. Until that moment Oliver had been stricken with shock from all the rapid developments he¡¯d been confronted with.

    This caused him to stand, mouth agape, even as Grimlock began to bloom around his feet like mushrooms. One statement from the Doyenne was enough to pull him out of his stupor though.

    *Ryo. Destroy that shard.* Vivian nextmanded as she turned towards the growing number of creatures which had begun to take sentience.

    What happened next was beyond everyone¡¯s expectations.

    ¡°UGH-HA!¡± The sound of Ryo being struck in the abdomen was second only to the noise which echoed through the air as he skidded through dirt, rock and shattered tree branches. His body seemed to fold in response to the sheer force levied against it.

    Vivian¡¯s eyes widened as she wheeled herself around just in time to notice the aggressor. ck, darkness, and as her eyes trailed upwards she realized the creature was tall and towering.

    *This is¡­*

    *That¡¯s it. That¡¯s the one that attacked us!* Dea¡¯s transmission of her voice held a dire tone, it was obvious that she was scared. Whether it was her apprehensive tone or the fact that her body was now shaking uncontrobly ¡ª it was apparent that something within her had been triggered.

    A deep, primal fear.

    *No one move. Not yet!* Vivian ordered. She realized the absurdity of the situation, the numbers were quickly painting a dismal picture yet the creature before her was attracted by sound. It was the entire reason she wanted to keep verbalmunication to a minimum. Suddenly a realization came to mind.

    *It must have been attracted by the sound of Ryo¡¯s attacks.* She thought inwardly. She felt a newfound tension coiling around the area as she got an up close and personal look at the creature¡¯s impressive countenance.

    It¡¯s arms were thick and muscr, broad shoulders which were well chiseled and forearms at least two sizesrger than the creature¡¯s biceps. Despite this, it¡¯s body was rather lean and humanoid. Vivian couldn¡¯t help but notice the faint presence of miasma which gathered around the creature¡¯s body as well. Much like adventurers used Mana Skin to avoid the adverse effects of miasma, the creatures here seemed to use it as a coating.

    The now defeated vortex creature was an extreme example of this, one that gathered the miasma and amplified its effects until both a sword and shield were made of the poisonous mist. Vivian¡¯s mind raced, partially because any movement would initiate a battle she wasn¡¯t prepared for, but she didn¡¯t have any choice. The creature before her craned its head at the slightest of noises, she had no doubt that it would pounce the instant she made a move.

    There was one major problem with the creature¡¯s appearance despite the obvious ¡ª it¡¯s features had changed. ording to Dea¡¯s detailed description the creature had changed in two troubling ways. The first was its size. The dragon kin always described her dreaded foe as tall, but this surpassed even Dea¡¯s description by almost half a meter. The second, and perhaps more shocking difference was arge, circr crystal of irregr shape and symmetry which protruded from the Grimlock¡¯s chest.

    Vivian realized that Dea would never have forgotten a feature that was so noticeable. This meant that the creature had most likely consumed a shard core. This was further supported by Bracha¡¯s statements before all hell broke loose. For some reason, these unique Grimlock were consuming the cores of the shard realms. Doing so didn¡¯t seem to have an adverse effect on the realm itself, but most likely made the Grimlock consuming it much stronger.

    Surrounded by enemies and ambushed by the very target they were supposed to be avoiding at all costs, the situation had taken a dire turn for the worst. Vivian was now cursing her earlier decision not to go all out against the octo Grimlock. Her thinking was that she would need to reserve some energy in case a dire emergency urred. Such an emergency was now facing her down, and she was at aplete disadvantage. She dared a nce over towards Ryo¡¯s direction. It was obvious he was still alive, but he wasn¡¯t moving. The blow must have caught himpletely unaware, thus he was most likely unconscious.

    *Bracha, help deal with the small fry then offer support. Oliver, you know what to do. Rescue team, stay close and help each other out. Don¡¯t move until mymand.* This was all the instruction that Vivian gave as she felt her heart skip a beat. Seeing the creature up close she finally understood, it was stronger and far more imposing than she originally believed. What¡¯s more, to send Ryo flying with a single strike, this creature¡¯s potential for destruction far surpassed the other¡¯s.

    *Now!* She ordered as she made a move.

    Vivian swung her Katana, focusing her senses so that the strike would cleave upwards and diagonally. Before the de could find it¡¯s mark, the creature lifted its forearm and swatted. It was the most casual of movements, as if it was backhanding a bug. Yet this was enough to disarm Vivian entirely and send her sliding several meters backwards.

    She had no choice but to grit her teeth and endure the force behind the blow. It became dreadfully apparent that Ryo might be more seriously injured than she initially believed. After all, she¡¯d only experienced a fraction of the creature¡¯s strength and it was enough to disarm her, breaking her battle stance in the process. She could feel a numbing sensation in her hand, the creature was monstrous in the strength department.

    *Sh! Dea! Follow our initial n, you¡¯re in charge of wellbeing. If you see anyone in trouble use a potion on them ¡ª starting with Ryo.*

    Oliver gritted his teeth. It had been a while since he was ced into a situation which seemed so dire and hopeless. As an Archmage he had dozens of spells at hismand, a few of which were originals. He felt he was prepared for almost every situation possible and yet, for the briefest of moments, he secretly felt checkmated. This, more than anything, was enough to bring Oliver Pagnal¡¯s resolve to new heights. It was simply a matter of pride, he refused to admit having been backed into a corner.

    *You bastard.* He thought to himself as he began feverishly constructing a magical rune. He summoned forth a great deal of mana and allowed his spell to activate as the magic circle expanded outwards.

    *Let¡¯s see how you like this. I made this one just for you! Soundless Sonata!* A purple light quickly expanded outwards, pulsing as it grew into a dome of sorts. The area of effect was sorge that it easily epassed the battlefield and then some.

    As the magic took hold everything fell silent. The spell cast muffled all sound for everything and everyone within the bubble of influence, everything except telepathically shared messages.

    *Get rid of those damn stragglers. I can¡¯t hold this forever.* Oliver transmitted to everyone else.

    Vivian immediately understood, having worked with Oliver to develop a contingency n to defeat this very same creature beforehand. Without sound the creature would have no idea where to strike, stealing its only ability to find its prey.

    Vivian stomped her foot, a cautious move used to double check the effectiveness of Oliver¡¯s spell. When the creature remained docile, Vivian set her attack into motion. She reached out her freehand and called forth her disarmed de. It quickly freed itself from the dirt and within seconds she gripped the de once more. Next she circled around the creature and leapt upwards, both of her katana glowing alight with Fox Fire. As she reached the apex of her jump, Vivian twisted into the fall, causing her to spiral into several 360 spins. The result was a falling sh that was designed to cleave the creature into thirds with a single blow.

    Vivian¡¯s strike was perfect. The des sliced through the creature¡¯s body with uracy and power, while the enchanted Fox Fire easily destroyed what little miasma defenses the creature may have had. Vivian felt the effectiveness of her attack, the feedback through her hands as shended on the ground just centimeters away from her foe.

    Though she couldn¡¯t hear the sound of slicing flesh, her other senses told her that the blow had to be a sure kill. To be doubly sure, Vivian allowed her Fox Fire to run wild, ring it into wounds which were undoubtedly created by her strike. She allowed herself the briefest moment of triumph as she crouched. And then, she was sent flying.

    Her perfect blow had indeed found the mark ¡ª the issue was the creature¡¯s insane muscle density. Her des sliced through skin like portioning cake, but the wounds were superficial at best. Her katana barely cut to the bone of her foe and in the end the creature reacted with swift retribution.

    Vivian suffered an unguarded counterblow which sent her flying uncontrobly. She bounced and skidded, the sight was like a stone being skipped across the surface of theke as splinters of fallen wood and dirt sprayed up into the air.

    Oliver seemed to be the only person who noticed the ferocious blow dealt out by their new foe. Everyone else was locked in the heat of battle. Bracha stood next to Oliver, protecting him from the dozens of Grimlock which attacked anything in sight. His spell was pivotal to avoiding ruin and this role could only fall to her in that moment.

    Meanwhile Agni, Katrin, Gates and Gigi formed the ¡°front line¡± against the four dozen or so creatures which were now surrounding the group of five. Dea and Sh stood between Bracha, Oliver and the other four to offer support.

    ¡°Drake¡¯s Valor!¡± Soundless words activated one of Dea¡¯s buffing techniques. The spell offered protective grace for all members of the alliance within distance as golden threads of magical energy streamed outwards and coiled around each person nearby. She also mercilessly struck down any Grimlock which dared to stray too close to her Dragon¡¯s Longing¨C the Sleep Daemon Sh.

    Meanwhile Sh was busy essing her inventory. She quickly grabbed and used two healing potions, one on Ryo and the other on Vivian. She next activated a mana potion and used it on Gates, who was busy fending off three of the small Grimlock golems, the creatures known as Lithe Golems.

    [Lithe Golem

    Miniature golems that seem infatuated with rocks and metals. When they consume such materials their body undergoes a transformation ¡ª making them as durable as a mass of minerals.]

    Gigi and Agni focused on taking out as many of the creatures as possible with hand to handbat. Katrin on the other hand made deft use of Earth magic. Due to the creature¡¯sposition, her affinities were a bad match to deal damage. Instead Katrin used vines and earth shifting to disrupt the bnce of her foes at awkward times, engineering their almost certain demise.

    Thanks to Dea¡¯s tips for defeating the creatures, the rescue team managed to fare quite well. Oliver, spurred on by the people fighting valiantly behind him, pushed himself to the limits and managed to double cast original spells. Magical constructs, hooked chains, erupted from the ground and slithered along the flesh of the hulking Grimlock. The chains quickly wrapped around its ankles and moved upwards along its thighs, settling along its hips before embedding themselves into the creature¡¯s flesh.

    Oliver had no illusions about whether this would help. He didn¡¯t expect it to work at all and even if it did ¡ª it would only be a nuisance to his foe. He was right, however he absolutely needed to buy some time for Vivian and Ryo to recover from being knocked away.

    *What¡¯s causing all of these Grimlock to appear? We won¡¯t ever be able to get rid of these things if they won¡¯t stop spawning!* Sh transmitted. It was apparent, she was growing more annoyed by the second, despite not being directly engaged in battle.

    Her items were limited and finite. At their current rate, her supplies simply wouldn¡¯tst much longer. This was the first time Sh felt the urgency of battle on a personal level. She¡¯d been with Agni though many situations, yet somehow there was a sense of detachment. Now, risking life and limb was beginning to weather on the Imp¡¯s mental.

    *Tsk. I spent all my time screwing around. I should have¡­done something to better prepare.* Sh thought inwardly, even as one of the Grimlock barreled towards her. The swift swing of Dea¡¯s longsword mercilessly cleaved into the Lithe Golem¡¯s face, spurting ck blood outwards. The spray of it caught Sh on the cheek, further driving her sense of agitation.

    ¡°Fucking gross!¡± She shouted at the top of her lungs, though no one would hear due to Oliver¡¯s Soundless Sonata.

    Oliver closed his eyes, his focus was intense and total as he attempted to lower his mana consumption to extreme limits. With each movement by his confined foe, Oliver could feel his mana dipping. He could no longer allow his focus to stray, he decided to ce all of his faith within the Runemaster fighting on his behalf.

    *How the hell is this thing so strong? I know I¡¯m a rank two but¡­do creatures like this even exist?* Oliver couldn¡¯t help but think about the countless adventurers who manned the front lines in ces like Kirlunst. He¡¯d always heard stories, ones he chalked up to embellishment. Tales of insanely powerful creatures in the depths of the mists.

    Stories of blood shards and adventurers who¡¯d only made it out by the skin of their teeth. He¡¯d always thought himself as better than most, having been ranked as second to only Vivian in Mystic Chapel. He took pride in the fact that only she had driven him to use his best spells and ultimately snuffed them out with her power. It was the sole reason Oliver even joined Mystic Tower to begin with, that and to acquire as many forms of magic as he could. Yet, after seeing her in action today Oliver was sure of one thing. Vivian had barely even used a quarter of her true strength against him.

    The thought was sobering, yet also strangely motivating. He pressed his hands together, as if taking part in a heartfelt prayer to whatever Gods might be listening. He mentally prepared himself to give his all for his woundedrades ¡ª no matter the cost.

 Chapter 137: Catalyst For Change

    Chapter 137: Catalyst For Change

    Triple casting. It was something that Oliver had only tried a handful of times. He¡¯d also failed every single time as well. He had no concrete basis for believing that he could pull this off now. As a matter of fact, the idea was ill advised. Both parties were embroiled in fierce battle all around, yet he himself could not move. It required more than half of his mana just to sustain Soundless Sonata and the rest was slowly being chipped away by his attempt to restrain the hulking Grimlock.

    Vivian and Ryo both were down, not dead but injured or possibly unconscious. Bracha, whose specialty was empowering her allies, could not use her full range of abilities due to protecting him. To make matters worse, enemies were spawning near endlessly all around them. If Oliver had to guess, it most likely had to do with the Hulking Grimlock¡¯s new addition, the core crystal embedded deep within it¡¯s chest.

    Oliver doubted that he could seriously injure the Hulking Grimlock, furthermore he wasn¡¯t within range to assist Vivian or Ryo. Therefore that left him only one option. Oliver sharpened his focus to the utmost and began to cast a third spell. High above his head a magical circle began to take shape, followed by another and another. He grimaced as the Hulking Creature strained against the chains confining it, yet Oliver refused to give in. He was fully determined to push himself to the limit and so he created a dozen magical circles which rotated above the battlefield.

    ¡°Lance Of Light! Heed my call. Sever my enemies from this mortal coil. Gungnir!¡± Oliver shouted. The Soundless Sonata spell consumed his words, yet the magic circles obeyed as sparks of light issued forth and rained down upon the battlefield. The magical light turned into jaggednces as they traveled and impaled into the numerous creatures moving around the battlefield. Oliver¡¯s aim was brutal and precise ¡ª head or heart, none escaped his wrath. He took out the creatures by the dozen, firing salvo after salvo of the spells until, one by one, his magical circles began to disappear.

    For a moment everyone on the battlefield held their breath, they couldn¡¯t hear anything ¡ª only witness what seemed like fury falling from the heavens. Creatures were ughtered mercilessly just centimeters before their eyes with constructs of light magic. When all was said and done they watched as the Grimlock turned into ash and smoke. Gates in particr was let awestruck upon witnessing the power of Oliver¡¯s magic.

    *I did it. I ¡­.finally did it¡­Ha.* The elf¡¯s voice transmitted as merely a whisper, causing everyone to nce in his direction. It then became obvious that the cost of such an attack was severely straining. Oliver struggled to keep his hands sped, his knees buckling slightly as the weight of his own magic now began to bear down on him.

    *S-silence. I.. have to release the..* Even as he attempted to speak Oliver found himself faltering. Soon his view dimmed and all sense of bnce left him as he passed out, falling face first to the ground.

    Only Bracha was within reach to catch the falling Archmage, she extended her hands and lunged into a kneeling position so that she could grab him in time.

    *Everyone. Silence. Don¡¯t move and don¡¯t speak.* Bracha managed to ry thismand as the effects of Oliver¡¯s spells faded along with his consciousness. With this the massive magic circle of Soundless Sonata shattered around their ankles. At the same time the sound of smashing ss filled the air ¡ª it was due to the magical constructs which contained the Hulking Grimlock being destroyed.

    The creature seemed to yawn, this casual movement was enough to break the chains Oliver had so desperately struggled to keep in ce. Now all eyes were locked upon the creature as it slowly directed its attention in all directions. A dead silence fell across the battlefield as all of the adventurers looked on. Yet for anyone standing near the creature they realized why the silence seemed so grim.

    Now that there was no adventurer standing between them and their foe, they could feel an ominous sense of pressure. They immediately realized that this sensation came from the Hulking Grimlock. Somehow, some way it was emitting a sense of unease so powerful that every fiber in their body screamed for them to run.

    Even Dea, who¡¯d experienced this same sensation up close and personal was now beginning to quiver.

    *This is¡­this doesn¡¯t evenpare to before. I¨C* the dragon-kin¡¯s transmission trailed off as she struggled to swallow. They watched for what seemed like an eternity as the Hulking Grimlock stood, motionlessly. The creature seemed even more ominous this way, not moving a centimeter or muscle, it¡¯s massive forearms hanging in front of its hunched body.

    *Vivian. Ryo.* Bracha continually transmitted their names, hoping that either of them would respond to her calls, yet her words fell on deaf ears.

    Suddenly the Hulking Grimlock¡¯s body seemed to lurch forward as it¡¯s elongated head began to writhe and crackle. Sh couldn¡¯t help but grimace as a ¡°mouth¡± was formed , seemingly from ripping apart its own flesh at the seams.

    The creature¡¯s mouth opened to a sttering of ck and purple fluids, the onlookers could only assume this was blood or flesh.

    ¡°Urgk! Urgk! URGK!¡± The strange noise echoed through the silence of the clearing, the creature seemed to be coughing¨Cand roughly at that. This continued several more times until finally the Hulking Grimlock spat forth a ck mass the size of a human head. Just the sight was enough to repulse even Agni as she watched in horror.

    The ck mass sttered against the ground and began to wobble before eventually taking shape. This was the method used by the creature to create other Grimlock. Bracha was also certain that this phenomena was powered by the shard core embedded in the creature¡¯s chest. She took special note of the way that the shard core shone as the Hulking Grimlock hocked up Grimlock after Grimlock.

    *Dammit.* Bracha thought as her mind worked in overdrive. Considering the situation there was no way around it. She would have to use it and deal with the consequencester. The Lithe Golems quickly began to take shape, forcing the Runemaster to make a choice.

    *But¡­ugh. He¡¯s going to be upset. This is definitely an emergency though. I can¡¯t let something like this manifest.* Bracha¡¯s internal struggles seemed to be resolved as she settled on an answer.

    *Everyone. No matter what happens, stay quiet and don¡¯t move.* Bracha transmitted as she gentlyid Oliver down nearby. She then got to her feet and removed her round spectacles, taking special care to stow them into her inventory as she prepared to face her foe.

 Chapter 138: Guardian (1)

    Chapter 138: Guardian (1)

    Bracha reached at the spectacles which adorned her face calmly, cing them into her inventory for safe keeping. She then tugged at the ribbon which held her golden locks in ce, freeing her hair from restriction. She made the ribbon disappear as well as she gently shook her head, allowing her hair to flow freely.

    The others stood silently as they watched Bracha. Each of them was filled with anxiousness, for Bracha¡¯s demeanor was casualpared to the sight unfolding just a few meters away from her. The Hulking Creature was still at it, coughing out threat after threat. Now there were a little less than a dozen to contend with and half of them had already taken shape and focused their attention towards the Runemaster near the frontline.

    Bracha lifted her left hand, the back of her hand facing outwards and she lowered her head, closing her eyes as well. The systema rune on her outer hand began to glow, first a bright white then it emitted enough light to resemble a strobe as the energy contained in her hand reached a fever pitch.

    The others watched in awe as the same energy began to coat Bracha¡¯s body in a thick aura of power. This aura flowed upwards like me and water fusion, causing her hair to rise upwards along with it. Gates stood just ahead of everyone else, trying toprehend exactly what it was he witnessed.

    He could feel air pressure flowing towards him, almost like a gentle but persistent breeze. This sensation only intensified until the folds of his clothing began to move in response to it. Soon dirt, wood splinters and grass began to carry with the wind, all of which emanated from Bracha¡¯s position just ahead.

    *What the hell is going on?* Gates asked as he used his elbow to shield his eyes from particles flying about. Even Oliver¡¯s unconscious self was moved by the force of pressure blowing outwards from Bracha¡¯s position.

    *I-I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never seen anything like this.* Gigi responded as she too struggled to watch on in vain. The light surrounding Bracha formed into a perfect sphere and slowly expanded outwards, the expansion reaching a crescendo as it exploded forth and faded away.

    When they could look upon her countenance again Bracha seemed to have undergone aplete transformation. Her hair, once golden in color, was now pale ¡ª white even. What¡¯s more it seemed to defy gravity, as if perpetually lifted upwards by some invisible air current. The aura of energy clung to her body faintly, it was now transparent in varying degrees and more densely defined.

    Agni¡¯s mouth went agape as she doubted her own vision, she could have sworn she saw Bracha floating for the briefest of moments. If she had thought to express this with the others her thoughts would have been confirmed. Bracha had, indeed, floated downward causing her toes to once again make contact with the ground.

    All of the adventurers nearby could feel a strange charge of energy which seemed to radiate outwards from her and fill the air. They could feel a definite shift in this energy as Bracha stepped forward suddenly. Everyone was so busy paying attention to Bracha that, for a moment, they forgot about the enemies which closed in. Yet ¡ª it was alright. Apparently Bracha¡¯s sudden change of state was enough to halt even them¨Cincluding the Hulking Grimlock.

    The creatures seemed unsure as to whether they should confront Bracha suddenly, the ones nearest hesitated for the briefest of moments before regaining theirposure and charging wildly. Bracha¡¯s movements were soundless, but it was clear as day that she walked forth boldly. It was but a second or two before the Golem reached striking range and swung it¡¯s hammer-like forearm towards Bracha¡¯s ankle.

    There was a loud impact which reverberated through the air, and everyone looked on in disbelief as the Golem fell face forward to the ground¨C instantly bursting into cinders and ck wisps.

    *What just happened?* Dea asked, she gazed upon the sight struggling to make sense of it ¡ª all she could do was grip her weapon and look on.

    *I have no idea..* Agni transmitted. She felt a chill sweep over her, one of unbridled energy. She felt¡­both afraid and excited as she watched what was transpiring.

    ¡°Come.¡± Bracha said audibly, as she lifted her right hand and motioned towards the Hulking Grimlock. As expected the creature turned towards the sound of her voice and immediatelyunched itself with the weight of its entire body. To everyone but Bracha the movement was instantaneous, to her alone she watched as the spawned Golems were knocked to the side and the Hulking Creature charged.

    *Good. 0.25% seems to be enough. No, I probably used too much¡­* This was the singr thought Bracha had as the effects of timepression and her enhanced agility allowed her to easily dodge the creature¡¯s fist. She ducked and at the same time spun around, twisting her body so that her elbow would catch the Hulking Grimlock directly in the chest ¡ª her target was the creature¡¯s shard core.

    Once again the sound of a reverberating impact filled the air, this time the others were amazed to find Bracha¡¯s strike caused the Hulking Grimlock to stagger backwards. The creature waspletely halted by the unexpected attack. So much so that it¡¯s chest cavity caved in from the immovable object that was now Bracha. Byparison, she hadn¡¯t moved even a centimeter from the encounter.

    ¡°Holy shit..¡± Gates mouthed as he desperately gripped his staff. Hepletely forgot the necessity to be silent, he even lost the will to maintain his Mana Reading. His body began to shake uncontrobly at the disy of power before him.

    Bracha then performed a backstep, to onlookers it seemed as if she created several after images with her graceful movement. She then sank down into a martial stance, retracting her fists to her side much like a karate practitioner. A reddish orange rune glyph came into being, hovering a couple of centimeters away from her fists, followed by another and another until four such glyphs appeared. Each wasrger than the next, and finally they allbined into a single glyph.

    Bracha¡¯s next movements were also like a blur to the onlookers. They watched as the gang of after images appeared in various ces,nding a multitude of punches, kicks and palm thrusts. The targets weren¡¯t limited to the Hulking Grimlock either, any nearby Grimlock was also caught up in the assault.

    The after images slowly faded away, revealing that Bracha now stood directly before the Hulking Grimlock, motionless and unrestrained. Secondster the sound of thunderous blows ripped through the air like a multitude of gunshots. Each seemed louder than the next, heavier and more full of bass. The Hulking Grimlock was knocked backwards by several crippling blows, first to the face which sent it¡¯s head flying backwards, next was a blow to the abdomen, shoulder and chin. Each strike caused the Grimlock to stagger wildly. At almost the same time the Golems nearby sumbed to explosions in rapid session. Unlike the Hulking Grimlock, the Golems were no match, causing them to explode into cinders and ck mist.

    *What is this? I¡¯m¡­scared.* Katrin remarked as she watched on. She couldn¡¯t help but think of all the times she and Bracha shared a bath together. The times the Runemaster tutored them on the ways of living as an adventurer. Her drunken escapades. None of these memories matched up to the visage of Bracha now as she unleashed this strange power upon her foes.

    As if the magic had been set to a dy, the Hulking Grimlock was assaulted by the same ferocious explosions that tore apart the spawned creatures just seconds before. When all was said and done the grimlock was sent backwards, reeling as it was finally forced to its knees.

    *As I thought.* Bracha thought inwardly. She gazed upon the creature, the whole of her eyes made white with mysterious energy as she did so.

    The creature before her was covered in grievous wounds. Nearly thirty percent of its face was destroyed, profusely bleeding from the upper right of it¡¯s skull. Its left arm barely hanged by tendons and muscle, causing purple blood to stter across the ground almost uncontrobly. Several points across it¡¯s densely muscr body had been dented, as if a fist or foot shaped sledgehammer was put to use.

    Bracha squinted in displeasure as she realized that the core could not be forcibly removed from the creature¡¯s body. She would have to destroy it and the creature along with it.

    ¡°Rune Arts : Wave Fist.¡± Bracha uttered these words, lifting her hands palm upwards as she spoke. A visible flow of energy formed around her fists as she lit into her opponent once more. Rather than a plethora of speedy shes it was almost as if Bracha moved in slow motion this time. She seemed to gracefully alight, hopping upwards with a single foot. At the same time sheunched into a spin and ended with a roundhouse which caught the Hulking Grimlock across the face. The creature¡¯s body contorted unnaturally from the bone crushing force, knocking it¡¯s head several dozen centimeters away from its original location. This monstrous blow was followed up by several more, each progressively faster and less powerful than before.

    Head, shoulder, arm, chin, neck and finally a double palm thrust to the creature¡¯s chest. Each blow forced the creature backwards, in some cases lifting it from the ground in the process. The core held captive in it¡¯s chest weathered the second blow, but only by a bit. Arge crack appeared deep within the core¡¯s structure and spidered along the crystalline structure diagonally.

    *Just die already.* Bracha thought to herself as she hopped backwards to create some space between her and the wounded creature. She bought her hands together, stopping just a few centimeters away from one another as she called forth another Runemaster ability glyph. This one was pure red in color and slowly began to shrink until it turned into a small, red orb of energy. This orb quickly disappeared, causing a like red rune to appear just behind and above Bracha¡¯s shoulder des.

    The rune began to rotate, maintaining a fixed location as Bracha prepared to take her foe down once and for all. All in all it had taken Bracha only a few seconds to use her skill, unfortunately in battle a few seconds were priceless.

    Bracha, in her haste to defeat the creature, rained down blows upon it and could not get the job done. Each blow was both thunderous, swift and forceful. Powerful enough to knock the creature into the perfect position. A snake-like tentacle slithered upwards from the pit just centimeters away, coiling around the Hulking Grimlock¡¯s ankle. Another quickly wormed its way around the creature¡¯s waist and at the opportune time snatched the Grimlock away, pulling it into the nearby pit.

 Chapter 139: Guardian (2)

    Chapter 139: Guardian (2)

    This brief moment was all it took for the tides of battle to turn.

    *Dammit!* Bracha focused her powers and expanded the influence of her timepression technique, a unique ability imparted to her by her current form. Unfortunately she didn¡¯t make it. She cursed her luck inwardly as she came up just a step and a half too short. She could only watch as the Hulking Grimlock was pulled into the man-made pit caused by Ryo¡¯s earlier rampage.

    The tentacle creature coiled around the other with snake-like precision and quickly dragged the helpless Grimlock to the bottom of the pit where it¡¯s bruised and battered body awaited. Bracha watched from several meters above as the tentacles squeezed, constricting the Hulking Creature and at the same time burst through its chest. She could instantly tell what the motive behind this sneak attack might be.

    *Dammit. This is bad. It¡¯s after the core.* Yet there was nothing Bracha could do. The price of being a Runemaster was being locked into a particr specialty. She was forced to do battle unarmed, furthermore her abilities only worked on herself or others. She had no ranged techniques to speak of. There was no way for her to reach the bottom of the pit in time either, for her timepression also carried a steep penalty. For every second the ability was used, three times the cooldown would be necessary.

    Suddenly a thought came to mind.

    ¡°Quickly, everyone who has ranged magic, fire upon the pit. Don¡¯t hold back.¡± Bracha turned as she pointed towards the pit behind her and shouted.

    Those watching were caughtpletely off guard, her performance over the past few minutes had left them speechless. Due to this, those who were able lost precious time. Bracha watched as Gates called forth a me familiar, Gigi dashed forward with her de at the ready and Katrin lifted her hand prompting her Grimoire¡¯s pages to burst open while Agni lifted her hands and began to conjure a lightning strike from above.

    All of them began to pour their attacks into the pit, and along with it Bracha used her skills to further enhance the power of their strikes. Beneath each of them a light blue rune of enhancement came into being. Their stats all rose by 20%, giving them the extra edge they needed to pour on the heat. Katrin fired several earth shots which arced over Bracha¡¯s head and found their way into the pit like well aimed mortars. Gigi stood at the edge of the pit and called forth as much me as possible before swinging her de fliercely. The subsequent me attack filled the pit with a spire of mes that spun upwards, guided by the coaxing of wind magic.

    Gates¡¯ fire falcon also joined in, firing spurts of me inside to further fuel the attack. Finally, Agni¡¯s orb of lightning energy struck downward repeatedly until the energy within it exhausted itself altogether.

    All of them waited with bated breath as the results of theirmand were made clear. Bracha red down into the pit as well, straining her vision to see amidst the receding mes and smoke. She gritted her teeth, her heart skipping a beat for the briefest of moments as she anxiously awaited some sort of confirmation.

    And then it happened. Bracha was first to notice the pulse of energy building from within the bottom of the fiery pit. She reacted just in time to save Gigi from being consumed. Bracha activated her timepression and snatched Gigi by the back of her cor, pulling her away as a column of ck and purple energy erupted upwards. The call was so close that even Bracha could feel the intensity of the destructive energy on her heels.

    Gates¡¯ me falcon was instantly consumed as the ominous energy spiraled upwards for several dozen meters, pushing aside all of the miasma along with it. Then, just like nothing happened the energy began to dissipate from existence.

    Or so they thought. Everyone watched as small particles of ck began to form in numerous ces high above the pit¡¯s opening. These particles resembled solid and liquid state simultaneously, they both shimmered and undted much like water droplets suspended in mid-air by some unseen force.

    The droplets then came together, as if beckoned by a maic force to form arge ck ball of rippling energy. This mass then fell apart, the droplets pelting downwards into the pit with such force that it sounded like hail striking the dirt. And then silence.

    Bracha couldn¡¯t shake the sense of unease which quickly began to rise along her spine. She released Gigi, who was still frozen in ce, and took a few cautious steps towards the pit¡¯s opening.

    Before she even made it halfway arge, ck hand thudded against the ground, gripping the circr edge of the pit. It¡¯s fingers seemed deformed at first but Bracha quickly realized that the creature simply had three thick fingers instead of five. Soon one hand was joined by many, one after the other. Four hands in total helped to pull the newborn creature into view.

    What emerged was totally unique from the two creatures which contributed to the union. There were no tentacles to be found, instead there were four arms and two feet. Instead of hulking, the creature was significantly shorter. Rather than a circr body, it¡¯s shape was humanoid in nature with several long, red lines running the length of the creature¡¯s body. Where once there was no mouth, there was now a pronounced mouth filled with the teeth of a predator. It¡¯s body was lean and muscr rather than bulky. But perhaps the most disturbing developmenty in the creature¡¯s newfound senses.

    It¡¯s oblong shaped head leaned forward, showcasing two rows of bumps which cracked open to reveal red orbs ¡ª six eyes in total. The eyes swiveled wildly in all directions, as if it were their first time in use, before finding their targets ¡ª the group of adventurers standing in the distance.

    Perhaps the most disturbing revtion of all was the ckberry colored gem embedded in the center of the creature¡¯s chest. To Bracha this was a clear sign that her worst suspicions hade true. The cores consumed by both creatures fused together into one.

    Normally this phenomena would only ur when two cores were pulled into contact with one another. They would undergo the fusion process, causing the worlds governed by both shard cores tobine into a single space. When the creatures decided to consume the cores themselves they inherited the ability to spawn Grimlock, making themselves stronger in the process.

    The cores seemed to still hold sway over the Grimlocks which consumed them however. Even after being swallowed and used for their power, when push came to shove the cores took over and forced both dying creatures to fuse into a single entity powered by the core itself.

    *If I¡¯m right¡­this thing¡¯s strength is probably off the charts.* Bracha suddenly felt the heavy weight of uncertainty upon her. The aura around the creature seemed dense and unapproachable, this was a surefire sign that the creature was much stronger than it¡¯s appearance might lead one to believe.

    She quickly began to ess her options, given recent developments. Her entire fight with the Grimlock had only spanned a couple of minutes. As long as she didn¡¯t move unnecessarily or over exert herself she couldst longer. The issue was everyone else.

    Vivian seemed unconscious or unresponsive, as did Ryo. The people behind her were out of their depth, without question. Now that the threat could see them, it would be a simple matter to track them down even if they were to try to escape. And yet, escape seemed like the only real option.

    *If they could get Vivian and Ryo, we might be able to make a run for it. I might be able to hold this thing off until they get a good head start but..* When Bracha considered the distance they would need to cross while carrying wounded, the n seemed less feasible by the moment.

    She nced towards the purplish gem in the creature¡¯s chest and realized that it would be best to smash it. If she could do that, the shard realm would copse in on itself, thrusting them all into the outside world. The creature would be considerably weaker there, her ¡®powers¡¯ would be stronger and she could put an end to the battle decisively.

    *0.45%.* Bracha thought to herself as she measured out just how much energy she¡¯d used so far.

    *The limit is 2%.*

    Bracha focused her attention wholly on the creature before her as she decided definitively on her best action. The creature itself seemed preupied. It nced down at it¡¯s dominant hands, flexing them repeatedly as it examined it¡¯s body further. The moment it¡¯s attention seemed to falter, Bracha dashed forth.

    She bridged the small distance in less than two seconds, quickly entering the zone which represented the edge of her technique¡¯s area of effect. However¨C she nced to her left, partially due to a flickering shadow. Her eyes widened as she realized the creature was now next to her, preparing to strike.

    ¡°Shi¨C¡± Bracha reflexively activated her timepression, causing everything to slow down. She was surprised to find, however, that the creature¡¯s blow was still fast enough to graze her cheek. She hopped backwards to create some distance, allowing her ability to drop it¡¯s effect. Bracha gritted her teeth and brushed a trickle of blood from her cheek. She could only clench her fist as the creature¡¯s eyes swiveled towards her. It stood, motionless, marveling at its newfound strength and speed before it focused on her to press the attack.

 Chapter 140: The Stand

    Chapter 140: The Stand

    Oliver¡¯s head was swimming. He¡¯d just regained his sense of consciousness and the most prevalent emotion was annoyance. He was displeased with himself, for being rendered unconscious at the cost of his own magic.

    The sensation of grogginess covered him like a shroud, one that he would be hard pressed to lift under normal circumstances. All of his limbs felt heavy and his eyes fought to stay shut, only his strong willpower guided him to consciousness.

    He lifted his head, slowly, unsteadily and was treated to a sight that defiedmon sense. A lone Runemaster going toe to toe with a Grimlock of unknown origin. The dance between both parties was like a symphony of strikes, evades and counters. What¡¯s more Oliver¡¯s eyes seemed to be ying tricks on him, after images of Bracha would asionally re up, making her appear to be in several ces at once. The phenomena would fade and re up again in erratic patterns as Oliver pushed himself up onto his hands and knees.

    He called forth a potion and quickly used it. It wasn¡¯t necessary to restore his health, but his mana was dangerously low. What minimal relief the potion carried was at least enough to get his senses in order. After a few deep breaths he nced upwards at the fight carrying on less than a dozen meters away (30-36ft). What he saw was both breathtaking and bewildering.

    *What¡¯s going on?* Oliver transmitted as she slowly rose to his feet. The answer was nowhere to be found, for everyone nearby was breath taken by the movements disyed by the battling parties.

    *It¡¯s much faster than before. I can¡¯t fully suppress its speed with my timepression.* Bracha thought as she began to push herself to the limits. She alternated between enabling her timepression and going on the defensive, using the additional time tond unguarded blows on her foe. Unfortunately they weren¡¯t having the intended effect.

    The red rune cast just moments before the current skirmish began was used to boost the strength of the target. Before Bracha deemed it necessary in order to finish off the creature, but now her blows were barely more than a hindrance to the creature. Furthermore the addition of multiple arms made it difficult to connect. A blow to the face mightnd cleanly the first time, but a second strike would be parried by one forearm and countered by another. Bracha was being forced to continually vary her striking patterns in order to keep the foe suppressed. Unfortunately this was also ying against her.

    By using timepression in short bursts she was able tond more hits, but she would be stuck on the offensive for three times as long while the ability recharged. Her Agility rating, rtive to her current target was nowparable, or possibly even surpassed stat wise. Timepression was an effective tool for Bracha because she could slow time for any and everyone within her sphere of influence¨Csave herself. This effect was reliant upon the speed of entities within the sphere of influence to add ¡°differential¡±. In other words, if her foe was naturally slower than her it would be like a snail. If Bracha¡¯s own Agility was much greater than her foe would slow to a crawl or at times even stop.

    The technique was more effective against the Hulking version of the fused Grimlock because the creature seemed to be built for power versus speed. This new version was more bnced and more powerful. Furthermore with each stroke, each movement the creature was beginning to get ustomed to it¡¯s new body. Soon Bracha¡¯s blows failed tond at all, forcing her to rely on timepression even more.

    Meanwhile Oliver was being filled in regarding the transpired events since his fainting spell.

    *I see¡­* Oliver couldn¡¯t help but grimace upon hearing more. The others had no exnation of Bracha¡¯s sudden appearance change, or her ability to go toe to toe with a creature of such magnitude ¡ª but in the grand scheme of things it didn¡¯t matter. To Oliver it was clear what his priorities were, to revive Vivian Lex and Ryo so that they could contribute to the battle.

    *Stay ready to act, at any moment.* Oliver ordered the rest as he used two more potions to restore his depleted mana. Each of them silently affirmed this notion and spectated, desperately hoping that Bracha¡¯s newly disyed powers would prevail.

    Unfortunately that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. All of her normal blows were now being blocked, even the active skill Wave Fist was being nullified. With external and internal blows sealed off, the only gambit Bracha had left to y was to go all out.

    She fended off blow after blow from the creature as she awaited the chance to activate timepression once again. This time she would push herself to the very limits of power.

    *0.65%.* She noted track of her power¡¯s limits, one final time before betting it all. Bracha took several steps backwards, creating as much space as possible while still exercising timepression over her foe. She then lifted both hands in front of her chest and focused her energies. Several runic glyphs appeared, ovepping one another in rapid session. She focused on her foe even as she yed her most powerful card, for the creature was still able to move and used this fact to begin bridging the distance.

    *0.72%* The colorful set of runes fused together, forming a singr ck rune which disced the active rune floating at a fixed point near her shoulder des. Bracha then repeated the process, once again pressing several glyphs into one another and producing a white glyph. This one took a ce next to the ck glyph behind her, both coexisting as hertent abilities began to rise. 30% stronger, 50% stronger, 80% stronger¨C

    The counter in Bracha¡¯s view shot up to 1.25% as the power at Bracha¡¯s disposal began to normalize. When all was said and done her stats, all save her mana and vitality were raised dramatically by more than 100% percent. Furthermore the two runic glyphs each held a specific purpose.

    The ck represented an amalgamation of darkness, and appeared in the shape of a crescent moon. The white presented as the sun and each rotated at odds to one another yet perfectly in sync. Bracha cancelled her timepression immediately thereafter, causing the Fused Grimlock to speed up dramatically. The creature swiped at her face, it¡¯s intention was to smash a blow into her temple ¡ª but Bracha easily evaded this blow whilending a counter of her own.

    She leaned to the side, avoiding the strike and simultaneously defying gravity as Bracha front kicked the creature directly in the chest. The movement was so precise and quick that the creature failed to even react. The impact jolted it¡¯s body upwards, lifting it off of it¡¯s feet but a second explosion of energy soon followed. The jolting zap of lightning magic surged through the creature¡¯s body, causing it¡¯s muscles to convulse wildly.

    A second unchecked blow caught the creature on the chin, at the moment of impact an explosion of me took ce. This caused the creature to be lifted even further off the ground, blowing it upwards several centimeters more. With each sessive strike that Bracha unleashed, the ck glyph at her back glowed more fiercely until the energy emanating from the magical construct took the form of a wing. Likewise, with each strike a different element was unleashed, fire, lightning, water, earth ¡ª all in cascading fashion.

    Such was the power of her Crescent Moon glyph, it contained all of her elemental touch runes. It became clear that Bracha had no intention of allowing the creature¡¯s feet to touch the ground. Each blow was meant to continuously air juggle the creature. The Sr Glyph was responsible for raising all of her stats to the limit, along with another secondary effect.

    To those watching the battle a bright white light began to glow in the distance, it was faint amongst the backdrop of misty grey yet still visible. Then a second appeared, this time not far from the scene of the unfolding battle in apletely different direction.

    Those watching struggled to grasp the meaning behind this phenomena, and each monstrous blow that Brachanded distracted their attention even more. All but Oliver Pagnal.

    *Get ready to move.* The elven Archmage remarked, his eyes were peeled on the battle unfolding before him as he waited for his best chance to act.

    The flurry of blows against the Fused Grimlock seemed endless, yet each was slowly being blocked or at least lessened in damage. Four arms was a huge advantage for deflecting damage, no matter how ferocious the onught. Furthermore the creature had begun fiercely guarding its core after a series of powerful strikes aimed towards it. This confirmed it for Bracha ¡ª the core must be destroyed!

    The creature¡¯s flesh was now beginning to scuff and bleed as scraps appeared on it¡¯s forearms. Soon blood sttered with every blow as the creature sought to sacrifice two of its arms topletely guard itself. The other two were devoted to attempting to ward or grab Bracha, but she changed her angle of attack constantly to keep her opponent guessing.

    Bracha nervously eyed the counter for her special ability, for it had now risen to 1.63%. She was now dangerously close to her limit and each moment drove the counter that much higher. She would not have much wiggle room, so she needed to time things right.

    The moment timepression became avable Bracha slowed the pace of her strikes just slightly. This break in the pace was all the creature needed tosh out with both free hands and grab her forearm firmly. It was this moment that Bracha chose to strike.

    Time nearly froze for the Fused Grimlock, it¡¯s eyes widened as realization crept in. Bracha on the other hand was free to move as she pleased and used the opportunity to begin exerting full power blows. Once more she performed a jumping whip kick, crushing one of the creature¡¯s already battered arms. The creature¡¯s still body lurched, having been knocked out of stasis momentarily as Bracha continued her strikes. Next came a monstrous front kick to the chin, the blow knocked the creature¡¯s head upwards with such force that blood particles momentarily flew upwards¨Conly to be caught in the frozen moment of time.

    Systematically she struck, using both the full weight of her body and entirety of her strength in each blow. Soon both sacrificial arms were useless, the bones were obviously broken in several ces and the flesh was beaten to a pulp.

    *1.79%*.

    Bracha reared her fist back and focused all of her intent. The Crescent Moon Glyph phased into existence at a fixed point just above her hand moments before Bracha mmed her fist into the creature¡¯s chest. The blow directly impacted the fused core embedded there, and for extra measure Bracha struck as many times as she could muster.

    Each blow drove her counter upwards, decreasing both the duration and remaining power of her god-like ability. Only when she saw the crystal begin to crack from sheer force alone did Bracha relent.

    Oliver watched on, waiting for the ideal time when Bracha¡¯s movements began to defy thews of reality. The moment he felt a shift in the atmosphere he sprang into action.

    *Dea, Sh, Gates. Stay put! Agni, Katrin ¡ª go and get the Doyenne. Gigi, follow me. Move now!* Oliver transmitted the directions as he began his own mad dash. His pointer finger was the only guidepost which the Scribe and Subus could use. It pointed far out, into the distance¨Cthe focal point was the faint white light glowing there.

    Gigi and Oliver dashed quickly, headed towards the other light. If he was right¨C

    All in all, Bracha¡¯s fierce attack on the Fused Grimlocksted for less than two seconds. As Oliver moved for all his worth, he watched the shadow versions of Bracha¡¯s movements and the creature¡¯s body crunching inward on itself.

    When the timepression was canceled the Crescent Moon Glyph was gone, rather it had been transferred through countless punches. The physical onught was just the first stage of Bracha¡¯s attack ¡ª the storm had yet to gather.

    A wild session of elemental explosions erupted against the creature¡¯s body, forcing it through the air in a wild, spiraling fashion. Itnded hard, crashing into the ground as even more dyed explosions rocked it¡¯s body.

    *Keep moving. Don¡¯t stop.* Oliver transmitted, mostly for the benefit of the runners. Bracha¡¯s show of power was both viscous and unexpected. Even Oliver had a newfound respect for her. The sts continued for several more seconds, no less than fifteen total and for what seemed like an eternity to foe and friend alike.

    The sts were so powerful, so infused with energy that a persistent cloud of mixed magical energy began to billow upwards, covering their sight as explosion after explosion continued until thest.

    Oliver kept an eye on the creature¡¯s location, even as he moved. It was a habit from years of battles, one that saved him in the long run. He first saw the dissipating cloud of mana shift in a strange way. Oliver¡¯s body reacted on instinct and he halted, quickly changing directions as he did so. Arge ck mass flew forth from themotion andnded several meters past Oliver in the process. The shot would have struck him head on like a cannonball had he not adjusted his position.

    Gigi, however, wasn¡¯t so lucky. A second st caught her attention just a few moments toote. In an effort to defend the damage, the Spellsword lifted her sword ¡ª her intention was to use her de as a cushion. The ginger gritted her teeth as the sound of metal shattering filled her ears.

    Her movements weren¡¯t nearly fast enough and the mass of ck matter smashed into her abdomen, pinning both her right arm and her de between the impact. Magic infused shards of her Rune covered de flew in several directions as Gigi¡¯s face contorted in pain. The blow lifted her off of her feet and sent her flying backwards several meters into the murk of distant grey.

 Chapter 141: Archmage (1)

    Chapter 141: Archmage (1)

    The sound of a loud impact reverberated through the air, causing Agni to pause for the briefest of moments and nce behind her.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Katrin whispered, forgetting herself due to themotion which filled the air.

    ¡°Agni!¡± Katrin suddenly shouted as she gripped the subus by the shoulder and yanked her backwards. Agni waspletely caught off guard by Katrin¡¯s actions but she was even more disarmed by the mass of ck which sted by her with insane speed.

    Agni¡¯s expression contorted in disbelief as something that resembled a cannonball flew by just centimeters from her current position.

    *If I would have gotten hit with that¡­* Agni thought as an unpleasant image shed through her mind.

    *What was that?* Agni transmitted to Katrin.

    *I don¡¯t know. But it can¡¯t be good.* Agni responded. She nced into the distance where the mass of cknded, just less than a dozen or so meters from their location. She could tell as much from the sound of heavy impact.

    *Katrin! Agni! Where are you? Are you okay?* It was Oliver¡¯s voice, he sounded gravely concerned.

    *Yes. We¡¯re okay. What just happened?* Agni asked, there was a sense of unease which settled over her ¡ª the feeling made her more anxious by the second. They had already run a significant distance in such a short time, so far that they could no longer see the other party members through the thick miasma.

    Suddenly Agni felt exposed, if anything were to happen she and Katrin alone would not be able to handle it. They were disconnected from everyone else, despite being within running distance.

    *Are you both okay? Are you injured?* Oliver asked with the same sense of urgency.

    *Y-Yea. We¡¯re fine. We almost got taken out by some kind of attack. What¡¯s going on?*

    *Listen. Thatst attack¡­it wasn¡¯t normal. You need to find the Doyenne right now and return. If she¡¯s unconscious, wake her, if she won¡¯t wake bring her with you!* Oliver remarked. Given all that happened within the past few minutes Agni never thought to question what she would find in ¡°that direction¡±, only that she should go there. She trusted the elf¡¯s orders enough that she feltfortable doing so despite not clearly understanding. With Oliver¡¯stest order, things now finally made sense. The two white lights in the distance¨C

    *Agni. Look.* Katrin¡¯s transmission echoed through the subus¡¯s mind, drawing her attention. Katrin was facing a different direction than their destination, one that matched the trajectory of the unknown mass.

    There within the mist Agni saw an rming sight. A dark and growing shadow began to form itself, growing from the ground. It rose upwards until reaching a height of several meters. She watched, anxious to understand the sense of heightened caution that was slowly overtaking her. The ck mass looked like a misshapen tree trunk without limbs or a root after just a few seconds.

    She and Katrin observed carefully as the shadow sprouted two appendages from either side of its body, clueing them into the threat.

    *Grimlock!* Agni transmitted to Katrin as she took up a battle stance. The ck shadow formed into a humanoid shape as legs and arms burst forth from the central mass. The newly formed creature stood motionless within the mist for what seemed like an eternity of seconds. Agni and Katrin waited with bated breath as they studied the situation.

    Their job was to rescue, it was the sole task of their role on the mission.

    *It¡¯s just one Grimlock¡­* Agni thought as she took in a deep breath and focused her attention.

    *Katrin, go towards the light. Vivian is waiting there.*

    *What? What are you going to do Agni?* Katrin asked immediately.

    *I can hold it off long enough for you to get to Vivian.*

    *Agni¨C there¡¯s no telling if you can handle that creature.* Katrin transmitted, Agni could tell that Katrin was on edge, and rightly so. One of the most prominent teachings that Bracha herself drilled into the women was to never fight a battle if you were doubtful of sess. Yet in the situation, did they even have a choice?

    Unfortunately the choice was made for them. The creature sprung into action the moment Agni¡¯s attention becamex.

    *Go!* Agni shouted as she stepped forward, preparing for the impending battle. Katrin seemed thoroughly displeased, yet she had no other option. She gritted her teeth and dashed towards the faintly glowing orb of light in the distance. At least she wanted to¨C

    *Where did it go?* Katrin transmitted as she stopped in her tracks. Agni barely had time to register the unfolding events as her foe deftly switched directions, angling for a strike against Katrin. Agni¡¯s eyes widened as she struggled to dash towards Katrin, arm outstretched. Katrin turned to face her attacker, yet despite this she was also caught unaware. No spell she could sling would be fast enough to protect her from the approaching threat.

    The moment yed out in slow motion as the Grimlock¡¯s features were revealed. It was an exact replica of the four armed Fused Grimlock which Bracha waged a desperate battle. It was then that Agni realized fully what happened.

    *It¨Cit cloned itself?!* Agni leapt forward with all of her might, but she knew it wouldn¡¯t be enough. The creature lunged, raising both of it¡¯s left arms to prepare a powerful blow ¡ª only to burst into mes just centimeters from Katrin.

    Agni watched as the creature froze in ce as blue mes began to consume it from the inside out. It then fell to the ground, killed instantly by a single blow which pierced the creature¡¯s chest clean through. The weapon was familiar to her, the sword of Vivian Lex, Kitsune ss, Rank 3 Adventurer and leader of Mystic Tower Chapel. The blue mes of Fox Fire burned vividly, consuming even the ck ash of the in creature as its body quickly turned into fuel.

    *I told you. No fighting.* Vivian¡¯s voice echoed through the transmission as Agni watched the extended katana retract into the distance. Only the faint glow of a fading blue light gave away Vivian¡¯s position.

    *Vivian!* With the sight of the fox demon walking her way, Agni shrugged off some of the umted tension on her shoulders.

    *Let¡¯s go.* Vivian said as she walked past both adventurers, she had a clear destination in mind and a date with a Grimlock.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Oliver crouched next to Gigi, using what little magic he¡¯d managed to recover just to ease her pain. At the same time he watched the wounded Fused Grimlock like a hawk. What happened after Gigi was struck vividly shed through his mind.

    ¡°Tsk! Dammit!¡± Oliver shouted as he flicked his arm outwards like a whip, causing a long thin string of purple energy to fly forth and grab Gigi by the arm. He tugged with all of his might, just as the ck mass began to carry the Spellsword off into the distance along with it. His grip on her arm was the only thing preventing Gigi from being carried away.

    Oliver¡¯s eyes widened with disbelief as he shot a nce towards the billowing ploom of lingering magical energy. There, dead center amongst the chaos, was the Fused Grimlock. It¡¯s body was bloody, battered and broken in many ces ¡ª but it was very much still alive.

    By contrast Bracha stood just meters away, swept up in the same disbelief that carried Oliver¡¯s thoughts. It was apparent to Oliver that she intended to finish the creature with that attack ¡ª yet for Oliver he quickly realized this would not be possible.

    His Archmage ability, ¡®Evil Eye¡¯ had several abilities. One of them was to activate stored spells. The ability was limited but useful in the sense that Oliver would be able to cast any stored spell free of mana. Instead using the stored spell would trigger a ¡®penalty¡¯, a cost proportionate to the spell¡¯s strength.

    In some cases, the number of uses would be limited to a certain duration of time, others Oliver would receive a temporary debuff or countless other things. Another restriction was that Oliver could only store spells he¡¯d already learned, with the caveat that powerful spells would syphon a portion of his health in the process.

    Because of the less savory restrictions of ¡®Evil Eye¡¯ Oliver stored simple utility spells, ones that carried no penalties for use. His favorite was a spell called ¡®Discerning Gaze¡¯. Discerning Gaze allowed the user to scan, assess andpile information on a target. This info could then be used to give the user a rough estimate of strength.

    This estimate would be disyed in a way that made the most sense for the person using the spell. Some Archmages would see a spectrum of colors, each used to represent strength. Others might see simple orplex numbers, categories or other such rating systems.

    For Oliver, the spell revealed three numbers. The first two were called Physical and Magical Potential. Numerically these ratings ranged from 0 to 999 and represented an estimate of a target¡¯s physical and magical prowess. The third number wasbeled Overall Strength by Oliver, an averaged number which represented the strength of a target.

    Because the spell only provided estimates , Oliver tried not to rely on it religiously. Yet when faced with an extremely powerful or unknown enemy it proved invaluable. This was one such case. Oliver used his Discerning Eye once at the start of the mission, and at the start of the battle with each unknown entity. Despite Bracha¡¯s unusual powerup, she still rated much lower on the Physical Potential scale. Her attacks werergely ineffective against the creature¡¯s dense and muscr build.

    Although Oliver couldn¡¯t use the special Glyphs created by Bracha he understood their intent. The white glyph was designed for healing and restoration, while the ck was geared towards destruction. Yet even with these powerful glyphs and a mysterious force empowering her, Bracha was only a support type martial ss against an offense type enemy of unprecedented strength.

    There was also another reason the creature survived.

    As Oliver inspected the Fused Grimlock, he realized that the creature was d in a thinyer of miasma. Much like the tentacle creature, this new threat called upon ast minute defensive ability to save it¡¯s own hide.

    ¡°Tsk!¡± Oliver clicked his tongue audibly as a sense of annoyance settled upon him. His mind was furiously churning as he searched for a way to contribute to the battle. Oliver¡¯s original answer to this problem was to find and recover the remaining members of the attack team.

    The thick miasma and chaotic battles made it impossible to check on either of them but regardless Oliver had no doubt ¡ª their protective smocks would easily deflect at least one near fatal blow. Furthermore, he wasn¡¯t concerned about Vivian Lex so much as Ryo. Even as Oliver reyed the blow which knocked Ryo out of battle he could only imagine the worst.

    Cracked ribs, perhaps punctured lungs. Internal bleeding, and possibly a broken arm or leg. Oliver¡¯s only sce was the party hud, which allowed members of the same party to monitor the health and mana of each other. Of the two injured people, only Ryo showed signs of damaged health.

    When Bracha activated the sun and moon glyphs, Oliver noticed Ryo¡¯s vitality steadily regenerate. The fact that their locations became visible from the glyph¡¯s magic was a fortunate secondary effect. With this Oliver made a n to contribute.

    Yet, with one unexpected attack by the Fused Grimlock managed to undo all of his nning. Oliver never expected a ranged attack, much less such a powerful one. Agni and Katrin were somehow okay, but Gigi took a monstrous blow head on. Oliver gazed down at the redhead, briefly taking in the state of her. Bloodied and battered, these were the two words which described her best. Her breathing was shallow, despite the fact that she was also unconscious.

    It was at times like this that Oliver cursed his predilection for offense based magic. Being an Archmage, he simply needed to witness spells in order to acquire the means to use them. This in turn led to a rush for knowledge that often ignored spells deemed less ¡®powerful¡¯. Oliver was now sorely regretting this seriousck of study.

    Now, as he knelt near the unconscious Spellsword, Oliver could only cast low level healing spells. He focused on the most grievous of her wounds first, healing her internal organs before moving onto the bones. Gigi¡¯s arm was broken in several ces, her flesh was mangled and purple from the intense impact of the blow. The impact was so intense that Gigi¡¯s armor cracked, shattering or forcing bits of metal in all directions ¡ª including her abdomen and chest.

    *Even with the protective smock, she nearly died.*

    Oliver gritted his teeth as he nced down briefly at his patient. She showed no signs of movement, though her breathing had begun to stabilize. It was a far cry from her damaged state after being struck but she was still far from healed.

    ¡°Is she ¡ª is she okay!?¡± Gates shouted as he drew near and practically skidded to his knees along the ground. The concern in his expression was overflowing, almost to the point of being distraught.

    *Transmit, don¡¯t speak. Secondly, do you or any of the others have potions? Anything at all?* Oliver transmitted. Oliver suddenly regretted using his own potions so rashly just minutes before.

    Gates shook his head as he gazed down at Gigi. The sight of her left him speechless. Gigi¡¯s arm was still purple and blue, though the color was slowly returning to it.

    ¡°W-what the hell is that?¡± Gates asked, his eyes fixed upon something in the distance.

    *Gates.. Use the transmission¨C* Oliver nced up, then over in the direction that Gates was now looking.

    *Take her to Dea and stay there.* Oliver transmitted as he got to his feet. He noted the time left on his ¡®Discerning Eye¡¯ cooldown.

    *I¡¯ll have to use it and deal with the consequences.* He thought as he once again activated his Evil Eye¡¯s secondary ability. The numbers appeared after a short moment, affirming to Oliver exactly what he feared.

    *This thing¡­is almost as strong as the Fused one.* Oliver gritted his teeth as a second Fused Grimlock slowly shuffled towards the battlefield.

 Chapter 142: Archmage (2)

    Chapter 142: Archmage (2)

    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s this?¡± The dark figure said aloud as he nced over towards a particr panel to his right. There were dozens before him, one would wonder how this person even managed to observe them all. The ¡°panels¡± were little more than light spells which carried various images. Some were live feeds, others were screens filled with numbers and data. One such panel caught his attention as he waved his right hand, causing the panel to erge while the others surrounding it shrank.

    ¡°What the heck? What¡¯s she even doing out of the city. That¡¯s not her jurisdiction.¡± The dark skinned man said as he scratched his cheek.

    ¡°Hmm. Curious, curious¡­.¡± He repeated to himself as he ced a heavily bandaged hand against his cheek.

    ¡°Well. I guess I could use some exercise. It¡¯s been a minute.¡± He said finally, dismissing all of the info panels with a flick of his wrist. He got to his feet and stretched, making sure to ¡°warm up¡± before any physical exertion. He then snapped his fingers, causing a hooded cloak to appear on him.

    ¡°This should be interesting at least.¡± He remarked as he stepped forward, blinking out of existence in the process.

    ¡ª¡ª-

    Oliver Pagnal¡¯s world turned dark. His left eye trickled ever so slightly with blood, a consequence of his own actions. He knew better than to push his Evil Eye even further, yet it couldn¡¯t be helped. His vision grew hazy as well, though only one eye was affected ¡ª this, he could manage.

    *Dense muscles, meant for carnage and unfathomable power. I need something more powerful, superficial lightning or mes won¡¯t cut it. I¡¯ll need something ¡­more¡­.* Oliver¡¯s mind was like a steel trap,tching onto any idea which could help him to defeat the threat.

    Against a stronger foe would it be possible? The elf was willing to take that gamble

    He decided to try something ill advised, free magic in a life or death battle. Oliver even chuckled at his own hypocrisy. He would have drilled prudence into any of his students or fellow chapel members, yet it was the only option before him.

    The Archmage lifted both hands, palms facing outwards as he prepared himself. He pulled forth what little mana he could from the atmosphere and infused it into two balls of rapidly growing earth and rock.

    *Nowes the tricky part.* Oliver thought inwardly. He gritted his teeth and summoned all of his focus, pushing away the noise of his surroundings. His other senses dropped away as well, taste, sight ¡ª even the dull pain in his abdomen. He clenched each hand, making a pair of fists as he activated his second magic. Therge masses of earth energy began to crumple inwards, as if they were being crushed by an invisible hand. Both masses of earth quickly shrank from the size of a basketball to that of a marble due to the intense gravitational pull exerted upon them.

    *Now shape them.* Oliver¡¯s forehead was now filled with beads of sweat, a testament to his focus. Gravity magic was unruly to maintain on the best of days for him, he was really pushing his personal limitations at the moment. The small orbs of heavily condensed dirt first ttened, then began to reshape into the form of a jagged bullet.

    The approaching creature was now within a distance that allowed Oliver to see the it¡¯s features. Red eyes, six in total which lined it¡¯s elongated face in two rows. Four arms, two legs and all muscle. It¡¯s body was a deep sheen of ck, graced by several red lines which reminded Oliver of magical veins. If he could see himself he would, no doubt , see the same sort of lines along his own face ¡ª a consequence of pushing his mana to the limits.

    Though his vision was blurred in one eye and he was already bleeding profusely, Oliver dared to go one step further.

    ¡°Copy Eye.¡± He grunted between pressed lips. His left eye began to glow with purple energy as a rune shed, spiraling several times as Oliver¡¯s will was done. Once more blood issued forth from his left eye, causing a steady stream of crimson to trickle down Oliver¡¯s cheek. The creature, having taken keen notice of Oliver¡¯s form and voice,unched into an attack.

    *Ah. What should I call this one?* Oliver pondered to himself as the clone Grimlock dashed forward. It wasn¡¯t nearly as fast as the original, but a threat nheless. Yet to Oliver who¡¯s mind was dangerously close to unconsciousness, everything seemed to y out in slow motion. Oliver thrust both hands forward, ring his fingers as he shouted the name of his newly improvised spell.

    ¡°Heavy Bullet!¡±

    The two condensed earth bullets were propelled forward, powered by Oliver¡¯s mana as well as aerodynamics. He created the bullets with small grooves to promote decreased wind shearing and eleration for improved distance. Each bullet¡¯s tip was like that of a drill, causing the heavy objects to pierce the air itself while making a unique howling sound.

    The creature¡¯s movements were agile, but Oliver timed his attack perfectly. The creature couldn¡¯t evade even if it wanted to at that point. In an effort to shrug off the damage, the cloned Grimlock raised a pair of its arms in anticipation of the magical constructs. It flexed its muscles, hardening them just before impact ¡ª yet this mattered not. The Heavy Bullets drilled into the creature¡¯s flesh without resistance and easily pierced through in less than a second. The first bullet was aimed at the creature¡¯s heart, while the second was aimed at it¡¯s forehead. Both pierced the creature like a needle through paper, causing the Grimlock to first go limp then fall face forward with a heavy thud.

    Oliver grinned, his objective having been achieved, as he watched the clone¡¯s body turn into ck wisps of smoke. He allowed himself this small moment of satisfaction, for he knew things would only get harder from this point on. He could feel his stance weakening, a sign that he¡¯d used all of his magic yet again.

    *Oliver!* Gates¡¯ voice transmitted from his ce next to Dea and Sh. Though he was still carrying Gigi in his arms Gates still kept a keen eye on the battle as it unfolded. He was amazed to see Oliver take out his foe so quickly, but the moment Oliver¡¯s knees buckled Gates understood.

    The spell used must have required a lot, even for a rank two Archmage to cast. He wanted to rush over in support but the elf held up a single hand, as if to brush that thought aside. After a few deep breaths Oliver slowly got to his feet and faced the central threat.

    Though his body felt heavy and his mind was hazy, Oliver knew that timing was of the essence. The next few seconds were critical, in part because Oliver doubted his own ability to stay conscious. His mana was all but depleted, and hecked vision in his left eye now. Yet he held on. He couldn¡¯t move, not a centimeter before he was ready, for he needed every bit of energy to take onest action.

    Oliver focused himself once again, dancing on the razor¡¯s edge of awareness and subconscious as he strained his one good eye. The wounded Fused Grimlock had also gotten to its feet, and Oliver¡¯s hunch proved correct. Bracha had not moved since unleashing her onught against the creature.

    *She¡¯s spent.* Oliver¡¯s gaze slowly drifted back towards the creature. Somehow it looked muchrger than the one he¡¯d just faced.

    *Was it always this big? Fuck me.* He thought as a particrlyrge bead of sweat rolled down his brow. Bracha was motionless by choice, however the Fused Grimlock seemed incapable of movement altogether.

    *Given the fact that it hasn¡¯t spawned more of those damn clones, I can only assume two is the limit.* Oliver nced in the direction of the faintly glowing white lights.

    *Get up you bastard.* Oliver thought as he stared in the direction of Ryo, or atleast the magical glyph currently attached to him.

    *I just.. Need to wait.* Oliver thought inwardly, repeating it as if the words were a self imposed mantra.

    Bracha cast a nce in Oliver¡¯s direction and felt thankful for his presence. She was also a rank two adventurer, yet she would be hard pressed to defeat an enemy of that caliber without taking extremes. Still, Bracha had to wonder how this situation would y out. Behind her were a group of adventurers who wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against a foe of this caliber. She made a mental note of her expenditures.

    *1.92%. I¡¯m at my limit. It¡¯s all I can do to maintain the glyph at this point.* Bracha thought to herself. Even moving at this point would incur a penalty. She could perform two, perhaps three more strikes at the most at this point ¡ª less if she made the effort to close distance between herself and her foe.

    The only upside was the fact that ¡°idle time¡± would y in her favor. The Sr Glyph would boost their natural regeneration and help them ovee any ailments, but ultimately Brachacked the ability to heal them outright. Potions only worked within a certain distance and she didn¡¯t have any left to begin with. All potions were pooled with Dea and Sh who acted as both guardians and pseudo healers for both parties.

    The skirmishes with lesser Grimlock wiped out those potions quickly, leaving them in such a dire predicament. From the looks of things Oliver¡¯s mana waspletely expended, he wouldn¡¯t be able to heal anyone even if he wanted to.

    *That just leaves one hope.* Bracha thought inwardly, and right around that time the Fused Grimlock began to move. Bracha had truly done a number on the creature. It¡¯s body was covered in dents, cuts and bruises from head to toe. She¡¯d managed to blot out half of it¡¯s eyes and damage at least two of its arms beyond repair.

    It also seemed to be suffering from limited mobility. At the very least the creature wasn¡¯t charging in recklessly. The white glyph spinning at Bracha¡¯s back began to flicker and fade, a signal that her time as a Guardian was slowlying to an end.

    *Come on. Attack me.* She thought inwardly. Bracha could only curse the fact that shecked any real ranged attacks. This standoff continued for another few seconds, a voice interrupted the standoff.

    *Bracha. Charge him.* It was Oliver¡¯s voice and it sounded¡­tired.

    *I can¡¯t. I¡¯ll lose my edge. Don¡¯t you have anything left?*

    *I do. But I need the creature to be distracted. I can¡¯t afford to mess this up.* Oliver replied. Bracha sighed as she assessed her current strength. *1.96*

    *Will this end the battle?* She asked. In reality she didn¡¯t have a choice, but she wanted to check for one simple reason. Even a few more seconds would suffice as reason to recover Vivian and Ryo. Unless she had a good reason, Bracha would refuse to go along with Oliver¡¯s request.

    *50/50. At worst, it will be wounded and easier to get rid of. I was going to help you stall for time but¡­I can¡¯t. I¡¯m going to pass out. Make a choice dammit.* Oliver grunted, even as he whispered via transmission.

    Bracha lingered for a few seconds longer before she made her decision.

    *Very well. I¡¯ll leave it to you.* She remarked as Bracha activated her timepression for thest time. She dashed forward, each step bringing her closer to cancetion of her strongest abilities. She infused her mana, creating fire glyphs on each hand as she leapt into the air. Her intent was to pounce on her foe and strike a furious blow.

    Unfortunately her powers were spent, the aura of pure energy surrounding her body faded and her hair changed from white to golden blond. Timepression halted and Bracha was faced with a wounded foe that finally registered her presence. The creature reacted almost instantly, preparing a blow that was sure to break bone and burst organs.

    ¡°Heavy Bullet. Heavy Bullet. Heavy Bullet.¡± Oliver repeated the words continually as bullet after bullet flew forth from his outstretched hand. He gritted his teeth, blood trickling from his lips as he spoke. His free hand was sped at his chest, as if each word spoken was like a dangerous blow to his health.

    The first bullet pierced the creature¡¯s body, embedding itself deep into its torso. The second and third shots were sent with purpose and Oliver¡¯s aim was true. Each of them pierced through the creature¡¯s body from the left side and smashed into the core powering it. The first shot to strike the core caused a massive chunk of the crystal to shatter and break away. The second further damaged the core beyond repair, embedding itself deep into the center of the core.

    The creature lurched forward,pletely forgetting Bracha as it¡¯s body was pierced by high power, high density magic. It opened its mouth to shriek, only to be struck in the face by Bracha¡¯s blow. The dyed impact then exploded, forcing the creature to drop to its knees while clenching it¡¯s chest.

    It¡¯s remaining eyes bulged before spinning out of control as a healthy trickle of purple blood issued forth from both it¡¯s chest and mouth.

 Chapter 143: Will O Wisp

    Chapter 143: Will ¡®O Wisp

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Oliver¡¯s voice garbled in his throat as blood spurted from his mouth in copious amounts. He expected the bacsh, but it didn¡¯t prepare him for the pain which welled up in his chest. He watched as his Vitality plummeted, 60%, then 40% and finally dipping to a steady 15%. Only the pain kept him conscious, but that wouldn¡¯tst for very long. His knees gave way, his sight began to darken as the penalty for overusing his Evil Eye became apparent.

    He managed to copy his own custom spell, Heavy Bullet with the aid of the Copy Eye ability of his Evil Eye. His intent was to use the spell only once, but after failing to ount for the power difference this was the only contribution to battle that Oliver could offer. The most he could manage without killing himself in the process ¡ª three shots.

    *Shit. I hope¡­ it¡¯s dead.* These were Oliver¡¯sst thoughts as his consciousness faded and he fell forward, face first towards the ground. The Archmage was out like a light before even striking the ground, which is why he didn¡¯t notice the timely save.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised. I didn¡¯t peg you for the sacrificial type.¡± It was Vivian Lex, the young woman who dashed forward, catching Oliver just seconds before he hit the ground.

    ¡°Rest up.¡± She whispered as she gentlyid the fallen elf on the ground and focused her attention on the task at hand. To those looking on, Vivian¡¯s intercession was a life saver, yet for Agni and Katrin they could already tell the type of mood their leader might be in.

    ¡°Finally¡­¡± Bracha grunted as she allowed the tension to drain from her body, though in reality she had no choice. The battle left her bruised and battered, what¡¯s more with her strange powers gone she was beginning to feel the bacsh of the short but fierce battle she¡¯d engaged in. She groaned as a spurt of blood shot outwards from her side, just a few centimeters above her hip. Apparently sometime in the scuffle she¡¯d been cut. Such wounds quickly began to take form all over her body, causing Bracha to stagger backwards as she struggled to stay upright.

    Not missing the sign of weakness, the wounded Grimlock chose to strike. Bracha was only a few steps away, which did not bode well for her as the Fused Grimlockshed out, backhanding her in the chest. The blow hurt less than Bracha expected. This was, no doubt, due to all of the damage she¡¯d inflicted on the creature as well as Oliver¡¯sst ditch efforts to bring it down. Still, the pain was enough to make her grimace as she sailed through the air for several meters,ing down hard upon the ground. Her energy spent, it was all she could do to stay conscious.

    With this her enemy moved to press the assault. It¡¯s injured legs would not impede it¡¯s revenge, causing blood to spurt from various wounds as it leapt into the air. It¡¯s intent was clear, to lunge upon the fallen adventurer and end her life in one fell swoop.

    Several meters away Vivian¡¯s eyes glowed with a furious torrent of yellow energy, it was so vibrant that it pierced the miasma making her appear like a demon in the mist. She called forth her weapons and dashed forward in an instant, oblivious to everything around her. Dried blood caked both the corner of her lip and her forehead as a seething rage caused her blood to boil.

    *I can¡¯t believe something like this sidelined me.* She was more angry with herself than her foe, if truth be told. Anything could happen in battle, and given the situation an unpredictable thing did. She was knocked away, swatted like a bug for a considerable distance. She mmed into a tree with such force that her consciousness was immediately severed despite the light injuries she suffered from the blow.

    By contrast Ryo¡¯s injuries were much worse ¡ª yet he was still alive. A testament to the strength of one known as The Earth Dragon Behemoth. Vivian bridged the distance in the blink of an eye and shed forward with the full weight of her de as she did so. In the moment of impact her de became engulfed in blue mes. This caused onlookers to notice a sh of blue light as she severed the creature¡¯s outstretched arm.

    Her second blow cleaved the creature upwards, leaving a deep gash along it¡¯s chest. The power behind the blow was enough to knock the creature out of it¡¯s lunge and onto the nearby ground.

    *Everyone. Stay where you are. And don¡¯t move.* Vivian¡¯s voice transmitted as the miasma began to grow thicker. So thick that the limited visibility was no more, no one could see further than a few centimeters in front of their own face.

    Some murmured, others stood silent but all obeyed the weight of Vivian¡¯s words. The Fused Grimlocknded on the ground with a thud, but the blow was superficial at best. Despite having shifted to a less muscr form its body was still rather dense. It quickly got to its feet,pletely ignoring the blood trickling down it¡¯s front torso. It gazed around and quickly found it¡¯s prey. A short distance away, Vivian stood with her back towards the creature. It was a perfect chance to take out the adventurer with one blow.

    The creature¡¯s muscles groaned as itunched itself forward with little regard for its own well being. Such was the mind of this Grimlock, unfettered for concern and focused solely on causing carnage.

    It delighted as it sprung through the air and swiped with the full weight of its body at Vivian¡¯s head, it¡¯s aim was to smash her skullpletely. The attacknded with such brutal uracy that Vivian¡¯s body didn¡¯t have time to react, her head sttered against his fist and momentter her body fell to the¡ª

    No. The creature looked on in confusion as the young girl¡¯s body slowly faded away into smoke which swirled upwards as if carried by an invisible wind.

    If the creature had sense to speak, it would have disyed surprise ¡ª but this was beyond it so it continued to look about wildly. Then, a sharp pain came as a de sliced into the creature¡¯s body, apanied by the same brilliant blue sh of light.

    No more than a flesh wound, this was what the creature felt as it spun around to confront the annoying gnat. It once againshed out, striking the nearby adventurer in her chest. Once more, the body spiraled into a scene of death, followed by a smoky demise. In the distance several more figures appeared, one after another, surrounding the creature. They advanced forward without rhyme or reason, sometimes shing ¡ª sometimes appearing to sh. Each blownded was little more than a nuisance ¡ª or so the creature thought. Soon it¡¯s mobility was sealed as its legs were shed and shredded.

    Skillful stabs and cuts aimed for tendon, rendering the beast unable to move it¡¯s remaining free arm. Next to go was the creature¡¯s sight as the endless shadow clones converged upon the creature from all angles making it impossible to determine from whence the next blow woulde.

    It¡¯s head was racked with pain , so intense and so fierce that the Fused Grimlock thought it might burst. The more it clenched it¡¯s bleeding eyes shut, the more the pain assaulted it¡¯s senses. And for the first time, it began to feel a foreign emotion creep in. It was cold, chilling enough to cause the creature to shiver. It was fear.

    Having been forcibly thrust into darkness once more, the creature could only await whatever fate had in store. Vivian, having used her illusionary powers to their fullest now walked forth. Gone was her visage of a teenager. She now appeared in her true form, an adult Kitsune d in the same samurai like armor she once wore. The look in her eye was that of an ice queen, her eyes glinted with a steely malice as yellow energy shone from within. She stood just steps away from the wounded creature and uttered these words.

    ¡°Fox Fire : Will ¡®O Wisp¡±.

    Outside of the veil of illusion, all they could see were lights, dozens of blue wisps which blinked into existence. Though Vivian¡¯s illusionary magic concealed her true form, the soundless sight of shing blue lights pierced the fog clearly.

    The soundless furysted for only a dozen seconds, to Agni andpany it was like watching silent fireworks explode. Then, just like that the swirling veil of fog dissipated, revealing Vivian¨Cand Vivian alone. Now, before them all was the visage of a young woman, a teenage girl who was done venting her rage.

 Chapter 144: MSS Contest # 2

    Chapter 144: MSS Contest # 2

    My Subus System is hosting it¡¯s second contest, the adventurer ss contest.

    The rules of the contest are simple:

    **Rules**

    1.) One Entry per person.

    2.) Entry must fall into one of the 6 sses of adventurers, that is: Strikers, Casters, Beastia (Monster or Beastlike Humanoids), Servicemen / Supporter, Healers, Specialists. If the ss would fall into one or more categories then choose one.

    A brief exnation of each is below:

    Strikers excel in close or mid-rangebat using weapons or martial arts. They can be augmented magically as well. Example ¨C Fargo the Guardian, Gigi The Spellsword, Vivian Lex.

    Casters excel in magicalbat, or casting advanced spells. Example ¨C Oliver Pagnal the Archmage.

    Beastia are adventurers that have been transformed physically due to their ss. Example ¨C Vampire, Werewolf, Minotaur (Merri The Minotaur)

    Servicemen / Support are adventurers gifted with a job-like calling or support abilities. Example ¨C Katrin The Scribe, Sh Heartfyre, Oracles, Etc.

    Healers are people who can recover, rejuvenate or restore themselves or others via magic or abilities.

    Specialists , adventurers with unique or unorthodox powers and abilities. Agni Heartfyre

    **For a full list of current sses, you can visit the discord channel.**

    3.) Submit your idea for an adventurer ss between 7/1 and 7/15. It must be named, provide a brief description and give a basic understanding of it¡¯s capabilities. Ideas must be submitted on this chapter¡¯sment section, in discord channel or on the scribblehub listing for this contest.

    **Rewards**

    30$ 1st Prize

    20$ 2nd ce

    10$ Third ce

    (Prizes, paid via Paypal or Cashapp)

 Chapter 145: Nova Lights

    Chapter 145: Nova Lights

    Vivian Lex walked towards the group of adventurers, half forgetting that she¡¯d ordered them not to move. She nced up to notice all eyes on her, which made her feel somewhat shy in a way.

    *Gather the wounded. We need to leave, before any more troublees our way.* Vivian transmitted as she walked towards Bracha, who was still lying on the ground some distance away from the site of battle.

    *Bracha. Are you still conscious?* Vivian asked as she gazed down at the Runemaster.

    *Barely. I can¡¯t¡­move.* Bracha responded. Looking down at the incapaciated Runemaster, her body seemed to be full of bruises in various ces, scratches and crusted blood at the corners of her mouth. It was apparent to Vivian that Bracha had really pushed herself to the limits.

    With the aid of Katrin and Agni, Bracha was escorted towards therge circr pit nearby. Not far from this was where the creature¡¯s remains were, more specifically the core which had been embedded in the Fused Grimlock¡¯s chest. Despite the fury of Vivian¡¯s blows the core still existed, which was somewhat vexing to her.

    *How durable is this thing?* Vivian thought as she came to a stop and knelt next to the cracked core on the ground. Behind her by just a few steps were Agni, Katrin and Bracha. The Scribe and Subus held the Runemaster up so that she could help the Kitsune inspect the core more closely.

    *I¡¯ve never seen anything like this. Normally a core is easy to destroy. Why is this one so resistant?* Vivian asked as she raised her foot suddenly and bought it down upon the cracked core. In terms of size it was norger than a baseball, yet hard enough to resist the most viscous of blows regardless of its current condition.

    The remainder of the group mobilized quickly to stabilize the injured. Oliver was unconscious and bleeding from his left eye , yet he was still considered stable. Gigi on the other hand writhed in pain at the slightest motion. Oliver¡¯s healing managed to cure her internal injuries and mostly mend the bones in her arm ¡ª but the job was left iplete. Gates knelt before the red headed Spellsword, wiping her forehead asionally as he tended to her.

    Meanwhile Sh and Dea stood watching the others. Throughout the entirety of the battle they had been relegated to rear guard. In particr Dea was beginning to feel useless. At most they could serve to carry their woundedrades in order to escape this hellish ce. All things considered, everyone was in a condition to return home with their lives¨Cbut empty handed. Despite this, Vivian had no intention of trekking back with injured members.

    *How did you damage it?* Vivian asked Bracha. In return Bracha didn¡¯t say much, just that she ¡°hit¡± it. This answer sounded too convenient for the Kitsune.

    *You just struck it? There¡¯s no way that¡¯s right.* Vivian thought inwardly as her mind shed back to the fearsome power of her strikes. Vivian nced towards Agni and Katrin for confirmation and they agreed as much. However, to a seasoned rank 3 adventurer, Bracha¡¯s answer still made little to no sense.

    Vivian pointed the tip of her katana downwards, aiming at the cracked core. She then willed her de to extend outwards using the special abilities of her shapeshifting weapons. The tip of the de struck the core, chipping off a tiny piece of the crystal ¨C like substance in the process. Ultimately though, the attempt to destroy it did very little damage.

    Vivian gritted her teeth in annoyance. If the core couldn¡¯t be destroyed then they would not be able to copse the shard realm. If they couldn¡¯t copse the shard realm they would have to return on foot and deal with any Grimlock they maye across. A dicey proposition given the current state of the attack party.

    Vivian was just about to try burning the core with Fox Fire when she realized she¡¯d forgotten all about Ryo.

    ¡°Oh¡­crap.¡± She audibly muttered as it dawned on her.

    *You three stay here. I need to grab Ryo.* Vivianmanded as she stepped forward, intent on making her way towards the area she believed him to havended. In that moment something screamed within Vivian¡¯s mind, perhaps it was the keen senses of a battle hardened warrior. She hopped away on reflex, yet she was not quick enough.

    The core, cracked though it was, began to shake and shudder. A dangerous energy crackled through it¡¯s cracked fissures as a ck mass began to grow from within. In an instant several ck tentacles shot forth, growing and expanding rapidly towards any being within range. One such tentacle attempted to wrap around Vivian¡¯s forearm. Due to her reflexes this failed, instead the tentacletched onto her ankle. It quickly tightened its grip while several other ¡°arms¡±shed outwards towards Agni, Katrin and Bracha.

    The trio of adventurers had no time to think, only react. Agni attempted to leap backwards, but Bracha¡¯s dead weight counteracted her evasion. Instead she and Bracha both received ashing blow to the chest as the tentacle whipped forth. With the added weight Agni was forced down, Bracha tumbling on top of her. Katrin attempted to help, only to beshed against the cheek by a second tentacle strike. The Scribended with a hard thud, nearly knocked unconscious from the force and speed of the blow.

    *You¡¯re pissing me off!* Vivian growled internally as she prepared tosh out with a Fox Fire coated sh. The focused energy within her weapon was fearsome, causing a fiercely blue glow to re up the surroundings. She swung with all of her might, despite being off bnce from the sudden ambush. In response to her iing blow, several more tentacles spurted forth, covering the core itself in a thick coat of ck. They acted as a sacrificial buffer forcing Vivian¡¯s blow to stop before it even reached the target. What¡¯s more, the Fox Fire seemed to extinguish itself when pitted against the creature¡¯s flesh ¡ª a feat that Vivian thought to be impossible.

    With her attack having failed, Vivian attempted tond and try again, only to have her feet pulled out from under her by the single tentacle attached to her ankle. It yanked her upwards and swung her into the air by several meters. At the same time the core, now covered in an undting mass, began to take new form.

    The remaining members of the alliance stood frozen, partially out of shock but more so out of helplessness. Only Gates reacted, calling forth a water spirit with such quickness that one would swear he could see the future.

    The blob of water expanded rapidly, several under currents swirling beneath its surface before a stream of concentrated water shot forth like a high pressureser. The st blew forth, lifting the earth where contact was made, briefly and sending chips of dirt and wood splinters flying upwards as the beam moved.The high pressure water st was enough to do the trick ¡ª as stream of water extended, shooting upwards, it sliced the tentacle gripping Vivian cleanly in two.

    The water spirit, having used all of its energy, faded out of existence as the entirety of the conjured water was spent. Gates, normally cool headed, seemed more agitated than anything in the moment. Others might have been hard pressed to understand his resolve ¡ª yet it was his fiercely loyal nature towards his friends that fueled his anger.

    He stepped forward immediately, lifting his staff upwards as a spark of me grew into an orb of fire. With furor he smashed the end of his wizard¡¯s staff downward, causing the conjured me spirit to growrger by several sizes before it began to unleash, much like the previous water spirit.

    By conjuring raw elements Gates could quickly make use of his abilities as a Spirit Mage. Under normal circumstances he would first pull the element, and infuse it with a spirit to give it both shape and substance. This abbreviated form was improvised freeform magic, brought upon by an anger that grew with each passing moment. The me spirit shot forth fireballs in rapid session in varying patterns. Each st struck the mass of rapidly growing tentacles, forcing its mass to quiver and recede ¡ª at least for the first few sts. Gradually, the unknown entity began to shrug off the me attacks, unbothered by the assault.

    Vivian, having been flung upwards a considerable distance, twisted her body and watched it all unfold. She now realized what happened to her Fox Fire. Somehow the creature built up a resistance. She shifted her body, righting herself as shended near Agni and Bracha. Gates continued his onught, constantly renewing his mes ¡ª it was little more than cover fire at this point. What¡¯s more the mass seemed to grow evenrger with the passing seconds.

    It was at this point that all hell began to break loose. The ck tentacles retracted, revealing the damaged core at the center of the ck mass. Thissted for the briefest of moments as dozens of smaller, snakelike tendrils extended outward from the core. These tendrils moved along the ground like fast growing vines, creeping over everything nearby.

    For Agni, Bracha and Katrin it was toote ¡ª the tendrils wrapped around their ankles and quickly wrapped along their bodies. Within seconds they were covered head to toe with dozens of tiny, branching strands of ck. Only due to her own foresight did Vivian manage to put some distance between herself and the creeping vines.

    As she hopped backwards, Vivian ¨Cfor the first time in a long time¨Cfelt conflicted. She genuinely had no idea how to defeat the foe in front of her. She knew that she had to shatter the core, yet the same core was protected from piercing, slicing and magical strikes.

    It had been so long since the Doyenne of Mystic Tower felt fear, and the threat of it prated her to the bones. Despite this she gripped the hilts of her katana and dashed forward, ring her Fox Fire, spreading it along the edges of her des.

    She resigned herself in that instant ¡ª if she was to die ¡ª she would not die cowering. Sheunched herself forward while issuing the order for anyone who could still move.

    *Escape. Don¡¯t look back and don¡¯t stop.*

    As Vivian jolted herself forward, Agni struggled to breathe. The ck tendrils were attacking her from all angles, burrowing into her flesh, jabbing and constricting her. She felt a panic take hold unlike any she¡¯d ever experienced as she came to grips the unfettered truth ¡ª

    *I¡¯m going to die!* The thought resonated within her mind, pushing out all possible hope until all that remained was the dread filled sound of her own beating heart. Out of the corner of her eyes Agni could see Katrin desperately struggling against the tide of ck tendrils, meanwhile Bracha was the first to bepletely covered ¡ª her body resembled a ck mummy as the tendrils covered her in totality.

    Meanwhile Vivian swung her de, consolidating her power as she prepared ast attempt to end the desperate battle in the mist. She reached back and prepared to strike¨C in that moment the world turned silent and grey. Time seemed to distort, for the briefest of instances. She was so faintly aware of it, and thus assumed it was part of dying ¡ª after all ¡°life shing before one¡¯s eyes¡± seemed fitting. Still, the Kitsune followed through with her de strike. She watched as the brilliant blue me began to shift in color, a red me mingled with the blue, joining together at the edge of her de. This red me slowly spread, blending to create a dual colored me.

    Her first strike cleanly cleaved through ck mass and the damaged core alike. Though she connected cleanly, Vivian dared not stop. She followed it up with three more strikes, lending the full weight of her body behind each.

    The haphazardly made creature recoiled as it was sliced cleanly. Almost just as quickly it¡¯s flesh caught fire,ignited with red and blue mes. The flesh quickly burned up, dissipating into nothingness ¡ª not even ash¨C as the core of the creature was finally engulfed as well.

    Vivian lifted her sword a final time and inhaled deeply. She would have but a single slice and it needed to be absolute. Her katana shifted, taking on a new heft as the edge morphed into a triangr de edge. It now resembled a mix between a cleaver and a machete. She dropped her second depletely, abandoning it as she prepared to pour her all into a single strike.

    With both hands the Kitsched onto the cleaver-katana, sharpening her senses as she inhaled a deep breath. She forced all of the sound and urgency of the moment away, she disconnected herself from those slowly being constricted. Those wounded and those still willing to fight desperately for the lives they held dear. She ced her soul into a singr strike ¡ª one that dropped with such speed and force that both the core and the ground were split in two.

    The blow was struck, and it was perfect. The cracked core became cleaved, cut cleanly by Vivian¡¯s red and blue fire. Unfortunately that was not the end. Suddenly Vivian felt an intensity of unparallelled proportions pressing against her body. There was a bright light, one that filled her vision and drowned her senses as the one closest to it. All sound,sight, sensation and sense was lost as Vivian Lex was caught up in a point nk explosion.

 Chapter 146: "Who Are You?"

    Chapter 146: ¡°Who Are You?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been out. I really should get out more.¡± The young man remarked as he nced down at the breadth of the woonds below him. He was so high up that all was easy to view beneath his gaze. He took in the sight, one that was therapeutic to him, before smiling broadly and descending from the sky.

    Hended neatly, despite the rate at which he fell from the sky, causing a gentle rush of air pressure to radiate outwards from the ce of his descent. The cloaked man then ced his hands behind his back and began to walk ¡ª as if he didn¡¯t have anywhere in particr to be.

    He seemed keenly aware of everything as he moved. The sunlight against his skin, the sound of various creatures in the distance even the building of energy which caused the veil to ripple¨C

    ¡°What. The. Fuck. Is. That?¡± He blurted out loud as he gazed upwards into the distance. For anyone else there would be nothing but a clear blue sky present ¡ª but for him a visible ripple rolled across the sky.

    He sighed deeply, before muttering.

    ¡°Fuck me.¡±

    The man then stepped forth¨Cjust a single step and he was gone. Rather than transported he¡¯d moved several hundreds of steps in a split second. This he repeated dozens of times as he passed the city of Gardenia and quickly proceeded towards the cause of the disturbance.

    ¡°Hmm. I can¡¯t see inside here since she¡¯s not using it anymore. Oh well. When in Rome..¡± He said as he ced his hand against the fused shard. The crystals on the outside seemed incredibly fragile. The entire left half of the fused opening was beginning to crumble away. He inspected this for the briefest of moments before he was gone again.

    He stepped inside of the shard world and gazed around. With a wave of his hand the dense miasma receded and he moved once more, his steps like a sh as he traversed the interior of the shard realm.

    ¡°This is such a fucking bother.¡± He whispered to himself as he drew nearer to the disturbance. The sight before him was quite dire, even he had to admit. An Imp, a Dragon-kin and a Spirit Mage.

    *This sounds like the start of a bad joke.* He thought, and the idea pleased him. Causing him to smile. Further along were several downed people, a Scribe, a Subus and ¡ª

    ¡°Oh. There she is.¡± He remarked as his senses lingered across a half dead Runemaster.

    ¡°But¡­what the heck is this supposed to be?¡± He said as he lifted his hand up to his chin in thought. He¡¯d already slowed time, it took but a quarter step to draw closer. A kitsune desperately trying to defeat a foe that would outss even her.

    He inhaled sharply as he inspected the monstrosity just several centimeters away from her.

    ¡°No. Seriously¡­what the fuck is this?¡± He remarked. He used his sight to view the unseen, realizing that the creature had a highly unusualposition. Inside of it was a core. A shard core.

    ¡°That¡¯s..definitely cheating. Just¡­ wow.¡± He remarked.

    After a moment of thought he nced around, as if looking for something. In the distance he noticed someone ¡ª perhaps? He got closer to find it was a dragon. And he chuckled.

    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be a Behemoth. How did you even get into this sorry state?¡± He bent over and pressed his fingertip against the injured demon¡¯s head. The demon-kin¡¯s wounds immediately mended themselves, broken bones, internal injuries and all.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see. What else? Hmm. Well since I¡¯m getting a little crazy¨Cmight as well help her out too.¡±

    He moved back towards the kitsune and ran the tip of his finger along her de. The blue mes there began to take on a two tone color¨C red mingled within the blue.

    ¡°I guess that should do it. Well, let¡¯s see.¡± He said as he floated upwards so that he could watch the next few moments unfold. He snapped his fingers and waited, arms folded as he hovered in the air several dozen meters above the battle.

    ¡°Nioce.¡± He muttered as the kitsune cleaved her way to victory.

    *Damn. She¡¯s good. Maybe I should recruit her. The other one isn¡¯t so great¡­* He thought as he nced down at a particr body-shaped mass of ck tendrils. In the split second he looked away, a strange energy began to fill the atmosphere. Then¨C light.

    ¡°Whoa whoa whoa. Hold the fuck up.¡± He said as he snapped his fingers once more. Time froze again and he floated downwards,nding right next to the Kitsune.

    ¡°This thing should be toast. What is this?¡± He asked, as if anyone could hear him to answer. ¡°This¡± referred to the explosive light that defied even his timepression technique. Rather than stoppletely, the st inched forward ever so slowly pushing back against time itself.

    He watched with rapt fascination as the light grew in intensity, as well as strength. The core pieces were nowpletely consumed ¡ª caught up in the growing st.

    ¡°Well ¡­. What am I supposed to do with this?¡± He said , seemingly as he agonized over the decision. His timepression would notst much longer, in fact if he was right¨C

    ¡°It¡¯s feeding off my energy. That¡¯s¡­troublesome.¡±

    After a few more seconds he finally decided on a course of action.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe she came up with something like this. She must really, really hate me.¡± He replied, then with a snap of his fingers time began to move once again. He clenched the reddish light in both hands and squeezed, forcing it to retract in size. The light was so bright, so blinding that anyone who gazed upon it would be rendered unable to process sensory information ¡ª that is everyone but him.

    ¡°¡­.¡± He could feel the pulsing energy within his palms, struggling to detonate despite his efforts to snuff it out. This annoyed him, the thought that there existed something that could surpass his raw strength.

    ¡°Fine. You want to y bitch? Let¡¯s y.¡± He growled as a thick aura of pure white energy began to cloak his body. His eyes turned stark white as both he and the reddish light orb floated upwards into the sky.

    He whispered words a dozen at most, causing an unseen veil to fold in on itself ande to his aid. The transparent ¡°veil¡± wrapped around the orb of light, containing it. Now that the threat was contained he fixed it¡¯s position in the sky and appeared on the ground once more. He gazed up at the orb of light, which at this point resembled a tiny star making its home on Adventia¡¯s skyline.

    ¡°Obsidian Well.¡± He murmured as he lifted his hand upwards, causing a tiny ck hole to appear within the center of the light mass. He watched with both annoyance and intrigue as light still escaped.

    ¡°She¡¯s¡­really¡­really mad..¡± He mused to himself as he watched the orb of light explode. The veil expanded, straining to contain the power pushing against it. Finally, when it could take no more it bursted, causing the remnants of the st to shower outwards in all directions.

    He then lifted both hands and bowed his head,causing several shockwaves of energy to emanate from his body. These shockwaves rose to meet the violent explosion, cancelling them out skillfully to avoid the consequences of certain death for anyone not like him.

    Finally, just moments before the brilliant red light began to fade, he took his leave. From afar he watched as the shard world folded in on itself, the cores that powered it having been destroyed.

 Chapter 147: Recoup

    Chapter 147: Recoup

    ¡°No! I¡¯m gonna die!¡± Agni shouted as she jolted upwards, her hands outstretched in a desperate plea for survival.

    ¡°Huh?¡± She muttered just secondster as she came to the realization that she was no longer in peril, but instead in an unfamiliar ce.

    ¡°I¡¯m gunna dieeeeeeeeeee. Ha ha.¡± Sh mocked, followed by an extremely sappy chuckle. Agni looked down only to discover the imp cuddled up to her and looking ratherfortable. That wasn¡¯t all. The gentle weight of a second army draped across Agni¡¯s chest, Katrin was fast asleep ¡ª also with her face nuzzled close to Agni.

    ¡°Be more quiet. People are trying to sleep.¡± Sh said, flicking open one eye before wrapping her arms even more tightly around Agni¡¯s abdomen. The situation made absolutely no sense. A strange bed, a strange room and a pair of eyes gazing in curiously from the nearby doorway.

    ¡°Ah. You¡¯re finally awake.¡± Vivian Lex said as she walked into the room, prompting the two small children hanging just outside the doorway to scatter.

    ¡°Where are we? What¡¯s going on?¡± Agni asked. She wanted to stand, yet with two bodies practically draped around her that would be impossible.

    *S-Sh. Can you¡­get up ?* Agni transmitted her thoughts, to which Sh¡¯s reply was, ¡°No.¡± Rather than getting up, Sh embraced her even more tightly. For a moment a faint sense of lingering aggravation came over Agni, but as she thought back to thest moments she could remember that sensation turned into rm.

    ¡°What happened with that Grimlock?¡± She directed her full attention to Vivian as a dire expression took root over her features. She, Katrin and Sh were the only people present in the room aside from Vivian. That didn¡¯t ount for half of the members of the expedition.

    ¡°Rx. My Gods, you look like a lost puppy.¡± It was Oliver Pagnal. He made his way into the room, revealing the true extent of his injuries. The left side of his head was wrapped, extending down to his eye as well. He seemed wobbling on his feet, but able to move nheless. His face seemed, somehow, haggard ¡ª weary. Itcked it¡¯s usual color, as if he was under the weather.

    ¡°I¡¯ll exin once everyone wakes up and can move again. Needless to say, we¡¯re all okay. This is Gardenia.¡± Vivian remarked as she pointed towards the nearby window which streamed in the afternoon sunlight. Sure enough, Agni remembered the houses of Gardenia which she¡¯d passed along the way to the shard.

    Suddenly a sharp pain pierced Agni¡¯s head. It began along her brow and traveled diagonally across the length of her face. It was unique, unlike anything she¡¯d ever felt before. The next moment vivid imagery shed through her mind ¡ª the sight of being knocked down by a monstrous foe. Brachanded haphazardly upon the ground along with her and all of them pinned down.

    Then creeping darkness. Agni¡¯s body shivered as it instinctively remembered the sensation of countless ck tendrils digging into her flesh. In the end they even protruded down her throat¨C

    Agni grimaced as she struggled to shake away the remnants of her own traumatic memories. Finally after several deep breaths she pushed her left leg out of bed with Sh clinging fiercely to her the whole time. Momentster Agni gently left Katrin to sleep while Sh gripped her hip like a monkey.

    ¡°Can I see everyone else?¡± She asked.

    Vivian nodded , Oliver shrugged and the four left her room to go to where the others were.

    ¡°S-Sh. Can you¡­let go?¡± Agni asked as she struggled to move with a permanently attached Imp at her hip. Shpletely ignored her requests, forcing Agni to sigh. She resigned herself to Sh¡¯s selfishness ¡ª partially because she understood the true intention. Agni smiled as she continued following Vivian down the hallway.

    *Brat.* She thought.

    The house seemed like a simple wooden construct, humble in nature and design. Though there were many rooms, the house couldn¡¯t house more than six inhabitants. In a room just a few meters down the hallway was everyone else. The first thing Agni noticed was Bracha. She had the bed all to herself and seemed to be in deep sleep. Agni noticed the rhythmic rise and fall of her breath as she slept, her body was bandaged in several ces.

    Next to the bed were both Gigi and Gates. As usual Gigi was pestering Gates, despite having only one arm to do it. The other was in a cast.

    ¡°Oh! Agni! You¡¯re up!¡± Gigi said, her eyes lighting up as she noticed the subus.

    ¡°Yea!¡± Agni offered as she mustered a smile. Gigi quickly got to her feet and hugged Agni, almost jumping onto her. Thebined weight of both Gigi and Sh was beginning to weigh heavily upon her, so much so that her eyes bulged as Agni struggled to stay upright. Gates offered a warm, boyish smile upon seeing Agni up and on her feet.

    In the midst of a one armed hug and monkey vice clenching, Agni¡¯s gaze found its way to Dea. The Mahogany haired Dragon-kin was off in the corner by herself. Unlike the rest of the people in the room she seemed distant, withdrawn.

    ¡°Dea?¡± Agni said as she called to her.

    The young woman moved, as if she¡¯d been ripped from a world of her own imagination, lifting her head and pushing back the hood which covered it.

    ¡°Hey. I¡¯m d you¡¯re up and about.¡± Dea said. These were the words which left her lips, yet her eyes held a bittersweet impression behind them that was hard to miss. Agni feltpelled to approach andfort the young woman, yet her current situation made it impossible. With so many people packed into the small room, there was scarcely room to move around¨C let along navigate between bodies.

    In the end Agni nodded slightly, as if to acknowledge the hurt she saw in Dea¡¯s eyes, before patting Gigi on the back and requesting a breather.

    ¡°O-Okay. Hee hee.¡± Agni couldn¡¯t help but smile at all of the affection she was being shown. It was clear to her that she and the others had somehow barely managed to survive their ordeal. The question was how? Agni¡¯s mind was filled with so many questions.

    Why did her body feel so heavy? It was as if her regeneration failed to kick in. She hadn¡¯t felt this way since¡­

    *The first day I arrived in Adventia.*

    She¡¯d almost forgotten the sensation of being human, the body of an adventurer was a truly wondrous thing. It could heal from almost any injury. Pierced organs, lost limbs, poisons ¡ª if given enough time. Even those it could not recover from were only an inconvenience after being respawned.

    Agni was sure that she wasn¡¯t suffering from First Death status, and none of the others seemed to be either.

    *So what happened? How did we get here? What happened after the explosion?* Agni tried her best to remember but the harder she recalled moments near to the st, the more hazy her recollection became. One image shed in her mind though, a cloaked man tilting his head to and fro ¡ª as if he was caught up in intense deliberation.

    Unfortunately for Agni the thoughts assaulting her brain would have to wait, for the day was proving to be truly action packed. The sound of amotion filled the air, the force from it was so severe that everyone within the wooden house felt the structure creak. The ss windows shook, reverberating wildly before the air settled.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Bracha asked. At some point during their revelry she¡¯d awoken, furthermore despite all her bruises she seemed no worse for wear.

    ¡°Are we in Gardenia? Why?¡± Bracha asked as she stretched her body and looked to Vivian for answers.

    Just then thest person of the alliance, Ryo, appeared in the doorway.

    ¡°Vivian. You shoulde take a look at this.¡± He said, his eyes drifting towards Agni as he spoke. Unlike Bracha , whose body was loosely bandaged in several ces , Ryo¡¯s entire left side of his body was wrapped. Some of the bandages even held blood spots, no doubt from moving prior to healing properly.

    Agni felt a strange sensation as she looked upon his shirtless form. She wasn¡¯t entirely sure what she felt about Ryo (yet), but her body was beginning to react in one particr way. His body was chiseled, much more so than the average person.

    *Eight!? Do they even make them with that many?* Agni thought as her eyes trailed down to Ryo¡¯s abdomen and the statuesque features there. His chest and arms were no exception to the rule of extremely-fucking-fit. Forearms, biceps, shoulders all well sculpted. Her gaze followed along with each part of his body that she chose to inspect ¡ª a sculpted chest, not overlyrge or muscr. Leading upwards to piercing eyes which spoke of an imposing and unchained energy which swirled behind his gaze.

    She quickly turned her head to the side, averting her gaze.

    *No, no no no no. Literally anybody but him!* She thought, forcing herself to seal away the devilish sensation tap dancing on her clit.

    ¡°Everyone, stay here and get some rest. Oliver, we¡¯ll be right back.¡± Vivian said as she and Ryo made their way out of the house.

    ¡°Stuck babysitting again. Ugh.¡± Oliver said as he sank slowly into a nearby chair. Agni on the other hand was left to deal with Sh who was stilltched onto her hip. The Imp was now making a curiously smug face as she gazed up at the Subus.

    ¡°W-What? Stop it¡­weirdo..¡± Agni murmured as she inhaled deeply and wished she could disappear.

    *Ugh. Why did I have to pick this moment to have a grade school reaction to some abs¡­*

 Chapter 148: "I Am"

    Chapter 148: ¡°I Am¡±

    ¡°Can you run?¡± Vivian asked the moment she and Ryo exited the house.

    ¡°Of course. Who do you think I am?¡± Ryo replied, his voice echoing deeply with a hint of resentment at her question.

    ¡°Good, let¡¯s go. After this, we can consider the favor done.¡± Vivian said as she darted forth, her destination was obvious. In the distance there was arge plume of brown smoke rising high into the sky. The two adventurers took off, quickly dashing and darting through the nearby woonds as they made to inspect the disturbance.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    ¡°Hmm. Hmm. This is troubling. Very troubling.¡± He said as he gazed up into the blue yonder, one hand propping his chin up. At moments like this he wished the blue expanse could offer answers to life¡¯s deepest mysteries. Of course, not many of those existed for him at this point. And yet, he was faced with a potential problem that would have dire repercussions for a long time toe. Or even worse the near and immediate future.

    ¡°Dammit. I¡¯m not ready yet!¡± He groaned, his voice betraying exasperation.

    He was just about to throw his hands up in the air and say ¡°fuck it¡± when the sound of footsteps caused his ears to perk up.

    ¡°Oh. Damn. Ipletely forgot about them, messing around with these stupid Grimlock.¡± He sighed. He ced his hands on his knees and got to his feet, revealing that he¡¯d been sitting on top of a Hulking Grimlock all along. The creature strained, groaning and growling as it struggled to push itself up from the ground. And yet, the harder it tried, the more it was forced downward.

    Vivian and Ryo slowed their pace as they burst into the clearing of destroyed trees and strewn debris. The first thing they noticed was a massive crater not far from their position and the second was a dark skinned man draped in a green hooded cloak with gold trim. His clothing seemed high quality yet simplistic ¡ª ck silk cloth pants, a brown leather belt, and a white silk cloth shirt.

    Vivian immediately stopped in her tracks upon seeing the man, pulling forth her katana as she did so. The moment Ryo burst out of the woods, just a second or two behind her, he assessed the situation and reacted in much the same way.

    ¡°Who are you? And what¡¯s going on here?¡± Ryo asked. His voice was neither calm nor threatening and reflected the fact that based on the man¡¯s answer things could go either way.

    ¡°Well, I was nning toe and find you both. Along with the Runemaster but this saves me some time I suppose.¡± The hooded man said as he shrugged.

    At this statement Vivian¡¯s eyes narrowed in suspicion while Ryo clenched his fist.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Vivian asked. This wasrgely because she read the man¡¯s information.

    [Nine ¡®Architect¡¯ Rank 1]

    Yet the scene before them seemed imusible for someone of rank one. Especially the Grimlock near the man¡¯s feet. Despite being unrestrained, the creature seemed immobile. Vivian watched as it¡¯s muscr hands desperately gripped at the ground, uprooting dirt and grass.

    ¡°I am.¡± The hooded man responded as he folded his arms behind his back and moved in their direction.

    ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood for head games. Answer or I¡¯ll make you answer.¡± Ryo said as a visible aura of mana began to pour forth from his body.

    ¡°That sounds fun. It¡¯s been awhile since I yed with anyone.¡± The man said as a devious smile spread across his face. He continued stepping forward even as Ryo moved to intercept.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Ryo grunted as his mana red. He thrust his fist forward and clenched his fist violently, causing the earth beneath the mysterious man to shift and churn.

    ¡°Oh. This looks interestin¨C¡± The hooded man¡¯s words were cut off by the sound of rocks crashing against one another. The ground became filled with upturned earth as a massive mouth appeared. In one motion the face of a dragon shot upwards from the earth, sending erupting rocks in various directions and catching anyone nearby in the fury of the attack.

    ¡°Don¡¯t kill him.¡± Vivian warned.

    Ryo simply smirked before offering up, ¡°I know. I¡¯m just going to make him regret messing with me.¡± Ryo clenched his fist even harder, causing the jaws of the dragon to mp closed on the unsuspecting man.

    ¡°That¡¯s pretty interesting. But you¡¯ll have to try harder than that.¡±

    The voice came from behind Ryo. It caught him so off guard that Ryo moved to backhand the source of the voice on instinct. This movement waspletely sealed by a hand pressed against his outer shoulder from behind.

    ¡°You son of a bitch. Don¡¯t fuck with me!¡± Ryo growled as he struggled to force through his movement, and yet the harder he pushed the more pressure Ryo felt against his own limbs.

    ¡°Oop. That was pretty tricky. You almost got me. Ha.¡± The hooded man said as he turned at thest moment, grabbing the tip of Vivian¡¯s extending sword de with his bare fingers. Immediately the weapon stopped it¡¯s travel, puzzling Vivian at the same time. What¡¯s more she couldn¡¯t wrench the de from his grip either.

    ¡°Is this it? I¡¯m surprised you two didn¡¯t die earlier.¡± The hooded figure said as he pushed Ryo forward, causing him to fall onto his knees. At the same time he shoved Vivian¡¯s de away, forcing her off bnce as well.

    ¡°Well. I guess that¡¯s to be expected. That wasn¡¯t a normal Grimlock after all.¡± He said as he avoided Vivian¡¯s counter blow by ducking. Ryo seemed to be waiting for the man to react in such a way, he prepared an uppercut and synced it to the hooded man¡¯s movements.

    ¡°Tsk. Ha. Ha.¡± The manughed as Ryo¡¯s blow found the mark ¡ª or so the Behemoth believed. One instant the man was there, the next he was gone. Both looked around feverishly, doubting their own eyes. Then, for some reason Vivian nced upwards into the sky. There, some twenty meters above them (60 ft) was the hooded man. He gazed down at them before waving. The smirk on his face was both incensing and humbling.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry too much about me. That thing is trying to kill you.¡± The hooded man said as he pointed to Ryo¡¯s rear. Indeed, the Hulking Grimlock which was once trapped within the earth dragon¡¯s jaws had smashed it¡¯s way free, bursting out of it¡¯s earthen trap.

    Ryo spun around, preparing to fire off another earth st, but the Hulking Grimlock was too quick and his wounds far too taxing. Ryo gritted his teeth as the creature closed in, his wounds causing him to wince.

    ¡°Oh well. Bonus points for wounding it ¨Creally. Although it is already weak from being over on this side of the veil..¡± The hooded man¡¯s voice appeared next to Ryo¡¯s ear, then in a sh the Grimlock was tackled. The two bodies moved in a blur, causing dirt to fly upwards in a trail. Neither adventurer could follow the man¡¯s movements as he clenched the Grimlock by the throat and pushed it away from them by several dozen meters.

    They then watched as the hooded man ced two fingers upon the raging creature¡¯s forehead. It attempted to w at him, yet it¡¯s strikes were repelled by some unseen barrier. Finally, the creature forced it¡¯s right hand into its chest, causing a familiar reaction to begin.

    ¡°Take cover!¡± Vivian shouted as she turned on her heel to run. Ryo was a few seconds toote in reacting as a red light began to brightly burn, filling the nearby environment.

    ¡°Aht aht. None of that. Thest one blew up on me¡­but not you¡­.¡± The hooded man said as the energy flowing into his fingertips intensified, causing the Grimlock to go limp. It¡¯s body began to bulge and bubble as energy filled the creature to the brim. With his free hand the hooded man clenched the air near the creature¡¯s face and summoned forth several strands of reddish energy from the creature¡¯s body. This continued until the vtile energy formed a sphere which continually shrank in on itself,pressing the energy within.

    This continued for no less than ten seconds and the bright light of destruction gradually faded until nothing was left but a small orb of contained energy. The Grimlock¡¯s lifeless body fell to the ground, bursting into ck ash as it did so.

    The hooded man held up the contained disaster, inspecting it as he did so. He then waved his palm over the small orb, causing a translucent blue box construct to appear¨Cfurther containing. Then with another wave of his hand he sent the item away, presumably into his inventory.

    ¡°Well then. Crisis averted. Now, I don¡¯t have much time. Let¡¯s chat.¡±

 Chapter 149: Burning Bush (1)

    Chapter 149: Burning Bush (1)

    ¡°Ryo. Wait.¡± Vivian said, her voice low and even. Vivian Lex was not a woman to give in to her emotions easily, nor was she a coward. Yet, she felt it necessary to be prudent given the things she¡¯d just seen.

    *He¡¯s just toying with us. And he easily killed a Grimlock that would have given us endless trouble.* She thought inwardly. She cast a nce towards Ryo, only to realize he was still considering a move against their mysterious foe.

    She made eye contact with him, shaking her head in disapproval before sheathing her own weapon.

    *This might be a gamble but, if this person chose to fight seriously it wouldn¡¯t matter.*

    Ryo sighed, as if cursing his own luck before he allowed his own aura of mana energy to settle down somewhat.

    ¡°Great. It seems like you¡¯re ready to listen.¡± The dark skinned man said as he stepped forward, in an instant he was standing just less than a meter before the two bewildered adventurers.

    Ryo gritted his teeth, clenching his fist simultaneously as a sense of unease grew in the pit of his stomach. The idea of someone else standing before him that possessed unfathomable power was a severe blow to Ryo¡¯s ego. He moved to toss out a swing of defiance, but a single wave of the hand from the hooded stranger was enough to halt Ryo in his tracks.

    ¡°The kitsune is wise. The behemoth¨Cnot so much. Ha ha.¡± The man chuckled. It was the first time Vivian had gotten close enough to see the man¡¯s face beneath the hood. He looked much like an adventurer you would find anywhere else. Simple cloth pants and shirt, and a well made hooded cloak ¡ª green in color with gold trim along the wrist, iys and edges of the fabric.

    Ryo¡¯s eyes bulged as he realized that he was being controlled by gravity magic, which in turn made him even more angry.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Vivian said, cutting straight to the chase. Although she couldn¡¯t feel a sense of animosity or ill intent from this person, she also felt unnerved.

    *I should be able to gauge this person¡¯s ability. I .. I can¡¯t feel anything. Is he just that weak or..no that¡¯s impossible.* She nced over towards Ryo who, despite his best efforts continued to struggle against the oppressive gravity control technique.

    ¡°You two are quite interesting. A mid rank third and a high rank second. Not bad.¡± The golden eyed man looked them both over, seemingly assessing their condition. Ryo¡¯s eyes narrowed upon hearing his words, this was partially because Ryo made it a habit of concealing his strength from others.

    ¡°What? You¡¯re not the only ones who can conceal their true strength. Or appearance.¡± The man mused with a smile as he nced between the two adventurers.

    ¡°Ah. I meant no harm. Your secrets are safe with me.¡± He said, upon seeing a sudden shift in Vivian¡¯s mood.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a lot of time. I have a lot to keep track of and I can¡¯t be gone too long. I also need to hunt down the rest of those Grimlock before they cause too much trouble.¡± The man said as he reached into his cloak with a free hand and produced an essory¨C a ne.

    He nced at it for a few moments before extending his hand towards Vivian, the gesture was meant to give the object to her.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    ¡°Bracha..¡± Oliver said as he learned forward in his chair.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Bracha replied as she continued to fill her stomach.

    ¡°Are you just going to pretend that what you did back in the shard was normal?¡± Oliver asked.

    ¡°Mhm.¡± Bracha agreed without missing a beat.

    ¡°I¡¯m an Archmage. I study magic, or all types. What you used..that was definitely world energy. Am I wrong?¡± Oliver asked, hepletely ignored Bracha¡¯s attempts to feign ignorance ¡ª his curiosity had been piqued and he aimed to know the truth of the matter.

    Bracha set aside the wooden bowl, empty as it were, and called forth her spectacles with a wave of her hand. She smiled, an obvious rebuff to Oliver¡¯s questions which she apparently had no intention to answer.

    Oliver didn¡¯t even have the time to press the issue, for Vivian and Ryo returned at that moment.

    ¡°Oh, speak of the devils.¡± Oliver said, though in reality no one had been discussing the two of them at all. The elf immediately noticed something off ¡ª about both of them. Ryo seemed agitated, though also down in some way. Vivian on the other hand seemed rattled, as if she was struggling to gather her thoughts.

    ¡°Not even thirty minutes passed. Is everything okay?¡± Oliver asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Vivian replied. And that word alone, leaving Oliver to wonder exactly what was happening. He found it puzzling, yet neglected to push further ¡ª after all his true interestsy with Bracha.

    ¡°Have you figured out why we can¡¯t use the teleport?¡± Oliver asked next, deciding to change the subject entirely.

    ¡°Yes. We¡¯ll be leaving in a bit. First, I want you to gather everyone outside so we can discuss the conclusion of this expedition.¡± Vivian¡¯s eyes wandered from Oliver to Bracha and then back again as she spoke.

    ¡°Hmph. I might be second inmand, but I¡¯m not your gopher. Well..fine.¡± Oliver got to his feet and did as requested. Moments after Oliver left the room it was Ryo¡¯s moment to chime in.

    ¡°The contract is fulfilled. Where is my payment?¡± He asked. His words were bitter, yet there was a curious tinge of frustration mingled within.

    ¡°Here. Thanks.¡± Vivian said as she produced a jet ck coin from her inventory and ced it into Ryo¡¯s open palm. The agitated young man looked at it for several moments, before clenching his fist.

    The kitsune watched as Ryo took his leave, he exited the room only to stop briefly in the hallway.

    ¡°C-can I help you?¡± Agni said upon being confronted with Ryo blocking her path. Internally her body was going haywire.

    *I-I might like the bad boy type..* She thought as she struggled to control her breathing.

    Ryo, on the other hand, simply stood before her, his piercing eyes gazing down upon her.

    ¡°What?¡± Agni asked, growing slightly annoyed at the effects his gaze were now having on her.

    ¡°I guess you¡¯re not a totally useless demon. Just don¡¯t go crazy like the other one. I¡¯d hate to put you down too.¡± And with that Ryo turned and left without another word.

    ¡°What does that even mean?¡± Katrin asked as she sidled up next to Agni.

    ¡°I have no idea.¡± The vermillion haired subus replied as she watched Ryo exit the house. Under normal circumstances she would have stopped him and demanded an answer¡­

    *My clit is throbbing. Fml.* She thought inwardly as she pped her cheeks to focus herself.

    Sh walked by without saying a word, just as she made it to the front door of the house she turned and offered a smug smile.

    Agni could only feel her face redden as she and Katrin moved to join the others in front of the house. Outside Vivian was busy thanking the inhabitants of the town who were kind enough to house them. The group of natives bowed to her several times before epting the satchel of Gols given by the Doyenne. After the group of people gave them space to wrap up things, Vivian began the debrief of their mission in earnest.

    ¡°Where ¡­ where did you get that?¡± Dea asked as she nced up, moving towards the front of the group. She did so upon taking note of the object in Vivian¡¯s possession, a gold pendant with a cerulean gem set within.

    Vivian thought for a moment as she prepared to speak. Her mind shed back to her encounter with the mysterious man within the forest nearly an hour ago.

    ¡°The vigers found us after the explosion in the shard world. Apparently, when shards fuse they can emit strong energy. This energy was responsible for the phenomena that rendered us all unconscious as the shard realm copsed. One of the items they found along with us¡­was this.¡± Vivian said as she extended the pendant to Dea¡¯s gently cupped hands.

    The moment that Dea felt the cold metal, the weight of the essory upon her hands ¡ª she knew.

    ¡°Chloe.¡±

    ¡°Aside from this, there was nothing else the vigers found.¡± Vivian continued. She allowed the dragon-kin some time to process the news. In a way, Vivian suspected that Dea already knew the fate of her fellow chapel members. Yet, having something physical was more finite. More real.

    Dea reigned in her tears long enough to return to her ce near the back of the group, allowing Vivian to continue her exnation.

    ¡°This mission¡­was a failure. Everyone who entered those shards before us were killed by the creatures we encountered most likely.¡± Vivian said as she began her exnation of the current situation.

    She took control of the narrative and exined as best she could while sticking to the truth. For she found that the best lies were disguised as such. Still, as her mind reeled, she recalled some of the revtions gifted to her. In the end, Vivian chose to tell an alternate version of the truth that would prompt less questions and concerns. In her version, she and Ryo encountered a weakened Grimlock and made short work of it.

    She ended the speech by stating this:

    ¡°Now that everyone is rested we will return to the chapel. You¡¯ve got fifteen minutes. Meet back here at that time.¡± Vivian exined. Most everyone listening seemed to be content with the exnation, that is , except Oliver.

    His keenly observant mind felt something was amiss. His suspicions were revealed to be more than that when Bracha and himself were called to speak to Vivian Lex apart from the others.

    ¡°Yes Vivi-chan?¡± Bracha asked as she drew a bit closer to Vivian than she would have liked. She groaned a bit before pulling a small ck orb from her inventory, norger than the size of arge marble.

    ¡°I was told you might know what this is. And how to use it.¡± Vivian¡¯s expression morphed from disgust to seriousness as she extended the orb towards Bracha. Bracha nced down at the orb, her smile never fading as she reached to grab the item from Vivian¡¯s grasp. The pitch ck orb began to glow with a faint energy, changing its color from ck to light blue. This energy formed first in the center of the orb, then expanded to fill the entirety of the item.

    Then, small ck wisps began to filter outwards from Bracha¡¯s body, hundreds of tiny ck particles which moved like a stream. This flow of ckness moved into the orb and disappeared, Vivian could only assume the energy had been consumed or destroyed. After a few seconds the amount of ck particles decreased until finally none remained.

    The blue orb then fell dormant once more, the color fading as it turned to ck once again.

    ¡°So, when did you meet him?¡± Bracha asked as she offered a genuine smile for the first time in a long while.

 Chapter 150: Burning Bush (2)

    Chapter 150: Burning Bush (2)

    Vivian sighed, shaking her head as well before she directed her attention towards Bracha.

    ¡°What else haven¡¯t you been telling me?¡± She asked.

    Bracha, without missing a beat simply replied, ¡°What have you been told?¡±

    Vivian gritted her teeth, partially in annoyance, for she was the one used to keeping secrets ¡ª not the other way around. This entire situation was beginning to grate on her patience. Mysterious Grimlock with unimaginable powers, Rank two adventurers with the ability to surpass even a rank three temporarily, and the strange encounter in the forest. It was all a bit too much for a single day.

    ¡°I know that you¡¯re a Guardian. I also have a better idea of what that means. That power you disyed¨C¡°

    Oliver¡¯s ears perked up at the present course of the discussion.

    Bracha held up her hand to halt Vivian and sighed.

    ¡°He always does this. Breaks his own rules.¡± She said as she resigned herself to an exnation.

    ¡°Guardian is more than just a title. A guardian is responsible for the well being of their territory, as I¡¯ve already exined.¡± Bracha exined.

    ¡°What you may not know is that, with the titlees the ability to tap into a special part of the system ; Guardian Mode. Guardian mode is an ability that uses powers from our Systema to ¡®overload¡¯ our normal abilities and impart new ones.¡±

    Oliver listened intently, his goal was to see if Bracha¡¯s words made logical sense. From his perspective, he¡¯d seen her use powers well beyond her means. Oliver recognized this as a phenomena simr to another aspect of magic ¡ª being an Omni.

    An Omni was an adventurer capable of using both inner and outer methods of gathering and manipting the energy known as mana. Exceedingly rare, there were only three Omni that Oliver currently knew of. Himself, Agni and one other.

    ¡°Are you an Omni? I was pretty sure you use Inner Mana.¡± Oliver asked as he folded his arms.

    ¡°This is¡­different from normal magic.¡± Bracha said, although she seemed to be struggling to exin herself.

    ¡°It¡¯s like..tapping into the mana of the world itself. Because it¡¯s so vast and so plentiful, as a Guardian I am regted to how much I can use.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­impossible. Do you know what kind of control it would require to generate the kind of energy you were manipting? Then, don¡¯t even get me started on your movements ¡ª they were almost god-like. One second you were standing still, the next you were in three different ces at once.¡± For Oliver her exnation, though usible, seemed like a staggering implication. Even as an Omni there was a limit to the amount of power he could gather and control at any given time. Furthermore, the more energy he sought to gather, the longer the process took.

    Bracha, the Runemaster before him, was shattering thews of reality with her exnation. The thought alone vexed him, yet he felt her answer was true.

    ¡°Wait. When did this happen?¡± Vivian asked.

    ¡°When you were unconscious.¡± Oliver said, even as he mulled over the facts in his head.

    ¡°Can you show me now?¡± Vivian then asked. Bracha shook her head in response.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t work like that. There are rules..regtions. Also..you have to consider the state of my body. It¡¯s very taxing to channel all of that energy. It¡¯s not something I can sustain long, or repeatedly use in a short amount of time.¡± Bracha exined. She suddenly lifted the small ck orb to eye level before adding, ¡°And that¡¯s all I can tell you for now.¡±

    *That¡¯s all you can tell us? You literally just turned down thews of magic on it¡¯s head¡­and that¡¯s all you can tell us? Vivian¡¯s not going to ept that!* Oliver thought to himself, folding his arms in a most smug fashion.

    ¡°Fine.¡± Vivian responded, much to his chagrin.

    ¡°What?¡± Oliver nearly shouted as his jaw dropped.

    ¡°Doyenne! That¡¯s ridiculous! Where did she get this Guardian mode? How does it work? There are so many questions¨C¡°

    Vivian shook her head and motioned for Oliver to calm down.

    ¡°That¡¯s not important right now.¡± She exined.

    ¡°Not important? What?¡± Oliver was beginning to feel as if only he understood the significance of Bracha¡¯s revtions.

    ¡°I lied about the circumstances surrounding the explosion.¡± Vivian then said.

    ¡°Obviously.¡± Oliver responded, he was beginning to grow annoyed.

    ¡°Both of them.¡± Vivian borated.

    ¡°Both..as in?¡±

    Vivian then took her time to recount the events after their battle in the shard world. She exined how the vigers weren¡¯t the ones to find them after the explosion, rather it was a mysterious adventurer who managed to save their lives.

    She exined the assistance from this person, and their meeting within the woods. She exined in great detail how this person single handedly and effortlessly defeated a Fused Grimlock. She also exined that this foe was considered weak ¡ª just an abnormal Rank 2 threat.

    ¡°I knew it. Something smells fishy about this. I figured they were holding out but..¡± Sh whispered to herself. She was currently using her invisibility to hide, listening in to the discussion nearby.

    ¡°It¡¯s not nice to eavesdrop.¡± The voice of a man echoed from behind Sh, forcing a chill up her spine. She turned around on instinct, only to be met by a strange figure of a man. She nced upwards , only to feel her consciousness fading. With a single touch of his finger, the hooded man rendered her unconscious ¡ª undoing her invisibility technique as well.

    ¡°Hello.¡± He said, as he approached the trio of adventurers currently discussing various things. He held an unconscious imp at his hip.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Oliver¡¯s eyes narrowed as he began to prepare a spell.

    ¡°Wait.¡± Vivian said, holding up her hand.

    ¡°What are you doing to my Chapel members?¡± Vivian asked as she cast a nce towards the man.

    ¡°This one was eavesdropping. You really should be more careful.¡± He said as he nodded towards an unconscious Sh.

    ¡°Bracha.¡± He then said as he nced at her.

    ¡°Hello.¡± She replied, it may have been Oliver¡¯s imagination but suddenly the Runemaster seemed a bit more pale.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! You¡¯re not in trouble. Even though you left your territory and used unauthorized atma.¡± The man¡¯s bright smile seemed less than carefree, and came off as admonishment to the contrary.

    ¡°No. Seriously. Sorry. Force of habit. It¡¯s difficult to reign in my abilities sometimes.¡± He waved his free hand and chuckled before further borating.

    ¡°That Grimlock was not something the current ¡®you¡¯ could have survived.¡±

    ¡°No offense, but who are you? And if you mean no harm can you stop manhandling my chapel members?¡± Oliver was beginning to dislike the person in front of him already.

    ¡°Oh? Bracha you didn¡¯t tell them who I am? That¡¯s good. I¡¯d hate to have to strip you of your Guardian title, afterall.¡± The hooded man smiled, and this time everyone present felt the serious nature of his statement.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a ton of time. And for many reasons, I can¡¯t and won¡¯t exin myself. Needless to say, Bracha you need to use that item on the Subus, the Scribe and anyone else who came into direct contact with those ck tendrils. Once you¡¯re done, bring it back to me in the usual meeting ce.¡±

    ¡°Also, here. She¡¯s heavy as-the-fuck for such a tiny girl.¡± In the next moment the man was right next to Oliver. He draped Sh over the elf¡¯s shoulder and then blinked away before anyone could react.

    ¡°Doyenne.¡± Oliver grunted as he struggled to stabilize Sh¡¯s limp body on his shoulder.

    ¡°Who was that? He¡¯s..annoying as hell.¡± Oliver asked.

    Bracha allowed a chuckle to escape her lips before quickly covering her mouth.

    ¡°The man who saved our lives multiple times today. So we should overlook his¡­entric nature.¡±

    ¡°Doyenne? Everyone¡¯s ready.¡± Gates¡¯ voice drew their attention. Indeed, fifteen minutes had passed just that quickly.

    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll finish discussing this back at the chapel.¡± Vivian said with a lowered voice to the two nearby.

    ¡°What happened to Sh?¡± Gates asked upon seeing the unconscious imp draped over Oliver¡¯s shoulder like a sack.

    ¡°She started a fight with me so Iid her out. Would you like to do some training as well Gates?¡± Oliver remarked. Judging from the tone of Oliver¡¯s voice Gates felt he wasn¡¯t in the best of moods so he simply smiled and declined before walking ahead.

    ¡°I¡¯d like a proper exnation of all of this when we return please, Doyenne.¡± Oliver said before he walked ahead as well.

 Chapter 151: Revelations (1)

    Chapter 151: Revtions (1)

    The return to Mystic Tower chapel wasrgely uneventful. Aside from Dea¡¯s current mood, everyone was in high spirits. It was natural, after all they¡¯d managed to avoid a brush with death. For adventurers death was no stranger, after all, in order to be reborn in the world of Adventia they had to die at least once. Still, none were in a mood to hasten their reunion with the deep darkness, so they felt especially blessed.

    Especially those who had a closer idea of the truth.

    ¡°Are you awake now?¡± Agni asked. For Sh, the one unconscious, everything seemed out of focus.

    ¡°Don¡¯t scream. My head hurts.¡± The imp remarked as she sat up.

    ¡°No one¡¯s screaming. Apparently you passed out from your injuries and Oliver found you.¡± Agni said, rather impatiently as she cut her eyes towards her familiar.

    ¡°Is that what happened? I¡­I don¡¯t remember.¡± Sh said as she pressed her palm against her temple. There was a lingering pain there, one that grew smaller and less intense by the second. Soon it was gone and along with it, any hope of what actually transpired.

    ¡°Yea. Be careful. If you need to rest, you know what to do.¡± Agni said as she patted Sh on the head then pointed towards the fiery gem centered in her choker.

    ¡°Pfft.¡± Sh got to her feet, rolling her eyes as she did so. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Worry about yourself. You were the one who woke up half dead ¡®umm gunna dieeeeeeeeee¡¯.¡± Sh mocked.

    Agni gripped her tail viciously and jerked her closer.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been getting beside yourselftely. Washboard princess.¡± Agni gritted her teeth as she ced Sh into a headlock and pretended to gnaw on her forehead.

    Everyone nearby chuckled to themselves, or simply looked on , unsure what to make of the situation.

    Meanwhile the leaders of the expedition quietly parted ways with everyone involved. They made sure to hand out rewards and reim the protective smocks before making their way toward Vivian Lex¡¯s office.

    After a few moments of silence Oliver was the first to speak.

    ¡°Well? Are you going to exin what¡¯s actually going on here?¡± Bracha was also in the room, though she seemed less interested. This alone was enough to annoy Oliver. He simply didn¡¯t like the idea that someone he¡¯d misjudged as useless had more insider information than he possessed.

    ¡°Oliver sit down. You¡¯re always so high strung. It¡¯s¡­taxing.¡± Vivian said as she took a seat behind her desk and reached into a nearby drawer. She produced a strangely shaped bottle which resembled perfume more than alcohol and proceeded to pour herself a drink.

    Bracha immediately took a seat in front of the desk, which in turn prompted Oliver to do the same. His thinking was far different than the Runemasters to be sure ¡ª he simply didn¡¯t want to be outdone. Bracha on the other hand ¨C alcohol was her favorite pastime¡­.

    ¡°Where do I even begin?¡± Vivian asked as she took a sip after pouring a cup for each of her guests.

    ¡°You can start by¨C¡°

    ¡°It was rhetorical, Oliver.¡± Vivian interrupted with a sigh.

    ¡°What do you know of the creation of this world? Adventia I mean.¡± Vivian asked.

    ¡°What does that have to do with what happened?¡± Oliver asked, despite his impatience he took a sip of the aromatic drink before him. The vor leaned heavily towards something which tasted rich and vorful like pomegranate, yet there were slight floral undernotes. The alcohol content was also quite high. The bridge of Oliver¡¯s nose wrinkled up as he struggled to ingest the bitter bite of spirits lingering in his mouth.

    Bracha on the other hand was already a fourth of the way through her cup.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know much. Who does really? After all it¡¯s not like this is our original world.¡± Oliver finally replied as he sat his cup down. The alcohol contentpletely distracted him from the desperate desire for knowledge.

    Vivian seemed to be debating something internally, she swished around the reddish liquid within her cup before finally taking several deeper sips. Suddenly Oliver felt like a lightweight.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like the knowledge is hidden or anything. But I suppose that¡¯s the kind of creatures that adventurers are. We don¡¯t really concern ourselves with anything outside our own desires. There¡¯s various theories about how we came to be, our nature and all sorts of theology surrounding this world.

    For example ¡ª why are guilds called ¡®Chapels¡¯? In this world Beastmen, Demons and Humans co exist, magic is freely used and death is but an inconvenience under the right circumstances. Who made this giant yground that we muck about in?¡± Vivian continued speaking, levying several weighty questions towards Oliver in the process.

    ¡°No one knows. And if they do, they aren¡¯t telling.¡± Oliver responded. At this point Vivianughed, which seemed inappropriate to the elf, yet for Bracha the irony was not lost.

    ¡°Do you believe that God exists?¡± Vivian next asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m probably the wrong person to ask about this. I¡¯m more prone to believe that spirits and eldritch creatures exist before I look to the heavens for signs.¡± Oliver answered honestly. Vivian figured the straightced Archmage would say something along those lines, so it didn¡¯t surprise her in the least.

    ¡°I met God today.¡± Vivian said suddenly.

    ¡°Hey, Vivian¨C¡± Bracha began to object, to the point that she nearly mmed her drink down on the table.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I have permission to share my knowledge with only one other person. Do you understand Oliver? I¡¯m choosing you.¡± Vivian poured Bracha more from the bottle and topped off her drink before continuing.

    ¡°Is this some kind of joke? God? Where did you meet him exactly?¡± Oliver asked. Though his voice was full of condescension, he leaned forward in his chair ever so slightly.

    ¡°Remember the end of the battle inside the shard realm? That blinding red light? It was an explosion that was apparently designed to destroy things in a very particr way. Not just destruction but also to render everything to null.¡± Vivian said.

    ¡°Huh? What does that even mean? Render everything to null?¡± Oliver asked. He could feel his heart fluttering a bit more, for it was simply his nature. The very idea of magical phenomena that was unknown to him was enough to get him excited.

    ¡°As it sounds. There is life, there is death and there is what lies between. Most people think the world is made up of two states. Light and dark, water and fire ¡ª the opposites are endless. However, what is the opposite of ¡®existence¡¯? I¡¯m only using the terms exined to me¨Cbut basically that explosion was the absence of existence. Void. Negative. Null. I suppose all of these names describe it urately.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case..how did we survive? Wait, don¡¯t tell me. This ¡®God¡¯ saved us?¡± Oliver¡¯s mind was now whirring into overdrive. He tried to wrap his brain around the concept of a deepck of existence. It seemed near endless when he considered the possibilities.

    *Like a ck hole. Only..so much more.* He thought to himself.

    Vivian nodded her head in response to his earlier question and took another drink.

    ¡°When that Fused Grimlock was killed, we tried to destroy the core. Normally doing so would have copsed the shard realm and allowed us to return to Adventia. However, those cores were apparently tampered with. The result was that explosion.¡±

    ¡°Tampered with? By who? To what end?¡± Oliver asked.

    Vivian shook her head, she had no answer to offer and apparently neither did Bracha.

    ¡°After the explosion was contained, we woke up near the vige of Gardenia. This was confirmed by the vige inhabitants. They told me that a man in a green hood brought us there and asked that we be taken care of. They said he then disappeared.¡±

    ¡°Wait.. you mean that guy we met ? The one that kidnapped the mouthy imp? No way. There¡¯s nothing God-like about him at all, whatsoever.¡± Oliver found the thought so humorous that he nearly wasted his drink.

    ¡°That¡¯s rude, don¡¯t you think Oliver Pagnal?¡± This time Oliver did waste his drink, all over hisp.

    ¡°W-where the hell did youe from?¡± Oliver asked as he spun about in his chair to face the voice behind him.

    ¡°Unimportant, right Vivian?¡± The dark skinned man said as he offered a smile. He simply stood near the door, his hands crossed behind his back as he nced from face to face.

    ¡°I thought maybe you¡¯d have some trouble exining things properly. So I decided to help out a bit. I¡¯m done with all of my hunting today, after all.¡± He said as he walked towards Vivian¡¯s desk. For the first time he removed his hood, showing more of his features. He was surprisingly young beneath the cloth. His hair was short and well groomed, with a hair texture to match his ebony features. His teeth were pearly white and his eyes were amber in color. Truthfully it reminded Bracha of Agni¡¯s eyes each time she saw them.

    His body was slender, and his height was slightly above average, putting him at 183 cm or so (6¡¯0).

    ¡°No need to get up, Bracha. I won¡¯t be staying long. Besides I can make myselffortable here.¡± He said this upon noticing Bracha¡¯s attempt to offer her seat. Instead he made himselffortable by sitting on the corner of Vivian¡¯s desk, closest to the Runemaster.

    ¡°I guess I should exin a bit further.¡± He said as he folded his arms and made himself morefortable beforeunching into his exnation.

 Chapter 152: Revelations(2)

    Chapter 152: Revtions(2)

    ¡°Mmmmm. I said all of that but, I¡¯m at a loss myself.¡± The dark skinned man seemed lost in thought, presumably as he struggled with where to begin.

    ¡°Okay. So, I guess this is safe to exin.¡± He said after a considerable amount of seconds.

    ¡°The ce you refer to as the shard world is actually Adventia. Oh, by the way this is all TOP SECRET information so don¡¯t go around telling anyone. Not that they would believe you that much, ha ¨C ha ha.¡±

    ¡°But essentially our two worlds are separated for various reasons. As you can imagine, we don¡¯t want Grimlocks just showing up. That would be a huge hassle, am I right?¡± The man shrugged.

    ¡°So¡­err? I¡¯m sorry, what¡¯s your name again?¡± Oliver asked.

    ¡°Hmm. You know, it¡¯s been so long since anyone¡¯s called me by my real name that I¡¯ve kind of forgotten. Hmm. Just call me Zero.¡±

    ¡°Okay then, Zero. So, you¡¯re saying that Adventia is muchrger than thends we know of and the shard world is actually a part of it.¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡±

    ¡°How would you know that exactly?¡± Oliver then asked.

    ¡°Because I was the one that created the veil between them.¡± Zero responded.

    ¡°You used a spell powerful enough to create a barrier that separates a single reality into two oveppingyers? One that is constantly active at all times? That¡¯s impossible.¡± Oliver nearly spat the final two words out of his mouth, such was his disdain for this person¡¯s casual words.

    ¡°And yet, it exists.¡± Zero said with a shrug and a smile.

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s impossible. Do you know the type of energy you¡¯d need to have at yourmand in order to do something like that? Immeasurable. Unfathomable.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm. So¡­ because you can¡¯t do it you¡¯re saying I can¡¯t do it?¡± Zero seemed unbothered by Oliver¡¯s t disapproval of his ims. Oliver¡¯s brows twitched in response to Zero¡¯s rebuttal.

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that. I¡¯m saying no one can do it. It¡¯s theoretically impossible.¡±

    ¡°Improbable. But not impossible. And you¡¯re right. It takes a fuck ton of energy to sustain. Like a lot. But let¡¯s not get caught up on the specifics of something that¡¯s not even important. There¡¯s something much more pressing that you need to understand.¡± Zero said as he hopped off of the desk and began to pace around the office.

    ¡°The creature you came across ¡ª how powerful do you think it was?¡± He asked next as he gazed at various objects on Vivian¡¯s shelves.

    ¡°You said it was only rank 2. So.. I assumed..¡± Vivian answered.

    ¡°You did listen? You¡¯re the best Kit.¡± Zero said as he sped his hands together and offered a smile.

    *Kit?* Vivian thought inwardly.

    ¡°However, because of outside interference the creature you fought was actually a low rank four.¡± Zero confided in them.

    ¡°W-what? There¡¯s no such thing¨C¡± Oliver began.

    ¡°Vivian, how do you deal with this guy? He¡¯s always going on about what¡¯s not possible.¡± Zero said as he turned to face everyone in the room once more.

    ¡°It is possible. I assure you. I know because I routinely kill rank four or higher enemies so that they don¡¯t murder you in your sleep.¡± Despite the grim picture painted by Zero¡¯s words the others couldn¡¯t help but shiver.

    ¡°Which is what I want to talk to you about. But, I can¡¯t get ahead of myself here. First things first. That Grimlock was highly abnormal. Which means you don¡¯t have to worry about them popping up too often.¡± Zero further exined.

    ¡°The problem is, the fact that Grimlock are being tampered with at all. Forces are on the move, putting into motion events that will force Adventia in a dire situation. Of course, I foresaw attacks on Adventia and put various safeguards into ce. But there are a few major problems with what happened today.¡±

    ¡°You can think of the shard realms as a buffer zone between both sides of the veil. You can¡¯t pass into either side without going through the shard realms. In fact, the buffer zone is so harsh that Grimlock literally shave away a considerable measure of their own strength just to punch through. It¡¯s why Grimlock are easier to deal with in Adventia than within the shards.¡±

    ¡°Naturally, there are many adventurers who also destroy shards before they even be an issue. In this way, threats are preemptively neutralized and the Grimlock that do venture into this side are severely weakened. Guardians take care of them, or other adventurers do. That is the normal order of things.¡±

    ¡°Today, you faced a rank two Grimlock in the shard world where it was dozens of times stronger than you were ustomed to. Even then, it would have been a low grade rank three byparison. What gave the creature such a vast strength boost was this ¨C¡± Zero flicked his wrist and with a wave of his hand a small baseball sized orb appeared in his hand.

    Vivian immediately recognized it as the same energy Zero trapped earlier in the day.

    ¡°This is what I like to call Null Energy.¡±

    ¡°This was inserted into a pair of Grimlock and then they were sent into the buffer zone. You remember first hand the result of this.¡± Zero said as he ced the orb down on Vivian¡¯s desk for all to see.

    ¡°When the Grimlock consumed the fused shard core, this energy intertwined along with it. The core allowed the Grimlock to obtain near limitless regenerative capabilities. In addition, the only way to defeat the Grimlock became to destroy the tainted core. The problem is, by doing so you triggered the copse of a shard core tainted with Null energy. Instead of the normal implosion of the shard world which would have ejected you safely¡­¡±

    ¡°We almost¡­.we almost..¡± Oliver¡¯s mouth was now agape as he realized the implications of Zero¡¯s exnation.

    ¡°Exactly. You almost. But you did not. Luckily I caught it, thanks to Bracha¡¯s activation of her Guardian mode.¡± ¡°Good job, good job.¡± Zero said as he blinked behind Bracha momentarily so that he could properly pat her shoulder.

    ¡°Now I know what to look for. However, that poses another problem.¡± Zero said as he returned to his position near the desk and reimed the orb,returning it to his inventory. He returned to pacing about the room as he spoke.

    ¡°Something like this can be done again, but it won¡¯t be easy. The amount of energy needed topletely break the veil is massive, as Oliver here pointed out. Which means careful nning will be needed to weaponize this effectively.¡± Zero said as he patted the elf on the shoulder.

    ¡°But, rest assured it will happen again, and most likely sooner rather thanter. Which is why, I¡¯m speaking to you now.¡±

    ¡°As much as I like to show off, the forces which are aligned against Adventia are equally powerful. At best, a stalemate is all I can hope to achieve at the moment. But you, adventurers, you¡¯re the great equalizer.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think normal adventurers would be much use against creatures like those, no?¡± Bracha finally chimed in after her second cup of alcohol.

    ¡°That¡¯s true. Which is why, in theing months you will notice some changes in the way Systema works. But I want you, Bracha here and Oliver to do two tasks for me. If even one of you manage to do one of these two things, our chances at survival will rise tremendously.

    Are you ready?¡± Zero teased as he paused for a brief moment to take in their expressions. When he was sure he¡¯d built up the sufficient anticipation he spoke once more.

    ¡°Reach rank 4 and solve the Twilight Quest.¡± Zero directed his gaze towards Vivian as he spoke, partially to watch for her reaction.

    ¡°That¡¯s two impossible tasks! There hasn¡¯t been a rank four adventurer in thousands of years! And no one has ever solved the impossible quest to my knowledge!¡± Vivian pped her hands against her desk as she rose to her feet. She was more surprised than angry, all things considered.

    ¡°What¡¯s the impossible quest?¡± Oliver asked as he looked from Bracha to Vivian and back again.

    ¡°Impossible, impossible. You all should really wipe that word out of your vocabry. It¡¯s not impossible, it is improbable. And therefore it means you have just as good a chance as anyone.¡± Zero offered a smug smile as he said these words, then he turned to walk towards the door.

    ¡°Wait! Can you at least offer a hint or a clue?¡± Vivian asked.

    ¡°No worries. I¡¯ll offer you as much help as I possibly can but there are some things you have to conquer for yourself. Besides I need to go have a chat with your so-called ¡®Behemoth¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Oh, and Bracha, don¡¯t forget to use that orb on the Scribe and the Subus. Those ck tendrils, I suspect they had traces of Null energy within them. Do it as quickly as possible to avoid any problems.¡±

    ¡°Bye!¡± Zero said with a wave of his hand, and just like that he was gone.

 Chapter 153: Black And White, Lights (1)

    Chapter 153: ck And White, Lights (1)

    The next few days were a blur for Vivian Lex. As the head of Mystic Tower she had a plethora of things to deal with. Aside from Zero¡¯s weighty words, she also had to consider the fate of Guiding Light Chapel. In the end, the chapel was disbanded. This was ording to the wishes of thest surviving member, Dea.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I have what it takes to be a leader. Besides¡­¡± Dea said as she stared down at the pendant in her hand, ¡°there¡¯s nothing there for me anymore.¡±

    Vivian offered the dragon-kin a ce at Mystic Tower, but she also declined. Seeing that there was little else to be done, Vivian offered her a ce to stay until Dea got on her feet. She then turned her attention to settling affairs of the departed.

    It would be three dayster when everything was finally sorted out.

    A loud knocking at Agni¡¯s shared room alerted her to the fact that it was time to go.

    ¡°Are you guys ready?¡± She said as she looked herself over onest time in a nearby mirror. Instead of her usual garb, adventurer¡¯s gear or casual wear, Agni was dressed in ck and white.

    *This is my first time wearing a dress. I have mixed feelings.*

    This was something new to Agni as well, emotions. Layers uponyers of feelings that mingled with one another, twisted up and required constant untangling. Today there was a mix of mncholy, sadness, anxiety and strangely enough pride.

    *I look good.* She thought as she ran her fingers along the fabric of her two toned dress. Even her hair was done up, elegantly in princess ties which held her hair well. Despite the self admiration she also felt¡­guilty. For even thinking such a thing, given the situation.

    Her makeup was another matter. In the end, she had to rely on Katrin to apply it. ck lipstick, crimson eye shadow made her look more bewitching than usual. It was delightfully dark ¡ª and she liked it.

    ¡°Yep.¡± Sh said, in response to the earlier question. Agni gave her appearance a once over as well. Today she was also draped in ck and white. Unlike Agni¡¯s more sleek, form fitting dress which reached to just above her knees, Sh was wearing something more different. Her dress was mostly ck, with white frills along the edges. A single white ribbon tied around her neck entuated the style. Sh¡¯s normally unruly hair was styled into a ponytail which made it appear much shorter than it actually was. Katrin also took the liberty of doing something simple with Sh¡¯s makeup, mirroring Agni¡¯s as well.

    ¡°Mhm.¡± It was Katrin¡¯s voice, she sounded less chipper than usual. Distant even, as if she had something pressing on her mind. Agni could rte. By contrast to Sh and herself, Katrin was wearing mostly white, a modern style all in one dress, sleeveless which reached down to her ankles. Her shoes, and several other stylish adornments on the dress were all ck. Aside from this, she wore a pair of ck satin gloves which extended just above her elbows. A white hat further entuated the look ¡ªplete with a ck veil that hung downwards. Due to Katrin¡¯s natural shape the outfit was quite alluring. Rather than dark makeup, she simply opted for lipstick. Simple, elegant and water resistant.

    It would be sexy, if not for the asion.

    After a brief pause, a few more raps across the door were met with an answer. Three women stood within the room, facing Vivian Lex, though two of them averted their gazes for various reasons.

    ¡°Yea. We¡¯re ready.¡± Agni said as she offered a smile. Vivian too, was also dressed for the asion. She wasn¡¯t heavy on make up either, and her style of dress was more traditional. She wore a long length yukata, ck with white floral design. Her hair was done up, held in ce by a ck and white floral essory that doubled as a hair pin.

    The Doyenne led the way to their destination. She only made two other stops, the door across the hallway and another room nearby. With everyone in tow, they made their way out of the chapel. Their destination was central Grenvale, to be specific the town square.

    As they walked there wasn¡¯t much to say, the mood didn¡¯t allow for it. Agni ventured a nce at each of their expressions, while the others were lost in their own thoughts.

    *I wonder what Sh is thinking about?* She thought inwardly, and then realized it was the only time in recent memory that she wondered such a thing. Sh¡¯s thoughts were usually so apparent to Agni. Today all she felt was a lingering sensation of sadness.

    Soon those gathered people were joined by others, all dressed in varying degrees of ck and white. Some seemed more talkative, others despondent or distant ¡ª but all headed towards the same ce.

    Soon a small gathering grew into hundreds of people packed into the square. Agni and the others managed to arrive early and thus had a better view than most. This particr ce was one she¡¯d passed dozens of times. Whether to visit the General store or traveling to Sprim Row, she never really paid much attention to the strange statue in the town square. Until now.

    A familiar face stood next to the statue, along with several others. Sypha, a Light Weaver she¡¯d first met at Mystic Tower, was among them. He was dressed in ck and white as well, mostly ck with a suit that resembled something you¡¯d see at a funeral.

    *Ah. I used the word.* Agni thought to herself.

    She nodded, acknowledging his presence and he did the same before Agni continued processing her thoughts. Her eyes were drawn to the statue once more. It wasrge, sorge that it could almost be called a monolith in some aspects. It was made of stone, with arge base and near the top a hollowed, circr hole. Along the length of the statue were various etchings, now that she looked closer. The area around the statue had several smaller statues which she recognized as shrines.

    ¡°Ah!¡± The sound of Sh¡¯s voice caught her attention. This, followed by the imp hitting the ground as she was knocked over, caused Agni to redirect her full attention.

    ¡°Watch yourself, filthy demon.¡± The words were spoken by a nearby man. He was short in stature, shorter than Agni yet his face was full of scorn. His blonde hair, fair skin and clear, blue eyes did not match the level of venom oozing from his words.

    ¡°Excuse you?¡± The words escaped Agni¡¯s mouth before she thought twice. She found her body acting on it¡¯s own as well. She immediately recognized her knee jerk reaction as lingering wounds from a past life, and on some level admonished herself.

    *This situation is not¡­that.* She thought inwardly. Nevertheless she could feel her mana bursting forward as she struggled to contain her own agitation. Her eyes began to glow faintly, the color of red that matched her own inner turmoil.

    The blonde man was well dressed, an expensive overcoat to match his dress suit. He nced towards Agni, directing his piercing gaze towards her in the process.

    ¡°Silence, harlot.¡± These were the only words he spoke, his voice was low and contained despite the obvious disdain simmering behind his gaze.

    ¡°What did you just say to me?¡± Agni was so taken aback that her chest grew tight. She couldn¡¯t help but clench her own fists as she bent over to help Sh to her feet.

    *Are you okay? What happened?* Agni asked via telepathy.

    *I-I don¡¯t know. I was just minding my business when he barged into me and knocked me over.* Sh responded as she knocked the dirt from her dress and red towards her aggressor.

    ¡°I have no need to repeat, nor exin myself to demon-kin. Know your ce.¡± He said, and then turned to leave. For the briefest of seconds Agni considered allowing the man¡¯s rudeness to slide. And yet, once more, emotions and experiences from a past life flooded her mind and heart.

    ¡°Not so fast. Before you go anywhere, you¡¯ll apologize.¡± Before she could think, before she could rationalize her own actions, Agni had reached out and gripped the man by the shoulder.

    Almost immediately he turned, seeking to shrug her hand away. When that didn¡¯t work, he pped her grip away ¡ª with more than enough might to spare. The reverberating sound of the strike drew the attention of everyone nearby. For Agni, she was oblivious. Perhaps it was the rawness of the moment, the feelings which apanied the asion ¡ª but she found it difficult to do anything else but act on her impulses.

    ¡°Kneel and apologize.¡± The words carried the exceptional weight of Agni¡¯s displeasure with them as she activated her Whisper ability. Even those nearby understood that themand was not to be denied¨C and yet the cocky man simplyughed. His face contorted into such a sneer that Agni felt foolish, yet she had no idea why.

    ¡°You kneel.¡± He said as his eyes began to glow. He made a peculiar motion, one that was obviously magical in nature as his fingertips left a visible trail of magical energy in the air. From her experience as a Scribe¡¯s best friend, Agni realized he was forming a rune of some sort. When it wasplete, Agni¡¯s world began to grow dim. Suddenly it was difficult for her to stand up. The weight of the world seemed to press down on her shoulders, literally. At the same time her body felt so weak and sluggish that she began to quickly sink downward. She nced up at the man¡¯s demented, self satisfied smile which gave her even more dissatisfaction.

    Not only was she being bested by someone in the wrong, but she was also being condescended to. For the briefest of moments Agni considered activating her fusion right then and there, she lifted her hand to touch the choker around her neck as the thought consumed her. It was only due to a timely intervention that the situation did not deteriorate even further.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Vivian Lex said as she gripped the man¡¯s upheld hands with enough force to distort the hand seal he was using. The runic magic disappeared, and along with it the symbol of oppression that was affecting Agni so.

    His face contorted into one of pure rage as he moved to wrench his hand away from the Kitsune. This time, his strength was not sufficient. Not only did he fail, but he strained himself in the process. Vivian¡¯s cold gaze conveyed her point perfectly, yet for extra emphasis she squeezed his hand all the more tightly.

    Agni was certain she could hear the sound of crunching, perhaps a sign that Vivian had begun to grind bone against flesh. Yet she was still dibobted from the previous attack. She felt ill and weak, as if she could barely muster any strength. It took Sh to begin helping the subus back to her feet.

    ¡°Enough.¡± Another voice, this time a woman¡¯s, pierced the tense situation. Vivian nced towards the woman, taking in her countenance. The woman¡¯s gaze was less angry, but still cold ¡ª making her light blue eyes seem more like ice than a stare. She too had long, blonde hair which came down slightly further than her shoulders. She was tall, easily closer to 180 cm (5¡¯11) and dwarfing most people within the vicinity. Despite this she was dressed as a princess, perhaps even a queen ¡ª with luxurious fur wraps, high quality gloves and even a tiara.

    Vivian¡¯s expression never softed nor changed, yet she released the sniveling man and watched him move towards the woman. His eyes burned with anger and unbridled rage as he gripped his broken hand. It wasn¡¯t a situation that Agni could understand but past experiences told her that unfounded and irrational rage needed no exnation.

    The tall woman bowed her head slightly towards Vivian and then Sh before issuing an apology.

    ¡°Please forgive our rudeness.¡± It was short, devoid of empathy, but nevertheless it seemed sincere. Despite this, the woman shed a nce in Agni¡¯s direction that instantly melted any rage or resistance the subus had to offer. Rather, these feelings were reced by a sense of unease, difort and the beginnings of a cold sweat.

    ¡°epted.¡± Vivian replied and then bowed her head ever so slightly as well. Then, just like that, the two groups continued about their business. Despite parting ways Agni could tell that the situation wasn¡¯t resolved, not by a long shot. The injured man red back at them with a fire in his eyes that spoke of his hatred.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Agni asked, almost the moment the two blond haired menaces disappeared into the sea of gathered people.

    ¡°Fucking Angels.¡± Vivian muttered as she shook her head in disdain.

 Chapter 154: Black And White, Lights (2)

    Chapter 154: ck And White, Lights (2)

    ¡°Angels?¡± Agni asked quizzically. Despite the rapid esction of the situation, her thoughts were now on Sh and the others. She suddenly realized that they had to watch everything unfold. Katrin looked wholly distressed, while Merri and Ariadna seemed unsure what to make of the situation altogether. Sh was unharmed, aside from perhaps her pride ¡ª and who could me her? Even now, Agni wanted to grind her teeth to dust in order to avoid lighting that rude bastard on fire.

    Vivian¡¯s stern look caused that idea to wither immediately as she further exined.

    ¡°Angellus. Basically the fun police on steroids. This world¡¯s version of angels. They are celestial type adventurers with so called divine powers and abilities. They are the bane of all demons ¡ª because their abilities run counter to ours. That skill you were hit with, it was one such ability.¡±

    As Agni recalled the strange sensation which caused her to nearly fall to her knees, she realized what Vivian meant. The sensation recalled was like having foreign emotions writhing around in one¡¯s body. Being truly ufortable from the inside out, as something unknown creeps through your veins and renders you more powerless by the second.

    ¡°Is that why ¡®Whisper¡¯ didn¡¯t work on him?¡± She asked.

    ¡°They are mostly immune to the powers of demon-kin, from what I understand. However, if you¡¯re strong enough I don¡¯t think that applies.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right about that¡­ definitely the fun police.¡± A different voice echoed from behind Agni. She immediately recognized the owner, it was Zura, the owner of the Silken Petal. As usual she was stunning. Instead of her usual purple kimono she was dressed in ck and gold. A fur cor around her neck gave her an elegant appearance to match her sultry style.

    ¡°Hello Agni. Katrin. Sh.¡± At the mention of Sh¡¯s name Zura gave a wink. The imp averted her eyes and blushed, leaving Agni somewhat ignorant of the cause. Nevertheless, it didn¡¯t matter so much. Agni was simply happy to see the Courtesan ss adventurer once more.

    ¡°Doyenne Lex.¡± Zura said as she set eyes upon Vivian.

    ¡°You look amazing today.¡± She added as she bowed her head ever so slightly. Vivian seemed amicable, and thereforeplimented Zura as well. Despite the fact that they had never really had cause to meet personally, both knew of each other.

    ¡°Did you know the members of Guiding Light?¡± Vivian asked, wondering the purpose for Zura¡¯s presence.

    ¡°Yes. A young elven woman, Lee¡¯ahn¡¯dra. She saved my life countless times during my early days when I was just struggling to get by. I was¡­deeply saddened to hear that she¡­¡± Zura¡¯s normally shining gaze dulled for the slightest of moments. Dea grimaced, turning her head towards the ground as she did so. It was apparent that she was in the process of recalling memories best left unspoken.

    ¡°Anyway. I thought I shoulde and pay my respects.¡± Zura said as she smiled. Even her mncholy moments were beautiful to behold ¡ª at least in Agni¡¯s eyes. The group of people crowded around each other,rgely in part due to the scene caused just minutes earlier. Merri and Ariadna were both dressed to attend the service as well, missing was Gates who decided to stay back with Gigi.

    Oliver was given charge of the chapel in Vivian¡¯s absence, leaving Dea,Agni, Katrin, Vivian, Merri and Ariadna to attend the event. After some minutes the crowd began to quiet down. It was now mid morning and the air was quite crisp. Those gathered turned their attention towards the front of the group ¡ª or rather the statue and those crowded nearest to it.

    Agni noticed that Dea stepped forward at this time and took her ce next to Sypha, the Light Weaver. Then the ceremony began in earnest.

    A young man she¡¯d never seen before stepped forward and began to speak.

    ¡°We are, all of us, second born. Newly arrived in a new world and thrust into this strange life against monsters. Risking life and limb, for profit¨C for fun or to protect the things most dear to us. Despite our many differences, our sses, our credences ¡ª this is the single charge we have inmon. Protect this world and all its inhabitants from the creatures which lurk in the shadows.

    A few days ago, one such group of adventurers that dedicated their lives to doing so passed on. Guiding Light. Their chapel wasmitted to clearing shards, protecting us from the expansion and dangerous creatures that might appear because of it. They lost their battle, but not the fight. The fight is for us, the remaining to continue.

    All present, lift your hands , bow your heads, kneel ¡ª no matter the method, show your respect. Show your reverence for those who made the ultimate sacrifice. That we might show them our resolve, that we might share with them our wishes. May the light follow and keep them in all their days toe. Wherever they may be.¡±

    After the man finished speaking Agni watched as countless people, hundreds, nearly a thousand lifted their hands or bowed their heads in prayer. A strange sensation began to fill the air, almost as if the very particles of air itself were beginning to weep. Then she watched as hundreds of particles of light magic floated upwards. They moved towards therge statue and began to gather at a central point within the spherical hole atop it.

    The sight was sobering and all epassing. It was clear to her that nearly everyone gathered in the space owed something to those who lost their lives on a deep personal level. And even if they didn¡¯t, they could rte. Although she and Katrin never spoke of it, death was a very real consequence of the lives they were currently leading. Agni felt sure that this sentiment held true for everyone present. Each of them had someone they valued and held dear. They all realized that they might not be present for the next ceremony, deemed as recipients of what littlefort the left behind could offer.

    She herself had been dragged into the situation due to a twist of fate, yet her own harrowing experiences in the mists of the red shard caused Agni to feel thankful. She too contributed, bowing her head and sping her hands together.

    *How long has it been since I prayed..for anything?* She thought, even as tears began to wet her cheeks. She could feel a tiny portion of mana energy seep out, from her heart. She realized this was her ¡°intent¡±, her wishes, thoughts or purpose infused into that energy. She could feel it being pulled outwards, gently like a feather on the wind. In her mind¡¯s eye she saw the light floating upwards, caught upon an endlessly gentle wind that carried it along with every other light.

    After several more moments of silence Agni opened her eyes. The group of Light Weavers at the front of the ceremony were busy using their abilities to guide the mana to its destination, the brightly glowing orb of magical energy that contained the wishes of everyone nearby.

    The young speaker then turned his attention towards one person in particr. He smiled, though his eyes also looked exceedingly sad. He then nodded his head and stepped away from his spot, allowing another to take his ce.

    It was Dea.

    The sight of the dragon-kin was both awe inspiring and heart breaking. The expression on her face was that of someone truly pained. She sped Chloe¡¯s remaining remnants, a pendant, in both hands ¡ª almost as if it were the focal point of an unsaid prayer. It was apparent to the subus that Dea was barely keeping her grief contained, despite traces of tears streaming down her cheeks.

    Finally, after one deep sigh Dea began to speak.

    ¡°I was lost. I was..unruly. I was difficult. I wasn¡¯t as kind as I should have been. But they epted me anyway. There are many things I could say at the moment. That I regret being here, that I don¡¯t feel worthy of the gift of life I still hold onto. Instead, I just want to say that I¡¯m a better person because of the ones who epted me for who I am.¡±

    The sight of Dea fiercely clenching her hands together, struggling through her words and fighting tears made the subus¡¯ heart wrench. The silence from everyone looking on was that of people hanging upon every word, while simultaneously identifying.

    ¡°Thank you all foring. Guiding Light would have appreciated it.¡± Dea said as she ced the pendant around her neck and bowed her head deeply, for a rather long time. She then nodded towards the speaker and returned to her spot nearby.

    ¡°This is the culmination of our hope. Our sincere wishes that our thoughts and ideas reach you. And keep you in this life, the next and every life beyond.¡± The speaker bowed his head and closed his eyes, offering his own prayer as the Light Weavers released their technique. The orb of magical energy began to separate into hundreds of thousands of energy.

    Agni thought that perhaps her eyes were ying tricks on her at first, for she noticed a peculiar thing. The energy began to take on dozens of shapes. Some resembled milkweed seeds which bobbed and floated through the air, others turned into butterflies and still more retained the shape of orbs. All of the constructs floated upwards into the sky, making their way into the distance until they were never to be seen again.

 Chapter 155: Children Of Dusk

    Chapter 155: Children Of Dusk

    When she opened her eyes she felt¡­nk. Devoid of everything, emotion , feeling, purpose ¡ª all of it. She nced around, unsure of her location or purpose for being there. She simply was. For the briefest of moments she felt as if she was experiencing some sort of deja vu. A word, a thought or even a memory edged the cusp of her mind yet try as she might, she could not grasp it. Even the body she was in felt foreign, strange. She nced down at a pair of small hands that were not her own and felt disconnected.

    Her body was small, and somehow it didn¡¯t seem appropriate. A child¡¯s body. She was also cold, partially due to the fact that she was naked and the night air was rather cool on her skin. She shivered, and yet at the same time felt no cause for concern. She felt¡­ lesser, less powerful, less dynamic, but it didn¡¯t stop her from getting to her feet. The process was unstable, she wobbled as if to teeter back and forth before gaining stability.

    *Were my feet always this small?* This was the thought, and it was gone just as quickly as she had it like so many other things. Around her was the familiar visage of dusk. That moment just before the sun rose to shine amongst many things. It was an unmistakably magical moment, she could tell as much. She felt a strange force lingering about in the air as she watched countless orbs hover and float before her.

    Whether they were dragonflies, butterflies, or orbs of light she knew not. She reached out her hand to touch one such orb and was immediately filled with an emotion that was her own, yet not. The sensation was brief, it filled her with a strange energy that provided warmth and strength ¡ª and then it was gone. She repeated this several times, her outstretched hands reaching for the lights which gathered about her location. Each time she grasped one it would disappear, as if it was absorbed by her, only to be reced with a new sensation.

    Hope. Envy. Mncholy, a bittersweet sadness, was the overwhelming sensation. And then the lights began to move. So she did as well. She found her hair to be quite long, down to her waist in fact, and blonde with bluish tips. Her keenly perceptive ears were long and sharp, she expected them to be more round and felt surprised as she lifted her hand towards them. Still, this didn¡¯t matter much to her in the grand scheme of things ¡ª for she was a child and her attention lied with anything that might capture her attention.

    She began to walk, slowly at first until the lights picked up speed. Soon her unsteady steps became strides, and thereafter a dash. The lights sped up, and she along with them until she was running through the environs. A forest, or perhaps a woond area, dark yet somehow filled with light as the sun continued to rise. As she ran she reached out, collecting the light orbs and found renewed strength flowing through her. She leapt over rocks, logs and dashed through bushes. With each moment she grew more fixated on the swarm of lights which looked more like living creatures with each passing second.

    The wind blowing through her hair was exhrating. The sensation of it against her skin made her want to run more, and even faster. Soon she was running at breakneck speed to keep up¨C yet she wasn¡¯t tired in the least. This continued for what seemed like an endless time until finally, the swarm of lights stopped. So she did as well.

    There, in the distance, was something new. A town, with wooden walls that rose far higher than her. There were numerous people out and about despite the early hour, as if they sought to make the best of every day light second. She stood, stone still for the longest of times, and watched the oblivious folks move to and fro. She didn¡¯t feel or think anything in particr as she observed ¡ª that is until the orbs of light began to float upwards.

    She suddenly felt¡­panicked. Her hands reached out, attempting to grasp the orbs, yet now they eluded her grasp. After several misses she began to grow desperate and jumped as she attempted to grab at the lights. She continued this for a time, her determination growing as did the sense of anxiety.

    ¡°Child, where did youe from?¡± A woman¡¯s voice echoed. The young girl spun around, as if she¡¯d been caught red handed and focused on the woman¡¯s words. There was no understanding to be had, so she took a single step backwards and growled. She clenched her fists, as if she were ready to unleash a powerful spell and swung her hand forth. Instead, nothing happened, just the actions of a young girl disced by the ember¡¯s of death¡¯s me.

    ¡°Oh, child. Come. I see now, you¡¯re lost.¡± The woman said as she stepped forth, her arms outstretched. The girl shrank back in response, clenching both fists fiercely as she prepared to run ¡ª however something changed her mind.

    A lone spark of light fluttered towards the woman and lingered just over her head. There it stopped, as if to say, ¡°this the way¡±. The girl reconsidered her aggression for a moment then felt her hands unclench despite her misgivings.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± The woman said softly. Now that the girl looked upon thedy she seemed¡­old. There were creases in the woman¡¯s face and long strands of grey thatplimented lesser brown colors. Despite her suspicion there was one overwhelming emotion which came from the woman¡¯s direction,fort.

    Upon seeing the woman¡¯s eyes, the young girl felt all of her resistance melt away. Still..she felt shy, having acted rashly. Luckily the woman could read her bodynguage and stepped forth, bridging the distance between them.

    ¡°Come. Let¡¯s get you dressed.¡± The woman said as she led the young girl towards the inner walls of Gardenia.

    [End Arc 2]

 Chapter 156: Normalcy(1)

    Chapter 156: Normalcy(1)

    Agni¡¯s days were filled with activity as ofte. Her first attended funeral in Adventia ended with another parting of ways. Dea, the Draken Knight adventurer, said her goodbyes shortly after the gathering. Agni could still remember the pained look within the dragon-kin¡¯s eyes as she exined her next steps.

    ¡°I think I just need some time to myself. I n to see what else is out there, for now.¡± Dea confided as she gently clutched the singr memento of the Guiding Light chapel ¡ª Chloe¡¯s pendant.

    With that she was gone, as quickly as she came. Bracha also went back to her position at the Training Chapel. This was after she exposed Agni to what Sh called ¡®hoodoo magick¡¯.

    ¡°Agni. Katrin.¡± Bracha said as she peeked around the corner just down the hallway from their shared room.

    The two looked at one another and shrugged, after all Bracha always acted a bit weird ¡ª especially when she was drunk. They decided to appease their kouhai and walked her way. As soon as they rounded the corner, Bracha lifted a small orb which caused the strangest sensation to assault their senses. It felt as if tiny particles of their being were being tugged at, and soon dozens of tiny ck particles wafted outwards towards the curious orb.

    Sh watched on in horror, as if she¡¯d just walked in on an exorcism. The event onlysted for a short time, and Agni felt none the worse for wear. Katrin too felt fine, but it wasn¡¯t enough to stop Sh¡¯s superstitious wheels from whirring.

    ¡°D-devil!¡± She said as she recoiled and pointed her finger at Bracha. The Runemaster simply smiled, offering little in the way of apology ¡ª and then she was gone without a word.

    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Agni asked, feeling somewhat confused. Still, it wasn¡¯t the weirdest thing Bracha had ever done, so she just shrugged and went on about her business. Several days have passed since then. Agni realized that her time at the Mystic Tower chapel had flown by in a blur of events. The Slime expedition, her visit to the Demonic Chapel, Sh¡¯s ¡°birth¡±, the discovery of fusion abilities and even learning higher applications of magic ¡ª all of these happened in a rtively short amount of time.

    She thought of all the people she¡¯d had the fortune to meet in that time as well. Gates,Gigi Sypha, Merri and Ariadna. Her thoughts even shed back to Ryo, the mysterious adventurer whom Agni still felt uneasy around ¡ª for a variety of reasons.

    ¡°On the subject of mentors..¡± She whispered as Agni nced down at her wrist. The essory given to her by the owner of the Silken Petal, Zura, jangled freely. It was an ornament that Agni currently had no power to remove, a sort of training method in a sense. For the past ten days since the funeral , Agni had been subjected to the whimsy of the device which masqueraded as jewelry.

    The bangle offered one sexually charged task after another. And any time Agni failed toplete them. The subus felt her body shudder (and she definitely wasn¡¯t cold). Lately she had been like this, more receptive to the idea of pleasure. So much so that the intense orgasms given by the wrist wear were, at times, most wee. Still, Agni promised to make a sincere effort to fulfill the tasks given to her. Thankfully today¡¯s task was rather simple.

    ¡°Grab the ass of someone who seems unapproachable.¡± Agni smirked as she read the words out loud. She had the perfect person in mind.

    ¡°You! You need to focus more. This isn¡¯t a game. You never know what challenges life will throw at you. Would you rather be prepared¨Cor dead?¡± The blonde haired elf known as Oliver Pagnal was busy snapping at his current batch of trainees. Ever since the expedition into the shard world, he¡¯d been like this ¡ª almost obsessed with training. Not just himself, but others as well. However, he seemed to only pay attention to the weakest members of the chapel. Even those who never expressed an interest inbat or expeditions were subject to his random training events.

    What was even weirder is that Vivian Lex, the leader of Mystic Tower, didn¡¯t seem to mind at all. Ever since the funeral she had , in fact, been seen less and less around the chapel. Agni casually strolled into the courtyard and was delighted to find Oliver¡¯s focus directed solely at the three rows of adventurers before him. He had them all doing basic exercises to build their mana maniption, much like the exercises Agni and the others endured prior to theirst adventure.

    *I hope our rtionship is good enough for me to y this off..* Agni thought to herself as she smirked. Today¡¯s task seemed much more like a practical joke than anything, yet in some ways she had to admit¨C Zura¡¯s ¡°subus¡± training had begun to bring out the deviant in her.

    She sidled up to Oliver without being noticed and lingered behind him for the briefest of moments.

    ¡°You! What did I just say? Focus. F.O.C.¨C¡± And, just like that Agni reached out and cupped the Archmage by his right cheek. The instant contact was made, Oliver stopped speaking and grew stock still. He then turned to face his groper, his mouth pursed tightly as he squinted his eyes.

    ¡°Can I help you Agni Heartfyre?¡± He asked, his voice low and deliberate.

    *That¡¯s kind of disappointing¡­* Agni thought as she smirked.

    ¡°No. Not at all. I think you¡¯ve¡­.¡± She nced him up and down, ¡°helped me enough.¡± She then walked away, whistling a random song as she moved.

    Oliver simply shook his head and sighed, while one hand pressed against his still tingling bottom.

    ¡°Subus.¡± He clicked his teeth as he turned his attention back towards his training.

    ¡°I wonder what the point of that was?¡± Agni said to herself as she stepped back into the Mystic Tower building.

    ¡°Maybe the point is to prevent you from being a defective demon.¡± Sh said, catching Agni¡¯s attention. She stood a small distance away with Katrin, Merri and Ariadna at her side.

    ¡°Are you ready to go? Are you done with pervert school for today?¡± Sh asked, her arms crossed out of impatience.

    Katrin chuckled and Ariadna seemed wildly ufortable¨Cas usual. Merri was too happy to be read properly, eagerness practically oozed from her every pore.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m ready. Let¡¯s go.¡± Agni said, offering a smile as she walked towards her group of friends. Their destination? The nearby Lull Forest, it was finally time to make good on the promise of a group camping trip.

 Chapter 157: Normalcy(2)

    Chapter 157: Normalcy(2)

    ¡°Oww!¡± Sh screamed as she clenched her face. Her eyes welled up with tears as she staggered backwards.

    ¡°Ugh. Not again..¡± Agni groaned as a wave of guilt began to wash over her.

    ¡°H-hey.. I¡¯m sorry.¡± The subus said as she reached towards the Imp with an outstretched hand.

    ¡°Here.. you can hit me back, see?¡± Agni said as she leaned forward, offering her cheek to be struck. Sh shrank away, refusing to be coddled by Agni, by anyone except ¡ª

    ¡°Agni! What are you doing to her? Your level is way higher than hers!¡± Katrin admonished as she walked up and wrapped her arms around the Imp. Almost immediately Sh shed a concealed smile as she too wrapped her arms around Katrin and sank into her bosom.

    *Really bitch? That¡¯s what we¡¯re doing?* Agni telepathed as Sh grinned at her through teary eyes.

    She sighed, shrugged and sat down on a nearby tree stump. It would be a while before they could seriously begin sparring once more.

    ¡°Is it just me or is Sh enjoying that way more than she should?¡± Ariadna asked. She and Merri were also sitting nearby, discussing their ns for the approaching evening. Agni nodded her head in agreement and folded her arms.

    The past three days had been much like this one. The group of eight had fallen into a strange normalcy, despite the turbulence of their lives as adventurers. Gates the Spirit Mage, Sypha the Lightweaver, Gigi the Spellsword, Merri the Minotaur, Ariadna the Trickster, Katrin the Scribe, Sh the Sleep Daemon and Agni the Subus. At Merri¡¯s request they all made their way to the Lull Forest. On this, Agni was of two minds. Her recent adventures in the shard world had inflicted a fair share of mental trauma. For the first time since her arrival in Adventia, fear had been imnted in the subus. She recognized the sensation and loathed it ¡ª thus, she deemed the best way to get rid of it would be to confront it.

    Agni also realized just how close she¡¯de to losing everything she cared about. Sh and Katrin, her two constantpanions. Both were ced into a dangerous situation, along with her.

    ¡°If I can help it, we need to be more prepared.¡± This was the thought that led to Sh¡¯s current predicament, being babied by Katrin, who in turn was being stealth groped by the Imp. Once it was revealed that Sh had her own adventurer¡¯s ss, Agni decided to train her. This was something Sh was fiercely against, however.

    ¡°No way. I¡¯m a caster. Casters always fight from a distance and outwit their opponents. Why do I need to¨C¡± On the first day Agni punched Sh directly in the nose to illustrate her point.

    ¡°Come to think of it¡­Katrin babied you then too!¡± Agni muttered.

    *I know what you¡¯re doing.* Agni transmitted telepathically as she cut her eyes.

    *You¡¯re just jealous.* Sh responded with a smirk.

    *Next time I won¡¯t apologize for punching you in the face.* Agni grimaced as she cut her eyes even further. Still, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to be upset, truly. The image of them both clenching each other, one with a smirk and the other shooting daggers in her gaze¨Cit was something Agni could easily treasure.

    They hade to the Lull Forest at Merri¡¯s request. The minotaur wanted nothing more than to experiencebat and test her strength against ¡°real opponents¡±. Given the level of foe that this area had to offer, everyone else pretty much saw the camping trip as a vacation. With that in mind, Agni decided to spend her time addressing some of Sh¡¯s ring ws ¡ª as well as her own (at least in terms of adventuring).

    The past three days followed the same routine. Everyone would sleep until mid-morning for the most part. From noon until afternoon could be considered free time and afternoons were spent preparing for the evening. Once night fell and the Grimlock became more active, everyone would split into parties ¡ª three total¨C and go hunting for Fulger Stag.

    Each day the parties would be randomly shifted, this was at Gates¡¯ request.

    ¡°It will help us to work together dynamically.¡± Was his reasoning.

    During this time Agni identified several areas where she wanted to improve. The first was her subus abilities. This thought dawned upon her after the event at the funeral, when the Angellus shrugged off her Whisper ability.

    ¡°Why did I stop training my Subus abilities again?¡± Agni asked herself aloud at some point. The answer was surprisingly simple.

    Upon joining Mystic Tower, Agni¡¯s focus had been solely on learning to use and apply her magic. In the short time there, the Subus learned how to nearly quadruple her mana pool through efficiency, use and apply some advanced magic theory and more. However, she¡¯d also neglected her ss skills.

    Upon asking various people about it, this is what they said:

    Gigi : ¡°Mmm. Your ss skills are what define you. You should use them until they feel like second nature.¡±

    Gates : ¡°In a way it¡¯s good that you don¡¯t rely on your subus abilities too much.Some people rely too much on skills. My advice? Learn to use the skills you have in ways you never thought possible.¡±

    For the most part, everyone else¡¯s advice didn¡¯t help much. So Agni took to heart the words of the two seasoned adventurers and began to truly explore the options avable to her. It would be going much better if she could get a reliable sparring partner, however.

    Agni cut her eyes towards Sh once again and noted the Imp¡¯s willingness to ramp up her performance of crocodile tears.

    ¡°Crybaby.¡± Agni said, her eyes taking on a sh of pink energy as she spoke. It wasn¡¯t intentional, but the results were much more than the Subus bargained for. Sh¡¯s expression was a weird mix of feigned sadness and sustained embellishment as Agni spoke the words. Agni watched as her eyes began to blink rapidly and the Imp¡¯s face contorted into genuine disquiet. Soon the blond haired Imp bought her fists up to her eyes and began wiping back tears.

    ¡°W-why did y-y-ou do that t-t-t-t-o me. Bitch.¡± Sh stuttered amidst her falling tears. Once more a wave of guilt washed over the Subus as Sh began to ball, her chest heaving wildly like a child.

    Agni watched as Katrin¡¯s jaw dropped and their eyes met. She had the look of someone who couldn¡¯t believe ¡°the audacity¡±.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it on purpose!¡± Agni tried, and failed to convey her remorse. Nearby everyone presentughed or chuckled which didn¡¯t make the situation any easier to diffuse.

    ¡°No! You! Over there!¡± Katrin said as she clenched the Imp like a protective mother. She pointed towards their shared tent, even as she patted Sh¡¯s head gently.

    ¡°There there. I won¡¯t let the sex demon hurt you anymore.¡± Katrin said as she kissed Sh on the forehead.

    ¡°She¡¯s a grown woman not a child!¡± Agni grumbled as she begrudgingly stepped into the shared tent. And there she stayed for quite some time. Perhaps due to her annoyance, Agni failed to immediately realize what happened. As shey staring up through the breathable fabric of the tent she bolted upright.

    ¡°Wait..¡±

    She recalled all of the previous times she¡¯d used her Whisper. Generally it was to give outmands. Halt. Stop. Kill Yourself. These were all phrases muttered by Agni at some point in time, used to disable or sometimes dispose of her foes. So why did the phrase ¡®Crybaby¡¯ actually work?

    It forewent the usual directmand, yet had a desired effect. One might say it was even stronger in some sense. This was made even more puzzling by the fact that Agni didn¡¯t purposely do it (really¡­ no, really).

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t I need to say, ¡®you¡¯re a crybaby¡¯?¡± She felt as if there was a hint somewhere in this random urrence. One that might lead to a greater discovery. This time felt more natural, less forced. It was as if it was easier to use her Whisper ability now, even more so in this new way. With that in mind she decided to try a test. She focused her mind, allowing a brief moment of quiet before she began to speak, activating Whisper in the process.

    ¡°My dear aunt Sally sent¨C¡± Agni¡¯s voice crumpled in her throat as she spoke the words. It was the first time that she felt such pain, it was as if her vocal chords were on fire and being pierced at the same time. The pain was intense enough to cause Agni to sputter as she gripped her neck.

    ¡°What the fuck.¡± She whispered as the intense re of pain gradually subsided.

    ¡°I just said some random shit. Why does it hurt so much?¡± Agni wondered aloud. Still, for all of her pain she felt that she¡¯d just stumbled upon an invaluable discovery. Gates and Gigi were right, she needed to explore the use of her abilities more. The best way to do that would be to use it often and see what works ¡ª as well as what did not. It would be a matter of trial and error, one that could give the Subus better insight into just how well she could use her abilities as a subus.

    ¡°Now if she¡¯d just stop hamming it up.¡± Agni said as she fell backwards, staring up at the tent ceiling for some time toe. That was until Zura¡¯s bangle chimed with a new ¡°quest¡±.

    ¡°Suck a dick. Ugh.¡± Agni groaned as she read the ¡°quest¡± out loud.

    ¡°Well that¡¯s definitely not happening¡­¡± She resigned herself to sneaking away from campter to endure the mind numbing orgasm she was bound to have as a result of ignoring today¡¯s task.

    ¡°Although..¡± Agni murmured, her thoughts wandering to the young man known as Sypha. For the briefest of moments she entertained the idea, then quickly pushed the thought back into her mental rolodex of naughtiness.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­not ready for that! Yet.¡± She said, seemingly to herself, as she turned on her side to rest her eyes.

 Chapter 158: New Chapter {Update}

    Chapter 158: New Chapter {Update}

    Hi folks, a lot has happened so I just wanted to keep you updated. Also, this post will address many things, and depending on what type of reader you are ¡ª it may not be pleasant to you. What I will say is that it¡¯s not cruel, but important to hear so stick with it.

    First things first, the series isn¡¯t dead. I wasn¡¯t able to sustain the ¡°work and pray¡± support model that many deem appropriate in this day and age. Because of this, I had to take a serious look at how I spent my time and energy.

    The result is that I¡¯m in a slightly better ce, but still it may take a year or two of solid effort in order to say I¡¯m fortable¡± financially.

    When I first began, I just wanted a career change. I also I had some misconceptions about writing web novels in general. The biggest was that, if most of the people who enjoy my work supported me (even a little), I would be able to do this freely all of the time. I thought that, if I just did the right thing and put the work out there ¡ª people would support without the need to keep selling them on it. Sadly that¡¯s not how reality works.

    There are some who use me of paywalling content, despite the fact that I hardly even ask people to support on ******* anymore. To that I say, you may have an unrealistic idea of how the average writer¡¯s finances are set up. I¡¯ll give you a very specific example using my own work. This fiction has over 2 million reads across multiple tforms along with over 20,000 followers, many of theming from this app alone.

    If just 10% of the people who regrly read MSS across all tforms (so about 2,000 of you) could afford 2$ a month on my work, it would generate enough for me to eat, pay my bills and begin the process of making a free-to-read MSS manga. 2 dors is a tiny amount, and it would generate that much. Numerically speaking, that¡¯s about 4,000$ per month which sounds like a lot¨Cuntil you consider working from home is my only source of ie. In short, if my endeavors with writing and development don¡¯t bear fruit, it puts me in the realm of poverty. (A deste ce without delicious vittles to partake of. I hate it here XD )

    Actually, if just 10% of the readers supported MSS for a single month / single time donation of 2$, I¡¯d be in a much better ce than I am now. I¡¯d be able to buy a new PC to make better content and immediately begin the process of creating without the lingering anxiety of ¡°life¡±. Unfortunately, for whatever reason ¨C that¡¯s just not the reality.

    Instead, this fiction, which is apparently liked by many people , generates about 300$ a month from a small rag-tag band of 60 well loved people. People that, have unbeknownst to them, won copious amounts of my respect and admiration ¡ª so much so that my meager words can¡¯t really do it justice.

    But truth be told, this situation wasrgely my fault. I relied a bit too much on the idea that if i just made something entertaining / interesting, people would support it. Perhaps, even though you read, you simply don¡¯t feel it¡¯s worth investing in. That¡¯s also a possibility, whatever the reason ¡ª

    My ideas on how things might y out were a fairy tail and reality vs expectations rarely ever line up. It¡¯s been a firm and sobering reminder of how far I still have to go. Now onto why I value those 60+ people so much.

    I never said anything during the time of crisis, but for a 4-6 month time period, I was living off the money this fiction generated. 300$ a month, for 4-6 month time period. Food, bills, gas money¨C no luxuries, car maintenance, life expenses¨C you name it. Just 300$, all while desperately trying to keep up with my creative responsibilities, it was as scary as it sounds. They helped me with that, and I will essentially love them forever for it. To me the worth of that 300$, that genuine amount is, in some ways better than the 1,000, 2,000 or 4,000.

    I don¡¯t say any of this to guilt any of you, but I think many people don¡¯t really have the insight to look outside themselves sometimes. And asionally they need other people to help them see the points they are overlooking.

    If money was truly my objective, I¡¯d have taken an approach geared to building patron counts from the start. Much like many of the more financially sessful people who started around the same time I did.

    I mention this also, because it¡¯s relevant to the pause in public chapters. It also brings up another topic that I¡¯d like to address. A small portion of my readers. People who read freely, yet don¡¯t contribute, and stillin about things.

    To you, I want to say, you have absolutely no idea how much I¡¯ve struggled, agonized, hurt, fought with and pushed myself to continue this work. To be productive during times that would normally cause most people to break down or give up. Maybe if you did, you¡¯d be a bit more careful with the words you speak, a bit more thoughtful in how you approach things.

    I say all this because I need to give you an idea of what many of your authors struggle with just to be creatives nowadays on this and any other services. And generally for pennies. This is just a whisper of the voice they can¡¯t speak. The price of ¡°freemium content¡± is steep and rarely ever does it pay off. The vast number of us don¡¯t get deals, or have our work made into manga or anime without losing a great deal in return. That¡¯s why I work so hard to make it happen with my own two hands.

    Some of you may say ¡°get contracted¡±, but after doing some research I will just say it¡¯s not an option for me.

    Since reality wasn¡¯t matching up to the challenges I face, I had to change the way I do things. I gritted my teeth, added even more to work load (to the point that many days, I thought I just might break) and did the best I could. That meant making some sacrifices with my time and energy, and naturally this slowed development on MSS. I went from 3-6 chapters a day, to 6 chapters a week if I really try.

    I dropped some stories, put some light novels on hiatus(I even had to close my light novel store altogether, due tock of fees) and adopted projects that allow me to better create even a tiny bit more ie.

    It¡¯s still not anywhere near enough, but the situation is improving.

    In summary, for those of you wondering why / where the fiction went until now ; until my financial situation normalizes, I have to be a more selfish and purposeful with my time and energy. In a perhaps more idyllic world, the project would be self sustaining ¡ª but that¡¯s just not reality.

    I grow and learn, like you do. I streamlined my work, sometimes to my own chagrin. Done analytics, ran ads with money I truly didn¡¯t have to spend, done foot work, removed some fictions entirely, in favor of moving them to marketces where I may at least get a penny or two for the hundreds of pages I¡¯ve written. I¡¯ll continue to do my best, and work towards the freedom I seek to create ¡ª and then share it with you. That¡¯s the story of why there are less chapters, but as for when they will return¨C

    For those of you still reading, thank you for being a fan of MSS. Thanks for listening and understanding. I¡¯m happy to inform you that MSS will return to public chapter releases in January of 2022.

    Maybe by this time next year, we will all be able to enjoy some manga chapters. I¡¯ll definitely be doing my best to get there.

    ¨C Ren

 Chapter 157: Abnormality (1)

    Chapter 157: Abnormality (1)

    The sounds of an urban jungle filled the air as he dashed. There was no care for where his feetnded, or what he might have stepped in along the way. There was only the sound of rushing wind and a fierce beating of his heart, a heart that drummed a tune of anxious desperation.

    He rounded a corner, determined to put distance between the footfall at his rear. His heart sank as he came face to face with a mountain of trash and a dead end. Trapped in an alleyway with those men at his heels. He cursed his own luck, quickly shaking off the body numbing sensation of fear that gripped him.

    *This is just a setback. This is nothing.* He thought to himself. This thought bubbled from within, a ce that could only be known as the ego. And his wasrge and ambitious. He quickly turned on his heels and darted towards the same direction he¡¯d just left. The sounds of footsteps were nearer now, by a quick estimate no less than three people were nearing. He pushed his body even harder, realizing everything that was on the line. His very life. He was quick to react the moment he saw the men rounding the corner, all wearing suits, dress shirts, nice shoes and armed with weapons as expensive as their garments.

    ¡°There he is!¡± Followed by the sound of gunfire, this was all the man heard as he moved to duck into a nearby side alley. The sound of his heart was so loud, it was all he could hear as he put the wind to his back.

    His single minded determination slowly came to wane as his equilibrium came under attack. It wasn¡¯t until he fell forward uncontrobly did the man realize he¡¯d been shot.

    ¡°Fuck. Fuck .. me.¡± He said as he rolled over onto his side, pressing his hand against his t-shirt. It was quickly being stained by his own life¡¯s fluids. The world around him began to distort as he gazed about wildly. The thing he noticed the most was the height of buildings from his ce on the ground ¡ª that and the stars. Stars were unusual for his urbanndscape, this hellish ce he called home. He could see them quite clearly ¡ª it was enough to clear his mind from any extraneous thought.

    He gritted his teeth and kept moving ¡ª at least that was themand he gave his body. The bullet wound and seeping blood begged to differ. He began to crawl, desperately as he pulled himself along with one arm. He kicked his feet to usher himself further, however much father he could muster ¡ª but it was no use.

    ¡°You piece of shit.¡± A man¡¯s harsh, deep voice bellowed from behind him. He didn¡¯t even bother to react, instead the man kept on ¡ª moving, surviving ¡ª it was all he knew.

    ¡°You pathetic cockroach.¡± The same man growled, this time the bleeding man could feel burning pressure against his ankle. It was the weight of a foot and it threatened to snap his bones and disce the tendon. He grimaced as a wave of fresh difort shot up his leg. His ankle was now being pressed in an excruciating way.

    ¡°Get him up.¡± The man shouted as the sound of a cocking gun could be heard. The two apanying men did as instructed, hoisting the bleeding man upwards. His mind was awash with a plethora of emotions, but fear was not one of them. Defiance and anger were amongst them, so much so that the bleeding man could only sneer as his gaze shot daggers.

    ¡°G-man. You should have known better than to try to skim mister Gracie. Did you think he wouldn¡¯t find out? He was even going to let you go¨Cbut no, you got greedy!¡± The bleeding man seized over in pain as a fist was mmed into his bullet wound. The pain caused by the blow was near crippling. The injured man felt a sharp pain, almost like electricity radiating through the entire side of his body. It made his unstable legs even more wobbly and the two gangsters gripped him, pulling him upwards for more punishment.

    He was struck several more times, once in the stomach and then a few times in the face.

    ¡°You rat. Don¡¯t you fucking understand the situation you¡¯re in?¡± The gun toting man growled as he grabbed a handful of hair and clenched roughly. Despite this, the injured man gazed at him, his eyes aze ¡ª if looks could kill, death would be an easy result.

    ¡°You¡¯re about to die. Do you get that?¡± The gun toting thug pped the injured man hard against the face with the butt of his pistol. It was enough to cause a sh of darklight, the bleeding man¡¯s face reeled as he was struck in the orbital socket.

    ¡°Ha. Ha ha. ¡± He practically wheezed, blood trickling from a busted lip and several gashes along his face. This pissed off the gangster even more. He nodded to his twopanions, a sign which meant ¡°rough him up¡±. The result was a rain of blows, punches in the rib cage ¡ª heavy and thunderous. His arms were locked by the two captors,so he couldn¡¯t do much else but endure. And even when the sharp pain of broken ribs and internal injuries pushed his sanity to the brink ¡ª still he endured.

    They dropped the nearly dead man like a worthless sack of rocks. His body thudded against the dirty concrete pavement, his breathingbored and ragged.

    ¡°Got anyst words?¡± The gun toting thug asked.

    ¡°F¡­¡­f¡­ fuck¡­yo¨C¡± The sound of several pops, apanied by shes of light signaled the brutal end to the injured man¡¯s ordeal.

    ¡°Cut his thumb off and let¡¯s get outta here.¡± The gun toting man said as he stuffed his weapon into the breast pocket of his suit. The injured man was now a dying man, nothing would change that. Yet, his defiance remained, just reced with a plethora of thoughts.

    *Is this how I die? Fuck this. Like a damn dog in the streets.* He felt¡­.annoyed.

    His vision was blurring rapidly, thest thing he saw was one of the two thugs walking towards him, a knife in hand. And yet his mind was abuzz with activity, thest remnants of soul preparing to depart from his vessel.

    He recalled all manner of things, most of which were annoying to him. He remembered being a boy, his early memories of begging for scraps just to survive on the streets. He remembered the first time he had to make an example of someone, an older neighborhood kid whom he used a de against.

    He got away with it, and along with it came respect. Something he never had. Some were born and bred on love, taken care of and watched over. As long as he could remember, he¡¯d never had that. And truth be told, he never wanted it. From that one brutal act,mitted at the age of just eleven ¡ª G-man realized, power was everything.

    What he wanted he took, and what he couldn¡¯t take he coerced. He lied, cheated and stole ¡ª and with it came clothes, money and women. Suddenly he wasn¡¯t hungry for food, but something more intangible. Soon he was a young man, allied with one of many gangs in this hell called a city.

    He did jobs, made bank and paid his dues. But at the same time, he waited¨Cbiding his time. He was not made to kowtow, but he would do so if it served as a means to further his goals. His subservience was just a mask, one of many , donned at the drop of a hat. Yet¡­

    There was a growing beast within him, one that would not be denied. No drink could calm the monster, and no riches could lessen it¡¯s call. The more he bowed his head, the more he grew to feel disdain. It was this notion that led to thest few seconds of his life.

    The desire to be more, the desire to look down at all who dared raise their head or bared their fangs. It was amon aspiration, one held and given up by many. One he¡¯d acquired when he was just a penniless urchin on the streets. This monster had managed to destroy him.

    ¡°Fucking maggot.¡± The knife wielding thug muttered as he kicked the corpse. It was over. Over.

    Or so he thought.

    ¡°Master Gaines.¡± The man known as Enzo Gaines awoke from his dreams of a distant life. The person opposite to him shuddered upon seeing the fiercely burning gaze of a man with limitless ambition. Within that gaze there was a cold, calcting machination that scared the woman more than anything. His eyes glowed with a fierce, purple energy for the briefest of moments ¡ª and then he realized where he was.

    ¡°How long was my nap?¡± He asked as he settled down from projecting a thick feeling of killing intent. He couldn¡¯t help but smirk. It seemed the lessons of his past lifetime would not be wasted. Enzo Gaines would have everything he desired and more, and soon no one would be able to stand in his way.

 Chapter 158: Abnormality (2)

    Chapter 158: Abnormality (2)

    Gaines pushed open the door to his carriage and stepped out onto the cobblestone pavement of Sprim Row. His personal carriage had ushered him to the doorstep of his own personal chapel, Memento Mori. With him was his right hand man, Zipher Einrei, a dark skinned and white haired young man who delighted in anything sadistic.

    In addition to this, Gaines was also followed by a young woman. She stepped out of the carriage and for anyone watching, it was obvious to see her will was shattered. The chains around her were not visible, yet surely they existed. She was a particrly attractive Beastman, of the canis lupus type. Her hair was bluish with white frosted tips in various ces. Her long hair trailed down to her middle back, she was also quite fit. Her abdomen was chiseled and muscr, as were her thighs, calves and biceps.

    And yet she had the demeanor of a tamed housepet. She dared not lift her eyes, or offer any resistance. She followed meekly, a somewhat nk look in her eyes as she moved. The three entered the chapel and made their way from the nightclub at the front to the hidden bar at the back. Soon they were all in Gaines personal office on the second floor of the structure.

    ¡°Where are we with that other task?¡± Gaines asked as he sat down behind the only desk within the room.

    ¡°It¡¯s nearly time.¡± Zipher responded as he eyed the Beast girl next to him. The difort was apparent from just a nce, but both men didn¡¯t register it in the least. Loathing was a sensation both hade to understand well. Neither cared when faced with it, nor did they have a use for directing said emotion to anyone else. Such was the right of the strong.

    ¡°I see. Good.¡± Gaines said as he leaned back in his chair. He picked up two small metal balls from the nearby desk and began to work them in the palm of hisrge hand. There was silence in the room, apparently this was something Zipher was used to, for he didn¡¯t seem bothered in the least. Even the wolf-girl dared not speak, though her motivations werepletely different.

    ¡°Bring in the squad. I think we can kill two birds with one stone.¡± Gaines finally said as the sound of revolving balls came to a stop.

    Zipher smirked and nodded his head, though his gaze was firmly trained on the wolf-girl. His eyes were overflowing with a strange mix of interest and anticipation. Anyone who knew Zipher well enough could surmise his intentions. Experimentation, torture and anything else his demented mind felt like participating in. In the end though,he left the room as Gaines instructed, leaving the two alone.

    Although she hated the man before her, she absolutely loathed Zipher. Simply being around him was enough to make every danger sense in her body tingle. Of the two, even though he was just as terrible in many aspects, Enzo Gaines was more preferable. She sighed to herself,menting at her current predicament and in this mindset she stayed until several other people entered the room. One of them was Zipher and he was closely apanied by a hooded, cloaked figure.

    One whiff revealed the person to be a monster-type adventurer, female ¡ª if the wolf girl¡¯s nose was to be relied upon. The other five were men, various adventurers, all of them Striker types. More than half of the men had a nk expression and dead eyes. Only two of them seemed to show signs of life, yet what she noticed was not any normal emotion within their gazes.

    The tension could easily be sliced with a butterknife, something the wolf-girl picked up on almost instantly. It was aggression, the sheer and unrepressed will to murder. It wasing from the men who entered the room. She cast a nervous nce towards Gaines, studying his face as she did so. For the briefest of moments she thought that a fight might break out. This faint hope was all she could cling onto, that perhaps in the confusion she would have time to escape or cut down her captor. Yet no such thing urred. Gaines sat in his chair calmly, and for the briefest of moments, she could have sworn she saw a smirk flit across his lips.

    ¡°Kneel.¡± Gaines said as the five men assembled. One by one the men were forced to their knees under an invisible weight. This was surprising to the wolf-girl, but what was even more rming was that she was also subjected to themand. A dull aching began in her chest as a purplish mana circted from the strange symbol on her chest. Soon her body felt hot and ufortable, only by acquiescing to themand could she find relief. She sank down to one knee, half bewildered and half relieved when the pain began to subside.

    Once again, she was sure she saw a smirk on Gaines¡¯ face.

    ¡°This is your new sixth. Show her the ropes, then hit the streets again. Your quotas need to be met and I won¡¯t ept excuses or setbacks. Next time you fail, all of you will turn to ck ash.¡± And that was it. Gaines¡¯ matter of fact demeanor gave them pause, for they weren¡¯t sure if the ¡°meeting¡± was over. Afterall, he spoke the words like a boss giving out paperwork to employees. Finally, a dark skinned man bowed his head and replied ¡°As you wish Master Gaines.¡± through intensely pursed lips.

    The men all rose to their feet, with one in particr making her way towards the wolf-girl.

    ¡°Come. We¡¯ll fill you in on your duties down below.¡± The husky, bald man said. His face seemed rugged yet she didn¡¯t sense any hostility from him. If she had to guess, she felt¡­a sense of overwhelming pity emanating from the man.

    She was confused, but the earlier pain from resisting amand made her think thrice about causing a scene. In the end, she followed the men out of the office. Zipher took his time admiring her figure as the wolf-girl left. The other six people left the office, leaving Gaines, Zipher and the presumed Slime girl alone.

    ¡°Now then.¡± Gaines said as his eyes shed with ambition. He neatly interlocked his hands and rested his elbows on the desk as he gazed across the office at the cloaked young woman. The wolf girl¡¯s observations had, indeed, been correct. A green-skinned monster girl was beneath the hood. For the most part, her other features were concealed by her full body hooded cloak. Gaines could almost hear the wheels turning inside his own mind as he ran through his n once more. A smile quivered on his lip at the thought of acquiring even more power.

    Finally, after some time, he snapped back to reality and directed his focus towards the young woman who silently awaited some sort of correspondence. Her head was bent downwards slightly, she averted her gaze and stood stock still.

    ¡°Zipher. Make sure she fully understands what is to be done. I won¡¯t tolerate failure¨Ceven from you.¡± Gaines said, his voice growing more menacing as he spoke. The woman shuddered, while Zipher smiled as his sadistic lunacy began to show. The threat was nothing more than motivation and excitement for him, Gaines knew as much before he issued the words.

    ¡°As you wish Gaines.¡± Zipher said as he bowed his head slightly. He couldn¡¯t help but grimace as the sensation of agony began to issue forth from the purple seal on his chest. And yet, he enjoyed every moment of the brief searing pain. He turned and walked towards the door, summoning the stock still adventurer with a snap of his fingers, before exiting together with her.

    Gaines simply shook his head. One of the conditions of his ve Contract was to always be addressed with respect. Zipher was the only one who purposely avoided this rule whenever possible. He also got off on it. Gaines recalled a slight bulge at the front of Zipher¡¯s pants as he turned to leave.

    ¡°Creepy fuck. I¡¯ll definitely have to get rid of him when he¡¯s served his purpose.¡± Gaines said with a sigh as he spun around in his chair. He felt good, optimistic. This could work, and then he would have the city of Grenvale at his beck and call.

 Chapter 159: Little Tyrant

    Chapter 159: Little Tyrant

    ¡°Where the hell are you stepping? Do you want to die?¡± Agni grunted as she struggled to push herself upwards. This proved to be impossible for one very good reason, Sh¡¯s foot was pressed firmly against the side of her face. The blonde haired impughed maniacally, which pushed Agni even further to new heights of anger. Finally after several moments of struggling in vain, Agni gave up ¡ª she was tuckered. This, coupled with a trickle of blood dripping from her mouth, was enough to cause Agni to throw in the towel.

    *I know where you sleep.* Agni thought as she gritted her teeth and sighed.

    ¡ª Five minutes earlier¡ª-

    ¡°Okay. It¡¯s time. Are you ready? I don¡¯t want you to whine if you get punched in the nose again.¡±

    *And I will punch you in the nose again, and again..* Agni thought inwardly.

    ¡°Ha. Today¡¯s going to be different.¡± Sh said as she folded her arms and began to hover, just a few centimeters above the ground. The others were all gathered around the campsite in some fashion, most were busy doing their own thing ¡ª conversing , sleeping or preparing forter this evening. As usual, only Katrin watched the two square off seriously. Although it was wee to have herpany, this had be a point of contention for Agni. This wasrgely due to Sh¡¯s habit of embellishing practically anytime Agni got the better of her.

    ¡°So no excuses today then? After all, you¡¯re at level 21. You¡¯re not THAT far behind me now.¡±

    It was true, in less than a week¡¯s time Sh had managed to reach level 21. This was due to their schedule of sparring, then hunting Grimlock. The past few evenings, much to Gates¡¯ disapproval, they had even ventured into red shards. Despite this, it was nothing that eight experienced adventurers couldn¡¯t handle. These factors contributed to Sh¡¯s elerated growth rate, along with the fact that she also gained additional experience when Agni did as well.

    ¡°You¡¯re just jealous. Bring it.¡± Sh remarked as she cautiously circled the subus.

    ¡°I¡¯m¨C so¨C JEALOUS!¡± Agni shouted as she dashed forward,swinging a fist at Sh in the process.

    *I want wings too!* She thought as the fight began in earnest. Hand to handbat wasn¡¯t Agni¡¯s forte. In fact, she was terrible at it ¡ª and that was the point. If someone unskilled in hand to handbat could continually strike her familiar, it was a problem! The past few days had been spent honing Sh¡¯s reflexes. She could now dodge basic thrusts and swipes with no issue. Sh swayed to avoid the first few blows and flitted backwards, creating distance between herself and Agni.

    ¡°So you did actually get better. Not bad.¡± Agni said with a smirk. Then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

    ¡°Oi. No magic. You promised.¡± Sh warned as she cut her eyes.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need magic.¡± Agni replied with a smirk. She leveled her hand towards Sh, pointing her fingers outward in a very deliberate motion. Both the pointer and middle finger thrust forward, extending unbelievably fast as they moved. Sh was a secondte to react, partially because she was caught off guard. One of the spear-like fingertips grazed her shoulder, causing her to wince. The wound was enough to draw blood, which in turn caused Katrin to shoot Agni a disapproving nce.

    ¡°She¡¯ll never learn if you keep babying her. I¡¯m not holding back today.¡± Agni replied, uncaring of Katrin¡¯s increasingly intense gaze. Her fingers reached their maximum length and quickly snapped back, almost like a rubber band. As if the remark were a deeply personal one, Katrin turned up her nose and continued her task of practicing her Scribe runes.

    ¡°Mama can¡¯t save you now. Tsk tsk.¡± Agni taunted with the wagging of her finger. Katrin frowned while Shughed.

    ¡°You¡¯re just jealous because you don¡¯t get to drown yourself in her luscious, soft, silky mou¨C¡± Sh was so busy teasing Agni that she forgot about the battle. Several more spear-like fingers extended towards her, one after another forcing Sh to circle to her left. When she did so Agni was waiting.

    ¡°Gotcha!¡± Agni said as she used her free hand to extend an attack, catching Sh in her abdomen. This time she used a second ability in conjunction with Extend, called Iron w, Iron Fang. This particr technique hardened Agni¡¯s skin, it had the added benefit of working particrly well on fingernails and teeth. The end result was near metallic ws or fangs. This time one of the blows struck Sh in the upper thigh and pierced the skin. The blood spurted out in healthy amounts as Agni retracted her finger.

    ¡°You can¡¯t expect your enemy to take it easy on you. Let me know when you¡¯re ready to be serious.¡± Agni admonished. Frankly, Sh¡¯sckadaisical attitude was beginning to grate on the Subus. Over the past few days she had been racking her brain to piece together a style that could be considered ¡°natural¡± to her. This wasrgely due to the advice given by Gates and Gigi, both of whom were rank two adventurers.

    With that in mind, initially fixated on her Whisper ability. After some time, she realized the two skills she¡¯d just used were more practical forbat. Extend would allow her to send her digits outwards, while Iron w, Iron Fang could be used to enhance the attack. In order topensate for what Agni herself perceived as a weakness, she also opted not to use magic or weapons. She quickly realized that her ss seemed to focus on mid rangebat. She had no long range weapons to speak of, and all of her weapons could be wielded beyond arm¡¯s length.

    Thus, she felt her two greatest weaknesses were long and close rangedbat. Of the two, she felt agile enough to evade most long range attacks and perhaps even counter attack with magic or Whisper. That led her to cast away her weapons and focus on improving her own striking.

    The result was that Agni was now bing much morefortable being up close and personal, but due to Sh¡¯sck of effort, Agni felt that she wasn¡¯t really being pushed. This drove her crazy in a sense, as she felt that the next step mighte with a little nudge.

    She was beginning to regret her choice to ¡°kill two birds with one stone¡±. Ariadna and Merri would have been much more suitable for training with close rangebat. Gigi might have even been overkill, but Agni would still have learned more than battling against Sh. All of these thoughts raced through her mind, forming into a single spear called annoyance.

    *I hate wasting my time.* She thought as she frowned and began walking towards the imp.

    ¡°If you¡¯re not going to take it seriously, all bets are off.¡± Agni said as she lifted her right hand, coating it in mes. Before Sh could react she dashed forward. Sh attempted to fly away, moving upwards to avoid the sudden burst of speed ¡ª only to be grabbed by the ankle. Agni smirked as she yanked downward and thrust her ming fist into Sh¡¯s face. She then released a st of mes which red up, consuming Sh¡¯s face at point nk range.

    The attack wasn¡¯t meant to hurt, but it was enough to disorient Sh, who felt all of the oxygen dissipate around her for the briefest of moments. On reflex Sh thrust her foot outward, catching Agni on the jaw. The blow was so unexpected that Agni was forced to loosen her grip considerably. Sh managed to pull away at this moment but rather than fly away, she circled around and kicked Agni in the abdomen. The blow was well aimed, and due to Sh¡¯s momentum it carried enough weight to make Agni stagger.

    She released a grunt as all air was forced out of her lungs. Finally after a moment to catch her breath, Agni nced over at the imp.

    ¡°Why did you stop?¡± She asked. Straightening her posture as she did so.

    Sh offered no response, which made Agni even more agitated.

    ¡°Do you understand that we could have diedst week? Doesn¡¯t that bother you?¡± She asked as she wiped the dirt from Sh¡¯s shoes away from her cheek and resumed her advance.

    Once again the fight was on. Agni chose to harden her fingernails, extending them until they looked like ws protruding from her fingers. She bridged the gap almost effortlessly and began a series of swipes at Sh. Despite her bravado, Agni was taking it easy as well. An adventurer¡¯s body could withstand quite a lot. Gouged eyes, internal bleeding, broken bones ¡ª all of these would heal simply by being left alone for an hour, sometimes less.

    Yet she only attacked Sh in rtively ¡°safe¡± ces. The chest, the outer arms, the thighs. All the cuts were shallow and superficial enough to heal within minutes. After several more swipes Sh flew upwards, just out of reach and gazed down at Agni.

    After studying the subus for a moment she sighed loudly before saying a single word.

    ¡°Fine.¡± Sh floated downwards andnded on the ground. She wiped her cheek, a stream of blood dribbling along her skin, before she lifted her hand to taunt Agni into action.

    ¡°Come on. And don¡¯t hold back. I won¡¯t.¡± Sh said, offering a cocky smirk. The mood had shifted considerably, thus Agni felt a bit better about pushing her familiar previously.

    ¡°Good.¡± Agni said as she dashed forward once more. The next few moments were hazy for the subus, as she had little idea what happened. Her vision began to blur and fade, a few stepster she found herself falling face forward. She hit the ground with a loud thud, but Agni had no clue ¡ª she was out before she hit the ground.

    Sh walked over towards the fallen subus and stared down for a moment before lifting her heel.

    ¡°S-Sh- wait. The spar is ove¨C¡± Katrin said as she got to her feet, but it was toote. Sh brought her heel down against Agni¡¯s face, causing blood to issue from her busted lips.

    Sh then looked up to find everyone gazing at her with an obvious hint of disgust in their eyes.

    ¡°What? She said no mercy.¡± Sh remarked, suddenly her ears were burning.

    ¡°Ugh. What the hell?¡± Agni whispered. Prompting a surprised look from Sh.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake already? Really? Hmm.¡± She said as she knelt down, driving her foot into Agni¡¯s temple.

    ¡°Where the hell are you stepping? Do you want to die?¡± Agni grunted as she struggled to push herself upwards. This proved to be impossible for one very good reason, Sh¡¯s foot was pressed firmly against the side of her face. The blonde haired impughed maniacally, which pushed Agni even further to new heights of anger.

    ¡°Oh well. At least now I know my new skill works.¡± Sh said with a smile as a thoroughly drowsy Subus attempted to grab at her in vain.

    ¡°Sh, that¡¯s enough.¡± Katrin said as she marched towards the two.

    ¡°Oi. Wait, Katrin.¡± Sh said, holding up a hand ¡ª but it was toote. Katrin took one too many steps forward and fell prey to Sh¡¯s new ability ¡ª Sleep Mine. One whiff of the near invisible cloud of sleep vapors caused Katrin to fall face forward with a thud.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­probably going to hurt when she wakes up.¡± Sh said.

    ¡°Move your damn foot!¡± Agni shouted.

 Chapter 160: Lull To Twilight

    Chapter 160: Lull To Twilight

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you stepped on my face.¡± Agni practically growled as she walked behind Sh. The group of eight were now on their way to their nightly ritual for thest time.

    ¡°You said not to hold back.¡± Sh replied casually as she walked ahead, next to Katrin.

    A gentle pat on Agni¡¯s shoulder was meant to console her, yet all it did was add salt to the wound. Ariadna offered a gentle gaze before walking ahead with everyone else.

    ¡°There there.¡± Merri offered. Her voice barely matched her physique. She was taller than Agni, by several centimeters with a blend of blond and brown hair. Her minotaur horns jutted out from beneath the blonde hair near the top of her head, yet they didn¡¯t detract from her beauty in any way.

    *I wonder if mine will get bigger.* Agni thought to herself as she inspected Merri¡¯s horns. She subconsciously lifted a hand towards one of her horns, remembering the time a piece had been snapped off. Though it was healed, it still agitated her a bit, causing her to grunt.

    ¡°Is something wrong Agni? I mean.. Besides the obvious..¡± Merri asked. Of the members present, Agni had to admit that the minotaur was the one she knew least well. In her mind, Merri was simply Ariadna¡¯s friend, the one who always seemed fixated on battling Grimlock.

    ¡°No. Not really. And I¡¯ll survive. My pride may be a little wounded but I KNOW WHERE SHULA SLEEPS.¡± Agni said, cupping her mouth to emphasize her words. Sh flicked her hair outwards without reply ¡ª an obvious response to Agni¡¯s threat.

    ¡°Ha ha. You two seem to get on well.¡± Merri replied. Standing next to her, it was difficult not to notice just how well built Merri¡¯s body was. Her shoulders, biceps, thighs ¡ª the body definitely fit the ideal image of a warrior from just about any DnD game. Even Merri¡¯s hair, which came down to above her shoulder line, was tied back into a small ponytail.

    ¡°How is it that you became so interested in Grimlock, Merri?¡± The thought just randomly popped into Agni¡¯s head and it seemed as good a ce to start as any.

    ¡°I mean..we¡¯re adventurers. So..it¡¯s kind of our job to fight them in a sense. But there¡¯s all sorts of ways to make a living.¡± Agni continued. She studied the minotaur¡¯s face, and for a moment she thought she saw a reaction of some sort. Instead, that was reced quickly with a smile.

    ¡°Is there something wrong with wanting to be strong?¡± Merri asked.

    ¡°No. Not at all. I mean, just look at the past week. We¡¯ve all been brainstorming other ways to improve. I¡¯ve learned it¡¯s not all about levels. You have to use your gifts, master them to the fullest in order to be considered a true adventurer.¡± Agni replied.

    ¡°Before¡­ I mean, in my past life, I was what you¡¯d call a bookworm. I wasn¡¯t necessarily shy ¡ª I just hated thepany of people. I found them to be¡­deceitful and misleading. Books were simpler to figure out, and when reading between the lines you knew where everyone stood.¡± Merri exined.

    ¡°I would never have thought it, honestly. I.. I mean based on how you look now.¡± Agni sort of stumbled on her words after realizing how this sounded. Merri simply offered another smile as she continued following everyone else deeper into the Lull Forest.

    ¡°Because of that, I never devoted any of my time or effort into fully exploring the capabilities of a human body. That was my biggest regret. I died at the age of 19 due to poor health. It was tough being sick, weeks on end and sometimes months. Near the end I could barely even leave my room. All I could do was read and window watch. And wouldn¡¯t you know it? Right around the time I was supposed to ¡®go¡¯ I began to develop a severe case of wanderlust. The notion that I missed out on so much life pretty much consumed my thoughts. In the end, I couldn¡¯t pass on peacefully.¡±

    Agni hadn¡¯t expected to hear such a personal and sad story, so she did the only thing she could do ¡ª stayed silent.

    ¡°Ah, but that¡¯s all in the past obviously. When I got here, I realized it was a second chance. I have a new body, one that¡¯s much stronger than I could have ever been.¡± Merri added with a smile, perhaps she sensed Agni¡¯s mood twist due to her sudden overshare.

    ¡°So, now I work out every day. Sometimes even more than once a day if I can help it. I still love to read, of course ¡ª but I want to really push my limits! There¡¯s only so far you can get with practice. At some point you need the real thing. I need to test my skills and see where I stand in order to grow.¡± Merri exined.

    ¡°I understand. Wholeheartedly.¡± Agni replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m just so EXCITED!¡± Merri said as she pumped both of her fists. Agni listened intently to Merri¡¯s words as the group traveled. As she did so, a sense offort settled upon the subus. She cast a nce forward at the group of people ahead of her. Katrin and Sh were nearest, followed by Ariadna and Sypha. This pairing struck Agni as awkward considering Sypha was dressed mostly in white and grey, while Ariadna¡¯s style was ck with purple style ents. At the head of the group was Gigi the red haired Spellsword and Gates, the boyish looking young man who was dubbed the unofficial leader for this trip due to his sense of responsibility. That, coupled with his experience and rank made him all the more desirable.

    For the briefest of times Agni wondered just how many moments like this awaited in the future. Not many, she thought inwardly. So she took in the sight for what it was, watching all of the people gathered around her walk and talk ¡ª before devoting her full attention to the woman at her side.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never been inside a red shard. I can¡¯t wait! Heck! This week was my first time inside a normal shard period!¡± Merri began to gush enthusiasm as the two adventurers followed in the rear. It wasn¡¯t long before Gates¡¯ voice rang out from in front.

    ¡°We¡¯re here. Let¡¯s take a small breather before we step inside.¡± He said.

    The deeper the group of eight moved into the Lull Forest, the denser the foliage and tree clusters became. Agni surmised that they were fairly deep based on the way the trees stood no further than three meters apart. With the sun slowly, surely sinking over the horizon, it was now time to begin their nightly ritual ¡ª hunting Grimlock.

    ¡°Great. Now, before we enter I will just cover the basics for those who have limited or nil experience with shards. The first thing is you need to protect yourself from the harmful effects of miasma at all times. Failure to do so will poison you and in some cases kill you within minutes. Inside the shard, your protections against immediate death will be rendered null and void. W¨C¡± Gates paused , his face contorting with curiosity as he nced over the people before him.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Agni?¡± He asked, causing everyone else to look around.

    ¡°That¡¯s weird.¡¯ She was right here. Merri said as she spun around, casting her gaze in all directions.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    Agni walked through the forest, almost in a daze as her forced breaths filled the air. It was beginning to get dark, partially due to trees blocking out most of the sunset. She had enough presence of mind to get away from others, but the feeling building within her allowed for very little ¡°rational¡± judgement. At some point along the way she¡¯d begun shedding her clothing, one article at a time ¡ª a singr thought on her mind as the bangle on her wrist began to pulse with magical energy.

    ¡°I just need some distance. I just need some distance.¡± Agni repeated to herself, her eyes beginning to pulse with pink energy as her Sulust began to take over. With a few steps she was topless, thenpletely nude. She felt wonderful, the night skin kissed her body with a soothing temperature, one thatpletely contrasted the heat of her building fervor.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t felt this hot in a long time.¡± She whispered as she ran her fingers against the flesh of her own body.

    ¡°Damn Sh. This is¡­all..her fault.¡± Agni said between panting breaths. Earlier in the day she¡¯d checked the task, it was simple ¡°Masterbate. Because self love is the best love.¡±. Unfortunately, due to her humiliating defeat at the hands of her familiar, shepletely forgot!

    ¡°M-maybe I can still¡­do it before it¡¯s toote.¡± She whispered, her voice growing hot. She¡¯d already licked her own fingers before she knew it, a sticky trail of saliva caught up on her fingers. Not that she needed it. Her body was already dripping and wet, her clear nectar was coating the outside of her lips as Agni pressed her fingers between them and began to rub.

 Chapter 161: Carnal Energy

    Chapter 161: Carnal Energy

    Her body moved as if it had a mind of its own, lost in the feeling of creeping lust which slowly and surely dulled her senses. The bangle had already begun to activate by hijacking her mana lines and funneling the energy of pleasure throughout her body in small amounts. She had be used to this sensation, it was almost intoxicating, truth be told. It felt like getting a stimting full body massage, one that caused both toe and finger to curl with delight.

    Agni soon found herself sinking down onto the ground, her hands eagerly caressing her body.

    *I.. I can¡¯t hold back anymore..* This was her final thought before she spiraled into the deepening seas of lust. It was like watching herself via an out of body experience at times. She could see her hands moving to cup her breasts. She tweaked them ever so gently, for they were taut and sensitive. She bowed her head, blowing a gentle breath against them and relishing in the sense of electricity that jolted through her body.

    Her other free hand moved downward along her abdomen. She could keenly feel how soft and silky her own skin felt against her fingers. Her only thought was how much better it would be if someone else were doing the touching. As quickly as this thought formed it was gone, and her hands had fallen farther south. Her body was soaked. Her lips,bia and everything between ¡ª dripping with lust juices which she delved into without restraint.

    She was positioned on her knees, as if offering a prayer to the most sinful of deities, her hand busily working as her breath began to grow heavier. It wasn¡¯t long before she began to quiver, her clit thumping furiously as she worked her fingers. Her lips bulged and squeezed together as she asionally worked her finger inside her honey pot, further rubbing the juices into the folds of her m-like lips.

    The sensation of orgasm was upon her, and it would not be denied. Agni tossed her head back, remembering only to stifle her voice as the feeling struck. Like a bolt of lightning she felt a sense of overwhelming pleasure, one that caused her body to shake and seize up all at once. And then¡­silence , all save for her breathing which was melodic and measured.

    It was beginning to grow dark, and for a moment she decided to pack it up. The only problem was¡­

    ¡°My body is still hot.¡±

    She immediately realized that while her mind was saying no, her body was a different beast entirely. That¡¯s when Agni noticed it ¡ª a pink meter on her viewport. Just below the bars that represented mana and health, one that wasn¡¯t usually present. Her mind raced as she examined it and less than a secondter a new tooltip presented itself.

    ¡°Carnal Meter.¡± she mouthed. She did recall unlocking something like that, and if she remembered correctly ¡ª it happened once she gained better control over her Sulust. She also noticed that the bar was almost full, at about 80%, judging by the looks of it.

    ¡°Is this¡­what I think it is?¡± Agni wondered aloud. She bit her lip for a moment before deciding on a test of sorts.

    ¡°Once more shouldn¡¯t hurt¡­. I¡¯ll make it really quick..¡± She said as she bit her lip and made herselffortable.

    She sat on the grass, her fingers dipping low once again. This time she had a better presence of mind, though not by much. Her senses were still abuzz and everything felt electric ¡ª even the air surrounding her. Yet, this time she felt more grounded, as if she was now present in her own body. She watched the meter, as best she could given the circumstances, this time opting to take a different approach to self pleasure. She began by running her fingers between her thighs, the feeling was one Agni relished. The sensation was electric, and for the briefest of moments she could feel her inner thighs quiver. The Carnal Meter shed momentarily and rose by a tiny amount.

    ¡°Interesting..¡± She remarked as she continued to y. She moved towards her lips, crossing her legs as she leaned on her free hand. Her head rxed, moving backwards as she edged her own body ¡ª gently rubbing her hands against her lips, slowly and deliberately. Though the temperature was rising for Agni she still kept a close eye on the meter ¡ª indeed as she suspected it began to rise over time. Along with it, her senses heightened and slowly she came closer to losing her senses.

    When the urge to cum became unbearable, Agni slipped her middle fingers inside of her body and began to work them, slowly at first then more furiously. The sound of her juices lubricating each thrust was enough to bring her to even new heights and finally, once again she came. This time, she noticed another dip in the Carnal Meter.

    ¡°75%..¡± She mouthed, even as she sucked the nectar from her own fingers. And still¨Cshe could go longer¡­ so she decided to continue¨C

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    ¡°Sypha, what are you doing? You¡¯re supposed to be helping me search.¡± Gates said as he made his way towards Sypha, the Lightweaver. The white haired man waved his hand, hushing Gates as he approached.

    ¡°What? Is something wrong?¡± Gates asked as he took up position next to Sypha, his gaze directed towards Sypha¡¯s intense interest.

    ¡°Sypha! W-what are you doing? This is..private!¡± Gates¡¯ face turned beet red upon realizing the scene before him. The vermillion haired subus was busy, intently focused on pleasing herself. What¡¯s more, their vantage point allowed them the ultimate view. Even as Gates voiced his opinion, his eyes were transfixed. He watched Agni¡¯s fingers slide in and out of her body several times in a row. His little brother twitched in response to the delightful sight, causing Gates to clench his fists. He stood for a long while, his eyes wide as he took in the sight of her, her nipples were fully erect and her body was flush in various ces. The focus etched on the Subus¡¯ face spoke of her due diligence in exploring her own body.

    Even though she was supremely wet, her fingers seemed to be swallowed, only to emerge with copious amounts of juices. Gates found himself licking his lips as a thought entered his brain for a split second.

    *I wonder what her nectar tastes like..* He shook his head to dispel the sense of bewitchment he was slowly falling under.

    ¡°Sypha. We¡­ we sound her. We shouldn¡¯t be watching like this..¡± Gates said as he crouched and whispered his disapproval.

    ¡°Agni¡¯s a subus. Do you really think a sex demon would have a problem with¡­such a sakura situation?¡± Sypha posed the question without hesitation. It was clear to Gates that the Lightweaver had already considered the ¡°privacy¡± question. Gates¡¯ mind shed back to all of the times he¡¯d seen Agni practically naked and he couldn¡¯t really muster a rebuttal, even if he wanted to.

    ¡°But still¨C¡°

    ¡°What are we looking at?¡± The voice seemed toe out of nowhere, but a split secondter Gigi¡¯s arm wrapped around Gates¡¯ shoulders.

    ¡°Oh! She¡¯s really going at it. Gates, you naughty boy. If you wanted a show like this¡­.¡± Gigi smirked, a look of absolute devilishness filling her expression, ¡°all you had to do was ask.¡±

    Gigi had a habit of teasing Gates. It was irresistible to her. She simply couldn¡¯t resist given his boyish charm and straightced personality. She was aware that her words would have some kind of effect ¡ª but she didn¡¯t realize it would short circuit his brain.

    Gates¡¯ jaw dropped, his eyes widened and for a moment he seemed to stall out, like aputer caught in an endless loop. The sight of his face was enough to cause a ferocious giggle to escape from Gigi¡¯s lips. She cupped her hand towards her mouth as quickly as she could¨Cbut the damage was done.

    ¡°You two..keep it down. She¡¯s going to notice, then it really will be awkward..¡± Sypha admonished,he then turned back to the scene unfolding before him.

    ¡°What happened? Where did she go?¡± Sypha said suddenly, he could feel the pit of his stomach drop.

    ¡°Huh? That¡¯s weird¨C where is she¨C¡± Gigi said, even as a pink sh zoomed by. It took a moment for Gigi to process what happened. She looked to her left, where Gates had been standing until just a moment ago. Then towards the nearby ground. There, tangled in a mass of iling limbs was Gates. He was currently pinned down by a lust-addled Agni, having over-excited herself a bit too much in her ¡°experiments¡±.

    ¡°Gates, I¡¯m so d you came by. I¡­I don¡¯t know what to do with all of this pent up energy.¡± The look on her face was one of sublime adoration, her appreciation and affection practically oozed from every pore. Gates on the other hand was fighting a fierce internal dilemma. Agni was on top of him, straddling him whilst pinning down both of his wrists. Her face loomed centimeters away, and her breasts all but covered his mouth and cheeks.

    *It¡¯s¡­so warm.* He thought, amongst a plethora of other thoughts as Agni¡¯s mouth loomed ever closer to his face.

    ¡°W-wait!¡± He said, feeling a sudden surge of nervous energy. The motion of his mouth caused minute vibrations which in turn caused Agni¡¯s breasts to jiggle. She bit her lip and went in for the kill.

    ¡°Nom.¡± She said as Agnitched onto the nape of his neck and began to suck.

 Chapter 162: Imp Inspection

    Chapter 162: Imp Inspection

    ¡°Ahem. Now that everyone is present,¡± Gates said as he rubbed the fresh passion mark on his neck, ¡°we can sort out parties for tonight.¡±

    The evening had already fallen, and with it a still silence. This was the Lull Forest, a ce where sound and time seemed to halt after dark. In the distance, all around them were ethereal lights. To the unlearned, one would believe them to be spirits or wisps but all present knew the real source. Fulger Stag Grimlock,rge deer-like monsters that had the ability to channel lightning through their antlers. The lights in the distance were the territorial creature¡¯s way of signaling their location to other Grimlock. It was also a beacon for any adventurer skilled or foolish enough to engage.

    After a few minutes of chatting, the parties were set. Two groups of four ¡ª Agni, Sh, Sypha and Merri. The other group wasposed of Gates, Ariadna, Katrin and Gigi.

    ¡°The n is simple. We¡¯ve done this quite a few times this week and tonight will be no different. A red shard, under normal conditions shouldn¡¯t be too much for us gathered here to handle. The enemies are stronger, and they may activate unexpected abilities ¡ª but I assure you everyone here is up to the task.¡±

    Agni realized the speech was meant more for Ariadna and Merri than everyone else. After all, she couldn¡¯t imagine anyone who survived theirst ordeal being intimidated by Fulger Stag. To Agni this seemed like child¡¯s y.

    *No ck tentacles of death. No stubby golems trying to take out our knees. This should be a breeze.* She thought inwardly.

    ¡°Take a moment to assign roles within your party, then let¡¯s get a move on.¡± Gates said. His eyes met Agni¡¯s for the briefest of moments, causing him to blush and turn away.

    She sighed.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to..¡± Agni whispered as she pressed the tips of her pointer fingers together. All things considered, she didn¡¯t really feel bad about the awkward misunderstanding. In the end it took Gigi to pull her away, but not before the damage was done. There was a huge passion mark on Gates¡¯ neck, one that would be difficult to hide under just about any circumstance. Not that he could even conceal it¨Cmost everyone knew something happened.

    ¡°He¡¯ll get over it. No worries.¡± Sypha said with a smile.

    Agni studied his face for a moment, realizing that he¡¯d probably seen the same sight as Gates.

    *I guess only one of them is shy.* She thought.

    ¡°Forcing yourself on others is a crime. Delinquent. Defective demon.¡± Sh taunted as she bumped into Agni¨C hard.

    ¡°Hey. Watch it, chibi.¡± Agni said as she folded her arms.

    ¡°Try not to get in my way out there. I can¡¯t be held responsible if you step into another¨C¡± Sh snapped her fingers and mimicked firing a pistol, ¡°sleep mine.¡±

    ¡°Hey! I have questions.¡± Agni said as she proceeded to power walk towards Sh. In response Sh hid behind the nearest person and responded in a loud, clear voice.

    ¡°Ah! Scary, she¡¯s going to mark me. Help, Gates help! Oh¨C wait, she got you too.¡± Gates¡¯ face went nk as he momentarily recalled the sight of Agni furiously fingering her pussy. Gigi smirked as the same nk expression shed across his face.

    This caused Agni to stop in her tracks and clench her fist.

    ¡°You always say too much, you know that?¡± She said as she ran towards the imp.

    ¡°Doze! Doze!¡± Sh shouted as she flicked her fingers outwards. Small sparkles floated forth from her fingertips and wafted towards Agni¡¯s face. Almost immediately the Subus began to get drowsy. Just momentster, the sleep induced stupor was shaken off.

    ¡°Tsk.¡± Sh said loudly upon seeing that her sleep technique had no effect. She attempted to run ¡ª but it was no use. Agni clenched her in a headlock and began to thump her on the forehead.

    ¡°This is what you asked for. Whose face were you stepping on earlier? Huh?¡±

    The two tussled for quite some time whilst the other members of their party looked on, thoroughly entertained by the exchange.

    ¡°Ok! Ok! I¡¯ll stop!¡± Sh shouted as she rubbed her forehead. There was a bright red mark in the center.

    ¡°Dominance asserted. Bwa ha ha!¡± Agni said as she put her hand on her hips and mimicked Sh¡¯s trademark tyrannicalugh.

    ¡°I know where you sleep too.¡± Sh muttered, almost too inaudible for anyone to hear, all as she rubbed her stinging forehead.

    Minutester the groups were huddled together discussing various things.

    ¡°Sleep Daemon. I¡¯ve never heard of that ss before Sh. Could you tell me a bit about it? That way I can best determine the roles for our party.¡± Sypha said. He¡¯d been appointed the party leader by Gates, under the notion that he had almost the same amount of practical experience.

    ¡°Mmmm. It¡¯s a Specialist ss that focuses on inflicting and manipting status ailments.¡± Sh said as she folded her arms.

    ¡°Really? That sounds pretty interesting.¡± Merri added.

    ¡°I see. Can you give me a better idea of your skillset?¡± Sypha then asked.

    ¡°I can conceal my presence and inflict sleep ailment. The effectiveness is based on different factors. I recently got a new skill called ¡®Sleep Mine¡¯ that allows me to concentrate sleep element mana in a fixed ce. Once I guide the mass and position it, I can no longer move it. I can also use my ability to cloak on my Sleep Mine ability ¡ª making them invisible.¡±

    Agni cut her eyes and folded her arms as she stared at Sh.

    *Howe you¡¯re sopliant to him!? I asked you like seven times!* Agni transmitted via their mental link.

    To this Sh simply gave a shrug. In response Agni thumped her forehead yet again.

    ¡°Stop it! You¡¯re going to make me as dumb as you!¡± Sh grumbled, she clutched her forehead as it began to throb in pain once more.

    ¡°Crybaby.¡± Agni muttered.

    ¡°Ha ha.¡± Sypha could only chuckle to himself, after all he had no idea of the mental exchange between the two.

    ¡°So Sh.. Your abilities can be used in a flexible way. What range would you say you¡¯re best suited to when ites tobat?¡±

    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s part of the problem. My Sleep Daemon abilities have a limited range. But I can also use fire magic, so it¡¯s not a problem.¡±

    ¡°I see. In that case, I think you should act as a secondary striker along with Agni.¡± Sypha said as he rubbed his chin.

    ¡°My skills lend towards support and healing. Merri, you can focus on defending the strikers and interrupting the enemy with your abilities. And you two can deal with the enemies however you see fit. How does that sound?¡±

    ¡°No problems here.¡± Agni replied, almost instantly. Sh nodded in agreement leaving just Merri¡¯s response.

    ¡°You¡¯re asking me? I¡¯m.. I¡¯m fine with anything. I mean, yes!¡± Merri nearly stuttered as she responded to Sypha¡¯s question. After hearing more about Merri¡¯s past, Agni finally felt she understood more about why Merri seemed socially awkward at times.

    *It¡¯s almost like she expects to be an outsider in every situation.* At least this was Agni¡¯s observation.

    A few momentster they were done discussing roles and moved onto gear check.

    ¡°So what else aren¡¯t you telling me missy?¡± Agni asked as she stood next to Sh and cast an inquisitive gaze.

    ¡°Mmm. Should I tell you? Hmmmmm.¡± Sh teased as she inspected Agni for any signs of annoyance.

    ¡°Well, you can find out for yourself. You *can* see my status you know. I am your familiar.¡±

    ¡°What? Really?¡± Agni asked as she opened her own status menu with a wave of her hand.

    ¡°Yep. Right there.¡± Sh said as she pointed at a fixed point in the air. Coincidentally, it was a part of Agni¡¯s status screen that she¡¯d somehow overlooked.

    ¡°Familiar Tab. Wait.. how can you see my status screen?¡± Agni asked as she cocked her head to the side slightly.

    ¡°I¡¯ve always been able to see it. I was inside your head, remember. Though I doubt that¡¯s the reason. I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s connected to being your thrall.¡± Sh remarked.

    ¡°I¡¯m wounded. I would never consider you a thrall. A minion¨Cmaybe.¡± Agni responded, even as she opened the status window to take a peek.

    *It¡¯s been a while since I even looked at my own stats, honestly..* Agni thought to herself as she nced at the screen.

    [Agni Heartfyre]

    [Age : 18]

    [ss : Subus Lvl : 34]

    [Adv. Tier : 0 ]

    [Health : 428/428]

    [Mana : 603/603]

    [Carnal Meter : 3 / 100]

    At this point Agni paused. She vaguely remembered the second number of her Carnal Meter being unreadable.

    ¡°So now there¡¯s a maximum? I wonder what that means.¡±

    [Strength : 51 (76)]

    [Agility : 75 (112)]

    [Speed : 38

    [Soul : 76 ]

    [Charm : 151]

    **Growth**

    HP ¨C 8

    MP ¨C 13

    Str ¨C 2

    Agl ¨C 2

    Spd ¨C 1

    Soul ¨C 2

    *Special* ¨C 4

    **General Skills / Abilities**

    [Mana Well (Passive) +30% Mana, scales with level.]

    [Mana Spring (Passive) +50% Mana Regeneration speed.]

    [Element Maniption (Active) {71%} ¨C Use mana to directly manipte the properties of ambient magic particles and create elemental constructs.]

    [Toughness ¨C (Passive) {9%} +5% Natural Damage Reduction to Physical Attacks.]

    [Resistance ¨C (Passive) {2%} +5 Natural Damage Reduction to Magical Attacks. ]

    [Whip Mastery ¨C (Passive) {6%} Gain the ability to use and master whip-like weapons, with practice. ]

    ¡°My element maniption mastery went up by quite a bit. Everything else is pretty minimal..¡± Agni remarked, upon seeing

    **ss Skills / Abilities**

    [ Demonic Heritage (1) ¨C Abnormal strength bestowed by your demonic bloodline. +50% to base strength and agility.]

    [Sulust -(Passive) {36%} +5% Strength, Agility and Speed when activated. When the Carnal meter is full, +15 additional percent to Strength,Agility and Speed. ]

    [Subus Vision ¨C (Passive) {27%} ¨C Use carnal energy to activate a special type of sight which reveals sensitive or erogenous zones on the body. Heightens your senses, allowing you to react more quickly. You can also toggle erogenous vision off and on at will. ]

    [Whisper ¨C (Active) {58%} By speaking to someone you canpel them to take action. May not work based on distance and willpower of the target. Range : Intimate/1 Meter]

    [Iron Fangs, Iron ws ¨C (Passive) {29%} Allows the user¡¯s nails and teeth to be as hard as most metals at a whim. ]

    [Extend ¨C (Passive) {13%} The ability to use mana to cause your fingers or tail to extend. The greater your mastery the longer you can maintain the extension, as well as greater lengths.]

    [Fusion ¨C (Passive) {0%} Join with your familiar. The effectiveness and duration isrgely determined by the mastery of the ability.]

    [Potential : 0 / 50]

    [Current Exp: 232 / 1,000]

    [Level Points ¨C 26]

    [ Primary Modifier : Carnality ¨C 300%]

    [ Secondary Modifier: Mysticism ¨C 200%]

    ¡°So Fusion unlocked as a passive ability. I wonder why it¡¯s still at zero percent mastery? We practiced that with Vivian didn¡¯t we? It should have gone up.¡± Agni said, her brow furrowing as she inspected the new ability.

    ¡°Who knows. Maybe we should use it more.¡± Sh said as she hovered over, taking up position just over Agni¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Anyway¡­.check out mine. Or don¡¯t..whatever¡­¡± Sh said as she endeavored to y it cool. Agni smirked, the sense of anticipation behind Sh¡¯s demeanor was pretty obvious.

    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s have a look then.¡± Agni said with a smile as she began to read aloud.

    [Sh Heartfyre]

    [Age : 18]

    ¡°You¡¯re like my kid. You have myst name and everything. Oh! You really are an adult. I had my doubts-¡± Agni was silenced by a sharp twist of her ear.

    ¡°Oww! Oww it¡¯s ripping off!¡±

    ¡°Abusive familiar. I¡¯m going to pawn you if you keep this up.¡± Agni muttered. Agni rubbed her ear tenderly before continuing.

    [ss : Sleep Daemon Lvl : 23]

    [Adv. Tier : 0 ]

    [Health : 0.8x ]

    [Mana : 2.0 x]

    [Strength : 1.0x ]

    [Agility : 1.0x ]

    [Speed : 1.25x ]

    [Soul : 1.5x ]

    [ Sovereignty : 1.0x ]

    ¡°What do these numbers mean? Sh?¡± Agni asked in reference to the numbers next to Sh¡¯s stats.

    ¡°Your guess is as good as mine. These numbers don¡¯t show up on my status screen. Unless¡­¡± Sh took a moment to open her own status screen and take a look.

    ¡°Ah. I see now. These are modifiers.¡± Sh said as she pointed towards the decimal values on Agni¡¯s disy.

    ¡°See, here?¡± Sh asked as she pointed towards the health value.

    ¡°My maximum health is 80% of your health stat. For me, I can see the numerical value, 342 instead. I never noticed it before, it makes sense why I don¡¯t get level points now.¡± Sh remarked.

    ¡°So your stats are dependent upon mine and based on the modifiers listed here. I guess that also exins why you don¡¯t have a stat growth chart. I wonder if this is something exclusive to familiars?¡±

    The two shrugged in unison as they continued viewing the information on Sh¡¯s status screen.

    **General Skills / Abilities**

    [Well Spring (Passive) +50% faster Health regeneration.]

    [me Mastery (Passive) {2%} Use mana to directly manipte the properties of ambient me energy and magic particles to create elemental constructs and advanced spells.]

    [Spell Boost (Passive) {11%} Use extra mana to strengthen the effect of your spells.]

    [Affliction Boost (Passive) {7%} Increases the likelihood that you can inflict status ailments on your target.]

    **ss Skills / Abilities**

    [ Demonic Heritage (1) ¨C Abnormal strength bestowed by your demonic bloodline. +50% to base strength and agility.]

    [me Dominion (Inactive) {2%} ¨C The ability to control me mana as an extension of yourself.]

    [Shared Bond (1) ¨C Gain a portion of your bond¡¯s umted experience and in return you share a portion of your own umted experience. (5%).]

    [Night Stalker (Active) ¨C Turn invisible at will. The skillsts as long as you can hold your breath. Physical movement makes you more noticeable.]

    [Dream Dust (Active) ¨C Create ¡®sleep dust¡¯ which can be used to deepen the sleep of any sleeping target. Infusing this skill with intent allows the user to guide the dreams of the target as well.]

    [Sleep Mine (Active) ¨C Create a mass of sleep inducing mana that can be positioned for up to ten seconds after creation. The lifespan of the mass is determined by the amount of mana condensed into the construct. Can be used with the Night Stalker skill to camouge the mass.]

    ¡°Why do you have so many more active skills than I do?¡± Agni said with a frown.

    [Fusion ¨C (Active) {2%} Join with your bond. The effectiveness and duration isrgely determined by the shared mastery of the ability.]

    ¡°Huh!? Why is your fusion ability higher than mine? That¡¯s garbage! We¡¯ve used the skill in the same amounts! Plus I¡¯m the responsible one!¡± Agni protested.

    ¡°Obviously because I¡¯m superior to you in every way.¡± Sh said , apanied by a smirk.

    ¡°Pfft. The only thing you beat me in is height¨C Ow ow ow. I¡¯m sorry! No, noo please! It¡¯s reallying off this time!¡±

    [Potential : 4 / 50]

    [Current Exp: 317 / 1,000]

    [Level Points ¨C N/A]

    [Primary Modifier : Afflicter ¨C 375%]

    [Secondary Modifier: Groper ¨C 125%]

    ¡°Ha. Ha ha. Ah¨C now it makes sense.¡± Agni could barely contain herughter as she read the final line of Sh¡¯s status screen.

    ¡°Really? What¡¯s so funny about being a groper?¡± Sh asked as she flexed her fingers in a highly suggestive way.

    ¡°Because everytime you¡¯re asleep you practicallytch yourself to my chest. And Katrin¡¯s chest. And..well..any chest.¡± Agni said as she recalled the numerous instances of Sh¡¯s groping incidents.

    ¡°It¡¯s almost like my tail.¡± Agni said, causing her to pause for a moment.

    ¡°Wait a minute. Sh! Was that you!?¡± Agni asked. Sh turned and floated towards the other party members.

    ¡°What a shame, it¡¯s time to go.¡± She replied as she floated away.

    ¡°It WAS you! All this time you let me think it was ME!¡± Agni said as she moved to catch up with her familiar.

    ¡°You can¡¯t really prove it.¡± Sh said with a devilish smile as she joined the rest of the party so that they could embark upon their exploration of the red shard.

 Chapter 163: Embers

    Chapter 163: Embers

    ¡°Bring it!¡± Merri the Minotaur shouted as she brandished herrge shield. Her Tower Guard adventurer¡¯s ss was designed to assume a defender¡¯s role ¡ª yet she seemed to master being aggressive all the same. Her posture sank low as she thrust her shield forward, knocking the nearby Fulger Stag back in the process.

    She then swung her shield, catching the creature in the sternum. The monster seemed stunned and it was at this moment that Sypha chose to act. He sped his hands together, resembling a prayer posture with inteced fingers. Several strands of light flowed forth from his body and coiled around the creature¡¯s neck, antlers and legs. With it¡¯s bnce thrown off the creature could do little else but fall to its knees.

    As the Fulger Stag struggled to break the binding light magic, Sh stepped forward and lifted her right arm, her fingers outstretched. A translucent blue vapor began to roll outwards, like a contained stream of thunderclouds. The Fulger Stag struggled as best it could, but it was to no avail. The moment the sleep magic settled around the creature¡¯s face, it¡¯s movements slowed and a sleep induced stupor began to settle in.

    This was also the exact moment that Agni struck. The hefty de of her halberdshed out,pletely cleaving the Stag¡¯s horns off with the first blow. She allowed the weight of the weapon to carry her momentum into a second, more powerful spinning strike. This blow beheaded the creaturepletely. It¡¯s body turned ck and ashy as ck mist consumed the Fulger Stag and it floated away into nothingness.

    Only the Stag¡¯s antlers remained, winning an exmation from Sypha.

    ¡°Yes! This is great.¡± Sypha said as she stepped forth to grab the fallen prize.

    ¡°Oh¨C so it really is true.¡± Agni said as she squatted down to inspect the now glowing antler.

    ¡°Yes. There are key parts on just about all Grimlock that, if harvested correctly, will remain after battle. Of course, this doesn¡¯t always work and the most reliable way is to get the Monster Drops ability. ¡± The bronze skinned, white haired Lightweaver said as he lifted up the Stag drop and further inspected it.

    The group of four had been inside the shard for nearly an hour at this point, and it was safe to say nothing within could touch them. Granted, their only enemies were Fulger Stag, but Merri made sure to use her abilities as a Tower Guard to the fullest. Along with Sh¡¯s ability to sleep and Sypha¡¯s binding light beams, hunting Fulger Stag was exceedingly easy.

    Seeing this Sypha suggested that they also collect Fulger drops while doing so, and he was surprised to learn that Agni knew very little on the subject.

    ¡°So byparison, how effective is this Monster Drops ability?¡± Agni asked.

    ¡°Hmm. Well, I will put it this way. Monster Drops gives you a 100% chance to get a drop. However, you may not always obtain an item. It¡¯s kind of difficult to exin but, basically you always have a chance to get something ¡ª and those chances increase based on your ability to harvest correctly, rarity and luck.¡± Sypha further exined as Sh and Merri gathered around as well.

    ¡°For example, have you ever gotten a Fulger Stag Core?¡±

    Each of thedies shook their heads in response, causing Sypha to continue his exnation.

    ¡°A Fulger Stag core is a rare drop. In fact, all cores from Grimlock can be considered rare drops. I don¡¯t know the exact probability ¡ª but if you have Monster Drops you could consider it maybe a 0.5% chance of sess. That means roughly 1 of every 200 Fulger Stag might drop a core¨Cbut ONLY if you¡¯re using Monster Drops and ONLY if you¡¯re lucky. The chances without that skill are abysmal.¡±

    Indeed, Sypha¡¯s words were true. Now that Agni thought back on it, the most she¡¯d ever gotten from fighting hundreds of Fulger Stag were asional drops which apparently were reallymon items like fur or antler pieces. At the time she was simply happy to make a few extra Gols, but ording to Sypha there was real money to be had in acquiring monster drops.

    So much so that it was the Lightweaver¡¯s main source of ie, aside from asionally taking chapel quests. The group continued on in this way for quite some time. Due to the territorial nature of their foes, each battle was one on one and over within seconds. Even then oppressive miasma floating around within the shard was not enough to dampen their spirits.

    Hourster, they stepped outside of the shard at the appointed time with over twenty different assorted drop items. They¡¯d managed to collect drops from every two or three Grimlock they encountered, yet Sypha insisted the haul was quiteme inparison to a party with Monster Drops.

    ¡°Here you go. It¡¯s only fair that you all get some of the spoils.¡± Sypha said as the group huddled in a circle just outside the shard¡¯s entrance. He swiped his hand and seemed to be pressing an imaginary disy, this was an action that Agni had be well ustomed to seeing. It meant that Sypha was essing his Systema menus for some reason or another.

    ¡°There you go.¡± He said as he looked around. Alerts began to roll in for each member of the party.

    [Got 3 Fulger Antlers. 2 Stag Coats]

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Sh asked as she read the details of the exchange. ¡°Leader¡¯s Lotto.¡±

    ¡°Leader¡¯s Lotto is a skill provided by the Systema to leaders of a party. It basically distributes items or resources in a randomized way.¡±

    ¡°Resources? Like what kind?¡± Merri asked.

    ¡°Gols. Experience. Items. It¡¯s pretty useful.¡± Sypha responded.

    ¡°You can randomly distribute experience points?¡± Sh asked.

    ¡°Yea. Oh¨C you two probably haven¡¯t experienced it but under certain circumstances you can gain bonus experience within the party. This experience can then be distributed by the leader, or maybe it¡¯s more urate to say the party settings.¡±

    ¡°Howe you never used this?¡± Sh asked as she cast a doubtful eye in Agni¡¯s direction.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know it existed.¡± She said as she folded her arms.

    ¡°Defective.¡±

    ¡°Shorty.¡± Agni responded¨Calmost automatically.

    ¡°So what can I do with these items? I mean besides selling them?¡± Merri asked as she materialized an antler drop. She lifted it so that she could inspect it further, the item still pulsed with faint charges of lightning mana.

    ¡°Oh, tons of things. Potions, O.T.U.¡¯s, Katrin could use these items to make enchanted ink, you can use cores to modify your gear or weapons. It¡¯s endless, really.¡± Sypha listed off a variety of things off the top of his head.

    ¡°O.T.U.¡¯s?¡± Merri seemed puzzled.

    ¡°One Time Use items. They tend to be very powerful, but as the name suggests they have limited use. Although, there are some items that have multiple charges and some that can regenerate mana to be used infinitely with a cooldown period¡­¡±

    Sypha continued to blow their minds with every word, there was so much more to the adventurer¡¯s lifestyle that Agni had yet to be exposed to. As she listened to the man speak, Agni couldn¡¯t help but curse Bracha in her forehead.

    *Damn witch. She made me fight non-stop for weeks on end! I knew there was more to life than farming XP.*

    Agni could almost imagine Bracha gleefully finishing off a bottle of spirits as sheughed drunkenly. The thought caused the subus to grit her teeth.

    It wasn¡¯t long before the other party,prised of Gates, Gigi, Katrin and Ariadna returned. Havingpleted their final day of their ¡°training camp¡±, all eight returned to the campsite. There they gathered around the roaring campfire and enjoyed each other¡¯spany. It was a sight that Agni simply had to take in. She looked from face to face as they went about their own tasks or shared conversations. This sort of experience was one that she never got to participate in, during her past life anyway.

    Agni recalled how, back then, she¡¯d been bullied to a point of being anti-social. She never once thought her mentality could have been considered trauma back then. Due to the actions of a few misguided fools, she allowed herself to be isted and detached from everyone else. This mentality formed a life longplex that saw her past life dominated by stoic loneliness. And eventually a solitary death¨C all alone, and full of regret.

    Yet, at this campfire, watching the entrancing embers rise into the darkened sky ¡ª for the first time in a long while Agni felt epted.

    As if these feelings were pouring out for all to see, Sh sat next to the subus. She said nothing, which was quite rare, instead the imp hugged her knees and leaned her head onto Agni¡¯s shoulder.

    Yet again Agni was forced to realize just how distant she usually was with people. She could count on one hand the number of times she actually touched a person during a given day. Other than the odd, lust driven encounter ¡ª there were rarely none at all. The sensation of Sh¡¯s warmth against her was foreign, yet in many ways wee. And yet, within thatfort there was also fear. A deeply rooted anxiety that welled up within the pit of her stomach. A hidden mass that caused an equal and opposite reaction ¡ª one that practically screamed ¡°get away¡±.

    *This is the hidden monster that lurks within.* Agni thought as she tried to steady her emotions. She soon realized it wouldn¡¯t be so simple. Being repulsed by normal touch, by simple intimacies ¡ª it would require moment by moment reflection to conquer. Diligence to ¡®live through the ufortable times¡¯.

    This was the answer formed by Agni¡¯s intuition. It was apparently also the same answer Zura came to as well. Agni simply smiled as she gazed upwards into the clear night sky. She forced herself to confront that monster, closing her eyes momentarily as she allowed Sh¡¯s small effort to infiltrate her tightly guarded interior.

    In her mind¡¯s eye, Agni felt a pin sized stream of light piercing the darkness and for a moment it caused her to quiver. She clenched her fists and continued to focus on the sensation until she could no longer be still. Her body was literally fighting against her mind, in a well trained, well practiced nuance that was deeply rooted in trauma. She could feel her shoulders quivering and tears beginning to well up from her tear ducts.

    In that instant she was surprised at the depths of her own trauma. Who would have thought that years of living as a repressed human being would elicit such a strong response? And yet, she also sensed the solution within as a tiny crack managed to break, softening the dark within.

    ¡°It¡¯s as simple as touching someone hmm?¡± She whispered, as she thought that perhaps Zura was right after all about her treatment methods.

 Chapter 164: Late Night Experiment

    Chapter 164: Late Night Experiment

    The group of adventurers fell asleep without a hitch. After all, they¡¯d practically spent thest week in a cycle of grinding. They¡¯d expanded their skills, however much possible in that short time frame and each was content with their efforts. That is ¡ª all but one.

    She stood in the darkness, gazing down at the sleeping subus. The imp¡¯s arms were ced on her hips, there was a certain power in the pose, thus she often adopted it where applicable. The only problem was ¡ª

    *I hate being short. Plebs, they look down on me. One day, they will all kneel before me.* She thought inwardly as she stared at her tent mates. Katrin was fast asleep, as was Agni, only Sh remained up ¡ª and with good reason.

    ¡°Now is the time.¡± She whispered to herself, this was partially to test if either of them would react. Silence filled the air as she awaited any kind of reaction. When none came, Sh knew it was time to put her n into action.

    There was a certain aspect of her abilities that she¡¯d recently be aware of ¡ª the ability to manipte and guide dreams. Due to herte night hijinks, she quickly came to understand the better nature of her abilities. What she did not fully understand were its applications. Thanks to Gates and Gigi¡¯s suggestions, all of the adventurers had begun to look at their current skill sets in a different way. Sh was no exception.

    One night, while performing her nightly ritual of toying with Katrin, something strange happened. It was this urrence that Sh wanted to test. Her target for the evening would be¡­

    ¡°Definitely you.¡± She whispered as she began to hover towards the sleeping subus. Soon she was levitating just centimeters away from her bondmate , floating in an unlikely position just parallel to the sleeping subus. She reached out a single hand and pressed her fingertip gently against Agni¡¯s forehead. A gentle blue glow issued forth from the point of contact, like a ripple traveling across the air. Sh took several deep breaths and closed her eyes, she focused on the sound of Agni¡¯s breathing and soon managed to sync herself with it.

    Slowly, surely Sh began to recede into her own thoughts until she found herself in a cid ce devoid of light, sound or movement. She felt as if she was the only source of all these notions within this ce. This onlysted for the briefest of moments before the boundaries of Agni¡¯s consciousness became clearly visible in the form of memories which yed out as a series of soundless images. Next came her thoughts, which resounded from everywhere at once. The extraneous ones sounded more distant and low, while her prevalent ideas seemed up close and personal.

    Sh focused even further, allowing her to begin filtering through this sea of consciousness until she arrived at the earliest possible memory she could find.

    ¡°Tsk.¡± She verbalized her disapproval, for the memory she could ess was Agni¡¯s first uponing to the world of Adventia.

    ¡°So much for that n.¡± She said as she folded her arms. The ¡°n¡± referred to an idea, one hatched to help Agni confront her own traumas. By revisiting past memories and safely using her ss abilities, the hope was to speed up the process ofing to terms. Instead all Sh could ess was¡­ this.

    ¡°Waking up in a pool of water.¡± Sh found that based on her own whims she could rewind or even slow the memory down. It hovered before her, like a gigant living painting ¡ª vivid in unexinable ways. The closer Sh moved towards the images the more drawn she felt. Out of curiosity she reached out and touched the memory¡¯s surface. It wobbled, almost like jello and began to ripple like the surface of water.

    In a sh of light Sh found herself in a different ce ¡ª one that was familiar yet also foreign.

    ¡°Huh? What the hell just happened?¡± She asked as the imp looked around. The ce was the Wilderness Tabernacle, specifically the spawning pool.

    ¡°Am I inside the memory? What the hell?¡± Sh asked, though no one would provide an answer. She cast her gaze downward and noticed a disturbance in the surface of the otherwise calm pool of water. A young woman burst forth, taking a deep breath as she broke the surface of the water.

    It was Agni, at least Sh recognized this form as Agni. It was her, prior to bing a subus. An ordinary woman, nude in a strange ce deep within the forest. She watched as Agni looked around , making an effort to survey her surroundings. She explored her own body for the briefest of moments ¡ª all before being interrupted by Wa, the guardian of the Wilderness Tabernacle.

    ¡°Ugh. Just when it was about to get X-rated.¡± Sh said as she floated towards the scene.

    ¡°Go away old woman. You¡¯re ruining things.¡± Sh remarked with a wave of her hand. In that instant Wa disappeared, turned to particles of magical dust.

    ¡°O-oh shit. I killed her.¡± Sh said, taken aback that Wa seemed to be blown away on a whim. What¡¯s more, ¡®Agni¡¯ seemedpletely caught off guard by this.

    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± The woman stammered as she sshed around aimlessly in the pool of water.

    ¡°Hmm? You can¡¯t see me?¡± Sh asked as she floated downward, closer towards the pool. She locked eyes with pre-Agni and waited. Indeed, as she surmised ¡ª the bewildered woman in the pool could not see her.

    ¡°Wait¡­a¡­minute..¡± Sh said slowly as realization began to dawn upon her.

    ¡°You are tressssssssssssssssss-passingggggggggggg.¡± Sh said as she endeavored to make her voice sound as creepy as possible. At the same time she focused her intent, the intent to be heard.

    ¡°Uwah! Who said that?¡± pre-Agni said as she recoiled and sank downwards, submerging her mouth below the surface of the water.

    ¡°You are trespassing. Get out¡­get out¡­. Get outttttt.¡± Sh continued her nonsensical prank, much to her own delight. She¡¯d never seen someone exit a pool so quickly.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry! Please, whatever you are, I apologize!¡± pre-Agni shouted as she also bowed her head.

    ¡°Bwa. Ha ha ha ha!¡± Sh erupted intoughter, she couldn¡¯t help it after all.

    ¡°I¡­.is something funny?¡± pre-Agni said cautiously. The once creepy voice now sounded more youthful, like that of a teenager. Sh pressed her hand against her own mouth, partially because she realized her own gaffe.

    *I forgot to cancel the sound of my voice.* She thought inwardly.

    ¡°Ahem. I suppose I should cut you some ck. I¡¯m your guardian angel.¡± Sh said, willing herself to appear before pre-Agni.

    ¡°Angel? R-right¡­ why do you have the wings and tail of a demon then?¡± pre-Agni said as she slowly began to back away.

    ¡°This? This is nothing. See?¡± Sh said as she willed her appearance into something a bit more angelic (and tall).

    ¡°See what?¡± pre-Agni asked as she cocked her head to the side in a questioning manner.

    ¡°Huh? It didn¡¯t work.¡± Sh said as she lifted her hands to inspect them.

    ¡°Suspicious. Definitely.¡± pre-Agni said as she stepped away even further. Her senses were practically screaming for her to run.

    ¡°I¡¯m not suspicious. Why are you like this?¡± Sh said, partially pouting as she folded her arms.

    ¡°That¡¯s something a shady person would say.¡± pre-Agni said as she turned on her heel and began to run away.

    Sh sighed and snapped her fingers. In an instant pre-Agni was dropped on her behind, just a few meters away from the spawning pool.

    ¡°What sorcery is this? I don¡¯t taste good. Please, I have children.¡± pre-Agni bbered off a list of random things, most of which weren¡¯t even applicable to the situation.

    ¡°Ugh. This is not going the way I thought it would.¡± Sh groaned as she nced down at the young woman who was currently prostrating herself.

    ¡°Time for a rewind.¡± She murmured. She took an extra few moments to bask in pre-Agni¡¯s fervent pleas not to be eaten, sacrificed or possessed before Sh decided to reset the entire memory.

 Chapter 165: The Rules Of Dreamscape

    Chapter 165: The Rules Of Dreamscape

    ¡°Finally. Now we¡¯re getting somewhere.¡± Sh remarked as she crouched behind a nearby thicket of bushes. She watched as pre-Agni and dream-Wa followed their predetermined routine. Wa led Agni towards the courtyard area of the Wilderness Tabernacle, exining her newfound predicament along the way. Sh hade to realize some awkward truths to dream maniption.

    Rule # 1: After revealing oneself inside of a dream, one could no longer hide.

    This resulted in nearly a dozen introductions to pre-Agni and Wa, most of which resulted in panic or battles. In the end, Sh decided it best to rewind the memory altogether and observe from afar. This went well until she spotted Katrin, at which point her urges to grope and fondle took hold. Thedies were bunched together in the bath when Sh chose to strike,tching herself onto Katrin¡¯s exposed melons and furiously nuzzling them with her face.

    ¡°D-demon! Oh! Not you Agni!¡± A random woman shouted as she was met with a bevy of confused gazes. She pointed towards the Imp who was busy motorboating Katrin¡¯s E cup breasts.

    Agni nced over from her attempt to work up the confidence to drop her own towel, just long enough to give Sh a genuine scowl. Within moments Wa was upon the Imp, her sword drawn.

    ¡°Ha. This is just a dream. You can¡¯t do anythi¨C¡± Sh¡¯s words fell short as Wa¡¯s de sheared off a good portion of her hair.

    Rule # 2 : Dream bodies can be injured.

    ¡°What the hell Wa!?¡± Sh shouted, suddenly she wasn¡¯t so confident about her earlier statement.

    ¡°What foul manner of beast are you? You are not one of mine.¡± Wa said as she strutted forth. With a single wave of her de she¡¯d forced Sh to release Katrin. The sight of Katrin¡¯s bewildered gaze shot pangs to Sh¡¯s heart as she fiercely clung to Agni.

    *Oh if you only knew how often I yed with those fun bags in your sleep.* She mused in Katrin¡¯s direction, even as the Guardian of the Wilderness Tabernacle towered before her.

    ¡°Speak now, or this will be yourst breath.¡±

    Sh sighed and hovered upwards before speaking her piece.

    ¡°Listen. You¡¯re just a dream. A memory. Why should I have to listen to anything you say? You should be careful, before I erase you again!¡± Sh flicked her wrist, her intention was to st away dream-Wa ¡ª but that would not be the case.

    Rule # 3 : To manipte a dream, you need mana.

    She felt drained suddenly, her limbs going temporarily weak. Sh quickly realized it was the sensation of insufficient mana.

    ¡°Ugh.¡± She grunted, and within the same moment Wa¡¯s de cut the air, lopping off the Imp¡¯s head in one clean swipe. Sh had absolutely no time to react, and in the end she could only hear the voices of nearby women as her head bounced, rolling on the forest floor.

    ¡°Thank god! Did you see what it was doing to that Scribe?¡±

    ¡°Fucking perverts. Even in this world!¡±

    ¡°Are you okay? Wow! She left a huge hickey on your left tit!¡±

    And just like that Sh awoke, screaming her displeasure at the top of her lungs.

    Rule #4 : Dying within a dream resets the current memory.

    ¡°You bitch! How dare you cut me! I¡¯ll send you to thend of the de¨C¡± She shouted, having been ¡°resurrected¡± within the dream once again. Pre-Agni¡¯s eyes widened for the dozenth time as she realized she was no longer alone, she shrieked prompting Wa to quickly arrive and investigate.

    In the end Sh suffered another catastrophic failure at the behest of Wa¡¯s de.

    ¡°Muscle bound gori.¡± Sh muttered, her annoyance reaching an all time high as Wa griefed her to no end. She came ¡°alive¡± once more, this time she made sure to hide herself in the nearby brush before Pre-Agni could notice her presence.

    And there she stayed. By Sh¡¯s reckoning she had only been inside the dreamscape for an hour, and in that time she¡¯d learned various other things. The most important thing is that every action, no matter howrge or small, costs mana. She figured this out just before Wa lopped her head off. The second was that rewinding the memory also cost mana, currently more than she could afford at the moment.

    She would have no choice but to see things through to the end, and evade detection at all cost. Normally that would have been a piece of cake, however ¡ª

    Rule # 5 : Your abilities and skills don¡¯t work within the dreamscape.

    her abilities didn¡¯t seem to work in the dreamscape.

    ¡°Which makes sense. I mean¡­I am using my abilities out there. But it¡¯s such a bother. Ugh.¡±

    In the end, Sh decided to fly high above the area and keep an eye on things from above.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s true. Paradise is a ce far from home.¡± Sh said with the most devious of grins as she watched the group of adventurers undress for the first time since her dream voyage began. The woman closest to her, (4 meters away) was a redhead with a slender frame. And despite her obvious resemnce to Gigi, Sh was more than happy to watch the woman lose her clothing.

    She clenched the bark of the tree, watching as buxom beauty and slim sexy women alike lost their skin tight bodysuits. Breasts bouncing, the gentle curvature of thighs into valleys where heaven resided. Sh simply could not wipe the smirk off of her face.The sweat rolling down their bodies caused their skin to glisten and the rising steam from the natural bathsite made the women drop their guard, creating a soothing atmosphere.

    That is, everyone except Agni, Wa and now even Katrin. Despite having the memory reset, these three seemed to be on their guard. What¡¯s more they continually cast nces in Sh¡¯s direction ¡ª though she was almost 100% sure she couldn¡¯t be seen.

    Rule #6 : Dream denizens Don¡¯t forget.

    Wa even exited the bath a few times to check the area. Her body was well chiseled and Sh thought that she might not look so bad, if she were a bit more curvy. Wa¡¯s tinum blonde hair, steely blue eyes and gruff features gave Sh the sense that the Guardian could be fun in bed¨Cgiven the right conditions.

    ¡°Show yourself.¡± Wa said suddenly, snapping Sh out of her self involved thoughts. The Guardian was now standing no less than two meters (6ft) from the Imp¡¯s hiding spot.

    ¡°S-shit.¡± Sh muttered under her breath as she made to scurry through the bushes in an attempt to get away. Unfortunately, this only sharpened Wa¡¯s suspicion and she moved to intercept, sword at the ready¨Cand nothing else worn.

    In a panic Sh tried something she wasn¡¯t even sure would work, she materialized arge rock and tossed it. Wa¡¯s senses were too keen, allowing Sh a brief moment to change locations without a hassle.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised that it even worked.¡± Sh said as she wiped her brow. She was now sweating profusely. Even the smallest expenditure of mana was beginning to tire her at this point.

    ¡°What worked?¡± Wa¡¯s voice boomed from behind Sh, causing the Imp to shout involuntarily.

    Rule # 7 : They¡¯ll finnnnnnnd youuuuuuuu.

    Momentster she was hoisted up by the back of her neck and carried towards the group ofdies nearby.

    ¡°Do any of you know this one?¡± Wa asked as she released Sh , causing her to drop with a hard thud on the nearby ground.

    ¡°Demon! Oh! Not you Agni..sorry.¡± A woman shouted as she used a nearby towel to cover herself. The women began to murmur in unison, each voicing their disapproval of Sh¡¯s presence.

    ¡°Well? What do you have to say for yourself, strange Grimlock?¡± Wa asked, still nude as water dripped down along her well sculpted body.

    ¡°Grimlock?! Excuse you?¡± Sh said incredulously. She felt insulted.

    ¡°What else could you be?¡± Wa asked as she dropped her hands to her side,and along with them, her sword.

    ¡°I¡¯m an IMP. An IMP. And you¡¯re just a memory out of THIS ONE¡¯s head! How dare you¨C¡± Sh felt a breeze, and suddenly everything was dark. At least momentarily ¡ª her body became sluggish and she felt as if she would never be able to hold herself upright again. Soon she was falling, but the trip was short.

    Rule # 8 : When you run out of mana, the dream walking ends.

    ¡°Ow! Sh? What the hell are you doing?¡± Agni shouted as the Imp crashed into her, having been knocked from her hovering position upon exhausting her own mana.

 Chapter 166: The Ropes (1)

    Chapter 166: The Ropes (1)

    ¡°Keep up.¡± The husky, bald man¡¯s voice echoed through the hallways as he led the blue-haired wolf girl to their destination.

    She gritted her teeth upon hearing this, for she simply didn¡¯t like to be rushed,manded or condescended to. Unfortunately it was quickly bing the norm of her new life here in Memento Mori. Herst day in this new ce had been eye opening to say the least. As far as she could tell there were two sides to the chapel. One resembled a lounge, but that was simply a cover. All the people in that area were considered part of a particr caste system, one created by all of the ¡°members¡± of Memento Mori.

    Uppers, as they were called, fronted the business and made unsuspecting people feel at ease. Lowers, that is ¡ª people in her particr caste, were to be unseen and unheard. That is, unless they had a job or task to be performed. She had gleaned all of this from thest day or so being guided around after her unfortunate slip up.

    The man, known as Fargo, had been given the task of her unofficial guide. She found him to be much of an unmovable object. He rarely smiled or showed any emotion aside from a stony, stoic expression. When asked questions there were times that he would ignore herpletely, or simply stare¨Crefusing to speak. She had to resist the urge to w him in the face, truthfully.

    ¡°We¡¯re here. Choose wisely.¡± Fargo grunted as he flourished his hand towards the nearby doorway. The room was dim, setting a certain sensual mood and inside were many women busily chatting with one another.

    For a brief moment the wolf girl cast a suspicious nce at Fargo, but it was apparent that the women within the room posed no threat, even with the limitations currently imposed upon her. Thus, she walked inside. Almost immediately the women within directed their attention towards the blue-haired wolf girl. She could feel their gaze moving up and down along her fit body. The sensation was¡­strange, almost like dozens of hands were somehow groping her. She felt the sudden urge to cover up even though she was clothed to begin with.

    ¡°Hmph. I doubt you¡¯ll make the cut, bute in.¡± An older woman said, her voice carried a certain strength ¡ª or perhaps pride ¡ª to it. It took a moment for the wolf-girl to realize that the woman was speaking to her.

    She lingered for a moment longer, before she stepped inside. Almost instantly the door closed behind the wolf-girl, she nced back to find several women responsible. Upon closing the door they cast a curious nce towards her, though she couldn¡¯t really determine the intent behind their gaze.

    It was enough to send a cold sweat down her back.

    ¡°Come. Don¡¯t be shy. We¡¯re all family here now.¡± The older woman said. Now that the wolf-girl was closer she could see thedy more clearly. Her hair was two toned, brown with strands of orange ¡ª truthfully it reminded the lycanthrope of a tabby cat. The woman was dressed in loose fitting robes, rather revealing ones at that. The strands of the robes wrapped around her shoulders, crossed her chest and fell down around her waist. Her almond colored skin and even darker nipples were clearly visible through the fabric.

    The other women within the room were dressed in much the same way. Head to toe, all nude save for the thin fabric concealing portions of their skin.

    The woman sighed upon the realization that the wolf-girl had yet to move an inch. The older woman nodded to the women lingering to the rear of the wolf girl, a signal to do their work. Suddenly the lycanthrope felt the silky caress of a woman. Though it felt good, it was unexpected and therefore worthy of spite. The lycanthrope shrugged her shoulders and spun around, forcing the woman¡¯s hand from her body.

    ¡°Ooo. A feisty one.¡± A woman said aloud, which prompted chuckles and coos from the group of women. She was now surrounded by at least a dozen women, all of which dressed like they belonged at a toga party.

    The wolf-girl began to panic as hands reached out for her, but soon the panic turned into confusion. She was being groped, from innumerable angles and directions.

    ¡°Eep!¡± She practically shouted, pressing her lips shut in the next instant. She¡¯d never made a sound like that in two lifetimes, but the sensation of a woman¡¯s finger slipping into her body was enough to cause it!

    *I¡¯m wearing shorts and panties! How the hell did you even do that?* She thought inwardly as her cheeks reddened.

    ¡°S-stop it!¡± The wolf-girl said as she tried to push her way out of the throng of handsy women.

    ¡°Girls¨C that¡¯s enough for now.¡± The older woman said. Apparently she¡¯d been watching the scene from her ce at the center of the room where she¡¯d made herselffortable on a mound of pillows.

    The woman expressed their disapproval with exasperated sighs or outright disappointment. The wolf-girl watched as one of the women eagerly sucked the juices from her fingertips. Upon seeing the wolf-girl¡¯s shocked expression the woman offered a wink and a smile. She then licked her lips and sat next to two other women who began hungrily licking and sucking on the woman¡¯s face.

    ¡°Come. Sit with me for a moment.. We don¡¯t bite. Unless you like that.¡± The olderdy said. Having been motivated properly, the blue-haired lycanthrope made her way to the mound of pillows and plopped down. She made sure to cross her thighs tightly as she did so.

    ¡°Your name darling?¡± The older woman asked. In the dim light of the room the wolf-girl was finally able to see her features better. Thedy had full, thick lips which were extremely red. She wasn¡¯t sure if that was their natural look or make-up. Her eyes were a dark color, perhaps brown ¡ª it was difficult to see as the dim lighting shifted in color.

    ¡°Rena.¡± She offered, her thinking was simple. Between getting finger sted by strangers or answering a few questions , it was obvious as to which was preferable.

    ¡°Rena. Cute name for a cute woman.¡± The olderdy said. Rena noticed that the woman didn¡¯t offer her name and for a brief second she considered asking ¡ª but then she realized she didn¡¯t care that much.

    ¡°So.. did he tell you about your situation?¡± The woman asked as she cast an inquisitive gaze towards Rena.

    ¡°No. He just said to choose wisely.¡± Rena replied.

    ¡°Sounds about right. Although, it really is a no brainer for mostdies..¡± The woman added.

    ¡°You see, now you belong to Master Gaines. There¡¯s no way to escape his ve Contract¨C as I¡¯m sure you¡¯re keenly aware.¡± The woman pulled aside some of the fabric across her chest, revealing the mark of Gaines, the magical seal that enved any who had the displeasure of being branded with it.

    ¡°However, the choices you make now will determine just how well you can live from now on.¡±

    ¡°You can be an upper. Though looking at you, I¡¯m not sure you quite have the look or demeanor for it. Uppers stay in one ce, they are forced to look amicable. To smile¡­ to recruit. Being a lower¡­well it exposes you to certain dangers that would make any sane woman want to slit her throat. Or¡­.¡± The woman paused momentarily and drew closer towards Rena. Once her arms were wrapped around the lycanthrope¡¯s shoulders she continued speaking.

    ¡°And make no mistake. You are a lower, if you¡¯ve been assigned to the man outside the door.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, you¡¯ve been dealt the worst hand you could get. But¡­ you¡¯re a woman.¡± The olderdy said as she traced her pointer finger along Rena¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°Women have an option that men simply don¡¯t get. You could avoid all the pain and suffering that is bound toe with being a lower.¡±

    ¡°That sounds too good to be true.¡± Rena said tly.

    ¡°You¡¯re right my dear. I won¡¯t lie to you, there are certain costs associated with it but¨C it¡¯s infinitely better than risking your life otherwise. And make no mistake¨C you could very well die.¡±

    Rena seemed to be carefully considering the woman¡¯s words, and so she continued.

    ¡°You could be a kept woman. You won¡¯t be mistreated like the other ones.¡± The olderdy was clearly presenting this as the most favorable option.

    ¡°What¡¯s so wrong with being a lower?¡± Rena asked. Something about the woman¡¯s description of her quote unquote ¡°role¡± piqued the lycanthrope¡¯s curiosity.

    ¡°Your life would basically be worthless honey. The lowest of the low. Less than dirt. An insect to be squashed under someone¡¯s heel. What¡¯s worse..that¡­.man ¡ª he would never let you rest until you¡¯re broken. I¡¯m sure of it¨C you¡¯re just too attractive, my love.¡± The olderdy said reassuringly as she gently stroked Rena¡¯s outer arm.

    ¡°The important thing is, you still have a choice. You can choose to be a kept woman and avoid all that cruelty ¡ª or you can take your chances. From the sound of things you will be a lesser and..well¡­ how do you think you got the ¡®job¡¯ in the first ce? Someone had to be reced¡­¡± The olderdy¡¯s words were smooth and persuasive, but it was her final point that made Rena wonder.

    She had an idea of how things worked for the most part. Everyone within the walls of Memento Mori had a ve mark¨C that was a certainty. There was also something else Rena realized, everyone else ¡ª save for thedies in this room looked dead inside. As if they would rather throw their lives away a thousand times over than live through another second of¨Cthis.

    Rena felt her heart beating loudly in her chest, so much so that everything else was drowned out. It was decision time. Rena considered herself more of a tom-girl than anything,even in her past life. When she found herself in a world of adventurers she thought it was like a dreame true. Still, despite this she had what was known as a woman¡¯s pride. Her purity, the idea of it was something that many women absolutely carried with them like a badge of honor. Rena was no exception, yet she was also no fool. If she were to ept this woman¡¯s offer of protection she was certain ¡ª there would be no way to maintain that ideal¨Cthat pride.

    ¡°Oh, honey.¡± The older woman said as she lifted Rena¡¯s chin, forcing their eyes to meet. She then began to speak, as if she had read Rena¡¯s mind. ¡± I understand how you feel. Every woman here was like you once. We all¡­. We all wanted better. To be better people. To grab this new chance at life by the horns and make the most of it. There isn¡¯t a woman here who doesn¡¯t have hopes or dreams.. I feel for you, I truly do.¡±

    ¡°But you and I have both lived more than one life. We both realize that nothing in this worldes free or without sacrifice. At least this way you won¡¯t be alone. You¡¯ll be protected and you will have all your sisters here with you.¡±

    ¡°Say, Rena. Somewhere deep down¨C doesn¡¯t the thought excite you? You know¡­in this world we don¡¯t have to worry about pregnancy, or disease. We can do whatever we want¡­with whoever we want¡­¡±

    Rena¡¯s eyes widened as the olderdy¡¯s hand moved downward, resting in herp.

    ¡°But..I¡¯m not bisexual.¡± Rena said as she nced up at the olderdy.

    ¡°Oh, my dear. We can fix that.¡± She said with a smile as she motioned towards the other women in the room. As if they¡¯d been waiting for this moment they got to their feet, all of their eyes locked on Rena. Rena could feel her heart thumping furiously in her chest as she clenched her hands and affirmed her resolve.

    Outside the door Fargo waited patiently. It wasn¡¯t like he had anything else to do if he was honest with himself. Nothing, save for plot and scheme. As his thoughts began to wander, fixating on the most excruciating ways one could kill a fat man, a sharp knock resounded from the door nearby.

    For a moment Fargo was surprised, not taken aback by the sound, but more so the oue.

    ¡°I can¡¯t really me you.¡± Fargo said as he acknowledged the signal and decided to grab some lunch.

    ¡°When faced with a situation like this, I suppose we all trade one form of pride for another.¡±

 Chapter 167: The Ropes (2)

    Chapter 167: The Ropes (2)

    *T-this is crazy! I don¡¯t even know this woman¡¯s name!* Rena thought to herself as the silky caress of just more than half a dozen women swarmed her body. Despite her own moral protests she had to confess¨Cthe women were skilled with their touch. She could feel hands pressed against her breasts, pushing her vest upwards while another pair of hands behind her wrapped around her waist. She could feel someone gently running their hands from her abdomen to herp. A part of her wanted to squirm ¡ª yet she was surprised just how alluring the sensations running through her body had be.

    Soon her clothing had been removed and tossed aside, a feat that was done with such finesse that Rena was somewhat impressed. The other women wore very little, thus the feel of their skin against hers was now sending shockwaves of pleasant sensations through her body. Two pairs of breasts against her back supplied Rena with a warmth andfort she¡¯d never known. A plethora of hands swarmed her breasts, some gentle and some more aggressive as they touched and caressed her chest. Her abdomen, her outer thighs and even the inner ¡ª nothing was off limits to be touched , all except Rena¡¯s lips for some reason.

    She half expected the women to go straight for her erogenous zone, but they didn¡¯t. Instead Rena was covered with caresses, kisses on the neck and back, even just above her belly button.

    ¡°Do you like it?¡±

    ¡°How does it feel?¡±

    The voice of the foreigndies each held a certain quality, one Rena quickly honed in on as lust. Rena¡¯s voice caught in her throat as shivers were sent up her spine, someone had begun running their fingers through Rena¡¯s fluffy wolf tail. The sensation of being petted was enough for Rena to throw her head back, a noise caught in her throat that could only be described as a mix between a pur and a growl.

    ¡°You like that hmm?¡± Another woman said as she began caressing Rena¡¯s ears as well, gently scratching near the base of them. It caused Rena¡¯s ears to flicker uncontrobly, and at the same time a deluge of wetness began to issue forth from between her thighs. Rena barely had a moment to feel embarrassed before a familiar voice spoke up.

    ¡°Oh my, so wet. Do you still think you aren¡¯t bi sexual my dear?¡± The brown and orange haired woman said. Rena could only hear her voice, she couldn¡¯t see the woman ¡ª she was surrounded from all angles in the best sort of ambush. She felt hands wrap around her hips from the front and someone taking a ce between her thighs, easily parting them as she did so.

    Rena could feel the warmth and softness of a woman¡¯s bust a momentter, and a moment after that ¡ª the first touch sent electricity through her body. Rena quivered, clenching the mountain of cushions beneath her, as a pair of skilled hands parted her lips and began to exert pressure in all of the right ces.

    The head to toe stimtion was nearly overwhelming in a sense, yet the women were so attentive to Rena that the experience was guided. The intense pleasure radiating from between her thighs was apanied by a pair of eager mouths which began to kiss and suck on either side of her neck and ear. Further below another two women busily gave the same treatment to Rena¡¯s taut nipples.

    Rena felt her bnce shift somewhat as she was inclined, her hips easier to ess. Soon Rena was looking upwards at several women,one of whom leaned in and, with the most loving smile, slipped her tongue into Rena¡¯s mouth. The wolf-girl¡¯s eyes went wide for the briefest of moments until thest vestige of her doubt broke like a damn. A pair of hands on her cheeks held her face gently as they both explored each other¡¯s mouth. Below, a series of kisses along her abdomen caused Rena¡¯s toes to twitch. At some point the pressure against her lips stopped, but this was just momentary.

    Secondster she could feel two eager mouths, one on each side of her inner thighs. Rena kissed harder, more eagerly as the two women went to work with lingering suckage, pulling the sensitive flesh of her inner thighs between their lips with each kiss. They slowly, methodically made their way towards her honey pot where a tuft of soft, curly blue hair waited.

    Just as the two women reached Rena¡¯s honey pot the woman kissing her switched out, the new girl licked her lips as if she¡¯d been waiting to taste the sweetest nectar before sheunched into ¡°her turn¡± with a refreshingly unique gusto.

    The level of attention being shown to Rena was something she¡¯d never experienced, not even in two lifetimes. She wasn¡¯t used to anyone devoting whole, singr attention to her ¡ª much less eight different people. More than her body being stimted, her mind was being soothed. This caused her level offort to slowly, surely rise to 100%. It was as if thedies surrounding her could sense this, as if everything before had only been a precursor to the actual event.

    Rena could see the women gazing down at her as they shrugged away the strips of see-through fabric which did little more than provide aesthetic looks. Each of them held a certain look in their eyes, it was different for each woman. Some looked as if they were ready to feast, others had a girlish, innocent quality and yet still some of the women wore dignified and mature expressions. The singrmon goal was their focus, Rena.

    One of the women grabbed Rena¡¯s hand and pressed it against her body. Somehow the soft, silky smoothness of her skin radiated a warmth that Rena had never experienced. Rena¡¯s eyes met with the woman who gazed back, reminding Rena of a lioness. She caressed Rena¡¯s hand, even as she guided it along her own body. Upwards to the valley between her perky breasts. Anotherdy did something simr with Rena¡¯s other hand and several more began to press their breasts against Rena¡¯s exposed bodies as they explored with their own mouths.

    The initiation had begun in earnest. Rena¡¯s mind felt pried open, no particr thought was prevalent, instead she was confronted with an overwhelming sensation of ¡°newness¡± which apanied a ¡°first time¡±.

    A pair of hungry tonguespped at her juices while moredies shifted to kiss and suck at Rena¡¯s inner thighs ¡ª four below and four above. There was a flurry of motion, yet there was no panic just purpose as each woman went to work doing whatever they desired. Tweaking of nipples, lingering suction in order to watch Rena¡¯s breasts jiggle, gentle nibbling and asionally pulling between the teeth. Her torso was home to a plethora of sensations, kisses, caresses and abination of salty sweat.

    Rena¡¯s body would quiver each time she was made to cum, then just as quickly another woman would take a ce between her thighs. She could feel fingers opening her body, exploring her insides as her sticky nectar continued to pour out like a river. Sometimes one, at times two mouths busily handled the work of pleasing her. Soon the women were a swarm of bodies, mingled together in a mix of arms, legs and ecstasy. Moans , whimpers and the asional sound of flesh being teased, touched or sucked filled the air.

    Rena quickly lost count of how many times she had been made to cum. Each woman was skilled in resurrecting her desire, keeping the fire of lust stoked and tended. They continued swapping out, pleasing the wolf girl from every angle until her mind became hazy¨C lost in the feeling and experience.

    After what seemed like forever a petite blonde woman with strange eyes loomed over Rena. The look on her face was flushed, as if she was shy or embarrassed. Rena waspletely caught off guard when the woman swung her leg over Rena¡¯s torso and gently took a seat on the wolf girl¡¯s chest. She gazed down only briefly, her hands pressed against Rena¡¯s breasts as she moved her hips closer towards Rena¡¯s agape mouth.

    Rena could, once again, feel her heart pounding wildly as her eyes met with the blonde. Despite the fact that she was obviously blushing, her lingering gaze and the biting of her lower lips told Rena exactly what she wanted.

    Surprising even herself, Rena cupped the woman¡¯s hips, pushing them in such a way that her body tilted forward and bridged the rest of the distance between them. The twin-tailed blonde¡¯s mouth opened, a soundless moan escaping as her hips began to convulse.

 Chapter 168: The Ropes (3)

    Chapter 168: The Ropes (3)

    Before she knew it, Rena was face first in uncharted territory. Her heart pumped wildly as the fair skinned woman¡¯s clitoris thumped against Rena¡¯s lips. Perhaps it was her feral nature kicking in, or the depths of ecstasy which caused such a response, but Rena wrapped her arms beneath the blonde¡¯s thighs and hips, hooking them in the process. The young woman¡¯s head tilted back ever so briefly, a sign that she was being fed what she desired most in the moment.

    Rena could feel the woman¡¯s hips gyrate, weing each new sensation as Rena explored a woman¡¯s body for the first time. The expression of the blonde, a sublime mix of timid desire spurred Rena onward, even as the other women present continued to toy with her body.

    They took turns feasting on each other, mouth to mouth, tongue to tongue and everything in between. The temperature in the room, the atmosphere shifted to reflect this ¡ª steamy and more heated. Eachdy was more aggressive in fulfilling their desires, even pleasing themselves as they went to work, or helping one another reach climax.

    Soon the women were once again a tangle of bodies with Rena as the foundation. Some leaned across and kissed each other feverishly, others freely drifted from position to position to caress any fruit their heart desired. Finally, after several heated moments Rena¡¯s eyes widened as warm, slightly salty liquid rushed against her own lips and open mouth. It was her first time tasting the nectar of a woman, and the blonde convulsed several times as moans escaped her lips. She lurched forward, two hands on the mounds of cushions beneath them as the vestiges of orgasm settled over her body. Rena could feel the warmth of her own breath blowing back against her as she nced upwards, their eyes meeting.

    The look on the woman¡¯s face was a mix of adoration and appreciation, so much so that Rena was disappointed as the woman separated herself from Rena¡¯s grip. A thin trail of saliva and nectar lingered from her lips to Rena¡¯s as she bit her lip and rubbed her vagina gently. She heaved, the lingering effects of the orgasm still affecting her senses ¡ª but that didn¡¯t stop another woman with long, navy blue hair from engaging the blonde.

    The blonde girl released a startled yelp as her hips were pulled from under her, forcing her onto her back. Rena licked the nectar from her lips as she eyed the scene next to her, the sensation of orgasm slowly creeping upon the wolf-girl once more. Rena¡¯s thighs clenched inward slightly as she felt a warm feeling growing within her tummy ¡ª the sight of the blonde being taken added a new vor to the taste of seduction.

    The navy blue haired woman licked her lips, a determined look painted across her face as she nced down towards the blonde¡¯s love spot. It was then that Rena noticed a leather belt, a strap on, attached to the navy haired woman¡¯s waist. She bit her bottom lip in anticipation as she guided a long, blue appendage downward. The head of the attached dildo brushed against the blonde¡¯s lips, parting them ever so slightly before it was pressed inside with one quick motion. The blonde yelped once more out of surprise, despite having watched the entire act. Suddenly Rena felt the appeal of this particr girl, her reactions were like a drug. The way her eyes bordered on the line between unbridled lust and inhibition. The way her petite, perky tits bounced as the navy haired woman began to stroke.

    The sight of watching her be filled sent a wave of fever through Rena¡¯s body. It caused her body to grow even more wet, dampening anyone near. For a moment Rena¡¯s breath caught in her throat, she realized that she¡¯d just squirted on whomever was busy between her thighs. Her eyes nced downward, only to find two women busilypping up the juices expelled from her body. It was then that a secondary wave hit Rena, causing her abdomen to tense.

    The women pleasing her gripped her body, firmly but gently ¡ª holding Rena in ce as they continued taking turns. Each woman offered a different sensation, one preferred using her tongue and loved licking Rena from her asshole to the clit. The other loved to suck, often taking Rena¡¯s lips and vulva into her mouth and varying the strength of the suction which apanied her pleasure.

    Next to her the blonde was now being furiously pounded, the navy haired woman had a look of rapt focus as she began to expire. She was keenly focused on the blonde¡¯s facial expression, body movements ¡ª anything that would impart insight into the endeavor of making her cum. The blonde¡¯s hands were firmly gripping the other woman¡¯s wrists. She lifted upwards, as if stuck in a constant sit-up position, her body reacting to each thrust as the navy haired woman made sure to bury the strap on to the base.

    A few momentster the blonde went limp as the built up pressure hit. She could only lie there as the navy haired woman ced a firm grip on the blonde¡¯s hips and focused each thrust, positioning to stimte the g-spot with each motion. The blonde¡¯s hands moved, searching for something to grasp, prompting Rena to reach out and offer her own grip. With that she erupted, her candy-like voice filling the air.

    Several other of the women chuckled to themselves, admiring the disy and half envious themselves. The blondey still,pletely spent it seemed, as the navy haired woman slid out of her body. Her gaze then shifted towards Rena.

    Her eyes were conveying her intent, she almost had the look of a predator ¡ª one hungry for the taste of prey. The woman¡¯s gaze was so intense, so overwhelming that Rena felt her spine quiver for a moment as the realization dawned upon her. The woman licked her lips as she moved towards Rena, taking a ce next to the wolf-girl. Before Rena could respond a hand was wrapped around her neck, firmly exerting pressure. Secondster the woman¡¯s lips were pressed against Rena¡¯s own, her tongue was eager and hungry to explore the wolf-girl¡¯s mouth.

    Rena¡¯s eyes widened for a moment, taking in the sensations which apanied such a bold approach. The pressure against her neck which threatened to cut off the cirction made her delightfully lightheaded. The woman¡¯s rough, satin touch softened at just the right time, providing a fine bnce between panic and difort. The thrill of being controlled caused Rena¡¯s pulse to quicken and once again her body flooded outwards in response.

    The navy haired woman parted lips with her, licking her lips as she moved to upy the space between Rena¡¯s thighs. The other women, having had their fill of Rena¡¯s nectar, moved to the side finding new positions around Rena¨Cor one another. Rena could, once again, hear how hard her own heart was beating ¡ª the excitement oveing her like an intoxicating drug.

    The navy haired woman nced up, a devious smile curling across her lips as she inserted the tip and plunged it deep into Rena¡¯s body. The sudden intrusion was intentional and jarring, despite this it caused Rena¡¯s body to react, growing wetter by the moment. The navy haired woman did not fail to miss this. She pressed two fingers against Rena¡¯s lips and performed a cum hither motion, collecting a sample of Rena¡¯s nectar before she brought her fingers to her lip. Rena¡¯s heart skipped a beat as a shifting of the woman¡¯s hips pushed the dildo deeper inside her tight,wet body.

 Chapter 169: The Ropes (4)

    Chapter 169: The Ropes (4)

    ¡°Where¡¯s the new woman?¡± The dark skinned man asked, his braided hair shifting to the side as he cast a nce towards the doorway. There, the Guardian ss adventurer, Fargo stood ¡ª staring into the small room. It was made to bed at least six people at a time,but there were currently only four. It was a sobering reminder as to their current predicament, Fargo had seen many peoplee and go in his time as an adventurer. Rarely did a death hit him so hard.

    Though he hadn¡¯t outwardly shown emotion during or after the fact, the death of Ashe ¡ª Glint¡¯s best friend, had actually hit him quite hard. Originally the bald, husky man dismissed his erratic emotions as simply ¡°getting soft¡±. After all, it had been quite some time since he¡¯d been pressed into servitude, a life beneath the thumb of Enzo Gaines.

    *One mistake. One moment. It¡¯s funny how something like that can ruin your life.* Fargo thought this as he responded to Glint.

    ¡°She decided to alter her mark. It¡¯s been nearly an hour, she should be done soon.¡±

    Glint¡¯s face shifted to surprise, disappointment then eptance.

    ¡°Can¡¯t me her. Maybe if I had a pair of tits I¡¯d do the same.¡± Glint responded as he turned back to his work ¡ª whatever his work was.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Fargo asked as he stepped into the room. The other men in the nearby bunk beds did little else unless directly ordered or spoken to. Fargo had quickly written them off as the living dead, and with good reason. Even now, Fargo¡¯s dreams were haunted by the sight of bodies bursting into ck mes ¡ª thest funeral pyre of an adventurer who had been pressed beyond a second death.

    He clenched his fist, almost simultaneously as a sensory memory triggered the scent of burning flesh mixed with magical mes. For the briefest of moments, Fargo could envision a skeleton falling to the floor and eventually bursting into ck embers as well. He pressed his eyes shut, willing himself to force the thought out of his mind.

    Despite this, Fargo was beginning to truly believe that the same would be his fate. He knew very well the power of Gaines¡¯ ve mark and he cursed whatever god or deity saw fit to ce such an ability into this twisted world. Any entity or creature that ced such a broken ¡°power¡± into that man¡¯s hands¡­.

    Don¡¯t speak ill of him. Don¡¯t harm him. Don¡¯t defy him in any way. Don¡¯t do anything that would prevent him from making new ves. Gaines¡¯ set of rules were irond, and paid in blood for anyone who dared to test them. Crippling, mind numbing pain awaited those who slipped up or tested the waters. And a fate worse than that bared down on any who persisted beyond that point.

    Fargo, many times ¡ª whether out of stubbornness or simply defiance ¡ª had often had his will stripped away from him. At those times, it was like watching yourself speak and act while you were pushed to the fringes of your own consciousness. What¡¯s more, the very act of this happening was indescribable. Paralyzing, all epassing, burning ¡ª these were just a few words that came to mind as Fargo mulled over his smoldering thoughts of resentment.

    Glint gazed over at Fargo rather than responding and offered a smirk. Due to this , Fargo had an idea exactly what Glint was up to.

    ¡°Give it up. We¡¯re gonna fucking die here. Unless someone kills that fat fuck first. Maybe his pet psycho will do the honors for us one day.¡± Fargo practically grunted. Even as he insulted the man he felt a burning pain flood the frontal lobe of his brain. This was brought about by the sheer malice he held towards his ¡°doyenne¡±. Hell, even so much as thinking terrible thoughts about their captor was enough to bring anyone to their knees.

    ¡°You can die here. But I swear, I¡¯ll be the one to¨C¡± Glint¡¯s words trailed off as he gazed upon Fargo¡¯s pained expression. The older man had, by then, pulled up a seat at the small table which sat against the nearby wall. He watched silently as Glint continued.

    ¡°Watch.¡± Glint said as he turned his attention to the table where he was busy manipting a pair of daggers using little more than his own mana.

    ¡°I can see the mana threads which connect your des. So what? It¡¯s just a stupid trick.¡± Fargo asked. He seemed unimpressed and annoyed for the most part. Glint realized it had little to do with himself, and more so their collective situations. After all, who enjoyed being a ve? Except perhaps that psycho Zipher?

    ¡°Now.. look again.¡± Glint said as he focused more intently. This time, the daggers stopped spinning counter clockwise to each other and slowly came to a stop. Instead, blue mana began to utch itself from the daggers, the strands resembling a snake being charmed by music.

    Slowly, haphazardly the strands began to flop over on one another like each was subjected to a wild breeze. Or perhaps even enough gravity to cause them to fold, each in their own direction. Gradually this strange dance of mana strings began to reveal looping symbols, which then formed into very rudimentary letters.

    Fargo watched, searching for some kind of meaning to the feat being shown to him. Clearly mana strings weren¡¯t meant to be used for this. Furthermore, it seemed as if Glint was pushing himself to extremes in order to hold the fluid strings to a form of any type for such a short while. Yet, as the words began to take shape, Fargo began to smile.

    His smile slowly turned into his first real heartfelt chuckle for quite some time. Soon, he could scarcely control it and the ¡°dead men¡±, the ones who reacted to nothing, craned their heads to see what the fuss was about.

    And just as suddenly as Fargo erupted intoughter, he abruptly stopped and got to his feet. Glint, his face covered in sweat and his hands shaking from over exertion of mana, spoke up once more.

    ¡°Still think it¡¯s a stupid trick?¡±

    Fargo¡¯s eyes were alight with possibility now. For the first time in a long time he felt as if there was some kind of hope, a light amidst the gloomy shit of his everyday life. He couldn¡¯t help but smile like an idiot as he thought back to the words created by Glint.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to end him.¡±

    ¡°This is it. We finally found¡­an opening.¡± Fargo whispered, turning around to face Glint once more.

    ¡°We can.. We can..¡± There were so many possibilities, but so little time.

    ¡°Yes. But¡­¡± Glint used his hands to gesture calmness, then pressed his pointer finger to his mouth in hush. Fargo nodded, yet the smirk would not fade, nor would the renewed fire burning within his heart.

    *We can use this. We can definitely use this.* Fargo thought as his gaze met Glint¡¯s. The two nodded at one another, just a moment before their newest recruit appeared at the door.

    The blue haired wolf-girl known as Rena seemed disheveled, almost distracted as she nced into the room. Her brow was glistening with a sheen that had been worked up throughborious action. Fargo struggled to contain his smile, for fear that it might be misinterpreted as he stepped towards his new recruit.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s time we visit the town.¡± He ced a hand on the wolf -girl¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Glint. Care toe with?¡± Fargo asked as he peered back over his shoulder.

    ¡°Yea. I could use some fresh air.¡±

 Chapter 170: Encounter (1)

    Chapter 170: Encounter (1)

    ¡°So¡­.Rena was it?¡± Glint asked as he tossed a thick brown cloak over his shoulders. He pulled the attached hood over his face before continuing his words.

    ¡°How was your introduction to the chapel?¡± Glint sincerely nced at the woman¡¯s face, expecting some sort of response. Instead the wolf-girl grappled with a sudden bout of shame, it caused her cheeks to redden ¡ª as if she were a school girl being teased about a crush. She could only avert her gaze downward and hurriedly cover her face with her own hooded cloak.

    A few steps away Fargo let out a heartyugh, the sound of which was so foreign that the trio could feel eyes all around gazing upon them. Fargo took the lead, stepping up to the two adventurers who had no other purpose than to act as ¡°bouncers¡± for the chapel which masqueraded as a nightclub.

    The two muscr men didn¡¯t show any outward signs of aggression but their expressions were hard like steel as one of them grunted, ¡°Purpose?¡±

    ¡°Training the new one. And maybe some light snatching too.¡± Fargo added with gleeful enthusiasm. The bouncer shifted his right brow upwards, as if questioning whether Fargo¡¯s mood was misced. Nevertheless, he stepped to the side and allowed the three enved adventurers to step out of the building and into the sunlight.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize just how dark it was in there until now.¡± Rena remarked as she stepped into the light of midday.

    ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it. Sadly.¡± Fargo added, though if truth was told Rena didn¡¯t sense muchmentation in the bald Guardian¡¯s voice. He then turned and began walking, as did their otherpanion Glint, leaving Rena to feel as if she were merely tagging along.

    She searched her mind for something, anything that might help her bridge the distance between her and theplete strangers walking just ahead of her. Her mind swam with thoughts as she mulled over the crash course given to her by the man known as Fargo. She had a good idea of what was permitted and what was not, and for the most part the ve mark forced her into indentured servitude. That was, until such a time that the man known as Gaines felt ¡°satisfied¡± with a person¡¯s contribution to his cause¨Cwhatever that was.

    Rena also realized that the terms of breaking a contract were so vague that most people never managed to measure up to them. In fact, she recalled winning a scoffing chuckle from Fargo when she asked if anyone had ever been released from their bondage. Thest couple of days at Memento Mori had been filled with gloom and doom, save for her time with her new ¡°sisters¡±. Which was why Rena was puzzled. Both of the men before her walked like they had a purpose and what¡¯s more they seemed to be discussing something between one another. Their words were low so Rena couldn¡¯t make it all out, but there was an unmistakable sense of excitement in the air. That and a sense of hopefulness, something Rena quickly learned was in short supply given her situation.

    The trio soon approached the main road of Sprim Row, arge intersecting street which stretched from the main entrance to the end of the district. Now that there were more people nearby Rena entertained the idea of calling out for help, of letting anyone know of her current predicament ¡ª yet even as the idea formed her throat began to burn. Soon she was rubbing her throat, her eyes were watering and she attempted to clear her throat in vain.

    This drew a difficult to read nce from both Fargo and Glint. Rena thought she saw a hint of sadness and empathy behind their gazes, but their expressions were nk.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re from the east right? What¡¯s the name of the starter town there again?¡± Fargo asked as he directed his gaze before him once more.

    ¡°Oria.¡± Rena replied, her thoughts settling on her hometown.

    ¡°That¡¯s the city nestled in the mountains right? That sounds really nice. I¡¯ve never been myself. I¡¯d like to go someday.¡± Glint added, though he was speaking to Rena, he didn¡¯t bother to face her. For a brief moment she thought this might be rude, then the dark skinned man turned and tapped his temple a few times.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t hurt anymore¨Cdoes it?¡± He then asked.

    Rena¡¯s eyes widened slightly as she realized the pain in her throat was all but gone.

    ¡°Y-yea. How-¡± She started to ask, but Fargo smiled and pressed a finger to his lips as if to say ¡ª ¡°our little secret¡±. Rena nodded, understanding somewhat as she thought she had an idea. The moment she focused her mind on something else the pain went away almost instantly. There must be rules to triggering Gaines¡¯ mark. On this subject Rena recalled Fargo¡¯s instructions to simply ¡°don¡¯t think or act on anything defiant and you won¡¯t have any problems.¡±.

    At first she thought the words to becking in context, but she now understood. It was intent that caused the pain in her throat. She swallowed, her eyes growing watery as she recalled the searing pain ¡ª for a moment she almostpsed back into it. It was a struggle to train her thoughts, but finally after a few more moments Rena managed to take a deep breath and control her own thoughts.

    Unbeknownst to her, Fargo was still observing her from over his shoulder as they all walked. When she noticed his gaze the man simply nodded, as if to say ¡°good job¡±. Before he looked forward and continued their conversation.

    All around the trio people were going about their daily lives. Some resembled street urchins, others looked like hobos and yet still adventurers mingled within. The scent of the streets was less than appealing and a strange funk which Rena¡¯s keen senses picked up on seemed to linger about the air.

    *I¡¯d never be caught dead in a ce like this.* Rena thought, her nose quivering as they passed a particrly smelly alleyway. Just walking through the streets of Grenvale was causing her to miss home. The air was quite brisk, despite how bright the sun shone¨C a gentle reminder that fall was upon them.

    asionally Rena would have her attention drawn by herpanions, they both seemed to have many questions and after a while she began to feel more at ease around them.

    ¡°So how are you dealing with the damper?¡± Glint asked as they rounded a corner and began walking down the main street of Sprim Row.

    ¡°Damper?¡± Rena asked, momentary confusion lingering over her.

    ¡°Yea. That¡¯s what we call it. This..¡¯mark¡¯ doesn¡¯t just restrict us, it also debilitates.¡± Rena noticed that Fargo chose his words very carefully as he spoke.

    ¡°I see you¡¯re a rank one. But right now you¡¯re probably at about half your strength. It¡¯s even worse for those of us who have higher ranks.¡± Fargo said.

    ¡°What? I never even noticed.¡± Rena said, an annoyed grimace covering her face. She subconsciously looked down at the spot on her chest where a skull and dagger symbol shone faintly with purple energy. She moved her hand towards it, as if to wipe it away ¡ª only to be shocked.

    ¡°Methods to keep us in line. To prevent a revolt.¡± Glint added to thementary.

    ¡°Try not to touch it too much. Otherwise¡­well..you see what happens.¡± Fargo offered as they finally reached therge archway which led into central Grenvale. Rena nced around, as if she¡¯d just been introduced to a whole new world. To date she¡¯d only seen Sprim Row, the poorest and dirtiest location within the city of Grenvale. She was now faced with proper adventurers, normals going about their everyday lives and a bustling square filled with various folks.

    For a few moments she allowed the splendor of Grenvale at work to wash over her, she soaked up the sights and sounds, even the scent which was vastly better than Sprim Row. Then a shout, followed by the ng of metal drew her focus.

    ¡°Watch out!¡± The man named Glint shouted as he leapt into action, one of a pair of daggers at the ready. He intercepted a blow meant to cleave Fargo¡¯s bald head from his shoulders. The impact from the weapon¡¯s shing rang out through the square, but scarcely anyone lifted their gaze to notice. A momentter Rena realized that they were under attack, and though she felt no allegiance to the persons she traveled with, she called forth her shuko. The metallic glove fit her hand perfectly causing long metallic ws to gleam as she began to step forth, her eyes locked on the person who dared to swing on them.

    Fargo held up his hand , signaling Rena to stay where she was as he clenched his jaw, a strange grin forming across his lips. Fargo¡¯s eyes were locked with the individual, Glint had managed to stop the de of a halberd just centimeters from his throat. With a heaving shove, Glint forced back the halberd, pushing the woman several steps backwards in the process.

    Rena recoiled upon focusing on the woman¡¯s face, she could feel palpable waves of ill intent wafting outwards. It was enough to make her reconsider approaching ¡ª as if she had any intention.

    *Pink Eyes.* It was the first thing Rena noticed, in the shadows of a nearby building the woman¡¯s features were hidden, but it was her eyes that shone through, piercing all that she set them upon.

    ¡°Dying once wasn¡¯t enough it seems.¡± The woman¡¯s words held a certain weight to them, as if each syblemanded Rena¡¯spliance. She slowly averted her gaze, folding under the pressure of the red haired Subus standing before them.

 Chapter 171: Encounter (2)

    Chapter 171: Encounter (2)

    ¡°Glint. Let me handle this.¡± Fargo said, his eyes locked on the Subus before him.

    Glint stepped backwards, pausing only for a lingering moment. He then moved towards Rena and stealthily slipped his daggers back into his sheathes.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Rena asked, her senses firing on high alert.

    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­history.¡± Glint responded. The expression on his face said there was much more to the story than his words, still Rena couldn¡¯t really ask.

    ¡°You can put that away. Fargo said he will handle it.¡± Glint said as he nced towards the metal w on Rena¡¯s right hand. The nearly one meter des gleamed in the sun as she focused on sending away her weapon.

    Rena then turned her attention to the scene unfolding before them.

    ¡°I see you¡¯re doing well, little devil.¡± Fargo said as he stepped a bit further from hispanions.

    ¡°I see you¡¯re still a sleazebag.¡± Red-haired, pink eyed subus responded. Her voice was cold but there was an unmistakable fury contained within her words.

    ¡°Sleazebag? Come now. We¡¯re just out for a stroll.¡± Fargo said as he motioned towards Glint and Rena.

    ¡°You expect me to believe that? Besides, you should have no problem with what¡¯s about to happen. Six against two seemed like fair odds then ¡ª did they not?¡± The subus took a step closer, her halberd twirling as if it¡¯s heft meant next to nothing.

    *Tsk. As expected, she¡¯s not in the mood to talk. Not that I me her.* Fargo thought as he summoned his own weapon, arge de with a wide t surface. He swung it upwards, bringing it before his chest as the weight of the subus¡¯ halberd bared down upon him. Despite the size difference between them, Fargo felt the ground shifting between his feet as he was forced backwards slightly.

    *She got stronger too. Annoying. As. Fuck.* He inwardly thought as he parried a second blow from the incensed Subus. Fargo had an inkling that he understood why she was so upset.

    *She did go apeshit after her big-titted friend went kamikaze. I wonder if she¡¯s alright? A Scribe is pretty valuable¡­* Fargo¡¯s mind raced as he shifted both his weight and position to parry the iing strikes, which were fluid and well practiced.

    *She seems to have a good deal of experience using this thing. But.. not so much fighting other adventurers.* He observed as he stepped further in and allowed a swift strike to nce upwards off of his de, he then pivoted on his lead foot and arced his de with an upwards swing. As expected, the angry Subus guarded the blow ¡ª but due to her position she was forced upwards and back by several meters.

    *These people really don¡¯t give a fuck about what goes on around them do they?* Fargo thought as he nced around. Most of the people nearby went on about their business, as if adventurers dueling was an everyday urrence. The few that did look on averted their gazes almost instantly as Fargo¡¯s eyes met with theirs.

    *Ugh. Cowards.*

    ¡°Kneel.¡± Themand cut through the sound of the nearby space like a knife, one that embedded itself deep into Fargo¡¯s mind. Immediately he was reminded of the one person he hated most as his knees weakened and he found himself slowly sinking to the ground.

    *These control types really piss me off.* He grumbled mentally as he was forced to both knees and one hand. His gaze was also forced downward, but this he resisted with all of his might.

    *This is nothing! Gaines¡¯ maniption is a hundred times worse.* Fargo thought as he clenched his weapon in anticipation of a strike that was sure toe. The Subus walked towards him slowly, her mind filled with a singr purpose as her halberd trailed along her side.

    Within two steps she reached the zone to strike, it was then that Fargo took action. He leaned forward and to his left , causing the vermillion haired subus to miss her intended strike. He then roused as much of his mana as possible, pushing it all outwards at once. It worked as intended, restoring some of his ability to move.

    Just as the subus was gearing up to cleave downward with the full weight of her body, Fargo lifted his own weapon and forced mana into it. The specialized de hungrily sucked at the supply of magic, the de flowing with translucent energy.

    *Tsk. This damn seal is preventing me from using as much as I want.* He thought as the strike of her halberd came crashing downward. The blue energy formed at the impact point and Fargo tried his best to make it as dense as possible, but it wasn¡¯t enough. The de could absorb and use mana, but feeding it his own resulted in a much less effective technique.

    As the Guardian ss adventurer expected, the mana faltered and dissipated, only relieving a fraction of the blow¡¯s burden. Immediately a sense of aggravation washed over Fargo as he thought about the strict limitations ced upon him by Enzo Gaines.

    *Fucking 70%!* He thought, in reference to the fact that he could now only use 30% of his full strength at any given time. With approximately 30% of his own mana gone and a foe that was hellbent on using hand to handbat, Fargo was beginning to loathe the current situation. On the one hand, he wasrgely to me. He was the one who chose to scout and attack the Scribe and Subus. On the other hand ¡ª he would never have bothered doing such a vile thing as ¡°snatching¡± if he wasn¡¯t forced into it to begin with.

    None of this mattered however, since he couldn¡¯t outwardlymunicate this and even if he could ¡ª he doubted that his attacker would even care. There was also the white hot cost ofst time¡¯s failure which burned in his mind. The sight of Ashe¡¯s body bursting into ck mes and crumbling ash caused Fargo to strike back viciously. He iled his weapon, firing off an arcing wave of bluish energy from his weapon. The mid-range attack dissipated the further it moved, but it served its purpose. The energy st cleaved into the subus¡¯ abdomen, pushing her even further away rather than cutting her. She careened towards a nearby group of onlookers, crashing into them with enough force to barrel them over.

    Fargo quickly got to his feet and shot a nce towards hispanions. Weighing his options he finally settled on the least distasteful method of resolving things.

    ¡°Fuck this. Let¡¯s go!¡± Fargo said as he dashed towards Rena, catching the blue haired wolf-girl unaware as he dragged her along by her arm. Glint followed without missing a beat, a strange sort of smirk forming across his face.

    ¡°You call this ¡®handling it¡¯ ?¡± He said, the temptation to talk shit finally oveing his better judgment. Fargo shouted back, ¡°Shut it!¡± though, by the tone of his voice it was obvious that he was smiling. Rena jerked free, just enough so that she could stop being pulled along and the trio followed Fargo as he weaved through people.

    ¡°E-excuse me! Pardon me!¡± Rena attempted to say as she bumped into person after person. Each was more unruly and annoyed than the next. Many shouted or scowled in response, but Fargo¡¯s pace did not relent and so hers could not either. Despite being second in line, Rena quickly found herself behind Glint. It was now that Rena began to realize just how severe the limitations on her stats had be. She could barely keep up.

    ¡°Get back here!¡± A woman shouted as she too pushed aside anyone brazen or stupid enough to stand between her and pursuit.

    ¡°She¡¯s closing in on us!¡± Rena eximed as she endeavored to push herself faster than her body would allow. The mark of envement on her chest began to tingle, and then burn as if it was enforcing its will upon the lycanthrope.The ve mark imposed its restrictions, and she felt slower despite her intent to speed up. This, she realized, must have been what Fargo was speaking of.

    The scent of a woman filled Rena¡¯s nostrils and for the briefest of moments she was reminded of her earlier tryst in the rooms of Memento Mori. She pushed the thought from her mind with a fierce shaking of her head and turned to find the Subus just a few steps behind. The red-haired woman pushed aside a husky woman and uttered something inaudible as her eyes met with Rena. The wolf-girl felt a heavy, overwhelming presence sit upon her shoulders that forced her to one knee.

    Rena looked upwards just in time to notice her pursuer conjure a ball of mes and hurl it towards her face.

 Chapter 172: A Few Minutes Earlier

    Chapter 172: A Few Minutes Earlier

    Chapter 172 : A Few Minutes Earlier

    An Hour Earlier ¡ª

    ¡°Why are you so LOUD!?!¡± Agni groaned as she turned over in her bed. The sound of Sh and the others within her small room did very little to help. She failed to understand how they were awake, given the fact that they had just returned from their camping trip. With only a few hours of sleep, ths subus found herself to be incredibly irritable.

    Her pleas for rest and quiet wentrgely ignored, not by everyone else but her familiar Sh.

    *Her voice definitely grew louder. Ugh.*

    After several more minutes of attempting to cover her ears with a pillow, Agni reluctantly got up and got dressed. Unwilling to be a party to the jovial nature of her own sleeping quarters, she made her way outside and began walking. She had no particr destination in mind, just anywhere but ¡°here¡±.

    30 minutes Earlier¨C

    The faint beeping of the essory / magical device on her wrist alerted her to the fact that she¡¯d now sessfullypleted twelve tasks. The alert which apanied this read, ¡°Speak to Zura to learn more.¡± . Having no real destination or goal for the day, Agni decided to visit the Silken Petal.

    Along the way she thought about various things. It had almost been exactly three months since arriving in Adventia. She could barely remember her previous life, except for extremely emotional memories. These came and went like shes, oftentimes more like a sh than a whole memory. For some reason her head hurt more than usual. She had a sneaking suspicion that Sh was to me, but no real concrete evidence.

    ¡°Oh well.¡± Agni said, shrugging off her thoughts and continuing along her way to Sprim Row. Along the way she decided to buy some food from a nearby street stall ¨C only to find that her supply of Gols was at 0.

    ¡°Ugh. I forgot, we spent most of the money preparing for the camping trip.¡± Shemented , waving the vendor apologetically as she continued along her way.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to maybe take up a quest or two from the chapel. I¡¯ve never done it before, but it shouldn¡¯t be that bad.¡± Agni remarked , mostly to herself as she kept walking. A dull pain was gnawing at her stomach, she could feel the back of her stomach as it growled in protest due tock of food.

    ¡°Maybe Zura will have something for me to eat.¡± She said as she dipped her hands into her pockets and quickened her pace. Agni possessed enough self awareness to know that being hungry also made her grumpy. She felt the need to eat soon ¡ª and all the better. The sun was bright and the air somewhat brisk, not cold but enough to make Agni reconsider her current style of dress. She was wearing a loose fitting t-shirt which barely covered her midriff and a pair of snug fitting jean-shorts. On her feet she donned a pair of flip flops ¡ª prioritizingfort when at all possible was her nature after all. For a brief moment, Agni considered switching to her armor which would be somewhat warmer. She quickly dismissed the thought and continued about her business.

    ¡°I love the fall, but the weather change here is going to make me sick.¡± She whispered to herself. And then she thought about it.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t get sick. That must be.. A thought from a past life.¡± She mused, almost absent mindedly. Agni was quickly beginning to think that the day would be ackadaisical one. She could feel a pull towards lethargy,rgely because she had only gotten a few hours of sleep. That , coupled with thezy energy surrounding her, made her settle into the mood of an ¡°off day¡±. With that decided, Agni tilted her head backwards and ced her hands behind her neck so that she could better enjoy the sun as she walked.

    Ten Minutes Earlier ¡ª

    Minutester she found herself in the central area of Grenvale, where many of the more important shops where adventurers could be seen. Shemented the fact that she was now broke.

    *Maybe I can beg Katrin for some money. Hee hee.* She thought inwardly with a big smile as she passed by several stores she actually wanted to visit. The square was practically packed with people, all busy with some manner of business or activity. Most seemed to be shopping, but a great deal of them moved with a purpose. Agni watched as several people rushed by with banners , gs, ornaments and all other manner of objects.

    ¡°I wonder if there¡¯s some kind of festival going on?¡± She wondered aloud. She made her way through the crowd, deciding to pick up the pace towards Sprim Row when something caught her eye. At first it was a tuft of blue hair which drew her attention. Sky-blue with frosted tips, the young woman that the hair belonged to also had two small bumps beneath her cloaked head.

    ¡°Horns? Hmm. It¡¯s not often I see someone with a pair of horns. Maybe I should go say hello.¡± Agni said, half expecting Sh to answer. She¡¯d grown so used to herpanion being near that she forgot about leaving the imp back at Mystic Tower. As Agni¡¯s gaze lingered over the woman, it slowly drifted towards her twopanions.

    Agni¡¯s eyes narrowed and she felt her pulse quicken as she took a step forward, her eyes locked on the tallish man standing next to the blue-haired woman. He looked vaguely familiar, and not in a good way. She stepped closer, weaving effortlessly between the crowd of people between them.

    *ck braided hair. Dark skinnedplexion.* Agni felt her pulse quicken further as a minute bit of malice spilled out from her. Several of the people nearby nced in her general direction, unable to spot the source of their unease. She quickly moved away from them and towards her target for a better look. Secondter her doubt turned to certainty as a husky man with a shiny head could be seen next to the other two adventurers.

    Before Agni could think or form a logical thought, her hands clenched and her body moved. The familiar feeling of indifference to her actions began to creep over her like a lover¡¯s warm embrace. Her lips curled and suddenly thoughts of venting her minor aggravations red to life as she leapt forward and swung her halberd with all of her might.

    Present ¡ª

    ¡°Tsk. Get out of my way!¡± Agni shouted as she clicked her teeth. Standing before her was the dark-skinned man whom she¡¯d in once before. His twin daggers at the ready, the man performed a cross shing action which cleaved her fireball into four equal portions before dispersing it harmlessly.

    ¡°Calm down.¡± The braided man said, his hood falling backwards and revealing his face. Thoughts of driving the man¡¯s own de through his heart filled her mind and a creepy smile began to spread across her face.

    ¡°Why should I? You and your buddies attack people out of the blue, for no reason and now you want peace? You should have thought about that before.¡± Agni growled, her lust powers visibility emanating from her body as a portion of the pinkish energy coalesced to feed the next fireball she created. The pink energy swirled around the sphere of mes before being sucked into it, causing it to turn a tint of the same color.

    Agni lifted her hand and hurled the pinkish orb of me, a totally unnecessary movement given that she could control the spell with her mind. The spell careened towards the dagger wielding adventure who stood between her and their blue-hairedpanion.

    ¡°Shit.¡± The bald man¡¯s voice echoed forth as he dashed towards their destination, now free of the people surrounding him.

    ¡°Both of you! Dodge it!¡± He said, readying his own de to intercept the magical attack. The man known as Glint sidestepped almost instantly, but his blue hairedpanion was a step toote. The mes singed through her cloak, a portion of the pinkish mes leaping out to catch her on the face. She turned, attempting to shield her eyes but it was no use ¡ª she took the spark of mes face first.

    The husky man skidded to a stop as he lifted his de, bracing it with both hands as he prepared to trap Agni¡¯s magical power in his own de. Upon impact the weapon red with bluish mes which began to absorb the fireball ¡ª but not before he was inflicted with ssh damage. The mes seemed to have a mind of their own as they leapt over the barrier of protection provided by his sword and were drawn to his face and forearms. He grimaced as a spark of pain flowed through his body and closed his eyes for fear of being blinded by the fire.

    Yet all he felt was a haze, his mind grew frazzled and upon opening his eyes everything seemed¡ªdifferent. A haze of pink coated his eyesight. The bald man opened and closed his eyes several times, attempting to clear his vision but it was no use. He was aware that he had been damaged somewhat by the attack before his de managed to absorb it all, yet he felt none of the pain. In fact, he felt great..

 Chapter 173: Youre Going To Jail

    Chapter 173: You¡¯re Going To Jail

    Chapter 173 : You¡¯re Going To Jail

    ¡°What the hell is this?¡± Fargo thought to himself as a sensation of delight caused his body to tremble. His knees buckled for a brief moment, and his lips curled into a lip biting smile. The sensationsted only for a moment, but Fargo was beginning to wonder if he had lost his mind. It almost felt like the makings of sexual pleasure.

    His senses dulled during that period, allowing the vermillion haired subus to move closer towards them. Her lead hand was aze with the same pink mes as pink as her fury filled gaze.

    *This isn¡¯t going to end well.* Fargo thought as he sank lower, his de at the ready to parry another blow.

    *I need to knock her out.* He thought, taking in a deep breath before shifting his weight forward in anticipation. To his left Glint lingered in his shadow and to his right Rena had gotten to her feet.

    *With the right distraction¡­I can end this quickly.*

    Agni lunged forward, materializing her halberd in her free hand while conjuring pinkish mes within her other. And then there was nothing but brightness. A white, pure power that forced everyone near to close or cover their eyes.

    ¡°Lay down your weapons.¡± A voice echoed, it seemed toe from the center of the blinding light which was positioned in the middle of all involved parties. Fargo could feel something akin to pressure on his shoulders, it was overbearing more than heavy and it easily forced him down to one knee.

    He could hear the grunts of Glint and Rena respectively, even the subus seemed to be putting up a fight.

    *Fuck. Just what we needed.* Fargo thought inwardly. He dropped his weapon, making sure to allow for a loud nging sound and relented to the pressure exerted upon him. The moment he submitted it was as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

    The bright light receded in a short time, revealing the countenance of a skinny blonde man. His hair was one of the first things Fargo noticed, for the sides of his head were shaved while the top had long curls which curved over into a wave-like pattern.

    The second thing Fargo noticed were the ethereal wings which slowly faded out of existence at the shoulder des. Fargo¡¯s eye twitched, partially out of repulsion but he managed to keep his reaction in check.

    *Something about them just¡­makes my skin crawl. They look so¡­unnatural..*

    Blonde hair, blonde eyshes, eyes like the sky and just as deep. The man¡¯s skin was fair and pale (almost albino), blemish free and he was dressed in a draped, flowing garb. Despite this his chest, back, thighs and arms were almostpletely exposed.

    *That¡¯s so damn¡­corny.* Fargo averted his gaze and hung his head. Following his lead, Glint and Rena did the same. Only the subus continued to struggle.

    *Dammit girl. How pissed off are you? Just rx.* Fargo thought, daring to nce towards the subus who was now pinned to the ground. She struggled to push herself upwards, her tail iling wildly in a somewhatical manner. Her hips were thrust upwards towards the sky, her chest pushed down against the ground itself.

    The Angellus on the scene seemed unperturbed at the devil-kin¡¯s futile struggling. He seemed more interested in the other three who knelt in faux-reverence ¡ª though the Angel had no way of knowing their intentions.

    He stepped towards Rena, the closest of the three and asked her to lift her gaze. In that moment she felt the pressure on her shoulders ease, allowing her a more free range of movement.

    Rena lifted her head to see that most of the nearby people stood silently, some in awe others attempting to hide their faces as they looked upon the scene. Momentster the man¡¯s long fingers were pressed against her brow. For a second Rena was puzzled as to what the Angel was doing. After all, she¡¯d only heard of them ¡ª never seen one before. Adventia¡¯s peacekeepers, enforcers of thew ¡ª the Angellus.

    Then her sight faded away, giving rise to a sense of panic. This didn¡¯tst long, however. Her own memories began to rey through her mind, backwards as if she was watching her own life¡¯s movie in reverse. Memories shed through her head, her attempt to flee and the events that lead to it. The sensation was strange, as if she was a bystander to her own memories as seen through her own eyes. She was also keenly aware that someone else was viewing her thoughts.

    Then, just as quickly as it began , Rena¡¯s sight was restored. The Angellus had already moved onto the next person. First Fargo, then Glint ¡ª though the man only lingered for a second or two , to Rena it seemed much longer.

    The tall Angellus then turned to thest person involved in the incident, the subus. She had not stopped her struggling, in fact she had somehow managed to get to one knee. The Angellus¡¯ face remained motionless, that is until he noticed Agni¡¯s defiance. A twitch flickered at the corner of his eye and he pressed his hands together, forming a triangle shape. Within the space inside his palms an orb of light began to flicker into being.

    ¡°Do you have anything to say for yourself?¡± He asked, his voice sounding surprisingly feminine despite his male features.

    ¡°Yea. Fuck off. This is between me and those snatchers.¡± Agni grunted, though she was being oppressed, the Angellus¡¯ eyebrow lifted. He shook his head and pressed his palms together, squeezing the ball of light and causing it to burst from his hands. The ray struck the subus in her chest, forming a halo-like circle which expanded around her body then closed in to constrict her.

    ¡°You¡¯re a demon. You should know better than anyone that you can¡¯t resist an Angellus. You must be..new. No matter, I¡¯m willing to be lenient with you.¡± And with that the Angellus¡¯s wings shed into existence once more. The light was sudden and all epassing, those who watched covered their eyes due to the intensity. Some knew what wasing and turned their faces. Regardless, within the blink of an eye both the Angellus and the Subus were gone, leaving the trio of ¡°snatchers¡± at the scene of the scuffle.

    ¡°Well. I guess that worked itself out..¡± Fargo said as he got to his feet and smirked at his partners. Rena seemed uneasy andughed nervously, while Glint wore a displeased expression.

    ¡°If she ever sees us again she¡¯s going to be even more pissed that she got arrested¨Cyou know that , right?¡± Glint asked as he shook his head.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    ¡°Stop struggling.¡± The blonde haired man said as he stood before Agni, who was now bound by a ring of light. Realizing that she had been transported to a foreign ce in just a matter of seconds, Agni did just that. She nced around, her anger temporarily subsiding as she did so. There was the unmistakable scent of salt water in the air, sand beneath her and a clear blue sky for as far as the eye could see.

    ¡°Have you calmed down enough to talk?¡± The voice came from behind Agni this time. She was unaware of the man ever having moved, yet as she shuffled to turn around Agni found herself free of restraint. The feeling of oppression was now gone, she was free to move ¡ª free to run if she dared. Yet somehow, a sort of calm pressure alluded that fleeing would be folly.

    She quietly studied him for a short while, searching his face for some sort of answers. Ultimately she would find none and decided to try discourse.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Agni replied. She kept things short and to the point, her gaze bying the cautiousness which filled her.

    ¡°Good.I¡¯m..tired.¡± The blonde man said as he took a seat, his legs crossed before him, directly opposite Agni.

    ¡°Where am I?¡± Agni asked as she nced around. In the distance the wavespped the sand gently, like a caress.

    ¡°I thought you were more astute than that. If not this might be a short conversation.¡± The Angellus said, his emotionless face faintly twisting into a smirk.

    ¡°Fair enough.¡± This was all Agni could say, despite the fact that ¡®the beach¡¯ didn¡¯t quite cover it. She couldn¡¯t help but feel¡­silly, so she resigned herself to choosing her questions more carefully. Still, despite this it was as if the man could read her thoughts and he offered up more information.

    ¡°Good to see you have a sense of humor. This is the Southern Shore region. It¡¯s several hundred miles away from Grenvale. Ie here sometimes¡­to think. It¡¯s quiet. Peaceful even, well discounting the Grimlock.¡± The blonde stared out into the distant ocean, as if searching for something on the horizon.

    ¡°I have questions. And unless you¡¯d like me to leave you here to work out getting back to the city, you¡¯ll answer me truthfully. And I warn you, I have ways to tell if you¡¯re lying.¡± The Angellus man said as he directed his gaze back at Agni.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really have a choice do I?¡± She replied. Now that she got a good look at the man she realized something strange, she couldn¡¯t read his adventurer rating. She knew him to be an Angellus, that much was apparent from his appearance. Yet his rank was aplete mystery, the harder she peered, focusing to reveal the info ¨Cthe more the letters and numbers distorted.

    ¡°You can¡¯tprehend what you can¡¯tprehend. Do you have a name?¡± The man said, a slight smile forming across his lips.

    ¡°Agni.¡±

    ¡°Good. Agni. I am known as Egs.¡± The Angellus remarked, tapping his chest lightly with one hand.

    ¡°Tell me about today¡¯s incident from your own perspective.¡± He then said, shifting his stance so that both hands rested on his folded knees..

 Chapter 174: Angels And Demons

    Chapter 174: Angels And Demons

    Chapter 174 : Angels And Demons

    ¡°I see. I figured as much.¡± The Angellus said after hearing Agni¡¯s side of the story.

    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Agni asked, a slight twitch of agitation manifesting in her expression.

    ¡°It means.. I figured that was the case.¡± The blonde man replied, seriously at that.

    ¡°Then why did you stop me and not them? They¡¯re the ones snatching people!¡± She practically shouted. The Angel gave her a shrug, got to his feet and beckoned for the subus to follow.

    ¡°That answer isplicated.¡± He began.

    ¡°Do you know what the job of Angellus are in Adventia? It is said that every adventurer ss serves a purpose and that each is essential in it¡¯s own way. The Angellus can be considered the peacekeepers of Adventia. But, that doesn¡¯t mean in a literal sense. We don¡¯t restrict war, persay but rather we hold a certain tenant of rule as a priority. And we have the heavenly authority to enforce those rules.¡±

    ¡°Do those rules not include human trafficking?¡± Agni asked, a slight scowl forming as she spoke. She was beginning to get annoyed with this day all over again. All she wanted to do was get away from Sh¡¯s loud mouthed nonsense. Now she was on a beach, presumably hundreds of miles away from Grenvale speaking to ¡®Egs¡¯ the Angellus.

    ¡°No actually, they don¡¯t. The truth is, adventurers are allowed to do pretty much anything they want to each other. In a world where death can be transcended given the right conditions, violence matters very little. Our bodies heal from wounds that might normally kill us. We recover from disease and poison with enough time and we can¡¯t procreate without the blessing of the system. That means there are very few rules which must be enforced.¡±

    ¡°So¡­once again, if violence doesn¡¯t matter ¡ª why did you stop me?¡± Agni asked once more. She decided to let her bad mood show this time, yet the Angellus walking slightly ahead of her paid no heed. He didn¡¯t seem to give a shit and continued talking.

    ¡°A couple of reasons, but in a nutshell ¨Ccuriosity and confirmation. Those people that attacked you, they work for another man ¡ª an adventurer named Enzo Gaines. There are various rumors swirling about this man, but no concrete evidence that he¡¯s done any crimes the Angellus would need to get involved for.¡±

    ¡°So¨C¡±

    ¡°And before you ask, no ¡ª kidnapping is not a crime we would intervene in. You¡¯re an adventurer. You have to be able to take care of yourself to a certain degree. There are also chapels and parties ¡ª protection in numbers, in short ¡ª the likelihood of someone forcing servitude through strong arm tactics are next to none. In fact, I would say most adventurers would never dream of enving other adventurers. Which is why, one of the tenants we Angellus uphold are that any adventurers caught oppressing their lessers will be confined and judged ording to the weight of their crimes.¡±

    ¡°By lessers you mean?¡±

    ¡°Normals, NPCs, whatever you prefer to call them. It¡¯s strictly forbidden to harm, much less kill or otherwise abuse them. It carries one of the most severe penalties possible.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m confused then. If adventurers can¡¯t be enved, forced into servitude or punished for human trafficking then why did you intervene?¡±

    ¡°Curiosity.¡± The Angellus said as he stopped abruptly and turned to face Agni.

    ¡°The people who this man surrounds himself with are fiercely loyal to him. In fact, it¡¯s almost like they are caught under a spell ofpulsion. That sounds much like the work of a demon to me, and yet he has no such ssification.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying the ones who attacked me are¨Centhralled?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s one possibility. But it seems unlikely. They kept their sanity, their will. They recognized you from their earlier attempt, but I scanned their memories and touched their emotions with my abilities. Two of the men knew you from before, that much was obvious. The third was confused and bewildered. Of the two men that knew you, both had no desire to fight with you and both seemed remorseful. Why is that?¡±

    ¡°I have no clue.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense right? People acting contrary to their desires, yet seemingly free to do as they please. Undying loyalty and allegiances, even under duress of pain or torture.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­you¡¯re Angels and you torture people?¡± Agni asked.

    ¡°Yes and yes. But that is irrelevant.¡± Ergs replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s not just that. The Angellus work in teams of two generally and watch over an assigned territory. Since Grenvale is considered a starter town with little need for guidance, I handled it alone for quite some years. Only recently did I receive a recement order ¡ª a pair of Angellus partners. Not only that, one of the Angellus outranks even me. She doesn¡¯t seem interested in the slightest at what might be lurking in the darkness of Grenvale¡¯s slums.¡±

    Agni¡¯s mind wandered back to the striking Angellus woman she¡¯d encountered at the funeral. It had to be her.

    ¡°I was then assigned to a new territory near a normal town not far from Grenvale. I was told that this directive came from the Gods themselves.¡±

    ¡°The Gods? This world has Gods?¡±

    ¡°There are demons and angels. Why does a God seem like a foreign notion to you? Besides, you never heard the tale of the Three Gods?¡± Egs asked. To this point Agni could only nod her head in concession before she responded.

    ¡°No I haven¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Gaines is a protected man. That¡¯s the only logical conclusion I can draw. That in itself is a massive problem. When the keepers of the tenant can bepromised in a way that no one understands ¡ª that spells trouble.¡±

    ¡°I get it, your hands are tied. But what was the ¡®confirmation¡¯ part of the reason you interrupted?¡±

    ¡°Oh- simple. I wanted to see if you were capable ofpelling others to be your servants. At first I thought maybe they were victims who had broken free of your grip¡­¡±

    ¡°My Whisper doesn¡¯t work like that. I can¡¯tpel subjects so powerfully. At most my influence wanes after a few seconds.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Yes and no.¡±

    ¡°You like giving two answers to everything don¡¯t you? What does that mean?¡± Agni asked.

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re young and still a low ranker. Your abilities are in their infancy. But also no, because that¡¯s far from the extent of your abilities.¡± Egs once more stopped in his tracks and turned to face Agni.

    ¡°You seem like a good kid. That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to tell you this but if I ever ¡ª EVER hear about you misusing your abilities I¡¯ll make it my mission to find and imprison you myself.¡±

    As Egs spoke Agni could feel an intense wave of pressure being exerted. It was clear to her that this person was powerful, perhaps the most powerful being she¡¯d ever encountered. She could only nod as she struggled to resist the urge to back away.

    ¡°Good, now¡­ The truth is, you subi can be really nasty when you ¡°grow up¡±, so to speak. A few decades back we had a terrible time with one such woman. Gods, if she wasn¡¯t fucking anything that moved she was manipting people out of their money and possessions, brainwashing them, turning them into her willing ves. I mean, really dark depraved shit. All that power and all she did was debauchery. It got so bad that several groups of adventurers had to band together to bring her down. Do you know how much of a menace you have to be for other demons to get fed up?¡± Egs¡¯ voice rose as he spoke, it was clear he was getting agitated.

    ¡°Even now I still get a headache when I think about that blue haired bitch.¡± He rested his forehead against his palm as Egs recalled all manner of unpleasant things.

    ¡°Wow. Okay. I didn¡¯t know subus was capable of all that.¡±

    ¡°Well, you were using lust mes back there weren¡¯t you? Just like she used to.¡±

    ¡°Lust what now?¡± Agni queried, confusion stered across her face.

    ¡°Who was your mentor? Didn¡¯t she teach you anything at all? Oh¨C wait. I guess there are no subus who can mentor you if the only other subus is imprisoned for the foreseeable eternity.¡± Egs replied thoughtfully. He took a moment to consider some things and finally continued speaking.

    ¡°Are you not a part of the Demonic Chapel? I¡¯m sure they would be happy to offer you guidance. Well, I guess it doesn¡¯t matter. Look, I¡¯m no expert. All I know is that magic enhanced with that pink energy has the Pleasure element. You could set someone aze and they would convulse in ecstasy the whole time ¡ª if you used that power.¡±

    ¡°I ¡­ had no clue..¡±

    ¡°Well, now you know. I rmend you speak to someone ¡ª elder adventurers or your chapel leader. They can fill you in on the tenants, that way you can effectively steer away from trouble. The Angellus do not like demons on a good day, they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to discriminate against you at the drop of a hat. In fact, due to that other subus, pretty much all of you have a reputation as deviants ¡ª even amongst demons.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard anyone say that¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s probably because those who know are scared of you.¡± Egs quickly responded.

    ¡°What? No way. ¡± Agni replied dismissively.

    ¡°Anyway, I think that answers all of my questions.¡±

    ¡°Well, I have a few¨C¡±

    ¡°No. My time is limited. I¡¯ll return you to the city, and let you go with a warning. But mind yourself and try not to seek out Enzo Gaines.¡±

    ¡°Why would I wander into the den of a kidnapper?¡±

    ¡°Hmmph.¡± Egs grunted, then offered a shrug.

    ¡°Why would you attack the same people who tried to kidnap you in the first ce?¡±

    ¡°Fair point..hee hee.¡± Agni replied..

 Chapter 175: Horizon Eyes

    Chapter 175: Horizon Eyes

    Chapter 175 : Horizon Eyes

    ¡°It¡¯s time to go.¡± Egs said as he turned, stepping towards the subus. His right hand was outstretched, as if he meant to grab her by the horn.

    ¡°So you¡¯re just going to kidnap me without answering any of my questions?¡± Agni said as she quickly and cautiously took a step backwards.

    ¡°That¡¯s the n, yes.¡± Egs responded, one of his eyebrows arching upwards as he spoke.

    ¡°That isn¡¯t very bing of Adventia¡¯sw keepers¨Cright? I just have a few questions. Please.¡± Though she said the magic word, it was obvious to Egs that Agni wasn¡¯t asking. She intended to dally until her demands were met. He sighed, withdrawing his hand and cing both behind his back before speaking.

    ¡°What do you want to know? Three questions. No more.¡± He said.

    ¡°Good. Um..thank you.¡± Agni responded with a slight bow of her head, unsure whether it was appropriate or not.

    ¡°If Angellus hate demons so much why aren¡¯t you punishing me?¡± This was one of the most obvious questions that Agni couldn¡¯t help but address.

    ¡°Do you want to be sealed for the next seven days? You are aware that is the penalty for disrupting the peace in ces of gathering ormerce. Wait¨C no, of course you¡¯re not. You don¡¯t even have an idea of what the punishment entails.¡± Egs seemed to havee to some kind of silent conclusion, shrugging his shoulders before he ced one of his hands on Agni¡¯s forehead. His movements weren¡¯t too fast, quite the opposite. They were so casual and natural that Agni never registered him as a threat. The moment the Angellus¡¯ hand touched her forehead she felt the sensation of rushing energy envelop her. Agni could feel her palms grow damp and sweaty, along with her knees weakening.

    She felt dreadfully ufortable, what¡¯s more the sensation had quickly reached all corners of her body. There was little she could do to escape it ¡ª and by the moment it grew more intense until she felt as if all of her strength was gone.

    Agni clenched her eyes shut as a wave of heavy energy washed over her body, then she felt paralyzed. She couldn¡¯t move, scarcely breathe ¡ª simply exist. The sensation never seemed to settle and each moment was a different level of ufortable, making it difficult for her to limate to the sensation. The world before her, the sun, sky and beach all faded into darkness and blurs. She couldn¡¯t see, or more precisely could not recognize anything near or in the distance.

    What¡¯s more, she couldn¡¯t move or speak ¡ª as if the force weakening her had caused her to lose allmon sense and range of motion. Thissted for what felt like a long time, she could feel beads of her own sweat forming against her brow and running down her cheeks.

    Perspiration formed, taking the shape of drops which gathered against the silky smooth skin along Agni¡¯s chest and stomach. This was followed by a sensation of deep, lingering coldness which would not go away. She instantly remembered the sensation as one she¡¯d felt just once in her two livesbined ¡ª death¡¯s embrace. The sensation started in her abdomen and slowly grew outwards until each limb, digit and even her eyes were seeped in it. The feeling were beginning to overwhelm her entirely, and just when Agni felt she might go a little mad from ¡°stimtion overload¡± ¡ª everything stopped.

    Agni fell forward, her knees impacting the sand with enough force to send particles flying in all directions. Her eyes widened as she struggled to take in air, to fight off the cold prickling sensation which was prevalent in her fingertips and toes.

    ¡°That is what we call being sealed. It separates your spirit from your body.¡± Egs said. Suddenly Agni became aware of his presence once more. She gazed at him, not sure if he was a figment of her imagination or real. She tensed up, bing frustrated that she could not act on her first instinct ¡ª to create distance between herself and this man.

    ¡°But, it doesn¡¯t do so entirely. This technique brings the target to the precipice. The absolute point where your soul clings to your mortal body. As you¡¯ve just experienced, it¡¯s a type of mental, physical and spiritual punishment that Angellus use to keep adventurers in line.¡±

    ¡°Torture.¡± Agni whispered, her own breath sounding strange and foreign. She realized that her hearing had been impaired as well upon listening to her own voice.

    ¡°Pardon?¡± Egs inquired, he heard her but wasn¡¯t sure what she meant¨C

    ¡°It¡¯s not punishment. It¡¯s torture.¡± She repeated, finally gathering enough strength to stand on her own two feet.

    ¡°Why did you do that? I.. I¡­¡± Agni stumbled over her words as she tried to voice the frustration bubbling from within.

    ¡°Since you haven¡¯t been properly educated on this world¡¯sws, it seemed the quickest way to help you understand what punishments await those who gain the ire of the Angellus. And you¡¯d do well to avoid their anger, as I said ¡ª they do not like demons at all.¡±

    ¡°But why did you have to leave me there for so long? It felt like minutes, hours even.¡± Agniined as she wiped cold sweat from her brow and steadied her breathing.

    ¡°Oh. That was just a few seconds. Normal punishment for what you did would be 2-7 days minimum.¡± Egs stated in a matter of fact way.

    ¡°A few seconds? There¡¯s no way. I felt like I couldn¡¯t move, I couldn¡¯t breathe.¡±

    ¡°That would be the holy magic attribute of the technique. Angelus use what many can consider light and holy magic techniques. As a demon you¡¯re naturally weak to these two elements, moreso to holy attribute.¡±

    ¡°That was the effect of the holy attribute?¡± Agni said carelessly. Egs sighed and waved his hand to stop her.

    ¡°Do you really want that to be your third question?¡± It was then that Agni realized she¡¯dpletely forgotten the events leading up to her most recent unpleasantry. She pressed her lips shut, her eyes widening as she realized her gaffe.

    ¡°I¡¯m benevolent. I¡¯ll give you one extra question. Besides, you¡¯re right it was a bit much to show you this considering I decided to let you go without punishment. But I think it¡¯s best you understand what may be waiting in store for you should you act too rashly. Believe it or not, I¡¯m a nice Angel.¡±

    ¡°Which brings me to answer your first question. I don¡¯t hate demons, I mean. I lived a past life where everyday hatred was heaped upon me for the pettiest of reasons. I was born with skin just a little lighter than others. Just that, but it was enough for me to be ostracized, organized against and struggle against systems of oppression designed to disadvantage me.¡±

    ¡°Ultimately that stigma, it imed my life. I remember thinking, as Iid in the streets gurgling on my own blood ¡ª that if I had a second chance I would make a more fair world.¡±

    The Angellus said, his gaze shifting out into the distance once more. It was now clear to Agni that he was looking to the horizon. Perhaps into an invisible cab of long lost memories. It was that kind of look.

    In some respects Agni could identify with his words. Her past life was spent harboring aplex which limited her ability to be intimate with anyone, presumably until the day she died.

    ¡°But more than that, it¡¯s just my own curiosity. As I said, I¡¯m moving jobs but I¡¯ve been assigned to guard this territory for a long time. In a way I¡¯m invested. I care what happens and I care about the people within the ce. Even rash young subus who attack their attempted kidnappers in broad daylight.¡±

    Of all the things the Angellus said, it was the word ¡°young¡± which stuck out to Agni the most. It was the first time anyone had dared to call her young since she arrived in Adventia. Along with that word, she wondered just how old the adventurer standing before her was.

    ¡°So? Ask your remaining questions.¡± Egs said, his impatience bing more and more apparent with each passing second.

    ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t remember what I was going to say.¡± She said, after realizing that her mind had gonepletely nk.

    ¡°Well then. No reason to dy.¡± Egs said as she stepped towards Agni with the same casual smoothness which shattered her defenses previously. He lifted his hand, offering a smile this time as he ced a hand on her shoulder. His majestic wings, which seemed to be made of white and rainbow colored particles, materialized into view. The way the sunlight bounced off the water in the distance , the sight of sun rays interacting with his Angellus wings, it was a sight that Agni would not soon forget. Within the blink of an eye only four deep gouges remained in the sand where once the pair stood..

 Chapter 176: Lovers Pact (1)

    Chapter 176: Lover¡¯s Pact (1)

    Chapter 176 : Lover¡¯s Pact (1)

    The sound of breathing echoed through the night air. She clenched his hand fiercely, unwilling to let go at any cost. Though her legs were burning, though her chest was heaving and her lungs burning hot, she dared not let go.

    Her mind was a spiraling mass of emotion as she and he eloped through the cool summer¡¯s night. At their heels, perhaps not a hundred meters away, were severalnterns. They teetered back and forth in the darkness, as if propped up by ghosts, unseen. She knew better, the voices of the men echoed through the woods, even as the two ran for all their worth.

    She was beginning to regret, it was a sensation she fiercely denied yet given the flurry of ¡®life¡¯ing at her ¡ª she had to admit it was a valid sensation. She recounted the dozens of other ways she probably could have handled things, yet none seemed to matter and all seemed gray beneath the rose colored gaze of devotion.

    She looked at his back, even as she struggled to suppress her breathing and somehow intake breath. He seemedrge,rger than ever before and ever more dashing. He cut through the darkness of the woonds without fear, despite the fact that she felt their mad dash was in vain.

    They would be caught, and torn apart. She would probably suffer the same fate all those unprivileged faced. For a split second she thought of her family, and what they might endure because of her. It pained her heart, to think that her brothers and sisters might suffer, that her mother and father might be rendered toplete poverty and yet ¡ª there was love.

    She couldn¡¯t deny the allure, the sensation of something blooming so fiercely within her heart. She recalled almost every moment spent together with this young man, ever since the day they first saw one another.

    His skin was fair, it was apparent that he¡¯d rarely seen a day of sun in his life, yet his hands were dirty with mud and his fine shoes caked as he ran along.

    ¡°Do you need me to carry you?¡± He whispered, almost viciously so that his voice would carry.

    ¡°I- I think I can ¡­ keep going..¡± The teenager girl¡¯s young voice barely left her lips above the sound of a whisper, yet she could hear the sound of voices and shuffling towards their direction.

    *We can¡¯t keep this up¡­we should¡­we should stop.* She thought, her mind racing as she struggled for a way to tell him. She could only think of one.

    She slowed down,ing to a halt and allowed her grip to falter so that their hands parted. There in the moonlight two lovers faced one another, like many other times. This time they were of two minds and two hearts.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do this. You have your future to think about. And I have to think about my family. As much as I want this, this is selfish.¡± She began, her eyes downcast and her hands quivering. She spoke the words she wanted to say the least, yet the same ones she knew to be right ¡ª at least the ones that made sense.

    ¡°Nonsense. There is no going back, Adena. I¡­¡± The young man stepped forward, slivers of moonlight shining through the sparse canopy of trees.

    ¡°It¡¯s done. I threw away everything, my inheritance, my title. All of it. And I would do it again. For you.¡± The young man said as he grasped her quivering hand and held it, until she quivered no more. His embrace was like the finest drug, one that could cure any ailment of the mind or soul, at least this was what she thought as she considered his words.

    She couldn¡¯t help it, her heart fluttered. It was an excited response, one that she felt a tinge of guilt for experiencing.

    *Everything. He gave up everything..for me.*

    This thought brought tears to her eyes, for various reasons. She was profoundly touched, but the most prevalent thought was ¡ª *Why can¡¯t anyone else see how much we care for one another? If we could get them to acknowledge us then¨C*

    ¡°Hop on.¡± His voice drew her from the thoughts that distracted her, however brief. The sight of him kneeling in the deeply brown earth, beckoning her to a piggy back ride was one that she would never forget.

    She bit her lip and stepped forward, falling onto him slightly. She underestimated just how draining her run had been. She wondered how a young man who¡¯d rarely worked a day in his life was able to keep going when she, a peasant, spent nearly everyday toiling in physical effort. She was spent,pletely.

    ¡°I knew you were tired. You¡¯re a bad liar.¡± He whispered. The muddy hem of her cloth dress could be felt pressing against her as he lifted her up and began to move. The voices were closer now, and she realized that they wouldn¡¯t make it. She even wondered where they were going, it was all so sudden. She assumed he had a n, he seemed like he did. But none of that mattered, all that mattered was the moment. She rested her head against his back, nuzzling for warmth as she wrapped her arms around his neck. This was the ce she was meant to be, at this moment. She was sure of it.

    He ran for a time which seemed both too short and very long. She could hear hisbored breathing, yet he neverined and never faltered ¨Ceven when he misstepped.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want any harm toe to you. We should stop this¡­¡± She tried once more to speak the words of reason, words that were impressed upon her by the realities of everyday life. The reality of sses and social status, the words of adults who simply didn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°It¡¯s toote. In order to make sure I could never go back¡­I took¡­I took half of the gold. And I bought a carriage in secret. We just have to make it. We just have to make..¡± He said, and suddenly they were falling, face first towards the dirt. She gasped, struggling to stifle her audible sounds as the two crumpled to the ground with a thud.

    ¡°I- I¡¯m sorry. We will..have to walk from here.¡± He said, his body shuddering as he attempted to get to his feet.

    ¡°No. I shouldn¡¯t have let you carry me. Here..¡± She said, renewed by his words and conviction.

    ¡°Hold onto me.¡±

    And so the two continued, the footsteps got closer, shuffling through the brush ¡ª but she didn¡¯t care. A carriage, and money ¡ª enough to start a new life with just the two of them. He had forsaken everything he had ever known, and done so for her. It was enough, more than enough. She hoisted him upwards, using every bit of experience and strength from her upbringing. She draped his arms across her chest, allowing them to fall freely even brushing against her breasts. His touch was electric, yet she ignored it as she focused her mind for the task ahead. She leaned forward as she lifted upwards and then she began to walk, quickly as her body would carry them.

    She tried to control her breathing, to stretch out her stamina to the utmost limit. asionally he whispered to her, guiding her towards their destination and soon the dim moonlight revealed a shabby hut in the woods.

    ¡°There. The driver awaits.¡± He said, struggling to get to his own feet.

    ¡°I can go on my own now. Thank you, my love.¡± He said with a smile as he grasped her hand once more. Though her body was aching, her feet blistered and her hair aplete wreck ¡ª to anyone looking she resembled a ray of sunshine.

    The two made a mad dash for the wooden structure and as they drew near she noticed a dim light from within, candle or perhaps antern. Very faint. They quickly moved towards the door and once near it, he whispered the password. An older man¡¯s voice replied, and the wooden door quickly squeaked open to allow them both to enter.

    The two lovers quickly dipped inside, thankful to finally be out of the woods. They realized they only had a few precious moments, but with a carriage they could do it. With a carriage and money they could ¡ª

    ¡°Did you think you could get away from your father, boy? Especially after ye¡¯ robbed him?¡± Another stern voice echoed from a dark corner of the small hut. He immediately went on edge, his hand outstretched to shield her from perceived danger.

    He nced towards the face of the man who was to be their carriage driver.

    ¡°What is the meaning of this? I paid you!¡± He practically spat.

    ¡°Aye. That you did. And your father paid me thrice what you did.¡± The man said with a shrug as he sat down.

    ¡°Me n¡¯ you. We¡¯re gonna have a chit-chat boy. And then yer¡¯ gonna have a decision to make.¡± The sinister voice said as a man stepped out into the dim light of the hut. There was a long, sharp stiletto de in his hand, one that he flicked and twirled menacingly. She felt her body stiffen and her eyes widen, she couldn¡¯t help but recede into the safety of his back once more. And he stepped forward, ready to defend her at all costs..

 Chapter 177: Lovers Pact (2)

    Chapter 177: Lover¡¯s Pact (2)

    Chapter 177 : Lover¡¯s Pact (2)

    The shadowy man stepped into the meager light cast about the room, revealing a tall and slender figure. His eyes held a dangerous intent, one that was obvious with just one gaze. He tossed the hilt of the de upwards, catching it despite the precarious way the de fell in response.

    ¡°The Baron has a message for you and that wench behind you.¡± The man said as he stepped closer.

    ¡°Watch your mouth, knave!¡± The young man shouted, his eyes growing wild with fury. Rather than deter the slender man, he simply smiled wildly, the corners of his thin lips curving upwards unnaturally. The smile revealed teeth which were thick with yellow and brown butter, or perhaps scale ¡ª it was hard to tell. The young woman could feel her stomach turning, she could catch a faint whiff of the man¡¯s breath, it hung about the room like a lingering cloud.

    Outside the sounds of footfall and voices began to echo. The pursuers had caught up, and from the sound of things, surrounding the hut on all sides.

    ¡°Boss? Ye¡¯ in there?¡± A hoarse male¡¯s voice pierced the evening.

    ¡°Aye. I¡¯m here. And so is the runt and his wench. Hold tight boys.¡±

    ¡°Timely. Ha. The message is..¡± The yellow toothed man cleared his throat and prepared his best regal voice before continuing.

    ¡°I have no need for a useless son, one who would squander his inheritance and all he stands to gain. Over a woman no less, but not just any woman. A peasant. So, to you I give you a choice. If you¡¯re truly keen on severing ties, survive the night. However, if you wish to end this foolishness now, before it¡¯s toote for you ¡ª there is one thing you must do.¡±

    The imposing man¡¯s demented smile once again surfaced as his eyes glinted in the candlelight. The young man watched as his gaze fixed itself upon his beloved.

    ¡°Abandon the wench girl. You can find hundreds of them and have as many as you like. Do this, and you will be weed back with open arms. Fail to do this¡­¡± The thin man snickered even as he recalled the correct words to say.

    ¡°And both of you will die tonight.¡±

    For a moment that seemed way too long, the young man simply gazed towards his ambusher.

    ¡°And if I go back with you, what happens to her?¡±

    The man began to chuckle, his voice echoing through the piercing dim of the hut.

    ¡°She¡¯s mine. Well¡­me¡­and his¡­.and my friends outside¡­and then when I suppose we¡¯re finished¡­ then we¡¯ll put her out of her misery. Ha ha ha!¡±

    There was a sordidly demented sense of delight in the man¡¯s words, as if he was practically feening to get his hands on the one known as Adena.

    ¡°That¡¯s madness. What made you or my father think I would ever agree to this?¡± They said, stepping towards the slender man. This was a mistake, as a flicker of movement caused a slow response. The slender man bought up his leg and caught the young man against his cheek. The blow was enough to rattle his brain, sending him to the floor with a single strike.

    ¡°I figured ye would never go along with it. Young, dumb and full ¡®o cum you are.¡± The slender man said as he gazed down at the young man through dirty matted hair.

    ¡°But the thing is¡­he told me to kill you if you refuse. The only problem is¡­I really¡­really love hearing little wimps like ye¡¯ squeal. So¡­I was going to kill you whether ye¡¯ agreed or not. Ha. Ha Ha ha.¡± The slender man erupted into a fit ofughter as he clenched his de and iled it just as wildly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll never let you do that.¡± The young man said, getting to his feet, slowly and surely.

    ¡°That¡¯s not part of the deal. The Baron said he would double the amount if we bring back his boy¨C¡± The sound of the carriage man¡¯s protest was cut short by a noise of chortling. Blood sprayed from his neck, his artery severed with one swift slice. The slender man killed him with a flick of his arm, to him it was as easy as cutting bread. The young girl gasped, recoiling at the sight while the young man gritted his teeth, struggling to avoid going into shock.

    The carriage man¡¯s eyes locked upon the young man as the life force began to ebb away. The blood continued to spurt without reserve, dying the floor and wooden walls in a deep crimson which looked more ck than anything. As if he was a man possessed with revenge, the dying man reached out and gripped at his killer¡¯s ankle. He apparently regarded this as little more than a dying man¡¯s desperation. The young man saw it as an opportunity. He half dashed, half threw himself forward into a tackle.

    He sent the entire weight of his body against the slender man, who attempted to side step the move. However, the dying man¡¯s death grip was absolute, refusing to budge even a centimeter. The young man barreled into the slender one head on, both rocking from the impact but only one felt the true cost of it.

    ¡°Boy. Yer in a hurry to die aren¡¯t you?¡± The slender man said as he began to giggle feverishly. The young man nced down towards the de tip piercing his abdomen.

    ¡°No!! Bernard!¡± The young woman shouted, her face etched in concern and horror. She moved to run towards him, only to be greeted with aggression herself. The slender man shrugged, pushing the young man¡¯s body towards his iing lover. The two smashed into each other, knocking her down with him on top.

    The impact was so swift, so sudden that she saw stars , even as sheid on the floor. She could feel something warm against her chest, followed by the bloom of red against her dirty clothing. She shouted in dismay once more, this time hysterical at the sight of blood covering her abdomen and chest.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m fine.¡± The young man known as Bernard whispered.

    ¡°No, no you¡¯re not fine! This is way too much blood!¡± She shouted as she attempted to find the puncture wound. Bernard got to his feet, turning to face his aggressor once more as he fiercely clenched his side.

    ¡°Give it up boy. Yer gonna die here tonight and no one will be the wiser. Then, we¡¯ll take our time making yer girl into a proper woman.¡± The man edged closer, licking the blood from the top of his stiletto de.

    Bernard¡¯s eyes shed with anger, he gritted his teeth as heunched himself forward once more. This time the slender man reacted by simply pointing his dagger at the iing boy. Bernard held up his hand at thest moment, taking the de as he drew in close, close enough so that he would not miss. Pain shot through his palm, followed by crimson red as the de easily slipped between bone and tendon. Yet he held his resolve firmly until he was within striking reach.

    Bernard swung his free fist, he anticipated that it would be evaded altogether ¡ª he did not anticipate being counter punched in the stomach. He felt the blow sink inwards, cracking one of his ribs. It was down to the wire, but close enough. Bernard pursed his lips and spewed a purplish mist outwards and directly into the face of the nearby slender man.

    The liquid covered his facepletely, even getting into his eyes. Almost immediately the slender man took a step backwards and began to rub on his eyes with one free arm. This final sh was a mistake, one that would prove deadly for all parties involved..

 Chapter 178: Melancholy Memories

    Chapter 178: Mncholy Memories

    Chapter 178: Mncholy Memories

    ¡°Ye fokin brat! Mi eyes!! What did ye do!?¡± The slender man growled as the sensation of fire spread across his face. His skin was burning and his eyes were far beyond that. Within seconds the purple liquid robbed him of his sight, causing him to stumble backwards as he iled the stiletto wildly.

    The young woman known as Adena struggled to process what happened. Her prevalent emotion was abject panic, her eyes widened and she rushed forward to support her beau. Even as the young man crumbled under the weight of his wounds. Bernard nursed his stomach, dealing with the teeth grinding pain of cracked ribs, all while bleeding profusely.

    She cradled him, her fatigued body sinking under his dead weight until both found themselves on the floor of the wooden structure. Nearby the carriage man¡¯s corpsey, eyes wide and face contorted in disbelief but she cared very little about dead bodies now. Her only concern was to prevent another tragedy.

    ¡°Bernard¡­¡± She sobbed helplessly as she pressed her hand against what she felt was the puncture wound. Her fingertips quickly became bloodied and she realized that he was losing a dismal amount of life fluid. Her voice choked in her throat, and she realized that she was now entering the final moments of their time together.

    He looked up at her with those eyes, the same eyes she¡¯d grown so fond of and realized he could no longer dy her fears or sadness. Instead, he offered what he could through his own gaze, a burning desire for love and well wishes ¡ª pure love.

    Amidst their moment of shared affection, their attacker shrieked and charged. Though blind, his rage would not abate and he could still hear. He dashed madly towards the sound of her voice, only blurry outlines could show him the way ¡ª his sight was all but gone.

    His words came out as an unintelligible growl, his thoughts were now like that of a wounded animal. He had only one goal, to sink his de deep ¡ª as far as it could go. He prepared to stab the moment he registered movement with his faulty eyes, but what happened next surprised even himself.

    He felt the sensation of pulling, followed by something warm and wet trickling down his side. This was followed by several more piercing sensations ¡ª he was being stabbed, by his own knife no less.

    Somehow, the young man had gotten to his feet once again and managed to wrest the de from his attacker. The slender man gritted his teeth and swung hard with a backfist, but the damage was done. He connected, sending the young man flying backwards and to the floor as the killer grasped at his chest. His breathing was bing ragged, blood was filling his lungs and he knew he would not have long. With that in mind, he croaked out a single, final order.

    ¡°Burn it down!¡± He bellowed as blood trickled from his lips, spurting outward as the ruffian crumpled to his knees. His face contorted into a contented smile as hey dying on the floor. Adena clenched her fists upon witnessing the whole spectacle. For a brief moment she held out hope that they might be able to escape, that they would get through all of it ¡ª but it was a naive thought. Her love copsed into her arms once more, offering an apology for his current state.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I never wanted things to turn out like this.. I didn¡¯t.. Think my father would go so far¡­¡± He was now struggling to speak, his eyes flitted to and fro as if he were searching for her. So she gripped his hand , guiding him to her presence. Tears welled up, unstoppable and uncontroble. They streamed down her cheeks and sshed onto his as his breathing slowed to a whisper, then stopped altogether.

    There was no telling how long she sat with him in her arms, immobilized and isted within a world of loss. When she came to, the shabby wooden hut was ame, threatening to consume everything within it.

    And yet, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to care.

    She thought back to the night¡¯s events; their elopement n, being chased through the forest, and finally the moments that led her to this point. It was the first time she¡¯d done anything for herself, wanted as much or allowed herself to indulge. It was the first time she lived her life ording to her own rules, and now in her final moments she was determined to see it through to the end.

    She nced around desperately seeking something, anything that might help her follow him to the afterlife. Anything but the mes. Her eyes settled on the stiletto and she felt drawn to it, but something nearer settled her violent thoughts. It was a bottle, unstoppered and discarded. She recalled her love and his actions, realizing that this was the same container of the liquid¨Cthe poison he¡¯d used to blind the slender man.

    She grabbed the bottle and lifted it, releasing a mixed sigh of relief and despair. There was enough left, a few gulps. She had no idea what the liquid would do, or if it would even do the job. But with the fires dancing around her anything had to be better than the kiss of mes. She took several deep breaths, her tear stained cheeks and blood stained hands both quivered as she brought the bottle up to her lips and drank.

    She clenched her eyes shut as the bitter, numbing liquid flowed into her. And then ¡ª

    ¡°Wee. I¡¯m Wa, the Guardian of the Wilderness tabernacle.¡±

    Tears streamed down the young woman¡¯s cheeks as she frantically sought to recall memories, the ones she wanted to hold onto forever. Yet even as the tears fell, a wall erected itself in her mind and heart.

    ¡°How many years would it take me to remember that.¡± Zura whispered to herself as she sipped on some tea. It was a pleasant scent, one that rxed and calmed her. Despite this, she could feel a lone tear streaming down to her lips.

    ¡°I wonder what he¡¯s up to right now?¡± She then said as she wiped the traces of sorrow away. A sense of mncholy settled over Zura as she pushed a strand of her long, ck hair aside. Something told her to nce upwards, perhaps it was intuition. There was a blinding light, one thatsted only for a few moments, before a figure appeared before her.

    ¡°A-Agni? What are you doing here?¡± Zura asked, confused as to how the subus hade to stand in her courtyard..

 Chapter 179: Tea With Zura

    Chapter 179: Tea With Zura

    ¡°I see..that¡¯s an unusual tale.¡± Zura said as she took another sip of her tea. Opposite to her, Agni sat, now quiet after exining the events which led her to appear in the Silken Petal courtyard.

    ¡°Demons and Angellus certainly don¡¯t get along most times. I wonder what he wanted?¡± Zura asked.

    ¡°He said he wanted information. Though I felt like maybe there was more to it.¡± Agni replied. She couldn¡¯t help but ponder the situation between her and the Angellus known as Egs. He was much different than the other two Angellus she¡¯d interacted with. If she were to describe it, all of them seemed cold and distant but Egs was definitely the ¡°warmer¡± of the trio.

    ¡°Information about what? Angellus don¡¯t usually talk from what I know of them.¡±

    ¡°A man named Enzo Gaines.¡± Agni responded, directing her gaze across the round table to study Zura¡¯s response. The fuschia eyed proprietor of the Silken Petal tensed up, as if she were desperately struggling to suppress agitation at the sound of his name.

    ¡°I see. And those ¡®snatchers¡¯ as you call them, they are affiliated with Gaines? That exins a lot. But.. also creates more questions.¡± Zura said as she sat down her tea cup and inteced her fingers, now in serious thought.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Agni asked, now leaning forward in her seat.

    ¡°Well, we have to maintain a certain level of business. So sometimes I send a few of the girls out to find new clients. A few of them never came back, usually newer girls. Whenever I would ask the others about it, they would always say the girls simply refused to return, or wandered off. I¡¯ve even seen one or two of the missing women before. It was just something about the encounter.. They seemed distressed. But no matter what I did or said, they wouldn¡¯te with me. Or couldn¡¯t. Furthermore, it¡¯s not as if they were being guarded or monitored by anyone ¡ª it was strange indeed.¡±

    ¡°That sounds alot like what Egs said. Almost word for word. He said he wanted to speak to me to see if I was the onepelling people. He seems to think that whatever is causing people to behave strangely is connected to this Enzo Gaines person ¡ª but he has absolutely no idea how it¡¯s being done.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s very troubling. You and Katrin escaped? From what you said, the man you described is a rank two adventurer. Maybe stronger. There¡¯s no realistic way you should have been able to defeat multiple second rankers and several first rankers ¡ª even with your Whisper ability in y.¡± Zura exined.

    ¡°I think, after our experience in the red shard, you¡¯re absolutely right.¡± Agni¡¯s gaze tilted downward as she recalled her most recent experiences against a rank three foe. Granted, the shard realm made Grimlock much more powerful, but she couldn¡¯t fathom taking on a foe like that alone. Vivian and Bracha had done so for extended periods of time, and people like Oliver Pagnal even contributed to the battle. What had she done? Suddenly her pride at having defeated the snatcher¡¯s superior numbers seemed tarnished.

    ¡°Zura. Will you spar with me?¡± Agni asked,out of the blue.

    ¡°What? Agni..I hardly think this is the time or ce. Is that why you came to me today?¡± Zura replied, though as she took in the chiseled determination on Agni¡¯s face she had a sinking feeling ¡ª logic wouldn¡¯t reach her.

    ¡°No. I wanted you to do something about this bangle. But.. now I¡¯m curious. I have nothing to gauge my strength against, nothing personal anyway.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. But I¡¯m not abat type. My Courtesan ss could be considered more of a support role. I¡¯m not sure how much help that would be to you.¡± Zura exined.

    ¡°I think because of that you would be able to go all out.¡±

    ¡°Agni, I don¡¯t think¡­¡± Zura began, but as her voice trailed off she simply sighed.

    ¡°I can sort of understand why you want to do this. Fine. When I finish this cup of tea we will have a LIGHT sparring session. Just don¡¯t¡­get discouraged.¡± Zura added as she picked up her cup of tea once more and took another sip.

    ¡°On the subject of this Gaines. He has a chapel here in Sprim Row called Memento Mori.¡± Zura then said, changing the subject.

    ¡°I can probably get in touch with one of my former girls if I go there. With that in mind, Agni I¡¯d like to ask for your help.¡±

    ¡°Me?¡± Agni¡¯s eyebrow shifted as she responded.

    ¡°Yes. If this Angellus¡¯ suspicions are correct and these people are being controlled, perhaps you can get answers where I can¡¯t. At any rate, just having you talk to her shouldn¡¯t hurt. If you¡¯re willing that is?¡± Though Zura phrased it as a question Agni was intuitively aware that she shouldn¡¯t refuse, besides ¡ª she didn¡¯t want to decline anyway.

    ¡°Sure. I¡¯m curious as well. Now that I think about it¡­maybe attacking them outright wasn¡¯t a good idea.¡± Agni relented. Though it felt good in the moment, perhaps even justified, the scrap had done little more than allow her to vent fleeting feelings.

    ¡°One more thing.¡± Zura said, causing Agni¡¯s focus to shift back to their discussion.

    ¡°This sparring session, if I do this I¡¯d like you to do something else for me.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? If it¡¯s something within my power to do, I¡¯ll do it.¡± Agni replied.

    ¡°That simply hmm? Don¡¯t you even want to know what I have in mind?¡± Zura asked.

    ¡°Well, yes. But you¡¯re helping me with a lot of important things. Come to think of it, you¡¯ve always helped me out. Why is that?¡± Agni asked.

    ¡°Hmm. If I had to say, it¡¯s because I like you. You¡¯re straight forward, honest and sincere. It¡¯s¡­refreshing. Most people aren¡¯t so direct with their actions or intentions, ying mental chess can be tiring. It¡¯s nice to be in thepany of someone with whom I can be myself.¡± This was Zura¡¯s unexpected answer.

    Agni smiled as her face began to grow hot from blush.

    *Why am I blushing like an idiot?*Agni thought as she forcefully contorted her lips to conceal a forming smile.

    ¡°See. You¡¯re cute even when you try to hide it.¡± Zura replied with a chuckle as she sat down her tea cup.

    ¡°Also this favor is rted to that bangle, you could think of it as another way to get over yourplex.¡± She then got to her feet and motioned for Agni to do the same, signaling that the time for sparring was upon them..

 Chapter 180: The Satin And Lace - Ace

    Chapter 180: The Satin And Lace ¨C Ace

    ¡°So..¡± Zura said, pausing to flip locks of her long, ck hair to the side. This small act caused a sweet smelling scent to waft through the air.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± She asked. The two were now standing in the center of therge courtyard in front of the Silken Petal.

    ¡°Are you sure you want to do it here? Thendscaping is so nice. I¡¯d feel guilty if I messed up yourwn. Besides, I just got in trouble for fighting in public..¡± Agni asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can pay to have it redone. As long as your battles aren¡¯t disrupting uninvolved parties, you¡¯re fine.¡± Zura said with a pleasant smile.

    ¡°Okay..¡± Agni replied as she stepped forth. The distance between them was a little less than three meters (9ft) in distance. Agni pondered all of the tools in her arsenal, Whisper would require bridging the distance to at least six meters, but even then she wasn¡¯t sure how effective the technique would be.

    ¡°Is anything off limits?¡± Agni asked as she sized up her ¡®opponent¡¯.

    ¡°No. Use any means at your disposal.¡± Zura replied.

    ¡°However, for the purposes of this sparring session ¡ª you must force me to my knees to consider it a win. The same applies to you.¡± Zura exined. The Courtesan lifted her right hand, causing a long satin sash to appear. The item draped around her neck and coiled around each arm. Rather than a piece of clothing, the item seemed alive, suggesting to Agni that it was a weapon of some sort.

    Though Agni was the one to suggest the sparring session, she was now having reservations. The woman before her was absolutely beautiful. Zura held a certain grace and quality to her, one that Agni had yet to capture as a woman. Her aura was so..alluring, so attractive that Agni felt ¡°wrong¡± even considering the act of aggression against her.

    Unlike the aura of overwhelming strength and power which emanated from Vivian Lex, Zura Rigart felt out of Agni¡¯s league.

    Untouchable Queen.

    These two words formed in Agni¡¯s mind before she could convince herself to think otherwise. She shook her head to dispel lingering doubts and took a step closer. Agni wasn¡¯t sure why, but she felt rooted in ce. It was as if she now felt reluctant to even act.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve changed your mind. And here I thought I would finally get to stretch a bit. Don¡¯t tease me.¡± Zura¡¯s words were yful and light, more like flirtation than provocation. Nevertheless, Agni realized them for what they were, a call to battle.

    *Fine. Let¡¯s see how she handles this.*

    Agni lifted her right hand and began to focus, causing a spark of mes to issue forth and arc outwards towards Zura. The Courtesan seemed unbothered, she didn¡¯t make a single motion to indicate that she would try to evade the magical attack. Instead her sash, the one that seemed to coil and writhe around her shoulders and arms like a snake,shed out. The sash extended, a faint glow of mana covering it, as it coiled around the magical orb of mes and snuffed it from existence. The counter skillfully cancelled out Agni¡¯s probing strike with minimal effort.

    *That¡¯s impressive¡­* Agni thought to herself as she cycled through her list of options. She decided on testing Zura¡¯s reaction to mid-range attacks. Agni called forth her halberd and hop-stepped forward, performing a lunging swing as she did so. Just when it seemed that the weapon would strike Zura¡¯s neck, the Courtesan pivoted, turning her body towards the de of the halberd. The sash around her shoulders then arranged itself to intercept the blow.

    Agni watched as the sash hardened, allowing her to ¡°catch¡± the strike effortlessly. With another pivoting motion of her body Zura jerked Agni forth by the handle of her own weapon, the force was significant enough to break her bnce, distracting the subus. This split second was enough for Zura to gain the upper hand in their scuffle. Agni found her wrists bound by two red ribbons of sash, each pulling at her from different directions in response to Zura¡¯s hand movements.

    The subus was then lifted upwards until her toes no longer touched the ground. She could only dangle like freshly doneundry as Zura smirked coyly in her direction.

    ¡°You¡¯re already enjoying this aren¡¯t you.¡± Agni murmured, once again she felt flush in the face.

    ¡°A little. Ha ha.¡± Zura said with a chuckle. This was one of the few times Agni had the pleasure of seeing the woman smile, it reminded her of sunshine. Zura gently ced Agni on the ground, the sashes binding her wrists receded and Zura nodded her head slightly.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to hold back, you know. Despite my looks I am a rank three adventurer. Halfhearted attacks will never reach me.¡± Zura said as she ced her fingertips against her bosom.

    ¡°I¡¯m not holding back¡­I¡¯m just seeing what works..¡± Agni retorted as she sent her halberd away.

    *This is¡­a lot tougher than I thought. She sealed my long range and mid range attacks easily.*

    After a moment¡¯s consideration, Agni settled on a new n of attack. The sash extended quite far, at least two meters and as such Agni was now about this distance from Zura. She decided to use this to her advantage if possible.

    *Maybe I can overwhelm her.* Agni thought as she brought her hands to chest level and turned them palms upward. This act sent a sphere of mana outwards around Agni, it was the same technique that Oliver Pagnal had gone through great pains to teach Agni and the others most recently. During her time in the red shard, she was forced to keep this ability, Mana Reading, active at all times. And during her most recent camping trip Agni acquired a new application of the technique. In essence, Mana Reading was the ability to divide arge mass of mana into many smaller segments until they were tiny spheres.

    These spheres would then normally function as a means of early detection, invisible to the naked eye. But Agni modified the technique to one that could be used like this¨C

    A visible mass of mana energy extended outwards, with Agni as the point of origin. This mass of energy then began to divide into several dozen spheres, each of a different size and mana density. The final step was to infuse her will into these spheres of mana. Agni closed her eyes and forced her mana outward even further, converting the mana spheres into balls of me. Despite having performed this feat of magic, Agni was also surprised. She yed around with manipting the orbs of mana, but never took the final step of infusing mes to the technique.

    ¡°Well, this is impressive. Is this free magic? You¡¯re quite skilled to be able to do something like this without a spell.¡± Zura said, genuinely amazed. There were at least twenty orbs of me, many of differing sizes and intensity which surrounded the space around Agni. The closest of them to Zura was a little less than one meter (3ft).

    ¡°I try.¡± Was all Agni said before she began to release the barrage of fireballs towards Zura. Fireballsrge and small began to issue forth, causing a satisfying whoosh of mes with each movement. Zura was quick to respond, she dashed to her side ¡ª at least as much as her current dress (a kimono) would allow. Therger fireballs moved much slower, allowing her some wiggle room to evade. The smaller ones traveled more like bullets of me and made it to their target ¡ª only to be blocked by Zura¡¯s mana infused sash. The satin ribbons moved around on their own, as if they were a form of automated defense.

    Furthermore Zura¡¯s movements were agile and efficient. She dodged most of the me spheres outright and her sash blocked the others. The few that did manage to get close were swatted away by Zura herself using her bare hands.

    When all was said and done Agni was left awestruck, over half of her mana was also gone in the process.

    ¡°My turn.¡± Zura said with a smile as she brought her left hand up to her lips and blew a kiss in Agni¡¯s direction. For a moment Agni thought that she might be hallucinating, as a vivid disy of colorful flowers and petals sprang into being. These flowers were carried on an air current which saw even more flowers spring into being from impossible ces. A soft, sweet scent filled Agni¡¯s nostrils , the same scent she smelled prior to their show of skill. Agni could feel her senses dull as a haze overcame her, forcing her to sink downward.

    When Agni came to the sight of cascading flowers had disappeared. She was bound, the satin sash looped around her neck and traced down her back to bind her wrists together. She was also on her knees staring at the neatly trimmed grass of the courtyard.

    ¡°I win.¡± Zura said, her voice appearing from behind the captive Subus..

 Chapter 181 : The Favor

    Chapter 181 : The Favor

    Agni sighed, having been freed from her constraints by Zura.

    "I wasn''t really expecting to win but...this is different than I imagined¡­" She said,

    "Hmm? Different in what way?" Zura asked as she allowed the magical sash to fade away.

    "Compared to other adventurers who were higher rank, your aura was...different."

    "That''s because I''m not a fighter . I''m more of a support ss. You could even say.. I''m a healer."

    "A Healer? I find that hard to believe. You were able to easily evade my attacks."

    "That''s because there really is a vast difference between your current rank and mine. Think of an ocean, then think of two side by side. That might cover it."

    "I had no idea the gap was that big. If you say it like that, I wonder how I was able to even survive against higher ranked adventurers." Agni was now beginning to regret asking for a sparring match, but in her mind it felt necessary. Suddenly she was fighting the urge to go and grind more levels¡­

    "Don''t feel too bad. The difference between each rank up to two is somewhatparable. The difference between rank two and three is like night and day. For various reasons¡­" Zura further exined.

    "Why? What''s so special about rank three?"

    "You could say that it''s the time when one trulyes into their own as an adventurer. But...that''s enough about that for now." Zura said as she walked towards the subus and took Agni''s hands into her own.

    "Let''s have a look at this, shall we." Zura said as she lifted Agni''s wrist to examine the bangle. The bangle served as a means of training, one that Agni agreed upon in order to help her get over a deeply rooted mentalplex.

    "Wait. .. I have questions!" Agni protested as she began to fidget somewhat. For a moment she thought back to the time Zura purposely triggered the effects of the bangle in public. Her body quivered ordingly, much to her own disapproval.

    *Ah. I''m really a nymphomaniac.* Agni thought inwardly as Zurapletely ignored her pleas and did as she liked.

    "You''ve been busy. Full ofmitment to your task.Very good." Zura replied , offering a sultry, self satisfied smile.

    "If by , my task , you mean groping randos and finger sting myself to kingdome then..I guess¡­" Agni responded.

    "Ha ha ha." Zura struggled to suppress a deep bellyugh.

    "Is it that funny? Is this really helping me out, you think?" Agni''s face turned blush red as a wave of embarrassment caused her body heat to spike.

    "I''m sorry. I''m not teasing. It was just funny. The way you said it. Ah." Zura said as she wiped a lone tear from her eye.

    " But to answer your other question, do you think it''s helping? I see a trend in the data collected in this bangle. If I didn''t know any better I''d swear you were a lesbian Agni."

    Zura took a step closer , so much so that her breasts met Agni''s own, providing a satisfying sensation to their close proximity.

    "Do you prefer women? Or is it.." Zura''s gaze was intent , intense in a different way. Agni couldn''t help but wonder how the woman gave off such a dignified yet sensual presence.

    *I''m nothing like this. I have a long way to go as a woman.* Agni thought to herself as she imagined the spread eagle pose she would often take while sitting in chairs, or on the bed- well, anywhere really.

    "Well..I used to be a guy so.." Agni muttered. Incredibly enough Zura''s allure was beginning to make her feel somewhat insecure..

    "The transition is probably hard, I know. In fact, if I didn''t know more about you I would say you''re anti-dick based on how fervently you denied each phallus themed task."

    Agni''s eyes widened as she listened to Zura''s words. She couldn''t recall thest time she heard Zura use anything that resembled profanity or vulgarity. The word ''dick'' stuck out like a sore thumb.

    Zura didn''t fail to miss the mental flinching and smiled.

    "Do you like it when I say naughty words? Like pussy. Cock. Big.. big.. dick." The way Zura emphasized each word was enough for Agni toment the death of her visual image of Zura.

    In response Zura chuckled.

    "Agni, you''re so much fun. You do know what I do...everyday¡­.right?"

    "Of course..it''s just.."

    " You had a certain image of me in your mind. I know¡­ I can tell. And thank you." Zura replied.

    "For what?" Agni asked.

    "For holding me in such high regard. I guess I''ll stop damaging your mental image of me...for now.." Zura said, offering up a wink before she returned to the subject of the bangle.

    "You denied every task rted to intimacy or sexuality rted to a man. Why?" She then questioned.

    It was here that Agni fell silent for a moment. In her brain she knew it was herplex shining through. Her body naturally responded to men, often. So much so that Agni oftentimes had to steal away to indulge her own desires. However, a good portion of her straight male mentality remained. The thought of holding a dick in her hand that was not her own simply caused furious indignation to bubble up.

    "Because I''m not gay." This was the reply Agni wanted to use, and then she realized her predicament. She didn''t have a dick anymore, in fact her body was perfectly equipped now for extended games of hide the sausage. This, in itself, created a conundrum. Mentally she was stuck on the idea of evening within centimeters of a penis, regardless of her desires.

    Her long silence was broken by Zura''s voice.

    "Luckily, what you''re dealing with isn''t new. And I do have a few ideas on how to fix it. However¡­" her voice trailed off.

    "However¡­?" The skeptical tone in Agni''s voice caused Zura to chuckle. She sped Agni''s hands together within her own and looked her directly in the eyes.

    " You never have to do anything you don''t want to. Until you do."

    "Huh?" Agni asked, a terribly confused expression clouding her features.

    "It means..it''s time to test yourmitment. How dedicated are you to getting over your sexualplexes?"

    "On a scale of one to touching dicks, that would be a 2.2."

    "Perfect." Zura replied. N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "How is an aversion to penis perfect?"

    "It means that the next part of your training will work very well for you. Which is where losing that sparring match is very, very beneficial. To both of us "

    Agni squinted her eyes, assessing Zura for a brief moment before she responded, "I don''t believe you!" She made to run, but a sash around her ankles quickly sent her falling face first to the ground.

    "It''s toote to run. I''ll be gentle, I always am." Zura''s soft sensual voice said as she dragged Agni along the grass by her ankles.

    Momentster the two women were inside the Silken Petal, specifically Zura''s bedroom on the top floor of the building.

    "Zura¡­" Agni said as she began to fidget, her face growing red with blush.

    "Yes?" Zura asked. She had taken up a ce between Agni''s thighs, the subus sitting on the edge of Zura''s bed.

    "Are you done yet?" Agni asked, struggling to control her breathing.

    "No, almost. Why? Does it bother you? Me being this close to your little flower?" she asked as she dragged the tip of her finger along Agni''s exposed abdomen. The subus'' shortsy in a heap on the nearby floor, she watched both enthralled and embarrassed as Zura worked her magic -- literally.

    "I need to configure the bangle''s effects a bit. You''re ready." Agni recalled those words just moments before she was unceremoniously bent over Zura''s bed, her shorts stripped away. Curiously enough, beingmanded made Agni''s heart thump wildly. She was currently fighting the urge to drip honey all over Zura''s sheets.

    "No, it doesn''t bother me..just..hurry..please." Agni practically whimpered as she clenched the sheets for all she was worth.

    "Are you getting turned on? Hmm that could be fun too.." Zura said, it was obvious that she was teasing.

    Or was she?

    "Okay. Now I''m done." Zura said as she got to her feet and took a step back. The pink magical lines which were visible along Agni''s inner thighs and abdomen faded away the moment Agni mped her thighs shut and made a mad dash for her shorts.

    "Now that that''s done, it''s time to begin the second stage of your therapy." Zura said as she wrapped her arms beneath her breasts.

    "Right now?"

    "Yes. No time like the present. Besides, I need to give you an idea of who you''ll be doing."

    "Come again?" Agni asked.

    "Exactly." Zura replied with a smile before grabbing Agni by the hand and leading her out of the room.

 Chapter 182 : The Hall Of Dicks (1)

    Chapter 182 : The Hall Of Dicks (1)

    Zura led Agni by the hand, guiding her down three flights of stairs. Along the way the two talked about various things and nothing in particr. The sensation of Zura''s soft skin against her own slowly dredged up memories from the abyss of Agni''s mind. If she had to be honest with herself, they were less like memories and more like lingering vestiges of emotion. For some reason Zura''s grasp was bothforting and disquieting to the subus.

    The simple pleasure of flesh on flesh, the warmth and softness against Agni''s own skin, caused a conflicting sensation. Unease and longing. For a moment, her breathing became shallow and her eyes widened. She recognized the familiar feeling of an anxiety attack, yet she didn''t fully understand why. On reflex her body stiffened , halting Zura in her tracks as well. The Courtesan''s deep, fuschia colored eyes gazed back at Agni, studying her for a few seconds.

    Agni''s attention was focused elsewhere, rooted firmly in the feeling she was now experiencing. She was drawn into every nuance of her emotions, enraptured and paralyzed by the river of longing and disdain which seemed to flow concurrently.

    "Just let it happen. Let the emotions take you." Zura''s voice pulled Agni''s attention, their eyes locking as the dark haired woman spoke.

    For a brief moment Agni felt vulnerable, afraid of the sensations welling up within her heart. But at Zura''s behest she nodded and took a deep breath. She closed her eyes, focusing only on Zura''s firm,forting grip on her own hand.

    The darkness soon gave way to a swirling mist of memories, long since forgotten and perhaps locked away. She was a different person, in a different time. Rather than see images she simply felt impressions of key moments. The overwhelming sensation which weighed upon Agni was¡­ loneliness. The cultivated, heavy feeling -- one that had been simmering quietly for years. A feeling that could no longer be contained. It was so deep, so entrenched into her heart that she had no idea how to escape from it or what could lighten the emotion.

    Yet, her body knew --instinctively. The touch of a woman, feminine energy. It was this energy which flowed out of Zura at any given time, but it was especially potent when their hands touched. Even now, Agni could feel it flowing into her own body, coiling around the emotions that threatened to fight back before epting the medicine to cure her woes.

    A wound of the mind, opened countless times by rejection, slights, single ended advances and failings. The need was something pure, and genuine that every human possesses. To be adored, to be loved, to be paid attention to. Yet for something so profoundly simply, Agni realized that she never quite managed to find it in her past life. Or atleast, that''s what she initially thought.

    A flood of faint imagery entered her mind, each leaving a deep andsting impression of emotion. She felt foolish, angry with herself even as sheshed out. Dozens of times, as the very medicine her soul craved was rejected due to her own greed.

    The loneliness had quickly be a ck hole, one that sucked in everything ceaselessly. It was never enough, and because it was never enough she always wanted more. Because she always wanted more, she rushed and things could not mature. And because of this she would end up alone again, a vicious cycle which she could never seem to escape. So many precious chances wasted due to her own inability to understand and keep the torrent of emotions in check.

    Agni''s eyes popped open as tears began to stream down her cheeks, her first impulse was topletely and totally resist. But Zura''s calm and steady gaze was the first thing Agni met, and it allowed her the space she needed to allow the emotions to run their course.

    After a few moments of quiet sobbing, she finally sputtered out a hoarse thanks.

    "Is it like this every time I recall something from my past life? Because this sucks. Ha ha." Agni said as she wiped aside a tear.

    "Our most powerful memories tend to stay with us, for better or worse. Sadly, it seems like trauma are notions we oftentch onto." Zura said, her smile taking on a somewhat mncholy quality.

    After having her moment, Agni noticed a faint residue of magic, tiny particles of ck light rising from the point where she and Zura''s hands were joined.

    "What is that?" Agni asked as she continued to straighten herself.

    "It''s¡­. Pieces of you." Zura responded. The answer was decidedly more cryptic than Agni hoped for.

    "Seriously. What is it?" Agni asked again, this time a bit more insistent. N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "It''s part of my power as a Courtesan. I can...help people deal with their trauma and expel it."

    "And the ck light was--trauma?"

    "Yes. How do you feel now?" Zura asked, her eyes still studying Agni''s features.

    "Better. Great.. Actually." The subus responded. Even though her eyes were still wet and her cheeks reddish, she had to admit the sensation of long held bitterness had begun to recede quickly.

    "I''m d." Zura added before offering a smile.

    "So, if you can do this, what''s the point of the bangle?" Agni asked.

    "It''s not that simple. The nature of trauma is ...delicate. Humans are like sponges. We take in everything we are exposed to. And the more we are exposed to something, the more our viewpoint on life is altered. It''s not that humans can''t wash away trauma on their own, after all -- really all it takes is positive experiences. Enough of those and the bnce of trauma will begin to reset.

    That is the slow, gradual method of healing trauma that happens naturally for everyone. Eventually, given enough time and neutral or positive experiences, a soul will mend."

    "My powers speed up that process and bring all of those emotions to the forefront immediately. It can be very traumatic, even depression inducing. Each person is different, if I pull out too much trauma without recing it with positive energy then it could have dire results."

    "So in other words, the bangle is helping me get over my intimacyplex by building positive reinforcement?"

    "Yes. And.."

    "And?" Agni asked, keenly curious about Zura''s response.

    "And, you''re a subus my dear. You''re a lot like me. We use our bodies to solve our problems in the grand scheme of things. My powers are most effective when Iy with someone, after all. I have to imagine that yours work much the same." Zura said with a wink and smile, she ced her hand atop her slightly exposed bosom as she spoke.

    "Well you might be right about that.." Agni thought back to her most recent ''moment'' in the woods, as well as to her first days in Adventia. The rush of euphoria and lust when she entered sulust was almost intoxicating. It was like being on the brink of insanity, teetering betweenpletely losing oneself and maintaining absolute control. In some ways it reminded Agni of the conflicting emotions she felt just a few moments ago.

    The charge of two equal forces firing at full st, the thought made a jolt of energy course through her body, causing her thighs to quiver.

    "Exactly. Which is why you owe it to yourself to fully explore every facet of your sexuality." Zura said just moments before she continued to lead Agni down the flight of stairs. A few minutester the two were in a familiar ce, the bottom floor of the Silken Petal. Zura guided Agni towards a lounge area and led her to a hallway which seemed familiar. After a few seconds Agni realized it was the ck door -- the one which led to a series of peeping holes.

    Zura opened the door and guided her along wordlessly. Soon the darkness filled in behind them as the door closed and the sounds and scent of sex filled the air. The pleasant aroma of perspired bodies and perfumes mingling in the hallway. Agni found the allure to be intoxicating and for the briefest of moments she wanted to linger, to soak it all in. Zura had other ns, however. She continued leading the subus along, through the dimly lit hallway towards another door at the far end.

    "Do we have to go?" Agni asked, biting her lip as the sound of ass smacking sex echoed through one of the nearby peepholes.

    "Yes my dear." Zura replied as she pushed open the door before them. The first thing Agni noticed was the temperature change. The air within the room was hot and musky, there was a certain scent in the air. She quickly recognized it as the scent of friction. Of bodies moving, pressing against one another , sweat melding with sweat and maybe even saliva and--other fluids.

    Despite a growing sense of foreboding, Agni''s body reacted. She could feel her nipples harden as a jolt of energy caused her clit to throb. Zura waited patiently for Agni to step forward, as if it was important that the next few steps be voluntary.

    *I can only lead you to the door-type situation hmm?* Agni thought as she bit her lip and stepped forward into the room. Despite havinge from apletely dark passage, the room before her was filled with streams of daylight. The ce resembled a basement and she stood at the top of a staircase leading downward.

    Faint noises echoed in the distance, even as Agni stepped onto the ground floor. She couldn''t immediately ce the sounds but it only took a few moments before she realized what type of ce she''d stepped into.

    "Guck. Guck. Guck." The noise echoed fiercely through the air as Agni watched the scene unfold. A young brte gasped for air, having graciously been allowed to breathe by the woman grasping the back of her head.

    "Pathetic. You can go longer." The tall, ck haired woman said as she suddenly forced the young girl''s face onto a dick from a nearby glory hole. The young woman''s eyes watered, her thighs clenching slightly as she busily epted the dick -- shaft down to his balls within her mouth. She set about the work of eagerly deepthroating the man on the other side of the ck, velvet wall.

    "Oh? You''ve bought another one for me?" The sharp featured woman said upon noticing Zura and Agni''s presence.

 Chapter 185: 185

    <h4>Chapter 185: 185</h4>

    Chapter 185 : Jerk It Like You Mean It! (1)

    "I''m..not so sure I believe that.." Agni said as Zura got to her feet and, after whispering to Galina, turned to leave the room.

    "Wait? You''re leaving? You never said what happens if I don''tplete the new tasks!" Agni said, attempting to dy Zura by any means possible.

    Zura simply turned to offer a smile and a wave before walking towards the staircase. Eventually she was gone,pletely out of sight, leaving Agni alone with the woman known as Galina.

    "You are shy...aren''t you?" These were the first words from the woman''s mouth upon assessing Agni visually.

    "No. I''m not shy." Agni responded, attempting to straighten her posture as she spoke.

    "Not shy? Perhaps, but you do hold yourself back. A demon with restraint? A subus with a sexplex. This is no good. No good at all." Galina spoke as she strolled towards Agni. Eventually she found a ce behind the subus and ced her hands on Agni''s shoulders once more.

    Agni was amazed, for the woman''s hands were soft and silky. Just the sensation of touch was enough to send slight shivers down her spine. Shivers of pleasure. Galina traced her fingertips along Agni''s outer shoulders as she continued her speech.

    "You smell like prey. Are you prey? To be eaten? To be toyed with? To be stepped on?" Galina''s series of questions served to draw Agni''s attention despite the sexual action and sounds within the small rectangr room.

    To Agni, the woman''s questions reminded her of the whole ''alpha/apex'' mentality of her past life. It was a notion that Agni disliked and often shied away from.

    Yet-- she couldn''t deny, Agni had never been particrly aggressive when it came to acquiring the things she wanted, and even less so when it came to fulfilling her own desires. This was especially true about her past life, from what she could remember.

    "No." She replied, but it was little more than a knee-jerk reaction.

    "Really? Really? Hmm. Would you step on someone else if it got you what you wanted?" Galina asked, leaning forward so that her cheek nearly met Agni''s own.

    "I don''t think that''s necessary.." Agni began, only to be cut off by Galina''s words.

    "Lies, foolish girl. It''s simple math. If there are a million units to go around for everyone will you take a hundred or one?" Galina asked.

    "It depends on how many people there are. But ideally, I''d split them up amongst everyone--"

    "Fuck everyone else. I asked about you." Galina interrupted.

    "But that''s my answer." Agni said, sticking firmly to her response.

    "And if someone challenged you? Stood in your way? Prevented you from equally distributing these units?"

    "Then I suppose I wouldn''t fight over it. I don''t know, how valuable are these units?"

    "You need them to live. You won''tst without them, you and all you hold dear will perish without them. It''s that simple."

    "Then I suppose I would have to fight. But then I''d only take what I need."

    "And what if they took the rest and squandered them?"

    "What does this have to do with anything?" Agni asked, feeling somewhat perturbed.

    "Answer." Galina snapped, causing Agni to sigh.

    "Fine. Then I would take control over the resources and make sure everyone got enough. It''s pointless to be wasteful with something that important."

    "And that is why you are doubly foolish." Galina curtly said.

    "How is that foolish?" Agni asked, her agitation getting the better of her. Despite everything going on the woman''s embrace remained gentle, almost caressing. The conflicting emotions that arose were confusing to say the least...

    "Because in the end you decided to take them all for yourself, the only difference is you allowed someone to toy with you, and possibly endanger everything you value first. You should have made a decision from the start, die or take them all."

    To this Agni couldn''t really respond, in a way Galina was correct -- however the method didn''t necessarily sit well with her.

    *I''ll never enjoy ruining someone else to get my way. I''ve been on the losing end of that way too often..* Agni thought.

    "Luckily, we aren''t talking about anything so serious. This is just pleasure, fulfillment, desire--sex. Lives aren''t in the bnce, only the love and energy you share. So, why are you holding back? I''ll ask you again, are you predator--or prey? Will you take what you want for your fulfillment? If the goal is to please others it''s better that the keys lie in your own hands--yes?"

    Once again Agni found it somewhat difficult to digest Galina''s words, but for a different reason. Truthfully, she was just annoyed at having been called foolish -- and even more annoyed that Galina had a valid point with all of her stupid questions.

    Galina moved towards Agni''s front, kneeling next to the chair and meeting the subus at eye level.

    "Yes, that is what you need. Aggression. Desire. What do you want to do?"

    Agni remained silent as her annoyance slowly began to smolder.

    *I want to punch you in the face.* She thought inwardly.

    Galina smirked, then reached out and pped Agni across the cheek. The act was so sudden, so unexpected that Agni initially sat, stunned. After a few seconds her mouth gaped and she made to voice her disapproval. By then Galina''s tongue was exploring the subus'' mouth. She could barely breathe since the kiss was so intense, let alone process her thoughts. Agni attempted to push the woman away, but Galina easily gripped her wrists as if she expected this. Her grip was firm, but not oppressive and Agni could feel her resistance fading as a wave of sensations washed over her.

    Her body was beginning to react like crazy. There was a fiery sense of reluctance about enjoying this particr experience based on how the situation progressed, yet Agni felt her thighs clench as she struggled to contain the deluge building between them. Galina''s tongue explored freely, unfettered by Agni''s own and after a kiss whichsted no longer than thirty seconds their lips parted.

    For a brief moment Agni simply sat, confused and highly stimted. She could feel a small trail of saliva trickling down her lips from Galina''s wet intrusion. Galina on the other hand had apletelyposed expression as she neatly folded her hands behind her back and gazed at the seated subus.

    "You say you are the predator, but you taste like prey to me."

 Chapter 186: 186

    <h4>Chapter 186: 186</h4>

    Chapter 186 : Jerk It Like You Mean It! (2)

    "Ugh. Do I have to?" Agni asked as she stared at the daunting task before her.

    A grunt , followed by a full body nudge edged Agni closer towards the nearby wall. There was a body on the other side of the wall which rippled and stretched as the man behind it moved into ce.

    Agni was a furious ball of emotions as she watched a long penis pierce through the living material on the wall. The man''s form stopped moving as he waited expectantly for something - anything.

    "Prey or predator?" Galina''s voice carries a certain hardness to it, an edge that caused Agni''s spine to twitch with each syble. She couldn''t deny that she was having some problems at the moment, but why did it have to be a dick?

    "Prey. Definitely prey." Agni could feel her palms grow moist and sweaty as she stared down at it. She could hear her heart thumping wildly, banging in her ears. In fact it was almost all she could hear. Arge part of her wanted to drop to her knees and do very dirty things. Yet her brain fiercely shouted protests, protestations which turned into outright stubbornness.

    And so was the war between her heart, her mind and her body. Her body was reacting, on principle, to anything sexual in her vicinity. She could feel her panties as her own juices dripped outwards. Her heart was clearly excited, in fact it wasn''t fear or annoyance that flooded her veins. It was adrenaline at the thought that she was about to try something she''d never done before.

    But her mind, her mind fiercely clung to the "that''s gay- no dicks" mantra which long shaped her past life as a straight male. It was this heavy wall that prevented Agni from acting on her impulses. Thest embers of a fiery determination to "not be gay".

    And that''s when it struck her.

    *But I''ve already done ''gay'' things. Lesbian acts. Why is this so hard?* Agni thought inwardly. From behind Galinamented once more.

    "You want the dick in your mouth? Take it. If you want it in your hands, grab it. Come, don''t be shy." Galina entuated her ''pep talk'' with a sharp smack on Agni''s ass. The act was so forceful and sudden that she couldn''t help but yelp. Agni''s eyes widened as the stinging pain slowly subsided, causing a sense of lingering sublime sensation.

    "Go. We will start small. I''ll be gentle." Galina further offered, her aim was to persuade Agni. Given the firm ass smack she just received, Agni had her doubts. Regardless, she took a deep breath and stepped forward.

    *Fuck! Why am I so dramatic about this? It''s just a dick. It''s just a dick it''s just a dick.* She repeated the mantra for bravery , hoping for an end to her internal conflict, but it only served to heighten her sense of unease. With a tingling ass and a wavering heart, Agni stepped forward the final step she needed, until she was within arm''s length of her long, hard obstacle.

    "Why am I doing this again?" Agni turned and asked, only to discover Galina was within a breath''s distance behind her.

    The woman sighed, as if she was growing weary of a child''s questions before she answered.

    "You''ve already lived a life which led you to this point. Do you wish to continue down the path of restraint and restriction?" Galina''s tone was harder, more steely than previously. It was obvious that her patience was wearing thin, but Agni had questions..

    "No, I don''t. But-- I''m not ready." Agni said as she ced her hands on her hips, attempting to mount some sort of defiance. She was aware it sounded like an excuse -- but it was genuinely how she felt. Not only did she feel it, she felt it strongly!

    A slight smirk formed across Galina''s otherwise stony expression, one that was quickly concealed. Agni suddenly got a sinking feeling, but she stood her ground. That is until Galina walked towards her and proceeded to drag her by her hair towards the nearby table.

    "I gave you a chance. Because the mistress demanded it, but I do not tolerate back talk. You will learn your lessons, and learn them well. It''s time--" Galina paused long enough to bend Agni over the table, pinning her down chest first -- "for punishment."

    Before Agni could react or protest, Galina''s fingers had already slipped her panties to the side and inserted two fingers. Agni stiffened for the briefest of moments as the woman''s fingers began to explore. She stroked the ces which made her resistance melt almost instantly, winning a moan of begrudging eptance from Agni.

    *What the fuck?* It was Agni''s only thought as she could feel her body betraying her mind, Galina''s skilled hands caused her fists to clench and her breathing to change almost instantly. She was annoyed that she enjoyed it so much -- the rough treatment. A handful of hair, grasped fiercely -- it prevented her from moving. The slight pressure of her chest against the wooden table, thepromising position of being bent over and explored. The sensations were all so refreshingly new to Agni, who had spent far too many years with another body and mindset.

    Almost instantly she felt herself dampen, her juices flowing like a river. What''s more, she could feel Galina carefully ying with her body, teasing her with the perfect bnce to induce an edging sensation. The precipice was so close, but she could not reach the pinnacle. It was causing her heat to rise uncontrobly.

    "You see, you may be unaware because you have limited experience as a woman. But you are not limited to one thought, one feeling, one moment. You can explore them all simultaneously, and act on whichever you deem fit. It is the prerogative of a woman." Galina continued her lecture, even as she "punished" the subus'' pussy by keeping her in an unyielding flux of sensations.

    "Do you want to hurt me? For making you submit to me? Answer me, you little bitch." Galina asked, and though Agni could not see her, Galina''s voice sounded much closer now.

    "What did you call me?" Agni tried to mount a resistance but it was immediately quelled. Truth be told, her heart simply wasn''t in it to begin with. This situation, this experience was simply too much to savor. The disrespect was just icing on the cake.

    The aggression, the tant disrespect, being forced to submit and pleased -- all of these emotions mingled and intertwined with the sense of uncertainty and fear within her heart. She didn''t want to, but she couldn''t help it. She began to cum. Not just her body, but her mind as well.

    "Mmm. You, you were a Leo in your past life, yes? No, you''re too stubborn and set in your ways. You are a....Taurus. Am I right?" Galina''s grip on Agni''s hair tightened, jerking her head upwards while simultaneously slipping a second finger into Agni''s tight, juicy honey pot.

    *How the fuck is this happening? What is she doing to me? Stop. I don''t want to cum to this rude bitch. Fuck you bitch, I am a Taurus. So what?*

    The thoughts flowed out in a never ending stream, never to be voiced because she was too busy shaking from Galina''s skillful touch. No longer was Galina edging her, she was now actively and purposely pushing her over the edge. Not only that, but repeatedly.

    "You''re my little bitch, what are you going to do about it? Nothing? Cum for me, yes that''s right. I''ll take as much of your nectar as I want." Galina taunted her, guiding her through each moment of the experience.

    Finally, when the woman was finished, she allowed Agni to rest.

    "Pathetic." She stated as she watched Agni panting, face down against the table.

    "Thank your lucky stars for Mistress Zura, otherwise I would have used the strap on."

 Chapter 187: 187

    <h4>Chapter 187: 187</h4>

    Chapter 187 : Jerk It Like You Mean It! (3)

    "Strap on? No way in hell!" Agni groaned as she pushed herself upright. Her hair was a mess, having been purposely disheveled by Galina.

    "Oh? Will you stop me?" The woman taunted, seemingly excited by Agni''s deration.

    "You''re a freak." Agni muttered in response, for some reason she felt bashful. That and the afterglow of her orgasm washed over her like spring rain. Agni found it difficult to be anything but pleased at the moment.

    "And? I''m fine with it." Galina said as she stepped forward and gripped the subus by the chin, pulling her face to face.

    "You can''t graduate unless you give me what I want. And in your state, you would never. Pathetic. Weak. Everyday you return I will make you into my bitch, until you give me what I want."

    "And what is it you want?" Agni asked as she pped the woman''s grip away.

    Galina smiled, a genuine smile before answering the question.

    "What do all women secretly want? To be dominated. To be used. To be taken to new heights, that glorious feeling of tion you experienced. It is your test, if you can give this to me -- even a little, you will pass."

    "That should be easy then." Agni replied, almost instantly. This caused Galina tough in her face, loudly and rudely. Theugh was so intense that the woman took a step back, gripping her abdomen as she let loose.

    "W-what''s so funny?" Agni asked after a few seconds, bing somewhat annoyed that the woman seemed to be having augh at her expense.

    "That you think you could make me cum. Ha." Galina''s movements were so quick, so effortless that Agni found herself on the ground before she could register what happened. Galina grabbed her wrist and used one of her feet to effortlessly sweep Agni onto her back. The technique didn''t hurt, but rather it was so quick that Agni found herselfpletely at a loss.

    The next moment Galina was on top of her, sitting on her chest to be precise.

    "You? Make me cum? Look. You give me desert pussy." Galina reached down and unzipped a portion of her suit, revealing her pretty, pale pussy lips. She edged closer towards Agni''s face, thrusting her hips and simultaneously using them to pin Agni down. After a moment of struggling, Agni finally calmed down.

    "See? Like good little prey. You obey. You do what I say. Yes, if you can''t make me cum, make me wet and juicy then I''m going to use you like my little slut." Galina said, her expression filled with unexpected glee, so much so that she bit her bottom lip in anticipation.

    "Dildos. Strap ons. I''m going to fill your little box until you can take dick in your sleep. You''ll never fear a dick again, because dick will be your life." Galina further exined her ns for Agni''s ''box''.

    "And what a nice box it is. So juicy, so wet, and so tight. I might even share you with the wall,what do you think?" Galina asked.

    "Oh, I forgot, you''re my slut. You don''t have a say." She pressed her finger against Agni''s mouth the moment the subus made to respond.

    And then she got to her feet, leaving Agni on the ground looking angry and bewildered.

    "Because you see, you don''t have what it takes. Fucking the body is easy, but fucking the mind is how you really make a bitch cum." Galina said with a devilish grin, apanied by an even more sinisterugh.

    For a moment Agni wasn''t entirely sure what to do. Galina had already proven that Agni was no match for her physically. How would she dominate someone like that?

    *Maybe whisper?* Agni thought to herself.

    "You may get up. I don''t like my sluts dirty, no no." Galina''s cold voice echoed from above, snapping Agni out of her thoughts.

    *This bitch wants to die.* Agni''s brow furled with anger as she sat up and, to her own chagrin, dusted her shirt off.

    "Now. Back to the task at hand. A subus who can''t jerk a dick is useless. Are you a useless fucktoy to be used and abused? Even if you are, you have no pride in it, so you''re useless." Galina casually exined.

    "Listen here bitch, you''re crossing the li--"

    "Silence." Galina said. It was just one word but Agni could feel it. There was an intense, oppressive feeling which settled over her. It was like Galina had, just for a moment, whispered amand directly into her mind. This was enough for Agni to not only reconsider her anger, but also her words.

    *Did she justpel me?*

    "You will jerk the dick. And jerk it like you mean it. Then you will leave, you''re boring me and I have other, more fun people to y with." Galina continued her matter of factly tone as she nced down the room towards the deep-throating girl. The young woman was currently taking a "break". A well deserved one, some might say.

    Agni''s emotions were all tangled in a knot. She couldn''t tell if she wanted to punch, strangle or kill the woman in front of her. And yet-- a strange nerve had been struck.

    "I''m not fucking useless." This was all Agni said before she strutted over towards the waiting man and took up his dick in her hand.

 Chapter 188: 188

    <h4>Chapter 188: 188</h4>

    Chapter 188 : The Art Of Handjobs (1)

    It was warm, this was her first thought. Her second was...

    *It''s....surprisingly inviting...* The shape, the sensation of it against her palm. She couldn''t help but caress the shaft -- and that''s when a hoarse , low moan managed to pierce the ck veil of spandex like material nearby. The walls were talking...

    She gripped it, first firmly then more gently as the annoyance of Galina''s taunts began to settle. Agni suddenly became more aware of her surroundings. She could hear the sound of aggressive deepthroating in the distance, the rhythmic smack of skin on skin as two people nearby had sex. Suddenly everything seemed and felt heightened, it was a sensation that Agni could only describe as "viewing" oneself.

    It was an event she had experienced before, though never in Adventia. It was her past life rather, there were times where she felt she was having an out of body experience. As if some self awareness allowed her to transcend the limitations of her senses and pull forth ''more''. Only this was different. Before, the sensation was more like a faint , dim impression of watching herself -- like using an invisible controller to move her own body. Now the impression was much less dim, more focused and defined. It was more than just a hazy thought or ideal -- it was real.

    The slightest shifting air current in the room, the humidity --ced with the faint musky scent of sex and saliva. The even breaths of the woman behind her, it all stood out to her. She was able to focus on everything, yet herself all in the same moment. She shifted her awareness towards the rod in her hand and suddenly Agni could sense a plethora of colors. To say "see" would be a lie, she wasn''t registering the colors with her eyes but rather perceiving them due to all of the sensory information her body was currently processing.

    What''s more, she was keenly aware of this and a thought settled on her brain.

    *Is this...subus vision?*

    Normally the power would make her vision darkish, blue even. Within that world of blue were often various colors rted to the amount of heat any lifeform gave off. Thermal vision, if you would. But this was different. She felt as if each breath from the people around her released the tiniest reverberation which, although invisible, was made known to her.

    She could feel Galina''s impatience mingling with an emotion that Agni couldn''t quite identify.

    Expectation? Anticipation? Neither of those inferences felt wrong -- but they also didn''t quite fit either. She could feel the man shifting his stance between her hand, but she paid it very little mind. She was more concerned with Galina, without turning around she understood that the woman was deeply invested in Agni''s actions. Actions which, until now even Agni had somewhat ignored.

    Her perception shifted from point to point in the room, so much so that she forgot about her own doings. She nced down, willing the shifted perception to move towards the penis in her hand. She was, subconsciously, stroking it. Now that she was "paying attention", she could feel all of the experience. The skin moving against her own, the friction of the act. She could feel the pulse of blood flowing, each heart beat which throbbed and sent blood where it was needed. But what was curious, what made her take pause was a certain something.

    She couldn''t really describe it, suffice to say it was a gathering of energy? Or perhaps pressure? The strange colors, which seemed to ignore limitations like flesh and bone, began to look more like pseudo veins, awork of them leading to a singr point. The subus suddenly felt curious, though she was in a strange state everything seemed somewhat distant. She could only feel and experience what she was directly in contact with. Everything else could simply be perceived.

    And so she focused, and along with it her body reacted. Galina''s breath grew uneven with anticipation as Agni knelt down and took up a position directly before the man''s exposed dick. She watched, biting her lip all the while, as Agni took the man''s dick in both hands. And then, a split momentter, something strange happened.

    "What the fuck!?" Agni practically shrieked.

    The magical moment was over, her senses receded into her own body once more and she was keenly aware of every sensation of being "grounded".

    And she was not pleased.

    She stood, her face sttered with man milk, both helpless and simultaneously infuriated at having been gifted with her first facial. The sticky warm fluid dripped down her forehead, covering her right eye. In her haste to react, Agni inadvertently tasted the salty fluid and clenched her fist as a fit of adject frustration settled in.

    "Get it off of me. Please." She practically whimpered, but Galina was not concerned in the least about Agni''s first full facial adventure.

    "What ...what did you just do? How did you make him cum like that?" The normally reserved and detached woman stepped forward, a look of surprise and amazement painting her expression.

    "What do you mean what did I do? Ugh. It''s on my lip. Oh God. Oh. I...I think I like the taste. I don''t know how to feel about this." Agni groaned as the milky cum dribbled down her lip and across her cheek.

    "You touched him and then he shot. It was...I don''t know what it was." Galina said, suddenly she was biting her thumbnail, as if lost in thought. Agni on the other hand was now wandering around the room like some sort of weird cum-faced zombie.

    "A towel? Do you have a fucking towel?" She asked, her frustration reaching a fever pitch.

    "It''s in my eye!" She shouted before bumping into the nearby table.

 Chapter 189: 189

    <h4>Chapter 189: 189</h4>

    Chapter 189 : The Art Of Handjobs (2)

    "Ugh. I''ve rarely been so annoyed." Agni said to herself as she exited the Silken Petal.

    "Agni? Are you done already?" It was Zura, she seemed surprised to find the subus on her way out.

    "No. I mean yes. Sort of." She replied. Zura nodded, an invitation to join her at the nearby table.

    "You must really like tea." Agni remarked as she took a seat. Once more, Zura seemed to be partaking of some freshly brewed tea.

    "It''s not tea." She replied. "It''s something a bit stiffer. Care for a drink?"

    The dark haired woman said as she held up a small bottle, giving it a gentle shake.

    "Maybe? I''m not a big drinker. But..." Considering the way her day was currently going, Agni decided a drink might be just the thing.

    Zura dly poured the subus a tea cup full of the dark, apparently alcoholic liquid and slid the container in her direction.

    "Thanks." Agni said, pausing only to nce into the cup. The aroma of the liquid reminded her of a strong , fragrant rum. The taste, however, waspletely different.

    "This is good. And... strong." Agni observed as she swallowed her first sip.

    "Perfectbination for getting drunk, wouldn''t you say?" Zura''s question was rhetorical, but Agni couldn''t help but give an affirmative answer before drinking more.

    "So..what did you think of your new teacher?"

    Agni''s brow furrowed, as if she''d just been reminded of something unpleasant.

    "She''s different. But.. I''m not sure how much this will help me, really."

    "Agni. Have you noticed that you''re....quite stubborn?"

    "What? No I''m not." The idea was immediately andpletely rebuffed. Zura, on the other hand,ughed at her response.

    "Maybe stubborn is... a poor choice of words. You''re very....set in your ways. And for someone who''s lived an entire life that can be difficult to ovee."

    Agni thought about Zura''s words, and she had to admit there was a certain truth to them.

    "I can''t really change who I am though."

    "ck and white. There are a multitude of colors in the world. Varying degrees of life and everything in it. I''m not asking you to change. Just... be open to more flexibility."

    "Maybe, but... she''s a bit too out there for me."

    "Naturally. You like to settle into roles, positions and ces. So someone who is a bit rough or forceful with you would naturally get under your skin."

    Agni took another sip of her drink and found herself regretful that it was now emptied.

    "If you know that then why did you choose her? Why not... the one at the hostess desk?" Agni inquired as she tapped her tea cup gently on the table.

    "Because, you can''t grow unless you are challenged. And arge part of that is dealing with things you may not necessarily hold an interest in." Zura replied. She poured the subus more of the drink. It was then that Agni noticed the bottle seemed much too small for the amount of liquid it held. She shrugged at this thought and proceeded to drink even more of the delicious liquor. This time it tasted slightly of peppermint and spice.

    "Besides, Galina is the best there is at getting people toe out of their shells."

    "But she''s so..."

    "Aggressive?" Zura finished the sentence on Agni''s behalf.

    "Yes! And..."

    "Abrasive?" Once more Zura finished Agni''s thought, winning another hearty agreement from the subus.

    "Would it surprise you to learn that she''s not always like that?"

    "Yes!" Agni dered, winning a chuckle from Zura.

    "So what did she set your ''graduation'' goal at?"

    "To make her cum."

    "Really? That''s a tall order, but then again--if anyone can do it, it''s you." Zura seemed taken aback by this particr piece of news.

    "Why is that so difficult to do? I already made her cum. Twice."

    "What?" Zura sat her cup down, directing her full attention towards the subus.

    "Yes! And she lied! She told me that if I made her cum I wouldn''t need toe back! But she just kept asking me to do it again, and again. Then when I said no, she got pushy. And finally, when she couldn''t get what she wanted -- she called me broken and kicked me out."

    "I''m sorry... I''m still surprised that you made her climax. She''s very....difficult to please. What exactly did you do?"

    "I don''t really know. It''s like...coaxing? Or maybe guiding? And then....bam! It just shoots out. That''s another thing, I''m tired of people cumming in my face!"

    It was obvious to Zura that Agni was quickly sumbing to the feel good effects of the alcohol, which was most unfortunate. She was really curious about what actually happened in that room!

    *Galina hasn''t cum in months. She purposely stores up her sexual tension. Not only that but, she''s very....selective about who she allows to turn her on. One might say you practically have to force it out of her.*

    Zura''s mind was now whirring as she struggled to think about the possibilities.

    "Agni, could you show me what you did?" She finally asked, her own curiosity reaching a fever pitch.

    "No. I can''t do it again today. Three times is the charm!." The subus said as sheid her face on the cool wooden table. It was barely afternoon, but she seemed as if she was ready to crash.

    "So it was a skill?" Zura then asked.

    "Mhmm. Sort of? I don''t know.." She murmured as the potency of the magic infused liquor worked its magic, causing her body topletely rx. And along with it, she began to doze off.

    "If I had known something this interesting was going to happen, I would have waited to offer the drink." Zura said, now feeling a bit annoyed that she couldn''t get the answers she sought.

    "Oh well, I''ll just go straight to the source."

 Chapter 190: 190

    <h4>Chapter 190: 190</h4>

    Chapter 190 : A Reason To Sin

    "I wanted to tell her how her new bangle works. Oh well, she''ll figure it out I guess." Zura said as she sat back into her chair. For a moment she wished the liquor was as potent on her. But her rank was much too high for that.

    "Pity." She whispered to herself as she filled another cup and started to sip. The most she could manage was a nice buzz, the strong taste of fire brandy washed down her throat, apanied by a stinging sensation.

    She sat there watching Agni sleep. There was no particr rhyme or reason behind it, nor did she need one. The sight simply calmed her heart. Zura felt a certain kinship with Agni, ironically enough because they were both intensely sexual beings.

    *I suppose I''ve just had longer to grow in maturity.* Zura thought to herself. Even now her body was primed, ready to go at a moment''s notice.

    *The price of being a Courtesan.* She thought to herself as she sighed.

    "I''m pretty sure one day you''ll have to deal with the constant waterfall too. So, enjoy your carefree days while you can, my little subus." Zura said as she reached over and gently ran her fingers through Agni''s vermillion colored hair.

    The two sat like this for quite some time, long enough for the sun to have set and the coolness of the evening to settle upon them.

    "Wakey wakey my pretty." Zura whispered as she kissed Agni''s cheek, just below her earlobe. Naturally, Agni began to stir -- the softness of Zura''s lips against the sensitive flesh there was simply too much to handle.

    "What? What happened?" She asked.

    "You passed out on me. We''ll drink some other time. I''ll walk you back to your chapel."

    Zura''s offer had nothing in particr to do with pumping Agni for information, in fact she learned everything she wanted to know while the subus was sleeping.

    --------------------------

    "Mistress Zura. What are you doing still out--" Galina called out as she walked towards therge fence of the Silken Petal courtyard. Upon noticing Zura -- and a sleeping Agni, she veered off course.

    "What is she doing here? I excused her for the day." Galina asked, eyeing the drooling demon-kin.

    "Just resting. She had a bit too much to drink, and a very chaotic day. It''s nice to listen to your body sometimes." Zura remarked before motioning towards a nearby chair.

    "Sit. Tell me about today''s training session."

    And Galina did just that, in great detail with the utmost fervor.

    "Interesting. So, if I understand. She was able to directly influence the built up sexual energy in your body and..cause it to explode?"

    "Honestly..I''m not sure how it worked. I was a little....preupied." Galina said, she folded her arms quickly and hardened her expression. Zura could tell that she was secretly recalling the experience.

    "That''s certainly a useful skill for a subus. I wonder if it has other applications..besides making someone squirt?" Zura asked with a smirk, before taking a sip of her tea-not-really tea. Galina on the other hand made an expression that she rarely ever used, she blushed -- her face turning beet red.

    "Ahem." This was all she could offer as she pretended to study something in the distance. She''d purposely neglected to tell that bit of information...

    "So what was it like?" Zura then asked.

    "It felt like... a pulling sensation. To a certain spot, each time the energy gathered in a certain spot. I had her try multiple times in different locations, but each time the result was the same. Although, it was more intense in more....sensitive areas." Galina confided.

    "So, you''re saying she made you climax without touching you in a sexual way?"

    "Maybe. All of the ces I tried could be erotic triggers for some people. Like the feet for instance."

    "Hmm. Interesting."

    "Yes. Unfortunately she cleared by goal on the first day. I haven''t even begun to teach her properly--"

    "Yes, she mentioned that. Normally making you cum would be a feat for anyone. But it seems you''re no match for a sex demon." Zura said with a smile.

    Galina, once again, blushed.

    "Anyway. I suggest having here to visit again."

    "I agree on that front. Our little subus, she''s so...earnest. And straight forward. I hope we can teach her to appreciate all of life''s nuances a bit more."

    -------------------------

    "Why did you get quiet all of a sudden? Is something wrong?" Agni asked, in response to Zura''s focus on events past.

    "No, it''s nothing. By the way, before I forget -- your bangle." Zura said.

    "What about it?"

    "The changes I made. First things first, it''s constantly set up to the highest pleasure setting. That basically means...knee quaking climaxes should you miss a task."

    Agni groaned, but Zura lifted her hand as if to say "one moment".

    "In return, I''ve also removed specific tasks for you and given you more time to satisfy the bangle''s demands."

    "Okay. So how do Iplete the tasks if there are no tasks for me to do?"

    "You''re thinking in very specific terms. You need a more...abstract mindset."

    "What does that even mean?" Agni asked, not surprised to have received another cryptic answer.

    "What I can say is that, you should think about the true nature of a subus. What it really is--and act ordingly." Zura responded.

    "Hmmmm." Agni grunted, and it wasn''t out of curiosity.

    "I''m sure you can do it. I believe in you." Zura said as she gave Agni a hug and began to walk back towards Sprim Row.

    "Mmmmm." Agni grunted once more, it was the only way she could express her disapproval at the vague requirements of this new, stronger bangle.

    "Eh. Whatever. I''m still tired." She said finally as Zura disappeared from view.

    She was currently still standing in the central square of Grenvale. Normally the area would be more sparse with less people, but today for some reason there was still a lot of activity. Even as darkness fell.

    It was then that Agni remembered the Equinox Festival.

    "That''s in a few days. I keep forgetting about it." She muttered to herself as she turned and headed towards the Mystic Tower Chapel.

 Chapter 191: 191

    <h4>Chapter 191: 191</h4>

    Chapter 191 : Perpetual Twilight (1)

    "Are you ready yet?" Katrin asked.

    "Almost." was the reply from Agni.

    "Hurry up! We''re going to bete, and I don''t want to miss it!" Katrin eximed as she stood in the doorway of their shared room.

    "Yes, Agni hurry up." Sh added, a smirk stered across her face. Her tone suggested that she was merely parroting to get under Agni''s skin. This didn''t bother the subus, however. There was a certain energy to the day, one that could not be denied. It was the air of excitement, and though Agni normally liked to y it cool she couldn''t help but feel swept up in the moment.

    For the past four days the entire continent of Adventia had been preparing for one of four major annual holidays -- the Equinox Festival. The town seemedpletely transformed by the collective efforts of every chapel within. More than anything, the mood closely matched a holiday Agni had long since outgrown in her past life -- halloween.

    It seemed as if the world itself bent to the will of the Equinox Festival, or as others called it the Twilight Festival. This was because, for the period of an entire calendar month the time of day would be perpetual twilight. This was an urrence that, if Agni had not seen it for herself, she would have never believed possible.

    The town was draped in a gothic persona to fit the asion. ck, purples and oranges were the theme, along with pointed edges and sharp fonts to entuate nearly everything and every one. And her roommates were no exception. Sh looked particrly stunning dressed as a goth loli. Her dress was ck and white with frills near the edges and sleeveless no less. Sh''s outfit was entuated by dark eye makeup and two toned ck and pink lipstick.

    Katrin on the other hand resembled Elvira, Queen of the darkness. The dark makeup and her brte hair gave her a particr allure. The form fitting ck dress with tattered edges also lent a certain...appeal.

    Katrinpleted the outfit with elbow length, ck silk gloves and several faux star tattoos which looked more like tears than tats along her left cheek. Agni on the other hand was beginning to regret her choice of outfit -- not that she had a say in it.

    "You will wear this, and do so proudly. It''s part of your training." These were Galina''s words as she thrust a particr outfit at the subus. Upon seeing it Agni''s expression soured, but it was Zura''s chuckle which rubbed her the wrong way.

    "It''s not funny! I can''t wear something like this! It''s--"

    "What? Sexy? Revealing?" Zura replied, cutting off the subus'' train of thought at the time.

    Agni shook her head back to dispel the thoughts as she sighed.

    "Agni! Hurry up! We''re going to bete!" Katrin shouted again.

    "Okay!" Agni replied, partially exasperated.

    *It''s toote now. Ugh. They waited til the day before to spring this on me.* She inwardly grumbled. After a few more minutes (about 15), several more shouts and a ton of taunting from Sh, Agni was ready to make her appearance.

    She stepped out of the nearby bathroom, her face somewhat blush as she did so.

    "Well?" She asked with a flourish of her hands. She twirled around so that Katrin and Sh could get a good look -- not that there was much to see.

    Katrin gasped, cing her hand against her chest while Sh smiled broadly and held up a sign of approval.

    "Agni, are you sure you want to go out in that? I could never wear something that...revealing." Katrin asked.

    "Do you not like it?" Agni questioned, her confidence shrinking by the moment.

    "No, I love it. It looks great on you. It''s just..I''ve never seen you wear something like that before." Katrin said as she took a step forward, cing her hands against the meager fabric of Agni''s outfit. The outfit, if it could even be called that, consisted of roughly three parts. The top was form fitting and skin tight, a sort of stretching leather which clung to her neck like a turtleneck. This transitioned into arge heart shaped opening along the front which revealed a great deal of Agni''s cleavage. It was sleeveless, ck and shiny to the eye. It also came with a pair of fingerless gloves which extended to just below the elbow.

    The second part, the bottoms were little more than bikini bottoms made from the same material, with a matching heart shaped metal ring at the front. The finalponent of the outfit was a pair of kneehigh ck boots,plimented by a pair of heart garters.

    "Now all you need is a scythe. Then it would be perfect." Sh said as she walked over and smacked Agni on her left ass cheek.

    "Mmm mm mm, jelly." She added, before offering Agni a wink. The subus realized it was her familiar''s way of offering her a vote of confidence. She wasn''t so sure about the jellyment though...

    "M-my ass isn''t that fat." she remarked. On the other hand Katrin was busy "fingering" the material with which the outfit was made.

    "What is this? It''s like leather but..not. How is it so stretchy? And soft at the same time."

    Agni could feel Katrin''s touch through the fabric as well. Truth be told, Agni thought the same. The outfit felt amazingly good against her skin, soft and form fitting but not constricting. In terms offort, the outfit was at least an eight.

    "This is definitely enchanted, but there are so many enchantments on this I can''t identify them all." Katrin said, suddenly snapping Agni''s attention back to the current moment. Katrin''s eyes were aglow with magic, a sign that she was using her own unique skill as a Scribe to analyze the outfit.

    "How could you afford something like this?" Katrin asked next, her mouth gaping slightly as she was drawn into a sense of envy.

    "Zura gave it to me. It''s training. Why? Do you not like it?" Agni asked nervously. She wasn''t quite sure why she felt so pressed to win approval over her outfit, but it was a pressing need. And her most recent training was simply to act in the moment. Thus she''d been endeavoring to give it a serious try.

    "I love it. I.. I want one. I want to be able to make one." Katrin said, finally releasing her grip on the cloth. Her eyes met Agni''s as she gave the subus her seal of approval. The sense of relief Agni felt was both weing and strange. She still felt a bit nervous to go out in public, not because of the nudity but rather the outfit itself.

    As strange as it sounded, she never once thought of herself as sexy -- or attractive. This was uncharted territory for her, but a necessary step for growth. At least ording to Zura and Galina. Agni steadied her breathing, taking several deep breaths to calm the swirling sense of nervous excitement which fluttered about in her chest. The trio then stepped out to head to their destination -- the Equinox Festival of Grenvale.

 Chapter 192: 192

    <h4>Chapter 192: 192</h4>

    Chapter 192: Perpetual Twilight (2)

    "Strawberry. Hmmm. No..Apple." Sh said as she stood with her hand pressed against her chin. She seemed to be lost in thought.

    *You''re so stupid.* Agni thought inwardly, rolling her eyes as she endured Sh''s current harassment.

    "Sh get from behind me!" She finally shouted, tired of the Imp''s tant groping of Agni''s ass cheeks.

    "Definitely grape." Sh said with a smirk, as Agni forced the Imp to walk in front of her. After a short walk from their room, during which time Sh had plenty of time to p, smack and massage Agni''s cheeks, the trio met up with the rest of their congregation members.

    "You all look fabulous!" Gigi nearly shouted from across the central lobby. She ran towards them, arms outstretched, which in turn caused Sh to grimace as she was hugged first. Each of the women were hugged in turn, with Gigi taking a few extra moments topliment Agni on her outfit.

    "Very sexy. I like it, you should dress like this more often."

    "T-thanks." Agni said, struggling to contain the blush rising up to grace her cheeks.

    "You look great yourself." Agni added, taking note of Gigi''s outfit, which resembled that of a witch more than her usual adventurer''s garb.

    "Thanks." She said as she took a step back. The remainder of the group finally caught up as well. Ariadna, Gates and Merri -- all dressed in their own unique style for the asion.

    "Well. It''s time to go, otherwise we''ll bete. Shall we?" Gates asked as he motioned for the others to follow. Soon the group of seven were on their way. Upon stepping outside of the chapel and onto the street, Agni realized just how busy the city of Grenvale was currently.

    She could recall the first day she set foot in the city, she remembered it well for many reasons. The main one being her and Katrin''sck of clothing..

    "Hey." She said as the group of friends walked towards the nearest gate.

    "Yea?" Gigi responded.

    "You said this festival is to wee new arrivals to Adventia right? Theye every three months so, why didn''t we get a festival?" It was a question Agni wondered about ever since hearing about the Equinox Festival.

    "Ahhh. Hmm. That''s a good question. Honestly...I have no clue!" Gigi said, after giving Agni''s question only a few seconds of thought.

    "It''s sort of a coincidence. The Twilight Festival isn''t really based on the arrival of new adventurers. It''s a week-long event." Gates chimed in, after hearing their discussion.

    "It''s called the Twilight Festival by some, because of the week-long event that startster today."

    "I guess that makes sense. But it does seem a bit unfair." Agni replied.

    "Haha. I guess. Especially hearing how you and Katrin showed up. But being robbed isn''t all that umon. You''d be surprised how many people show up with only the clothes on their back." Gates offered, in order to console Agni.

    "How long have you been in Mystic Tower Gigi? You didn''t know that?" Gates then asked.

    "Well, I don''t really pay attention to that kind of stuff. So excuse me." She replied, cutting her eyes at the young man.

    "Besides, I haven''t been in the chapel that much longer than you. Maybe one year your senior?" Gigi said, after thinking about it for a bit.

    "So about three years then?" Gates surmised, based on his own time with the chapel.

    "Yea. I guess that''s about right." The ginger responded.

    "Gates likes the olderdies." Sh said as she chimed in.

    Gates didn''t exactly deny Sh''sment, which in turn caused Gigi totch onto his arm like usual.

    "Ugh. Sickening." Sh remarked as she watched Gigi practically dragging Gates along. Katrin simply chuckled.

    "So I''m sure you know the history behind the Equinox Festival, care to share?" Agni asked the Scribe.

    "I thought you''d never ask." Katrin confided as she looped her arm around Agni''s and pulled her closer, her eyes practically overflowing with eagerness. ording to Katrin, the Equinox Festival was a celebration that had a mncholy origin.

    "Do you know the origin of Adventia?" Katrin began by asking this question.

    "No. Not really. I''ve never really thought about it, to be honest."

    "Figures." Shmented, winning a forehead thump from her bondmate.

    "ording to the lore, Adventia was created by the Trinity. Three people who were known as the first adventurers. They came into being, and in turn created a new world, each responsible for a different aspect of creation."

    "That sounds a lot like...bullshit." Sh said. To this, Agni agreed. She''d died once before, afterall. She couldn''t remember a thing such as heaven or hell, so the experience sort of changed her perspective on religion and the afterlife.

    "Regardless. The three were responsible for creating everything in this realm, even giving it the same name. They lived in harmony and created everything there is to see and do within this realm. Under the power of the three, the realm grew prosperous. But eventually tragedy struck and the Gods fought amongst themselves."

    "Of course they did." Sh interjected. Katrin shot the Imp a look, one that strongly suggested she stop interrupting. Sh shrugged her shoulders then folded her arms, after all she knew when she was beaten.

    "As I was saying, tragedy struck. A war erupted between the Gods and when it was all said and done -- only the one remained. Inmentation of all that was lost, He created the Equinox of Adventia. A time where the sun neither rises nor falls. For seven days and nights this phenomena is done, in remembrance of the fallen Gods and the harmony that used to exist between them." Katrin further borated.

    "From that point on -- for all time-- the Equinox became a symbol and celebration of what was, and what became of the progenitors of this world." Agni could tell that Katrin was reciting thest couple of sentences verbatim. It was both endearing and a bit geeky. At times Agni wondered how Katrin could get so excited about obtaining knowledge from books and old scrolls. The thought of reading made her tits itch from boredom -- a bit of Agni''s past life bleeding through into the new.

    "Even now, after thousands of years the Equinox Festival remains one of the four world-wide holidays of Adventia." Katrin said, finishing up her exnation.

    "So there''s only four holidays? Like..ever?" Agni asked, her curiosity genuinely piqued.

    "Well, no. Each region has their own local customs and holidays as long as they don''t interfere with the overall reach of the Angellus." Katrin responded.

    "Angellus. Ugh." Agni groaned as she thought about herst few encounters with the winged emissaries from the supposed heavens. Both experiences were very different. One seemed to hate her on principle, the other seemed more sympathetic. Both times she''d been subjected to a taste of holy element, and both times she''d been brought to her knees in some sense or another. Just the thought of it made her tail twitch with annoyance.

 Chapter 193: 193

    <h4>Chapter 193: 193</h4>

    Chapter 193 : Festival (1)

    The further the group of seven walked, the more festivities they ran into. Despite the twilight causing a sense of impending darkness, magical lights and even torches lit up the broad, cobblestone streets of Grenvale. The houses and shops along the way were fully invested in the festivities with obvious nods to the Halloween holiday of old. Candles and ethereal lights adorned several windows, giving the glow of twilight its own appeal. Along with that, the time of the year allowed for a "sweet spot" temperature. This was fortunate, because otherwise Agni would have been feeling a bit nippy.

    Along with the decor which set the mood, the streets were filled with sights and sounds of various types. Most prevalent was the scent of food wafting through the air. Foods of all types. Various street stalls, stands and carts could be found every dozen paces, all participating in friendlypetition with one another. Criers and petitioners, all organized to recruit any and all to try their viddles, lined the sides of the street as well.

    asionally Katrin saw a trinket which caught her eye, usually something antique or enchanted that she stopped to look at. Once Agni saw all there was to do and see, it was no wonder Katrin rushed her earlier. essories, clothing, even general goods like potions, poultices and weaponry. There was something for everyone. In fact, the urge to shop was so strong within Agni that she was beginning to regret herck of funds.

    Aside from the dangerous rescue mission into thest red shard, Agni had done little by way of grinding or building up her funds.

    "Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeee." Sh begged Katrin shamelessly and without reservation as she pointed towards a nearby stand selling what appeared to be ice cream. The delightful desert was particrly aromatic, causing Agni''s mouth to salivate as she inhaled deeply.

    "Fine, fine. " Katrin said as Sh led her away by the arm. For a moment Agni struggled with the feelings welling up from within her heart.

    *What about me? I want some...whatever that is.* She thought.

    Thankfully, Katrin turned to ask, "Are youing?" just a few stepster. Agni suddenly felt stupid, more vestiges of an older life where she had fewer friends, and therefore fewer people to rely on.

    As she took in the sight of Katrin''s rooted stance, while Sh attempted to drag her towards the ice cream stall. She seemed to be genuinely enjoying herself, her expression conveyed as much. It was a feeling moment, one that Agni felt inclined to etch upon her heart. She''d allowed a dozen such tender moments to escape her in a past life. She''d long since learned the value of poignancy, the recognition and delicacy of it.

    Once again, for the umpteenth time, the Subus made a mental note to just cherish the now as she practically hop-skipped towards Katrin and Sh. Momentster, courtesy of a treat from Katrin, Sh and Agni both were like two happy peas in a pod. Taking a ce at a nearby bench, the trio enjoyed their delicious snacks while everyone else chatted or explored the nearby area.

    Agni could scarcely contain her delight. In fact, the thought of doing so even seemed strange to her at this point. She was very good at self analysis--or so she thought. Even she hade to realize the natural sense of hesitation, of holding back that she hade to cultivate. It was second nature to her, to watch or observe -- to decide then act. But on days like today, she truly realized all she hade to forsake over the years. The feeling of unfettered, unrestrained excitement. The simple joy of eating delicious food, which caused her to swing her feet to and fro -- as if she was a child again. Happy, living in and enjoying the moment to the fullest. One of thousands of opportunities that, however small, she would have never allowed herself to experience fully.

    As the cool, sherbet-like taste of alcohol and fruit danced across her tongue Agni tilted her head to and fro to an imaginary beat. Sh seemed to enjoy it just as much as she did.

    "I''ve never seen two people so happy to eat ice cream." Gates said with a chuckle. He then looked over and noticed Gigi was practically doing the same as she sipped on a mug of--something.

    "Oh, nevermind."

    Overall, the group took their time as they moved, partaking of the stalls and vendors they found interesting. Along the way Merri and Ariadna bought some rare items, Gigi and Gates took photos together using light magic, and Sh managed to get Katrin''s blessing to eat various viddles. Each time, Katrin made sure that the subus was not left out. By the time they reached the central square of Grenvale almost an hour had passed. Despite this, they still had about half an hour before the celebration began in earnest.

    "There''s so many people here." Sh remarked as she floated upwards to get a better view of the crowd. Grenvale could be called a small city byparison to ces like Kirlunst. Yet there were easily thousands of people on the nearby streets, both "normals'''' and adventurers.

    The normals seemed to be mostly shop and stall keepers who stood along the outer perimeter of the square. By contrast most of the adventurers were crowded in the center of the square. There, arge octagon shaped stage was constructed. This structure allowed for everyone in the nearby audience to direct their attention to at least one such stage. On each of the various tforms performers of all types were all busy portraying their craft. Actors, singers, dancers, bands -- each stage seem, as if they were well rehearsed and synchronized beforehand.

    Within the audience itself were adventurers of all types. Agni saw other Demon-kin, even types that seemed more animalistic than humanoid. She saw other members of the Mystic Tower, people she only knew in passing. She even saw a few unpleasant faces, enough to cause her to double take.

    "Is that?" She whispered, but just as soon as she saw the color of sky blue hair and dark colored cloak, the figure was gone.

    "What?" Katrin asked.

    "Nothing. I guess..." Agni responded.

    Agni continued scanning the crowd, perhaps it was a habit. She never really likedrge gatherings. In her past life they caused her headaches, migraines even. She was somewhat of an empath and the overbearing flow of other people''s emotions often left her feeling drained. Internally, she wondered what changed? Her senses and intuition were much sharper sinceing to Adventia. Yet she didn''t have any of the same old problems.

    *Maybe it''s rted to my subus abilities?* She mulled the thought over before dismissing it altogether. It didn''t matter. She decided to enjoy the day and all it had to offer, wondering why she wasn''t annoyed seemed like aplete waste of time and energy.

    Amid the crowd Agni saw all manner of people and she scanned them all as best she could. Monster girls of various sorts, beast-types , aviary types and amphibious types mostly were grouped together in a single, noticeable area. Not far from them Agni noticed a gathering of demons. It caught her eye due to a nearby Incubus who had his attention fixed on her. She smiled politely and allowed her gaze to sweep over the crowd once more.

    Rough types, people with scars, magic casters who were dressed like stuffy old magicians and witches, spear wielders and even berserkers -- all of these could be seen in the square. There were even a group of women who caused Agni to feel that her outfit wasn''t so revealing. They were all dressed in see-through gowns, ones obviously meant for bed.

    Beneath their attire they wore absolutely nothing, baring their nipples, trimmed bushes and asses for all daring enough to sneak a nce. Furthermore, thedies didn''t seem to be bothered either.

    *I wonder if I will ever be daring enough to go out in that sort of outfit.* She wondered. Then, after taking a second look Agni recognized a few of the women.

    "Are they from...the Silken Petal?"

 Chapter 194: 194

    <h4>Chapter 194: 194</h4>

    Chapter 194 : Festival (2)

    The group of women were, indeed, from the Silken Petal. Six total, and they all seemed to be huddled around a particr individual.

    "Ms. Subus?" A small, mouse-like voice called out across the crowd. Agni was surprised to find Hannah, the hostess from the Silken Petal near the group of women. She was dressed a bit more conservatively, though she wore the same kind of see through gown she also wore a bikini beneath.

    Agni''s attention was immediately drawn to such a formal greeting.

    "Miss? No need for that. Just call me Agni." She remarked as the group of women, and the man in their midsts drew closer. The man with them was tall, slender and impably dressed in a blue and white striped suit. Agni noticed the scent of his cologne even as he was a couple of meters away. She also noticed that every other woman nearby fixed their eyes upon him. She couldn''t deny that the scent had a particr effect on her, one that demanded attention and stimted her mind all in one.

    The smell reminded her of aromatic wood, spices and light notes of citrus. It was both crisp and alluring. The subus found herself wanting to step closer. It wasn''t until the man nced upwards, lifting his head did Agni recognize him beneath the brim of his matching fedora.

    It was someone she only knew in passing and had only seen once, the Incubus from the Demonic Chapel.

    "Sister." He said, bowing his head slightly as their eyes met.

    "Sister?" Agni repeated, almost confused by the greeting.

    "Yes. You''re a fellow demon. A leviathan ss no less, it''s always nice to see our kin." Agni studied his features closely. Now that she took a good look at him, she realized several things. The first was his skin, it was dual colored with long stripes which ran the length of his head, and presumably down his body as well. His skin was a light purplish color while the stripes were darker, almost ck with an outline of white near the edges. His long sandy brown hairplimented his eyes, which were yellowish featuring star shaped cornea. It reminded Agni of a yellow me due to the vibrancy of his gaze.

    She immediately thought of Vivian''s eyes, when she was agitated or determined.

    "Oh. Right. " Agni responded, she thought it a bit awkward to call him brother so she bowed her head slightly instead.

    To this, the Incubus simply smiled as the women clinging to him practically fawned over him.

    "Jaglon, Jaglon Rivenke." The incubus remarked, his eyes locking onto Agni once more.

    "Agni Heartfyre." She said, returning nicety. Agni couldn''t stop staring, Jaglon was obviously humanoid, but it was her first time meeting a demon-kin with such....inhuman features. She studied his face intricately, almost transfixed by his appearance.

    "Miss Subus, I love your outfit." Hannah chimed in as she reached forth to run her fingers along Agni''s abdomen.

    "Thanks. Galina made it for me." Agni offered over the sound of others speaking nearby.

    "Oh, and Miss Scribe too!" Hannah remarked upon noticing Katrin nearby. She stepped towards the Scribe, flitting along like a butterfly towards its next destination.

    "Soo..." Agni said, casting her gaze towards the group of people now standing nearby. Now that they were close, it was clear the mood was one Agni couldn''t match. Jaglon''s arms were wrapped around two young women who rested their heads against his chest. The other four crowded him as well, most of them casting nces towards Agni or other people in the vicinity.

    "Zura, the proprietor of the Silken Petal, is a good acquaintance of mine. Whenever I''m in town from Kirlunst I stop by. I''m acting as a bodyguard of sorts while the youngdies work." Jaglon exined, he didn''t miss a beat to keep the conversation rolling.

    From his words, Agni presumed Jaglon to be a member of the Demonic Chapel. She scanned his appearance, focusing her thoughts until information about his rank appeared. As she thought, his rank was two. ording to Vivian Lex only second rank adventurers and higher took up residence in Kirlunst. She never got the full scoop on why that was, save for the dangerous journey reaching the ce.

    "I see. Working?" Agni asked. Conversation with strangers wasn''t necessarily her strong suit. Especially when she had no idea why she was being spoken to in the first ce...

    "Clients. Festivals are a perfect time to make new friends." The blonde nestled beneath Jaglon''s right arm said as she cast a somewhat lustful gaze towards Agni. It caught the subus off guard, but it wasn''t necessarily surprising. Afterall she was hanging next to a sex demon...

    "I wonder if I could ask the Sister for a favor." Jaglon said, directing his attention to Agni.

    *And here it is. I guess I will find out what this is all about.* She thought.

    "Maybe. What''s the favor?" She asked as a thousand thoughts ran through her mind, none of them convenient.

    "Both thedies and myself are curious about the powers of a Subus. We''ve never met one in person before, you see. I was wondering if you could show us? I''d be more than willing to do the same."

    "Oh." Agni responded as she immediately dismissed thoughts of being groped by six different hands.

    "Sure. But.. I''m afraid it''s nothing all that impressive." Agni responded.

    "Oh don''t be modest. Galina won''t shut up about it." One of the nearby women interjected.

    "Galina? What exactly is she telling you all?" Agni asked, she cut her eyes as the thought crossed her mind.

    "Nothing bad. It''s all good in fact. Very good." Another young woman remarked as she cast a curious nce towards Agni and began to twirl a strand of her pigtails.

    "You see my lovely friends here. Their job can be quite demanding at times. You might think a job where you can be pleased constantly is like heaven. But sometimes it can be quite.." Jaglon''s voice trailed off as he searched for the right word.

    "Boring."

    "Exhausting."

    "Tiring."

    Many women offered up different adjectives to describe their line of work.

    "A chore." Jaglon said with a smile before he continued.

    "So, I use my abilities to help. You see, I''m a sleep demon. I can make my partners experience their most secret fantasies, as if they are real." Jaglon said as he flourished his right hand. A wisp of purplish smoke appeared, lingering like enchanted mist near his hand. The scent of the magic was the same as his cologne , and it was then that Agni realized -- it wasn''t cologne at all. It was magic.

    *That''s...actually really cool.* She thought inwardly as she inhaled a deep breath, taking in the magical scent emanating from the Incubus.

    "It''s a real treat. You should try it sometime." A third of the bystanders remarked.

    "Yea. It''s really helped get me through some difficult clients. You shoulde more often, Jaggie. I really miss our sessions.." The blonde chimed in.

    *J-Jaggie?* Agni could feel her face contorting in a rude way, so she struggled to change her mindset.

    "I see. Well...I suppose I could show you a few things..." Agni nearly stammered in her haste to halt her impending thoughts. She thought about it for a few seconds before turning towards a nearby young woman.

    "May I?" She asked, pausing for consent.

    "Bark for me." Agni thenmanded, her eyes shing with pink energy as her Whisper ability activated.

    "Arf! Arf!" The young woman did asmanded, even offering a bow-wow pose to apany her actions.

    "Wow! That''s amazing. Bravo." Jaglon offered with a p of his hands. The other girls nearby seemed amazed as well. It made Agni feel somewhat awkward, for doing something like this was as natural as breathing. She wasn''t sure she should be praised for it.

    *Just take the praise.* Sh chimed in mentally. Agni turned her head towards the Imp''s direction only to find her smirking as she enjoyed a drink of some sort.

    *Shh.* Agni sent back.

    "Me next!" A young woman from the group said as she stepped forward.

    Agni took a moment to Whisper each of the willing women in session. Some had requests, while others left it up to her. After making one woman do her best monkey impression the Subus was finally done.

    "That''s very impressive. The ability topletely take over someone''s will is extremely powerful. You can do it so casually, I''m so envious." Jaglon remarked.

    "Thanks." Agni said, the corners of her mouth wrinkling upwards into a slight smile. Like Sh suggested, she simply epted thepliment.

    "But, Galina told me of a different power. One that''s truly...mind blowing." Jaglon then added.

    "Really? Are you holding out on us Miss Subus?" Several of the women immediately directed their attention to Agni, some even began to crowd her. They gentlytched onto her arm, pressing their cleavage against her body.

    "I want to see. It''s not fair that you''re only sharing with Galina! She''s so mean to us."

    "Shh. If she hears you, you''ll be in the dungeon doing wall duty for hours." Another girl remarked.

    "W-wall duty huh?" Agni said nervously as she recalled her experience in the "ck room".

    "Show us!"

    "Come on! Please? We hardly ever get to do anything we want!"

    "Agni, please?"

    With so many people pleading, Agni''s softie genes kicked in.

    "Okay fine but..it''s kind of..." Agni struggled to find the words. Ultimately she gave up, shaking her head to dismiss the thought.

    *Just go with the flow. Stop being so rigid.* She thought inwardly. It was, after all, her intention with wearing such a revealing outfit. The purpose of all this training, to rx her rigid mind and dissolve her inhibitions.

    And ording to Zura, the only way to aplish this was to "do".

    "Okay. But I can only do this twice. I won''t be able to do it for everyone." Agni threw out as a disimer.

    "Me first!" A quick witted young woman shouted out as she stepped forward.

    "H-hey!" Another shouted.

    "I think maybe youdies should settle it with a game of chance. After all, it''s the only fair way right?" Jaglon offered. His words seemed to avert the growing argument between the group of women. A few minutester groans filled the air while the same quick witted woman proudly stepped forward to im her prize, along with the flirtatious blonde at Jaglon''s side.

    "I told you not to choose jajanken!" An annoyed loser protested.

    "Now now dear. For everyone who doesn''t get to experience it, I''ll give you a nice dreamter." Jaglon offered. This caused the women''s eyes to light up with anticipation, most of them rushing to hug Jaglon all at once. For a moment, the two volunteers even seemed to regret their rush tomit. He looked up amidst their hugs and gropes to nod, a signal for Agni to go ahead with her demonstration.

 Chapter 195: 195

    <h4>Chapter 195: 195</h4>

    Chapter 195 : Demonstrations (1)

    "Okay. Stand close to me." Agni said, directing her attention to the nearest young woman. When both stepped forward simultaneously she was a bit surprised.

    *I''m not used to being the center of attention.* She thought inwardly.

    "I guess that works too." Agni replied. She then closed her eyes, her right hand outstretched towards the youngdies. She had no conclusive evidence that this new ability worked better with proximity, it was something that she felt intuitively.

    *Hmm? What are you doing?* Sh''s voice bounced around in Agni''s mind, disturbing her concentration.

    *My secret.* Agni replied as she pushed aside the Imp''s telepathy and focused more deeply, receding into her own consciousness. She focused on the growing serenity of darkness as she searched for something. A light, amidst the sea of ck. To her surprise there were two small orbs of light, something Agni was not expecting. Each looked slightly different, a detail she hadn''t realized the first few times she used this ability.

    *Hmm...* She thought to herself. Previously she used this on Galina and therefore was never presented with the option to choose multiple sparks. These ''sparks'' as Agni called them were the flow of energy within someone. At least, this is what she theorized. Now, having been confronted with two different sparks she decided to try something new. She reached out with her mind, focusing intently on both of the small orbs of light at the same time. She was delighted to find that both began to react, confirming that she would be able to manipte both at the same time.

    Her point of view then shifted, the perspective was as if she were observing herself and the women near. Her own body was shrouded in a faint glow of magic while theirs gave off internal energy, the orb within each positioned in the center of their chest.

    From each, several strands of light flowed outwards to every point of both women''s bodies. Their arms, abdomen, legs and even their head. Agni studied the sight , no matter how often she saw it, she felt amazed. She took a moment to observe the traveling energy strands which pulsed asionally as they moved and once Agni was keenly aware of the ''flow, she began to draw it towards her. She watched as the light began to unravel like the strands on a cut rope, separating themselves and flowing towards a central point of energy just centimeters above her own palm.

    Nearby audible gasps could be heard, Agni was aware that Sh had also taken up a position just over her shoulder as she watched intently. The paired orbs of growing light were soft, pulsing and growingrger by the second. When both were the size of a gently swirling baseball Agni used her free hand to begin manipting the energy. Rather than logic, she was aware that this was a matter of intuition. She had never been directed as to how to use it, or what to do -- she simply felt and observed to gain the results.

    After using it on Galina several times she had a better handle on the power, even if she didn''t fully understand the reason or purpose for it as of yet. In fact, she didn''t even have a name for the ability, which only read as "???" in her list of skills and abilities.

    "What''s going on?" Katrin voiced, as she came to stand next to Sh. Soon the other members of the group were also gathered around to watch as Agni worked her magic. The subus focused on the orb of energy within her hand , the same orb of energy that was connected to both youngdies by a firm strand of energy. Like a central point connected by two umbilical cords of light, Agni spooled their energy, preparing to utilize it for her own means.

    With her free hand, shei reached out to touch the orb, sending shimmers of energy outwards. This caused the energy to flow through the connecting strands and back into the young women. Almost instantly they began to react, one bit her lip while the other clenched her thighs together. Jaglon''s eyes widened as a pleasant expression of adoration overcame him.

    Agni watched as the amount of energy within the young women began to grow in intensity. She doubted that anyone could see the internal energy like she could but she was now certain the orb within her hand was visible. She based this on everyone else''s reactions as this was her first time using this technique in front of others.

    Soon the gentle white glow within each body reached a peak, causing the energy to overflow. It was this moment Agni was waiting for. She began to guide it towards key parts of the young women''s bodies. Lingering first in the abdomen, causing a certain "heat" to grow.

    *Stoking the mes.* Agni thought to herself as she continued.

    She then allowed this build up to move to other parts of the women''s body, first their thighs, snaking along the outer part of their bodies. She then moved it inward along the thigh and upwards towards the valley of dampening dreams.

    Thedies threw their heads back in ecstasy, almost in unison. Their reactions differed slightly, but the pleasure they had begun to feel was the same. For Agni this manifested as waves of visible light cascading outwards from several points. Head, heart, abdomen and crotch, these points varied in vibrancy and intensity. She used her own energy to stimte the abdomen andher points to great effect.

    Soon both women grew weak kneed, leaning on whoever was nearby for support. Jaglon grabbed the blond by the waist and she quickly grasped the cor of his shirt as the feeling overwhelmed her. Meanwhile a vein began to throb in Gigi''s temple as the other young womantched onto an unsuspecting Gates.

    *Now to finish up.* Agni thought. To everyone else she still had her eyes closed. She seemed to be in intense concentration but she could see everything. It was as if she were an onlooker in the crowd. Agni watched as she willed her body to pluck the shimmering orb of light in her own palm. This act caused energy to flow outwards, rushing along the connecting energy strands and concentrating in the most intensely affected areas of reverberation.

    Both women lurched, their voices crying out as they began to cum so hard their bodies shuddered. Gates face grew beet red, he struggled for a position to ce his hands without eliciting the wrath of Gigi. Jaglon on the other hand studied the woman as if he''d never seen such a sight. She clenched his cor, her grip shaking as she buried her forehead in his chest.

    All watching were astonished, and many were turned on by the very sight. When all was said and done Agni began to feel the drawback of using this new ability. Her "sight" grew dim and she suddenly felt heavy. Her eyes popped open and she was back in her own perspective, her body feeling sluggish.

    "I guess two really is my limit no matter what." She said, a bead of sweat rolling down her chest as she smiled.

 Chapter 196: 196

    <h4>Chapter 196: 196</h4>

    Chapter 196 : Demonstrations (2)

    Though her demonstration was taxing, Agni still felt proud. She couldn''t really ce why, perhaps it was all of the people who gathered to watch. She felt as if she''d achieved something, however small. She wondered if this is how actors felt after a sessful performance.

    "Well done Agni Heartfyre! That was absolutely amazing if I do say so myself!" Jaglon practically shouted as he gave a round of apuse. The women gathered around him all reacted differently. The two who had undergone the experience were still recovering, in their own ways. The rest seemed toment their bad luck, envious or outright jealous that they couldn''t experience such an earth shattering experience.

    "Thanks. I think." Agni said, her face went flush as she chuckled to herself.

    "I mean it. Sincerely, I''ve never seen someone capable of no-touch climax before. Truly, the Subus ss is deserving of its Leviathan status. I can only imagine how many smiles you''ll bring to others once you fully develop this ability. What is it called? If I may ask?"

    "That''s high praise for a defective demon." Sh chimed in as she hovered forth, casting her gaze upon Jaglon.

    "It''s well deserved praise. And...you are?" He asked as his eyes trailed downward, ncing Sh from head to toe and back again.

    "Sh Heartfyre." She responded as she folded her arms, returning the favor by examining Jaglon.

    "Pleasure." Jaglon said as he pressed his hand to his chest and bowed. This caused the girls nearby to shoot their gaze in Sh''s direction. She seemed unfazed and indifferent to their envyced res.

    Almost immediately several of the other women drew closer to Jaglon, as if a new challenger had appeared. They could sense his interest, and they weren''t happy about it in the least. Nevertheless Jaglon shifted his attention back towards Agni and separated himself from the women flocking him to take several bold steps forward.

    "A deal is a deal. Will you permit me to demonstrate my own abilities as an Incubus?" He asked as he came to stand face to face with Agni. She noticed he was at least fifteen centimeters taller than herself, which caused Agni to stare up slightly when speaking to Jaglon.

    "As long as it''s not too....embarrassing.." She nearly whispered as she averted her gaze briefly.

    "A demon-kin with modesty. You cease to amaze me, Miss Subus." Jaglon said.

    "Very well. I''ll choose something...light." He assured, with a slight bow of his head.

    "Boo." One of the youngdies in the distance murmured as she folded her arms in disapproval.

    Despite being a sex demon Agni really had problems with intimacy. She could count on her hands the number of times she touched anyone -- or was touched in return -- in a single week. For other people this particr act was like breathing, yet for her she could feel a sense of unease growing in the pit of her stomach.

    Though she was surrounded by thousands of people, only now did proximity bother her. Jaglon reached out his hand, pausing several centimeters from her face as he awaited her approval. This was something that Agni recognized and was thankful for. She decided to dismiss the lump of apprehension in her tummy and forge ahead. It was hermitment to curing this deeply rooted intimacyplex. She nodded her head, prompting Jaglon to extend his hand the rest of the way.

    "This won''t hurt. You may even find it enjoyable."Agni could tell by his confidence that Jaglon was simply being modest. He fully expected her to enjoy the experience. In fact, judging by the way the other women harped on, Agni had to admit she was curious as well.

    Jaglon then rested an open palm against Agni''s temple. An undting cloud of sweet smelling mist covered his palm and flowed into Agni, seeking out any orifice nearby. Her nostrils, her ears, even creeping through the tiny spaces of her eyes. The sensation was strange, to say the least. Yet...

    Nothing happened.

    "Hmm. That''s never happened before..." Jaglon said as he withdrew his hand after a few seconds.

    "You should be under the effects of my spell by now." He then added as he nced towards the subus in disbelief. He studied her features for a few moments, then his face turned to curiosity mixed with disappointment.

    "Maybe it''s because she''s a demon?" Katrin offered.

    *Seems usible.* Agni thought inwardly.

    "No. Well, it''s possible but as far as I know my abilities work on other demon-kin just fine." Jaglon said as he rested his chin upon his fist, he seemed to be thinking hard about his failure.

    "Wait. Let me try again." He said, this time he ced both palms against Agni''s temples. She waited and watched as the purple mists began to seep forth once more, but this time she felt nothing. In the end, after several seconds of trying Jaglon the Incubus gave up.

    "This is...absolutely perplexing." He said aloud. It was clear the Incubus was aggravated, yet just as quickly as that emotion came over him he dismissed it. He cast a nce in Agni''s direction and then a smile before turning to one of the women at his side. He whispered something into her ear, something that made her face light up almost instantly. He next turned to another and another woman.

    "Is something wrong?" Agni asked after a few moments of observing.

    "No. Nothing''s wrong. It''s just that..after your disy of power I feel I should do something nice for you as well." Jaglon said, he then pped his hands twice. Within the next second Agni was surrounded, surrounded by six scantily d women. They took up positions all around, two of them resting on her chest, another two on her arms and the final two at her rear.

    "What''s going on?" Katrin asked. She uttered the words before Agni could voice them herself.

    "Just showing appreciation." Jaglon replied as the group of women began to caress Agni. She could feel their hands moving against her flesh, touching her skin through the fabric of her outfit. She could even feel somedies pushing her clothing aside. She felt the jiggle of her own breasts as her top was pushed upwards. Next came the warmth of a woman''s lips as her nipples grew taut against a tongue.

    So many sensations, and all concurrently. Agni couldn''t help but direct her gaze all over the ce. First towards the women at her beck and call, then towards Jaglon who seemed pleased with himself. She next nced over towards Katrin, only to find that she was caught up in the heat of the moment as well. Katrin was currently touching herself through the fabric of her clothing and somehow one of herrge breasts was free from her dress.

    "How scandalous.." A woman''s voice echoed , pulling Agni''s attention to the group of people surrounding the spectacle. Agni''s eyes immediately locked upon the woman and despite her words there was a certain devilish allure in her tone. She watched as the woman licked her lips and also began to touch herself. In fact, the entire "audience" had turned into a sea of motion as people turned to one another and began to undress.

    Soon the nearby group was a sea of bodies as clothing hit the ground or sailed through the air upon being discarded. Things were happening so fast that for a moment Agni could feel her head spinning. The only person who wasn''t swept away in the moment was Jaglon, he stood watching like a silent voyeur as the women continued to have their way with her. That is..Jaglon and...Sh?

    The blond haired Imp was now standing right in front of Agni and her group of "admirers" with her arms folded. Their eyes met and for a while Agni wondered exactly what it was that her familiar wanted to say.

    Seeing that there was no understanding between them Sh sighed, shook her head and said, "Wake up stupid. You''re asleep."

 Chapter 197: 197

    <h4>Chapter 197: 197</h4>

    Chapter 197 : Equinox(1)

    "Huh?" Agni muttered as she nced around. The people nearby began to fade, turning into shades, shadows of themselves. These shadows faded out of existence and the next thing she knew she was awake, or at least aware of the fact that she''d fallen asleep.

    The scene before her was decidedly different. Jaglon took a few steps back as Agni began to orient herself, he seemed shocked. He cast a nce towards Sh, who simply shifted her stance and yawned.

    "What just happened?" He asked as he cut his eyes and nced from Agni to Sh and back again.

    "That''s..what I want to know. What just happened?" Agni asked.

    "I..I used my abilities on you. I gave you a sweet dream but.. You..." Jaglon said as he stepped towards Sh.

    "How did you invade her dream? I''ve never seen something like that before."

    "Hmph. Easy." This was Sh''s only response.

    "So that was a dream, interesting. I can see how that would be helpful at times." Agni said as she recalled the fading thoughts associated with the dream.

    "Well, normally yes. When the Sweet Dream takes hold and ys from beginning to end,you''ll reap its full benefits but your .. daughter? She interrupted the process. I''ve never seen anything like it."

    "Daughter? Her? No no no." Agni immediately corrected Jaglon.

    "She''s my familiar."

    "A familiar. I see, but... I can clearly see your name,ss and rank. How is that possible? Remarkable. I''ve never heard of a familiar having its own ss. " Jaglon said as his gaze settled upon Sh once again.

    He stepped towards Sh once more, this time he knelt before her and extended his hand. Sh smirked then allowed him the honor of kissing the back of his hand.

    *The Chibi Tyrant strikes again. She''s subjugated another plebeian.* Agni teased via telepathy.

    *Of course.* She replied , her expression rapidly morphing to one of self satisfaction. As expected, Jaglon''s entourage expressed their discontent once more in the form of groans and tongue clicks.

    This only had the effect of throwing gasoline upon Sh''s already zing me of confidence. Her smirk widened into a gloating smile which she eagerly shed towards the group of women in the distance.

    *That''s right! Know your fucking ce, bitches!* She proudly dered via telepathy.

    Agni could firmly sense her familiar''s sense of pride, thus she shrugged her shoulders andughed. After a suitable amount of time kneeling, Jaglon finally rose to his feet.

    "It''s a rarity to find someone who has a power so close to my own. I would love to discuss more about this, perhaps if you find yourself in Kirlunst--"

    His words were cut short by the noise of a loud horn which red through the Grenvale Central Square. This horn st was followed by several more, causing everyone in the area to both take notice and also to quiet down.

    "What''s going on?" Katrin asked.

    "It''s time for the main event to begin in earnest. Those horns were the signal, a sign to begin." Gates exined.

    "Indeed. It seems we are out of time. We must go, otherwise we''ll miss our purpose and Zura will have our heads." Jaglon said. He seemed genuinely regretful.

    "We''ll see each other again, I''m sure." Sh offered, then she bowed her head slightly to the Incubus.

    *Sh being respectful!? What have you done with my unruly Imp?* Agni teased. Sh ignored it, as usual though Agni could have sworn she saw Sh''s lips curl upward. No doubt to suppress a chuckle.

    Jaglon excused himself as did the young women from the Silken Petal, all of them trailing his coattails. Curiously enough Agni saw them walk away from the Square, which made her wonder what their purpose actually was. Weren''t all the people gathered in the center of town? She dismissed the thought as something else drew the subus'' attention.

    "Wee to the Equinox Festival." The words cut through the noise of the moment, drawing everyone''s attention to the eight sided stage. Gone were the performers and instead curtains had been erected. There a long figure stood, awaiting the attention she deserved.

    Surprisingly enough the voice came from someone whom Agni knew well. Zura, the owner of the Silken Petal now stood on one of the many sides of the octagon shaped stage. Before her was a floating crystal, one that acted as a voice amplifier. Her words resounded, as if she were the headliner at a concert.

    Almost immediately the crowd erupted into cheers, whoops and shouts. This was due to Zura''s appearance. She was dressed in a stunning gown made of the same transparent material as her girls. This dress was a triumvirate of colors; orange, yellow andvender -- it reminded Agni of the twilight sky itself. Her curves were rarely on disy, this was due to Zura''s habit of wearing a loose fitting yukata or kimono most times.

    Today her dress was form fitting which showed off her curvaceous figure. Agni found herself in awe as she took in Zura''s countenance. Rarely had she ever seen the woman in make-up, or dressed up for that matter. She''d always considered the woman beautiful but now she was a certified man-yer. This was the reason the crowd erupted, not just men but also many women as well. Zura waited patiently for the audience''s cries to die down before she continued her words.

    "The Equinox Festival is a celebration of remembrance. One where we alle together despite our differences to remember those we have loved and lost. Despite this, the festival serves a deeper purpose as well. In life, so many blessingsy parallel to one another and today is no exception. Hope springs eternal, and today we celebrate the lives that have been lost, as well as the new lives ready to join our way of life."

    Almost as soon as Zura finished her speech a series of mes lit into existence as floating wisps of ethereal me. Some of the older adventurers within the audience bowed their heads, even before Zura instructed them to.

    "We will now observe a moment of silence. For the fallen. For those lost. And for those who remain to carry on their memory." Zura sped her hands together and bowed her head, almost as if offering a silent prayer to the heavens.

    Though Agni was disconnected from the moment in a sense, she bowed her head nevertheless. She closed her eyes and felt the somber nature of the moment, particrly from those near to her. Gates and Gigi in particr seemed deeply moved. She wondered what types of experiences the two might have had in their time in Adventia. She resolved to ask them about it sometime as the somber moment stretched on.

    --------------------------------

    "Where am I?" The woman said aloud. One moment she was in a great forest, filled with trees which towered to the skies and the next she was on a grassy hill. The view was breathtaking, the twilight horizon filled her thoughts with mncholy and wonder. She took in the moment, almost transfixed by the sight in the distance as she tried to make sense of things.

    *I guess I shouldn''t be surprised. This is a new world after all.* The tawny skinned woman thought as she breathed in deeply and leaned against arge broadleaved tree nearby. If there was one thing that bothered her it was her new hair. It was a bit longer than she was used to, causing hervender colored bangs to fall into her face more than she''d liked.

    "You reacted to that more differently than I expected."

    The woman was taken aback by the sound of another human, thus she whirled around, a look of suspicion on her face.

    "W-who are you?" She asked, holding her hands upwards as she prepared to fight. In reality her intention was to run, after all she''d been given details about her particr adventure ss -- Doll Magus. Her true power lied in creating and utilizing dolls to do her bidding. But she had just exited the holy site, she hadn''t even started on her way to a town yet -- much less imed any weapons for herself.

    With no weapons and only a flimsy training suit to protect her, she decided instantly that she would run if she faced trouble. Her battle pose was little else than bravado. She studied the man before her, he seemed well dressed as his hooded short robe and hunter green pants were embroidered, as were the pair of shoes he donned. And while she couldn''t detect any ill intent, she also sensed that he wanted something -- so she turned to run before he could even respond.

    "Don''t be so hasty to run away. I bought you here for a reason." The man with pecan colored skin said, appearing before the youngdy no sooner than she''d taken two steps. She stopped in her tracks as a sinking sensation took root in the pit of her stomach.

    "Rx." The hooded man said as he waved his hand casually, dismissing her growing concerns.

    "I''m not here to hurt you. I''m here to wee you." The man said, lifting his head to reveal a pair of golden colored eyes infused with divine energy.

 Chapter 204: 204

    <h4>Chapter 204: 204</h4>

    Chapter 204 : Winged Bedfellows

    "Fellow adventurers. Today marks a historic asion." The tall angellus said, her elegant frame poised and graceful as she turned to address the gathered people directly.

    "Never in the history of the Twilight Festival has a single chapel recruited more than half of the prospects. This de belongs to the Doyenne of Memento Mori, Enzo Gaines." She said as she flourished her hand in his direction.

    "Not only that, but this year''s auction has seen every single participant finding a chapel to belong to. That''s right. Never in the history of Adventia, despite this being a continent wide event, has any auction fulfilled both of these events. I think that deserves recognition and praise, don''t you?"

    The woman''s question seemed more like a certainty of rhetoric than a request for opinion. Still, some of the previously quiet people in the crowd began to murmur.

    "Well that is pretty impressive if you think about it.."

    "Holy shit! She''s right. I''ve never seen a single chapel get more than ten or fifteen recruits at the most."

    The whispers turned into a wave of mor before finally the crowd seemed to have found its voice once more.

    "Yea! That''s amazing!" One man shouted.

    "I have no clue who you are, man, but you rock. I love an underdog!" Another screamed over the crowd.

    "Who is that woman? I''ve met her before." Agni asked as she leaned in towards Oliver.

    "That''s Iof. She''s a high ranking Angellus. A big shot, even as uppity angels go." He exined. ncing once more over the woman''s persona and demeanor, Agni could sense her aura of dignity. There was also something else, she seemed distant and unapproachable. The impression Agni got was like a beautifulnd of snow. Pleasing to the eye, but inherently with its own set of dangers.

    She also recognized the young man standing next to Iof. It was the same rude Angellus that started an altercation with Katrin and Sh. Agni could almost feel her blood boiling as she recalled their brief skirmish, one where she was forced to her knees by the power of the holy element. If it hadn''t been for Vivian Lex at that time, things would have no doubt gone sideways.

    Agni had no intention of changing her feelings of disdain towards the male Angellus and this showed. The moment she looked at his vacant, sslike eyes she could feel a growing desire to p him into submission. Despite this, Agni did her best to conceal the torrent of anger, it wasn''t appropriate for the moment or practical to indulge in.

    The elegant Angellus allowed the people to participate in their random frivolity. She waited patiently with a serenely cid expression on her face. Finally after a minute or two she raised her hand, almost instantly catching the attention of the crowd. Secondster the loud nature had turned into a soft echo and quiet returned to the group of people as they awaited to hear what this woman would do next.

    "Enzo Gaines, pleasee and join me at the forefront of the stage." Iof said. The broad, husky man seemed genuinely surprised. He lifted a brow behind his monocled eye and got to his feet, joining her as requested.

    "The man you see before you is a shining example of what hard work, dedication and persistence can achieve. You, elders of Grenvale, the Doyennes who sit upon this stage and stand head and shoulders above others." Iof began, pausing only to cast her nce towards the long row of chairs just to her side.

    "I pray that you can follow Mr. Gaines'' example and endeavor to achieve the same levels of greatness. Our Adventia needs more people like this." She stated. Agni could feel the mood shift dramatically almost as soon as these words passed Iof''s lips. Agni also couldn''t help but notice Vivian Lex. She twitched, ever so slightly as she gripped the hand rest of her chair before regaining herposure. Each of the other seated Doyenne had simr responses, some looked visibly displeased while many struggled to contain their displeasure. This most noticeably manifested in leaking mana, causing some of the recruits nearby to shiver uncontrobly.

    Iof and her fellow Angellus seemed unaffected andpletely indifferent to the silent rebellion. Instead she walked forth and took both of Enzo Gaines''rge, bear-like hands within her own. She then smiled broadly, lowered her head and began to do somethingpletely unexpected. She began to pray.

    "What? No way." Oliver said,pletely taken aback. He looked more shocked than anything, giving a grand reaction to the seemingly simple gesture taking ce before them. Katrin''s curiosity was immediately piqued, but it was Agni who asked the question.

    "Is there something wrong?"

    "Not exactly, it''s just. Angellus have divine powers. Their abilities all stem from the word itself, or divine script. It''s something even an Archmage like me can''t use freely. She''s not just saying a prayer, she''s speaking a blessing into existence. It''s a ss skill, a form of magic. Also, a blessing from an Angellus is--rare. They are enforcers, they rarely choose sides, despite their prudish natures. For an Angellus, a high ranking one to bestow a blessing, publicly upon this man. It''s unheard of." Oliver replied. Agni could have sworn she saw a vein throb along the center of his forehead, such was the strength of Oliver''s obvious indignation.

    The Doyennes fared no better with their reactions. Artemis Fellde,the most outspoken of them all, got to her feet. For a moment it looked like she wanted to protest but she thought twice almost immediately as the shorter male Angellus cast a nce in her direction.

    The others were so surprised that they simply didn''t know how to react. Iof''s once lowered head lifted upwards, at the same time her eyes popped open. Her pupils were gone, reced by an intense white energy. The words which issued forth from her mouth were unintelligible. It was clear that she was speaking but the words themselves sounded distorted. Warbled, undting and reverberating all at once. Just the power of speaking them caused waves of unseen energy to disperse through the surroundings. Anyone within ten meters (30 ft) could feel a certain pressure being exerted upon them. Though it wasn''t oppressive, it was enough to make most take a step back -- and Agni was no exception.

    With each word spoken a circle of magic began to form, created exclusively from the spoken words. These words became visible manifestations of Iof''s magic, appearing like runes that were unfamiliar to all who beheld them. Even Katrin, a Scribe who dealt with magic script daily, could notprehend most of the letters on disy.

    "This is Enochian. An ancientnguage known only to a handful. This is.. Mythos territory." Oliver said as he struggled to keep track of the dizzying number of runic words taking shape. Iof''s mouth moved at an impossible rate, so much so that there was a clear dissonance between the sound and her moving lips.

    With each verse spoken by the Angellus a new level to the blessing appeared until three counter-revolving magic circles rotated near Gaines'' feet. Iof then uttered another single word, causing the magical circles to rotate and exude a bright light which rose upwards. In a sh of light Gaines was consumed as the extent of her blessing was bestowed.

    "Enzo Gaines. I''ve bestowed upon you a blessing of grace and protection in honor of your aplishments. May the halls of Memento Mori always serve as an example and inspiration to others." Iof said, her once glowing eyes finally returning to normal.

    She bowed her head once more, slowly and deeply as she finally released her grasp on Gaines'' hands. The entire square was quiet, most of them dumbfounded by the sight of an angelic blessing. As Iof stood, her head bowed in reverence to the lumbering man before her, a lone shriek of approval ignited the gathered adventurers into a furor of apuse that Agni had rarely experienced.

    With such amotion all of the Doyenne on stage were forced to p, begrudgingly, to at least save face. After all, which among them dared to offend the mainw-abiding entities of the city?

 Chapter 205: 205

    <h4>Chapter 205: 205</h4>

    Chapter 205 : A Chat With The Devil (1)

    "I am truly humbled. Thank you, all of you for your support. The doors of Memento Mori are always open to any seeking to make a change. Together, we will aplish great things." This was Gaines'' speech, almost as if he''d epted an award. And in a way he had. The number of people to receive an Angellus blessing were few and far between. In a way it was impressive, yet all of the Doyenne looking on simply felt sickened or disgruntled.

    Soon after the two Angellus left the stage and Zura called the first part of the auction to an end. The event was exciting to say the least and it left most everyone in attendance talking, though not in a good way for some.

    "Oliver." Vivian Lex called out to her second inmand as she neared the gathering of her congregation members.

    "I want you to look into that. See what you can find out." Though Vivian''s expression was neutral, it was obvious that she was annoyed. By ''that'' Oliver could only make one assumption, Memento Mori and the enigma of its explosive growth. Dispersed within the crowd, other Doyenne were having the same sorts of conversations with their right hand men and women. That is, all save Enzo Gaines. He, along with two particr people were making their rounds through the crowd and speaking to those who lingered.

    One man was short in stature with dark skin and silver colored hair. This man''s eyes reminded Agni of a creeping snake. In each direction that he fixed his gaze, it seemed to her that this man saw nothing but potential prey. The other person was an older woman with unusually colored hair -- orange and brown, two toned. She was dressed in an expensive sequined dress, one that was gaudy and not inappropriate given the theme of the festival. She stood out like a sore thumb and seemed to be relishing the attention gained from it in the same breath.

    The second part of the Twilight Festival was being prepared, causing the number of people remaining in the square to dwindle. The recruits were busy being briefed by their new Doyenne, that is, all but the people gained by Memento Mori.

    The group of thirty something people were huddled together near the center of the square. Apparently they had been told to wait while Gaines made his rounds. Agni couldn''t help but notice several people standing near the group of new adventurers. This was partially because she recognized the cheap hooded cloaks, they matched the style of snatchers. She nced from face to face, hoping to recognize anyone but it was futile as the hoods concealed their faces.

    Meanwhile Gaines and his pair of followers moved from group to group, shaking hands and carrying on conversations. The sight struck Agni as that of a politician, one canvassing for votes and currying favor. All around the perimeter of the Grenvale central squarerge tents were in the process of being erected. These tents would serve as a means for chapels to promote themselves to anyone who decided to attend the second part of the auction, the Skill Shop.

    By the time Gaines made his way to their group most of the stage had been broken downpletely.

    "Vivian Lex." The man''s voice was deep, burly even, which matched his bear-like physique. His eyes shone, perhaps he was delighted at having received such high honor from the Angellus in the form of a blessing. Perhaps he was just happy, regardless the smile looked a bit unnatural on him. It appeared as if he was gloating.

    He extended his hand, waiting for Vivian to shake it. When she didn''t, Gaines didn''t react as you might expect. He smiled, even more broadly and withdrew his hand,unching into his speech as if nothing happened.

    Agni watched the man closely, and though he never directed his attention to anyone aside from Vivian, the people nearest to him had no such qualms about tantly staring. In particr, the silver haired young man. Standing so close to him Agni could only feel one word forming in the back of her mind. Grimey. The scum on the bottom of one''s boot, this was the sensation which formed when she directed her gaze towards this young man. He shifted his gaze between all present, particrly the women. From Vivian and Gigi to Katrin and then Agni herself.

    For a brief moment Agni could feel a strange sensation ovee her, she wasn''t entirely sure how to describe it -- save to say it made her skin crawl. She dismissed it, instead averting her gaze towards the woman at Gaines'' side. Unlike her creepypanion, her thoughts were apparent and easy to read.

    The woman nced over Katrin from toe to crown, a look of disgust on her face. It was apparent that she was jealous, though Agni couldn''t rightly understand why. As far as she knew, this was the woman''s first time meeting Katrin or herself.

    *How can you be jealous of someone you''ve never met before?*

    The olderdy then nced in Agni''s direction, at which point her face contorted even further and an audible click of her tongue urred. She moved from her ce at Gaines'' side to walk towards Agni, a small bag in hand topliment the fur scarf draped around her neck.

    "So this is a subus." She said as she cast an unimpressed nce across Agni.

    Agni could feel her eyebrow twitch, yet she remained silent and observed.

    "I don''t see what all the fuss is. Average on all ounts. Not even pretty." She continued as she began to circle Agni, inspecting every inch of her body.

    "And not even well dressed, to boot." She said finally.

    At this point Agni rolled her eyes. Normally she was indifferent towards rude people, but something about this situation rubbed her the wrong way. She smirked and focused her attention on the orange and brte haired woman, lifting a single hand upwards. Agni pressed her pointer finger against her lips and offered a single word.

    "Shh." Yet the word reverberated from her lips, a consequence of the Whisper technique being applied. The rude woman moved to speak, only to find her lips firmly mped shut as the technique took hold. For a brief moment her eyes widened in bewilderment, then she looked angry. So angry that her gaze seemed to toss daggers. Agni maintained her cool demeanor,plete with aplimentary smirk as the woman finally decided to slink back towards Gaines.

    "Interesting technique. You must have a ton of admirers, young Subus." The shifty young man at Gaines'' side said. His gaze was now firmly locked on the subus, as if his appraisal of her was being reevaluated.

    Yet again Agni maintained her silence. She was trying to decide if she liked either of them enough to care. And currently they weren''t winning any points.

    *Judgemental. Envious. Covetous eyes.* It was as if the pair were trying to agitate them. Agni then realized she probably wasn''t far from the truth. What she''d mistaken as politicking had actually been gloating. Now it was apparent why Gaines'' smile was so broad. He hadn''t been visiting the others to show his respects or win favor.

    He did it to relish in their sour mood -- to rub salt in their wounds. What''s more, the two people next to him seemed keen to partake. Realizing this, Agni didn''t have the slightest shred of sympathy towards them.

    Once again she used whisper to shush, this time focusing the technique on the silver haired man. His face contorted for the first time since he arrived as he realized that he''d been afflicted by Agni''s technique. But to her surprise he smiled. He lifted his left hand and Agni watched as several strands of ck matter began to protrude from his fingertips. This matter curved inward, striking him in the chest. It quickly prated his clothing as pulses of purplish energy coursed into his own body.

    Momentster the man smiled before replying.

    "Interesting technique." His eyes locked onto Agni and for the first time he looked interested, alive even.

 Chapter 206: 206

    <h4>Chapter 206: 206</h4>

    Chapter 206 : A Chat With The Devil (2)

    Agni wasn''t quite sure how to react to this strange man''s attention. He seemed detached from anything and anyone, yet suddenly he seemed to only have eyes for her. There was also the question of how he''d manage to shrug off her ''Whisper'' ability.

    Then again, that seemed more and moremon these days. In a way, it kind of irked her. She concealed her displeasure though, as she was keenly aware that the strange young man had begun to study her more closely. The feeling was mutual. Agni could only believe that his ability to resist her Whisper may have had something to do with the unusual tendrils of ck energy he''d disyed.

    She decided to put this to the test.

    "Sing me a song about the good old days." Shemanded. It was the first thing that came to mind, she hadn''t even a clue where she''d heard the song lyric. However she noticed something strange. She could "feel" that her Whisper didn''t work. Or perhaps sense was the better term. To Agni, it felt as if the skill simply washed over her target rather than "seeping into". This was the best way she could describe the nuances to ''Whisper''. It felt as if her magic, her ability was invading her target. And, for a moment, she felt like she was one with them.

    This brief sensation, this nuance, was missing from hertest attempt. This confirmed that whomever this young man was, he''d done something to counter her ability.

    In response, the silver haired man smirked, his eyes shed with curiosity and he took a step closer.

    "And you must be the subus I keep hearing about." The voice which interrupted was both deep and husky. Enzo Gaines had now, finally directed his attention towards Agni.

    "What have you heard?" Vivian Lex asked as she stepped closer towards Agni, taking up position right next to her.

    "That, unlike the other subus, she''s one with a conscience. Nice even." Gaines replied. It was clear to Agni that he''d purposely chosen that moment to interject himself between his assistant and her. She just wasn''t sure why. Even his positioning, it looked to her as if he was standing as a barrier.

    This in turn made Agni wonder exactly what the person behind Gaines was.

    *What?* That''s a strange impression to have.* Agni thought.

    *Not really. That guy feels..dirty. He''s got a certain...darkness about him. Like there''s a pitch ck clinging to him that just won''t wash away.* Sh chimed in, having been silent for quite a while.

    If they both felt the same ill energy surrounding this person, there was no mistake. His ss was a mystery, which seemed to be happening more and more these days.

    *I really need to ask someone about that.* She thought inwardly.

    "It depends on who''s asking. A devil to some, angel to others." Agni replied, her eyes locking with the tall, monocled man standing just meters away.

    He didn''t reply to this and instead seemed to be appraising her. Fitting, considering the monocle -- at least this is what Agni thought.

    "Aren''t we all." Gaines finally replied, then extended his hand towards Agni. Although she had no particr reason not to shake his hand, something about the simple gesture seemed disingenuous to her. Agni felt very deeply that by taking his hand she might be giving Gaines some sort of satisfaction. It urred to her that Vivian Lex may have felt the same way earlier. Thus she simply bowed her head, the slightest of blows meant to acknowledge his greeting.

    Gaines'' smile broadened as he withdrew his hand, bringing it to his side.

    "Loyalty. I like that. Perhaps one day you''ll embrace Memento Mori with that mentality." Gaines thenmented.

    "And you as well, Scribes are always wee. The Doyenne of Mystic Tower is quite fortunate to have been blessed with such treasures." Thisment was directed towards Katrin who, up until now, had been quietly observing the conversation.

    Vivian Lex said nothing in response to eitherments, but rather she held her gaze upon Gaines. With all avenues for further niceties exhausted, Gaines excused himself with a curt bow and turned to walk away. The woman at his side cut her eyes towards Agni while the young man''s smile seemed misced. His gaze lingered over her for a few seconds more, then he followed along with the woman to catch up to Gaines.

    "That was certainly filled with a lot of tension!" Gigi said, rather excitedly at that. It seemed she enjoyed conflict of all types, regardless of origin.

    "You could say that again. Do you and that man have some issues with one another?" Gates asked as he scratched at his temple.

    "Everyone, listen closely. Beware of Enzo Gaines and Memento Mori. There are some very shady rumors surrounding them both, but nothing concrete." Vivian said, directing her words to the group of chapel members gathered nearby.

    "Really? What kind of rumors?" Katrin asked.

    "Rumors of strong arm tactics, disappearances and the like." Vivian exined, but she stopped, as if considering her words.

    "It''splicated." She then responded.

    "Anyway, it''s an order. Don''t associate with him or any of his chapel members. Is that clear?" Shemanded. This won an affirmative from the people gathered nearby.

    "Oliver. Now''s as good a time as any. Be discreet." Vivian thenmented, prompting Oliver to nod and walk off. Agni found this odd, yet didn''t say much. She was still trying to process the nagging feeling growing in the pit of her stomach.

    Ambivalence. It was the only word she could think of, yet it clearly came to mind as she thought over the "whole" of the things she''d heard regarding Enzo Gaines. On the outside people seemed loyal to him and he was well liked by those who held positions of authority. There was no real proof that he''d done anything terrible and outwardly he was extolled as a role model. A person that others should aspire to be like.

    And yet, her instincts told her otherwise, hence her current feelings on the matter. She''d personally heard too many unsavory rumors. A concerned Angellus searching for answers. A proprietor of a popr establishment. And now nearly every Doyenne of prestige or notoriety had suspicions.

    *Where there''s smoke, there''s usually fire.* Agni thought to herself.

    "The rest of you, it''s time to check out the rest of the festival." Vivian said, emphasizing her words with a p of her hand.

    "The stalls are set up and everything is prepared. It''s time for the Skill Shop."

 Chapter 207: 207

    <h4>Chapter 207: 207</h4>

    Chapter 207 : Skill Shop

    The Skill Shop, the second phase of the Twilight Festival. A ce where every other adventurer had a chance to feel coveted in a way.

    "This is a status te." Vivian said as she turned to face the members of Mystic Tower. The senior members already knew the drill, so she mostly exined for the sake of Agni, Katrin and Sh.

    "This te is a temporary item. One that summarizes your status as an adventurer. What''s more it lists off your des without giving out any detailed information about your build as an adventurer. In short, it only disys the information you wish it to." Vivian said as she handed each of the nk status tes to everyone who wanted one. The list was rather short, Oliver, Gigi, Gates, Merri and Ariadna all declined. Katrin epted one, but Agni knew it was mostly out of curiosity. Sh eagerly grabbed a te and Agni realized it was purely to be antagonistic. She took one as well, but only to see what would happen upon activating it.

    "This Status te will disappear at the end of the Skill Shop, so roughly three hours from now. To activate it, just drip some blood on the surface of the item.

    The small metallic te in Agni''s hand reminded her of a dog-tag. It was rectangr in shape with a raised edge. The surface waspletely t and held a dull sheen in the glow of twilight. The Status te had a small leather loop attached, allowing one to slip their wrist inside and easily carry the trinket.

    Vivian followed through with showing them all how to activate the Status te. She pricked her own finger using a metallic hair pin and allowed a few drops of her life''s essence to ssh along the metal of the item. Almost instantly it began to emit a faint blue glow as words and symbols formed along its surface.

    "It''s this simple. The device is pre-programmed with magic sequences, so it has four settings. You can choose to show the bare minimum or up to three other amounts of information. It''s up to your discretion." Vivian said as she slipped the Status te around her wrist and jiggled it during her exnation.

    "What''s the point of these?" Sh asked as she eyed the item suspiciously.

    Agni had somewhat of an idea.

    *Reverse Auction?* She thought inwardly as she held up her own Status te. She had no intention of switching chapels-- but she was curious about what else might be out there.

    "I''ll show you. Activate your tes." Vivian responded, awaiting the trio to fulfill hermand. To Agni she was immediately reminded of the process required to awaken Sh. At that time she needed to give a piece of herself and infuse the item with her magic. She could still remember the sensation of her horn being snapped. It was a strange numbing sensation that made her forehead throb simply from recalling it.

    She pushed the thought out of her mind and used a fingernail to cut a small slit on her pointer finger.

    *I wonder how people use sacrificial daggers to draw blood. Just this much hurts.* She thought inwardly as she dripped three droplets of red essence upon the Status te. Up close, the process of awakening the Status te was even more of a sight. She could see the words forming dynamically, starting with her name. The rest of the information flowed quickly, her level, skill set, and a bunch of other analytical info that Agni had never seen. It all flowed so quickly that Agni was surprised to find she could keep track of it.

    If she had to guess, it was a form of magic. It felt like the Status te was reading her, her perception of all things slowed somewhat despite the second or two which passed. When all was done Agni was staring at a te which held only the most basic of information about herself. Katrin and Sh looked just as surprised at the preceding experience.

    "Good. Now, follow me." Vivian said as she turned to lead the others towards the festivities. The Grenvale town square had once again been transformed. Dozens of stalls, somerge and others quiterge, lined the perimeter of the area. The center of the square was now also home to stalls, but these seemed to be refreshment stalls, unlike those along the perimeter.

    As they walked both Gates and Vivian exined how things worked. Apparently the stalls in the center were for people who just wanted to mingle or rx with good food. The stalls along the outer part of the square were set up by chapels. Much as Agni suspected, this was indeed a reverse auction of sorts. The goal of the Skill Shop was simple, instead of trying to acquire talent, it was now up to the chapels to sell themselves to any adventurer who passed by.

    All around them there were groups of people making all sorts of appeals to passersby. Chapels of all types existed in Grenvale, but it never urred to Agni just how many. As they moved she found herself drawn to the sight and sounds of people disying their Status tes and being catered to by the subsequent exchanges.

    "Arbor''s Gate is the best battle oriented Chapel in Grenvale. Come and see what we''re all about!" A female warrior shouted. At least Agni *thought* she was a warrior, upon second look thedy resembled someone cosying a warrior.

    *So that kind of thing happens in a fantasy world too huh?* Agni thought as she passed.

    "Arbor''s Gate? Never heard of them. And you guys don''t even have a Church. So much for the best of anything." A gruff looking adventurer said as he stepped towards the young woman. She was undaunted and quickly switched gears.

    "Our stats speak for themselves." She said as she motioned towards arge hanging card. Agni was surprised to find that the words on the sign changed dynamically, much like her Status te.

    "Only 1,200 Grimlock in in thest year? That doesn''t sound very active to me." The gruff manmented. He then waved his hand before the card and the surface rippled like liquid metal as words formed.

    "And only four members? Hmm." The man said as he rubbed his chin, apparently reconsidering his earlierments. Shortly after Vivian and the others stopped at a nearby stall, a ratherrge one at that.

    "This is Mystic Tower''s Skill Shop stall. This is the Chapel''s Status te." She said, pointing to arge metal card, much like the one Agni was recently studying.

    "I guess the best way to exin this is..." Vivian paused briefly as she searched for a particr word.

    "Analytics. It summarizes all of the aplishments, no matter howrge or small, of the Chapel. This info can then be seen in a more helpful, summarized format." As she spoke she waved her hand in front of the card, causing the information there to change. The Chapel name, number of members and general ranking amongst other chapels appeared on the surface of the metal sign.

    "In other words, as long as you have a Status te you can view analytical information about prospective chapels and they can also pitch themselves to you directly. This is an alternate method to match adventurers who may want to switch Chapels in a more convenient manner."

    "But.." Vivian said, her tone suddenly shifting.

    "I don''t expect any of you want to jump ship....right?" She asked, her hands suddenly positioned on her hips.

    "What? No.." Agni replied. The stern energy being directed towards her by Vivian was somewhat overbearing in nature. Through it she could clearly understand Vivian''s message.

    "Don''t you dare."

    For Agni it wasn''t a problem, she had no intention of moving around. She was almost a hundred percent sure Katrin felt the same way, as for Sh -- well, Sh would be more prone to cause a scene simply for her own amusement.

    "Hello."

    The voice of a woman caught Agni''s attention, as well as everyone gathered nearby.

    "Oh, you." Vivian said as her eyes locked on to the nearbydy.

    "Yes. I was wondering, Doyenne Lex. Can I borrow your Subus for a moment?"

 Chapter 208: 208

    <h4>Chapter 208: 208</h4>

    Chapter 208 : Interrogation (1)

    "Hmm. I guess. As long as you''re not trying to poach her for your prostitution ring." Vivian said as she folded her arms.

    "I wouldn''t dream of it." Zura replied as she took a position next to Agni and ced an arm across her shoulder. She offered a reassuring smile to Vivian as well, prompting the Doyenne to wave her hand as a sort of begrudging approval.

    "Excellent!" Zura replied as she then turned her gaze towards Agni and winked.

    "In that case, we''ll return shortly. Agni, let''s take a walk." Zura said as she grabbed Agni by the hand and gently led her away.

    "Oi. Where are you two going?" Sh asked.

    "Our secret." Zura replied as she waved towards both Katrin and Sh, pulling Agni through the crowd of people.

    "Hmmph." Sh grunted as she made to float upwards, however Katrin''s firm grasp on her tail sabotaged that n.

    "W-what are you doing?" She asked as Katrin easily pulled her downwards, firmly grasping Sh by her hand.

    "You''ve gotten into enough today." Katrin said sternly as she cut her eyes towards Sh. Apparently, even the goddess Katrin had her limits with hijinks.

    "Meh. Fine." Sh muttered as she folded her arms, resigning herself to continue the ''tour'' along with everyone else.

    ---------------------------------------------

    "So, where are we going?" Agni asked. She was currently being led by the hand through the crowd of people in the central square. Though there weren''t nearly as many folks gathered now as the first auction, one could still say it was pretty crowded in a sense.

    "I like your outfit. It''s quite daring of you to wear something like that in public." Zura replied as she continued to guide Agni.

    *I thought we were going for a walk, this is more like a consensual kidnapping.* Agni thought, noting the fact that Zura deftly dodged her question. At least until they reached a nearby alleyway.

    "Good. We have some privacy now." Zura said as she finally released Agni''s hand and turned to face the Subus. Indeed, their current position was several meters away from the nearest person, just outside of the Grenvale central square.

    "Remember our talk the day you were...mm, visited by the Angellus?" Zura asked. Agni quickly recalled most of the talk, but due to the fact that she''d been drinking her memory was somewhat fuzzy.

    "Sort of. What about it?" Agni asked.

    "At the time I mentioned that there were some...unsavory rumors regarding the Memento Mori Chapel, and their leader as well. But, nothing substantial."

    "Right. I remember that. Has something changed?" Agni asked, her arms folding subconsciously as she spoke. Having just met Enzo Gaines, a certain seed of foreboding had taken root in the pit of her stomach. And the direction of this conversation only served to nurture it.

    "No. There''s still no credible evidence that anything untoward is happening." Zura replied, she was now busy undoing her hair. She allowed the length of her long, ck hair to fall down past her shoulders. She looked relieved, Agni thought that this was the *price of beauty* she''d heard of so often.

    "But, I found one of my old girls. Apparently now she''s a member of Memento Mori. And though I can''t get answers from her, maybe you can." Zura continued as she then turned and motioned for Agni to follow her deeper into the alleyway and away from the festivities.

    "Okay. Sure." Agni responded. For some reason she was beginning to feel a bit of anxiety. It made her palms sweat as a sense of general unease filled the vermillion haired Subus. She followed Zura for just a few meters more to a sight that seemed more like a reunion than an interrogation.

    Ducked off, just a few meters away from the entrance of a side alley was a young woman surrounded by several of Zura''s chapel members. They all seemed rather busy, chatting with one another. Agni immediately picked up on the fact that several of the young women before her seemed nervous. This included the young woman Agni could only presume she would need to speak to.

    This was evident by the youngdy''s style of dress. Agni''s heart skipped a beat as she recognized the style of cheap hooded cloak which concealed the young woman''s features. It reminded her of the snatchers and their scuffle not far from her current location.

    "This is Michelle." Zuramented as she drew closer. This prompted the group of young women to turn and face both of them. Several of them wore worried expressions and some seemed genuinely dismayed. The hooded woman in the center clenched her palms, a sign that she too was apprehensive. To Agni it almost looked as if she was defying some sort of danger, simply for being present.

    This was confirmed as she set eyes upon the subus. Michelle''s heart skipped a beat, but in her head she''d already made up her mind to follow through.

    "Michelle, this is Agni. She''s a good friend of mine." Zura said as she stepped towards the pale skinned, blonde haired young woman and grasped her hands. Zura met the woman''s gaze and could feel her own heart sink. Zura had met many women in her line of work, and it was obvious to her eyes that this youngdy was in some sort of distress.

    She was also wise enough to know the power of invisible chains. Chains that others can''t see, the sort that are difficult to shrug off or escape. In her mind''s eye Zura could see such chains, living ones which entwined Michelle like the coils of a snake. Pulling her down, constricting her as they tugged from all directions.

    They muffled her voice so that she could not speak, and constricted her heart to make her docile. To Zura this was apparent in the woman''s gaze, but even more so as she used her own skills as a Courtesan to probe the youngdy''s emotions.

    "I think she may be able to help you." Zura continued as she then turned and nodded towards Agni. Agni stood a few meters away initially, allowing Zura to make first contact, before she stepped forward. She offered a smile, despite the growing anxiety in the pit of her own stomach and nodded.

    "Hello. I''m Agni Heartfyre." Agni said as the rest of the young women nervously gathered around the woman known as Michelle.

 Chapter 209: 209

    <h4>Chapter 209: 209</h4>

    Chapter 209 : Interrogation (2)

    Instead of replying, the young woman known as Michelle simply nodded her head. Though, Agni couldn''t help but notice her bodynguage. The blond haired woman shivered, as if she was cold. Yet, Agni ruled that out immediately. The body of an adventurer was a rather wonderful thing. Minor heat and cold simply didn''t bother them. Even the wound Agni inflicted to enchant her Status te healed within seconds. Thus the young woman''s trauma had to be mental.

    Zura, sensing a veil of apprehension falling over the small group, took the initiative.

    "Michelle. I know you''ve told your friends that you left the Silken Petal of your own volition. But some of them are worried about you. That''s why they went through so much trouble tob the crowd in search of you." Zura began.

    She tenderly ced her hands over Michelle''s once more, her gaze falling upon the young woman''s trembling bottom lip.

    *She looks scared beyond measure. I wonder what happened to cause her to feel this way?* Agni thought inwardly. In a way she felt bad, but it also caused her resolve to improve. She would help in any way she could.

    "I promise, we won''t keep you long or do anything that might..promise your personal situation." Zura said. She then looked towards a couple of the young women at Michelle''s side, prompting them to nod. Secondster they had taken off, presumably to keep watch at the end of both alley way entrances.

    Michelle nodded, taking in a deep breath as she did so as if she was preparing herself for something. After a few more breaths, it seemed she too had hardened her resolve. She nodded, signaling to Zura that she was now ready.

    "Okay. First, I want to ask you a few questions without Agni''s help." Zura said, her eyes locked with Michelle''s as she spoke.

    "If you can answer honestly, please do so." Zuramented. At the same time a faint veil of mana appeared across Zura''s body. This mana seeped into Michelle until she was covered in a magic that made her feel warmer, safer. Thefort allowed her to realize she was not alone despite a torrent of emotions.

    The most prevalent sensation Zura could directly feel was apprehension, fear that bordered on absolute foreboding. Yet, deep within this overwhelming sensation was a faint glimmer of hope. Zura''s suspicions were now growing more concrete by the moment. She only needed proof of some type.

    "Michelle. Are you happy with your life currently?" Zura thought it best to start with a simple question. One that she could nod or answer to concisely. Zura studied the young woman''s face as she prepared to answer, searching for the slightest indication of emotional conflict.

    Michelle''s gaze seemed to fade, particrly the ''light'' in her eyes as her mouth gaped. This left everyone watching in a state of anticipation for the answer. After a few seconds, Michelle seemed to abandon a verbal answer altogether. Instead she started to shake her head in disapproval. Yet, just when it seemed she might do so, the woman''s body froze and her eyes widened. It was as if she''d temporarily been paralyzed.

    Zura could feel her chest tightening as she began to cycle through her list of prepared questions. If something so simple caused this reaction, she would need to try a different approach. Still, one thing was now certain--at least to her -- Michelle was definitely in some kind of trouble.

    "It''s okay. Let''s move onto the next question." Zura said, her grip upon Michelle''s hands tightening a bit.

    "Is Memento Mori holding you against your will?" Zura was aware that her second question was a rapid esction, but she was beginning to feel a nagging need. One that told her she should speed things along.

    Zura held her breath and heightened her focus to the extreme. Her magic flowed throughout Michelle''s body, her goal was simple -- to better understand the discord between the young woman''s words and actions. She fully intended to have Michelle answer one way or the other this time.

    As before, Michelle seemed like she wanted to speak -- but her voice was caught in her throat. The young woman''s eyes bulged slightly before a wincing expression overcame her. Then, as if she were in a hurry to work through the question altogether, Michelle fiercely shook her head in dismissal.

    Yet Zura clearly sensed it, for the briefest of moments Michelle''s heart wavered and an overwhelming sense of despair mingled with disappointment.

    "Agni. I think it''s your turn." Zura said, her voice was still though her heart was now beating fiercely.

    "Okay. Um.. what would you like me tomand?"

    Zura thought for a few moments, but no goodmand came to mind. This was partially because her own emotions were so riled and invested.

    "I''ll allow you to choose the wording." She replied, never taking her eyes off of Michelle.

    The young woman nced towards Agni, sending a heart pain in the process as their eyes met. Agni could recognize that expression anywhere. It was the look of someone severely distressed. Someone who was pleading internally for help.

    Agni could feel her own heart beating fiercely at this point. The sound of it was like a drum, her adrenaline was washing over her in waves as the need to help the young woman standing before her reached its climax.

    *What should I say?* Agni thought inwardly. To date she''d only used her ''Whisper'' ability to issue simplemands. She tried to limit theplexity of themands for one simple reason -- instinctually, she felt it best to do so. Thus, she''d only issued single wordmands. Or had she? She thought back amongst her experiences using ''Whisper'' and it suddenly dawned upon her. There had, indeed, been a few times where she used an entire sentence as amand. It was the time she murdered the dark skinned snatcher, the man known as Glint. The time when Katrin had given her life to fight off their attackers.

    With this she knew it was possible, yet she also recalled something else from this experience.

    *Compounding Interest.* Agni thought inwardly. For each time she repeated the samemand, its effect seemed to grow even morepelling. She wondered if this worked the same for issuing multiplemands as well. By repeating eachmand multiple times, their effects should grow stronger as well.

    The logic made sense, and the situation warranted an experiment. Agni could feel her eyes taking on a faint glow of lust energy as she activated her technique. She could only assume this was due to the extra power contained with her ''lust meter''. This unlocked ability would also lend her subus powers a further enhancement when used.

    "Speak to me about your trauma."

    "Whatever chains, stigma or spells that bind you I release you."

    "You can speak freely, without consequence."

    These were the three sentences Agni chose to speak. She based them upon watching Michelle''s bodynguage and her own observations on the young woman. She repeated them over and over, her eyes shing with pink energy as she did so. As she did so Agni began to feel...something. She wasn''t entirely sure at first, it felt faint but a single thought popped into her head. Reverberation. Or, spoken another way -- sonar. The magical waves of sound which carried hermand *felt* like they were not prating into Michelle.

    In Agni''s mind, she visualized it vividly as colored sound waves bounced and rebounded off of the young woman. She also felt like it was still possible, regardless. Agni took several steps closer until she was close enough to reach out and touch Michelle. She continued repeating themands and used her perception to sense things out. As she suspected, standing closer improved the effectiveness of ''Whisper''. She also noticed one area that seemed more receptive to invasion than others.

    Agni took the final step, leaning inward as she brought her face next to Michelle''s and began to ''Whisper'' directly into her ear. She could *feel* the enchantments taking hold, one after another. It felt like a sense of pressure, an invisible crown which slowly began to tighten around Agni''s brow. With each repetition of themands Agni could feel this imaginary crown growing tighter, more intense in pressure.

    Yet, she could still feel a sense of resistance, there was a general sensation that Agni had grown ustomed to experiencing upon sess. She had not yet received that sensation, the sense of being connected -- however temporary it may have been.

    So she persisted, repeating themands like a mantra, a prayer vigil led by a she-demon. She could feel her mana dipping now as her lust energy depleted itself entirely. She could feel the pressure on her crown growing to ufortable levels, still she persisted. She sped Michelle by the shoulder, nearly pulling the woman into an embrace as Agni forced every other thought out of her mind. And then, as if a damn had broken, the sensation of sess arrived. Like the shattering of ss, the wall was now broken and Agni staggered backwards as the consequences of her actions became clear.

 Chapter 210: 210

    <h4>Chapter 210: 210</h4>

    Chapter 210 : Bacsh

    *Wh-what the fu--* Agni could scarcely finish her thought as her knees buckled and her blood pressure dropped tremendously. Her vision blurred and she became light-headed almost instantly. It happened so quickly that she had very little time to relish her aplishment. Her knees hit the ground hard, causing a stinging pain to jar upwards through her kneecaps. But she couldn''t feel it, not really as her mind began to swim.

    "Agni? Agni!" Zura''s visage resembled fish goggles for the red-headed subus as her frame began to slouch. She had been saved from being rendered unconscious due to her own willpower, but soon another problem arose.

    A spurt and stter, of blood no less, trickled down her face. Her nose was bleeding, practically gushing as her blood pressure rose again, just as dramatically. She leaned forward, her hand reaching to collect the red liquid subconsciously as she felt a warm sensation rolling down her upper lip and chin.

    "This is serious." She could hear a young woman say.

    "Does this always happen?" Another girl asked.

    "No. Give me a handkerchief. Does anyone have one?" This time it was Zura''s voice. Agni could feel the warmth of her hand against her shoulder de, rubbing assuringly. Though things felt dim, Agni could tell her vision was slowly normalizing. The loss of equilibrium had begun to subside as well.

    "Are you okay? What happened?" Zura asked, more concern showing at this point. She pressed the handkerchief to Agni''s nose to stem the trickling flow of blood. By this point it was proving unnecessary. Agni could already feel her body normalizing. That is for the throbbing pain in her head. That felt more like a persistent pressure which gradually lessened like a slowly expanding vice grip.

    "I- I''m fine. I think." She murmured. One sight at the pool of blood on the ground caused Agni to think twice at that statement, however.

    *T-that''s a lot of blood.*

    "I-I..." The voice was sudden, quivering and full of emotion." I hate my life!" Michelle shouted, her fists clenched as if she half expected her voice to die within her throat.

    "I... I hate my life. I, oh Gods. Thank you. Thank you!" She said as tears began to stream down her cheeks. Soon both Michelle and Agni were on their knees, each for a different reason. Michelle''s friends crowded around her, some kneeling and the closest of them hugging her profusely.

    "It seems..it worked." Zura remarked, her heart feeling less heavy at the sight of their tearful embrace. Though Agni''s head still hurt, her heart felt significantly lighter.

    *This kind of thing is pretty nice too.* She thought as her heart began to flutter at the wholesome sight unfolding before her. The group of women took a few moments to gather themselves, a moment that Zura deemed necessary. For healing of multiple hearts. After Michelle''s torrent of tears lessened and Agni could finally stand on her own two feet, Zura turned her attention to the matter at hand.

    "Michelle. It seems like you were being controlled against your will. Can you exin clearly so that we can understand?" Zura said as she knelt in front of the young woman and sped her hand.

    The woman known as Michelle removed her hood for the first time, revealing her dirty-blond locks of hair which curled neatly around her cheeks. Her face was red and damp from tears as she pushed away the wetness with her palms.

    "Yes. It''s.. it''s so much I don''t know where to start. He-- that man. He''s nothing like what he seems. He''s crazy!" She nearly shouted as more tears streamed up from her eyes.

    "Shh. It''s okay. Just take your time and exin it to me." Zura said as she hugged the young woman, pulling her head into a waiting bosom.

    "I''m just so happy. So happy to finally be free." She sobbed.

    "You don''t know what it''s like, to be a prisoner in your own body, your own mind." Michelle said through her quivering sobs.

    "It''s okay. Start from the beginning. What happened the day you went missing? Terra said you went to the Memento Mori chapel. Is that correct?" Zura asked, looking at ''Terra'' for confirmation. The green haired woman shook her head affirmatively as Michelle began to speak.

    "Mhm. We were looking for new clients. I saw a group of men and gave them a few fliers like we were supposed to do but..." Michelle hesitated for a brief moment, as if she regretted her decisions.

    "I...I agreed to go party with them. I know, you always told us never to take single dates, much less group dates away from the chapel but.." Michelle''s voice trailed off as a single tear streamed along her cheek.

    "Michelle. It''s okay. You''re safe now, and among friends." Zura said, offeringfort during her time of need. This, in turn, gave Michelle the courage she needed to continue her story.

    "It''s just they seemed so friendly and amicable. They weren''t handsy like a lot of the guys. I got a good vibe, and you always say to go with your intuition. I just.. I don''t know, maybe I got caught up in the moment. Anyway, I followed them back to the chapel. Memento Mori, I mean."

    "Only it didn''t look like a chapel. It looked more like a club on the inside. We went in and partied, and had a few drinks. Then they invited me to the V.I.P. and then things got strange." Michelle said, her tone changing as she recalled the events which led her to the current predicament.

    "There was this man. He...he''s like a monster in human skin. He just attacked me with no provocation. These long ck tendrils shot out and pierced my chest. That''s all I remember before I passed out."

    "Wait..." Agni said, her attention sharpening to the utmost.

    "Did you say ck tendrils?"

    "Y-yeah. Why?" Michelle asked.

    "Did he have bronzed skin? White hair with silver strands?" Agni then asked. Michelle''s expression told Agni all that she needed to know.

    "How did you know that?" Michelle asked.

    "Zura. You saw him tonight too. With Gaines, after the auction." Agni said as she slowly got to her feet. Her bnce was off, but that didn''t matter. She could feel a fire growing as blood fiercely pumped through her veins.

    "That''s Zipher. Zipher Enrei. He''s evil. Absolutely evil." Michelle said, her face draining of its warmth. The expression on her face suggested that she was remembering unpleasant things. Zura could feel the way Michelle''s body reacted to the mention of this man, uncontroble shakes which felt like spasms. She was immediately reminded of a small animal consumed by fear.

    "This confirms it." Agni whispered to herself as she thought back to her brief encounter with Gaines and hispanions. Yet, there were so many questions remaining.

    "Michelle. What happened after you reached the V.I.P. section?" Zura asked. She could feel Michelle''s hands tighten around the fabric of her dress, but Zura felt she should keep the young woman focused. While Agni was right, it was confirmation of someone linked to Gaines, that didn''t necessarily mean the man himself was involved.

    "Well. Like I said, he attacked me. And I felt my body seize up, I couldn''t move. And then.." Michelle''s voice trailed off for a moment. She paused, her face contorting momentarily as she nced downward. The sound of dripping blood sttered against the cobblestone street.

    "Wh-what? No. I.. I thought it was broken. I.. I thought I was fr--" Michelle''s words were swallowed by the mind rending pain which overtook her body. She froze as the light in her eyes dimmed momentarily. Then she lurched forward, knocking Zura away in the process.

    "Michelle? Michelle, what''s wrong?" Zura said as she moved towards the young woman. Michelle''s back arched as she began to move unnaturally. It reminded Agni of a cat releasing a hairball. Only it wasn''t hair. It was blood -- at least it looked like blood. The reddish liquid was thick and rancorous, the second it sshed forth from the woman''s mouth it took on a ckish color.

    There was so much fluid, too much. The blond''s eyes bulged so wide that Agni thought they would burst. The veins popped, quickly turning the woman''s eyes a lighter tint of blood red. Even as this urred blood spewed forth from her mouth, then her ears. Amidst her anguish Michelle attempted to shout and scream, but these verbal protests were drowned out by the suffocating stream of ck blood.

    She leaned forward, desperate to stop the pain ravaging her body while everyone near could only look on in horror. Michelle tried to crawl away, ast ditch attempt to put some distance between those she loved and herself -- but it was in vain. She made it no further than a meter before ck mes began to erupt from her body. The mes came forth from the inside, causing punctures in her flesh as jets of ck me and blood shot outwards.

    "Get away from her, quickly!" Zura shouted. The two girls who initially refused to abandon their friend had little time to react as Michelle''s body burst into mes. The mass of fire was sorge, so epassing that it created a zing sphere. The woman known as Terra grimaced as she was caught up in the sudden expansion. The other friend was sent flying several meters into the air.

    "Zu-ra--" This was Michelle''sst word as her body was consumed by the ck mes of second death. Amidst the unbelievable sight Agni swore she took notice of bead-sized tears which defied gravity, thest of which burned to embers along with Michelle''s body.

 Chapter 211: 211

    <h4>Chapter 211: 211</h4>

    Chapter 211 : Enigma (1)

    For a moment Agni couldn''t think. She simplyy on the ground where she''d fallen back and stared at the spot where Michelle once was. Zura on the other hand was quiet, her eyes burned with an unknown emotion that Agni couldn''t quite ce. In the next instant Zura was on her feet and walking towards the girl known as Terra.

    "Agni. Are you alright? Do you have any wounds?" Zura asked as she walked by.

    "I''m...I''m fine. I''m not hurt." The vermillion haired subus answered.

    It was then that Agni noticed the sound of screaming, of painful wails as the green haired young woman thrashed on the ground. Agni''s eyes widened as she realized -- the girl''s arm had been injured. Zura knelt near the young woman, inspecting the wound as she did so.

    "Ang. Are you still alive?" Zura asked aloud without diverting her attention.

    "Y-yes." A woman''s voice practically squeaked. It was small, mousey even, and Agni then realized it was from the other woman who''d been blown through the air just moments ago.

    "Madam Rigart! Is something wro--" Thedies who were sent to guard the alleyway heard the screaming and returned post-haste, still it wasn''t fast enough. Agni gulped hard, her hand beginning to quiver as she finally realized the extent of the women''s injuries. Terra, the green haired woman was missing her arm from just a few centimeters above the elbow joint. Where her limb once was, a ck and charred edge now existed. Zura was currently busy pouring her mana into the young woman tofort her and ease her pain.

    The small voiced woman was lucky byparison, her limbs were intact but she had burns along her chest, forearms and half of her face. Burns that were not healing.

    "This is...impossible." Agni whispered as she got to her feet.

    *Don''t the wounds of adventurers automatically heal?* She thought, her mind racing as she eyed Terra''s grievous wound. The other women rushed by, one kneeling next to Zura and the other running towards the other injured woman.

    "Terra? Oh no. What happened?"

    "This is bad. We need to get her to a healer!"

    The remaining women all mored and crowded as panic set in, yet onemand from Zura was enough to stamp out their energy.

    "Zilia, Tammy -- help Ang." Zura ordered.

    "Take her home and contact Lady Poison. She will know how to treat the wounds. Bridget, Alexa -- I''ll have you carry Terra. Be careful and gentle with her. I''ve soothed her wounds for now, but she''s still in a great deal of pain." Zura replied as she got to her feet.

    "Go ahead of me, go now and be as discreet as you can." Zura said, and with that the group of women hurried themselves with fulfilling Zura''s orders. Zura was so decisive that Agni felt useless.

    "What can I do?" The subus asked, finally forcing her spiraling sense of shock downward into the pit of her stomach.

    "Their injuries can be considered irregr. It is a cause of the ck fire, the fire that burns all to ashes and ends life for people like us. But that was not normal..." Zura said, her voice trailing off as she attempted to suppress her own emotions. Agni could feel her mind abuzz with activity as she considered Zura''s words.

    *ck fire that burns all?* Agni nced upon Ang''s burned body as she was helped to her feet. Third degree burns ravaged the youngdy, her face was contorted in pain so intense that Ang could no longer speak. Though the other women wore grim expressions they followed Zura''smands to the letter. Soon it was just Zura and Agni left alone in the alleyway.

    There was no trace that Michelle ever existed, no sign of the tragedy that unfolded just minutes ago.

    "Agni." Zura''s voice reeled in Agni''s consciousness as the raven haired vixen sped Agni''s hand. This was enough to capture Agni''s gaze, their eyes locking. Zura''s face was different. Unlike her usual expression Agni could only see a mask, one that was difficult to read--deliberately cid in appearance. Agni wasn''t sure how long she''d been zoning out, a victim to her own thoughts-- but apparently it was time to part ways.

    "I need you to return now. Tell no one of this, except Vivian Lex. When you exin to her, tell her the story in detail. Everything, from our suspicions to the events that transpired here today." Zura said.

    "Repeat it back to me." Zura then said as she escorted the subus to the edge of the alleyway where one of Zura''s girls awaited. She murmured, recalling Zura''s instructions as she tried to shake off the stupor which settled over her.

    "Agni. Will you be okay to return?" Zura said, once more pulling Agni''s attention to the forefront. Agni could now only rey the sight of Michelle''s body bursting into mes, it intruded into her thoughts and pushed to the forefront of her mind.

    "Yes. Yes I''ll be fine." Agni managed, only when Zura gently squeezed her hand.

    "Good. I''m d you are unharmed, thank you for your help today." Zura said, bowing her head slightly as she did so. She then parted ways with Agni, prompting Agni to do the same. She walked towards the end of the first alleyway , her thoughts aze with the events that transpired just moments ago.

    Although Agni''s mind was scattered and in disarray she felt, for a moment, a sense of overbearing pressure. Agni stopped in her tracks and about faced as fear wormed its way into her heart. There was nothing, no one there, just the direction in which Zura and her attendant departed. It was then that Agni realized. The cid expression worn by Zura was simply a mask to hide the deep torrent of emotions that must be raging in her heart.

    *Who would be calm after seeing something like that?* Agni thought inwardly. The ''pressure'' was the weight of Zura''s feelings on the matter. And how must she be feeling if Agni could sense such feelings from a distance?

    Agni moved on auto pilot. She gave very little thought to anything around her as she moved. She was too consumed by her own thoughts. She couldn''t help but think back to Zura''s words.

    "Their injuries can be considered irregr. It is a cause of the ck fire, the fire that burns all to ashes and ends life for people like us. But that was not normal..."

    As Agni thought back to Zura''s words, she also considered the other instances of second death she''d seen. She quickly realized that she''d never personally seen someone die since arriving in Adventia. Such a thing was a luxury that she''d managed even in her past life. The experience was totally virgin to her. Pure and jarring. To struggle against one''s demise, one''s expiration -- Agni couldn''t help but clench her fists as a cold chill creeped along her spine. In the end, she never did shake the uneasiness of the experience before she rejoined herrades at Grenvale central square.

 Chapter 212: 212

    <h4>Chapter 212: 212</h4>

    Chapter 212 : Enigma (2)

    "Well. Like I said, he attacked me. And I felt my body seize up, I couldn''t move. And then.."

    "Wh-what? No. I.. I thought it was broken. I.. I thought I was fr--"

    "Michelle? Michelle, what''s wrong?"

    "Get away from her, quickly!"

    "What the hell is going on?" They whispered to themself. They peered downward from a perched ce, nestled along the wall in a nearby alleyway. They preferred to remain hidden, but with themotion they had to chance a peek. What they saw was enough to stifle breathing and make one''s blood run cold.

    "Zu-ra--"

    They watched as a young woman was engulfed in arge sphere of ck mes. They could feel their heart beating in their ears, the all too familiar sound of rushing blood as it pumped through a heightened body. It normally only happened when they used their abilities, but in this moment it was out of fear.

    They could feel their hands growing mmy, sweaty even as xe listened with bated breath. The only thing xe could think as events transpired were, "Shit! Suina, what have you gotten yourself into?"

    Soon the alleyway was clear and when xe was confident that xe was alone, xe stepped out of their hiding spot. Despite revealing xemself all of their distinguishing features were concealed. An ankle length ck-leather cloak,plete with a hood to conceal their facial features. A slender body with fair, porcin like skin stepped into the dim twilight. Leather gloves, leather bracers both of whichplimented their leather vest, pants and boots. Stained leather, darker than the usual which helped with discretion.

    They clicked their tongue as xe recalled just how often they''d been forced to skulk aroundtely. It was all beginning to pay off, and yet--

    "Dammit!" They whispered viciously. They knelt down in the exact spot where Michelle met her end, hoping to find some remnant or clue. Nothing remained. They clenched their first, out of frustration mostly.

    *This justplicated things.* They thought to themselves as xe walked along the alleyway, mulling over their thoughts.

    *I''ll need to move fast.* He pulled their hood over their crown, making sure to conceal their features as he stepped into the crowded square. The Skill Shop was now taking ce and he would not be denied their goal.

    --------------------------------------

    Agni continued along her way, her thoughts jumbled , all things considered. She''d just watched a person die and several others be maimed. How could she not? With every passing day in this strange new world Agni found her reality shifting. For an earth sign, she found this somewhat troubling.

    She was just thinking on how to best conceal the situation from her familiar when Agni felt her chest tighten. This happened just as someone walked by, causing her senses to kick into overdrive. It wasn''t a sense of caution, but rather anger --unbridled and relentless. She clenched her fist, turning to face the passerby. She couldn''t see his face, but his features, his gait were all incredible.

    Familiar.

    "Who are you?" She said without thinking. This prompted the hooded figure to stop in his tracks. He turned, ever so slightly revealing his face. In turn Agni''s eyes widened and she felt her heart skip a beat.

    "Hey." She said, her voice growing deeper. The word echoed outwards as more of a growl than speech. The figure ignored this however and took off. Carried by the winds of her own emotions Agni gave chase. In the back of her mind she knew that it was foolish, but the vivid image of Michelle''s death lingered like a specter. She needed answers, and this person could provide them. What''s more she didn''t care if *he* melted and burst into mes.

    ---------------------------------

    "She''s been gone too long. I wonder what Zura is doing." Sh said, impatiently at that.

    "Do you miss her already? Separation anxiety?" Katrin asked as she smirked. The alcohol had done a world of good to loosen her tongue. Sh rolled her eyes, offering a strongly worded reply.

    "Please."

    Katrin had to admit, she was enjoying this festival a bit more than she anticipated. The atmosphere was so festive and she found herselfpletely swept away in it. Perhaps in a past life she wouldn''t have allowed as many luxuries. After all, living in the corporate world -- even as someone''s gopher -- allowed for very little personal time.

    *Perhaps dying was one of the best things that ever happened to me.* The thought surprised even herself, yet that was her honest feeling. She peered down into the cup of spirits, one that she''d been sipping on happily for the better part of the evening.

    For a moment she considered scaling back, but then another thought bubbled forth recing this notion.

    *This is a new me. I won''t be bound by the ideals of my old life!* Katrin''s face took on a determination which made her look strange, given the fact that her cheeks were rose colored. Consequences of drinking,, she supposed.

    *I-I wonder if this is how frat-boys feel at a party?* She then thought as she nced down into her cup once more with renewed vigor. She brought the wooden cup to her lips, only to feel it fall from her grip. For a moment the brte Scribe doubted her eyes, but even as her cup hit the ground she realized it was real.

    A seed of light, it was the closest thing Katrin could describe the phenomena as. A small orb which floated close to her face, its movements reminded her of a bug. Yet it was unmistakable, this orb was a magical construct. She swatted at the orb of light and watched as it deftly evaded her attempts to get rid of it.

    "S-shoo!" She said, swatting once more.

    "What the hell is that?" Sh asked, seemingly amused at the floating ball which appeared norger than a bug.

    "I-I have no idea." Katrin stammered, then just when she was beginning to get agitated the orb created some distance between them. It grewrger, but only by a bit and began to expand.

    "Wait--I know what this is. This is.. Magic script." Katrin murmured as the ''orb'' began to spread and form words. As a Scribe Katrin''s abilities were to inscribe words of power, using runes, into objects or materials. These runes had specific meanings when imparted to different objects, calling forth hidden ortent abilities. She could even enchant ordinary scrolls to produce magic spells, something she''d grown quite adept at early on.

    She recognized the floating shape as something familiar to the early stage of Magic Script, namely using mana to form shapes. In this instance, an arrow. The arrow pulsed with intention, as if to say "this way". It then turned into a butterfly made of magical energy and began to flutter away.

    "Katrin? Where do you think you''re going?" Sh demanded, but Katrin ignored her. She was more captivated by the fluttering magical construct. Perhaps it was the boose, or simply her mood at the moment but her curiosity was piqued.

    "First Agni now you?" Sh shouted as Katrin weaved through the crowd. In the next moment she was gone from view.

    "Ugh. Fine. Whatever." Sh said as she crossed her arms, making up her mind to have fun without her two normally constantpanions. Katrin, on the other hand, was ted. The butterfly reminded her of a whimsy she''d long since lost. She felt like a young girl again, carefree and light hearted. She followed the butterfly, even as it moved through the crowd and rose above her. Eventually she found that the sound of the festivities died down and things were more quiet. Katrin realized she was now a considerable distance from the square. And though there were still people near, she suddenly felt...apprehensive.

    The shifting emotions in her heart sobered her up somewhat and for the first time she considered whether this construct might be a trap of some sort. She focused on the magic, attempting to discern its intention. This was something that Oliver Pagnal had once briefly touched on with her and the others. Magic could be infused with intention which altered its purpose. Although thisrgely held true with "free magic", it could also be used in lesser degrees with spells.

    Katrin felt nothing dangerous from the hovering butterfly, which seemed to wait as she made up her mind. No malice, no sense of danger -- nothing at all in fact. For a brief moment Katrin nced over her shoulder and considered going back for help. But in the end, she decided against it.

    *Help for what? It''s just a butterfly.* Aside from this, there was another reason Katrin decided to ignore her normally cautious nature.

    *You always do this. Rely on others, even for the most simple of things.* This was a habit that hindered progression in her past life. She vowed never to let past tendencies ruin the second. With a vigorous head shake and a gentle p against her cheeks Katrin decided to follow the butterfly, albeit cautiously, wherever it might lead. Soon the sound of music was distant as she walked towards a nearby section of Grenvale. One that she was somewhat familiar with.

    Sprim Row could be considered the slums of the city. It was where all sorts of less reputable people ventured and dodgy things of all sorts urred. As she walked she couldn''t help but remember the time she and Agni were both osted by a group of snatchers. Katrin struggled to push the thought from her mind and chose to keep focused on the butterfly which seemed to have found its master.

    Katrin turned a nearby corner only to find the magical butterfly fluttering near a young woman''s head. The moment she noticed Katrin their eyes locked. The young woman was obviously a Beastia -- a category of adventurer who had beast-like features. This particr woman had short blue hair which reminded Katrin of the clear sky. Atop her head were two ears which revealed the young woman to be a lycanthrope.

    For a moment they stood, staring at one another. Katrin wasn''t sure what to make of the situation -- but the youngdy seemed friendly enough. And then she took note of the lycanthrope''s clothing. A thick cloak with an attached hood. Obviously old and used with shredded edges. Katrin''s jaw tightened as she called forth one of her weapons, a Grimoire. This living item was one that could grow along with its owner, such were the category of items called ''Living Weapons''.

    Despite Katrin''s motion to defend herself, the blue-haired Lycanthrope did not move. Instead she spoke calmly and clearly.

    "I just want to talk. You don''t know me, so you have no reason to trust me. But please.. Hear me out. You and your friends are being targeted."

 Chapter 213: 213

    <h4>Chapter 213: 213</h4>

    Chapter 213 : Enigma (3)

    Agni ran so fast that for the first time in a long time, she felt as if her heart might burst. Perhaps it was her current mood. Her heart was beating fiercely and she felt as if a torrent of emotion would erupt from within. Perhaps it was the helpless feeling one gets from watching a pitiful death, or the desire to do something -- anything other than feel.

    Nevertheless when she caught up with the man it was in a side alleyway, much like Zura''s previous meeting ce.

    "Stop running. I just want... to talk." She said, although appearances would have said otherwise. Her chest was heaving and there was a wild look in her eye. She was clearly upset, but it wasn''t directed at her target. Not entirely.

    The man turned to face her, revealing his face once again to the subus.

    "I knew it. It was you." She said, subconsciously clenching her fist upon seeing the man''s face. It was Glint, the Fighter who attempted to ''snatch'' Agni and Katrin so many weeks ago. The man''s appearance was different from before. His hair was longer, braided in rows and he sported a beard -- but it was unmistakably him.

    "You want to speak to me? Why -- if I may ask." This was all Glint said. He kept his distance and made no sudden movements, yet his eyes were locked on her. His expression was difficult to read in stark contrast to Agni''s. It was obvious she was dealing with a surplus of emotion which threatened to burst forth.

    -------------------------------------------------

    "Being targeted? What do you mean? And who are you? Exin." Although Katrin was already on guard her senses sharpened the moment she heard the lycanthrope''s deration.

    "My name is Rena." The blue-haired lycanthrope responded. "I want to show you something. Is that okay?" She awaited Katrin''s nod, so as not to spook her. In response the young woman moved slowly as she pulled aside her cloak, revealing her chest.

    "He is a mad-man." Rena said, and almost immediately her face contorted in pain. The pain was severe enough that the woman called Rena sank down to one knee. While the woman knelt on the ground a purplish energy began to circte and form a symbol unfamiliar to Katrin. The Scribe recognized it as a magical seal, one that most likely represented a chapel. But even to her untrained eyes something seemed off.

    "Have you ever seen this before?" The woman asked, motioning towards a skull shaped magical seal, one with a snake coiling in and out of the skull''s hollow sockets.

    "No. Who''s a mad man?" This was all Katrin offered. She thought it best to keep her answers short and concise.

    *It''s always better to get information and avoid giving any--if I can help it.* This was also a rule which governed her past life, partially due to her line of work. Katrin watched as a creeping sensation of concern overcame her. She could tell the young woman was in pain, enough to render her temporarily immobilized. After an ufortable amount of time she finally managed to ask, "A-are you okay?"

    "Yes. I''m sorry-- just give me a minute.." Rena said, holding her hand upwards as if to ask for a brief reprieve. A few secondster the lycanthrope managed to get to her feet, taking several deep breaths as she did so.

    "I needed to show you." Rena then said.

    "Show me what?" Katrin asked, a bit puzzled at the young woman''s words. Rena then waved her hand, causing the butterfly to flutter downwards, lingering near her chest. The mark there had slowly begun to disappear, concealing itself.

    It took a moment for Katrin to understand, but it seemed as if the butterfly was a second means ofmunication for the person standing some meters away. At the same time, the youngdy seemed to be searching for the right words to speak.

    "My words are limited for a certain reason. Due to this there are many things I cannot say or discuss..." Rena''s voice trailed off.

    "However, I can answer yes or no questions." She added, alluding to the fact that she hoped Katrin would simply ask. Katrin realized this much, but this caused more confusion than enlightenment.

    *What does she want me to ask? I don''t even understand what''s going on.*

    As such she decided to start with something simple.

    "You wanted to speak to me, personally?" Katrin asked.

    The young woman nodded her head in response.

    "You said me and my friends are being targeted. By who? Can you answer that?"

    Rena seemed to think things over before replying.

    "My time is limited. It may be easier to..have someone else exin." Rena said, before adding -- "Don''t be rmed. My friend simply wishes to talk." Once more Rena awaited Katrin''s consent to proceed before she acted. The butterfly floated away from Rena, drifting to the nearby wall of the alleyway. From there a hidden person appeared, stepping into the light.

    "So, we meet again." He said, removing the hood which concealed his identity. Almost immediately Katrin reacted, calling forth several stored spells from her Grimoire. In an instant arge shard of rock appeared, hovering nearby as it awaitedmands.

    "I guess that''s the appropriate reaction, to someone who tried to kidnap you." The bald, gruff looking man said. It was Fargo, the same man who Katrin fought to the death nearly two months ago.

    "But I assure you.." He added, "I''m just here to talk. That''s why I bought my friend here, to make contact with you first. I seriously don''t want any trouble." He said, disying both hands with his palms facing upwards.

    "What could you possibly have to talk about with me?" She asked, the amount of venom in her words surprised even the Scribe.

    "You''ve been marked." Fargo replied.

    -----------------------------------------------

    "Why did you try to kidnap us?" Agni asked. It was the first question which came to mind despite the fact that she had many.

    "Straight to the point then? That works for me. My time is limited." Glint replied. He lifted his hand and with this motion a faint glow of light appeared. This small orb quickly took shape before morphing into something else entirely. A single word, created from a magical construct.

    "Forced." Agni said aloud as she read the magical script.

    "Are you saying that you were forced to try and kidnap us?"

    "Nothing personal." Glint replied this time, offering a shrug.

    *That still doesn''t make me feel any better.* Agni thought, somewhat angrily at that.

    "And does that hold true for the other men who attacked us?"

    *Yes* The magical construct shifted in order to form this response.

    "And who forced you to do these things?" Agni asked.

    "I can''t say." Glint replied.

    "Why not?" Agni then asked.

    "Because I don''t want to die a painful death." came the response.

    "So you''re being forced to kidnap other adventurers, by someone but you can''t tell me who? Sounds like bullshit to me." She replied... and yet, in the back of her head Agni knew he was most likely telling the truth. She just didn''t like it.

    "I am many things. A liar I am not." Glint replied, he seemed unperturbed by Agni''s clear aggression towards him. This further served to aggravate the subus.

    *I killed you, you know. At least be upset.* She thought, but she reigned in that thought and decided to continue her line of questioning.

    "So what happened to the rest of your buddies? You''re not trying to finish the job now, are you?" Agni asked as her eyes darted around.

    *Dead.*

    *Enved.*

    These were the two words which formed at Glint''smand. For a second Agni didn''t know what to think of it. Then a third word appeared.

    *Ash.*

    Agni couldn''t help but think back to the hellish scene of Michelle''s death a little less than an hour ago. She could recall the ck mes which consumed her body, turning the woman into ash and then nothingness.

 Chapter 214: 214

    <h4>Chapter 214: 214</h4>

    Chapter 214 : The Swallow-tail Rebellion (1)

    *I don''t know if she will believe me. Hell, I wouldn''t believe me.* Fargo thought inwardly.

    "You''ve been marked." he said, both calmly and clearly.

    *But this is the best I can do to make amends. I thought if I just went along with it, eventually I''d be able to escape. But I was wrong. Years under the thumb of that bastard and his little psycho.* Fargo thought inwardly as he turned his palms upwards, a symbol of submission.

    *I never thought I''d be free again. I lost all hope. Especially after Ashe.... If Glint hadn''t persisted and forced open a path--.* Fargo reflected upon the unexpected event which changed his mind for the better. It happened shortly after the Lycanthrope Rena ''joined'' their ranks.

    ---------------------------

    Having witnessed the death of a mutual friend at the hands of Ziphyr, both Glint and Fargo reacted in different ways. Fargo resigned himself to his fate, he had all but given up and decided that he would most likely die under Gaines'' thumb. Glint on the other hand knew the man , Ashe, best. Rather than break his spirit, the cruelty of Ashe''s death stoked the fires of determination.

    "I can see the mana threads which connect your des. So what? It''s just a stupid trick." Fargo asked. He seemed unimpressed for the most part.

    "Now.. look again." Glint said as he focused more intently. This time, the daggers stopped spinning counter clockwise to each other and slowly came to a stop. Instead, blue mana began to utch itself from the daggers, the strands resembling a snake being charmed by music.

    Gradually this strange dance of mana strings began to reveal looping symbols, which then formed into very rudimentary letters.

    Fargo watched, searching for some kind of meaning to the feat being shown to him. Clearly mana strings weren''t meant to be used for this. Furthermore, it seemed as if Glint was pushing himself to extremes in order to hold the fluid strings to a form of any type for such a short while. Yet, as the words began to take shape, Fargo began to smile.

    *Fuck Enzo Gaines.*

    His smile slowly turned into his first real heartfelt chuckle for quite some time. Soon, he could scarcely control it and the "dead men", the ones who reacted to nothing, craned their heads to see what the fuss was about.

    And just as suddenly as Fargo erupted intoughter, he abruptly stopped and got to his feet. Glint, his face covered in sweat and his hands shaking from over exertion of mana, spoke up once more.

    "Still think it''s a stupid trick?"

    This ''trick'' broke the rules. Fargo knew the rules, they were etched into his soul by pain and mind searing difort.

    Don''t speak ill of him.

    Don''t harm him.

    Don''t defy him in any way.

    Don''t do anything that would prevent him from making new ves.

    These were just a few of the rules that Gaines used to protect himself and control those enved to him. They all amounted to one thought, ''Gaines is your absolute master.''

    Whenever someone would find a loophole to the rules, Gaines would just punish that person and make a new rule or alter the existing ones. In this way, almost every possible way to seek help, warn others or do anything other than Gaines'' bidding had been "patched".

    But what Glint had just done, through much toil and effort, was create a way to defy Enzo Gaines. Not only that, he broke three of the main rules in one go. To anyone else, a floating script of magical words seemed like a parlor trick, but those under the thumb of one tyrant saw it as the beginning of a revolution.

    That afternoon he took Glint and Rena out into the town and had Glint show her the method. It was quite a hassle, considering they ran into the very same Subus that day.She was understandably angry, but he never expected her to start a fight in the town center.

    Nevertheless, eventually Fargo was able to enact his n. After finding a secret ce without eyes or ears, Fargo and Glint disclosed their intentions to Rena. It was clear to them that the new recruit would be most likely to go along with their n for various reasons. They were present when she was brought into the chapel and they guessed correctly that she''d rather slit Gaines'' throat than be made into a ve.

    From this point on they met in secret each day or as much as possible. They made clever use of Rena''s "need" to be trained as a snatcher, using it as cover for their training sessions. Mana maniption was a skill that all adventures possessed, as was the ability to use "free magic". Essentially what the group trained themselves on was the ability to shape their own mana to create words.

    There was a second aspect to the training as well. Gaines'' ve mark reacted to any negative intent. This was neither umon or unheard of, for all types of magic are imbued with intent. The intent to harm, or protect are the mostmon types. The nature of Gaines'' mark was to discern whether others were following his will, if Fargo had to guess. This second aspect of their training posed the biggest problem.

    How simple was it to separate one''s personal feelings and take action? It required the mind of Buddha, a near nirvana-like state. Only then, with a clear mind and heart, could one convey the message they desired. One that stood opposite to Gaines'' ns for them.

    The three trained as much and as often as possible, yet for Fargo it was extremely difficult. This was because he simply couldn''t forgive himself. It was originally his idea to join Memento Mori. The lure of elerated growth was simply too much. He knew it sounded too good to be true, and in the end it was his greed which led to the suffering of himself and his closestpanions. Even now he could vividly recall the sight of Ashe as the ck mes consumed his body. The look of excitement on Ziphyr''s face as he took the man''s life.

    This sense of regret and rage carved an endless chasm within the man''s heart. One that he could not easily traverse. To him, nothing short of Gaines'' painful death would bring his soul peace. He craved it every waking moment, to the point that he had all but be numb to the pain of his own ve mark. Only when his urges got the better of him would Fargo be pressed into servitude once more.

    But secretly he could never forget...

    And that''s why he could only manage one or two words at best before being blindsided with excruciating pain. Glint was the best at this new technique, one the trio named ''Swallow-tail'' after Rena''s butterflies.

    Glint could easily carry on a conversation using this new method although he was limited to three words maximum in each line. On the other hand Rena could barely form words, instead she excelled at shapes and other small constructs -- like butterflies. Both Rena and Glint could calm their hearts and minds long enough to convey information, information that would normally trigger the punishment of their marks. They tested this extensively amongst themselves and eventually they decided to put their n to the test.

    As to why, Fargo had his suspicions. For Glint, he suspected that rather than calming his heart Glint was actually able to suppress his emotions. As for Rena, she simply hadn''t been around long enough to build up significant hatred towards her captors. For the most part, bing a part of Gaines'' harem allowed her to avoid Ziphyr. He was primarily in charge of "enforcement" which tranted into whimsical torture for any who drew his ire.

    It also helped that the man seemed to have found a new toy, one that could withstand even his brutal brand of "attention". It was an easy matter to keep Rena next to him and out of the chapel for extended periods of time. Which brought Fargo full circle to the current situation. And obviously wary Scribe standing before him, his eyes averted downward as he awaited her response.

    Under cover of the Twilight Festival, the trio deemed this the perfect test of their abilities. They would put their lives on the line to thwart Gaines'' acquisition of his next targets.

 Chapter 215: 215

    <h4>Chapter 215: 215</h4>

    Chapter 215 : The Swallow-tail Rebellion (2)

    Among all the people that both Glint and Fargo kidnapped, the ones who left the deepest impression on them were the Scribe and the Subus. If tales were worth believing, a high ranked Subus could enthrall dozens of people to do her bidding. Scribes on the other hand were like having a never-ending supply of one-time-use items, some of which have rare powers and abilities. On top of that, their ability to infuse weapons and gear with various properties was highly coveted.

    With these two under his wing, Enzo Gaines would go from a lurking threat to a major power -- that is if he yed his cards right. And also, that''s *if* he could manage to acquire them both. Fargo knew the man much better than he would have liked. He knew for a fact that there was no way Gaines would simply pass up an opportunity to snatch two extremely talented people.

    *If he was going to make a move, it would have to be now. I have no idea what he''s nning. But I know he''s up to something. I won''t let him have his way anymore.* Fargo thought as his eyes locked with Katrin''s. He lowered his head to further emphasize that he meant no harm to the woman.

    He''d thought long and hard about what he could do given their past. He decided on divide and conquer tactics. With Glint speaking to the Subus and himself confronting the Scribe, the hope was that warning both would prevent tragedy from unfolding.

    "What do you want from me? If it''s not to attack me?" The brte haired woman asked, her emerald colored eyes were clearly filled with doubt. Her mind was most likely working double-time to figure out his intentions. The truth was, there was probably very little he could say to her that would set her at ease.

    *But that''s okay.* Fargo thought inwardly. He hadn''t been able to do it sessfully, each attempt at the Swallow-tail technique caused waves of pain to assault his body. This time would be no different, but Fargo''s fierce determination would not allow him to leave without trying.

    "The skull is inhuman." Fargo said aloud, doing his utmost to distance his emotions from his words.

    Despite this his face began to turn red as dull pains radiated outwards from the ve mark on his chest.

    "Beware the mark." Fargo next said, he could feel the blood rushing to his head as the familiar sense of unyielding pain began to ovee him.

    "Fargo." Rena said as she stepped towards the man with her hand outstretched.

    "Let me do it. I can try harder." Rena added. To this Fargo lifted his hand, as if to halt her in her tracks.

    "I owe this young woman." He said through several deep breaths. He then fixed his gaze on Katrin once more. She stood at the ready, a living weapon floating nearby.

    *There''s no telling how many nasty spellbinations she''s stock-piled in that book. Heh, I wonder what would happen if we fought again.* The thought amused him, which in turn reminded him of the words he really wanted to say.

    "I''m sorry." Fargo said suddenly. Within his eyes Katrin could see a confusing emotion. It was mncholy mixed with genuine regret.

    "We...we had to tell him about you and your friend. After-- After you killed six, six at once." Fargo struggled to get the words out. He wasn''t entirely free of pain in this moment, for the words he spoke were specifically of Gaines and the brutal torture upon them which he endorsed.

    Despite how desperately Fargo wanted to push the man''s face from his mind, to escape the thoughts of that hellish dungeon, it was impossible to do it entirely.

    *Dammit. Dammit. I thought I could do better than this.* Fargomented. His body was now growing heavy, sluggish. It was hard to maintain his focus at this point. By contrast the Scribe waspletely silent, observing his every action. Rena stood to the side, ready to act should he pass out -- but this wasn''t enough.

    "Because of me, because of us.. You''re on his-his radar. He won''t stop until he acquires you." Fargo muttered as he was forced to one knee. Purple energy shot outwards from the mark upon his chest, sending a burning pain to each and every corner of his body. His lungs were now on fire and it was hard to breathe. Yet the strangest thought crept into his mind.

    *I bet that fucker Ziphyr never intended his torture to help out.* Fargo could only attribute his high pain tolerance to the constant torment of one man.

    *One man. Ha.* He thought inwardly. Now that he thought about it, there was indeed one man he hated more than Enzo Gaines. He smiled and focused all of his being on a single thought.

    *Think of him. His psychotic eyes. That gleefulugh as he does depraved things. Focus only on him.* Fargo thought, he thought this so firmly that he could practically see Ziphyr''s face in his mind''s eye. Fargo lifted one hand and called forth some mana, his control wasn''t as good as the others -- he knew. But this was the most he could do.

    -------------------------------------------------------

    *Beware.*

    *Contract.*

    *Ruse.*

    *Enved.*

    *Beware.*

    *Skull.*

    Fargo could only use single words, which to others, might provide little context given the situation. But his hope was simple -- that he''d said enough, that he''d conveyed enough to keep her out of harm''s way -- or at the least be wary.

    *That''s enough. That''s enough.* Fargo thought as his mind went hazy and he passed out from the pain ravaging his body.

    The blue-haired Lycanthrope known as Rena immediately caught the man just centimeters from the ground. She nced upwards towards a motionless Katrin, her eyes filled with concern.

    *I wonder how much she understood.* Rena wondered as she released a sigh. She realized that Fargo wanted to do this himself, given their past history but he was bordering on reckless. They were only three strong, with no idea who could actually be trusted which meant they needed each other if they were to escape.

    She sighed once again as she looked at the unconscious man in her arms.

    "He had a clumsy way of trying to make amends. But his warning is sincere." Rena said as she gentlyid the man''s body down on the nearby ground. She closed her eyes and lifted her right palm upwards causing the fluttering butterfly to expand and change shape. Rena''s brow furrowed as she poured her concentration into the act.

    *It''s easy to make shapes...there''s no unpleasant thoughts associated with them.* She thought inwardly.

    *Both*

    *Enved*

    *Forced*

    *Pain of*

    *Death*

    *Beware*

    *Targeted*

    *Beware*

    Much like the man next to her Rena had now sank down to one knee. Unlike him she managed to separate much of her feelings from the message. Though for her it wasn''tpletely possible to do.

    *This is enough. We can''t both pass out here.* She thought. She nodded towards the woman in the distance then lifted herpanion, his arm over her shoulder as she rose.

    "It starts now." Rena said, taking onest look towards Katrin before she left.

    *I hope Glint is having better luck.* Rena thought inwardly as she carried the unconscious Fargo towards the decided meeting point.

 Chapter 216: 216

    <h4>Chapter 216: 216</h4>

    Chapter 216 : Run-In (1)

    "S-stop it. Psycho." Sh protested. She was currently attempting to pry Bracha''s arms from around her neck.

    "You like it, no?" Bracha said in response. She had no intention of releasing the Imp. Not when her cuddles were sofortable.

    "How does Agni keep you around and NOT love on you? It''s impossible." Bracha said as she ramped up her efforts to "love" on Sh. She nuzzled her , cheek to cheek, winning a grimace from the Imp.

    "I warned you." Sh said as she lifted a finger and tapped Bracha on the bridge of her nose. Almost immediately the woman began to drowse. She released the Imp and stumbled backwards by several steps. This was enough for Sh to act.

    "Sh? Where did you go?" Bracha shouted as she wiped her eyes in an attempt to waken.

    *Baaaaka.* Sh thought inwardly as she hovered several meters above the crowded square, her invisibility active. Sh smirked at the sight of a nonplussed Bracha as she floated upwards with one thought in mind.

    *Ugh. How dare both of them leave me.* She thought as she floated away from the Square.

    ------------

    *Dead.*

    *Enved.*

    *Ash.*

    These three words formed in sequence, conveying a grim reminder of the death of one young woman which was fresh on Agni''s mind. She couldn''t help but take note of the woman''s expression as the mes consumed her. Michelle reached out in thest moments. To someone -- anyone who would endure with her. The result of this was two wounded women, one of which would presumably never use her arm again.

    Agni had never seen an ''imperfect'' person amongst the inhabitants of Adventia. Her experience was only about four months worth, but in that time she had never seen anyone with body imperfections of any types. In short, they were as they were intended from design, nigh perfect in every way. Fat, husky, skinny, slender or fit -- all of them had the proper digits, eyes, ears and noses. Even the Grimlock, which were full of danger, were majestic in their own way.

    Today was the first time Agni witnessed a wound that simply would not close or recover. In such a short time she''d limated to her new existence that she''d already begun taking things for granted. Even death was a mere formality in theory. As long as one could avoid dying twice in a row, said person could live a long life.

    But today''s events left a sour taste in her mouth, overturning this notion which formed in Agni''s mind. It didn''t sit well with her, and she had yet to reconcile it. Which is why she was standing in front of this man. The same man she''d had a life or death battle with so many weeks ago. Perhaps it was instinct that moved her feet, but it was correct. He definitely had information that would help her make sense of the shiftingndscape.

    As she rummaged through her thoughts Glint cleared his throat, regaining her attention.

    "I thought you''d have more questions. And my time is limited." Glint said before heunched into what he wanted to say.

    "I know you''re a newbie but, you''re really weak. You need to get stronger." He said, folding his arms as he inspected the Subus from head-to-toe.

    "What?" Agni could feel her agitation ring, the man''s words rubbed her the wrong way.

    "I was strong enough to defeat you and everyone else you brought along. I''m stronger now than I was then." She said, struggling to keep her anger in check.

    "Indeed. You did. But, I''m not at full strength. Nowhere near it. You know how to inspect other adventurers for basic information right-- tell me what you see." Glint responded as he tapped his temple.

    "Glint Hargrove Rank 2 Fighter." Agni said aloud, almost instantly.

    "That''s right. Rank two Fighter." Glint responded, cing a heavy emphasis on thest three words.

    "And your rank is?" Glint then asked a question with an obvious answer that, once more, rubbed Agni the wrong way.

    "Rank 0."

    "Exactly. So if rankings were so obsolete, why then would a rank 0 be able to defeat someone hundreds of levels higher?" Glint asked.

    Agni had no real answer for this. She initially attributed the result to beginner''s luck and the heavy use of her ''Whisper'' ability. The more she thought about it, the less likely this seemed. Katrin managed to hold her own as well and Agni was able to subdue several stronger foes during the battle. Only the pair of rank two adventurers were able to put up a decent battle.

    "I don''t know." She finally said, reluctant to even answer the man. She half expected him to chide her, to antagonize her but this never came. Instead Glint switched gears entirely.

    "There are beings that defy logic in this world--did you know?" Glint asked before chuckling to himself.

    "Of course you do, you''re one of them." He added.

    "When we awaken in this strange new world of ours, we find ourselves in a fantasy story. Monsters, magic, it''s all so promising." Glint exined.

    "But they never tell you about the dark parts. The shadows that creep about, corrupting anything they touch. You''d think we all started with a clean te, as equals but no--clearly some of us have better abilities than others." Glint continued.

    "Look at me. I''m a Fighter. You know what that gets me? I can master any weapon and use it to its fullest. I can unleash weapon abilities that cleave metal and stone, I can do things that would make a normal human envy. Butpared to someone like you? It''s nothing."

    "I mean, you canpel someone to do your bidding with a single word. Do you know just how mind blowing, how...broken an ability like that is?" Glint asked. Though he wasughing, Agni got the distinct impression that it was due to irony. She also detected a slight hint of bitterness.

    "But you know, there are worse things out there than you. Worse people. People who are insatiable. They can never get enough, no amount of suffering, pain or anguish is enough to quench their thirst. You think you know what monsters are? Grimlock, they are nothingpared to the terror instigated by some people." Glint said, his mood turning sour. As Agni watched she was stricken with a sense of deep sorrow.

    "I''ve heard stories about Subus who enthralled a legion of people and forced them to do unspeakable things. The older adventures whisper about your kind, did you know that? They say things like:

    ''Another Subus is born. Will she be like the other one?''

    ''Oh no, anything but that. It took an army to stop thest one.''

    Yet, standing here before you I can see, they are wrong. You''re soft." Glint said as he thrust a pointed finger towards Agni.

    "And if you keep it up, you''ll be the one consumed by monsters. Real monsters!" Glint shouted. His emotions were now bubbling as he recalled all that had been lost to him. Watching the woman he had meaningful bond with, reduced to a fuck-toy. Watching his best friend chained, tortured and murdered. Pleading for his life -- only to be denied the mercy for another person''s enjoyment.

    "If you keep this up, you''ll end up like me. Chained, broken and unable to protect anything or anyone that matters." Glint said finally as he reigned in the emotions ravaging his heart. He clenched his fist, his resolve reaching a peak as streams of tears ran down his cheeks.

    Perhaps it was his disy of raw emotion but Agni couldn''t help but be drawn into his words. She could feel the pain within them, a sense of helplessness which miraculously never destroyed a flicker of hope.

    "He''sing for you." Glint said, his face returned to a stoic expression once more. The magical script formed a new word as he spoke. As he spoke Agni noticed the man grimace.

    "Who? Who''sing for me?" Agni asked, yet still a part of her knew the answer already. She''d seen too much evidence to the contrary.

    *Memento Mori* The magical words shifted.

    *You are marked. You are hunted.*

    *Be prepared.*

    *He won''t stop.*

    Glint''s breathing became raspy, almostbored. He hadn''t expected his emotions toe bursting forth at such an inopportune time. This, in turn dulled his focus, causing the pain of his ve mark to take hold.

    Glint shook his head fiercely, as if to dispel the cloud of agitation building there.

    *I wanted to say so much more, to exin properly. But, I''m out of time.* He thought inwardly. He resigned himself to his fate and turned to walk away without another word.

    "Wait. I still have questions." Agni said with a start.

    "Watch thepany you keep. Otherwise you may end up on someone''s leash." The man nced over his shoulder to ry a final message.

    "I said wait!" Agni called once more, but it was no use. The man dropped a smoke bomb and quickly disappeared in the lingering cloud''s diffusion.

    "Hmph. He saw me." Sh''s voice echoed suddenly. Agni was taken by surprise as the Imp showed herself. She floated downward,nding next to Agni in the process.

    "Was that the snatcher from before? What''s going on?" Sh asked, her arms folded. Inwardly she was a bit agitated herself.

    *How did he see me? He definitely noticed when I arrived.* Sh thought.

    "Nothing. It''s nothing important." Agni replied before stating, "Let''s go back."

 Chapter 217: 217

    <h4>Chapter 217: 217</h4>

    Chapter 217 : Run-In (2)

    Despite the festivities Agni''s mind was in disarray. Her thoughts kept bouncing between various events. Most prevalent among these were death and the events leading up to Michelle''s death. It felt like forces were working overtime, which gave her a deep sense of foreboding. Especially when she considered the snatcher''sst words.

    "Watch thepany you keep. Otherwise you may end up on someone''s leash."

    *What did that even mean?* Due to her strong dislike of the man for his actions against herself and Katrin she wanted to dismiss his obtuse warning. And yet she couldn''t bring herself to do so. She''d rejoined the rest of herpanions by some minutes now, thus she nced around from face to face. The group was currently busy moving from stall to stall, talking amongst themselves or drinking. Everyone had a smile on their face, save for Katrin.

    "Huh? Where''s Katrin?" Agni asked, her mind racing.

    "Oh? Now you care?" Sh said with a shrug.

    "Chasing butterflies. Like you she doesn''t TELL PEOPLE WHERE SHE''S GOING." Sh was aggravated, but not for the reason one might think. She wasn''t upset that Agni and Katrin left her behind, but rather that they were keeping secrets. She felt left out, and this couldn''t be more true since the mysterious encounter in the alleyway.

    "Nothing. It''s nothing important."

    These were the words offered to Sh when she finally caught up with Agni. She could always find the subus easily due to the living item embedded in her choker. This orb was Sh''s "home", her link to Agni in physical form. She could return to it at any time, though Sh rarely did so unless it suited her in the moment. Likewise, because of this bond she could also tell where Agni was, as well as what she was thinking.

    Usually. In times like this Sh was reminded of her master-servant rtionship with the subus. Agni had never closed her mind or protected her thoughts from Sh before. In fact, Sh was beginning to think it was impossible for Agni to do so . Sh on the other hand had been concealing secrets, thoughts and emotions on a whim for quite some time. At first she did it because she felt like it, but as time went on Sh began to wonder--

    *Can she even tell I''m keeping secrets from her? Or does she just not care?*

    In a way Sh felt childish for caring about something like this, and like most of her root emotions it manifested in a sharp tongue and exaggerated reactions. Despite the fact that she kept many secrets of her own, she was beginning to hate the fact that Agni could do the same. And no matter how hard Sh pried to prate the subus'' thoughts, Agni seemed oblivious. As if Sh''s considerable efforts didn''t even matter.

    "Ugh." Sh said finally as she began to bite her lip. Despite her jab Agni hadn''t even looked in her direction. Instead the subus began to move through the crowd, it seemed as if she was about to head off on her own again when Katrin appeared.

    "Katrin--" Agni began, but Katrin''s expression gave Agni pause. She looked as if she was lost deeply in thought. The original question of, "Are you okay?" shifted to "Is something wrong?"

    "No. Yes. We should talk about itter when there aren''t so many ears." Katrin said, offering her best attempt at a warm-hearted smile. This was no doubt to diffuse Agni''s suspicions, but it served to do the exact opposite -- put her on edge.

    "I''m fine. Really, I just had a strange run-in with someone we both know." Katrin added. It never urred to Agni that the snatchers might have reached out to Katrin as well. Her blood ran cold, realizing for the first time that if the group truly wanted to take them, it very may well have worked.

    This opened Agni''s mind to a whole new set of questions. Why didn''t they attempt to kidnap them? She was sure the man had his reasons. She thought back to his burst of emotion, it seemed too genuine to be a facade. Was he truly a victim in the situation, as he''d implied with his magic?

    Katrin also seemed to be lost in thought, which made Agni ponder what happened even moreso. She decided to respect Katrin''s wishes and not press the issue in the end, because she nned on discussing her encounter with the Scribe as soon as possible. She also needed to have a chat with her Doyenne about the evening''s events.

    "Really? So neither of you are going to tell me what''s going on? Fine." Sh said, her whip-like tail flitting furiously from side to side. She was obviously angry, but she also erred on the side of wisdom, refusing to press the issue.

    Eventually the Skill Shop came to a close. In the end the Memento Mori chapel was the talk of the town, acquiring more new recruits than any chapel in known history at such an event. Although Vivian Lex was thoroughly annoyed by this fact, she also counted her blessings. During the Skill Shop portion of the Twilight Festival she managed to acquire three new members, one of which was a rank two adventurer.

    The rest of the gathering was uneventful while the walk home was anything but. Agni, Katrin, Gigi, Gates ,Merri , Ariadna, Vivian, Oliver and the new recruits were making their way back to the chapel when a minor incident urred.

    --------------------------------------

    The sounds of heavy breaths filled the air as a young woman dashed through the vacant streets of Grenvale. Her breathing was out of ce with the atmosphere of merriment in the distance. She tugged at the hood concealing her face as she ran, listening for the sound of footsteps in the distance. There were several, and her heart was beginning to drown out the sound of her breathing. It was the sudden sense of rm that overtook her.

    *T-they''re gaining. What should I do?* She thought inwardly. She paused briefly, ncing around for a safe haven. She then took notice of a group of people not far away, they numbered nearly a dozen. Her heart skipped a beat as she took off towards them at top speed.

    "H-hey? What the fuck?" Sh nearly shouted as a hooded figure bumped into her. This was enough to draw everyone else''s attention as well. Beneath the fabric of the hood was a young woman with a decidedly unusual appearance.

    "Is that a ..Slimeoid?" Gigi asked as she focused on the young woman. It was Agni''s first time seeing one in person as well, she couldn''t help but stare. The young woman had bluish skin,vender colored eyes and dark blue hair, navy in color. What struck Agni the most about her appearance was the young woman''s expression. Her eyes were pleading, wet with the making of tears at their corners.

    "Help me. Please! S-someone''s following me." She said, her voice barely audible above a whisper. The Slimeoid gripped onto the nearest person who happened to be Katrin.

    Agni''s eyes darted outwards towards the direction the young woman had juste from. She just managed to catch a glimpse of several figures attempting to hide themselves in the shadows. She just caught a glimpse of the girl''s pursuers and what they were wearing. Tattered cloaks with hoods that concealed their face, snatchers.

    Agni gritted her teeth and stepped forward as she prepared to order the people out of the shadows but Oliver Pagnal held up a hand to halt her advance. Vivian Lex then stepped forward, her eyes glowing with yellow energy.

    "I would rmend you turn around and not look back." Vivian said. Almost immediately Agni could feel her stomach drop, as if she''d been confronted with a direct threat. The pressure from Vivian''sbined magic and malice affected everyone nearby to some degree, but especially those in the location that she directed it.

    The sound of footsteps and scurrying followed as pursuers in the distance began to make haste.

    "You. I know you''re still there." Vivian said, her gaze still aze.

    "I-I''m not with them!" A woman''s voice replied.

    "I was trying to get away too. I..I can''t move. Please.. Stop." The woman pleaded as she stumbled from behind a crate no more than six meters away. She looked to be sweating profusely. This wasrgely because Vivian''s once dispersed intimidation was now trained solely on the young woman.

    "Hmm." Vivian replied, lingering for a moment longer before she released her intimidation tactics. The young woman breathed a sigh of relief and also removed her own hood, revealing the face of another young woman.

    "Thank you." The pale skinned, red-eyed young woman said as she bowed her head in appreciation.

 Chapter 218: 218

    <h4>Chapter 218: 218</h4>

    Chapter 218 : The Oracle (1)

    In the end, both young women apanied the group back to the chapel, and thanks to Vivian''s strong selling skills they willingly became members of Mystic Tower. Vivian on the other hand was delighted. She could make great use of a Slimeoid and Water Mage in her midsts. ording to the other woman, the pale one with reddish eyes, she too was being stalked by someone, though she had no idea who.

    In the end both women were in the same situation and a Water Mage was a healthy addition to the chapel as well. Slimeoids were known for their resistance to physical damage of all types. They also possessed invulnerability to status ailments and affects such as paralysis, poison and the like.With abilities like that Suina Brooks, the young woman in question, would make a great "tank" when paired with traditional magic users. Though she had yet to reach first rank, Vivian actually preferred this. She could take the time to properly mold the young woman into a proper adventurer, thus "protection" was a small price to pay.

    Likewise the Water Mage named Kara Pembra was an even stronger addition to Mystic Tower. Specialized magic was rare in Adventia, and most importantly powerful. A person who specialized in a single aspect of magic had several benefits going for them, the ability to rapidly increase their mastery over a magic element.

    The ability to acquire unorthodox magics associated with said element and even ways to further augment or enhance their magic. All of these were often above average with specialized mages, or as some called them "focused magic users". Though Kara was already a first rank adventurer, it was still possible to have Oliver help with her growth as an adventurer. Along with the other three recruits Vivian had managed to do enough to wipe the bitter taste of today''s Twilight Festival from her mouth.

    "Quality over quantity." She kept saying to Oliver as the two spoke in her office. She was just about to begin detailing her ns for the chapel when a knock on the door interrupted.

    "Come in." The kitsune said as she made herselffortable behind the desk.

    Momentster both the Scribe and Subus walked through the door, their expressions couldn''t have been more different whenpared to one another. Katrin seemed worried, despite the smile she tried to outwardly present. Agni, on the other hand, looked agitated.

    "What''s wrongdies? Didn''t drink enough alcohol this year?" Oliver asked. Being keenly aware of their moods he tried to lighten the mood. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to him, this was not the proper moment to do so.

    Neither woman reacted, instead their respective expressions deepened even further. Even Oliver was forced to show concern.

    "What''s wrong?" He asked, stepping aside so that both young women could take a seat near Vivian''s desk. Both sat down without a word as they prepared to discuss with their Doyenne the events which transpired earlier in the night.

    ------------------------------------------

    "Well then. It looks like you''re ready." The dark skinned man said as he focused his gold-colored eyes upon the woman before him. She was notably shorter than he, almost making her look like a teenager than the adult she was. Tawny colored skin with short,vender colored hair and cherry colored eyes gazed back at him. Her clothes were in tatters, holes in various ces were a testament to her activities the past three months. Although, if Zero was to be believed, only a few days had passed so far...

    She had no reason to doubt the man''s words, after all she''d seen a fair share of his power for herself during their "training" sessions.

    "Am I ready? You tell me." She asked in response to his question.

    "Hmm. I think you''re good, for now. You''ve reached rank one in both of your sses, so for all intents and purposes, you could consider yourself as strong as a rank two adventurer. If you consider your atma, then a mid-range third ranker."

    "Oh, speaking of which.." Zero said as he flourished his hand in the woman''s general direction. A faint glow of white light wreathed the woman in light then condensed into a small orb of magic. This orb floated towards Zero,nding in the palm of his hand before it disappeared, absorbed into his body.

    "I''ll need that doll back. It was a loaner." Zero said as he gave off a pleasant smile.

    "But, opportunities are all around. You can make your own dolls. How many can you activate now?"

    "Just two." She replied.

    "Oh, that''s right. I guess the one I gave you was pretty gifted." He replied.

    She rolled her eyes, aware that it was his way of fishing for apliment.

    "Yes, it helped immensely when it came to controlling multiple dolls. In the future I''ll make great use of that knowledge. Thank you Zero." She said, offering her sincere gratitude.

    Zero nodded as a beaming smile spread across his face.

    "So Oracle , have you decided on a name just yet?" He asked.

    "I think I''ll keep the one from my past life.Dora. Short for Isadora." The woman replied.

    "A gift from Isis. Very nice." Zeromented, in reference to the meaning behind the woman''s name.

    "Indeed. And fitting, don''t you think?"

    "Mhm. So, we should spar one more time." Zero said.

    "Why?" Dora asked, her eyebrow raising quizzically. ording to Zero she''d done all of her training up to his standards.

    "Because using divine power in the ''real'' world is a bit different than the training realm we just came from. If you''re not careful you can damage the environment and injure others inadvertently."

    "Hmm. Fine. I need a doll though. Why''d you take yours back?"

    "Because it''s made of pure atma. It will be more difficult to control properly and therefore less beneficial to you. Training is done, this is mostly an...adjustment exercise." Zero responded.

    "Besides, this is a perfect opportunity to create your own doll." Zero added as he motioned to the surrounding environment. Dora nced around, taking in the scenery. They were back in a nameless forest filled with grand trees and overgrown shrubbery.

    "What exactly would I use to make a doll from this ce?" She asked, her doubt beginning to blossom.

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